We don't love our families despite their flaws. We love them because of the history those flaws created. The best storylines don't end with a perfect hug. They end with two people sitting in a car, silent, having finally agreed to disagree.

Step-families are high-stakes diplomacy. The storyline isn't "Evil Stepmother." It is "My dad seems happier with her than he ever was with mom, and that makes me furious at myself." That is complex.

That silence? That’s the sound of complexity. And it is beautiful.