I heard from my best friend today! He was defensive and edgy, but that's because he was the one who initiated contact and wasn't sure how I'd receive it. I wasn't sure how I'd receive it, either, to be completely honest. But it was fine in a tentative, wounded, embarrassed kinda way.
I have too much work to do and I still feel crappy, so I won't elaborate much now. Except to say that knowing he's out there makes having too much to do and feeling crappy more than tolerable. My world feels like it may be slowly righting itself.
And btw, Snarkela, how did you know?