An “inseparable” throuple say they share the bills, parent as a team and run a busy household together – despite losing friends and facing concerns from family over their unusual relationship.
Frank Eric Blackcloud II, 40, Tatyana Brown, 33, and Lexi Bowman, 26, live under one roof with three children – Oliver, 13, Sage, 7, and five-year-old Naiomi – and insist their bond is built on structure, communication and stability.
But they admit not everyone has understood their decision to become a three-person partnership.
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“Lexi came into our lives in the summer of 2025,” Tatyana from San Diego, California, US, told Need To Know.
“Eric and I had previously done personal work and intentionally reopened polyamory at the beginning of that year from a healthier place.
“I reconnected with Lexi, who I’d met briefly before and stayed friends with, and we began as friends for about a month before acknowledging there was a deeper connection.
“After taking another month to talk openly and make sure everyone felt secure, the three of us agreed to explore a relationship together.
“Lexi now lives with us full time while maintaining her own space for work.”
Eric, who works in pest control, and tattoo artist Tatyana first met 11 years ago as friends before falling in love.
He proposed in 2017, although the pair have yet to tie the knot.
After Tatyana opened up about being bisexual, the couple cautiously explored non-monogamy – eventually meeting dog groomer Lexi and deciding to build a life together.
But Tatyana admits the reaction from loved ones has been mixed.
She said: “Reactions have been mixed, which we expected.
“Any time you step outside of what people are used to, there’s going to be a learning curve.
“On Lexi’s side, her mom wasn’t shocked by polyamory itself, but she was protective about the age difference and wanted to make sure her daughter was surrounded by healthy influences.
“Over time, after spending holidays together and seeing how our home functions, her family became much more comfortable.
“What mattered most to them was that Lexi was happy and safe.
“For Eric’s family, it’s still evolving.
“His father has been very supportive and excited to see him happy.
“His mother has had more questions and has needed time to process.
“We understand that.
“For many parents, it’s less about the label and more about wanting to know their child is making choices confidently and independently.
“We try to lead with patience instead of pressure.
“On my side, my mother wasn’t surprised, as this isn’t the first time we’ve explored polyamory.
“Her main concern was always the children.
“Once she saw the stability, comfort, and normalcy in our home, that concern eased.
“She and Lexi have even formed their own friendly connection.”
The trio say they have lost some friendships along the way.
Tatyana said: “We’ve lost a few friendships along the way, but we’ve also gained understanding from people who initially hesitated.
“In some cases, friends who were unsure at first came back after seeing that this wasn’t chaos or impulsivity, but a thoughtful relationship structure.
“Overall, the common thread has been this: once people see the dynamic in person, most of the fear fades.
“Familiarity changes perception.”
At home, responsibilities are shared.
Tatyana leads in the kitchen, Lexi takes care of the garden, and Eric handles heavier maintenance and keeps the house pest-free.
School runs and homework are managed by Tatyana and Lexi.
Tatyana said: “Finances are a shared responsibility.
“We’re currently in the process of formalising that even further with a joint account.
“We each take ownership of one core area that keeps the household functioning smoothly, but overall, we operate as a team toward shared goals rather than assigning strict roles.
“We also include our children in this structure.
“We believe part of being a family is learning how to contribute and support one another.
“At the end of the day, it’s less about dividing tasks perfectly and more about making sure everyone feels supported and the home runs efficiently.
“It also depends the height of the problem to who we decide who we should go to.”
When it came to introducing Lexi to the children, the trio took things slowly.
Tatyana said: “When Lexi first met the kids, it was intentionally low-pressure.
“It wasn’t framed as a big announcement or major event.
“She was simply someone coming by in a friendly setting.
“The goal was to let everyone feel comfortable without forcing a dynamic.
“She interacted with them naturally, asked about their interests, and let them guide the energy.
“There was no expectation placed on the children to immediately bond or react in a certain way.
“Over time, as she showed up consistently and calmly, their comfort grew organically.
“The first meetings weren’t dramatic.
