u/Notorious2again

My (42m) stepmom (72f) passed in her sleep last night. She's been with my father since I was 5.

4 years ago, when my father and stepmom retired, they were facing financial hardship. My wife and I were looking to buy our first home around that time, so we cooked up the idea to find a place with an in-laws quarters to accommodate them. We moved in together July of '22.

My stepmom was a pretty awful person. She was egotistical, carried petty grudges, went out of her way to be mean. She was also awesome. A radical activist in the '70s, a flight attendant who traveled the world, a fling to Tom Petty and Emerson Fittapaldi and Jackson Brown. She lived a huge life loudly.

She also was my dad's mistress, and broke up my parents' marriage. The divorce took 2 years and was a bitter, tumultuous part of my childhood. The custody battle lasted 6 years. My dad was a drunk who didn't want to be wrong.

My dad is the greatest guy in the world now. He's learned and grown so much since I was a kid, and we have a terrific relationship. And he's fucking devastated today. She was the love of his life.

I've known this woman for 37 years, and I'm rocked by her passing, but I'm more worried about my dad than anything else. I don't feel sadness or grief at her passing. Just fear for what it means for my dad.

I don't know where we go from here, but I needed to vent this. Thanks for reading, redditor.

My (42m) stepmom (72f) passed in her sleep last night. She's been with my father since I was 5.

4 years ago, when my father and stepmom retired, they were facing financial hardship. My wife and I were looking to buy our first home around that time, so we cooked up the idea to find a place with an in-laws quarters to accommodate them. We moved in together July of '22.

My stepmom was a pretty awful person. She was egotistical, carried petty grudges, went out of her way to be mean. She was also awesome. A radical activist in the '70s, a flight attendant who traveled the world, a fling to Tom Petty and Emerson Fittapaldi and Jackson Brown. She lived a huge life loudly.

She also was my dad's mistress, and broke up my parents' marriage. The divorce took 2 years and was a bitter, tumultuous part of my childhood. The custody battle lasted 6 years. My dad was a drunk who didn't want to be wrong.

My dad is the greatest guy in the world now. He's learned and grown so much since I was a kid, and we have a terrific relationship. And he's fucking devastated today. She was the love of his life.

I've known this woman for 37 years, and I'm rocked by her passing, but I'm more worried about my dad than anything else. I don't feel sadness or grief at her passing. Just fear for what it means for my dad.

I don't know where we go from here, but I needed to vent this. Thanks for reading, redditor.