r/Reddit_Stories

My boyfriend and I recently got back together after a painful breakup, and instead of just “trying again,” we sat down and wrote an actual relationship agreement together. It covers things like:

no physical or verbal abuse
no cheating or deliberate lying
mandatory couples therapy
rules for conflict and communication
privacy boundaries
finances/living arrangements
expectations around marriage/kids
social media/phone transparency
no contact with exes
what happens if the relationship ends again

Some parts feel really healthy and mature to me
we’re acknowledging the damage instead of pretending it didn’t happen
we’re trying to create accountability on both sides
we included review periods because we know relationships evolve

But other parts make me wonder if we’re overcorrecting out of fear. For context, there was hurt on both sides during the relationship. No cheating, but there were communication problems, emotional escalation, and trust damage that built up over time.

Part of me feels hopeful because this is the first time either of us has approached a relationship this intentionally. Another part of me worries that healthy relationships shouldn’t need a constitution.

So I’m genuinely curious:

Should we get back together or not? Has anyone here ever done something similar? And did it help or make things worse?

I (23M) grew up as an only child after my dad left when I was young. It was always just me and my mom, so I always wished I had a sibling.

A few years ago, my mom remarried, and I got a stepsister (22F). We didn’t grow up together—we met as teenagers—but over time we got really close.

At first, it felt like I finally had what I always wanted: someone to talk to, joke with, and just connect with. We’d stay up late talking about life, family stuff, and everything in between.

Around the same time, I was having problems with my girlfriend (22F). My stepsister became the main person I talked to about it. She listened to me in a way that felt different, like she actually understood me.

Eventually, my girlfriend and I worked things out and fixed our relationship.

That’s when things started to feel… off.

My stepsister wasn’t rude or anything, but she started acting different. She’d ask where I was a lot, especially if I was with my girlfriend. She’d show up wherever I was in the house, even if we weren’t already hanging out.

At one point, she told me:

“I feel like I know you better than your girlfriend does.”

That stuck with me.

I didn’t think anything inappropriate was happening, and I want to be clear—nothing physical or romantic ever happened between us.

But emotionally, it started to feel like she depended on me a lot. Like I was her main person, and she didn’t really connect with others the same way.

My parents noticed we were close, but they brushed it off as normal sibling bonding. My mom even said she was happy I finally had a sibling after growing up alone.

Eventually, I moved out, got my life together, and now I’m engaged to my girlfriend (we’re even expecting a kid). My relationship with my family is still good, and my stepsister is doing her own thing now too.

But looking back, I still think about it sometimes.

I feel like I should’ve set better boundaries earlier, but I didn’t realize it at the time.

So AITA for thinking the situation went a little too far emotionally, even though nothing actually happened?