how long should a situationship last

For over two years, we’d been in this rhythm. He’s in his late thirties, I’m in my early thirties. Our schedules never lined up, but we found ways to talk several times a week. We didn’t see each other often, but when we did, sometimes we hooked up. We’ve always been open, sharing things with each other that we didn’t talk about with anyone else. It felt like a privilege to be trusted with those parts of him.

He’d call me beautiful, send hearts, check in, ask about my family. He’d tell me he appreciated our conversations, that he thought I was a wonderful person. I liked that we could talk about anything, no pressure, no label. We’d even talked about dating before, but at the time, neither of us was in a good place for it.

Until that text, I was content with what we had. After I read “love you,” I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Suddenly, everything between us felt loaded with a new kind of weight.

Since then, I’ve felt stressed. There’s a weirdness now, like something shifted between us. That realization upsets me, but I don’t know how to bring it up. I keep thinking about how to ask where we stand, but I’m worried about making him feel pressured or backed into a corner.

I haven’t said anything yet.