Vincent and I met just before Christmas in 2021 at his kiosk in Quiapo, a bustling district in Manila in the Philippines. We got to know each other on Facebook. I went to his workplace one day and asked him to fix my mobile phone. We had an instant connection. I started seeing him as much as I could and introduced him to my family, including my two children from a previous relationship.
We moved in together and our love blossomed. I found out I was pregnant in March 2022. He continued working as a street vendor, selling cellphone cases and chargers, while I stayed at home looking after the children. Sales are unpredictable – sometimes they’re good, but often they’re not – so Vincent started to sell online, too. Times were tough; money became so difficult that we ate salt or soy sauce mixed with rice for our meals.
