When Olivia detects a shift in her stepson’s conduct, she becomes increasingly concerned. She asks her husband, Patrick, to speak with him, but he gets nothing out of the youngster. Olivia happens to overhear a discussion between Josh and his biological mother, and all is soon exposed, leaving Olivia stunned and heartbroken for the little kid.

Every Sunday at 5 p.m., my stepson Josh would return from his mother’s house in a predictable manner. Every Sunday, he would walk through our front door, kick off his shoes, and go directly to his room without saying anything.

It was as if someone turned on Josh’s personality for us, converting him from our cheery, chatty ten-year-old son to a sullen stranger.

What was worse? He never mentioned what transpired at his mother’s residence. I had always wanted to ask him about his mood, but I would rather not push it. Josh had accepted me as his stepmother, but I had no idea how big of a role I played in his life.

“Do you think he’s okay, Patrick?” I questioned my hubby one evening as we were preparing dinner.

Josh had just been dropped off, and he was in an extremely unpleasant mood, refusing to speak to any of us.

“Honestly, I think he’s perfectly fine,” Patrick remarked, chopping through a few potatoes. “Linda likes to push him, though. I’m sure Mom told him a lot about studying and school in general.

“Yes, I understand,” I answered. “But I do the same thing, and he’s okay with it. He may make a joke or say something foolish, but his mood remains constant. So, this is bullshit. However, I am aware that the biological mother has the advantage over the step-mother. So, I won’t say anything.”

“Olivia,” Patrick sighed. “If you want to speak with him, go for it. Simply walk up to him and ask him whatever you want. But I’ll chat to him after supper too.

I nodded. That is precisely what I wanted. I just wanted Patrick to make sure Josh was well. It wasn’t always this way. When Josh first moved in with Patrick and me because we were closer to the school he wanted to attend, he was like a brilliant beacon.

He kept narrating stories about his day, asking questions about everything, and attempting to get to know me, his new stepmother. We even spent hours baking in the kitchen while bonding.

But recently, it seemed as though the youngster had vanished forever. We had to work pretty hard to pull him out of the hole he climbed into after he returned from seeing Linda. To cheer him up, we’d make his favorite foods, play games, and even organize elaborate movie evenings.

But nothing worked. I thought Patrick’s talk with him after supper would make a difference.

“It was fine, Dad,” he answered when Patrick inquired about the weekend. “Mom was her usual self, I guess.”

I stood in the kitchen, trying to hear their discussion outdoors, as Patrick created a small fire for s’mores.

“So, why are you so sad? Has something happened? Your mother is wonderful, but I understand she is difficult to deal with,” Patrick chuckled.

“It’s exhausting being there, Dad,” Josh said. “But I know how important it is for me to keep spending weekends with Mom.”

“It is important,” Patrick agreed. “However, if it becomes too much, we can easily adjust the schedule to every second week. Okay?”

I could see Josh considering the notion, but suddenly his expression clouded.

“I’m going to bed,” he stated. “Good night!”

Josh stormed into the kitchen through the door, and I assumed he was going to sprint by me. But he paused and held me passionately.

“Good night, Liv,” he replied, heading to his bedroom.

Now I wanted to interrupt him and ask him to explain more. But I would rather not strive too hard. I wanted to honor his privacy. I understood that complex emotions often accompany a fractured family, but this situation felt different. This was different. The adjustment to living in two houses wasn’t the only challenge; an unknown force was consuming my stepson and tearing me apart.

Then, last weekend, things took an unexpected turn.

Patrick was out collecting my big list of groceries, and I was sitting on the couch, waiting for Josh to return from his mother’s apartment. Around 5 p.m., I heard the unmistakable rumbling of his mother’s beat-up vehicle entering our driveway.

A few months ago, our neighborhood saw a period of petty crime, with boisterous youths helping themselves to whatever they desired. Patrick has since installed a new, high-end security system.

If there was too much activity on our porch, the stream would instantly appear on our television, with the door camera recording all that happened. It was a simple method for us to see what was going on before taking any quick reprisals.

“It’s going to make us feel safer, Liv,” Patrick stated as he installed the system. “We also need to download an app on our phones that does the same thing as the TV.”

I have to admit that it was a really impressive gizmo.

As I sipped my tea and waited for Josh to open the door and come in, the stream abruptly switched from my cooking program to a live feed of what was going on on the porch.

Linda and Josh stood on the porch.

“Here are your cookies,” Linda remarked, passing Josh a jar. “I will see you next week. Do you understand what you need to accomplish?

I watched on TV as Josh’s face fell.

He did not reply to his mother immediately.

“Mom, I don’t want to,” he eventually said.

My stomach turned. I went closer to the television, hoping to hear more.

“You have to tell them the truth, Mom!” Josh’s voice cracked. “I detest lying to Dad, and they know something is wrong. If Dad knew you were forcing me to steal from his house every week, he’d be furious!”

“Stealing?” I mumbled to myself, not understanding what I had just heard.

“And how about Liv?” She’ll realize that her belongings start vanishing. All the sanitary towels and lotions… Mom, I can’t keep doing this.”

I knew I was not going nuts! Recently, I discovered that my belongings were being ‘completed’ too soon or frequently going ‘missing.’ Now the truth was coming out.

What else had Josh packed for his mother?

“So what, Josh?” Linda hissed. “They have plenty of money. I warned you I’d need some of Olivia’s jewels next time. If I can pawn one of her costly necklaces or rings, I’ll be able to repay my loan.”

“What the heck?” I questioned myself aloud.

“And try to get some money, honey,” Linda said. “Your father generally has a bundle of cash in his sock drawer. He reserves them for emergencies, and aiding your mother is one of them.”

I couldn’t believe Linda was just there on my doorstep, manipulating her kid to steal from his family. I could see by her tone that she was not giving Josh a choice. She wanted exactly what she wanted.

A flood of emotions overtook me at once, but most of all, I felt a crushing weight for Josh.

My darling son has been bearing this load all by himself. It wasn’t surprising that he had been so out of it lately. Without thinking, I sprang up and marched to the front door.

“Hi, Linda,” I answered coldly.

“Hi, Liv,” Josh said, reaching out to embrace me.

Linda gave me a stern glance but said nothing.

“I heard all of that,” I said.

Josh hugged me a little tighter, and I could feel his breathing becoming heavy.

“What’s going on, Linda?” I asked. “Tell me, or I’ll call Patrick right away. Josh, could you kindly go to your room for a moment, love?

Linda poured out her narrative rapidly, fearing Patrick would discover the truth. She talked about being in debt and being late on rent. And that she was fighting to make ends meet, let alone provide for herself and Josh. She felt desperate and frustrated.

“I’ll give you the money to get you back on your feet,” I’d said. “But Josh will stay here until you do. And you will not ask the lad for anything else. “Do you understand?”

“He’s my son, Olivia,” she said bitterly.

“Yes, you are training your boy to steal from his family. I may need to consider legal action if this matter is not resolved. Please accept the money and continue to support Josh. Understand?”

Linda nodded hesitantly, knowing that the consequences would be far worse than her pride.

“Thank you,” she said almost shyly.

“I’ll transfer the funds to you tonight,” I promised. “Send me a breakdown of what you need.”

She nodded and went away.

As I entered the front door, preparing to fetch my phone and figure out how I was going to conceal this from Patrick, Josh embraced me.

“Thank you,” he said, tears running down his cheeks. “I did not wish to steal! I’m so sorry!”

“Oh, sweet boy,” I said. “Everything will be okay. I’m going to assist Linda, and we’ll work together to find a solution that benefits everyone. “I promise.”