My situation is a bit complicated and my story will be a little choppy to try and cut down on rambling. I am divorced and have raised my ex's son since he was 4 1/2, he is now turning 16. I have no children of my own which makes my step son a very huge part of my life. Ive always wanted to have my own but just havent yet. My step son has had some trying times in his life. Lost his biological mother at 8yrs old and has had to deal with the struggles of his father and my dysfuntional marriage over the years. From the day his father and I started dating I have raised him as my own. Since the divorce his father has moved to Orange County and my step son and I reside with his grand parents from his biological mothers side in Southern Cal. (His grand parents are very generously loving people and appreciate all that I have done for their grand child over the years hense why they have taken me in. I mentioned complicated....) Well since we have been staying with his grand parents, life have been less stressfull. But lately, I dont know if its because hes at an adolesent age but he has been harder to handle. Major drop in grades(barely passing) and bad attitude.

He visits with his bio dad on the weekends. Bio Dads role is he is the fun parent, who takes him out, buys him stuff and has NO financial responsibility for his son what so ever. I on the other hand am the disiplinarian, pays for his medical insurance, the one who does the daily parent grind mon-fri. When it comes to responsibilty bio dad and I are like night and day.

Matter of the story, lets face it....I obviously cant stay at g-parents house forever. I have to eventually move out before I over stay my welcome. My current situation is Im moving out. How do I deal with the stress? Im scared my step son will phase me out of his life because I am moving. I feel he has adimosity toward me because I didnt stay with his dad. Who by the way cheated on me several times during our marriage hense why I divorced him. Im scared my step son is going to feel Im leaving him again, once because I divorced his dad and secondly because Im moving. Im not moving because I want to leave more so because in order for me to have a normal life I have to. I feel bad for moving because that would leave him with neither parent and only his gparents. I dont want him to think Im abandoning him. I work 15mins away and moving about 30min away but I will still be here to help with anything and everything I can. I know the move will be hard on him. Its bad enough he only sees bio dad on the weekends and now hes losing me on a daily basis during the week. Im having such a hard time and I dont know how to deal with my stress.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can keep a close relationship with my step son after I move? I want to believe everything will be alright but deep down inside I worry about how this move will affect my step son and how he will feel and react. It hurts just thinking about the day I will have to move my stuff and be apart from him but what else am I suppose to do? It is not an option to bring him with me. Bio dad will not allow it and because of that my step son would not agree to move with me either. Im a step mom torn....