Reddit Stories - Planned and funded my sibling's infant CELEBRATION, then left when her INTOXICATED ACQUAINTANCE

Episode Date: June 29, 2025

#redditstories #askreddit #aita #celebration #siblings #infant #intoxicated #acquaintanceSummary: Planned and funded my sibling's infant celebration, then left when her intoxicated acquaintance caused a scene. Tags: redditstories, askreddit, reddit, aita, tifu, celebration, siblings, infant, intoxicated, acquaintance, scene, party, event, family, drama, conflict, relationships, social, etiquette, decision-makingBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/reddit-stories--6237355/support.

I hope you enjoy this story. Planned and funded my siblings' infant celebration, then left when her intoxicated acquaintance ridiculed my MSC crest in front of the group. Presently, my whole relatives are requesting that I apologize. I found out I was pregnant about three months ago. I didn't tell anyone except my husband Jason because we had been trying for five years with no success. I had a miscarriage two years ago and didn't want to get my hopes up or deal with everyone's expectations this time. The doctor said everything looked okay but to be cautious given my history.

My younger sister Bonnie announced her pregnancy around the same time. She's 25, I'm 32. She told everyone right away, including our parents. There was a big family dinner where everyone congratulated her. I sat there and said nothing about my own situation. Two months ago, Bonnie contacted me about her baby shower. According to her, as her older sister, it was my responsibility to organize and pay for it. I didn't argue with her about this. I've always taken care of things for her,

and our parents have always expected me to. That's how it's been since we were kids. I agreed to organize it and pay for it, even though Jason thought it was unfair. I spent weeks planning everything. I found a venue, ordered decorations, arranged catering, and sent out invitations. I paid half the catering bill up front, which was $850. The remaining $850 was due on the day of the event. I use my own credit card for everything

else, the venue deposit, decorations, party favors, and the cake. This totaled around $1,200. I didn't ask Bonnie to contribute anything. The day of the baby shower arrived. I got to the venue early to set everything up. Bonnie arrived with her best friend Claudia. I've known Claudia as Bonnie's friend for years. We were never close, but we were always civil to each other. Bonnie's other friends came, our mother came, some ants and female cousins came. About 30 people total. Everything was going fine for the first hour. We played some games, Bonnie opened presents, people ate food from the catering. Then Claudia started drinking. The venue allowed alcohol, and we had wine and champagne available. Claudia had several glasses of champagne very quickly.

I was standing near the gift table when Claudia approached me. She started talking loudly about how it must be hard for me to organize a baby shower when I couldn't have kids myself. She mentioned my miscarriage specifically. She commented about how Bonnie was going to be a mother before me despite being younger. She continued, getting louder, questioning if I was jealous of my sister. Other guests started looking at us. Some people stopped their conversations to listen. I looked at Bonnie, who was sitting nearby. She heard everything Claudia said. She didn't say anything to stop her friend. She just sat there looking at her phone. I walked over to Bonnie and asked if she was going to say something to Claudia.

Bonnie dismissed my concerns, claiming I was overreacting and that Claudia was just joking around. When I explained it wasn't a joke to bring up my miscarriage at her baby shower in front of everyone, Bonnie insisted Claudia only spoke the truth and I needed to stop being so insecure. I walked out of the room to the bathroom. I stayed there and cried for about 10 minutes. When I came back, I went straight to Bonnie. I informed her I was done with the shower and with her. I picked up my person left. I didn't say goodbye to anyone else.

I got in my car and drove home. The catering company called me an hour later asking about the remaining payment. I told them to contact Bonnie since she was still at the venue. I turned off my phone after that. When I turned my phone back on the next day, there were multiple missed calls and texts from Bonnie, our mother, and some other family members. Bonnie's texts accused me of embarrassing her

by walking out and sticking her with the catering bill. Our mother's texts insisted I needed to apologize to Bonnie for ruining her special day. None of the messages mentioned what Claudia had said to me. I didn't respond to any of them. Jason wanted to call Bonnie and our mother to yell at them, but I asked him not to. I just wanted to be left alone.

Three days later, Bonnie showed up at my house, unannounced. I was home alone because Jason was at work. She started yelling as soon as I opened the door. She demanded that I reimburse her for the catering bill she had to pay. She accused me of humiliating her by leaving her shower early and making a scene. According to her, her friends were asking questions and she had to make excuses for my behavior. I refused to pay for anything else for her baby shower after what happened. I explained that she should have stopped Claudia for from saying those things to me. I made it clear that she should be apologizing to me, not demanding money. Bonnie defended Claudia, claiming she was drunk and didn't mean anything by it.

