Dear Annie: I pushed, and the man I was talking to blocked me

Dear Annie: I’m 48 years old. I’ve been a single mom since I had my first kid — in other words, since forever. I’ve never really had healthy relationships with men. I’m way too trusting and just want love so badly. A few months ago, I accidentally texted a man I knew from high school. We ended up striking up a conversation, texting back and forth for a few days. Then he called me a couple of times, and we had long talks. We became friends on Facebook. I was so interested, as he seemed like a very good man: 20-year veteran, retired, single father, hard worker. I could tell that family was important to him. And he was so good-looking. After two months of chatting back and forth, I asked to meet him. He said, “Maybe after some more time.”

After another month, I said: “Can I please meet you? I just want to see you in person, even for 5 minutes.” For some reason, he seemed to panic. He said: “I am going through something professionally. I may be moving out of state and don’t want to get attached.” I decided that he was worth the risk, so I pushed on and asked questions. He got angry and blocked me. For two weeks after that, I tried to contact him, but he kept me blocked. I just don’t understand. Our friendship meant something to me. In our last conversation, when I brought that up, his only response was that “we weren’t together.” I understood that. But why would he not just let me meet him? I’m too old to be this confused. — Lost

Dear Lost: It sounds as though he’s the one who’s lost and confused. You know what you want. Thankfully, your directness flushed out these issues after just three months; otherwise, this could have dragged on for who knows how long. Don’t get discouraged. There are plenty more good men out there who value family — and who are looking for a relationship. While the pandemic makes in-person dating risky at the moment, you can connect with potential partners on dating sites such as Match.com and eHarmony and go on FaceTime or Skype dates to see whether you feel a spark.

Read more Dear Annie and other advice columns.

“How Can I Forgive My Cheating Partner?” is out now! Annie Lane’s second anthology — featuring favorite columns on marriage, infidelity, communication and reconciliation — is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit Creators Publishing for more information. Send your questions for Annie Lane to [email protected].