Dear Jenny Lynn:

Maybe he is ashamed of his parents, not wanting you to think less  of him, if you met them or got to know them. There is no way to know his motivation unless he tells you, honestly. It is amazing how much you can find out if you stop assuming, and  instead, ask.

The relationship between you and him has to feel safe to him, otherwise he is not likely to answer, adequately, or honestly, for fear of criticism and rejection.

Like I wrote to you before, a relationship, to work out, has to include both, together time and alone time, not one or the  other. Both. People tend to go to extremes: this or that, when distressed, instead of the  middle way.

Maybe it is not too late  for the two of you to start having different  kind of conversations than you had before: safe, accepting, inquiring, respectful, not too heavy and not too light. Honest, not assuming, not guessing, but really listening, taking information in, processing it before responding…?

anita