Family Triad

"I do."

With those words, Jeff Stephens bowed his head in disappointment. Here he was in this beautiful church at the wedding of his mother, Stephanie, and rather than being happy that she found someone to spend her life with, he could not help but shake the feeling of discouragement. This had nothing to do with the fact that Jeff's mom was marrying someone other than his dad. No, Jeff's dad had skipped out on the family when he was just four years old. He barely had any memories of his dad and could care less where he was now. Jeff was upset because the man that his mom was marrying was a total prick.

It's not that Jeff didn't try to bond with Richard. When they first met, Jeff attempted to get close to him. He even went so far as to invite Richard to join him for an Atlanta Braves game. Jeff loved baseball and always tried to make it to at least ten Braves games each year. When Jeff presented him with the tickets, Richard rolled his eyes as he said, "I don't like baseball." When it was clear that Richard would not make any attempt to get to know him, Jeff backed off and decided that he didn't want to waste his time.

Jeff did feel a little guilty. His mom appeared very happy, and Richard had a great job as the CEO of an Atlanta based landscaping company, meaning that his mom would be financially well off. It's not like Richard was abusive towards Jeff's mom. He did really seem to love her and care for her. It's just that Richard could give a shit about him and his sister, Maggie. The most difficult part of all this was that his mom just didn't see it, or worse, she didn't want to see it.

As the marriage ceremony progressed, Jeff glanced over at Maggie and could tell that she felt the same as he did. Just like Jeff, she had been cordial towards Richard, just to be brushed off like she was no better than a mosquito. Maggie was especially angry with the fact that Richard had two daughters who were a year and three years older than her, and he spoiled them immensely. Their names were Diane and Connie, and since they were so spoiled, they were just as mean and vindictive as Richard. They routinely talked about Maggie behind her back, and they did their best to distance her from their father and her mother.

When planning for the wedding, Richard wanted his daughters in the wedding party, but he was not open to Jeff and Maggie participating. They were fine standing on the sidelines, but it really hurt that their mother did not stand up for them. In fact, Jeff and Maggie had grown more and more distant from their mom ever since Richard came into the picture. It's like Richard had this idea of what a perfect family should be like, and neither Jeff nor Maggie fit that mold.

Unfortunately, their mother went along with everything that Richard did. The only silver lining for all of this is that as their mother became more distant, Jeff and Maggie grew closer. They started to do more and more things together and came to enjoy each other's company. When they were kids, they often squabbled about stupid things, but now that they were older, they had put this petty bickering aside. Maggie had just turned 23 years old a few days before the wedding. This was the summer before her senior year in college. Jeff was one year younger, and followed in his sister's footsteps by attending the same college.

As the ceremony was coming to a close, the bridesmaids and ushers were walking back down the aisle behind Richard and Stephanie. As they passed them, Diane and Connie gave Jeff and Maggie a condescending smirk. They shook their heads thinking about how disgusted they were that Richard was now their step father and they had two new bitches for step sisters. For the sake of appearances, Jeff and Maggie kept a smile on their faces as long as people were looking at them. Once they had a chance to speak without being overheard by anyone, Maggie took Jeff to the side and whispered, "Did you see how Diane and Connie were looking at me throughout the ceremony?"

"How could I miss it?" he replied. "They were staring daggers at you the whole time. I definitely think that other people must have caught that too."

"Maybe, but I doubt it. I think that most people were focused on mom and Richard. I just wanted to walk right over there and slap them both!"

With a smile, Jeff said, "I would have loved to see that. It would have been so entertaining. Why do they hate you so much?"

"I don't know. They must be jealous of me for some reason."

Maggie said this comment in passing, but as Jeff thought about it, he believed that she was probably correct. They certainly had a lot to be jealous of. Maggie was very pretty. Her and Jeff's dad had been Filipino, and their mom was white, so she had a great combination of features. Her skin was slightly darker than white people and her long hair was jet black. Her facial features were a perfect combination of Caucasian and Asian, making her look very exotic.

