All relationships are based on expectations. Even those with children. I wasn't sure as to what I could expect from my stepkids. I think I expected things to be as kosher in the future as they were back then. Well, I was mistaken.
Kids grow up, they become more aware of their situations, their family dynamics and they change.
My stepkids were very young when I met their father, my stepson was 5 and my stepdaughter was 3. They had been living in a single parent home for 2 years. So you see, things really did change for them. Well, they did for the most part, but there were some surprises for me as their stepmom. I thought that I would become closer to my stepchildren in time.