I’ve only told this story to 4 people until now.
My sister, who was 14 years older than me, got married when I was 10. She was a teacher in our town, and when my parents started traveling for business meetings, I stayed with sis on their 14 acres in the country. My BIL, who is 21 years older than me, taught me archery, how to fix things, ride a motorcycle, care for a fish pond, etc. He was like a second dad.
Sis and her husband divorced after about 24 years together. He wouldn’t give up the house, so she took out a loan and bought one for their 3 girls and herself. Shortly after they moved in, I went to visit. She put me to work painting the basement walls while she took the kids to the local park. Her ex-husband showed up and started to help with the painting. In the midst of it, he said, “I love you and will continue to do so until you find someone else.”
What a freaking shock. It was really hard to live with this. Whenever I was in town, a few family members would say, “you should go and visit him.”
It’s been about 8 years now, and I’m comfortable enough to be in the same room with him and be cordial, but it ends there.