I Unwittingly Created a Family With My Next Door Neighbor | Reddit Stories

I unwittingly created a family with my nextdoor neighbor hosted by you/nextdoor family. Three years ago, a woman named Cassie, 32F, and her son Kenny, 13M, moved into the apartment next door. They had a few boxes, so I, 31M, figured I'd offer to help and get off to a good start.

I noticed Kenny had a PS4, so I told him that I game as well, and he was free to come over and play my systems anytime he wanted if his mother allowed it. I have a PS5, Switch, and PC. As an FYI, since I'm a mechanic, I told Cassie if she had car trouble, she could come to me anytime since I help out a lot of other people on the floor with their cars as well.

She accepted. I didn't really interact with either Kenny or Cassie besides a few hays for a few weeks initially. But a little more than a month after moving in, Cassie knocked on my door and asked if I could check her car because the engine wasn't turning over.

Turns out the spark plugs needed to be changed, which was easy enough to do. Cassie was very thankful for my help and offered to pay, but I told her it was no problem. She invited me to dinner with her and Kenny, and I was hesitant to accept, but she insisted on it.

The next day, we had dinner and it was a good time. I learned a lot about her and talked to Kenny more. He's a good kid, really into games, science, and his guitar.

We even all went over to my place for some Mario Kart. From then on, I got really close to Kenny. I viewed him like a little brother.

He came over to play my games almost every day and I even started teaching him about cars. I've even brought him to my shop to introduce him to tools. He's a quick study and he even told Cassie he wants to be a mechanic like me.

I told him to aim higher and become an engineer. He's now even looking into engineering programs. I think Cassie really appreciated our relationship.

She became a lot more friendly with me. I got CO during lockdown and out of the kindness of her heart, she brought me groceries, cleaned my apartment, and even took care of me. I was totally grateful.

She even cooks dinner for me every night and we all have dinner together. She even makes dinner for me when I work late and leaves it in my apartment. The other day, Kenny brought one of his friends over to his apartment.

I met the friend and he said, "This is OP. He's like my dad. " Not going to lie, that took me by surprise.

I always viewed Kenny as my little brother, but here he is saying that I'm like a dad to him. I asked Cassie about this and she seemed surprised I even asked. She said that she would never force that role on me, but that he did view me as his father.

He even hoped that me and Cassie would get together so that we can be a real family. Cassie then said she wouldn't mind that either. I asked her if she was asking me out.

She just smiled and said yes. I was surprised but said okay. We have a dinner date this weekend and I'm nervous as all hell.

I don't want to ruin things with Cassie or Kenny. I really do love both of them, but I'm not sure how I feel about being the father figure for Kenny. It's a lot of responsibility and I'm not entirely sure I'm the guy for that.

And Cassie, she's a really amazing woman. I just hope I can measure up to her expectations. I'm just asking Reddit, are my worries unfounded?

Should I put some boundaries between me and Kenny? How do I not screw up with Cassie? Top/relevant comments.

Commenter, it sounds like you were already fulfilling the job requirements before you were hired. I wouldn't worry about this up. This sounds like the start of something beautiful.

comment or two. He's not a little boy. He's a teenager.

So, it's not like you are going to have to babysit him. If you want to have a relationship with Cassie, then go for it. If not, you need to make this very clear to her.

I think you've been very naive here, by the way. Ops response. I do like Cassie a lot.

Maybe I've been in denial about how much I like her. Maybe I just didn't think she liked me in that way. She and Kenny are very independent, and I guess I didn't want to get in the way of that independence.

I've been single for a while now, beyond some FWBs and Tinder hookups. So, I worry I might not be what Cassie wants or needs. And no, I'm not concerned about babysitting Kenny.

I don't even think I'd mind that. To be honest, I love that kid. I'm just worried I might not be the guy he thinks I am.

Commenter three, you need to fully recognize whether you're attracted to Cassie or not. Sounds like there's respect there, beautiful, but you need to be honest. Are there sparks?

