I would add to this, about 80% of the time, women have a list of priorities in relationships, in this order:
1. Their children;
2. Their parents (generally mother first);
3. Their siblings (generally sisters first), and then (if providing appropriately):
4. The father of their children.
3 and 4 may switch depending, as may 2 and 3.
But 4 almost always last priority.
This is why there are so many “evil step mother” stories.
And also why a man should be very cautious getting serious with a woman (even a widow) with children. He is almost always nothing more than a pocketbook or a means to an end.
For the life of me, I don’t understand how single mothers would be ok bringing strange men around their children.