My 8 year old just came up to me with a really serious face and asked me point blank if Santa is real. My heart sank. I thought I had at least another year or two. I panicked a little and just mumbled something about him being real in our hearts. He looked disappointed. What's the best way to handle this without completely crushing his dreams?

I’m going to hold a fake contest so people will send me pictures of their dogs (as the entry to the contest). Then when I get her picture and figure out where she is, I’ll do a breaking and entering and get my dog back

I’m a little worried though…

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Me and him, we met online September 2025. Met in real life December 2025.

We quickly started to text daily and talk for hours and stuff. He talked In the very beginning about me moving to his country. I had such high hopes because I live on small town and being with him would be the best. We quickly started to text nonstop, saying how we care about each other.

In February this year he told me he knows I want something more but he doesnt want to be in any relationship because he needs to fix himself and "he knows he is mean to me sometimes and he says something and regrets it" and stuff.

He Has been doing drugs every weekend. Everytime after hungover he says he feels like shit and loser. He tells me he Has inner demons "no one and nothing could fix"

I've told him many times that I "take him" the way he is and that he is perfect. I support him with very good words saying how valuable he is.

He told me once I'm "too valuable for him".

In the very beginning he said he would want this to work but he knows he has a tough personality.

He would sometimes get mean, and sometimes apologize for talking like that. When we met everything was good and he didnt ghost me afterwards or something.

I am younger than him and attractive. He is also attractive.

But he always says he feels like a loser. Abuses drugs and alcohol too. In the beginning talked about me moving to him and stuff, and that I "awakened something in him he didnt feel for a long time".

I asked him lately about that and he said " yeah because IT was true but then I think about what a loser I am".

This Has been going for months. Everytime I ask to meet, he says we will see, i don't know, and stuff. Later he said he was embarassed of himself that's why he didnt meet with me.

We fall asleep on the phone together sometimes, facetime. Yesterday we facetimed, I showed him myself in lingerie ( hoping this would "convince him...") looking very good and he watched and I could tell he loved what he saw. He even acnowledged it the next day and talked about this today.

I asked today if we can meet this weekend and he said no, he Has to rest and he feels sick.

I asked about next weekend and he said he doesn't know, he will think.

Last week he was also supposed to think about it and he told me no this week. Got angry that I kept asking.

I told him I understand he doesnt want relationship but I just want to meet with him. I guess if he doesnt want relationship, he thinks after being close I would demand more. And I've told him I won't Ask "what are we" or something afterwards. I explained IT to him.

He is single and lives alone. I think the problem is drugs and low self esteem and He drinks lately. He says he Has problems

But why would he resist seeing me? It hurts so much because he always says he will think about it and he delays it and delays it. Also he says I'm important to him.

He told me some time ago to focus on something or someone else because he knows how bad he is.

I acnowledged his fears and sent him a voice notes saying it hurts me because I always ask why not and he never tells me. He says its not because of me.

I also told him I want to support him but meeting would be just a nice weekend. And he doesnt have to be ashamed or something.

What is important he told me when we slept on the phone lately that he felt good with me when I was there at his place, not only in bed but overall.

What do you think is the core problem here?

His fear of me abandoning him?(I would never, I care about this guy so much)

Low self esteem? He says he gets worse(But we met already)

Being shy? As I said , we met.

He said meeting with me is a "whole endeavor" - maybe thinks he needs to appear at his best?

I don't understand because he was in relationships before. So why me?

He still texts and calls and everything.

And my main question to you is - how do I approach him and ask him what is the reason. Because he never tells me. How?

TLDR; long distance. me (26f) and a man (37m) we have contact for a year but he Has addictions and low self esteem. Could it be reason he doesnt want to meet me? We met once.