The man I’ve been seeing says he can feel himself falling for me. We get along great, so it isn’t an unwelcome thing to hear. It’s just a lot to hear when I’m still getting used to being out of my last relationship.
I like him. That’s part of what makes this awkward to explain. If we weren’t enjoying each other’s company, there wouldn’t be much of a question. But we are, and now his feelings seem to be moving faster than I’m ready to move.
I’ve told him I need time to be single and on my own. I just got out of a relationship. I want a little room to find out what that feels like before I’m in another one, even with someone I genuinely enjoy.
He says he understands. He says he’ll respect my boundaries and that he’s willing to wait. He also tells me he feels a sense of peace when he’s near me. There’s something very tender about that. I don’t want to brush it aside just because I can’t offer an equally certain answer.
Still, being told someone will wait is an odd kind of reassurance. I appreciate it, but I don’t know how long I’m asking for. I haven’t handed him a date when I’ll be ready. I don’t have one tucked away somewhere.
And I can’t tell whether this is simply what it looks like when two people feel things at different speeds, or whether I’m trying to keep something casual that already feels much bigger to him. So far, I’ve explained where I am, and he’s told me he can accept that.
Maybe some people really do know quickly. Right now, I know that we get along, that he’s falling, and that I’ve asked for time. When he says he’s willing to wait for me, I’m still not sure what to say beyond what I’ve already told him.
