Dear Therapist: I Love My Girlfriend, but I Asked Her to Move Out

Editor’s Note: Every Monday, Lori Gottlieb answers questions from readers about their problems, big and small. Have a question? Email her at dear.therapist@theatlantic.com.

Dear Therapist,

I am a semiretired man, still in good health both physically and mentally. Several years after my divorce in 2007, I met a woman (I’ll refer to her as Jane), and after a few dates, I could tell we could be together for the rest of our lives.

My daughter continued to live with me through her mid-20s because she was still trying to decide on the best career to pursue. Jane lived in an apartment with her teenage son, who has a medical issue that may make living on his own difficult.

After two or three years of dating, Jane told me that she did not want to continue our relationship unless we moved in together. Around this time, my daughter was moving into an apartment with her boyfriend, and I agreed that Jane, with her son, could move into