Dear Ann Landers, y wife and I have been married for 16 years. In that time, I have watched her children from a previous marriage grow to adulthood. I have been present at the births of 10 grandchildren. Here's my problem. I love my wife's children dearly, and I tell them so frequently. However, I have yet to witness any show of affection from any of them. Instead, I get subtle reminders that I am not, after all, their real father. It has reached the point where I wish no further contact. My heart has been broken too many times. My wife says I am being silly. What do you think? -Stepped-on Dad in Calif.
Hi! It's Margo here. I'd love to know what you think of the letters -- and the answers!
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Our Reader to Reader Question of the Week:
Dear Readers, , and our marriage is rock solid. Here's the problem: About a year ago, during a moment of passion, I happened to call out the name of my wife's best friend, 'Annabelle.' You can imagine my wife's reaction.
Annabelle is single, in her early 20s and good-looking, and she has a terrific figure. She moved out of town three years ago. I made it clear to my wife that nothing ever went on between Annabelle and me and that calling her name was just part of a harmless fantasy. I tried to explain that fantasies are normal and I have no intention of acting them out. My wife accepted this explanation, and things seemed to be going well. Now comes the hard part.
Annabelle visits us once a year and stays for a week. Her visit is coming up soon, and my wife has started to turn very cold. In fact, she's downright hostile. I know she is afraid I will be attracted to Annabelle and feels threatened. What can I do to reassure her and get things back on track? -- Faithful in Denver
