Hello! Long time listener, first time caller here.
So I (39) came out later in life. I was married to a man for 8 years, and realized I was a lesbian. We worked it out with a lot of therapy and time, and are good friends now.
A few years later I tried dating, it was a lot of first dates, rejection, and casually searching for someone I would click with. Eventually I met an amazing woman (41) and we fell in love. We dated for about 7 months, and made it official 4 months ago.
When she told me she loved me, I was elated, and realized that I was in love with her too. She quickly became someone that I didn't want to live without. And things seemed to be going well.
We both ride motorcycles, one of the reasons we first connected, and she planned a romantic getaway for us, a long weekend in a cabin in the mountains, and we were to see the sights and enjoy some alone time together. The first half of the trip was the happiest I had ever felt in a long time.
But about halfway into our trip I noticed something was off. In pictures we took together, her body language changed. When she would normally have her arm wrapped around me, she kept as much distance as she could, and didn't touch me. I wanted to let it go, but I worked up the courage to talk to her about it.
I asked her if everything was okay, despite being on this romantic trip, she seemed to be keeping me at a distance. She admitted that she felt the spark had left, and that when she first told me she loved me (she said it first) it was because she was happy about a gift I bought her, but when she'd say it after that, she felt like she was lying. I was everything she wanted on paper, but she was afraid she can't love, is avoidant, and only wants to be friends with me.
It was devastating, and even worse, it was the middle of the trip, and I was trapped in the middle of nowhere, with no way to safely leave. All I had was my motorcycle, which is very unsafe to ride when emotionally distraught. So I had to wait, for hours, for a tow to arrive for my bike to get me home. Thankfully she paid for it.
My heart is broken. Before I met her, I thought I had loved someone before, but after unpacking all the comphet I went through being with men, I made the sad realization that she was probably the first person I ever truly let into my heart.
Despite everything, I still love her. If she asked, I know I would run back to her in a heartbeat. But I know that's not what she wants. I don't know how I am going to recover from this. She lit up my life in a way that I never thought possible.
I don't know how to move on, I want to hate her, to be angry, but all I can feel is a numbing pain.
What can I do to let her go? All I can think about is her.
Any advice, comfort, anything would be appreciated. Thank you for reading this.