DEAR ABBY: My greatest pal of 45 years and I are 65. She has been married since 1985; I’ve been divorced for a few years. She just lately shocked me by claiming {that a} mutual pal instructed her I’ve been having an affair with a married acquaintance! That is false, however I now ponder whether she stated it as a result of she suspects it herself.
Once I obtained offended and stated I’d confront the opposite pal, she demanded that I not accomplish that as a result of it will “make her look dangerous for telling.” Might my suspicion be appropriate? If the opposite individual was the one who truly suspected me, why wouldn’t she need me to query her? — PUZZLED LADY OUT WEST
DEAR PUZZLED LADY: Not realizing your greatest pal of 45 years, I’m not ready to reply that query. Nevertheless, the surest solution to resolve this may be to go on to the individual your BFF stated instructed her and ask the place she obtained such an concept.
DEAR ABBY: For holidays and particular events, we normally have eight individuals at a six-place eating room desk. Two of our visitors are “orphans” who have been invited by my higher half. The issue is, the person, “George,” is a chain-smoker, and I virtually all the time get a splitting headache in his presence.
I can maintain my breath for the ten seconds or so when George and I hug hiya, however what do you counsel I say or do on the dinner desk? I can be on the farthest finish attainable, however I’ll nonetheless be only a few ft away from the issue. Uninviting them isn’t an choice. — SMOKED OUT IN CALIFORNIA
DEAR SMOKED OUT: Fortunate you. You reside in California, the place it’s attainable to open home windows and get cross-ventilation. As a result of it isn’t attainable to uninvite these visitors, give your eating room as a lot recent air as attainable and demand that in case your visitors “should” smoke, they do it outdoors and much from the open home windows.
DEAR ABBY: My daughter is getting married in a number of weeks and is insisting I sit along with her father on the ceremony. Abby, we’ve been divorced for 20 years. I’ve been remarried for 12 years. Her father has not remarried.
My husband has not tried to switch her father, and I believe it’s impolite that he could be anticipated to sit down with the visitors as an alternative of with me, his spouse. I used to be pressured to do that at my different daughter’s wedding ceremony a number of months in the past, and it was very uncomfortable. I wish to sit up for my daughter’s day. What’s your tackle this? — MUSICAL CHAIRS IN PENNSYLVANIA
DEAR MUSICAL CHAIRS: You shouldn’t have agreed to that seating association at your different daughter’s wedding ceremony, and also you shouldn’t do it at this one. Your husband belongs subsequent to you. When you and your ex are pleasant, your ex may sit on the alternative aspect of you out of your husband. When you’re not, he may sit on the finish of the row on the aisle. However your husband shouldn’t be pressured to sit down “with the opposite visitors” as a result of he’s greater than a visitor; he’s a member of the family.
Expensive Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also referred to as Jeanne Phillips, and was based by her mom, Pauline Phillips. Contact Expensive Abby at or P.O. Field 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
