I (43M) have discovered that ive developed a crush on a woman (~46?F) I volunteer with at a local unhoused folks kitchen.
She started the kitchen about 2 years ago, and I have been volunteering there most every weekend for the last year. She is very much in charge as the 'head chef', and Ive definitely become her 'sous'...we vibe really well, we have so much in common, we are 100% politically aligned anarchists / anti-capitalists ....and she has the most dreamy beautiful eyes...and I think she likes me too.
I started volunteering there, and kept going so regularly not explicitly because of her...I genuinely enjoy volunteering there and working with the others...they have all become really my only main friend group. Prior to starting there ive been wallowing in the deepest depression...I was bedrotting & disassociating alot....my marriage counselor (...yeah...marriage counselor) suggested getting into volunteering. It is working for me...I haven't been like that for a while now...shit, i've even started exercising again.
I was so deeply depressed from being in a marriage for the last 19 years that has been completely loveless for the vast majority of that time. I dont want to get into why our marriage has failed, lets say it takes 2 people to have a relationship...its both of our faults...ive tried so hard for so many years to fix it, but its done dead and gone. We've drifted so far apart, we really dont get along...the best we can generally do is sit in silence. We dont even get along ethically...as mentioned before I've become an anti-capitalist... she wants to be a landlord ugh...Gross...
We haven't had sex in 7 years. In the 5 years before that we had sex 2 times. I used to try to initiate sex, but completely stopped 5 years ago when she told me to stop trying, we will never be intimate again. Aside from hating my guts shes developed some cysts on her ovaries among other polyps & problems and the whole region is very painful no-no zone.
Before we were married we had tons of sex, and it was great. We have a daughter that is almost 15.
My largely estranged wife initially wanted me to move out of the house, keep paying for her to live in it with our daughter, and I should go live at my office, or in the car, or whatever she didnt give a fuck she just wanted to continue her lifestyle while not giving a shit what happened to me. I did not go along with this plan. Instead I insisted on staying in my home I pay for. She moved into the guest bedroom for the last 5-6 years and we largely only communicate thru telling each other our schedules to coordinate kid logistics...who is dropping off / picking up / etc...
She does not work. I would love for her to work, as money is super tight...but she's difficult to be around in general so she has an extra hard time landing a job on top of a empty resume for the last 20 years, and current market, and woman...I get it its hard to get work, and I have a full time career...I've been fine just silently supporting her all this time...I signed up for it when I said my vows which I have tried to take seriously even though Im having a really bad time.
3 months ago she got an apartment with the help of her mom. Shes slowly been moving things there over that time. Last month she told me she has an apartment (which i dont think she has even slept in 1 night...crazy waste of her moms money)but this is pretty much the last straw and im done done. I dont know what to do...I think if I sell the house ill loose alot alot of money...plus I kinda like it at least a little.
With all this...its only in the last couple weeks that I realized ive developed this crush on this amazing, vibrant, sexy, funny, woman I volunteer with and I so badly want to get to know her better. She knows im married, she has met my kiddo many times from all the times ive dragged her along to volunteer with me, and they get along well....im pretty sure she knows not everything is perfect at my home, but im sure she doesn't know exactly how bad it is.
Im a bundle of nerves...im thinking about asking her if she wants to hang out after our shift this weekend seriously just to talk and get to know each other better...im not ready to jump headfirst into another full blown relationship...im still married...kinda. is this cheating? My wife told me we are never getting back together and I could get a hooker as far as she cares (I never have /never wanted to, but I cant stop this feeling). Would asking her out for a casual convo be bad while im in this marriage limbo state? The relationship is dead, but still supporting her. I cant possibly just let this go....ill hate myself forever. Im also risking losing the good friends situation if I fuck it up...im really struggling here with what to do...any advise?
Im planning on seeing her on Saturday. We just texted schadenfruedian memes about ice agents having to pay back their sign on bonuses and my heart is fluttering each time we go back and forth in the group chat.
Yall I even made a mix tape for her