Prodigal Cousin Returns After 7 Years Of Zero Contact, Expects Her Relative To Take Her And Three Children In

She said her cousin should understand her situation since they were both single moms

Chelsi

• Published in Interesting
• December 11, 2023

A Reddit user did not stop looking for her cousin for two years when she left without notice during college. OP and her cousin, Mae, had a close childhood relationship.

They became more distant as teenagers but remained in contact during college. Their family's communication with Mae ceased entirely when she abruptly dropped out during her junior year without notice.

Mae's parents only found out through one of their daughter's classmates. Fearing the worst, their family decided to report Mae as a missing person.

Mae finally reached out to them. Mae wanted them to know that she was okay, but she needed a fresh start because she had not been satisfied with her life with them.

OP felt blindsided. Mae did not confide in her despite having plenty of opportunities to do so during one of their many talks.

OP kept her social media accounts active. She had hoped that her cousin would reach out to her and even sent her a few messages to check on her.

OP gave up after two years of unreciprocated attempts to reconnect with Mae. Seven years later, Mae returned just as suddenly as her departure.

Mae is a mom — she has three kids. She told them how her daughter's father died while the twins' dad left them to fend for themselves.

Mae had a change of heart about needing their family's help after one of the twins was diagnosed with a disability. Mae's parents welcomed her and were willing to help her with her children.

Mae told OP that it would be difficult to live with her parents and see their disappointment in her daily.

Mae asked OP if she and her kids could move in with her. She said OP would understand because she, too, was a single mother. She even brought up their close relationship as kids.

OP told her cousin that she was also hurt and disappointed by her choices. OP told Mae that she empathized with her as a mom, but she had her own child to worry about.

She said that she wasn't willing to risk their stability and hurt her son's feelings if Mae chose to leave again.

Mae and her kids are staying with her parents. She texted OP that she wished she accepted her request.

She claimed that her mental health suffered after seeing the disappointment in her parents' eyes. She was also hurt by OP's dismissal of their relationship as kids because she thought it was enough for her to rely on OP during a difficult time.

Redditor was curious if Mae was truthful about what happened to her daughter's father.

Someone else wondered if Mae had a valid reason to disappear so suddenly and cut ties with everyone in their family.

OP reiterated what she knew. Mae cut ties with them because she wanted a new life.

It was unfair of Mae to expect OP to remain unaffected by her running away. Her attempt at emotional manipulation is an added awfulness to what was an already disappointing situation.

Even if Mae maintained a relationship with OP all those years, asking to move in with her is too big of an ask.

OP said she would have opened her home to Mae and her kids if her cousin bothered to contact her in the past years. In this current situation, she couldn't trust Mae. It's too much of a gamble with her son in the equation.

If Mae decided to run away again and leave her children in OP's care, what would happen then?

Even in the best of times, Mae's request to indefinitely stay with OP is too much.

Mae's return was prompted by her need for childcare. She didn't go back because she wanted to reconnect with her relatives.

It's a little more than unfair of Mae to expect everyone to forget what she did and focus on helping her raise her children. She is in an undeniably difficult situation, but OP's hesitation to help her was brought on by Mae's past actions.

What Mae considers unfair and unfeeling are delayed consequences of her actions all those years ago. She should understand why, as a mom, OP had to think of what was best for her kid.

Chelsi