Dear Doctor Date,

I was on a date last night that seemed to have been sent from the heavens. After far too many horror stories, I thought I might have actually found someone I could go out with more than once. For our first date, I took her out to a nice dinner in St. Paul, and we went dancing afterwards. What can I say, I’m a romantic.

We were having a wonderful time and really seemed to be hitting it off, so I asked her to go out again sometime next week as I dropped her off. She was so excited she jumped and hugged me — and whispered “I love you so much,” in my ear.

This girl is great and all, but wow, clingy much? I kind of coughed awkwardly and said “Cool, I’ll see you then,” before driving off a little too fast. We’ve been texting since then and she seems normal, but I’m worried I’m going to show up and she’ll propose to me! I still really like this girl. How do I get her to back off without scaring her away?

Sincerely, 

I Don’t

Dear I Don’t,

Come on, you don’t want to get married in college? Think of the financial aid! 

If she only said it once and acted normally any other time, she might have accidentally slipped up. Haven’t you ever called your teacher “mom” or ended a phone call with “I love you” by accident? Hopefully that’s all there is to it and she was too embarrassed to mention it again. But there is the chance that she was serious — maybe there is such a thing as being too romantic. On the next date, bring it up and laugh about it like it was a joke, then gauge her reaction. If she seems devastated you don’t love her in return, it’s time to call it quits. Who knows, maybe you’ll change your name to I Do! 

Sincerely, 

Dr. Date