with the possible overturn of roe v. wade, i felt compelled to share my story. the story that many women shared before me and will after me. i’m scared for the women that will have to make a choice that is no longer protected by the law. women will be forced to find unsafe and illegal practices that will harm them more than legal procedures would ever. my story matters and i will fight for the rest of my life for all women to continue to have the right to control their own bodies. in 2018, while a sophomore in college, i found out i was eight weeks pregnant in my catholic university’s health center. i was only provided obgyn and family resources. i spoke to my boyfriend and decided that we weren’t ready to be parents. i was at school 500 miles away and little to no money in the bank. it wasn’t our time. on february 14th, in atlanta, ga, i made my choice to get an abortion and take the pill. it was painful and a hard experience to share with my family. in april, i discovered the pill didn’t work and my fetus was sixteen weeks old. on april 20th, i had an abortion. it was painful and excruciating. i was hurting alone. my partner and i were dealing with our trauma on different timelines. i wasn’t ready to talk and he was. we broke up that summer and still never got the closure we both deserved. now four years past my abortion, i was able to graduate cum laude and find my dream career. i’ve moved to two new cities alone and gave myself the life i deserved. a life where when i bring another child into the world, i’ll be ready. this isn’t everyone’s story and my healing timeline wasn’t linear. years of denial and putting work over my feelings. 4 years of therapy and finally joined an abortion support group. i’m able to help women walk through their experiences and be a listening ear. i felt that for four years, nobody would be able to relate and understand my pain; however, a group of women in a zoom room filled that void. i’ve always worried about roe v. wade being overturned with the new bills being passed across multiple states. i can’t imagine what my life would have been like if my choice was stripped from me. my body. my choice to say what happens or not. i fear each day for the women who don’t get the same choice as me. i know i would have loved my baby, mila, with all of my heart. i wouldn’t have been able to give her the life she deserved. i would have been attached to someone i no longer loved forever and for him the same. i always hoped he would be my future husband and father to my children, but when that opportunity arose — it wasn’t meant to be. it felt wrong. i will always have my guardian angel and when i choose to bring a life into this world, it’ll be with someone i love, a stable home, and chosen by my guardian angel. we all deserve the right to choose if this is the path someone wants to take.