DEAR ABBY: I have been dating a man for two years. He's the love of my life. I'm in my late 20s and he's in his late 30s. We get along perfectly. We live together and spend most of our free time together.
I have been bringing up the topic of marriage lately because I'd love to start a family, but in order to do so I need a commitment. He says he loves me and that I am his world, but "marriage" scares him.
The other day I proposed and gave him a diamond ring. He was shocked, to say the least, and didn't answer me. The only thing he said was that he was afraid of getting hurt again. Abby, I don't know what to do. I love him, but I have made it clear I won't wait forever. He knows how I feel. What should I do? My biological clock is ticking. -- LOST IN LOVE
DEAR LOST: Ask him, "Are you more afraid of losing me, or more afraid of being hurt?" Give him a deadline, and if he's still "uncertain," face it -- he's not for you.
P.S. It's perfectly proper to ask him to please return the ring.