Mutually beneficial relationship with an expiration date

td;lr found myself in a mutually beneficial relationship, when we both know it can't work out in the long run. Is it ridiculous that we keep it going until the inevitable expiration date?

I 32F met him 30M at the beginning of September. He lives two provinces over, but we're from the same place and have found ourselves back there under similar circumstances. My father passed away, so I'm here giving support to my albeit toxic family, while also pursing an amazing employment opportunity. He's here looking after his mom whose sick, but seems like she'll pull through.

I don't think either one of us have been ourselves, both of us have been fairly emotionally distant but we've been able to give each other a lot of support and have been there for each other. I've always known he'd go back and that I wouldn't be giving up my career for him. This kind of came to a head last night and we broke up, mutually and respectfully. But I kind of broached the subject of keeping what we have going, because it's been mutually beneficial. He's agreed, however, we haven't had a moment to sit down and talk about it. We both know it has an expiration date, but the timing of things settling will be very similar. When his mom has completed treatment and has recovered will fall around the same time I'll have moved out from my toxic family situation and will have started my new job. And then it'll be time to move on from each other.

We've been able to help each other a lot, we came into each other's lives at the exact right moment. He's been a gift in a lot of ways. Possibly boundaries we should set? Anything we should be considering before completely committing to this?

Has anyone else had an experience like this? A mutually beneficial relationship with an expiration date? How did it work out?

Submitted October 12, 2021 at 01:12AM

td;lr found myself in a mutually beneficial relationship, when we both know it can't work out in the long run. Is it ridiculous that we keep it going until the inevitable expiration date?I 32F met him 30M at the beginning of September. He lives two provinces over, but we're from the same place and have found ourselves back there under similar circumstances. My father passed away, so I'm here giving support to my albeit toxic family, while also pursing an amazing employment opportunity. He's here looking after his mom whose sick, but seems like she'll pull through.I don't think either one of us have been ourselves, both of us have been fairly emotionally distant but we've been able to give each other a lot of support and have been there for each other. I've always known he'd go back and that I wouldn't be giving up my career for him. This kind of came to a head last night and we broke up, mutually and respectfully. But I kind of broached the subject of keeping what we have going, because it's been mutually beneficial. He's agreed, however, we haven't had a moment to sit down and talk about it. We both know it has an expiration date, but the timing of things settling will be very similar. When his mom has completed treatment and has recovered will fall around the same time I'll have moved out from my toxic family situation and will have started my new job. And then it'll be time to move on from each other.We've been able to help each other a lot, we came into each other's lives at the exact right moment. He's been a gift in a lot of ways. Possibly boundaries we should set? Anything we should be considering before completely committing to this?Has anyone else had an experience like this? A mutually beneficial relationship with an expiration date? How did it work out?