Chapter 19

For the past few days, I had been caught between two emotions. Sean loves me and even though I still hadn't told him back, I was in love with him as well. Then what is the problem you may ask? He has two kids that I didn't know about until recently--he hid that vital information from me. And the part that hurt me the most was that we've been together for nearly six months.

The fact that he was a father wasn't really what bothered me anymore. Sure I was surprised by this discovery and I'm young- I wasn't exactly prepared to be a stepmother- but I love Sean. I was willing to accept him and whoever comes along with him- they're a full package.

However, what bothered me though was the fact that Aliyah- Sean's teenage daughter- hated my gut. Chrissy was the perfect little princess. She was sweet and friendly towards me but Aliyah was the perfect bratty teen. She was literally making me have second thoughts about staying with Sean.

It has been over a week since Sean introduced us and I've spent just the Sunday with them. However, I could already tell that Aliyah hated me that much. After I had decided to give Sean a second chance, he suggested that we all go out for breakfast. The four of us went out to this nice diner not far from Sean's house. Sean tried to get the kids and I more acquainted with each other.

It only took Chrissy about five minutes after meeting me to warm up and became extremely friendly and drawn to me. She was the cutest, smartest and sweetest 6 year old that I've ever met in the longest while. She became extremely chatty with me-- showing me her tablet and the games she had on it. Chrissy was really curious, she asked me alot of questionings. I had no doubt that she had already took a liking to me.

At breakfast, she wanted to sit beside me and continued talking. She was really excited and happy about meeting me. However, Aliyah wasn't as friendly and welcoming. Sean told me that she was fourteen years old and in the eight grade. However, I was almost convinced that Sean was lying and that the girl is actually seventeen. It wasn't because of her physical appearance why I believed that but more because of her attitude.

Aliyah had an attitude that didn't quite suit her age. She was too grown and I could tell she had a problem with me. She continued sending glares in my direction whenever Sean wasn't looking. She also had a somewhat snobbish attitude and even when I tried talking to her- making conversation- I received a lot of attitude and the cold shoulder.

Whatever effort she made to be polite to me was only as a result of Sean reprimanding her whenever she tried to be rude. I could understand the shick she must've felt seeing her father with someone for the first time in years but I could also tell that she was going to cause a lot of problems for me and her Dad if she continued with her attitude.

"Sweetie, are you sure you're ready for this step? I mean being a mom is a huge responsibility you know?" Mom said to me as we were having lunch together and I was telling her all about this drama.

"Mom, I know. And I'm not actually becoming a mother. I'm just dating their Dad."

"Morgan, it isn't just about dating Sean anymore. He has a family honey. So now it's like you're dating the all of them." Mom said to me. "I'm sure Sean is dating you with the hope that you're going to accept his kids and be a mother figure for them. It is a huge responsibility which you have to be prepared for. So are you? You can't be with a man if you don't to be with his kids as well."

"I never said that I don't want to be with his kids. Chrissy is really sweet and friendly but Aliyah is plain rude and disrespectful." I said to her.

"How old do you say she is again?" Mom asked.

"She's fourteen but I swear she's about seventeen. Her attitude is that of an adult." I told mom. "I thought Lexi was bad but this girl is worst. The entire time throughout breakfast I wanted to just get up and leave."

"That's the thing, Chrissy is much younger so smaller kids tend to get friendly and more attached to persons earlier. Aliyah is a teen however, and probably sees you as a threat to her and her father's relationship." Mom said to me.

"Mom, why does it sound like you're justifying her actions?"

"I'm not justifying her actions. I'm just stating the facts from personal experience. I hated Gemald since mom introduced us and especially more when they got married. I wanted my mom and dad to be together. I didn't want a step dad." mom told me about her experience with her stepfather. "I also hated when Dad went and got a girlfriend. I felt as if my relationship with him would be severed and that my mom and I were officially replaced by Carolyn."

Gemald was my maternal grandmother's husband. He was actually a nice man who always send me cash for my birthday. I still called him grandpa even though he wasn't my biological grandfather.

"But Mom, this situation is different. Their mom is dead, therefore I am not replacing her. Neither do I plan on replacing her. I'm not a threat to her and Sean's relationship, I would never be. And I don't get what's her issue with me."

