Hey guys, wanted to give a brief update and get some feedback about what I am considering. My divorce was final back in June. I filed in January 2017 and ex moved out exactly one year later. I live on his family's property as it is a working farm I help run, as does my DD, who is 16. My in-laws live on the property and DD and I both have a good relationship with them.
They were heartbroken by Ex's affair and behavior and have remained neutral, almost supportive of me.
Ex and I both agreed that it was best to keep DD on the farm and he would move out. The settlement dictates that I live there rent free until DD graduates with joint legal custody.
AP, by the way, is not interested in living on property. She and Ex live about an hour away, although he's showing up a lot more.
The other practical reason for staying on the property is that Ex and I have a lot of horses we jointly own. Ex is incapable of caring for them on his own. He forgets to feed them, water them, worm them or keep up with their shots. He has severe ADD. He's also broke -- and caring for horses takes money. I care for the whole herd because I love these horses no matter who they belong to and they would not fare well if I left them behind. I can afford to board some of them at another facility, but taking them all is not a financial option and neither is selling them.
In any case, it's getting tougher for me to live on the farm. The house is falling apart, DD is fed up with Ex's behavior -- chronic lateness, argumentative, irresponsible and wants more distance from him, which is hard when he owns the house and property. Also my recently widowed MIL is needing more extra care than I can give (Ex is a terrible son and only stays with her when he has DD).
I had hoped to hang on and live in the marital home until DD graduates from HS, save some money (I live there rent free) and do some traveling with DD. But Ex is there more and more and our lives are too emeshed.
My BF of one year has a lovely home nearby with rooms he rents out on Airbnb. He is divorced with no kids, was an only child and has few living family members. While I am financially independent, it also helps that he is comfortably retired. All this to say, is it crazy for me and DD to move in with him? He lives close enough I could look in on the remaining horses and board others. He's hinted at this option and I rejected it because I want my own space. But when I look at it logically it makes sense to blend our households from a financial and emotional standpoint. I care for him deeply and DD likes him. Am I in love? I am not sure. The last three years have been hell and I feel too scarred up, betrayed and abandoned to open up and be emotionally vulnerable to anyone. Does love feel different at our age? (I am 56). Also, does anyone think this would be a bad thing for DD to move her in the middle of high school?