When Melanie, my stepkids’ mom, texted that I wasn’t welcome at their birthday party because “you don’t have children,” it cut deep. For five years, I’ve loved and raised Noah and Liam—twins I’ve helped with homework, school drop-offs, and every little thing in between. What Melanie didn’t know was that after my husband, George, lost a big client, I quietly covered a year of their private school tuition. Her words hurt even more because I can’t have kids of my own due to a medical condition.
Rather than argue, I simply transferred the tuition billing to her. A few days later, she called—stunned to learn I’d been paying. She apologized and invited me to the party. We ended up hosting it at our home, full of laughter and love. Since then, she’s never excluded me again.
At a recent get-together, one of Noah’s friends called me “mom.” Noah didn’t correct him. I might not be their biological mother, but in every way that counts—I am their mom.
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