“I don’t hate you. I just don’t have the bandwidth to pretend we’re family.”

He’s not evil. He’s not a bully. Just a bit of an emotionally closed off asshole.

He’s a young adult who’s emotionally barricaded himself so thoroughly that even basic politeness feels like vulnerability.

Cracking that shell takes months–years, extreme patience, zero pressure, and usually happens only after you’ve already given up on “fixing” him.

Good luck. You’ll need it.