After some time a new girl showed up in the family dynamics. It was my friend’s niece. She was pretty and young and had just come home from college after breaking up with her fiance. She really didn’t have two minutes for me, except to meet me and try and have some understanding as to why I was there.

After a while some of the family, including my friend, said things like why don’t you and Melanie go out on a date? I would respond with “that young girl doesn’t need the likes of me, ruin...