I named my daughter Eva after my mother. I expected my stepmom to smile politely. Instead, she snapped, “It should’ve been my name. I’m the one who raised you.” I was exhausted in a hospital bed, holding my newborn, stunned that her first reaction was jealousy. After that, she disappeared for weeks. No messages. No concern for me or the baby. Then one night, she called and claimed my dad was secretly planning to sell my childhood home.
Panicked, I called him immediately. He had no idea what she was talking about—only minor renovations. That’s when I realized she was trying to create distance between us.On Christmas, she showed up unannounced with expensive baby gifts, then calmly suggested I change Eva’s middle name to hers. When I refused, she exploded. I finally told her the truth: she helped raise me, but she would never replace my mother. She stormed out.
Weeks later, my cousin quietly warned me that my stepmom had been secretly moving large sums of money from my dad’s account into her own. I urged my dad to check. He did—and discovered everything. Within two weeks, they separated. Months later, while cleaning his garage, we found a box in my mom’s handwriting.
Inside was a letter written before she died, meant for “when Eva is born.” In it, she told me she hoped I would name my daughter Eva—because it means life. In that moment, I knew I had chosen the right name. Eva now means love, truth, and the courage to protect what matters most.