DEAR ABBY: I am a 35-year-old woman. Two years after my divorce, I started dating a sweet man I'll call "Tony." He adores my 4-year-old daughter, "Emma," and she adores him.
Last week I learned I am pregnant with Tony's child. He's overjoyed. The night I told him, he proposed marriage and I accepted.
I also told my ex-husband, "Rod." He called me some vulgar names for getting pregnant before marriage. Now he threatens to tell Emma that what I have done is wrong. I know I made a mistake and I feel terrible. I don't want Emma to think it's OK to have premarital relations, and I don't know how to handle this. Any suggestions? -- TROUBLED AND PREGNANT IN MINNESOTA
DEAR TROUBLED: As vindictive as your former husband may be, let us hope he's not so twisted as to try to explain the dos and don'ts of premarital sex to a 4-year-old who doesn't yet know the facts of life.
Solidify your marriage plans immediately -- before your little girl understands the significance of counting to nine.