Nurture
From Online Gaming To Hands-On Parenting, This Couple Is Winning Together In Life And In Love
“We met through an online game!” reminisced e-commerce manager Con Pacia, who used to be a huge gamer back in college. “I played a match with some group of players that included him. That was also the last time we played together because he was really annoyed at me for being too loud.”
After that first encounter, who would have thought these gamers would eventually be in a serious relationship and play the role of doting parents to an adorable little girl!
As fate would have it, Con and Edcel Pablo would have another chance to really get to know each other. “I tried to prank one of our gamer friends and called Edcel through voice chat. Instead of pranking our friend, we ended up having a nice conversation until we added each other on socials. From there, I eventually felt comfortable and was just myself whenever we talked. Unfortunately, he was the type of person who replies after two days or longer. There was even a time we stopped talking for two weeks. Then I saw a meme about it and sent it to him randomly. I think he found it cute and that’s when we started talking more consistently,” shared Con.
After a series of are-we-dating-or-not questions and clarifications, the couple made it official on Con’s birthday when Edcel threw a surprise party for her, pulled out a tiara ring (Con had long wanted to have one), and asked her to become his girlfriend. It was an easy yes for Con, who had always felt they were soulmates despite the differences in their interests and views about life.
It’s a yes to leveling up their relationship from friends to lovers!
Con recalled, “When we started dating, we always had these therapy sessions where we would allot time for us to talk about our issues so we could meet halfway and find ways to improve. These sessions helped us understand each other better and taught us to never keep things from each other.”
Unfortunately, Con was not in a good place during this time. She admitted to being too clingy and dependent on Edcel, who’s dead set at achieving more dreams for himself and his family. It came to a point where the couple had to take a break from their relationship for 10 months.
Devastated and heartbroken, Con cried her heart out but also found ways to move forward. She started doing things on her own and the antisocial was soon slowly coming out of her shell. She started spending time with friends and prayed a lot to get through this difficult time in her life.
“After that period of not talking, he suddenly sent me a message on my Dad’s birthday to greet him. It turned out he was just trying to find an excuse for us to talk again,” smiled Con. “So we started talking again and the rest is history.”
Today, Con and Edcel are proud parents to a 2-year-old adorable daughter they named Emily. There are still many things to learn and relearn, but Con and Edcel are easing their way through parenthood and family life with confidence because they are doing it together.
“Edcel is never vocal about his feelings but his love language is acts of service. Since we both work from home, we share responsibilities of childcare and housekeeping. I prepare the food and he feeds Emily. I’ll wash the clothes, he’ll hang them to air dry,” said Con. “We don’t really put hard rules on who’s doing which task, it just comes naturally for us to have each other’s backs.”
Mama Con’s message to her partner Edcel: “Daddy, I am proud of you and I’m one lucky mama to have you as the father of our little princess. I will always be here watching you grow as an individual and I look forward to growing old with you, my love.”
Con was in her last semester in college when she found out about her pregnancy. It was a surprise — but it was a beautiful and much welcomed one. “I had a strong support system in Edcel during my pregnancy, especially on how to deal with my shifting emotions due to raging hormones. He really took care of me, down to as simple as helping me wear my shoes.”
Seeing Edcel take great care of their little girl also proves to Con she made one of the best decisions of her life: to take that risk of “losing” her best gamer friend and taking the relationship to the next level.
“What I like most about him is he’s very goal driven. He is a responsible family man and he’s always been my pillar of support. He’s not one to pressure me to do things, but he’s always inspiring me to become the best version of myself. And he believes in me and in my dreams.”
They say success is sweeter when shared with someone you are truly, madly, deeply in love with. It’s best shared with someone who sticks with you through the highs and lows. Con and Edcel are winning in life and in love — and it’s not surprising to see why.
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