Dear Prudence,
My older sister and I live several states apart. She has made friends with a divorced man around her age from her church. She has had a crush on him for quite a while, though she has never dated and has not even mentioned having a crush on anyone since a painful rejection in high school. Even though he does not reciprocate, she continues to try to impress him. After 15 years of having dyed-black hair, my sister asked my mom to bleach it blond based on his suggestion. Apparently she’d had an intense argument with this man when she was about to touch up her roots! My sister fights rudely with anyone who gives her even a little advice, even her loved ones. Now, she’s willing to make choices based on what this man says. My cousins, my brother, and I are all worried, but what can we do without driving her defenses up and pushing her away from us and toward him?
—Blood Is Thicker Than Dye