As the days turned into weeks, and the weeks into months, Venus began to understand the complexity of adult relationships and the myriad of emotions that came with them. She started to see Steph not just as her stepmom but as a person with her own story, someone who had been through her own share of struggles and triumphs.

Glick, J. E. (2014). Stepfamilies: A Decade of Research . Journal of Marriage and Family, 76(5), 931-944.