Beautiful - your aunt managed well as a single mother (shame on the baby-daddy who abandoned her and his son for some other woman, but probably best for your aunt that she was spared a marriage to a guy like him). Sounds like she did a stellar job raising her son (your cousin, like a brother to you) - extended family must have helped him grow up strong and make good choices.

.... two options: to follow the example of our parents or, on the contrary, to change the story and not continue perpetuating the cycle. That is to cleanse the family karma.