First Came Friendship for an Activist and a Single Father of Five
The New York Times
Kassie Edwards and Michael Ruxsaksriskul both had childhood trauma. When they met at an AIDS awareness event in Washington, neither was interested in the other romantically.
Before Michael Ruxsaksriskul figured out that Kassie Edwards didn’t want to date him because of his personality, he assumed his personal baggage was to blame. As a newly divorced father of five on the verge of bankruptcy, the former Marine knew he was carrying a lot. What he didn’t know was that Ms. Edwards was experienced in unpacking.
Mr. Ruxsaksriskul and Ms. Edwards met in the spring of 2016 at an AIDS awareness event in Washington. Neither was interested in the other romantically, but for different reasons. For Mr. Ruxsaksriskul, restricting all new relationships to the friend zone was a practical necessity. “When you’re raising kids by yourself, you’re too busy to think of anyone that way,” he said.
For Ms. Edwards, 35, the chemistry was just not there. “He was really boisterous and vocal, almost like the male version of me,” she said.
