Dear Annie: My sister's son, "Jared," lives close to us but far from his mother. We always invite them to family get-togethers, but are never sure whether they will show up. Sometimes they don't respond, sometimes they show up without responding, and sometimes they call at the last minute to say they are sick and can't come. Jared was raised by my sister and her second husband. When my sister comes to visit Jared, his wife, "Claire," stays in her room. She doesn't come out to say hello or goodbye. The excuse is that she's "not well." My sister only comes three times a year for a couple of days because she wants to see their grandchildren. Claire does nothing for the kids. Her parents, who live with them, take care of the children. Jared's biological father has been out of his life since he was a child. But a few years ago, a biological aunt looked up my nephew and contacted Claire. Ever since, Claire has been friendly to the bio-dad's family, inviting them over and spending holidays with them. But she totally ignores our side of the family. Updated: Tue Jan 28, 2020