Do not be passive. Do not entertain something you don't actually want. Ops response.

I love Cassie. She's smart, clever, super nice, and has this incredible strength and resilience that most people don't have or realize they have. And beyond all that, she's super pretty.

LOL. I guess I just never thought Cassie liked me in that way. Update 10 days later.

Hey all, thanks for all the nice comments on the first post. It's weird being complimented so much, but I guess I like it. LOL.

Also, this update was originally posted in our/ relationships, but they won't let me post it for whatever reason. People were demanding an update, so here I am. So, here are some things to clarify before the update.

People were asking me if I'm actually attracted to Cassie, and the answer is yes. She's one of the strongest, nicest, most considerate people I know. She constantly puts people before herself, and I always wish that someone would put her first for once.

And did I mention that Cassie is super pretty? I guess I just never thought Cassie would find me attractive or be interested in me that way. Now, the update.

I was nervous as hell all week leading up to the date on Saturday. During our usual family dinners, Cassie smiled at me a lot more. I don't think Kenny noticed since he was too busy playing on his phone.

Cassie not so subtly suggested to Kenny that he go spend a weekend with his grandparents. He didn't really want to, but she pretty much pushed him out the door. LOL.

On Saturday evening, I knocked on Cassie's door and she opened it up wearing an absolutely beautiful dress. I broke the tension and asked if that dress was for me. She laughed and we went on our way.

The evening was a little awkward at first, but when we were walking to the restaurant, she grabbed my hand and smiled at me and it sort of got rid of the awkwardness. From there, the evening went amazingly. We talked, laughed, and had a great dinner.

I asked her what made her change her mind about me, and she said it was the previous Christmas. For reference, Cassie is a hardworking single mom, and Kenny has all of his needs met and more. but she can't afford to get him the best, and it really hurts her that she can't.

She really wanted to get him a PS5 since he was begging for one, but couldn't justify the cost. Since I have disposable income, I hunted for months, checking stock drops until I finally got one. I then surprised Kenny with it on Christmas and told him it was from his mom.

Cassie was shocked and even started crying. Kenny was so excited, he didn't even notice her crying. All she could tell me was, "Thank you.

" repeatedly. Apparently, that made her realize that she wanted me in both of their lives forever. She tried to deny her feelings, but it didn't work.

The conversation the other day was the opening she needed to finally confess how she felt. After dinner, we went back to her place for a night cap. We talked a lot about relationship expectations and how we wanted to proceed.

We agreed to be exclusive, to take it slow, and not to tell Kenny about anything until we're sure that this relationship is real and strong. We don't want to give him unrealistic expectations. She also said that her calling me as dad was too much too soon, and she apologized for it.

She said it was wishful thinking on her part and probably would have weirded out most people. She said to accept any role with Kenny that I wanted, but she hoped that I would see Kenny as a son eventually. Sorry to disappoint everyone, but we didn't do the deed.

We decided that it was much too soon. We did, however, have a buzzed makeout session. Lol.

The following day, we went for brunch and decided to go apple picking. It felt damn good to be walking handinhand with someone you care about and taking lots of pictures doing silly things. At our family dinner yesterday, Cassie sat close to me and was rubbing her foot on my leg.

I don't think I've ever been more turned on in my life. Lol. I'm not going to lie, guys.

I think I'm falling for Cassie and falling hard. Well, anyway, I think that's it. We're together now, and hopefully this lasts.

I don't think I want anyone else. Cassie is everything one could want in a partner, and I hope that I can be worthy of her. She's a really special person.

Thanks everyone. You're all so kind. Top/relevant comments.

commenter. This is lovely to read. OP, please come back and give us updates occasionally.

We need the feel-good stories to make up for the absolute nightmares. OP's response. Well, Cassie and I have been sneaking around Kenny's back like a bunch of damn high schoolers, sneaking kisses and cuddling on the low.

