Finding Balance

Since April, L had been working in town. To save money, she’d been staying here during the week at her ex FiL’s spare house (basically a detached apartment), then going back to the ex’s house over the weekends. Sometimes her daughter had softball games during the week and L would drive back down for those, but for the most part she stayed in town. She ate with us a number of times, and went to games with the wife (and some of those I was dragged to as well.) We always had a good time, even (or maybe “especially”) when we just sat in the back yard talking and having a few beers.

During that time, I’d noticed that she was a bit warmer towards me than we’d been since last summer. Not overtly sexual by any means, but getting back to being flirty like we used to be. Also, whereas last summer she seemed to act as if nothing between us had ever happened (or if she acknowledged it, brushed it off as unimportant or even distasteful), over the past several months she’d make comments here and there that indicated she has fonder memory of events.

Now I’m not saying we were going to be back to sneakily kissing and petting or anything, but it was closer to the “normal” I’d become accustomed to after we were no longer “on.” I’ve mostly gotten over the sexual part being over, especially since starting a FWB relationship with Simplicity (they say the best way to get over one woman is to get another one under you), but I had really missed the closeness and easiness of conversation L and I shared.

But she finally got tired of the extra miles she had to drive each week, and not being around her daughter as much during this last summer before she goes off to college, so last Friday was L’s last day at that job. She started at another job this week, and it’s mostly training for now, so we don’t get much opportunity to text during the day. She did tell me early last week that she and the ex were getting along really well, and that she could see he was really trying to make things work this time. I’ve heard this before, of course, but who knows, maybe this time it really will work. Fifty-third time’s the charm, after all.

As far as I know, she hasn’t had any contact with the boyfriend since the end of May. The week prior to her daughter’s graduation, she was planning to leave the ex “once and for all” and “make it work this time” with the boyfriend, but something happened to change her mind yet again. I didn’t ask, and she never told, so what it was remains a mystery, but since then she’s been with the ex. There were some fights and iffy times, but apparently they’re trying to put that stuff behind them and things are going better now.

I miss not having her in town and spending time together, and I think the closeness we were starting to get back (as brother and sister, not lovers) will naturally wan somewhat. I hope the wife and I will be able to spend time with the two of them, going on rides and other things, but that will remain to be seen. For now, our sibling relationship is better than it was last summer and I’m at least glad for that. We may never be what we were again, and that’s probably for the best, but we can be brother and sister.