When Patrick Mahomes’ mom Randi became pregnant with her third child nearly 20 years after having her first, she was nervous that the age gap would negatively affect their sibling dynamic. Though the possibility weighed on her in the early days of her daughter’s life, it turns out Randi had nothing to worry about.

The NFL star‘s mom gave birth to him in 1995, and her second son, Jackson, followed in 2000. While she shares her eldest kids with Patrick Mahomes Sr., the former couple divorced in 2006, and Randi went on to welcome her daughter Mia in 2011 with another partner.

Fostering a ‘Special’ Sibling Bond
The mom of three recently told People that the age gap between her kids — 16 years between Patrick, 28, and Mia, 12, and 11 years between the pre-teen and Jackson, 23 — initially worried her out of fear that they “wouldn’t really know each other,” but her sons pleasantly surprised her by putting in the effort to forge a “special” relationship with their little sister.

“[Patrick] is always keeping tabs on what Mia’s doing, both him and Brittany [Mahomes],” Randi shared. “It’s a fun relationship for them to have, and being that I was so nervous they wouldn’t know each other, I can say now that they know each other.”

The proud mom continued, “I’ll send him clips of her basketball games, and he’s like, ‘Well, tell me what she scored,’ and then he’ll ask all about it, and I do that with Jackson and him both.”

In addition to Mia, Patrick and Jackson also have a little sister on their dad’s side of the family — in 2015, Patrick Sr. became dad to a daughter named Zoe. Both Mia and Zoe have been spotted at their big brother’s football games, and they’ve even gotten to pose for photos with Taylor Swift this past season. As if the quarterback needed to rack up any more cool points with his sisters!

Not Only Changing the Game on the Field
While chatting with People, Randi also opened up about how she found a sense of direction after becoming a mom. “Patrick is my first child, and I grew up with him basically,” she said of welcoming her eldest at 20 years old. Randi continued, “I had him at a young age, and I don’t go out saying that’s the best thing to do, but it was the best thing for me just because it made me grow up.”

“Sometimes, I look back and I’m like, ‘Where would I be if I didn’t have him?’ Because I wasn’t going down a bad road, I just wasn’t going on a road,” she explained. Everything changed when Patrick came into her life, though. “I had someone that needed me,” Randi recalled. “And so, for forever, he was my little best friend. We were together 24/7, and I learned with him.”

The mom of three added, “He made me grow up in a good way, in a great way. Being a mother is my favorite thing sometimes, and sometimes it’s hard, but it is my favorite thing, and I always say, ‘Where would I be without it?’” The sentiment is certainly one all young mothers can relate to — life’s about the journey, after all.