Dear Abby:

My brother, who is 70, is planning his inheritance with his partner. We have no other siblings or kids. I told him I was fine financially and didn’t need anything from him, but he insisted I give him my Social Security number for his beneficiary paperwork. Before I provided it, I called him to confirm that it was really him asking.

Later, he called again asking for my passport number because his partner had assets in China, and they needed more info for their paperwork. That seemed like too much to me, so I asked him to take me out of his bequest entirely. He wasn’t happy about needing to update the trust and complained, but he said he’d manage it. Now, he isn’t speaking to me.

Abby, my brother never mentioned needing anything beyond my Social Security number. Should I feel guilty about the extra hassle he’s facing to change his trust? — Texas Troublemaker’s Sister

Dear Sister:

You shouldn’t feel guilty for not sharing that sensitive info. It’s essential to confirm that the person asking is indeed your brother and not someone trying to scam you. It might be for the best that you avoided giving out that information.

Dear Abby:

I’m a 51-year-old mother and grandmother, and my kids aren’t speaking to me. The issue is my son “Aaron” was sexually assaulted by his friend “Eli.” I told Aaron that Eli couldn’t come to our house anymore. I even spoke to Eli’s mom, and we decided it was best they didn’t hang out. They were both minors at the time; Aaron was 10, and Eli was 13.

A few months later, Aaron revealed that it was actually his uncle “Joe” who assaulted him, not Eli. I found that hard to believe. When I confronted Joe, he denied it. I told Aaron he needed to stop lying about his uncle and that Eli still couldn’t come over.

Now Aaron is an adult, and his brothers support him. He and Eli remain friends. My husband and I moved in next to Joe, and it feels like all our kids are pulling me into their lives. When I tried discussing this with Aaron, he completely blocked me. Joe is unaware of the ongoing issues. How can I reconnect with my children and grandchildren? — turned over

Dear Ones:

Were the boys just experimenting with their bodies when all this happened? Did you see something and ask Aaron about it? He might have blamed Uncle Joe to keep seeing Eli. It’s important for the family to address the real story of what occurred when Aaron was 10, or the rift may never heal.