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Dannielle Merrifield is getting candid about how welcoming another sister wife into her family really feels.
In PEOPLE’s exclusive sneak peek at Monday’s episode of Seeking Sister Wife, Dannielle, husband Garrick and his soon-to-be second wife Lorrana arrive at their local Colorado courthouse so Garrick and Lorrana, who arrived in the U.S. from Brazil on a 90-day visa, can officially tie the knot and join the plural marriage
During the emotional moment, Garrick and Lorrana head inside the building. As Dannielle is outside waiting, she speaks directly to the camera as she reflect on the emotional moment, which comes four years after she and Garrick divorced so that he could legally marry Roberta, also from Brazil.
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“I’m trying not to get emotional,” Dannielle shares candidly. “I know it’s a piece of paper. It is.”
“But seeing their piece of paper and knowing mine isn’t…” she trails off, before delving into her and Garrick’s previous relationship troubles, including when they seriously considered divorcing — and not just in the legal sense.
“Maybe because Garrick and I have gone through so much in our marriage and considered really divorcing each other, that it like hits a point in my heart,” Dannielle says.
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According to the mom-of-three, part of the process of accepting a new wife into their plural marriage is trusting Lorrana — and trusting that “she’s not going to screw me.”
“I think trusting Lorrana … that she really loves me, you know, and our family, and she’s in it for all of us,” Dannielle adds.
Still, Dannielle shares that she can’t seem to shake the feeling that this new marriage will impact her relationship.
“I know that it doesn’t change Garrick’s heart with me or my heart with him,” she says. “But somehow it makes me feel a little bit less, like, tied to Garrick.”
“I don’t know why, and I know that’s stupid probably, but it’s just papers, right?”
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Season 6 of Seeking Sister Wife sees Garrick and Dannielle opening their hearts to Lorrana after two previous heartbreaks with Roberta and Nathalia, both of whom were also Brazilian.
After living monogamously for over 10 years, Garrick — who shares sons Geremiah and Solomon, as well as daughter Leia with Dannielle — said he felt inspired by God to live a plural marriage lifestyle. The couple then searched online for a few months and met Roberta.
In 2020, the couple legally divorced in Colorado in order for Garrick to marry Roberta. During the Seeking Sister Wife episode that detailed their legal split, Dannielle became emotional, opening up about what it meant for her to open her marriage for the first time.
“That marriage certificate that’s in my file cabinet at home doesn’t mean anything. But Roberta and I just have that connection as friends and sisters,” she told cameras, before admitting, “It’s a little hard.”
Inside the courtroom, the judge asked Dannielle a series of questions, including if she believes her “marriage is irretrievably broken.”
Becoming emotional, Dannielle wiped her tears and said “yes.”
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Seeking Sister Wife airs Monday, Nov. 10 on TLC.
