COLUMNIST and trained counsellor Fiona Caine answers another set of reader dilemmas.

SHOULD I SIGN MY WIDOWED MUM UP TO A DATING AGENCY AS A SURPRISE?

My stepfather died two years ago. He and I were never that close, as he and my mother got together some years after I myself got married and was busy bringing up children. However, my mum was devoted to him and still seems to miss him terribly.

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She married him two years after her first husband - my dad - died, so she’s been through this loss twice. She’s very fit and has a wide circle of female friends. She’s only 53 now - very young to have been widowed twice - and I was wondering whether she could benefit from joining a dating agency.

Should I sign her up with one and surprise her with it on her birthday next month?

FIONA SAYS: SPEAK TO HER FIRST

I don’t think you should do this without discussing it with her first. Joining an agency is a very personal thing and doesn’t suit everyone. She may be ready to start dating again - or she may not. A wide circle of female friends might be enough for her, or joining a group and meeting a new potential partner might be exactly what she’d like to do - you won’t know unless you ask.

MY BOYFRIENDS SAYS WE’RE TOO YOUNG FOR MARRIAGE - BUT WANTS US TO MOVE AWAY TOGETHER

My boyfriend has just got a fabulous new job. But, he’s going to have to go and live in Dubai for at least the next two years. And he wants me to go with him and for us to live together.

We’ve been seeing each other for three years now and although we’ve talked about getting married, he’s always said he thought he was too young. He’s 27 and I'm 25. Although I don’t officially live with him, I sleep at his place six nights a week and only go back to my own place on Sundays. We started doing this because we wanted to stay close during Covid.

Whilst part of me wants to go with him, I do have doubts about how committed he is to a long-term relationship with me.

FIONA SAYS: HAVE A GOOD LONG CHAT

Going to live abroad is a big step for anyone but he will have a job, colleagues and a support network to build on. To begin with, all you will have is him.

I think it’s important for you to find out exactly why he wants you to go with him, if he’s still not ready to commit himself to you.

Email help@askfiona.net for advice.