I would love to start seeing my ex again

Several years ago, my girlfriend, who lived close to me, moved hundreds of miles back to her home town as her mother and her sister were not well. We chatted online for a month, but then she said that the relationship was not working because we lived so far apart. However, a few months ago, I moved nearer to her because of my job. I thought that I would call on my ex’s mother to see how she was and when I knocked on the door, my ex opened it. Both she and her mother were glad to see me and we chatted for some time. She also introduced me to her son, who is in his 30s. She is 54; I am 52. As I was leaving, her neighbour told me that my ex had been talking about me a lot. I would love to be friends, or more than that, but I am worried that she might not want this. How can I approach her without blowing it? Nothing ventured, nothing gained. From everything that you have said, it sounds as though your ex-girlfriend was genuinely delighted to see you. The fact that her mother also made you feel welcome suggests that she has been talking to her and her neighbour too about how much she likes you. So call her (rather than emailing or texting) and tell her how lovely it was to see her and her mother and to meet her son. Suggest getting together for a drink or a coffee. The chances are that she will say yes. Then, when you do meet, you can tell her how much you have missed her. If she responds positively and you can see it in her eyes, smile and behaviour that she enjoys being with you, tell her that you would love to start seeing each other again. If she doesn’t want to see you, it would be painful, but at least you would know where you stand.