I fell in love with my husband’s best friend months after he died – I would’ve judged other widows but I get it now

A WOMAN has shared how the most unexpected thing happened during the incredibly tough time following the death of her husband - she fell in love with his best friend.

After her husband died from a tragic car accident in 2020, Rochelle Pitts was left to care for her three young children, with a fourth on the way.

Pitts had been married to her husband, Jesse, for 13 years, and said his death was "the worst experience" of her life.

She said: "Immediately after he passed, life was extremely chaotic – we all cried constantly.

“It has been about a year and a half since he died. It still hurts every day but now it's different."

Now, Pitts and her family appreciate their lives, but still grieve the fact that Jesse's was cut short.

The birth of her daughter Wren was especially difficult as she arrived just weeks after Jesse's death.

Pitts explained: “It was so confusing and bittersweet. My other children I was so happy to meet, I couldn't wait to see their faces.

“With Wren, I struggled looking at her ultrasounds because I felt sad that I had the privilege to see her but Jesse did not."

Pitts said that during the births of her other children, Jesse was there to calm her down.

But during Wren's birth via c-section, she could hear every small noise the doctors made, then she was gutted when she was wheeled back to her room and saw a father holding his new baby.

"It hurt so bad to see. It was so ridiculous and lonely, it seemed like a cruel joke.”

Pitts was then set on raising her children on her own, but that all changed when she became closer with her husband's best friend Scott.

Pitts had thought she never wanted to be with anyone ever again, then she started to talk to Scott about six months after her husband's death.

She said: "It started slow. We would watch movies together and he'd help me out in the yard or with random things in the house.

"Then he asked me on a date."

At first, she didn't think dating Scott was a good idea and struggled with what others may think of them, but then she realized how perfect Scott was for her and her family.

"He has seven siblings, he understands grief because of his own experiences with death in his family, and he cares about my children. Our grief doesn't phase him," Pitts explained.

Pitts added that Scott honors still Jesse's memory in their family.

"When we first had a sit-down dinner together, he pulled up a separate chair and left Jesse's usual seat empty. He still does this."

Pitts said that falling in love with her deceased husband's best friend "makes a lot of sense."

"Before I was a widow, I may have raised an eyebrow if I saw a widow date her husband's best friend after his passing, but now that I am a widow, I understand that this is so normal."

Now, Pitts is taking the time to grieve and not rushing the big steps with Scott, all while juggling life as a single mom and going to law school.

She spends most of her days taking her kids to and from school, in classes, cleaning the house, and, if she has time, studying.

She said: "If I had to summarise it, I never have a free minute. I constantly feel overwhelmed."

Thankfully, Pitts has an incredible support system behind her with her family and Scott.

"I wish that kind of support was given to everyone because I truly think that is one key thing that made me heal, was that everyone wanted to help me."