He's almost walked in on us a couple of times and caught us. I think the danger is making it even more exciting than it already is. Also, Cassie is aggressive as hell.

LOL. I never thought that this very quiet and respectful woman would be so aggressive. Lau, honestly, it's like she's a different person, just in a good way.

Commenter two, yes, please continue to update us on how it goes with Cassie and Kenny. This is such a sweet and awesome story, and you're more of a catch than you think, bro. I can imagine all the missed hints and signals that Cassie gave you before you talked to her.

Lol. Good luck, dude. Ops response.

I think the biggest hint was me introducing my parents to Cassie. My mom looked at our interactions and said, "Are you kidding me? " and asked me why I didn't ask her out already.

I told her Cassie wasn't into me like that, and she just rolled her eyes and told me I was as clueless as my dad. I guess it runs in the family. Lol.

Second update 1 month later. Commenter, I'm about 3 days late to this, but I had to laugh when you family wrote that he wasn't sure if he was ready or capable of being a father figure. Like, dude, you already are.

You have been doing it this whole time and you didn't even notice. You're ready, grasshopper. As for Cassie, I get it.

I was a single mom of three when I married my husband, and I had been celibate since my youngest was born. She was five when we married. But my husband and I moved seamlessly into a very healthy and robust sexual relationship.

I was still a very sexual person. I was just focused on my kids. They needed me to be 100% present for them.

That didn't change me. It just put it on the back burner until I married. No, we didn't have SEGs before we got married for personal reasons we were both in agreement on up.

You're killing it. Don't overthink things. You're exactly who this child needs you to be.

And even if things don't go longterm with Cassie, you're adding so much value to his life, things will go long-term. I refuse to believe otherwise. I also laughed when you said what your mom told you.

My husband and I were talking about where our relationship was going about 4 months before we married, and he used the word boundaries, which made me think he was trying to put the brakes on. We've been married 8 years now and I've learned that this is an issue for him. He uses the wrong words frequently.

He was trying to say that he wanted to set up expectations for going forward, which is very different than saying boundaries. Thankfully, I'm mouthy as f and called him out on it right away and he had no idea what I was talking about. Totally clueless, just like you.

We've been married 8 years next month. We had two kids together and when the youngest was 5 months, we had a surprise adoption that popped into our laps. Now we're the parents to six and even more in love than when we started.

Life is beautiful. It takes a strong man to take on someone's kids, but you sound like you're exactly that. My husband is so loved and appreciated by all of us, and they all call him dad.

He wouldn't change his life for anything in the world. I hope you get that from this relationship because you deserve it. Ops response.

Loved reading every bit of this. Thank you for the compliments and congratulations on your wonderful life. As for Cassie, yeah, I've been extremely surprised by how aggressive she's been.

I'm trying to keep this PG-13, but we haven't had sex yet. Let's just say that I can tell she wants it lol. As for clueless, yeah, I guess I am.

Haha. Looking back, I can't believe how clueless I really was. Commenter too, just do her already.

She is probably very frustrated. Respectfully, another frustrated woman with a clueless guy. Ops response.

This was the funniest comment I've read on here so far. Believe me, I'm no choir boy and would love to take Cassie to pound town, but I want to respect her and not just seem like I'm in it for the segs. Taking it slow means not running around like horny teenagers, unfortunately.

But I dare say things have been progressing nicely. We cross little milestones almost every day and we're working towards the big ones. Also, it's way too early for the Lord, but I don't know how to describe it as anything other than that.

Since people seem to like our story, I guess I'll give you a small little update. We spent Thanksgiving with her parents. Her mother always liked me and was our biggest shipper.

Right away, she susted it out. I guess just by the way we were looking at each other or our energy or something. Women are really good at that kind of stuff.

Lol. Her mom pulled us aside and asked if we were together. We denied it at first, but she just gave us that come on face.

We gave in and admitted it. She hugged me and practically squeezed the life out of me lol. Her mom couldn't even hide her smile the rest of the night.

