Dating advice what should I do??
I really need some women to weigh in on this, or honestly just anyone who can translate what is happening, because my head is spinning.
I am 46 and the woman I am talking to is 52. We have known each other for about three months. Three weeks ago, I laid my cards on the table and told her straight up that I want us to start dating.
She said yes, but told me she wants to be friends first.
Fair enough, take it slow, right? Except since our first date, she has told me she sees me as her man.
We kiss. When she hugs me, it is the most nurturing, warm feeling in the world. She calls me constantly. She tells people that I bring her so much peace and comfort, and she tells me all the time that I do not realize how much she truly appreciates me. She always says she is a simple woman who just loves the simple things in life and loves what I bring to the table. Shoot, I bought her flowers recently, and she told me I was the first man to ever buy her flowers in her entire 52 years of life.
She is not talking to anyone else or seeing anyone else. It is just me. But she came out of a traumatic relationship back in July where her ex was physically and mentally abusive. Because of that, she wants to hold off on being intimate until we are an official couple. I respect that 100%. I want her to feel safe, protected, and never rushed.
What has me twisted up is trying to figure out what zone I am actually standing in. We kiss, we hold each other, she calls me her man, but we are supposed to be just friends first, yet we cannot be an official couple yet. Did she put me on layaway? Did she slap a reserved tag on my forehead at customer service? I have to laugh a little so I do not go crazy trying to figure out the logic.
The honest, scary truth is that I have not fallen in love like this with anyone in over 27 years. I have been in relationships since, but this woman is just completely different. My heart is all the way in this, which makes it terrifying to navigate.
If any woman has been in her shoes, or any guy has lived through this, what does this really mean? How do I handle this the right way without losing my mind or pushing her away?