Is it a good idea ?
My background :
I'm a woman, I'm 45. I have been divorced for several years and haven't wanted to be in a relationship since. I have 2 grown children, one is an independent young adult and the other is autistic and still needs attention, he is in joint custody (at his father's half the time).
In recent years I have had sexfriends. Some for whom I had affection, some with whom it was only sex, some I still see as a friend even though I no longer sleep with him. I have dated men who were in open relationships and it wasn't a problem for me.
I haven't sought to be exclusive with a man and I let my sexfriends know that I see other people.
I recently started seeing a man who is polyamorous. He lives with his partner, who is the mother of his children. He has a lover he sees once a month because she lives far away. His partner has a lover she sees more often because he's nearby. They all know each other and get along well. They have even had threesomes before.
Their children have already met their parents' respective lovers, first as "friends" of their parents and then when they were older the parents explained to them that they were polyamorous.
I know there are nuances between ethical non-monogamy, swinging, and polyamory, but I have never looked into it. I had labeled all my relationships as "sexfriends" without giving it more thought...
This man is offering me a relationship with feelings, and I like him. As soon as feelings are involved I'm afraid of getting hurt. Is it a good idea? Or do I risk missing out on a beautiful story because I'm scared?