Meanwhile, while me and her dad were talking at dinner, Cassie was not so subtly rubbing her feet up and down my legs, causing me to stutter numerous times. Her dad asked me if I was all right. I just said I had bad heartburn.

Lol. Honestly, I feel like I'm a damn high schooler again. This is also so new, dangerous, and exciting.

Like, it's almost forbidden in a way. As for Kenny, the little man doesn't suspect a thing. I think we've been restoring a car together, and that's been keeping his mind occupied.

Plus, he's too busy chasing his own crushes. Third update, one year six months later. Okay.

In the break room at my work, and I'm grinning like an idiot, and I don't know what to do with my hands. So, I'm typing this out to get rid of all this nervous energy. I work as a mechanic and my boss called me over to the office.

I thought I effed up somehow, but he had a big ass bouquet of roses on his desk. He told me, "This is for you. " I was like, "WTF?

" But I read the card attached and it said, "Just because love, girlfriend. " My boss laughed at me and told me I had a good one and to not f it up, lol. He did say he'd have to give me crap for it, but he's happy for me.

Sure enough, the boys on the floor ripped me to shreds once they heard about it, but I didn't care. I was like floating lol. Now I'm on my break and I can't stop thinking about how much this completely caught me off guard.

Can someone please talk me down from going out to buy her a ring after work? Lol. Edit: Hey everyone, I'm finally off work and I'm still really flustered, but I think I've calmed down.

Lol. I don't think I'm going to get her a ring today, but I have to do something. Problem is, I don't know what.

She deserves absolutely everything, but I can't think of anything that would equal this. I do have an idea of taking her on a last minute romantic getaway this weekend. Also, to everyone asking, yes, the woman in my story is Cassie from my previous posts.

Top/relevant comments commenter, I remember reading your first post about her. Lol. Yeah, buy a ring and a good one at that.

She seems amazing. Lucky guy. You're in your early 30s, so no offense, but the chances of you finding another woman your age who isn't married and you enjoy as much as her are probably unlikely.

Marry her, dude, and move out of your apartment into a house. Lol. Ops response.

We're actually working on getting a house. Unfortunately, the housing market in our neck of the woods kind of sucks. Commenter too.

This is so nice. Op. I need to know how stoked Kenny was when you all finally revealed you two were dating.

Ops response. Oh my god, it was so embarrassing. We were at her place making dinner.

We thought Kenny was taking a nap. She hugs me from behind and starts necking me. Of course, Kenny decides that's a great time to waltz on in.

Lauo, well, that cat was out of the bag at that point. He said he'd been suspecting something for a while, but wasn't sure. He was extremely happy for both of us, and he said that we're a real family now.

Fourth update one month later. commenter. Hey you/nextdoor family, you got to update with your off my chest post and tell us was there a ring?

Waiting on pins and needles. Ops response. Hey, well I have good news for you.

After that little stunt Cassie pulled, I decided that I really needed to stop waiting and make Cassie an honest woman. I was waiting until we had closed on a house, but I realized that was just an excuse. So I had a secret discussion with her parents.

And when I told them that I plan on proposing to her, her mother practically jumped through the roof. LOL. She then immediately went into planning mode about the best way to propose to her and what kind of ring she wants, all that kind of stuff.

Honestly, I don't know who's more excited, me or her. LOL. The most hilarious thing about this is that Cassie saw how giddy I was after the roses and she was happy I liked them, but she had to calm me down and told me not to do anything stupid.

LOL. I did end up planning a very nice weekend away over Memorial Day weekend, just the two of us at the lake house. I don't know exactly when or where I'll propose, but I guess if people want it, I'll update.

Editors note, Op's last update was made in May 2025, and he has not posted anything new on Reddit ever since. So, as one commenter put it, my head cannon is that they got so busy planning the proposal, wedding, and the rest of their happy lives, they forgot about Reddit.