First meeting - with dad

I'm going to try to get back on track here, and put my own irritation on the back burner for a while.

I am glad to tell you that A met dad (and mum) before us. A had his focus firmly on me and B, but I am hardly ever around, and B was on holiday when A and his family was in the neighbourhood, so that's all there was to that. I knew of the upcoming meeting as A had sent me a couple of e-mails (all headed 'little sister') about his upcoming trip and, via me, testing the water and the family's openness towards a meeting. As well as our availability. I could only reply in the negative; not around at the specified time. Sorry. Secretly I was glad. I felt that things were in better chronological order that way.

The reports were unremarkable. What the actual feelings were is anyone's guess. Dad reported a meeting with a tall man with a tall wife and a tall son. He also said they'd talked about this and that, but nothing of great emotional importance. And why should they? A first, brief meeting limited by A having to get his family back to his hometown before sundown can hardly contain earth-shattering events. But both reported back to me per e-mail in positive, if subdued, tones.

I had the feeling that dad was relieved to get that meeting over with, he has been able to mention A in normal conversation since then. If not entirely at ease with it. I get the feeling he is testing it out a little; can he live with it? Can we live with it? Is openness better than silence?

Of course it is, but it's still a while before we reach total openness. B is still not overly enthusiastic; he labels her 'little sister' as well, and she finds it even harder to tackle than me. Her reaction, however, has been to ignore his pleas for contact as much as is possible. After all, she never was anyone's 'little sister'. And she never had the need to clarify a hierarchy in relation to me. Now there is this third person we somehow have to accommodate, and we both find it a little difficult. We're faced with this large, slightly oafish guy who resembles an overly friendly and slightly needy Labrador that gives you the paw all the time.

Hm. I said in the previous post that I was hoping I would feel more charitable towards him by this post, but it seems I don't.