My (34M) wife (34F) has given an ultimatum, choose our relationship or my sisters. I am so upset over this and don't know what to do.

Throwaway because friends know my account.

My wife (34F) and I (34M) have been married 7 years and we decided from day one to not have children. I have two younger siblings 10F and 8F, my mother had me very young. Sadly, my mother got married and got into heroin and her life went downhill pretty fast. Mom ended up homeless with my two sisters and were on the streets for about 3 months when I learned about it. I went to court and was able to get temporary custody of my sisters, this was two years ago.

At the time my wife was on board with me taking my sisters in but made it clear when my mom got her shit together she wanted them to go back to my mother, understandable. The road has been rocky but my mom finally has an apartment and job. The job isn't the best and the apartment isn't in the best neighborhood but she is off the streets and has been sober for about 8 months. My wife has been pushing me to go back to court and to give my sisters back to my mom full-time.

Problem is, I don't want to give them back.

My mother and I are in regular contact - she doesn't feel 100% stable taking them back at this time and my sister's have been doing so well since they've been with me. My mom has been unstable since my younger sister was born and I don't want to take the stability away from them.

I told my wife I want to keep the girls and my mom is alright with it, for the time being, but my wife is 100% against this. Wife has essentially put me in a "them or me" situation. I love my wife more than the world and don't want to lose her but I also can't send my sisters back into a trash life with my freshly sober mother. My wife left to visit her family for three weeks and wants an answer when she returns (3 days).

I'm lost. What should happen here? Has anyone been in a similar situation?

tl;dr: mother gets hooked on drugs, becomes homeless and I become guardian. Childfree wife made clear she didn't want to keep the girls indefinitely and I agreed. Now my feelings have changed about the situation but my wife hasn't changed. I don't know what to do and the only option I see is to split but I don't want that. I'm so depressed.

Submitted October 29, 2019 at 05:37PM by childfree2notfree https://ift.tt/320Fkfc