DEAR ABBY: I am a 12-year-old girl and I need some advice. My dad recently had an affair with a woman he met when he went back to school. She is also married. He asked her to marry him, but she said no, so he decided to come back home. He has left us twice before, so my home isn't very stable.
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My parents got married at a very young age and have been together for 26 years. Mom tells me she doesn't want to get divorced, because she is still in love with him and thinks that "a two-parent home is better than a one-parent home." She may be right, but even my counselor agrees that one stable parent is better than two unstable parents.
Now that Dad is living back home, he expects me to act like nothing happened -- that we are "one happy family." I can't do it, and I'm still very hurt. What should I do? -- NEEDS ADVICE IN CALIFORNIA
DEAR NEEDS ADVICE: Since no one in your family has amnesia, your father's expectations are unrealistic. Considering the fact that he has left the family multiple times, your feelings of hurt and distrust are valid. Family counseling could be helpful to all of you, but if your parents are unwilling, the wisest thing you can do is to continue talking with your counselor until you work through more of your feelings.