DR. WALLACE: During Christmas break in 2012, I met a guy at a church conference and we really hit it off. We dated once before the conference ended and promised to email each other every week. The guy lives in Portland, Maine. For the past year, we have faithfully emailed or phoned each other once a week. We are both 16.

Three months ago, he emailed that he thought that he loved me and wanted to know my feelings for him. I emailed back telling him I felt the same way about him. Later we even thought that we might get married someday. I was on "cloud nine." Then my cloud started raining on me.

Last week, he phoned and told me that he was dating a girl and that as long as they were dating, he wasn't going to communicate with me anymore and he asked that I stop contacting him, too. I couldn't believe my ears. My future love life came crashing down in a heartbeat. It's hard for me to comprehend how one day we can be talking about a possible life together and "till death do we part," and the next day we stop communicating altogether. How can this be possible? — Nameless, Iowa City, Iowa.

NAMELESS: You and your friend had only one date in a year. Most people see their dentist more often. It was simply premature to talk about marriage and a lifetime commitment to one another. All that happened is that reality caught up with you. He found someone he could actually go out on dates with, which is the basis for any serious relationship.

Don't sit around moping. Get more involved with friends and family and it won't be long before the rain stops. I hope your next romance has more "down to earth" in it than "cloud nine."

PRISONERS HAVE MORE FREE TIME THAN I DO

DR. WALLACE: My mom has been a single parent ever since I was born. We have our disagreements, but we get along just fine.

About a year ago, she started dating Albert, who seemed like a good guy. Mom told me that Albert was divorced and that his son and daughter lived in another state with his ex-wife. Two months later mom told me that she loved Albert and that they were going to get married and that we were going to live in his house.

All of this happened and I now have a stepfather. He is nice sometimes, but other times he is very demanding. I didn't have any rules to follow when I lived alone with my mom. Now I'm put on restriction if I sass my mother. I'm put on restriction if one of my grades at school falls below a C. Every time I turn the wrong way, I'm on restriction. Sometimes I think people in jail have more free time that I do.

Please tell me what I can do to get Albert to lighten up and allow me to be me. I need your help. — Sue, Mobile, Ala.

SUE: My help isn't necessary. It seems like a drag because you are now told what you can and can't do. This has been long overdue. It's not easy to learn responsibility and manners as a teen, but the day will come when you will be thankful that your stepfather cared enough for you to see that you became a good citizen.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. E-mail him at rwallace@galesburg.net. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.