I’m a former step-girlfriend. My ex and I broke up for a myriad of issues: he was controlling, sometimes gaslit me, and I generally just wasn’t ever fully confident I could step, especially because our relationship never truly felt solid. H

Anyway, it’s been a year and a half since we split. We haven’t spoken since the break up, but lately I’ve been thinking of him and his son. Both my ex and I have moved on to new partners, but I sometimes miss my ex, his son, and our old life together. It’s probably much better for me to date someone my age without kids, and there are so many wonderful aspects of my new life, but every now and then I get a pang of longing, especially considering my ex was the king of huge romantic gestures, and a very eloquent love-letter writer. I had a dream about them both last night which exacerbated these feelings. 

I should also mention my ex and I had an extremely passionate and intense relationship—full of highs and lows, screaming matches and intense make up sessions where we declared our “soulmatehood.”

Have any former steps experienced this? It can be hard to date a single man when you’re used to dating a family. 

TL/DR; I used to be a stepparent and am experiencing longing for my old family. Looking for solidarity or any words of comfort.