I have been going out with my boyfriend for many months now (almost a year) and things are going okay. He is INCREDIBLE and I like him so much, but there is one thing about our relationship that has me feeling confused, sad, and frustrated. You see, last year he was going out with a girl who had a horrible form of cancer. She was basically the love of his life and his best friend. They were perfect for each other in every way. Then she wanted to break up because she didn't have much longer to live, so it wouldn't be as hard on him. It was a mutual agreement between the two. He tried to move on and started going out with me, but continued to visit her in the hospital and talk to her (which I was fine with). Then, the cancer unfortunately got the best of her and she passed away. He took it pretty rough and all I could do was be supportive and try to help him through it. It has been about ten months now since she died and he is still not over what happened and I'm not sure what to do at this point. I like him so much, I love him in fact...but he hasn't been able to say that yet to me. I know I can't expect him to just forget, and now that it's coming up on a year after her death, the anniversary will add some more salt to the wound...but I don't know what to do. I feel a little left out and I feel he's holding back and not being completely open with me. The other day he finally got in touch with her mom and they had lunch together. She treated him like a son. When I talked to him later on, he didn't mention a thing about it...and I was too hesitant to bring it up myself. I will be patient as long as I have to, but it's tough. It's the only thing about our relationship that makes me feel so distant.