She accused me of being too sensitive. She wouldn't criticize her best friend just to make me feel better. She even suggested that if I had kids of my own, would understand the importance of friendship. I told her to leave my house. She refused at first, continuing to demand the catering money. When I threatened to call the police if she didn't leave, she finally left. As she was walking to her car, she shouted that I was a terrible sister and she didn't want me around her baby when it was born. Our mother called me that evening. She insisted I needed to pay Bonnie back for the catering and apologize for walking out. According to her, Bonnie was pregnant and shouldn't be upset in her condition. She accused me of being selfish. She didn't

mention Claudia at all, so I asked if Bonnie had told her what happened. She claimed Bonnie told her I got offended over nothing and made a scene. I tried to explain what really happened, but she kept interrupting me. Finally, I hung up on her. The next day, I started getting texts from extended family members. Apparently, Bonnie had been telling people that I abandoned her baby shower because I was jealous of her pregnancy. Some relatives took her side immediately without asking for my version. Others seemed unsure and were checking to see if I was okay. I didn't respond to most of them. To a few cousins I'm closer with, I briefly explained what really happened. They were supportive and angry on my behalf. It's been a week now. Bonnie continues to text me demanding the

catering money. Our mother keeps calling, leaving voicemails about how I need to make things right with my sister. Our father hasn't said anything. He never gets involved in conflicts between me, Bonnie, and our mother. I still haven't told any of them about my pregnancy. Only Jason knows. I have my 12-week appointment tomorrow. If everything looks good, we had planned to start telling family. Now I don't know what to do. I don't want Bonnie or my mother involved in my pregnancy after how they treated me. But keeping it secret from them while telling them, telling other family members will cause more drama. Jason suggests I should cut them off completely, at least until they apologize.

I'm considering it. I'm tired of always being expected to take care of Bonnie, spend money on her, and then be treated like this. I'm tired of our mother always taking her side. The worst part is that no one seems to care about how hurtful it was to have my miscarriage thrown on my face publicly. No one except Jason has acknowledged how inappropriate Claudia's behavior was, or how wrong it was for Bonnie to defend her instead of me.

I don't even care about the money I spent on the shower anymore. I just want an apology. I want someone to admit that what happened to me wasn't okay. But I don't think I'm going to get that. So now I have to decide whether to try to move past this for the sake of family peace, or to stand my ground and deal with the fallout. Update 1. It's been three weeks since the baby shower incident. A lot has happened, and I need to clarify some things from my original post.

First, about the financial arrangement for the shower. Bonnie specifically told me it was my responsibility as the older sister to throw and pay for her baby shower. Those were her exact words. She didn't ask me to contribute or help, she told me it was my job to handle everything. Our mother backed her up on this, claiming it was tradition. I've never heard of this tradition before, but I've never heard of this tradition before, but I I agreed because that's what I've always done, taken care of Bonnie and avoided conflict. I had paid about $2,050 total at that point, $1,200 for venue, decorations, and everything else,

plus the $850 deposit to the caterer. The remaining $850 for the caterer was supposed to be paid at the end of the event. That's the amount I refused to pay after what happened, and the amount Bonnie is demanding I reimburse her for. After my last post, the situation escalated. Bonnie kept texting me multiple times a day about the money. She started posting vague things on social media about fake family and people showing their true colors. She didn't name me directly, but everyone who knows us would understand who she was talking about. Our mother called me almost daily, leaving increasingly angry voicemails.

According to her, I was tearing the family apart over a few thoughtless comments and needed to up and be the bigger person. She insisted Bonnie was under stress because of her pregnancy and I needed to understand that. Jason had been furious about the whole situation from the beginning. After hearing Bonnie and my mother's continued harassment about the money, he decided to take action without telling me. He found Claudia on Instagram and sent her a direct message. He told me about it afterward. In his message, Jason informed Claudia that what she did at the baby shower was completely unacceptable. He warned her that publicly mocking someone about fertility issues and a miscarriage could be considered defamation and emotional distress, and we could

pursue legal action if we wanted to. He offered to discuss the matter in person if she preferred. He didn't explicitly threaten her, but the implication was clear. Claudia responded to Jason within hours. She claimed she had been drunk at the shower and didn't remember exactly what she said to me. She claimed she had heard about my miscarriage from Bonnie years ago and didn't realize it was a sensitive topic. According to her, she was just making conversation and didn't mean to hurt my feelings. She concluded with I'm sorry if she took it the wrong way. Jason showed me the exchange.

