I agree that playing the field is wrong. I feel like that would be me being resentful and frankly I'm not interested in other women.

I called her tonight and she allowed me to pick her up from work (she hates riding the bus). She says she's hungry and stressed (so stressed she almost cried at work). I decide to swing by a nice restaurant on the way and get her quality food and a drink. It goes well and I apologize at the right time. I can tell she's not ready to full accept it, although she says she does, and she says let's talk about it later.

We continue to talk: I listen and talk about 15% of the time. She even asks me to talk but I simply say something short and allow her to vent more. The dinner goes well but I can tell she's ready to go so I get us out ASAP.

The ride home she is just so incredibly irritable. Anything I say is apparently jarring. I go from feeling like I was making ground to feeling like I had made a massive mistake.

Long story short, she is acting really offput by the time we're at her place. I say I'm there when she needs me and she is slow to leave my car. She says she'll call me this weekend and says thanks, even though I can tell she doesn't fully mean it.

I meant well, but I think she's just not ready for me in her life. Her work life is too overwhelming and she's not comfortable with me being part of the solution, which I accept.

How do I handle this stressed woman? Is time and space the only thing that can heal here?