I thought wedding stress would be about flowers and seating—until dinner with my dad, stepmom, and ten-year-old stepsister, Lia. Out of nowhere, she asked to be my flower girl. I gently told her we’d already chosen my niece.
Her face crumpled, tears falling, and my dad froze—cold, silent, disappointed. The night ended tense.
The next day, he called, furious. “She’s family. You’ll choose her,” he said, ordering me to change my plans. I snapped. I told him no—and that if he kept pressuring me, he and my stepmom didn’t need to come.
Now my mom calls constantly, begging me to reconsider. I understand Lia’s feelings, but this isn’t about her—it’s about adults trying to erase my boundaries. And for the first time, I’m refusing to give in.