I married my stepbrother

I’d met someone and fallen, but he felt like forbidden fruit. What would everyone think when the truth came out? By Matilda Eriksson, 23

Mum came home from her nursing job and put the kettle on.

As she sat down with me for a cuppa, I noticed that despite just finishing a long shift, she had a glint in her eye.

We’d always been close, so now I said: ‘What’s going on?’

‘I’ve met someone,’ she replied. ‘His name’s Juha.’

I was all ears as she told me he’d been one of her patients.

‘After I did his blood tests, he asked the receptionist for my number,’ Mum explained.

Things moved really quickly between them. After just a month together, Juha moved in with Mum, so I went over to meet him.

He was absolutely lovely and I could see how happy he made mum too.

I discovered Juha had a son, Samuli, who was 23 — four years older than me.

‘I think you’d get on well with him,’ he said.

When Mum’s 50th birthday party came around a few months on, I finally got a chance to meet him.

‘That’s Samuli,’ Mum said, nodding towards a guy with blonde hair and blue eyes.

He was with his girlfriend, and I went over with my boyfriend to introduce myself.

‘I’m Matilda,’ I said.

‘Oh, yeah, I recognise you from the pictures Dad showed me,’ he replied.

I’d been nervous about meeting him. For Mum’s sake I wanted us to get on.

But I needn’t have worried, as we chatted away easily after that.

‘Didn’t you win a high-jump championship recently?’ I asked. ‘That’s so cool.’

‘I did, so I can probably retire now,’ Samuli joked.

After Mum’s party, I’d see him occasionally at family gatherings and we always had a laugh.

And we were both there when Mum and Juha got married the following year.

‘Now you’re officially my stepbrother,’ I told Samuli.

‘Aren’t you lucky?’ he said, with a grin.

Later that year, Mum told me: ‘Samuli’s broken up with his girlfriend.’

When I split with my boyfriend soon after, he messaged me saying: I know how it feels, so I’m here if you want to talk.

I invited him over to the flat I shared with my friend Eevi, and we talked and laughed together.

We began spending more time together and one day, as we chatted, he put his hand on mine and I felt as though the world stopped for a moment.

That’s when I realised I’d been in denial about something. I saw Samuli as much more than my stepbrother.

But did he feel the same?

After that moment, I noticed that things he said to me sounded flirty.

He’s just being friendly, I told myself.

Feeling confused, I confided in Mum.

‘I think I like Samuli, and I think he likes me too,’ I told her.

She smiled and said: ‘I can tell you like him, and I can tell he likes you back.’

‘But isn’t it wrong?’ I asked. ‘He’s my stepbrother!’

Mum shrugged and said: ‘You should follow your heart.’

However, I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was wrong to fancy my stepbrother.

Then one night, our parents invited Samuli and I over for dinner, and Eevi came with me.

With music playing and wine in our glasses, we were having a great time.

It was a warm night, so we moved to the garden and Samuli and I started a tipsy game of tag.

I hid behind our parents’ car, trying to catch my breath from laughing so much. Then his face appeared out of nowhere.

‘Found you!’ he said.

Suddenly, his lips were on mine. I was shocked, but I didn’t resist.

Seconds later, we broke apart and laughed.

Then a voice screamed: ‘No!’

I looked up to see Eevi, and realised she’d seen the whole thing.

‘Please don’t tell anyone,’ I begged her.

The kiss felt natural, but part of me still thought it was wrong.

‘OK, I won’t,’ she agreed. ‘But I’ve seen how close you are and I actually think you’d make a great couple.’

For the rest of the evening, I couldn’t deny the sexual tension between me and Samuli.

Later, Samuli walked us back to our flat, and when we were alone, it all became too much and we collided in another kiss.

This time, I pulled away.

‘What are we doing?’ I asked, breathless. ‘We shouldn’t do this.’

Samuli’s gorgeous blue eyes stared into mine.

‘Why not? No one’s stopping us,’ he said.

I thought: He’s right. No one would know.

The passion took over and next thing I knew we were tangled in the bed sheets, grinning like Cheshire cats.

‘That was amazing,’ said Samuli.

‘Agreed,’ I replied.

But was it just a one-night stand?

As soon as I was out the door on my way to work, I called the only person I knew who could help me make sense of my feelings.

‘Mum, I just had sex with Samuli,’ I said. ‘But what if it was a mistake?’

She chuckled and said: ‘If he makes you happy, then go for it, love.’

But what would people think if I started dating my stepbrother?

Two weeks later, I sat Samuli down.

‘I want to be with you, but it feels a bit wrong,’ I said.

‘Why don’t we do a trial relationship,’ he suggested. ‘If you don’t want to continue after a month, we’ll go back to being friends.’

I agreed, but after just two days my heart took over.

‘I don’t need a trial,’ I told him before kissing him.

From then on, we were official, and we didn’t care what people thought.

When we told our friends and colleagues, a couple of them said: ‘It’s inappropriate.’

But I tried to brush it off.

When we told Mum and Juha they were really supportive.

‘At last!’ Mum said.

And Juha added: ‘I always thought you two would be good together.’

For a moment, I worried that it might be against the law to sleep with your stepbrother. But one of my sister’s friends who studied law reassured me there was nothing illegal about our relationship.

Soon after, Samuli moved in with me and I knew then we’d made the right decision.

When we’d been together six months, we were out drinking and dancing at our favourite club when a thought flashed into my head.

I’m going to propose here and now, I decided.

But as I started to kneel down, so did Samuli!

To anyone who saw us, it must’ve looked hilarious us both kneeling in front of each other.

‘Will you marry me?’ Samuli asked before I could say it first.

‘Have you been planning this?’ I asked.

‘No, I just decided to do it,’ he said.

I burst out laughing. I couldn’t believe we’d both had the same idea at the exact same time.

Of course, I said yes.

The next morning, Samuli rolled out of bed and on to one knee on the floor, where he proposed again.

Later, we visited our parents at the gym they owned to break the good news.

‘We’re engaged!’ we said.

‘We’re so happy for you both,’ they cheered, hugging us both.

Nine months later, our parents were with us as we got married in front of 60 guests. Instead of a traditional wedding gown, I’d made my own champagne-coloured two-piece outfit.

I was shaking with nerves as we said our vows. But after being pronounced husband and wife, we kissed and everyone cheered.

In the evening as we celebrated, Mum and Juha made a speech.

‘I always sensed a connection between them,’ Juha said.

‘Yes, and they’ve become each other’s rocks just like we have,’ Mum added tearfully.

Two days later, Samuli and I flew to Nice in the south of France for our honeymoon.

Now, Samuli and I are settling happily into married life together.

We went from stepsiblings to soul mates. And while some people judged us for that, I’ve realised that it doesn’t matter what they or anyone else thinks.

I believe with all my heart that our parents were destined to meet, so that we’d find love too.