"I guess she already viewed you as the evil stepmother whose going to lock her in the attic and set her do do all the chores." Mom laughed.

"Stop. Mom it's not funny." I pouted. "I don't know if I can keep up the calm facade if she's genuinely like that."

"Morgan, you just met her once. She was probably just shocked at the fact that her dad is dating again. Give her another chance alright? Maybe you'll eventually grow on her." mom advised. "You're going to have to be patient with those kids if you're serious about your relationship with Sean."

************************************************************

"Can't I just have dinner in my room?" Aliyah asked Sean as we were seated at the dining table for dinner.

I was spending the weekend with Sean once again and the girls were here as well. We were currently having dinner together. Sean had asked me to spend the weekend with him once again. After only meeting the girls once that week, I guess this was Sean's way of trying to get us more acquainted and bond but it just wasn't working out.

"No, we're having dinner together and we do so at the dining table." Sean said to her in a strict voice.

"Dad, I'm not really hungry." Aliyah whined.

"You couldn't get home fast enough this evening because you wanted to get something to eat and now that hunger has suddenly disappeared?" Sean raised a brow.

"That was before...never mind, I'll just sit here." she rolled her eyes before taking out her phone and began texting. "Apparently I don't have a choice but to sit here even though I don't want to."

I didn't miss the little glare she sent my way before typing away on her phone. I looked at her then at Sean and noticed that he was actually watching me. I was just sitting there playing with the food on my plate. Aliyah's rudeness was enough to cause me to lose my appetite.

I thought it would be different the second time around when we met but it was worst. I had tried speaking with Aliyah since I got here but she promptly told me that she didn't want me talking to her, right before walking way. I decided that I wasn't going to try anymore. I know it was still too soon to start judging or making decisions about her but she was a rude, disrespectful brat who I wasn't planning on taking much attitude and disrespect from. If she didn't want me talking to her, then I wasn't going to. Pushing her to talk to me wasn't going to make much different.

Instead, I decided to just focus my attention on the sweet little girl who seemed to already love me. Sean wasn't aware of just how disrespectful his daughter was to me because she didn't promptly show it much when he was around but the second he'd step out or wasn't looking, that teen was throwing glares and all sorts of attitude my way.

Having dinner together was Sean's way of trying to get us bonding but it was evidence that it was going to take a lot more than just a breakfast and a dinner meeting for that to work.

"Aliyah could you put down the phone for a few minutes. We're having dinner, remember what I said about no cellphones at the dinner table." Sean said to the teen.

"But Dad, I'm texting Amanda. Besides I'm not really eating now." was her excuse.

"Ali, that's besides the point. Dinner time is family time, you take a break from the phone and your friends and interact with family members." Sean said to her.

"She's not family." Aliyah glared at me before looking back at her father. "If dinner time is family time and I have to take a break from communicating with my friends, why is it that she's here? Shouldn't the same thing go for you and your friends? She doesn't belong her then."

"Aliyah don't be rude." Sean scolded seriously. "Apologise right now!"

"Why? What for!?" Aliyah yelled in disbelief.

"For acting like a disrespectful brat and being rude to Morgan. " Sean said to her. "Morgan is here because I invited her, I want her to be here."

"Dad! This is so unfair! Why do I have to apologise to her? I didn't do anything wrong. I'm just speaking the truth!"

"Aliyah, watch your tone when you're speaking to me alright. Stop behaving like a spoil brat and apologise now!"

"Sorry." Aliyah mumbled before clanking the phone down a bit harsh on the table and slouching in the seat.

"I don't know what has got into you suddenly or what your issue is but you better lose the attitude when dealing with me alright?" Sean said to her.

I couldn't be more uncomfortable and feeling out of place than I was now. It was like for the first time in a while I was lost for words and unsure of how to react or what to say. I just felt as if things were already starting to fall apart right here and then. I know Aliyah hated me for reasons unknown to me, even though we've only met twice and we know nothing about each other.

"I learnt a new song today at school." Chrissy spoke up somehow easing the tension that had began to grow.

"Yeah? What's it about?" I smiled at her.

"It's about a horse and a spider, you want to hear it?" She asked smiling.

"This should be interesting." Sean smiled finally breaking out of his seriousness.

"Sure, go ahead sweetie."