explained away, and can only be put down to part of life's rich tapestry, so to speak.

However, I have a real-life story to share with you which maybe can be extrapolated to your situation in some aspects, or to some extent, or maybe not at all in your case. It's very much along the lines of what Marla is saying.

I once knew a young, heterosexual girl, who was feeling very vulnerable. She was 21 years old, and was in hospital for the duration of a week. She was/had been in a serious relationship with some bloke, but felt that things were coming to an end. She still loved him, but knew in her heart of hearts that emotionally he had already left her. She was dealing with that knowledge and apprehension of what inevitably would occur, as well as the ordeal of an operation. She felt very low and 'uncared' for.

Along comes a particular nurse, smiley, positive, upbeat, inspiring, and 'caring'. The girl developed some kind of intense emotional bond/infatuation or 'crush' on the nurse, who represented or epitomised something the girl strongly 'needed' in her life at that particular time. There was absolutely no sexual attraction whatsoever, and the nurse was doing her job in a 'caring' profession (though she probably was a genuinely, caring individual).

When the girl left the hospital and was no longer in contact with the nurse in that caring environment, the 'crush' gradually subsided over a couple of weeks or so. The relationship with the boyfriend also came to its final end very shortly thereafter.

The girl went on to have a 'full' relationship with another man and never looked back. It appears that the experience/incident regarding the nurse was a one-off thing - something to cling to at a particular, vulnerable time in her life.