Creating a new family was difficult. Creating a new family when your husband already had a child was twice as hard. Creating a new family when that child was a teenage girl who hated you was nearly impossible.

Roy and I had been married for three months. Before that, we had dated for two years.

Those years had been wonderful, filled with love, laughter, and dreams of a future together. But there was one thing we could never quite figure out—Kris.

Roy’s daughter didn’t just dislike me. She hated me with every ounce of teenage stubbornness she had.

No matter what I did, how kind I was, or how much space I gave her, nothing seemed to change.

If I asked about her day, she rolled her eyes. If I tried to make small talk, she ignored me. If I gave her a compliment, she assumed I was being fake.

I knew I could never replace her mother, and I never wanted to. But I had hoped—really hoped—that, in time, we could build something real.

A connection. A friendship. A sense of trust. Instead, Kris treated me like I was a villain from one of her books—the wicked stepmother who had swooped in to steal her father away.

And so, we argued. All the time.

One evening, Kris came to Roy with a request—she wanted to go to another city with her friends for a concert.

“I don’t even know what to say,” Roy told her. He looked at me. “What do you think?”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for me—” I started, wanting to say that I didn’t want to interfere in Kris’s upbringing, but she cut me off.

“She has no say in this!” Kris yelled, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

Roy exhaled. “We’re a family now, and we make decisions together,” he said before turning back to me. “So tell me what you think.”

“Will there be any adults with you?” I asked.

Kris rolled her eyes. “No, but Eliza and Stacy are sixteen, so we’ll drive in their cars.”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea. You’re only thirteen,” I said.

Kris’s face tensed. “But everyone else is allowed to go!” she shouted.

“It’s not really my decision to make,” I said, keeping my voice steady.

“I think Leslie is right. You’re too young for a trip like this,” Roy said.

Kris’s hands clenched into fists. “Of course! Leslie is always right! No one cares about what I think!”

“We’re just worried,” I said.

“Oh, stop pretending! I know you don’t care! You just want to look like a good mom in front of my dad!” Kris snapped.

“I do care. That’s exactly why I don’t want you to go. You’re thirteen—you’ll have plenty of chances for trips like this,” I said, my voice rising.

“Ugh! You’re the worst!” Kris shouted.

“Stop!” Roy’s voice was firm. “I’ve had enough. We’re all going on a family trip to the mountains.”

Kris and I stared at him.

“WHAT?!” we exclaimed at the same time.

“Yes. This weekend. No discussion,” Roy said.

“I hate you both!” Kris screamed and ran to her room, slamming the door behind her.

That weekend, early in the morning, Kris and I were already on the road, heading toward the mountains.

Snowflakes drifted through the air, dusting the windshield. The farther we drove, the heavier it became. The road stretched ahead, covered in a thin layer of white.

I tightened my grip on the wheel. The thought of mountain roads in a snowstorm made my stomach twist.

Kris sighed loudly. “I don’t understand why I have to drive with you.” She leaned against the door, arms crossed.

“Roy had an emergency at work. He’ll leave later.” I focused on the road. “I’m not thrilled either, considering this was his idea.”

“Yeah, sure,” Kris scoffed. “You just go along with everything he says. And he does everything for his precious Leslie.”

“That’s not true. Well, not entirely true.” I kept my voice steady. “We argue too, you know. And if your dad ever had to choose between us, he’d pick you.”

Kris let out a dry laugh. “He already didn’t pick me.” She turned her face toward the window.

I wanted to tell her she was wrong, but I knew she wouldn’t believe me.

The road ahead blurred as the snowfall thickened. The tires struggled for traction. I pressed the gas pedal. Nothing. The car refused to move.

Kris sat up. “What’s wrong?”

“We’re stuck.”

She threw her hands in the air. “Great! Just how I wanted to spend my weekend—trapped with you.”

“I’m not thrilled either, in case you were wondering.” I pulled out my phone and called the towing service. The conversation wasn’t promising.

