Yes, "back together", if you can call it that. :(

As happy as I am for me too, we're really not much more than close friends.

Although, "close friends" is unusual for an adult and a child as it is, so I should be thankful to have that.

My relationship with the young family member is really much closer to true "girl-love" than I ever was with my LGF.

Well... maybe there was a time when my LGF and I had something like that... but by now it's just a memory, I think. But who knows? I'm still very much in love with her, and there's still plenty of time for the relationship to grow. We'll see what happens. :)

My bracelet means so much to me because it wasn't just a gift but a meaningful exchange, on her initiative. To me, the exchange of bracelets was her way of giving me some kind of affirmation - "you are special to me, too." And I truly believe I was... back then, anyway...

But things change.

The truth is, man, we've been through a lot together. In order to get her through some of it, I became a different person towards her at times - protective, overbearing, authoritative. The shift in her attitude towards me - the distant stares, the awkward passes, the reluctant sighs, each one hurting more than the last - it was all unavoidable. I was essentially forced to dismantle the bond we had, bit by bit - if I wanted to help her.

Don't get me wrong - we were still "close" through all of that, and we still are to this day... she knew that when she really needed someone, I was her guy. But I'm not sure she was mature enough to understand that the change in dynamic was necessary... that I was only doing it to help her....

And in the end - I can't really blame her, can I - she pushed me away in favor of other friendships which retained that giggly, playful dynamic we used to have.

And that's what caused my jealous streak along with my little depressive episodes.

And now I'm back in her life, and I keep hoping that things will go back to the way they were before, you know, once she sees that I no longer have to be serious all the time.

But I'm not so sure it's going to happen.... :(