It's been almost a year since I last updated.

(Background: SS22 moved in, ostensibly for a few months. We were really close until he moved in, at which point I realized that he was, alas, a douche.)

Almost a year since I posted here. And in that year, the stepson got significantly worse. Smoking pot, being a little jackass, and it continued. Husband took the approach of "guide him along, don't be heavyhanded", and we did start to see a little progress after a while... a little.

On Thanksgiving, he moved back in with his mom. It's been glorious to have him gone -

Except.

Except that he isn't really gone. He's constantly calling Husband (HEY DADDY GUESS WHAT), and today I realized -

It's never going to be over. Not really. Even though he doesn't live with us anymore, I still dislike him, Husband still adores him, and now SS wants to spend a ton of time with us. And this would in theory be fine, except -

Except that I can't stand him.

How do you guys deal with having to spend time with stepchildren you hate? Because I'm not good at it, not at all. It causes problems with Husband and I, and even if it didn't it's no fun for me. So. How do I deal?