Dear Prudence,
A female friend asked me to marry her. She’s in her late 30s, and I’m slightly younger. She wants to have a baby, and wants me to be the father because of my values and because I do not already have any children. I do want to have at least one child, within marriage. Although I’m not necessarily on a clock, I wouldn’t want to have a child 45-plus years younger than me. I’m also fairly anxious to get married and have sex; I am a virgin, because I refuse to remotely risk having a child out of wedlock. So in some ways this seems ideal. But she says I need to commit to her soon, or else she’ll have to find someone else. I really want to say yes, but I’m not sure this is a good way to begin a relationship. I know that you got married rather quickly for reasons similar to hers, so maybe you could help.
—Friend Wants to Marry Me