Becoming Sister Wives: The Story of an Unconventional Marriage by Kody Brown, Meri Brown, Janelle Brown, Christine Brown, Robyn Brown Page A

myself. If I’d known that Robyn wasn’t going to be at church the next day, I would have never have been a gentleman and ended our conversation the previous evening. I would have insisted we all go out for pie and stay up as late as possible. During church, Meri texted me to ask if I’d seen Robyn. I told her I hadn’t. Meri was as disappointed as I was.
    After the service, I saw Robyn’s cousin Reba, who had introduced us in the first place. I was still a little giddy from the night before. Since I believed that Robyn and I had a deep connection, there was no way in my mind that our experience could have been one-sided. I was simply convinced that she was as smitten with me as I was with her. So I went up to Reba and said, “Maybeyou should call Robyn and ask her who she’s thinking about right now.” Reba looked baffled.
    A week later, Reba told Meri and me that she wanted to come over to our house to talk about what our intentions were regarding Robyn. She was both curious and protective.
    Before Reba arrived at our house, Meri grew very emotional. She hugged me and said, “Kody, what if we’re not right? What if she’s not meant to be with us? What if we’re wrong about the way we feel?”
    I explained to Meri that what I felt for Robyn was undeniable. The spiritual and emotional connection was not going to be undone by any personal insecurities Meri and I may have had. I told her that this person whom God had brought into our lives was meant to be there. It only had to be ratified by Robyn, her parents, and our church leaders.
    When Reba showed up she was very direct. “I have to know what you two are thinking about Robyn,” she said.
    Meri and I exchanged glances and then explained that we’d both been bitten by the same love bug. We told her that our feelings concerning Robyn were profound. We explained that we fully intended to look into getting to know Robyn better if she was open to it. Reba got a little giddy. She loves Robyn and she loves us. She was excited to see if our families were meant to be together.
     
Robyn
    After my cousin talked to Kody and Meri, she called me and told me I needed to get down to Lehi immediately. This was crazy, since Lehi is three hundred miles from where I lived. I told hershe was out of her mind. I had zero intention of coming down and falling in line with her little plan.
    “Robyn,” Reba said. “This is a good family. They’re very interested in you. There are a lot of positive things happening here. You need to come and meet all of them.”
    “All of them?” I said. “How many are there?”
    Reba explained that Kody had three wives.
    “Three?” I said. I had already had my testimony that I was going to be part of a plural family. I knew that since I was a divorcée and I was older with kids, I wouldn’t be a first wife again. But I’d never even entertained the possibility of being a fourth wife.
    The majority of men in our faith have two wives. Fewer have three wives, and hardly any have four. It’s just too challenging. So when Reba told me Kody had three wives, I was a little taken aback. It seemed like a lot. Then she informed me that they’d been a family together for sixteen years. It seemed inconceivable that I’d put myself in this situation.
    I told Reba, “No. No way. I don’t need these complications. Anyway, I can’t afford the trip.”
    But Reba insisted and told me that she would pay for my gas. I still told her no, but I said I would think about it.
    For the next couple of days, I contemplated a lot. I asked God to give me a sign, even though I know He doesn’t work that way. I played all these little games with myself, for instance, promising that if I saw the name “Kody” written anywhere, I’d take it as a sign that I should go.
    Eventually I decided to ask my kids if they wanted to go on this trip—though I didn’t explain that it wasn’t just to see Reba. It was a long car trip, something they hated. I figured I’d be