A mom is best friends with her ex-husband’s new wife and says they are so close they even help each other wax.
Haley Neill, 35, was married to Josh Braswell, 37, for six years when they realized they were better off as friends.
They have three children together – Brody, 15, Brylee, 13, and Brantlee, 9 – and were determined to be good co-parents.
When Morgan Braswell, 31, met Josh later that year, Haley was immediately open to welcoming a new woman into the family.
Morgan and Josh tied the knot eight years ago and now have three children together – Brooks, 7, Brady, 6, and Briar, 4.
Haley – who has since met her husband, Jason, 44 – felt even closer to Morgan when she became a mom and now considers her a best friend.
The two spend time together with their kids, say no topic is off-limits, and Morgan even helps wax Haley.
Strangers online often comment on how similar they look, saying Josh clearly has a “type.”
Haley, a brand manager at a bank from Magnolia, Arkansas, said: “It’s rare for us to go a day without seeing each other.
“I talk to her more than any of my friends.
“We have so much in common.
“She waxes me – that’s how comfortable we are.”
Morgan, a teacher, added: “We’ll talk about anything.
“We talk about problems – anything.
“People flip out because we look alike.
“It makes it fun – everyone says he has a type.”
When Haley and Josh, a loader at a refinery, separated in June 2014, she was determined to create a “healthy blended family” after coming from a split family herself.
Haley said: “That was my main motivation.
“My parents won’t be in the same room.
“We were meant to be friends.
“We got pregnant and rushed to get married.
“When we separated, we became friends again.”
Morgan met Josh in November 2014 through Snapchat – she was friends with his cousin, and her name popped up on his account.
Morgan said: “He Snapchatted me and thought I was cute.
“After the first time I hung out with him, I left for Disneyland, and he said, ‘We’re going to take the kids there one day.’”
Morgan and Josh quickly hit it off, and Haley was immediately welcoming.
Haley said: “It wasn’t like I still wanted the marriage.
“She didn’t split up our marriage.
“We never disliked each other.”
Morgan added: “I was the other woman in her kids’ lives. I give her props. I took her youngest daughter to get her ears pierced, and she didn’t care.
“Stepmoms dream of this.”
The two became even closer five years ago when Morgan’s eldest, Brooks, was a toddler.
Haley said: “When she became a mom, there was something different.
“I feel like she understood me.
“We had this connection. I started to be more comfortable with her.
“It was a really cool experience for me – my kids had a sibling. It was amazing to see how much my kids loved their sibling.”
Now, the friends hang out most days – living just 0.8 miles apart. They work out together, go to the pool, and take their kids on vacations.
They even have the same style and interests.
Morgan said: “We have the same style. We’ve shown up in the same clothes before.
“We’re both a little crazy.
“We make a good match – Haley is a people pleaser, and I’m the one who will say the things she won’t.”
Haley met her husband, Jason, a salesman, in September 2018, and the whole family often spends time together, attending ball games and other events.
The blended family doesn’t spend Christmas together since Haley’s family is spread out across the country, but they always see each other during the holiday season.
Haley said: “I wanted the kids to have a healthy blended family.
“I wanted them to see that you can all get along.
“Years ago, I was on the phone with Morgan, and Brody asked, ‘Are you best friends?’
“At the time, I said, ‘No, we’re just friends.’ But now, we’re best friends.”
Now, the two say they each feel like a “bonus mom” to each other’s kids.
Morgan said: “I feel like I’m a bonus mom to Haley’s kids.”
Haley added: “Morgan is like a sister.
“Josh and I never got along well – we were just waiting for Morgan.”