“They were normal, which is exactly what we wanted.
“When we told the kids [they would have three parents], they handled it better than we expected.
“Because Lexi had already been around in a gradual and friendly way, she wasn’t a stranger to them.
“The transition didn’t feel sudden.
“Oliver, being older, was naturally more observant and asked thoughtful questions, but his main concern was whether anything would change in terms of stability or attention.
“Once he understood that the structure of our home wasn’t changing and that he wasn’t losing time with either parent, he was comfortable.
“Sage and Naiomi were much more focused on whether Lexi would be around to do fun things with them.
“Their reaction was less about the label and more about enjoying her presence.
“If anything, they were curious about how often she would be over.
“Overall, their reaction wasn’t fear-based.
“It was curiosity followed by acceptance, which we attribute to taking the process slowly and keeping communication open.”
Like any relationship, they admit jealousy has surfaced.
Tatyana said: “Jealousy definitely came up, especially in the beginning when we didn’t yet have a structured check-in system.
“It wasn’t explosive, but it showed up in subtle ways, mostly around time and attention.
“When Eric returned to working full-time and Lexi and I had more flexible schedules, we realised that the imbalance in availability was creating tension.
“That was a turning point for us.
“Instead of ignoring it, we treated jealousy as information.
“We sat down and had honest conversations about time-sharing, finances, and what each of us needed to feel secure.
“We created intentional check-ins and made sure everyone had both private space and shared space.
“We also started building shared routines.
“We began playing Pokémon GO together so we had a common hobby that wasn’t about work or parenting.
“We scheduled more family walks, made more intentional date time, and leaned on our community for childcare so we could spend quality time without feeling stretched thin.
“For us, jealousy hasn’t been about ownership. It’s been about unmet needs or lack of communication.
“Once we learned how to address those directly, it became much less intimidating.
“Now it’s something we face together instead of something that divides us.”
Tatyana insists the relationship has made her more emotionally accountable – and even strengthened her bond with Eric.
She said: “Being in a polyamorous relationship has forced me to become more emotionally accountable.
“In monogamy, it was easier to sit in my feelings quietly or push them aside.
“Now, I can’t hide from them.
“If I’m off, it affects more than one person, so I’ve had to learn how to communicate in real time instead of internalising things.
“There’s also a different kind of support. I don’t feel like I have to carry the entire emotional weight of my partner’s happiness alone, and he doesn’t carry mine alone either.
“We each bring something different to the dynamic.
“It feels less like two people trying to protect each other from the world and more like a team seeing life from multiple angles.
“Polyamory, for us, feels more intentional.
“It requires more honesty, more self-reflection, and more communication.
“It’s not easier, but it feels fuller.
“Parenting feels less overwhelming because there is always someone ready to step in with love or energy when another person is depleted.
“At the end of the day, it feels less like ownership and more like a partnership.
“It’s an ongoing collaboration about how much we can build together.”
She added: “Our relationship wasn’t failing before Lexi entered it, but we were in a period of deep self-reflection. Eric and I had reached a point where we realised we needed to address our individual growth before expanding our relationship.
“That meant confronting personal habits, communication patterns, and parts of ourselves we had neglected.
“We each did personal work that allowed us to come back together from a more emotionally grounded place.
“Polyamory wasn’t an attempt to fix anything. It was something we revisited after rebuilding a stronger foundation.
“Our relationship isn’t about rebellion or spectacle.
“It’s about intentional family-building.
“Each of us came from different life experiences that shaped how we view stability, loyalty, and love.
“We’ve all seen what happens when communication breaks down or when people feel unsupported.
“Polyamory, for us, wasn’t about replacing anything.
“It was about expanding support and being honest about our needs instead of ignoring them.
“We aren’t trying to represent every polyamorous relationship. We’re simply showing what ours looks like when it’s built on structure, accountability, and care for the children at the centre of it.
“If our story helps someone understand that alternative relationship structures can still prioritise stability, communication, and family, then that matters to us.”