Claudia's apology wasn't really an apology at all. She didn't take responsibility for her actions. She blamed alcohol, claimed memory loss, and used the classic sorry if you were offended non-apology. It was clear she wasn't genuinely remorseful. Jason wanted to respond and call her out on the weak apology, but I asked him not to. Engaging further with her wouldn't accomplish anything. The damage was already done. The next day, Bonnie called me instead of texting. She was furious that Jason had contacted Claudia. She claimed he had no right to threaten her friend. According to her, Claudia had been crying about possibly being sued.

She demanded that Jason apologize to Claudia immediately. I defended Jason, explaining that he was supporting me since no one else would. I pointed out that Claudia deserved to be called out for her behavior. I refused to have Jason apologize. Then I hung up. Our mother called next. She berated Jason for contacting Claudia. According to her, he was making the situation

worse. She demanded that I control my husband. I responded that Jason was the only one supporting me through this, and if she had a problem with him defending me, that said more about her than about him. Through all of this, Bonnie never once acknowledged that what Claudia said to me was wrong. She never offered an apology for her role in the situation, for not stopping Claudia, for defending her actions, for making me pay for the shower in the first place. She continued to focus solely on the money I allegedly owed her and on Jason's message to Claudia. I had my 12-week appointment the day after these calls. The doctor said everything looked good. The baby's heartbeat was strong. We got the first clear ultrasound pictures. Jason and I decided to wait a little longer before

telling anyone about the pregnancy, given all the drama with my family. A few days later, I received a formal-looking email from Claudia. The subject line was official apology. The body of the email read like something copied from a legal website about how to apologize without admitting fault. It included phrases like I regret that events transpired in a way that caused you distress and I hope we can move forward from this unfortunate misunderstanding. It was clearly damaged control motivated by fear of legal action, not a sincere apology. I didn't respond to the email. I showed it to Jason, and he just shook his head. We agreed there was no point in engaging further with Claudia.

She wasn't sorry for what she did, only sorry that she might face consequences for it. Bonnie texted me after I didn't respond to Claudia's email. She argued that Claudia had made an effort to apologize and I was being unreasonable by not accepting it. She accused me of dragging out the drama unnecessarily. She again demanded that I pay her back for the catering and apologize for making a scene at her shower. I finally responded to Bonnie's text.

I made it clear I would not be paying for the catering. I would not be apologizing for leaving her shower after being publicly humiliated. I informed her that until she acknowledged the hurt she had caused me and offered a genuine apology, I didn't want to communicate with her. Bonnie responded with a long text accusing me of ruining her pregnancy experience with my oversensitivity and drama. She argued that Claudia's comments weren't her responsibility. She couldn't control what other people said.

She had enough stress dealing with pregnancy without having to manage my emotions too. I didn't respond to that message. Instead, I blocked Bonnie's number. I also blocked our mother's number after she left another voicemail calling me selfish and demanding I reconcile with Bonnie. I kept waiting to feel guilty about blocking them, but I didn't. I felt relieved. The constant stress of their messages and calls had been.

been affecting my sleep and appetite, which wasn't good for my pregnancy. With them blocked, I could focus on taking care of myself and my baby. Jason was completely supportive of my decision. He expressed pride in me for standing up for myself. He reminded me that stress wasn't good for the baby, and if cutting contact with Bonnie and my mother reduced my stress, it was the right thing to do. We decided to tell Jason's parents about the pregnancy that weekend. They were thrilled. They've always been kind to me, never pressuring us about having children even though they knew we were trying. They promised to keep the news quiet until we were ready to tell more people.

It's now been almost a month since the baby shower. I'm still not speaking to Bonnie or my mother. I haven't heard from my father at all. He's staying out of it as usual. Some extended family members have reached out, having heard various versions of what happened. I've been brief but honest in my responses, not wanting to turn this into a bigger family drama by sharing all the details. My pregnancy is progressing well.

I'm starting to show a little. Jason and I have started discussing names and planning the nursery. Despite everything with my family, I'm trying to stay positive and focus on the health of my baby. I don't know what will happen with Bonnie and my mother long term. Update 2, it's been two months since my last update. I'm now 20 weeks pregnant and just had my anatomy scan yesterday. Everything looks good with the baby. We found out we're having a girl.

