Our Daughter, Our Family

My dad remarried when I was thirteen and I hated my stepmom Linda at first. She tried too hard

to be my friend, always asking about school and boys. I rolled my eyes at everything she

said. Then one night I got my period unexpectedly at 2am and was too embarrassed to wake

my dad. Linda heard me crying in the bathroom and didn't ask questions. She just handed

me supplies and sat with me until I felt better. The next morning she packed me a

little care package for school with chocolates and pain meds. No big speech,

no trying to replace my mom, just being there. That was five years ago.

Last week I got into my dream college and called Linda before anyone else. She cried harder