DEAR ABBY: "Danny" and I have been together six months. During the first six weeks I was studying in Europe, and when I got back we jumped straight into an intense, time-consuming relationship. Then he asked if he could move in with me. It was all too sudden for me, and I said I wasn't ready. Danny reacted by breaking up with me.
Since then, our relationship has been rocky. We never established a foundation, and we have been trying to ease our time commitment to each other.
Danny says that he loves me. I feel I centered my life around him, and I need to regain my balance before I can be in a relationship with him again. I want to take a couple of steps back this summer, and get to know each other again and build a foundation. I know Danny is the man I want to spend the rest of my life with, but I'm not ready for that kind of commitment now.
Should I give up and walk away, or continue to try to rebuild our relationship? -- LINDY IN SACRAMENTO
DEAR LINDY: Danny may say that he loves you, but if it is more than lip service, he should be willing to give you the space you need. If he's unwilling to do that, then the message he's sending is that he's more interested in a live-in than a life partner. What you're proposing is reasonable, and if he can't respect your feelings, you should, indeed, walk away.