Diane and Connie on the other hand were not at all attractive. Diane was very overweight, with tons of acne. Connie actually had a nice body, but her face was hideous. She looked like a stereotypical witch, with a pointed chin, pointed nose, and a huge wart on her face. Oftentimes, guys would check her out, but once they saw her face, they ran the other way. It's never good to judge people based solely on their appearance, but their personalities were even uglier than their looks. In addition to being mean and vindictive, Diane and Connie were the epitome of selfishness. Maggie was definitely on to something by suggesting that they were jealous.

As people started to exit the church, Jeff and Maggie put on their fake smiles and greeted family and friends, telling them how happy they were for their mom. As they were mingling with people, Maggie looked over and saw that Diane was scowling at her. Rather than giving her any attention, Maggie ignored her, which appeared to have the desired effect because after a few minutes, Diane stormed off to join her sister outside.

"Oh, it was such a beautiful ceremony!" exclaimed Hannah as she approached Jeff and Maggie. Hannah was Jeff's and Maggie's aunt. She was Stephanie's only living sibling. At 34 years old, Hannah was the baby sister, twelve years younger than Stephanie. Hannah had a twin brother named Bobby, but unfortunately, he passed away in a motorcycling accident six years back. Because of the huge age gap, Stephanie and Hannah were not close growing up. They were born in New Mexico, but moved to Georgia when Hannah was 6 and Stephanie was 18. After college, Hannah returned to New Mexico and had lived there ever since. This was the first time in years that Hannah was back in the Atlanta area. Jeff's and Maggie's grandparents had both passed away from cancer a few years ago. They did not really have a relationship with their grandparents since they spent a majority of their time traveling. They wanted to see the world before they were too old, but unfortunately, the cancer got them before they had time to truly enjoy their family. Since their uncle and grandparents were deceased, the only family that Jeff and Maggie had other than their mom was Hannah.

Hannah leaned in to hug her niece and nephew and told them, "I'm so happy for your mom. It's great that she found someone. She deserves to be happy, especially since your asshole father walked out."

Hannah stopped herself, fearing that she had offended them. Maggie reassured her when she said, "Don't worry, Hannah. We totally agree with you. He was a total asshole for abandoning us."

Hannah was clearly relieved that they did not take offense to her comment, and noticing some family friends that she had not seen in a long time, Hannah excused herself, telling Jeff and Maggie that they would talk more at the reception. As Hannah walked away, Jeff leaned over to Maggie and said, "I guess mom is just attracted to assholes." Maggie giggled and nodded in agreement.

For the next half hour, they all wrapped up at the church. Congratulations were showered on the bride, the groom. and their families. It was a beautiful day and lots of pictures were taken outside and inside the church. Jeff smiled so much for those photos that his face was starting to hurt. When the photographer finally wrapped up, it was time to head to the reception hall.

As everybody headed to the parking lot, Maggie tried to break the awkward silence with her new stepsisters and attempted small talk by saying, "So, that was a really nice ceremony."

In reply, Diane and Connie just stared at her. Fishing for some type of response, Maggie continued, "So are you both looking forward to dancing at the reception?"

"No." Connie's reply was very curt as she and Diane walked right past her. Not wanting to cause a confrontation, Maggie did not address their rudeness, despite the fact that she could start to feel her blood boiling. Jeff just shook his head in disgust at their behavior. He felt that it was OK if they didn't like him and Maggie, but they could at least show some courtesy.

When Diane and Connie were out of earshot, Jeff leaned over and whispered, "Don't let those bitches get you down." Maggie smiled at this remark and squeezed his hand in acknowledgement. Her brother always knew what to say to make her feel better.

The reception hall was located on a beautiful lake and everyone was commenting on how gorgeous the surrounding scenery was. Once Jeff and Maggie found their family friends at the cocktail hour, they quickly put aside any anger they felt towards their step sisters and began to enjoy themselves. After all, they both knew that Diane and Connie were miserable human beings, and they did not want to be dragged down into a pit of misery.

After the cocktail hour, the DJ did introductions and Stephanie and Richard had their first dance right before the food was served. Jeff was so thankful that he and Maggie were put at the table with some family friends and their aunt Hannah.

As the meal was being passed out by the wait staff, Hannah leaned over to Jeff and Maggie and quietly asked, "So what is up with your new step sisters?"

"What do you mean?" inquired Jeff.

"Well, I saw them give Maggie the most dirty looks at the ceremony. If looks could kill, we would be identifying your body at the morgue right now."

