V20 N45

The Answer Lady invites inquiries from
gentle readers on all manner of relationship
quandaries, matters of the
heart and ethics. If you’d like to send
a query, write to info@exitzero.us. Or,
simply sit back, enjoy a cup of coffee and contemplate
the wisdom herein.
Dear Answer Lady
My husband and I bought a home in West
Cape May when our three boys were little.
Once they were in college, we rented it to them
in the summer but use it ourselves in the off
season. Now that the kids are adults, we lend
it to them for the week between Christmas and
New Year. When they were single it was fine.
However, now that they all have wives or exwives
and children, there’s a lot of angst about
sharing the house. This year, they asked us to
mediate. I was ready to do so, but my husband
says it is a no win and “not worth the fallout.”
What do you think? It seems wrong not to try
and resolve it. — Troubled Mother
Dear Troubled
The Answer Lady agrees with your
The Answer Lady
Wise answers to perplexing questions
husband. Why should your generosity be
tested? If you want to weigh in, tell them if they
can’t sort this out on their own, perhaps it is
time for you to rent the house to someone else
and they all go their separate ways. Or suggest
that any one of them is free to rent the house
themselves. In the meantime, treat yourselves
to a lovely bottle of wine from Sunset Liquors
and prime rib roast from West Side Market and
leave the sibling rivalry to the siblings.
Dear Answer Lady
My neighbor invited my wife and I over for
cocktails and to use their new hot tub. When
we arrived, he and his wife were already in the
tub. He got out to serve us cocktails – naked.
My wife could barely take the cocktail from
him. I presume his wife was naked as well —
we never turned to look. He invited us to go in.
The backyard looked like something out of a
Hallmark movie. Twinkle lights everywhere.
Romantic music playing. My wife and I
couldn’t figure out how to get out of there fast
enough. Clever girl that my wife is, she dialed
my number. I faked an emergency and said,
“Another time, sorry.” That was two weeks
ago. How do we deal now? — Not Naked, But
Afraid
Dear Afraid
You pretend nothing happened. In their
world — nothing did happen, much to their
dismay. After two more excuses as to why
you cannot come over, they will get the hint.
Meanwhile, expunge that visual by having a
romantic dinner at The Lookout or Primal.
December 15, 2022 EXIT ZERO Page 49