Tell her to fess up. She should tell you exactly what her situation is and what she is looking for with you. If she can't, cut the relationship. If she wants any kind of relationship there has to be honesty.

Continue to be be a good person to her. Give friendship, but also state that it could be more, but you respect her and only when she is out of a relationship would you go after your dream of being with her.

Be the best friend you can be. You never know how that will pay off. Good karma if nothing else.

How old are you? What country are you in?

If you are 18 and no longer his student there isn't any reason for you not to find out if he really likes you. Except, if you are not ready. Could it be that he is attracted to you, yes. Could it be he was just bolstering your confidence, yes. The only way for you to find out is ask.

"First, does anyone out there believe two worlds can collide as ours have and it be "even better than the real thing"?"
Who says it isn't the real thing?

" I am on the downhill side of life and she is not that far behind. "
Did you know that people over 80 are the happiest? Who says it is the downside of life? Only when you quit on life is it on the downside ... no matter the age.

The only caution I have is that you should be careful of her feelings coming out of a 10 year relationship. Good luck!

A guy staring at a women could mean many things. If it was with affection, like you said, he probably was thinking good thoughts about you and just didn't want to admit to it.

Why are guy, especially at this age, so scared to take the next step?
He might have had a bad experience in the past and more importantly it sounds like he is happy with the way his life is now. He sees no need to get into a committed relationship where he sees there are problems.

Is there anything that woman can do?
Pretty much the answer is no. If at some point he changes his mind from some internal decision, then he might be ready.

Marriage proposal I would think would scare her away. You only met her and saw how good she was at her job. You don't know anything else about her. Just like with coding you need to setup up the framework, go through the process before getting to a marriage proposal. You need to go and ask her if she would be interested in going out with you first. You do need to do the dating stage with her to see how she feels about you, and how you feel about her outside of the hospital.

Take your time if you want a good relationship.

First off, if you are having troubles with your current relationship decide if the relationship has a future. If it doesn't end it. There is no use being in a relationship that stresses you and doesn't really have a future. Being single isn't all that bad with good friends.

It sounds like your ex has feelings for you still, but if they are strong or not is something that he might not even know. That he contacted you while in a relationship tells that either he just missed you as a friend, or that his current relationship has times he wishes he wasn't in it. His offer to you to come around if you needed someone to talk with or watch a movie with ... could just be concern for you or his wanting to see you to figure out what feelings he has. It is a non-commit way of checking things out.

Since you never stopped loving him, this could be a heart-breaker for you. But, you might want to take him up on seeing a movie. See how things go in person. But, don't let things go too far unless both of you end current relationships. Not only is that the right thing to do, but it shows commitment and ethics for both of you.

Good luck!

It does sound like you are correct. Her words don't match up. If you want to stay in the relationship, that is up to you. But, you might want to sit down with her and make sure where things stand for sure.

Good luck!

That is confusing! It sounds like he might be breaking up because he was told something during that week. Or he thought about graduating and moving away. There may be a chance in the future, but right now it sounds like you are doing the right thing by giving him space.

Good Luck!

You may have cause for concern. Have you ever asked him why he is so jealous, or behaves that way?

Either he is very controlling which is very bad, or he is very insecure and not trusting. Maybe by talking with him you can find out the reasons for his actions. Once you find out, you may want to ask a professional counselor or again ask here.

Good luck!

Wow! Talk about a misunderstanding blown out of proportion. It is worth breaking up over? Well, yes and no. The reason he got upset was not a good reason. His reaction on the other hand could be. Since you already broke up, see what happens. If he figures it out that he over-reacted then it is up to you if you want to take him back. If not, well at least it happened before you were together for many years...

Good luck!

Since you are a "traditional" kind of girl, making the first move is out ... or is it?

Sometime you should ask him if he ever has been attracted to you, as more than a friend. You can say you are curious. If he asks why, only answer after he has. Then always tell him the truth if he asks why. If it goes further it will be because he takes the first step in making something happen. You are just asking a friend a question. Whatever results, the truth is a good thing to have in the open.

Good Luck!