“We [were] a very, very happy blended family.”

Alan died 15 months after his diagnosis — marking the end of their time as a family of seven.

Brittany and Andrea today. Source: Supplied

Andrea says she still thinks of her time with Alan and their family as the best time of her life.

“But, unfortunately, no, we didn’t.”

Step and blended families in Australia

More specifically, stepfamilies and blended families represented 8 per cent and 4 per cent respectively of couple families with dependent children — according to a 2023 Australian Institute of Families report.

‘Boom, she was gone’

“You just have this feeling of maybe it’s a resentment toward your stepbrother, but you still really like your stepbrother.”

Emma has great fondness for her stepmum and stepbrother with whom she lost contact with almost 40 years ago. Source: SBS

After nearly a decade together, Emma’s dad and stepmother, whom she adored and looked up to, separated in the late 1980s.

Emma says that she saw Margaret and Graham a couple of times after the separation but without the technology of today, maintaining contact was difficult.

“I’ve searched for them for nearly 40 years. I can’t find them.”

‘It’s a connection I want to keep’

Eventually, they decided to continue their family dynamic, with David and Rosie continuing their friendship.

Koraly, Rosie and David on holiday. Source: Supplied

“I don’t see them ever not having a close relationship,” Koraly told Insight.

“It’s a connection that I want to keep for the rest of my life.”

Maintaining contact with stepkids post-separation

“They would need to include the [parents] in that application … And otherwise, you can have an informal type of arrangement.”

“If there isn’t a will, it could mean that a child that is treated like yours — as a stepchild — would not actually receive part of the inheritance,” Smith said.

‘Why wouldn’t I keep looking?’

“We didn’t divide to each other. We both saw to take care of our own … We’ve both been through a lot … So that was really easy.”

Emma as a child. Source: Supplied

Like many others, she remains curious about the stepfamily she once was close to.

“I have such beautiful memories of them, so why wouldn’t I keep looking? You know, maybe someone knows they’re out there.”‘