Matilda Eriksson, 25, from Espoo, Finland, has opened up about the moment she developed romantic feelings for her stepbrother, despite facing judgment from friends.
She met her step-sibling and now-husband, Samuli, 29, when her mom married his dad in 2019. Matilda shared with Yahoo News that even though they first spoke at their parent’s wedding, it didn’t prevent them from developing a romantic connection.
In a subsequent interview with That’s Life, she recounted the moment she found herself blushing under Samuli’s gaze.
“I’d seen Samuli at family gatherings, but we’d never spent much time together otherwise,” she wrote, disclosing that they began spending more time together as friends. However, it became apparent to her that her feelings for Samuli were evolving beyond those of friends or family.
“Sitting across from one another a few weeks later, I felt Samuli’s gaze on me,” she recalled. “I got lost in his kind smile, noticing his beautiful blue eyes for the first time.”
“What am I doing? What if someone notices? That’s so weird! I thought, blushing. He’s my stepbrother!”
After spending time together again a few weeks later, Samuli placed his hand on her upper leg, prompting Matilda to “freak out” and communicate to her stepbrother: “Whatever this is, it can’t go any further.”
Although Samuli agreed and apologized, the romantic connection between the pair continued to intensify.
“One week later, we drove down to our parents’ cottage one-and-a-half hours away,” she says. “After a few drinks sitting in the hot tub, Samuli’s hand found mine beneath the bubbly water.”
That evening, they exchanged their first kiss.
“I responded right away with passion,” Matilda told Yahoo News, adding: “It took us two weeks to start dating after that, and he basically moved in with me right away. It felt good and natural immediately.”
Despite their strong connection, Matilda admitted that the initial phase of their romance posed challenges. “I was confused and in love at the same time and honestly I really didn’t know what to do. Thinking about the fact that he still is my stepbrother and also I thought about other people’s opinions,” she recounted.
She further explained that some of their friends expressed judgment about the relationship, which felt peculiar because Matilda and Samuli were still step-siblings.
“Some of our friends were first a bit doubtful and [were] kind of judging. I think it was because of the confusion that someone I called stepbrother has to now be called my boyfriend,” she added.
Nevertheless, the couple eventually found solace after seeking advice from their parents and receiving their blessings. Matilda, in particular, highlighted that it was her mom’s guidance that encouraged her to pursue a married life with her step-brother.
“My mom told me to do whatever I felt was the most right in that moment, putting everything else aside and to follow my heart, and that led me to marry Samuli,” she said.
After exchanging proposals, the joyous couple got married in July 2022. They had the opportunity to celebrate with all their friends and family, who eventually embraced the relationship after witnessing how well-suited Matilda and Samuli were for each other.
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Source: Yahoo News
