DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My girlfriend made all the bookings for our vacation to New Orleans. I had never been there, and she had been there once before nine years ago when she went with her mother and father for a ten-year reunion with the people they were on a church mission with after Katrina hit. The mission was helping get a badly damaged nursing home restored to operational order.

At the time of the mission my wife was seven and stayed with her grandparents while her parents were away for six weeks.

While they were back for the reunion my girlfriend’s family stayed with a local family they had become friends with in 2005. They had a son the same age as my girlfriend, and things kind of happened between them.

My girlfriend said it was nothing, really, but I find it strange that during our visit there last month, she and this guy just “ran into” each other on Bourbon Street the first night we were there, and from then on, we and this guy and his wife spent time together every day we were there.

I am afraid my girlfriend still has feelings for this guy, and if you saw them together, you would agree.

Right now there are no plans for a return trip to New Orleans, but I know my girlfriend has kept in close touch with this guy and, so she says, his wife, but I think it is mostly with the guy.

I am getting uneasy about this, and want to know if you think I should be worried? --- WORRIED FOR NOTHING?

DEAR WORRIED FOR NOTHING?: People run into old flames all the time. That doesn’t mean there’s any interest on either side for a renewal of their romance.

I don’t know how far you and your girlfriend live from New Orleans, but given that it was a vacation destination, I’m guessing you’re not too close. I’d think that distance, along with the fact that the old love interest is married, make it unlikely anything is going on beyond your girlfriend’s keeping in touch with someone from her past.

What’s concerning to me is that you suspect your girlfriend of setting up the Bourbon Street encounter. That makes me think either you have reason to expect your girlfriend is keeping things from you or that you have serious trust issues. Either of these options don’t bode well for the future of your relationship and gives you something to work on if you plan to have a future with your girlfriend.

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My mother-in-law is like someone out of a 1960s TV show. She is calm, generous, loving, and totally supportive.

My bitchy sister-in-law is another story entirely! We’ll call her “Tabby” because that sounds like the alley cat she is.

She started out telling my wife’s family I was the worst thing to happen to her sister and their family. She said we had no right getting married in their family’s church, asking her parents to help with the reception, or allowing our friends to attend the wedding.

She has done her best to make it clear to everyone she knows her sister married a “ho” — that’s what she called me, to my face, in front of her mother and grandmother.

I keep telling my wife I don’t want to be anywhere near her sister because I don’t think I’ll hold myself back if she starts in on me yet again.

Out of respect for my incredible MIL and my wife, I don’t want to snub the family, but is it right I should have to be subjected to abuse by my SIL? --- CAN’T STAND MY SIL

DEAR CAN’T STAND MY SIL: Unfortunately, you’re getting an up close and personal view of how tricky family dynamics can be, and I don’t blame you at all for wanting to avoid your unpleasant sister-in-law.

Perhaps there are ways to spend time with the in-laws you like while avoiding the one you don’t get along with.

If your mother-in-law is the person you believe her to be, after your wife, she may be your strongest ally.

By confiding in her, it might be possible for her to suggest how you and your wife will be able to attend family events while either effectively handling, or better yet, avoiding having to mix with your nasty sister-in-law entirely.

If tactfully keeping you and your nemesis separated doesn’t work, the next best thing could be for you and your wife to openly push back at the bullying and especially remind your sister-in-law you’re now part of the family, whether she accepts that or not.

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My fiancé and I are paying for most of the cost of our wedding. We extended our engagement an extra year to be able to save some additional money to put towards it.

We have been lucky in finding an affordable venue and caterer, both of which have very good to excellent ratings.

When it comes to flowers I have never been a big fan of expensive arrangements of real flowers, and my mother and I have found some truly beautiful artificial arrangements for the tables and the bouquets and boutonnieres. We were able to pull it all together for less than $350.

My future sister-in-law has said very out loud how much nicer real flowers are and that they are much more tasteful than the cheap fake ones my mother and I picked out.

I am trying hard to not blow up at her over this, but do you think I should try so hard? --- HAPPY WITH MY FLOWERS

DEAR HAPPY WITH MY FLOWERS: It’s your wedding, and that’s the general message to send your future sister-in-law’s way.

I wouldn’t advise your having a big confrontation with her on the subject of the flowers specifically. A firm, calm assertion that you have your own vision of how you want your day to go would perhaps be a better idea with longer-lasting results.

Asserting yourself now sends a clear message that you’re going to make your own decisions not only for your wedding, but moving forward as well.