“They said it’ll take at least two hours for a tow truck to get here,” I told her.

Kris huffed. “Nice.”

Silence filled the car. Snowflakes tapped against the windows.

I finally spoke. “Why do you hate me so much?”

“Because you’re awful,” Kris said flatly.

“That’s not true. And I think you know it.”

“It is true!” Her voice rose. “You ruined our lives! We were fine without you!”

“If everything was fine, your dad wouldn’t have been with me.” The words came out sharper than I intended.

“I was fine! We had our life, and you destroyed it! You made him betray my mom!”

My heart pounded. “You can’t betray someone who’s already gone!” The words slipped out before I could stop them.

The moment they left my mouth, I regretted them. I covered my lips with my hand.

Kris’s face crumpled. Her eyes filled with tears.

Without a word, she shoved open the door and stormed out into the snow, slamming it behind her.

I thought Kris would stand outside for five minutes, maybe ten, and then come back once the cold got to her.

But she didn’t return. I kept glancing at the clock. Ten minutes passed. Then twenty. My stomach tightened.

I opened the door, and a sharp gust of wind hit me. Snowflakes stung my face.

I could barely see a few feet ahead. The snowfall had thickened, covering everything in white.

“Kris!” I called. My voice was swallowed by the wind. I stepped farther away from the car. “Kris, where are you?”

No answer.

Panic crept in. My heart pounded as I trudged through the snow.

Then, finally, I heard it—a faint voice. “I’m here.”

I turned toward the sound and spotted a dark shape in the snow. Kris lay half-buried, shivering.

“My leg is stuck,” she said, her teeth chattering.

I dropped to my knees and started digging. The snow was packed tightly. Her foot was trapped between the roots of a fallen tree. My fingers burned from the cold, but I kept working. Finally, I freed her leg.

She leaned on me as we fought our way back to the car. Once inside, I blasted the heat.

“Why…”

“I…”

We both started speaking at the same time.

Kris sighed and looked down at her hands. I hesitated before asking, “Can I go first?”

She gave a small nod.

I took a deep breath. “I’m sorry for what I said about your mom. I shouldn’t have said it. I was frustrated, but that doesn’t excuse it.”

Kris didn’t respond. She kept her eyes fixed on the floor.

“I keep trying to befriend you, but you push me away,” I admitted. “I don’t want to replace her. I never did.”

Still, she said nothing. Then, after a moment, she asked, “Why did you come looking for me?”

I met her gaze. “Because I was worried about you. Because I care.”

Kris scoffed. “No, you were scared something would happen to me, and you’d have to explain it to my dad.”

Her jaw clenched. “You don’t love me,” she said flatly.

“Of course I do.” I paused, watching her expression. “Look at you—you’re amazing. Well, when you’re not yelling at me, at least.”

Kris let out a short, shaky laugh.

“Even then, I love you,” I added. “Roy says you remind him of your mom.”

Her eyes filled with tears, but I kept going. “I know you feel like Roy abandoned you for me, but that’s not true. He loves you more than anything in the world.”

Kris wiped her nose with her sleeve. “It was just the two of us for a long time.”

“I know,” I said softly. “But change isn’t always bad. I want to be here for you, to support you, to love you. But you have to let me.”

She swallowed hard. “What if he stops loving me? What if he gives all his love to you?”

I shook my head. “That’s impossible. Love doesn’t work that way. The only thing that’s changed is that now two people love you instead of one.”

For a moment, Kris didn’t move. Then, suddenly, she threw her arms around me.

I froze, shocked. Then, slowly, I hugged her back. I held her carefully, afraid she might pull away.

Two hours later, the tow truck arrived and took us to the cabin we had rented.

When Roy arrived, Kris and I were sitting by the fire, drinking tea, still trying to warm up.

“Wow,” Roy said, setting his bag down. “I was expecting a full-blown action scene when I got here.”

Kris glanced at me, then smirked. “We decided to save that for later.”

I smiled back and gently squeezed her hand.

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