My late wife, Renee died when she was 23 and she had been going through a lot of depression, grief, and eventually came suicidal thoughts. Even though we were married and we had a baby, she still wasn’t happy. Our baby girl, Jordyn (13) was only 3 when she passed. Years later I met my now wife, Gemma, Me and Gemma are married now and we have 3 kids (7, 5, 1).
Now, Jordyn has many many pictures of her mother, but there’s this one picture that Jordyn is obsessed with. Jordyn and Renee looks exactly alike in that very photo, like you’ll never guess they’re not the same person. Jordyn loves that photo, it sits on her nightstand and she prays with her mom every night.(This is the photo my wife wants me to make her throw away!)
Gemma has never really been in Jordyn’s room long enough to notice certain things in her room. Jordyn is a very introverted, calm, quiet kid, she likes her privacy and she’s a good kid. Gemma went in Jordyn’s room to help set up her new TV, she noticed the picture on the nightstand (I was in there as well putting together a new dresser). Gemma asked Jordyn where’d she get that picture, like who took that picture of her (she thought it was Jordyn).
She told her it was her mom not her, Gemma immediately changed her face like it was stuck up or snotty. I didn’t say anything because as long as she didn’t say anything out of pocket then I’m fine also I didn’t know if that was to Jordyn, the picture, or something else she had on her mind.
My 5&3 year old asked “How is that your mommy, if this is mommy?” They didn’t exactly know that Gemma isn’t Jordyn’s biological mother, Jordyn said “Your mommy isn’t my mommy. My mommy passed away a long time ago.” They asked how did they have separated mommies, I told them before I met their mom, I was married to Jordyn’s mom.
After dinner, Gemma said “Maybe we should throw that picture away?” I asked what picture and she said the one on her nightstand, I immediately said no. She said she didn’t want the kids to get confused again and start asking questions because at this point in time she (Gemma) is Jordyn’s real mom. I said I will not throw that picture away. That was it.
About two days later, Jordyn comes in my office (crying) and asks if I’m gonna throw all of Renee’s pictures away. I said no. She said Gemma said I was going to. According to Jordyn, Gemma told her while they were fixing lunch that me and Gemma were planning on throwing the pictures away of her mom because she didn’t want the boys to get confused anymore and that Gemma was technically “her real mom” because Renee took her life away intentionally knowing she had a baby. (she did, in fact take her own life but nonetheless.) this is what Jordyn told me Gemma said. Jordyn kept asking if it was true that she took her life and I had no choice but to tell her.
Gemma has gotten both her mom and her dad on her side and they said “It’s for the benefit of the kids. Gemma takes care of Jordyn, not your ex.” I have no idea what I’m doing now. I personally don’t want to throw the picture away and my daughter loves it, but this entire thing is causing a huge amount of stress and frustration in our household. AITAH?
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