Dear Queenie,

My boyfriend and I have been dating for a while now, but I have a friend that each time we get together along with him it’s like he forgets I’m there. He calls her “babes,” “baby” and all kind of things, but me he calls me by my first name when we are around her.

Queenie, is that bad or am I just exaggerating?—Stressed

Dear Stressed,

Do you suspect that there is something going on between them? If that were the case I think he would be more careful in your presence.

Possibly he just cannot manage to remember your friend’s name, in which case you should be flattered (I suppose) that he manages to remember yours.

Dear Queenie,

I just found out that the guy I’ve been dating has some other woman living with him.

Queenie, why would he start seeing me if he already is living with someone else?—Confused

Dear Confused,

It could be that he is an habitual cheat.

However, it could be that the woman he is living with is not a girlfriend (or wife), but a relative or even just a roommate with whom he shares expenses.

Ask your boyfriend to introduce you to her, get to know her. You will know by her behaviour – and his – what to think about their relationship.

Dear Queenie,

My daughter and her fiancé live in St. Maarten and are planning to get married there. We will pay for the wedding and would like to have it here where we live (not St. Maarten) so all our family can attend, but they want it in St. Maarten.

Queenie, what do you think would be best?—Mother of the bride

Dear Mother,

If your daughter and her new husband will be visiting or returning to your home by or before their first anniversary, let them have a small wedding now and plan a big reception where you live when they are there – if it is on or about their first anniversary, it can be an anniversary party rather than a wedding reception.

However, if that will not be the case, let them plan a big wedding in St. Maarten. It is a beautiful place for such festivities and many people will be delighted to attend a destination wedding. Those who do not attend can meet your new son-in-law at a less formal affair at your home sometime later.

Dear Queenie,

I got divorced because my (ex-)husband cheated on me. It was terrible to find out what he was doing and the divorce was traumatic too.

My best friend helped me as best she could through it all and I couldn’t have gotten through it without her. The thing is, now she has fallen in love with a married man and they are having an affair.

She and her boyfriend are doing to his wife just what my ex did to me and I think it’s just disgusting, but when I try to talk to her about it she just won’t listen and it’s getting so I just can’t stand being around her, but I can’t bear to think of losing my best friend now too.

Queenie, what to do?—Divorced and friendless

Dear Divorced,

Apparently you need some new friends. Instead of sitting around feeling sorry for yourself, keep busy and focus on what is good in life.

Take some classes and/or get involved in other outside activities, particularly some that involve helping other people, like volunteering at the hospital or joining a community service group.

And pray that your friend does not meet the kind of disaster you did, if/when her boyfriend’s wife finds out about their affair (if she has not done so already) and he dumps your friend instead of his wife in an attempt to save his marriage.