I've known Anastasia since we walked home on the first day of school. We were both in 4th grade and hit it off since she was new. We started talking and realized we lived just a block away from one another. We were inseparable ever since.

My home life growing up was misery, but without going into details, I found myself drawn to her home. Her parents had a healthy relationship and her grandmother lived in an in-law style apartment in the home. It felt like a safe space to be in. In any case it was better compared to what I lived with at home.

I'm not sure whether it was cultural or otherwise, because I don't want to look back and think I was just a detestable human, but they were a first generation immigrant home. I don't think her parents approved of her being friends with an American. Otherwise I have no idea why they hated me so much. I was quiet, respectful and stayed out of their way.

Her father would come screaming into the room anytime I was in the house. He would yell for minutes on end. Her parents never looked me in the eye or welcomed me. Of course I couldn't understand what he was saying but he was pointing at me then at the door. When I asked her what was wrong she said her father didn't like me very much and she wasn't sure why, but not to worry and I can keep staying there. So I did. I just found myself hiding from her parents, especially her Father. I kept going back despite not knowing what I was walking into. Ana kept telling me it was fine and not a big deal. Her grandmother never yelled at me but she treated me very coldly, never acknowledged me or talked to me and clearly also disapproved of me being in their home.

It was many years later when we were in college that I was back in my hometown and Ana said she needed to visit her grandma. I was extremely nervous about it. The idea of seeing Ana's parents and grandma brought up some raw feelings of rejection and sadness I've never been able to really get past.

Instead of her grandma treating me with cold indifference, she broke down in tears and begged my forgiveness for how I was treated growing up. We were sitting at tea and she was in such a state of distress I was moved to tears. I held her and we cried together. I told her it was ok. Ana interrupted, clearly uncomfortable and told her grandma to calm down and it wasn't a big deal. She told her grandma to stop. Ana has always been more on the avoidant side of emotions so I wasn't exactly surprised, but I was shocked she didn't see it for what it was. How I was treated in her home, and how her grandma wanted to make amends especially now that she is very old and will not be alive much longer.

At the time I pardoned Ana since I've known her for so long but I have a lingering issue with how she handled her grandma apologizing. I've never been able to get past it. I ended up breaking off our friendship of now 27 years citing this instance as being one of the reasons. She thinks I am completely overreacting about something that happened so long ago (at this point 11 years) and making a big deal out of nothing. So AIO for still being upset Ana disrupted a moment like this?