For years after my parents divorced, my father kept skipping me over for his new wife’s children. When I finally had enough, I taught him an important lesson about consequences. Let’s say, he wasn’t impressed!
My parents divorced when I was four, and for a while, Dad made it seem like things wouldn’t change. But things eventually changed when he remarried, and I started becoming less of a priority, until I finally had enough.
After my parents divorced, the custody agreement was simple: I would live with my mom, and Dad would get weekends. At first, it worked. Dad called often, picked me up Saturday mornings, and sometimes stayed late enough to help with my homework or read a bedtime story over the phone.
I believed that even though he didn’t live with us anymore, he was still my dad.
Then he met Jane.
Jane had three kids from her previous marriage: Logan, Tyler, and Emma. Almost overnight, Dad’s house became a home for them, and I became the visitor. At first, he tried to merge the families, inviting me to birthday parties and game nights.
But it was clear I wasn’t part of their inside jokes or their new traditions. They made a family canvas with painted handprints to hang in the living room. Mine was missing.
At first, I convinced myself it was just a rough adjustment.
But then the cancellations began, and I started fading from his life.
“Sorry, pumpkin, Logan’s got a soccer game today,” he’d say when he was supposed to pick me up. Or, “Tyler wants to go to the play center. You understand, right?” When I wanted to go to the movies with him, he’d reply, “We already saw a movie this week.” Every time I pointed out that he was missing our time when he dragged me along to activities with his stepchildren, he’d respond, “We’re doing family things, you should be happy! Besides, your events aren’t as fun.”
Like I was the outsider for wanting my own father’s attention.
When I was thirteen, I used my babysitting money to buy myself a ticket to a concert for a band we both loved. It was supposed to be special, just us, like old times. When I told him about the concert, he promised to buy his, and come with me.
I called him three days before the show.
“Ah, pumpkin, about that… Emma’s been begging for her room to be repainted, and, well, I spent the money on supplies.” sat there holding the phone, my heart sinking.