"I don't know." said Maggie. "I always try to be nice to them, but they are just horrible in return. It's clear that they hate me, but I never did anything to them."

With a smirk, Hannah said, "Fuck them. They're such ugly bitches. I bet nobody will ask them to dance and they will sit at their tables the whole time judging everybody who is having fun."

Sure enough, Hannah proved to be clairvoyant. Jeff, Maggie, and Hannah all had a great time at the reception. They spent the whole time talking, laughing, and dancing the night away. Jeff knew that he was a horrible dancer, but he didn't care. Most people on the dance floor looked foolish, and Jeff just went with the flow of things. Occasionally, they would glance over at Diane and Connie, sitting at their tables with frowns on their faces. At times, one would lean over and say something to the other, and Maggie always assumed that they were talking about her. At first, Maggie felt self-conscious, but soon she just let herself go and had a blast.

As the evening was coming to an end, everyone was milling around, getting ready to leave. Stephanie came over to Jeff and Maggie and gave them both a huge hug. "I love you both so much. Thank you for being a part of my special day." This was the most attention she had paid them in a long time.

"We wouldn't have missed it for the world," said Jeff.

"Now, you two are going to come over tomorrow afternoon to Richard's house for the barbecue, right? Stop by at about noon."

"Great, see you then mom," Maggie said as Stephanie went off to find Richard.

A few feet away, Connie said to Diane in a voice that was loud enough to be heard, "Awesome, we get to see the slut again tomorrow."

Knowing that they were talking about her, Maggie's eyes widened in anger, feeling that she was going to lose control of herself. Luckily, Jeff was right there, and since they were standing near a doorway, he was able to usher her out of the building before she had time to react to Connie's comment.

Maggie was so upset that she was trying hard to hold back her tears. "I don't understand why they treat me like this! I never did anything to them!"

"I know. I know. Just try to forget them. They're not worth it!" As Jeff said this, he hugged his sister tightly in an effort to get her to calm down. Eventually, he could feel the tension in her muscles fade away as she cried on his shoulder. After a few minutes of tears, Maggie felt composed as she wiped her eyes.

"Thank you, Jeff. If you weren't here I just know I would have done something that I would have come to regret. I love how you look out for me."

"Hey, anything for you, sis." At this point, they went back into the reception hall. Thankfully, Diane and Connie were gone. Jeff and Maggie helped their mom bring the last of the presents out to the car, and once everything was loaded up, everyone headed their separate ways. Stephanie and Richard went to Richard's house. Jeff and Maggie went to their mom's house, while Hannah went to her hotel. It was a busy day, and everyone wanted to get some much deserved rest.

The next morning, Jeff and Maggie went through their normal morning routine. Jeff went for a jog, ate breakfast, and then played some computer games. Maggie slept late and then did her yoga exercises in the basement. They both dreaded going to Richard's house for the barbecue since they knew that Diane and Connie would be there. Also, they would have to be cordial to Richard, who luckily they did not have to interact with much at yesterday's wedding. The one saving grace is that they knew their mom had invited Hannah to the barbecue so at least there would be one friendly face. Other than Jeff, Maggie, and Hannah, everyone else at the barbecue was going to be from Richard's side of the family.

As the time of the barbecue approached, Maggie could feel her anxiety rising. She needed to keep reminding herself to take deep breaths and not let Diane and Connie get under her skin. The previous night, Hannah had offered to pick up Jeff and Maggie so that they could take one car to the party. Hannah was the type of person who was typically late, so she did not pick up Jeff and Maggie until about 12:20. It was perfectly fine with them because it meant that they were able to spend less time their new step family.

Richard lived in a very nice house, and Hannah was amazed as she drove down the long driveway. The house was gorgeous, and had to be worth well over a million dollars. Jeff and Maggie had been there before, so they were not as impressed. Richard's siblings and their children were already there, as were Diane and Connie. Thankfully, not all of Richard's family were as mean as Diane and Connie, so Jeff, Maggie, and Hannah got to speak with some friendly people.

Of course, when Diane and Connie spotted Maggie and Jeff, they rolled their eyes at them. Diane rudely said, "You're late," as she walked past them. Hannah could not believe the extreme animosity that was directed toward Jeff and Maggie.

