the misunderstood stepmom

its hard to see my friend's relationships with their step-parents, because i know so much about the other side. even Keelie, who is silently perceived as perfect by all, has relational issues with her stepmom that make me cringe inside. she lies to her stepmom about her lunch, telling her she likes stuff just to be polite, but then she comes and gripes about it to us when her stepmom gives her more the next day.i know its not a big deal, and i know she thinks she is doing the right thing by staying quiet and being polite, but i know all too well how much it hurts her stepmom. i know how hard my mom tries to establish real relationships with all her kids, and how much it hurts her when someone pulls back. i always wish i could do something when she is having to fight her way into someone's life, but i know that would only make it worse. sometimes i can tell she is close to tears when her voice starts to shake, which had only happened about three times in the past, and i want to hurt the other person so bad! but i cant.