If future father-in-law became her stepdad

DEAR AMY: My boyfriend and I have been together for two years and plan to marry some day. Yesterday we found out that his mom and my dad have been secretly dating for about three weeks. Neither his mom nor my father seems to see our problem with this. If they continue dating and decide they want to get married, doesn't that mean my boyfriend and I would now be brother and sister? Is there any way I can talk some sense into them?Betrayed

DEAR BETRAYED: If you truly believe that your boyfriend's mother and your father marrying would magically turn you two into siblings, then do not get married. If your respective parents are single and available, then there is no reason they can't (or shouldn't) date.

However, while there is nothing you can (or should) do to prevent these two adults from dating, you do have a right to express yourselves. Mainly, you should do your best to communicate your discomfort to both parents. They should do their best to be open with you. But if they've been dating for only three weeks, they may not have much to report.

If these two got married and you also got married, you and your guy would become both step-siblings and spouses -- otherwise known as "lucky people who can double up on stepparents and in-laws."

DEAR AMY: "Conflicted" said she was uncomfortable with the fact that her friend took self-serve soda without paying for it. She described this friend of 10-plus years as "an affluent money manager." Wow. I would not want to be this person's client. As a financial planner for 20-plus years, I would not put my client's money with a money manager who took as much as a paper clip! If this woman thinks skimming soda is acceptable, it would follow that she may be skimming elsewhere. As Conflicted said, stealing is stealing.A Watcher