What do I do when I meet someone who sees me?
I met this bloke at a work thing in Bristol—just a casual drinks night, y'know how it gets. We ended up talking for ages, proper conversation, not just weather & small talk. He actually listened. Months later, we had coffee. Then lunch. Now I catch myself looking at my phone too much, hoping he’s messaged. Feels daft at 42. But here’s the rub—I’m married. Have been for 14 years. Kids, mortgage, the lot. My husband? He’s not unkind. Just…absent. Like I’ve been background noise for years. We don’t fight, we don’t talk, we definitely don’t touch. It’s like living with a flatmate who pays half the bills. This other man, though—he makes me laugh in that way that hurts your ribs. He noticed I take sugar in my tea without me saying. Little things. I feel seen. But also, guilty as hell. Not sure if that means I should stop seeing him or if it just means I’ve been missing something I didn’t even realise was gone. I keep thinking, is it fair to either of them? Or to me? Feels like I’m betraying everyone, including myself. Definately not proud of how far this’s got under my skin.