DEAR ABBY: My parents divorced when I was in high school, and Dad kept the house I grew up in. I’m in college across town and have my own place, but I still visited Dad often. As a teenager, it used to be my job to cook the family dinner two nights a week. I loved it and continued to cook when I was visiting.
Dad now has a serious girlfriend who has moved in with him. She’s uncomfortable with a “guest” being in “her” kitchen and says it’s appropriate for me to only be in the living room when I visit. If I want a glass of water, I’m supposed to ask her for it. She calls it being a good host, but it feels like a power move to push me out. Dad says it’s her house and her rules.
I’m sad that what was my home for 18 years is now off-limits. I get that she’s insecure about the relationship and wants to put some distance between me and my dad, but I no longer feel welcome in the house I grew up in because she’s so rigid. I have invited them (both) to my place, but they haven’t accepted. What do I do now? — PUSHED OUT IN ARKANSAS
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