DEAR ABBY: My son "John" and daughter-in-law "Bree" recently announced their second pregnancy via email, and asked that we keep the news in the immediate family for now.
I was so happy and excited that I notified my sister. She is my best friend and lives in another state. As it turns out, my sister shared the news with her daughter, who is good friends with Bree. My niece then texted congratulations to her.
At the end of the day, I received a nasty, dramatic phone call from Bree. She was furious that I had revealed her secret. My heart sank. It wasn't my intention to hurt her in any way. I apologized profusely, but now I'm afraid that this may have solidified the wedge between us because our relationship was never very close to begin with.
I realize I was wrong and apologized. What more can I do to make this the joyful occasion it should be? -- NOW WHAT? IN NORTH CAROLINA
DEAR NOW WHAT?: Now you pay the penalty for leaking the news, and gracefully accept that you will be relegated to the second tier when it comes to announcements from your son and daughter-in-law. Perhaps you can eventually get back in their good graces by respecting their wishes in the future.