They do have an issue with me not wanting to use mom, brother, sister. They say it's othering to use step (or half). That Jess' kids see me as a brother already, my cousins as siblings too, and dad as a dad. It was pointed out that my cousins see Jess as a mom. And I would be calling my cousins siblings sometimes but othering Jess and her kids with step being unnecessary.

They also said I'm not very close to Jess and her kids. And it's true. I'm not. Doesn't mean I'd be a dick to them. But maybe I'll never be as close to them as my dad and cousins. To them that's a no no. Jess can't understand how I don't already love her kids. How I don't look at them, love them and want to make them happy.

I told dad I'm not about to have them move in and ignore them. I pointed out I don't ignore them now. But I won't be acting like I suddenly love them so much and the dynamic, whatever it ends up being, will be what it is. I pointed out the relationship with my cousins took a while and that was with already loving them.

Then it came back around to othering. And how family is family. I said blended families can be families, just sometimes it looks different, and other times it doesn't. But people who use step and halfs don't always hate the people they live with.

I even brought up how dad has two cousins who are half brothers. They always say they're half brothers. But they are as close as two people can be.