Please, help me..I'm so lost.
I'm in college about to go into graduate school, and when I was on Spring Break, I met this guy on a dating app. I didn't think anything would come of it, but we texted for hours each night, met up twice before I went back to school, and even talked on the phone once or twice. Things were great, and neither of us really knew what was going to happen walking into it because..um..he's older than I am with a daughter who is in high school. He confessed to me that he wants to see where things go with us but that he felt like the age difference was something he needs to overcome.
He also confessed to me that he has an incredibly busy life because he works as a manager/supervisor of an IT team on top of being a single parent with full custody of a daughter who still doesn't drive. He travels a lot for work, and after about our third date, he started getting busier and busier. I tried to be understanding and let it go when he would plan dates literally hours beforehand and would apologize for being so hectic and sometimes unresponsive. He also told me that he didn't mind if I tried to text or call him...but these past few weeks, we've been barely talking at all. One instance, we went over a week without talking because, while I tried to call him (and still grant him some space because I hate feeling like I'm crowding a guy), he didn't respond or try to call me back. After that, we went on a night trip together into a city, and he was incredibly romantic and considerate- telling me that he was having a great time. He even thanked me for being available because the week prior I told him I was staying at the college. Now, I'm home for the summer, and that night trip (which was in the beginning of May) was our last date together..
I finally worked up the courage to confront him about it because I always ended up feeling like a jerk to him before because of how much is going on in his life. I sent him a text saying that I'd like to talk to him one night, but he didn't respond so I finally sent a long one explaining what I wanted to talk about while he was at work... He called me later and was incredibly apologetic- like he usually is- telling me that he was sorry for "slacking" as he put it and that it wasn't right of him. He explained that he was having an incredibly difficult week at work, especially since the next week he needed to leave for another business trip, and that things were crazy. But he told me that they should cool down by July (because he has another business trip after this one and then a trip he's taking his daughter and her friends on)..but that he'd like to try. And he was very understanding of my side and that I'd like to be there for him but that it would also kind of be nice once in a while to hear from him and know he's thinking about me.. We texted a few times that weekend (Memorial weekend), and he apologized for his behavior again. But I haven't heard from him since that Sunday night, and although we don't talk much, he's still considerate when we do and very gentle- wanting to know about my life.
So, I don't know what to make of it... I feel like I'm being clingy and needy to him and that I'm chasing him away...am I? What can I do to improve things, and his birthday is this Sunday... My friend said to give him space till Monday, but won't I be a jerk for not saying something on his birthday? I feel horrible thinking like that..