u/mimicreads

Been a fan of THT since the beginning, and this is actually my first time posting. Just wanted to share my current messy family situation because lol.

I’m 26F, he’s 33M, and we officially got together this February 2026, though we’ve been dating since January. We’ve known each other since I was 12 because he’s my brother’s best friend.

Both of us got out of relationships recently.

He came out of a long-term relationship; he was with his ex since 2015, and they broke up in October 2025.

And yes, before anyone says anything, I know I’m crazy for even thinking about dating him considering the circumstances and history 😭 but oh well.

I got out of a messy 3-year relationship myself. We officially broke up in December 2025, but honestly I had mentally checked out and moved on around June 2025 already. By that point we felt more like roommates than anything else.

Anyway.

This relationship has honestly been amazing so far. Like genuinely healthy. Calm. Easy. He treats me so well, and he’s completely different from every other guy I’ve dated. I know it’s still new, but I’m happy. Really happy.

The thing is… I didn’t tell my family right away.

Not because I was ashamed or hiding him, but because I wanted privacy first. I just wanted space to enjoy my relationship without immediately involving everyone else’s opinions and reactions. Especially because I KNOW my family.

And funny enough, my brother (his best friend) only found out because he snooped 😭 He went through Instagram, checked photos from people I’m friends with, connected the dots, and then completely flew off the handle.

Which honestly proved my point.

At that time, he only knew we were dating too, not even officially together yet. Meanwhile, I was sitting there thinking, “wow imagine if he knew we already made it official.”

What honestly upset me though, was that he immediately told everyone else before I even got the chance to. He didn’t wait for me to talk to the family myself or let me handle it privately first. Suddenly, my whole family was interrogating me about my own relationship before I was even ready to have that conversation.

My older brother (not the best friend brother) actually understood after I explained it. He said he wished I had been transparent earlier because my boyfriend is basically family already, but he also said he just wants both of us to be happy and have a healthy relationship. My SIL was super supportive too.

My sister had mixed feelings. She kept saying she wouldn’t have minded if I told them earlier, but now she wants my boyfriend to “prove himself” to her and my family and show he has good intentions. Which annoyed me a little because… why does my relationship suddenly need family approval panels? But she also said she wishes us the best.

The hardest part is my brother though.

I sent him a really long message explaining that I never meant to hurt him. I just genuinely needed time, space, and privacy because I knew exactly how this would go. He replied with basically “I need space and time,” and that was it.

What also really threw me off was how my sister kept telling me I should just understand my brother’s reaction and let him go off because “that’s how he feels.” She kept saying I should apologize, say sorry properly and basically go the extra mile.

And like… okay. I DO understand he’s hurt. I already acknowledged that and apologized sincerely because hurting him genuinely was never my intention.

But at some point I’m also like — why do I have to keep going a thousand extra miles just for approval? Why are only his feelings being protected here?

Because honestly, I’m hurt too. And I feel like my feelings should also be valid in this situation.

I acknowledged their feelings, I apologized, I explained myself. Why can’t they also acknowledge mine?

And honestly… this is exactly why I kept it private in the first place.

And every single time my brother talked about his best friend before this, it was always negative. He’d say things like:
“He doesn’t take initiative."
“He’s too happy-go-lucky.”
“He doesn’t have life goals.”
“He has no originality, if I tell him somewhere is good, that’s where he takes his girlfriend.”
"He's so submissive, like he just lets the woman lead."

And honestly? Part of me is also like… how do you even talk about your best friend like that? 😭 Because I genuinely cannot imagine speaking about my best friend that way to other people, especially repeatedly.

I even told my brother and sister that if the situation was reversed, I would NEVER react this way. Why would I?

At most I’d tease them about it a little (like playfully lol), but if they clearly wanted privacy or time before telling everyone, then I would respect that. Because that’s literally what people should do. Respect other people’s privacy.

Maybe my brother “knows him better” because they’ve been best friends forever, I don’t know. Maybe it’s still too early and I’m blinded by finally getting the guy I’ve liked since I was literally 12 lol.

But right now? I’m genuinely happy.

Birch Tree Producing Sap not Water

I’ve had a crush on my boyfriend for like 13 years and now that we’re finally together, my family is losing their minds lol.