Huh, that's funny. I've had the same kind of relationship with a woman for the last 2 years, though we dated for a relatively (for me) long time after my divorc

Huh, that's funny. I've had the same kind of relationship with a woman for the last 2 years, though we dated for a relatively (for me) long time after my divorce. She has kept in touch after I moved. Only recently, I think she is finally ready to "move on" so I've backed off 100%. It's true. Having someone who cares about you with whom you can relieve personal stress is meaningful. She definitely did that for me, and I hope I did that for her. On the other hand, I wonder if it has always been like this or there is something unique to our current societal configuration causing the need for these synthetic partnerships.