Family crisis

My family has lived in the same house for 33 years, I am 32 currently. My parents still live in this house and I bought the house next door. The house next door on the other side of my parents house, has lived there forever, longer than us and so became more like family. The lady is old and not in good health and she has two sons who were like uncles to me and then my kids.

One of them, we will call G would hang out with us adults, my husband and brother, they are best friends…

Not to mention, my two kids who are in first and fourth grade would go over to their house in the mornings, hang with ‘grandma c’ before going to the bus stop with G.

G would also help my brother pick up their 13 year old from school and bring her home, she had said she felt uncomfortable when he would pat her leg when driving home, not that he was just trying to be inappropriate, but she had told him she was uncomfortable and to stop. He did it again. So the driving her stopped.

About two weeks ago, it comes out that G has sent a text to my niece who is 13 asking for a picture of her in shorts.

Now, the patting a leg on the car, could be innocent, but how is asking her for a picture in shorts something it’s not?

When I say this man was family, I literally mean that to the bottom of my soul.

My brother and his family blocked him completely. I guess when talked to about it, he said he can’t change how she (13 year old) feels, it doesn’t mean that’s how he meant it? Idk, I don’t think I know we he full conversation.

So a friendship/ family dynamic has changed. We’ve had our two young kids stay away, which means no more seeing grandma c, which breaks my heart for my first grader.

We have talked to the kids and nothing happened with them.

But going on with life is hard for me and I feel so guilty. I haven’t talked to him since I heard about it. I had to give my fourth grader a phone so I could be sure they got to the bus stop in time and are doing okay.

I called out of work today and I have been crying in and off all day.

Do I have a right to feel this way? Is there anyway to move forward? Ugh. I just want an easy safe life and I feel horrible.

My niece is doing fine, she is going to therapy and getting the help she needs, nothing beyond this happened, thank goodness.

**not saying there is an issue with cutting him off, just that it’s a hard pill to willow that a friendship is over and we were blindsided by the whole situation. Someone we trusted and this happens.