Mom goes on a date: 'He only wanted a second date if I wanted another child'

In "Mama Goes on a Date ," divorced mothers share their unexpected, awkward, and exciting moments of dating after a breakup. From splitting bills to fiery sparks, these adventures prove that the search for love leads to the most wonderful, yet also the strangest, stories.

This week in Mama Goes on a Date, we hear the story of Marit (39), who had a painful conversation with her date.

You sometimes hear about love popping up in unexpected places, but that place for me would be the dentist 's waiting room? I didn't predict that either. We started talking because we were both reading a three-year-old magazine and looked at each other simultaneously when we stumbled across yet another embarrassing column. He laughed, I laughed, and a lighthearted conversation ensued about fear of dentists, strange waiting room reading, and the awkwardness of nodding with your mouth open while a saliva ejector slurps half your mouth dry. After that, we exchanged numbers. Just because it felt good.

After a few days of texting, he suggested a surprising date: an audio walk in the woods. No dinner, no wine, no splitting bills, just walking, listening, and stopping for coffee from a thermos along the way. Pretty cheesy, but I was sold.

During our date, the conversation flowed freely. We talked about his work, my son, books, and travel. He didn't have any children of his own, but he spoke lovingly about his nieces and nephews. I, in turn, candidly told him that my son was conceived through IVF after a difficult and frustrating process. And that his father and I have since separated, but still lovingly share our shared responsibility.

Halfway through our walk, my date fell silent, as if he was about to drop a bombshell. Then he said, "I really like you, but I have to be honest: I have one big wish. I want another child. Not a bonus child, but a real child of my own." I was taken aback by his serious tone, but nodded. Mainly because I felt it was important for him to say this.

He continued: "I really connect with you. But I also know: if you don't want (anymore) children, this isn't going to work. So, what do you think?" And there I was, standing in a swampy forest with a thermos of coffee in my hand and a lump in my throat. Because the answer was simple, but painful. "No," I said. "I don't want to go through that medical process again. Not the shots, the ultrasounds, the weeks of waiting, the hope, and the shock: it was truly exhausting." He smiled, gave me a hug, and said he understood. And strangely enough, we walked the last part in blissful silence, free from tension and expectations.

So it never became a relationship, but we're still in touch. And now he even has a partner who, like him, also wants a family. And me? I'm still the mother of my one great miracle, and that's enough.

Due to privacy concerns and the sensitive nature of the topics, names have been changed. The editors have their real names.

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