I Raised Him Like My Own—Then His Wedding Broke My Heart

I’ve raised my stepson, Oscar, since he was five. Back then, he was a quiet little boy who clung to his backpack and barely spoke after losing his mom. I never tried to take her place.

I cooked her favorite meals for him on her birthday, kept her photos in his room, and always made sure he knew it was okay to love her and miss her. All I wanted was to be a steady presence — someone he could count on. Years passed.

I helped him through school projects, breakups, college applications. I was the one who stayed up during his fevers, who listened when he cried, who sat in the audience cheering the loudest at every milestone. I thought, foolishly maybe, that love like that always came back around.

Then, a month ago, I learned he was getting married. I smiled, hugged him, told him how proud I was. Later that night, I opened the wedding website — and my name wasn’t there.

No seat reserved. No invitation sent. Not even as a guest.

When I gently asked him about it, he said, “I already invited Mom’s relatives… I just didn’t want to mix things.”

Mix things. As if I were a stain on the day. I didn’t argue.Continue reading…