ArcaMax

DEAR ABBY: After a bad breakup, a good friend and her husband offered me a room in their home. They have two wonderful teenagers. Then the pandemic came, and we all became infected.

What started out as a few months' plan for me to get back on my feet has lasted 14 months. I have offered to pay them some money, but they will accept only $200 to ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: While shopping with a friend recently, I was put in an awkward situation in regard to a store discount. Having served in the military, I qualify for a discount at that particular store. She was aware of that discount, and while she was at the checkout lane, she yelled at me, Hey, you! What's your phone number for your military ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: Six months ago, my husband, Lee, met his long-lost sister, his father's daughter from a previous marriage. Lee's father passed away when he was 6; he is now 30.

Since he and his four siblings met their half-sister, she has become obsessive over him. She calls and keeps him on the phone for hours, three or four times a week. I didn't ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My daughter received her tax refund recently. It amounted to $8,700. Approximately $5,000 is for overpaying on taxes. Approximately $3,000 is the child tax credit she receives for her two children. Her boyfriend, the father of the two boys, thinks he's entitled to some of her money.

Now, I understand the child tax credit is given for...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I just found out my husband has been looking at escorts in the local area. I know he has watched porn, but that never bothered me. When I confronted him about seeing his search for escorts, he said he just clicked on a link that popped up on a porn site. (I have seen them, so I know it can happen.)

However, I now know he created ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: We get our children and grandchildren together twice a year. Our oldest daughter is divorced and, unfortunately, has a significant other the rest of our family cannot stand. He's an arrogant, competitive know-it-all.

We have been around him only twice -- the last two times the family got together. The second time was a disaster for ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I just got engaged, and I couldn't be happier. But my fiance is referred to by the entire town as the bad guy because of his past. He's changed a lot, and I really want this to work out, but people come to me and say he's not marriage material, and they try to make us break up (one of his exes in particular).

He told me about his ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My sister is a pathological liar who causes rifts between family members. She tries to turn us against each other. We must constantly check with each other to find out if what she has said about each of us is true. We can't understand why she's this way. None of the rest of us is. When I have asked her, Why are you lying about me, us,...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My wife and I have been married five years and are raising four children. One is from my previous relationship, one is from her previous relationship and two are ours. We both have joint custody. My son goes to school near his mom. My wife's son goes to school where we live. They are 9 and 8.

There's a lot of tension between us ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am a 48-year-old woman, divorced for 10 years. During that time, I have been in two serious relationships. I'm no prude, but it seems like everyone I date, and who my friends and I talk to, and articles I see are all about sex, having sex, rushing to sex. It's like there's no emphasis on actually getting to know a person anymore.

I...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I work as a receptionist in a small medical office. I love my job, but I cannot tolerate when my co-workers make fun of our patients. Sometimes it happens while the patients are still in the exam rooms, maybe within earshot. Even the doctor contributes to this crudeness.

Some examples: Did you see the size of that guy's nose? or, ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I've been dating a married man for the last three years, and everything was great. We were attached at the hip and inseparable. I thought we had something special going.

His wife abandoned him and their two children for more than a year, and he didn't know anything about raising kids, so I stepped in to help. It was great. They were ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: After I ended a 20-year marriage, I took some time off from relationships and am now back in the dating world. My ex-husband and I never had children.

I recently met a man with two teenagers. He says I am detached from children. I am not detached! I just never had experience with them. How do I proceed with this relationship since ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband recently started a new job. He works with a bunch of women, which is a switch from what I'm used to since all his previous jobs were with all men.

These women adore him, and I don't think most are a threat, but two of them are very flirtatious, although he's not one to notice that stuff. He says they act like that with ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My daughter was accepted at a college of her choice in Pennsylvania that offered loads of grant money. Our out-of-pocket is about $6,000 if she gets a Stafford loan or works this summer to help with the $4,500 that would be the loan. My husband is insisting on a community college, which she doesn't want to attend. He constantly cites ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am a 34-year-old woman. I live in a ground floor unit in an apartment complex with my terrier-collie mix, who is a very good judge of character.

An elderly neighbor has a habit of walking his German shepherd by my unit. My dog does not like the man and barks ferociously every time he hears them. What unsettles me is that something ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am a mom of two boys, 8 and 12. They both have best friends whose moms I like and I would like to be friends with. My problem is, when we set up a playdate for the boys or make plans, when the time comes around and I text them about it, I don't hear back from them at all. I have even left phone messages a couple of times.

I'm ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My sister and I are best friends. She has always been caring, empathetic and passionate about helping others. Now, however, COVID has turned her into a real piece of work.

Since the pandemic began, she has become increasingly selfish. She interrupts other people's conversations to talk about herself and complains nonstop about how ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have had a total of six miscarriages -- one before our miracle son and five since we began trying for a second child more than two years ago.

I always wanted a boatload of children, but my husband and I agreed on two before we got married. Now he wants to call it quits. He doesn't want to keep trying because he sees ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am a 16-year-old girl, and I'm having a conflict with my mom over my car. Her car broke down and she needed to use mine, which is completely understandable, and I agreed. However, I have a work schedule I have to stick to, and I need my car to get to and from. I pay all the bills for it, and the title is in my grandfather's name.

I...Read more