DEAR ABBY: My cousin "Tina" and I are in our early 20s. We have baby-sat the same three children since we were in our mid-teens, and have grown to love them as our own. The parents, "Danny" and "Lynn," have become our friends. The problem is, Danny says he is in love with Tina. Danny and Lynn have been married for 10 years, and I always assumed they were happy.
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Danny told Tina he feels trapped and alone in his marriage and has convinced her that he is her soulmate. Danny says he wants to leave Lynn and move in with Tina.
The children love their father -- and they love Tina, too. They've known her most of their lives. Somehow I have ended up in the middle of this. My biggest concern is Lynn and the kids. I know Lynn is 100 percent head-over-heels in love with her husband. She confided to me recently that she knows he doesn't love her the way she loves him. Abby, she broke down in tears.
What happens if Danny leaves Lynn and moves in with my cousin? I know Lynn will ask if I knew, and I don't want to lie to her. But how can I tell her the truth? It will tear her heart out knowing I kept the secret. -- ALWAYS IN THE MIDDLE
DEAR ALWAYS: If Lynn asks, tell her the truth -- that you didn't know how to tell her because you were afraid it would break her heart, and you were hoping the romance would burn itself out.