The Caregiver's Dilemma
Anonymous Midnight Bunny #169 · General Confessions
So here’s my story and I’m kind of looking for some advice. I’ve been a freelancer at home now for almost three years, and about a year into that, I started working with this woman named Mia who is in her early twenties. We clicked right away, she had just moved to town for a new job and was excited but overwhelmed. I took on the role of helping her set up everything in her apartment and just being there as a general lifeline whenever she needed advice or help. I’ve always been good at this kind of thing, but over time it started feeling more than professional. Mia is really sweet and easy to talk to, we laugh about dumb things often and I find myself wanting to do more for her beyond the tasks. One day while helping her organize some papers, she tripped and grazed her knee. Without thinking, I just kind of swooped in with a first-aid kit and then ended up taking care of it like you would for a child, bandages, an ice pack, making sure everything was okay. Now, fast forward to today, we had another small incident where she dropped some glasses while moving them. She got really flustered, but I just went into caregiver mode again and helped her clean up the mess. Afterward, there was this weird moment when I felt like I wanted to tuck her in bed or give her a big hug. It’s not that we have any romantic feelings for each other (she’s pretty adamant about it being purely platonic), but I just want to make sure she feels taken care of. I’m wondering if this is normal? Am I overstepping by feeling the way I do or should I just keep helping and letting things be as they are now? We’ve been through a lot together in her first year, and it’s kind of grown into something more than just professional help. What do you think about crossing that line like this?