When Hannah spotted Stephanie, she rushed over and gave her a big hug. "So, how does it feel to be a married woman?" asked Hannah.

"Oh, amazing! I am so lucky to be married to such a great man and to have such an awesome family. Grab some food. We have plenty of burgers and hot dogs." With that, Stephanie went off to mingle with the other guests. They were all starving, so Jeff, Maggie, and Hannah did exactly as Stephanie suggested. Maggie thought that the delicious food was at least some consolation for having to deal with the cold stares of Diane and Connie.

After eating lunch, Richard made a huge announcement for everyone to gather around. He clearly had some big news. "I just want to thank everyone yet again for being here to help Stephanie and I celebrate our marriage. I am so happy to have married this wonderful woman, and I just know that Diane and Connie are thrilled to have a new step mother."

Richard continued as he looked at Stephanie, "I want to take this opportunity in front of our family to present you with your wedding gift. I love you." He then handed an envelope over to Stephanie. After opening the envelope, her eyes teared up as she read the paper that was in it. After rushing over to kiss Richard, he said, "I figure that we should start this marriage off on the right foot."

At this point, everybody was eagerly waiting for Stephanie to share with them what was in the envelope. Through her tears, she said, "We are going on an eight week cruise! We leave next week!" This was met with gasps and applause from everybody.

As the excitement died down, Richard continued with his announcement. "When we are gone, I've arranged for my realtor to put your house on the market. When we sell it, we will use the money to buy a house at the beach!" Again, this was met with a load of applause.

The only people who seemed alarmed by this were Jeff and Maggie. Leaning over to her, Jeff whispered, "If he sells our house, where are we going to live this summer?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Maggie said, "I don't know, but I sure as hell am not going to move in here with Diane and Connie. That would be unbearable!"

After this announcement, the barbecue started to die down. The next day was Monday, and many people needed to travel a far way to get back home. Jeff and Maggie desperately wanted to speak to their mom about the house situation, but she was so busy saying goodbye to the guests that they had to wait to speak with her. Finally, all the guests had departed and the only people left were Richard, Stephanie, Diane, Connie, Jeff, Maggie, and Hannah.

As they sat in the kitchen, Jeff was clearly agitated as he said to Richard, "Thanks for giving us warning about the house! Why the fuck didn't you tell us that you're going to sell our house?"

"Jeff! Watch your language!" shouted Stephanie.

Richard answered, "Well, you don't own the house, so technically you have no say in what happens to it. Plus, why would it make sense to keep two houses in the same city. It's stupid!"

"Because that's where we live!" chimed in Maggie.

"Not anymore," muttered Connie.

At this point, Maggie had had enough and shouted, "Shut the fuck up, bitch! Both you and your sister are nothing but assholes to me!"

"Fuck you, slut!" yelled Diane.

If Jeff wasn't standing in front of Maggie, she would have gone right over there and clocked them both in the face. Luckily, Jeff was able to prevent her from getting physical, even though he would have loved to see Maggie beat them up. Jeff said, "OK, OK, let's calm down. So, what happens next? Do Maggie and I move in here for the summer?"

"Fuck no!" said Diane.

Richard continued, "No, there is not enough room here. Maggie, you have that off campus apartment at college, right? As you know, we have to keep the lease over the summer. You can live there."

"OK, what about me?" asked Jeff.

"Since you go to the same college, we figured that you can move in with her. That way we get to save on rent."

"Wait a second. I was supposed to get my own off campus apartment for this upcoming academic year!"

With a smirk Richard replied, "There is no way in hell that I am going to pay for two apartments. You're going to move in with Maggie. That's the end of this discussion!"

"No! You can't do that! Maggie's apartment just has one bedroom. Where am I going to sleep?"

"On the couch." With this remark from Richard, Jeff lost control. Within two seconds he was all the way across the kitchen and punched Richard squarely in the jaw. This led to total pandemonium as everybody was shouting as Richard told Jeff and Maggie to get out. Having had enough of all this drama, Jeff and Maggie happily left, followed by Hannah. As they made their way to the car, they were in shocked silence, with Jeff shaking his hand, hoping that it wasn't broken. Right before they were able to drive away, Stephanie ran out of the house and stopped the car.