Jason was with me at the appointment and got emotional when the technician told us. We still haven't told my family about the pregnancy. I also started wearing extremely loose clothes like hoodies to hide my pregnancy. After I blocked Bonnie and my mother on my phone, they started contacting me through other means. Bonnie created new Instagram and Facebook accounts to message me after I blocked her original accounts. My mother got relatives to call me on her behalf. My father finally called once, but only to ask when I was going to get over this and make peace with my sister and mother.

I explained to my father what actually happened at the baby shower. I told him about Claudia's comments about my miscarriage and fertility issues and about Bonnie defending Claudia instead of me. while demanding for money and apologies afterward. He listened silently and then suggested that while he understood why I was upset, family was family and I should find a way to forgive them. He never addressed the fact that they hadn't apologized or shown any remorse. He just wanted the conflict to end because it was uncomfortable for him.

I told him I'd think about it, but I had no intention of reaching out to them. Two weeks after my last update, Bonnie showed up at my workplace. I work at a marketing firm in an office building downtown. She came to the reception area and asked for me. The receptionist called my extension. I was in a meeting with clients at the time, so I didn't answer. Bonnie told the receptionist she was my sister and it was an emergency. The receptionist, concerned, interrupted my meeting to let me know.

I excuse myself from the clients and went to the reception area. Bonnie was sitting there, visibly pregnant at about five to six months along. She immediately began discussing the baby shower incident loudly, not caring that the receptionist and other people in the lobby could hear. She again demanded that I pay her back for the catering and apologize for walking out. She accused me of ruining her pregnancy experience with my drama. I told her this wasn't the place to discuss personal matters. I asked her to leave.

She refused. She insisted she wasn't leaving until I agreed to pay her back. I warned her I would call security if she didn't leave voluntarily. She kept talking loudly about how selfish I was being. The receptionist, uncomfortable with the situation, called security without me having to ask. A security guard arrived and asked Bonnie to leave. She initially refused, claiming she had a right to talk to her sister. The guard explained that this was private property and she could be remembered.

moved forcibly if necessary. She finally agreed to leave but continued to make a scene as the guard escorted her out, shouting I was a terrible sister who was jealous of her pregnancy. I apologized to the receptionist and returned to my meeting. I was embarrassed and angry that Bonnie had brought our personal conflict into my workplace. I later learned from co-workers that Bonnie had stayed outside the building for almost an hour, apparently hoping to catch me when I left. I ended up staying late to avoid her. After the workplace incident, I received an email from our mother. She claimed Bonnie had told her what happened at my office.

She accused me of humiliating Bonnie by having her removed by security. According to her, pregnancy was making Bonnie emotional and I needed to be understanding. She again demanded that I apologize to Bonnie and pay her back for the catering. She suggested we all meet for dinner to resolve the issue. I didn't respond to the email. Instead, I talked to Jason about possibly moving. We had been in our current house for three years, but I was worried about Bonnie showing up there next. We decided to start looking at houses in nearby neighborhoods, though we agreed not to make any decisions until after the baby was

born. Bonnie continued her social media campaign against me. She never mentioned me by name, but posted things about toxic family members and how some people can't handle seeing others happy. She started posting multiple pregnancy updates every day, tagging our mother and other family members, conspicuously never tagging me. She also posted several photos of her and Claudia together, with captions about true friendship and standing by each other no matter what. I tried to ignore all of this, but it was difficult. Extended family members kept contacting me, asking why I wasn't commenting on Bonnie's pregnancy

posts and why I wasn't tagged in any of her photos. At my 16-week appointment, Jason asked the doctor about the effects of stress on pregnancy. The doctor said some stress was normal, but chronic severe stress could potentially affect the baby. She recommended I find ways to reduce stress in my life. After that conversation, Jason and I decided to tell a few close friends and his parents about the situation with my family. Having more people who knew what was going on and could support me helped reduce my stress. Three weeks ago, I got a call from an unknown number.

