Hello, everyone. I'm in quite a pickle, and I need your advice. For a few months now, I've been attracted to a member of the CVCF congregation. (His name is Richard.) He's sweet-natured, funny, handsome, and most importantly: he shares my love for God and for children. (He's also very good with children, which is something that one should look for when one looks for a potential spouse.) From what I can tell, we are compatible. We also share a great love for music, as well as a talent in that area. Whenever I'm around him, I feel giddy, sometimes to the point of being hyper. He always makes me smile, even when he's not even talking to me or when he's standing across the room. When I'm with him, I'm extremely happy, but also shy and nervous. And when I'm not with him, I think about him and look forward to the next time we meet. I adore pretty much everything about him, and I love to make him laugh.
I believe that my feelings have moved on from a crush, to something more serious. (I mean, it's pretty serious when you picture yourself becoming the mother of someone's children.) He is five years younger than me (I'm 24, and my friend said that he's around 19), but I think we'll have time to figure out what we want from each other, so the age difference is really not an issue right now. We're working on a song together (I wrote the lyrics, and he's writing the music), so this should give us the chance to figure out how well we can work together. Plus, I'll be seeing him a lot when we participate in the next outreach program, and I have a feeling that I'll be joining him on the next missionary trip to Mexico, both of which will allow us to get to know each other better.
I have two problems, though.
1. My friend has a crush on Richard. I'm worried about what will happen if Richard turns out to be the answer to my marriage prayers. Right now, it doesn't seem as though Cassi would have a problem with it. But she's very dear to me, and I hate the idea of inadvertently hurting her, should my relationship with Richard progress from the love we feel for each other as friends and spiritual siblings, to romantic love.
2. I have been hurt in the past by men I've had feelings for, and because of this, I'm very reluctant to make the first move. But at the same time, I'm afraid that if I don't make the first move, he'll think I'm not interested and he'll find someone else.
What should I do?