DEAR ABBY: I live in Kansas and my boyfriend lives in another state. We talk online all the time, but I haven't heard from him in three days and I don't know what to think. My friends say I'm being paranoid, but I can't help but think that he might be seeing another girl. I've had problems like this before and ended up getting hurt because I didn't listen when my friends told me that a guy was cheating. What should I do? -- LONG-DISTANCE LOVE
DEAR L.D.L.: Recognize that as much as two people might care about each other, long-distance romances don't always have fairytale endings. I don't know if your boyfriend is cheating. Neither do you and neither do your friends.
It's time for you to have a calm conversation with your boyfriend. Tell him you were worried by his three-day silence because it was unusual. Let him respond. If you are satisfied with his answer, change the subject. However, if you aren't, ask him if he has met someone closer to home and tell him to level with you. It takes courage to do this, but it will save you a lot of pain in the long run.