I usually don't answer those, but I was expecting a call from a new client who had mentioned they might use a different phone. It was Bonnie. I almost hung up immediately, but she sounded different, less aggressive. She asked if we could talk for a few minutes. I stayed silent, waiting to hear what she wanted. Bonnie informed me she and her boyfriend had broken up. He had cheated on her with a co-worker. and moved out of their apartment. She was now worried about how she would afford the rent on her own,

especially with the baby coming. She asked if I would consider helping her financially until she figured things out. I was shocked by the sudden change in tone and the request for money after all that had happened. I told her I wasn't in a position to help her financially. She became angry then, pointing out I had a good job and a husband with a good job, so I could afford to help her if I wanted to. She accused me of being spiteful because of what happened at the baby shower. I denied that accusation. I explained that her behavior since the shower, the demands for money, the refusal to apologize, showing up at my workplace, had damaged our relationship to the point where I didn't feel

comfortable giving her money. I suggested she asked our parents for help. She admitted she had already asked them. Our father had given her some money, but not enough. Our mother had said she couldn't afford to help much. Bonnie then suggested since I wouldn't give her money, I could help in another way, by babysitting after the baby was born. She couldn't afford a nanny or daycare on her single income, and she needed to return to work

as soon as possible after giving birth. She believed as her sister, I should be willing to help with child care. I was stunned by the request. After months of conflict, with no apology or acknowledgement of wrongdoing, she was was asking me to commit to regular child care for her baby. I told her I couldn't do that. I didn't mention my own pregnancy, I still didn't want her to know. I just explained I worked full-time and couldn't take on child care responsibilities for her baby. Bonnie became even angrier. She called me selfish and heartless. She claimed I didn't care about her or her baby.

She couldn't understand how I could refuse to help family in need. She accused me of always, being jealous of her pregnancy, but never thought I would take it out on an innocent baby. Then she hung up on me. I felt sick after the call. It was like she was living in a completely different reality, where she hadn't humiliated me at her baby shower, hadn't defended the person who mocked my miscarriage, hadn't harassed me for months. In her version of events, I was the villain refusing to help her out of spite or jealousy. The next day, our mother called from a new number. She immediately started berating me for refusing to help Bonnie with child care. According to her, Bonnie was in a difficult situation and needed family support.

She accused me of being cruel and unforgiving. If I had any empathy at all, I would put aside my hurt feelings and help my sister. I finally snapped. I pointed out that neither she nor Bonnie had apologized for what happened at the baby shower. Neither of them had shown any remorse or understanding of her. how hurtful their actions had been. They had spent months harassing me, demanding money, and painting me as the villain to the rest of the family. I had no obligation to help people who had treated me so poorly. My mother was silent for a moment, then replied I needed to stop

dwelling on the past. According to her, Bonnie was struggling and that should matter more than old grievances. If I couldn't see that, I wasn't the person she thought I was. Then she hung up. I was shaking after the call. I had never stood up to my mother like that before. I had always been the one to give in, to keep the peace, to do what was expected of me regardless of how I felt about it. Jason came home from work and found me still upset. I told him about the calls from Bonnie and my mother.

He held me while I cried, then reminded me that I didn't owe them anything. He emphasized that my priority needed to be our baby and my health. He assured me I was doing the right thing by maintaining boundaries with people who had shown they didn't respect me. The next day, I got an email from Bonnie. It was a long rant about how I was abandoning her when she needed me most. She claimed she would never forgive me for turning my back on her baby. She warned that when I was old and alone, would regret pushing away my family. I deleted the email without responding.

Then I went into my email settings and created filters to say, any future emails from her directly to a folder I wouldn't have to look at. I also blocked her new phone numbers. It's been three weeks since then. I haven't heard from either of them through any means, so I assume they're respecting the blocks for now. I've continued to avoid social media to stay away from Bonnie's posts. I've told a few family members I'm still in touch with that I don't want to discuss Bonnie or my mother. My pregnancy continues to progress normally. We've started setting up the nursery in the spare bedroom. Jason's parents have been supportive and excited about their first grandchild.

My friends have been checking in regularly, making sure I'm doing okay. I still haven't decided when or how to announce my pregnancy publicly. For now, I'm focusing on preparing for our daughter's arrival and taking care of my physical and mental health. The situation with my family isn't resolved, and I don't know if it ever will be. but I'm learning to accept that and move forward with the people who genuinely care about me. Update 3, it's been four months since my last update. A lot has changed. My daughter, Eliza, was born three weeks ago.

