DEAR MESSAGE: It seems only natural that someone, even an ex, would have follow-up questions and concerns about a person’s trip to urgent care. And it makes sense that your boyfriend’s brother would give context for his lateness, if for no other reason than it keeps his ex from thinking he’s just being a flake. These are reasonable responses.

If you have a trusted friend or family member who can act as a social buffer for you, or even help you filter out unwanted social media messages or texts, lean on them. With so many intrusive comments and questions, it may be hard to remember what’s really important here: you need and deserve the space and time to process and to heal.

We led private lives before, so it’s not like they were accustomed to asking nosy questions and getting a response. I have blocked the worst offenders and even someone who lashe