googley, I think you are incredibly brave to ask your T if she cares about you! I have never been able to do that in my life with anyone (I actually did do it once and it turned out badly, so I never did it again.) It is not a bad thing to know what is important to you in life, and you have already figured out that you would like people to care about you. With your T, hopefully through your continuing contact with her and consitently hearing her words and observing her actions, you will come to believe her when she says she cares. And if she cares, then maybe other people could too. It's like your T can be the "ice breaker" and then maybe you can realize that other people might care about you too.

At some point, you may want her to care about you enough that you will risk being hurt. And she can provide reassurances that can help tip the balance for you. For me, it is this same risk in any relationship beyond the superficial ones. Is it worth it, could I get hurt? Sometimes the answer is yes, sometimes no. With my T, I have said yes. Our relationship is something I will cherish all my life. I will never forget him or "us." It has definitely been worth it for me. (And it isn't over yet.)