Eva Mendes sees 'hearts everywhere' ahead of her late brother's birthday: 'Could be him'

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Eva Mendes is paying tribute to her late brother, Juan Carlos Mendes, who died of cancer nine years ago, as his birthday approaches.

The 'Hitch' actress has been carrying forward his brother's legacy since he died in 2016.

Eva Mendes shares how she looks for signs of her late brother

Eva Mendes shared that she looks for signs that remind her of him, finding comfort in small moments.

"My brother would’ve had a birthday this April 2," Mendes wrote on Instagram on March 24. "He passed almost 9 years ago," she added.

Alongside a series of photos, including a selfie holding a heart-shaped rock and an image of a heart-shaped hole in a tree, Mendes noted the significance of these moments.

"When his birthday nears, I start to look for signs that could be him," she wrote, adding "Of course, this can all be in my head, but I rather not believe that. It’s not as beautiful."

She continued, "So, here I am, starting to see hearts everywhere and feeling him a little extra right now. More to come, I’m sure."

Mendes, 51, shares daughters Esmeralda, 10, and Amada, eight, with Ryan Gosling, 44, and recalled how her second child was born just weeks after her brother's death.

"Then, less than 2 weeks later, I gave birth to our second baby," she wrote, as per E! Online. 

Eva Mendes recalls grieving while welcoming her second child

Shortly after Carlos' death, Eva Mendes opened up about her grief, explaining that she was dealing with the loss while preparing to welcome her daughter.

"We had a funeral service for him and that same week I had the baby," she told Latina in 2016. "It was really, really intense and obviously beyond heartbreaking, but also kind of beautiful," she said.

At the time, Mendes acknowledged that she had little time to grieve. "My older little girl is not yet 2 years old," she said.

"My little one is still an infant, and right now it's really about surviving those nights and trying to enjoy this time as much as possible with them," she added.

Despite the pain, she found comfort in her family’s support. "Losing my brother brought our family closer, and we were already close to begin with," Mendes said.

"So to just see everybody be there for one another and show up, I feel so lucky to have them," she noted.

Ryan Gosling dedicated award to Juan Carlos Mendes

Months later, Ryan Gosling spoke about the family's loss when he accepted the Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical award at the 2017 Golden Globes.

He reflected on Mendes’ strength during that difficult period, saying, "My lady was raising our daughter, pregnant with our second, and trying to help her brother fight his battle with cancer."

He made sure to honor Carlos during his speech, saying, "If I may, I’d like to dedicate this to the memory of her brother, Juan Carlos Mendes."