A party encounter turned into parenthood when two friends with benefits found themselves expecting a child. They opted to raise their daughter together while living apart, creating an unconventional co-parenting arrangement filled with questions about each partner’s responsibilities and priorities.

A reader wrote to “Dear Annie” complaining that her friend’s phone has become a constant presence during face-to-face visits. When she finally voiced discomfort by calling herself a “third wheel,” her friend merely shrugged it off and claimed to be “multitasking.”