The birth went smoothly, I was in labor for about 12 hours, and there were no complications. Jason was with me the whole time, and his parents came to the hospital the next day to meet their granddaughter. During my third trimester, I remained completely no contact with Bonnie and my mother. I found out through a cousin that Bonnie had her baby, a boy, about seven weeks before I had Eliza. Apparently, she moved back in with our parents after the birth since she couldn't afford her apartment anymore. My father has been helping her financially, and my mother has been helping with the baby. I don't know what happened with her child care situation since I refused to babysit. We finally announced her.

my pregnancy and Eliza's birth at the same time, posting a simple photo on social media of her tiny hand holding my finger. We didn't include her face for privacy reasons. The caption just said her name, birth date, wait, and that we were overjoyed to welcome her to our family. I didn't specifically exclude Bonnie or my mother from seeing the post, but since they were blocked on all my accounts, they wouldn't have seen it directly. Two days after the announcement, my father called. It was the first time I had heard from him since our conversation

about getting over the baby shower incident months ago. He sounded shocked. He wanted to know why I hadn't told him I was pregnant. He had just found out from my aunt who had seen the announcement. He expressed heard at learning about his new granddaughter from someone else. I reminded him that he had taken Bonnie

and my mother's side in the conflict without fully understanding what had happened. He had never reached out to check on me or to hear my side of the story in detail. He had never shown any interest in my life except when it intersected with family drama. I questioned why he thought I would share such personal news with someone

who had consistently demonstrated they didn't care about my well-being. He was quiet for a moment, then claimed he did care about me. He just didn't like to get involved in women's squabbles, his exact words. He assumed I would have told him about the pregnancy regardless of the situation

with Bonnie and my mother. He believed he had a right to know about his grandchildren. I explained that no one had a right to information about my life or access to my child. Relationships were built on mutual respect and support, and he had provided neither during one of the most difficult periods of my life. If he wanted to be involved with Eliza, he would need to demonstrate that he could be a positive presence in our lives. He changed the subject then.

He informed me my mother and Bonnie were upset about not knowing about the pregnancy or birth. They had called him crying after seeing the announcement through mutual friends. They felt blindsided and hurt. He asked me to consider reaching out to them, for the sake of the cousins growing up together if nothing else. I made it clear I had no intention of contacting either of them. They had made their feelings about me very clear over the past months. They had never apologized for their actions or shown any remorse.

My priority was protecting myself and my daughter from people who had demonstrated. demonstrated such disregard for my feelings. He tried to guilt me by talking about family legacy and how the children would suffer without knowing their relatives. I reminded him that my in-laws were wonderful, supportive people who were actively involved in Eliza's life. I assured him she would have no shortage of love and family connections. I told him if he wanted to have a relationship with Eliza that wasn't contingent on me reconciling with Bonnie and my mother, he was welcome to visit once we were settled. But I made it clear that any attempts to pressure me into contact with them would result in him being cut off as well. He seemed surprised by my firmness. This was the first

time I had established clear boundaries with him. He said he would think about what I said and call me again soon. Before hanging up, he asked if I would send him photos of Eliza. I agreed to send some, but I told him I didn't want him sharing them with Bonnie or my mother. The next day, I received a text from an unknown number. It was Bonnie. She claimed my father had told her about my baby. She couldn't believe I had been pregnant the whole time we were fighting and never told her. According to her, I had robbed her of the chance to experience pregnancy together with her sister. Our babies could have been best friends. I had taken that opportunity away from them out of spite. I didn't respond to the text. I blocked the number. My mother emailed me next.

The email got through my filters because she used a new address. She expressed heartbreak that I had kept my pregnancy and the birth of my daughter secret from her. A mother should be with her daughter during such an important time. She claimed I had deprived her of her grandmother rights. She asked me to reconsider my cruel decision to keep her away from her granddaughter. I didn't respond to the email. I updated my filters to catch the new address. My father called again a week later.

He asked if I had received messages from Bonnie and my mother. I confirmed I had, and that I had blocked them without responding. He sighed and explained they were very upset. They felt I was being unreasonable. Bonnie had been asking him daily when she would get to meet her niece. My mother had been crying about missing the birth of her granddaughter. I explained that their feelings weren't my responsibility. I reminded him that they had months to apologize and attempt to repair our relationship before

Eliza was born. They were experiencing the natural consequences of their own actions. I wouldn't expose myself or my newborn daughter to people who had treated me with such disrespect and shown no remorse for it. He started to argue, but I cut him off. I made it clear I didn't want to discuss Bonnie or my mother anymore. He could either have a relationship with me and Eliza that was separate from them, or he could continue to be their messenger and lose his relationship with us too. I told him to think about it and call me when he had made his decision. It's been two weeks since that conversation. My father hasn't called back. Jason's parents have been visiting regularly to help with the baby. They brought meals, watched Eliza so I could nap,

and generally provided the kind of support I had once expected from my own family. Their kindness has highlighted just how dysfunctional my family dynamics have been.