DEAR ABBY: I recently ended an 18-year marriage that should have ended many years earlier. While I was deciding to leave, I met the most wonderful man, “Winston.” He treats me like a queen — the polar opposite of my former husband.
My former home was sold during divorce proceedings, and I took Winston up on his offer to move into an empty trailer on his property. We get along so well, and I’m sorry we didn’t meet years ago and have a life together.
Winston is my best friend. He has been nothing but respectful since our meeting a year ago. We didn’t take our relationship to the next level until my divorce was final six weeks ago. I have been in the trailer for three months now, and I’m very happy. He lives next door in a house with his sister. Neither she nor he has ever married.
We have already talked about marriage. He would like us to be married in around six months. I was thinking of getting ENGAGED in six months, simply because I need time to breathe and I’ve gone through a lot with moving, changing my name, changing my address, etc. This has now caused a rift in our relationship.
I told Winston I DO want to get married, but I haven’t been divorced even two months yet. I need more time to adjust to such a different, more normal, relationship. Previously, he told me “no pressure,” and he knows I need time, so I was kind of floored when he expressed wanting to get MARRIED in six months.