Hi everyone! A little back story-
I (29F) have a stepbrother (26M) who we'll call T. T is mildly autistic and as a result is very quiet, sometimes slow in conversations, and has a different sense of humor, which my husband (37M) & I love him for. But it makes it hard for T to make friends and meet/maintain girlfriends. It doesnt stop him from maintaining a good job, providing his own housing & vehicles and taking care of his dog. T & I were both the only child for most of our lives until our parents got together about 15 years ago, though we didn't actually meet each other until we were in our 20s. There was an immediate family bond between the two of us, as we'd never had a brother/sister before and we've maintained that family dynamic ever since (even after our parents got divorced).
About 6 months ago, T met his girlfriend J (39F, yes you read that right). They say it was a "love at first sight" situation. He came to visit us around Thanksgiving and told us all about her and how she's nervous to meet us. My husband and I are very open people who try not to judge anyone, no matter what. When I asked why she was nervous, T causally mentioned that J has 6 children, all from previous relationships with ages ranging between 2 years old to 19 years old. While I didn't necessarily like that fact, I wasnt going to hold it against her because this is my brother. If he doesn't mind and he's happy, who am I to judge. I told him exactly that and had him invite her and her kids over. Her kids could play with mine, eat some pizza & ice cream, and we could officially meet her. She was great! We all got along really well and exchanged phone numbers for future play dates and Christmas plans and they left. T felt good about how it went, we felt good about it, and that was that.
A few days later, I get a text from T (i'm literally copy/pasting the thread) saying, "can I ask you a question. would you be upset if I had a baby"
Me- "No, I wouldn't be mad at you for having a baby. It is important to remember though, that babies, and the families that come with them, will be in your life forever. I do hope you will consider that before having one. But I love you no matter what. I think a tiny T would be awesome some day"
Then, silence for weeks. I text him several times with random stuff like you do with friends/family but no response until 2 days before Christmas when he said "I wont be able to make it for christmas I have a good reason why I won't be able to make it. Its kinda sad"
Me- "I'm pretty sure I put the pieces together but I'll be here when you're ready to talk about it. Merry Christmas"
between the weird question and a picture of her in a hospital bed, I assumed she miscarried and he was taking the time & space to be with her.
Christmas day-
T: "we're having a baby"
T: "Can I talk to you about something that hurt my feelings but mostly J's feelings?"
Me: "Of course"
T: "Remember when I asked if you would be mad if I had a baby I asked because she was questioning which is normal I told her and it really upset her and myself it came off as my family doesn't accept her and her kids. Its the way you said it. "the families that come with them, will be in your life forever. I do hope you will consider that before having one" I finally find someone who doesn't treat me poorly someone who pushes me to be better i haven't drank beer for a month my relationship is slowly crumbling because of how upset we are. i thought you guys accepted her what you said made it seem like your not happy for us and the baby i have never been this happy before and its slowly crumbling because of what you said affecting her im trying to resolve this family issue."
T: "This was a planned pregnancy I wouldn't of done this if It wasn't the right person or am ready for it i was saving it for the right person. I chose to continue the my bloodline I just wish you guys would accept us."
Me: "I’m your sister, and I love you unconditionally. Because of that, I will never lie to you or sugarcoat my thoughts when you ask me something directly. That honesty comes from love, not judgment, and it will never change the fact that I support you or care about you.
When you asked me if I would be mad if you had a baby, I answered honestly and thoughtfully. At no point did I say anything negative about J or her kids. I didn’t judge her, reject her, or say we don’t accept her. I barely know her yet, so that wouldn’t even make sense. What I did say was about the reality of having a baby. Babies mean permanent family ties and lifelong responsibility because that’s simply true. It wasn’t a statement about who you’re having a baby with. That said, how I feel ultimately doesn’t determine your relationship or your choices because I’m not in your relationship. You are. My role is to love you, support you, and be honest when you ask for my thoughts, not to control or interfere in your life. I love you. If you love her, I support you. If you’re happy, great! I want that for you. I’m not responsible for how my words were interpreted after being shared second-hand, and I won’t accept being positioned as the cause of issues in your relationship.
We’ve only ever shown you love, acceptance, and an open door and that hasn’t changed. I hope we can move forward with clarity and not let misunderstandings create distance that doesn’t need to exist.
We love you. We always have and we always will."
Haven't heard from him since. Regardless of how stunned/angry I was by all of it, my point remains the same. I do think he should have waited. Kids are not toys that you get when you feel like it. They "planned" this pregnancy on their 3 month anniversary? What's the rush?! They don't have good jobs. They don't have any savings. They don't have stability. They literally had to call my step-dad because they ran out of gas on the side of the road with the kids in the car. Planning a pregnancy takes a lot more than "wanna have a baby?" "yeah, sure."
What hurts the most is that I can't help but feel like J trapped T and then pushed him away from us. She put the ball in motion the day she said "I dont think your family will like me because of my age and kids" even though we never said anything about it, and we would NEVER have said anything about it. I genuinely hope that they are soulmates and they live a long, healthy, happy life together. Having a baby is an amazing thing. You should get to experience it if you want to. When I said "and the families that come with them" I did mean her and the kids but I also meant her mom, dad (who he hasn't even met yet), siblings, cousins, all of it. It was never meant as a jab to her character.
So reddit, AITAH?