Falling in love with the wrong person
Losing Danny had more than hardened Ivo. In his determination never to risk his heart again, he became almost unrecognizable - plodding through life at the pace of a sloth where once he had been heated, vibrant, dynamic. He was indifferent in his teaching requirements; dispassionate in sexual activities; desolate in his own home. He met twice weekly with his only friend at Warwickshire, Martin Zeindler, for a collegial impersonal dinner. He flew to his sister's home in Vancouver for perfunctory visits during holidays. Over time he developed an interest again in his research and took to lecturing on cruise ships in Alaska to combine familial visitation with research, thereby killing two birds with one stone.
He did not allow anyone to penetrate the thick shell of his exterior. In fact, he was so closed-minded on the subject of forming another romantic alliance that his announcement left both Martin and Isabel apoplectic.
"Come again?" said Martin peevishly. Old age had made him hard of hearing and miscommunications like these left him put out.
"WHAT?" Isabel's tone was two octaves lower than usual and her gentle demeanor had vanished entirely. She rather thought her brother had just lost his mind.
"He's an undergraduate in Martin's program," replied Ivo somewhat breathlessly. He already knew he was in love. He had all the symptoms – insomnia, heart palpitations, reduction in attention span for anything that did not involve sexual fantasies with aforementioned student.
"You were so cold and indifferent at home," protested Tim years later as they all sat around to reminisce. "I thought you didn't care a thing for me!"
Ivo laughed with the others but he didn't tell Tim the whole truth. That would have done irreparable damage.
You see Ivo knew from day one that falling in love with Tim was a mistake.