Joe Biden’s Brother Jim: ‘Our Family Will Not Be Broken’

News of Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, dating his late brother Beau’s widow, Hallie Biden, has made recent headlines — perhaps especially given the tight-knit nature of the Biden family. But the unexpected romance between Hunter and Hallie stems from a deep bond formed as they grieved the loss of Beau together. And the relationship, which is supported by Joe and Jill Biden, hasn’t affected any family dynamics, according to Biden family members.

“We take great pride in the fact that we have each other with all that’s going on in this world today,” Joe’s brother Jim Biden tells PEOPLE. “We are one homogeneous larger family, but each of our nuclear families are extremely close.

“Our family will not be broken .”

When Beau became ill in 2013, Hallie and Hunter teamed up to take him to doctor appointments — forging a deep friendship through their shared grief. But their love wasn’t cemented until after Beau died from brain cancer in 2015, as Hunter traveled back and forth between his home in Washington, D.C., and Hallie’s Wilmington, Delaware, home to support her two children with Beau: Natalie, 12, and Hunter, 11.

“We’re all just lucky through this tragedy … that Hunter has been absolutely dedicated to, through his nature, feel the obligation to take care of everybody,” says Jim, 67. “Hunter is a fixer, he tries to make right by everyone.”

Beau died at age 46 in May 2015, leaving behind Hallie and their two kids. In October 2015, only months after his death, Hunter and his wife of 23 years, Kathleen, formally separated.

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And on March 1, Hunter, 47, confirmed his romance with Hallie, 43, even as he is still embroiled in his bitter divorce with Kathleen.

In court papers filed on February 23, Kathleen claims that Hunter spent extravagantly on drugs and prostitutes, creating “financial concerns for the family.” (Both parties declined to comment to PEOPLE.). Although the filings state that Kathleen and Hunter separated in October 2015, Jim says the couple had been estranged long before that.

“They were separated for quite some time,” he says. “There were issues in relationship that pre-existed Beau’s death.

“This had been brewing for quite some time.”

Joe and Jill Biden have publicly given their blessing to Hallie and Hunter’s budding romance, telling the New York Post, “We are all lucky that Hunter and Hallie found each other as they were putting their lives together again after such sadness.

“They have mine and Jill’s full and complete support and we are happy for them.”

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And while the relationship has raised eyebrows, Jim says Hunter and Hallie have found strength in each other.

“Listen, as my dear departed mother would say, ‘Time heals all wounds,’ ” says Jim. “It doesn’t seem possible all the time, but God has a way of healing.”

“Sometimes it just takes time.”