This is really a harrowing end of the somewhat innocent story of bumping into someone you know at work while having your beer at the local gay bar.
A big part of Roy's problem may be widely spread notion that your family should be your primary source of support. There is some truth here, too.
My school buddies and I were raised with the notion that once you are 18, you start calling the shots, and bearing the responsibility for them, too. We were all told that once we graduated and got our jobs, our first and foremost line of defense was us. Not our families, and in particular not our parents. I like to think about all of this as being the silver lining attached to the "boys do not cry" mildly macho upbringing.
Maligned as it is, the "macho" upbringing (for the lack of a better expression) taught you to network among ALL your friends, and the folks you knew, dig into your "rainy day" reserves, shrug with your shoulders and move on, no matter what anyone may have done to you. Packing up, and moving back to your family for support or help would not be how you start but rather how you end managing such a crisis.
KD
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