The girls.
Rylee and Raegan.
I say it so casually now, like I've been saying it my entire life. But every time I do, there's still a small part of me that pauses.
Because for a long time, I didn't think I would have girls.
When I was younger, I was told I wouldn't be able to have children of my own. Maybe one day I'll write more about that chapter, but if I'm being honest, it's still difficult to talk about. It was one of those conversations that changes the way you see your future. For a long time after, I quietly accepted that motherhood probably wasn't going to be part of my story.
Then I met Cody.
The first man I had ever dated who had children.
At the time, I didn't know what that meant. I didn't know how I would fit into a family that already existed. I didn't know if I would feel like an outsider. I didn't know if I could love children that weren't biologically mine without feeling the ache of what I thought I had lost.
What I didn't realize was that life had a different plan.
Because now I have two girls.
Not mine in the traditional sense.
But mine in all the ways that matter.
And honestly, I can't imagine my life without them.
I first met the girls back in 2018 while camping. Looking back now, it's funny because the personalities they have today were already there.
Raegan was fearless and curious. She wanted to be involved in everything. She wanted to know what everyone was doing, where everyone was going, and whether she could come too.
Rylee was quieter. More reserved. She sat back and observed before deciding if she wanted to join in.
Neither of them knew it at the time.
And neither did I.
But those two little girls would eventually become such a huge part of my heart.
Rylee came into my life slowly.
She's the oldest, and she carries herself like it. There is something about her that feels steady and intense all at the same time. She's thoughtful, stubborn, emotional, intelligent, and far more intuitive than most people realize.
She is also absolutely her father's daughter.
The stubbornness? Cody.
The strong opinions? Cody.
The emotional depth she pretends isn't there? Definitely Cody.
Sometimes watching the two of them interact is like watching the same person argue with themselves.
They understand each other in ways that don't always need words.
And she is 100% a daddy's girl.
Not in a spoiled way.
In a deep-rooted way.
The kind of relationship where your dad becomes the example for how you expect to be treated by everyone else.
I think that's part of why she has such high standards.
She notices how people show up.
She notices effort.
She notices respect.
And she doesn't settle easily.
Which is funny because she is also completely boy crazy.
The amount of conversations I've listened to, stories I've heard, and teenage crushes I've watched unfold could probably fill an entire blog by themselves.
But honestly?
Good.
I hope she keeps those standards high.
She deserves that.
Rylee loves horses in a way that horse girls understand. Not the "horses are pretty" kind of love. The kind where horses become part of your identity. They become your therapy, your safe place, your peace, and your personality all rolled into one.
If she's not with the horses, she's usually reading.
And when I say reading, I mean reading.
This girl has accumulated enough books to start her own library.
At this point I genuinely think she could charge admission to her room.
There are books everywhere.
Fantasy books.
Romance books.
Books about dragons.
Books about worlds I can't even pronounce.
And if she's not reading them, she's probably watching House of the Dragon or talking about whatever book series has currently consumed her life.
She's beautiful too.
And not just because she's gorgeous, which she absolutely is.
She has that effortless kind of beauty that doesn't even realize it's beautiful.
The kind that comes from being completely herself.
The kind that turns heads without trying.
But what I love most about Rylee isn't how she looks.
It's who she is.
Because underneath all of the stubbornness and teenage attitude is someone incredibly loyal.
Someone who feels deeply.
Someone who loves fiercely.
Someone who protects the people she cares about.
That's why Labradorite reminds me of her.
Labradorite is known as the stone of intuition, protection, transformation, and inner strength. It's a crystal that reminds us there is always more beneath the surface than what people initially see.
That's Rylee.
Most people see the strong exterior first.
The confidence.
The stubbornness.
The attitude.
But if you're lucky enough to know her, you get to see the softness underneath.
And that's where the real magic is.
Then there's Raegan.
My little Fluorite.
If Rylee is depth, Raegan is color.
She is sunshine, energy, snacks, sports, and absolute chaos in the best possible way.
Mostly snacks.
Honestly, I don't think I've ever met someone more committed to making sure they always have food nearby.
Chips.
Candy.
Popcorn.
Pickles.
A random snack she found five minutes ago.
Doesn't matter.
The girl is prepared.
Raegan is one of those people who can become friends with almost anyone.
She has this natural ability to make people feel included.
She notices people.
She notices feelings.
She notices when someone feels left out.
And she wants everyone around her to feel welcome.
That's one of my favorite things about her.
She has such a genuinely good heart.
She's also obsessed with squishies, little trinkets, makeup, perfumes, skincare, and basically anything that smells amazing.
I swear every room she enters smells better after she's been there.
There is almost always a candle burning somewhere nearby.
And her room looks exactly how you'd imagine.
Blankets.
Squishies.
Perfumes.
Makeup.
Snacks.
Tiny treasures.
A collection of things that somehow only make sense to her.
And yet somehow it works perfectly.
One of the biggest things we connect over is animals.
My cats have completely abandoned me.
Seriously.
They have chosen her.
Their room is her room now.
Their bed is her bed.
I'm pretty sure I just pay their food bill.
They follow her everywhere. They sleep with her every night. They curl up around her like she's been their person forever.
And honestly, I understand why.
Animals are drawn to her because she loves them naturally.
She doesn't force connection.
She earns it.
Animals always know who is safe.
And they know she's safe.
Watching her love animals reminds me so much of myself growing up. It's another one of those little threads that quietly connects us.
That's why Fluorite reminds me of her.
Fluorite is known for absorbing negative energy, encouraging emotional balance, strengthening intuition, and bringing harmony into chaos.
And somehow that describes Raegan perfectly.
She's colorful.
She's loving.
She's intuitive.
She's kind.
And people tend to feel better after spending time with her.
Life with teenage girls isn't always easy.
There are attitudes.
There are hormones.
There are eye rolls.
There are moments where all three of us somehow end up emotional at the exact same time and Cody suddenly finds a very important reason to leave the house.
Smart man.
Being a bonus parent is complicated sometimes.
There isn't a handbook.
There isn't a roadmap.
You're figuring out your place while they're figuring out theirs.
Some days are easier than others.
But then there are the mornings.
The mornings when I grab my keys to leave for work and hear:
"Love you, T. See you tonight."
And suddenly none of the hard parts feel very hard.
Because years ago, I thought this part of my story wasn't meant for me.
And now I have two girls who make me laugh, drive me crazy, steal my snacks, fill my house with noise, and somehow make it feel more like home.
Not mine by birth.
But mine by love.
And that's more than enough.
As I sit here writing this, I realize these girls are part of a much bigger story. A story about family, love, and the people who shape us into who we become.
And before there was Cody.
Before there was Rylee and Raegan.
Before there was "T."
There were two people teaching me about love in their own imperfect ways.
My parents.
And that's where the next chapter of this story begins.