When you told me she was getting married again, I didn’t know how to feel. Excited? Nervous? A little of both, I guess. I never imagined how much my life would change so quickly.

Then he came—my stepbrother. He’s kind, a little quirky, and has one obsession: his favorite food. Suddenly, our house smelled different, our dinners looked different, and even our conversations felt… strange.

At first, it was awkward. I’d watch him cook and worry about making a mistake that might ruin the one dish he loved most. Every meal felt like a small challenge, a test I didn’t know I signed up for.

But as days went by, I started to notice the little things—how he laughed at my bad jokes, how he tried to make Mom smile, and how our family dinners slowly became something I looked forward to. Life with a stepbrother isn’t perfect, but it’s real. It’s messy, funny, sometimes frustrating… and full of unexpected memories I’m starting to treasure.