He hangs with you and your kid. At first he lingered in the doorway and said hello to your kid. You appreciated that he wasn’t jumping right in. These days he hangs out at the park with you guys and comes to your kid’s Little League games. He’s showing you he understands you have a mommy life outside of dating him—and he wants in.
You can hang out without booze. Face it, the first few dates are pretty well lubricated with cocktails and what seems to be a never-ending wine list. But, when you start hanging out without liquid courage it means he’s no longer nervous to chill with you and wants to go on fun dates like hiking in broad daylight with plain old water and trail mix. Hooray!
He makes room for you—both of you. There’s nothing more annoying than bringing an overnight bag with you whenever you sleep at his place. Whether your child is with his other parent or a babysitter, assume that you’ll be spending adult nights out. When he buys you a toothbrush and clears out a drawer, he means business. Notice juice boxes in the fridge and a new ball in his car? He wants your kid to feel comfy too.
You’re suddenly invited to his routine things. It’s not that big of a deal for him to bring you to a wedding or corporate function because most people expect a single guy to bring a date along. But, when he asks you and your kid to come to Sunday dinner at his neighbor’s house or to his nephew’s backyard bday BBQ, it means a lot more. He’s bringing you into his world and introducing you to important people in his life. It’s on!
He stops asking you to go on dates. Not to worry! The only reason he’s not asking you out is because he just assumes you have plans with him—you’re his girl, after all. Get ready for him to start asking you what you guys have planned for the weekend. You’ll still go on dates, but don’t be surprised if you find yourself hanging out more without set reservations. It’s a good thing!
