Forgiving your stepdad doesn’t betray your dad. Love isn’t a pie that runs out.

Affection is not a fixed quantity that gets divided. Being decent to the man your mother married can feel like a transfer of loyalty away from your father, which is why so many people stay cold to somebody who has not actually done anything to them. Caring about one person does not subtract from another. The maths you are doing is wrong, and it is costing you a relationship you might eventually want.

If you want to, soften one thing this week. A proper answer instead of a shrug, a shared hour. Go at your own pace.