When a parent finds a new spouse, their children are left wondering whether or not they should view that new spouse as «parent,» «friend,» or «foe.» This is especially true if the children go through losing one parent, then gaining another stranger in their home in the span of a year or two. Bonus points if that child ends up with a half-brother who tears the family apart even further.

A happy family can come out of a situation like this—it just takes time, effort, and a lot of loose expectations instead of rigid ones. How can you expect a kid to be fine with their entire world changing right in front of their eyes? How do they cope with the fact that their biological parent isn’t supporting them in the way they need to be, and instead, giving that support to a child they only share half of their DNA with? You don’t cope; everything just kind of falls apart.

Such is the case in this next story, where a teen tries to gain support from and better the bond he has with his father since his stepmother came into the picture. This led the father to miss the birth of the teen’s half-brother, and the favoritism began there. Scroll to read.