When I went to my ex-husband’s house to get our daughter Lexie, I saw something that made my heart skip a beat. Katie, my stepmother, was standing over Lexie with a broom in her hand, and my reflexes kicked in right away.
I saw that Katie wasn’t trying to hurt my child, though, because she was just trying to keep her safe from a rat that had run into the kitchen.
I had a new view of Katie at that point. Even though we didn’t feel comfortable around each other at first, we both loved Lexie.
Katie wasn’t just my stepmother; she was also a co-parent who truly cared about my child’s well-being as we worked together to get the rat out of the house.
Having tea with them and hearing their stories made me feel better. Katie was taking good care of Lexie, and I knew that our plan to share parenting was working.
There was no doubt that our family wasn’t the norm, but we were making it work for our child.
That’s when I learnt to trust Katie and let go of what I thought I knew. Even though we didn’t always agree, our love for Lexie was what really brought us together.
It made me feel good to know that Lexie had two moms who would do anything to care for and protect her as I left the house that day.
