Dear Rudy,

I will never forget the time when I found out my mom was dating you. I was on a flight home from Florida. My brothers and family already knew about you because you started coming around a few weeks before without my knowledge. I had seen a picture on my mom's Instagram, and it was of her at the beach. I knew she had not had a lot of time for herself since my dad died the year before.

You and everyone else knew my thoughts about you. I did NOT like you. I was going through a rough patch at that time in my life, and I was severely depressed. So, if I chose one person I did not like, it was you. You were the easy target.

It was not that I did not like you, but I had just gotten home from a few weeks in Florida, and you and my mom were attached at the hip. The was no time for me and my mom, because you were constantly at my house. I also did not like that my mom could potentially fall in love with someone who was not my dad.

But now, I am simply going to say thank you.

Thank you for bringing joy back to my mom's life. Thank you for taking her out and loving her every single day. When you guys started dating last year, something changed about her. She smiled more, she talked more and she wanted to go out more. She was just happier overall.

Thank you for not trying to be my dad or trying to replace him. You know that my dad died in September 2016, so it was not long after that my mom met you. But you never get annoyed if my family talks too much about my dad — you simply listen.

You never get agitated if there are more pictures of my dad in the house than there are of you. You take it as is and never try to replace him. I am forever grateful for that.

Thank you for teaching me how a guy needs to treat a lady. You constantly are a gentleman to me and my mom. You are always opening car doors, holding doors and giving compliments. Generally, you're just always nice. These days, you don't really get to see that in this world.

Thank you for not being so serious all the time. You actually can be fun, and you joke a lot. You can be serious at times, but you love to joke — which is completely OK with me because I love joking.

Thank you for picking me as your favorite. Thank you for all the extra apparel you get me, for the ice cream you buy for me without the boys getting any, and for always giving me your dessert when we go out to eat and you get a meal. Thank you for always taking me and my mom fun places.

Thank you for adding a ton more family members into our lives. Your family has become my family. Your family is always so nice and caring, and they understand. They understand our emotions and why we do what we do.

After just a couple of months knowing me (and only having met me once), they were so loving and caring toward us. They all are so nice overall. Your family is funny and connected like mine. I like how my family and your family are combining together to become one huge whole.

At first, my brothers and I did not want to do stuff that involved everyone. We did not want to be the odd ones out. But your family took us all in without judgment and without a second thought. They are fun! Going to Watkins Glen was a super fun time, and I can't wait to go back again in the summer!

What I'm learning is that more family is the best thing to have. I love your goodbye dance family tradition! Beau, Jess, Logan, Hayden, Kelen, Steph, Jules, Skylie, Heidi, Heather, Emma, Bernie, Rosie and Pop: Thank you for accepting us all and always including my family.

I am completely excited to see where your future with my mom goes. If there was someone who had to be in our lives, I'm glad you were the one. I know that when I go to Florida next year, I won't have any worries about leaving my mom behind. I know you will be her backbone while I'm in college.

Rudy, this is not me being nice — because you still are an ''orange highlighter, magic eight ball, potato head." But, after a year and a few months, I can say that you grew on me. So, you are no longer my person to dislike.

Welcome to our family, and I'm glad to be a part of yours.

A wise someone in your family told me, "Don't always look at complication as a negative thing." I can say those words stuck, and they are always running through my mind when something complicated appears.

Love always,
Olivia

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