I AM a 24-year-old girl that has been dating a guy, 28, for over a year. When we are together, things are so great; we never argue, and we like doing the same things. Then out of the blue, he will tell me he needs space. So I give it to him. I don’t call him, write him, nothing.
Then he calls again, and we get back together. He makes statements like: “Let’s have a baby,” or “help me find a place to buy near where you live.” But nothing comes of it. It’s a continuous cycle, and I have absolutely no idea if I am someone he really wants or loves.
Lately, he says he wants us to work on being ‘best friends’, but we still act like a couple. I love him with all my heart; he is always there for me when I need him emotionally and physically, but, does he want me? Seriously, this boy is giving me whiplash.
Kelsey

Kelsey,
In Law, a lesser-included offense is one which shares some, but not all, of the elements of a greater offense. For example, manslaughter is a lesser-included offense in murder, and trespassing is a lesser-included offense in burglary.
In the same way, while sex is included in romantic love, it is not love. Prostitution shows this, and so does the term “friends with benefits.” Genuine love cannot be proven from the existence of a lesser-included element.
You cannot sift through what someone tells you, solely for what you want to hear. That’s almost like keeping the spam and throwing away the e-mail. Don’t expect to have a future with a man who wants a baby with you one day, and wants you out of his life the next. Don’t expect to be treated well by a man you allow to treat you badly.
Wayne & Tamara