A Whole New Life--Celeste

      May 15, 2015: It was the day where I, myself was still in shock. I never knew this day would come, but I mean I at least hoped it will, just not so soon. Just waking up in a nicely cooled hotel and seeing your own mom being pampered for her big day was a lot to take on. Just to think that your hero who has been a single mom for sixteen years is finally getting married! I remember walking down the aisle with my sister throwing flower petals and seeing everyone’s eyes on us and how awkward it felt. As we see our mom exchanging vows my sister starts to cry and I laughed because the camera man was pointing the camera towards her. It was a fun day and I thought from then on out, my life was going to get better. Not to mention, I knew all of our lives were going to be different now that there is a man in the household.

      About a month or two later, we move in with him and it was hard too. He always had work some could not help us out and for three girls it is very hard to carry out a refrigerator and a whole couch. His place was small and the room my sister and I shared before was smaller and I did not like that at all. Ever since the move, my mood changed and instead of being happy I was just negative. I always closed my door in my room and would hardly come out of it. The only times I ever came out was when the food was ready. I have moved before like about 2-3 times, so moving to another school has also made me become very sad. The only good thing I thought about the school was the band since I thought they were phenomenal. Each day was the same in my mom and step-dad asking me how my day was and I would always reply “it was whatever”. I did not like my lifestyle and just wanted to move back to how it was, especially since now there were so many rules that I thought were unnecessary. It took me awhile to open up to my step-dad, I mean I have never lived with a man in the house or had a father figure in my life. I also was very picky with the food, he grew up in Texas and I grew up, well let’s just say in a Mexican home. He did not like certain foods that my mom made, while I love it! He also cooked some of the food my mom made in a totally different way and I just missed her cooking so much. Not only was the food changed, but my sister and I had to change the way we act around the house such as her not farting all the time or me with my burping at the table. Sorry! I can’t help myself if the food was good. If a guest came over, I knew they can sense the negativity in the room between the tension of my sister and I with my step-dad. My mom had to always talk to me about opening up to him and to give him a chance since I was more of the “not being opened” type. He is a cool guy for my mom, it just felt weird.

       Fast forward to the summer of 2016, the time where we get a new house and I have my first bedroom ever. The house was way bigger and we actually have a backyard and a recreation center with a pool. I always told my mom, “we don’t look poor anymore,” she would always get upset and said we were not before but I guess I'm not used to the whole “American dream” lifestyle. Two months later, we get our very first puppy and he is the most adorable thing ever! His name is Gunner and I call him our therapy dog since he always cheers us up when we are down. It is also crazy because we all get along now too and are actually looking like a “family.” Living with my step-dad for about a year and a half now has opened me up to talking to him more and being nice. I also started to get in contact with my father. Every now and then my step-dad likes to scare me in the dark which I do not enjoy at all, but i have grown to laugh it up. I also appreciate him more for what he has done and giving us a better lifestyle with this new home and a better school. He has been there most of the time financially and has opened up to me about loving me as his own daughter. Even though I call him by his name, I truly do appreciate everything he has done for my sister and I, it will just take some time to fully open up to him and not be quick to fight back. Each day I am seeing him as a father until I am off to college and I hope my sister will also become closer to him since she has a longer stay with him.