I Broke My Own Rule...Again?

Last weekend, I decided to go against my usual pattern and try something new. You see, I've been teaching for decades now, and while I've dated casually here and there over the years, it's always felt like a compromise between what I want and what I think is acceptable. My students are my priority, always have been, so any personal life outside of the classroom needs to be kept separate. Anyway, this past week, I met someone new. Let's call her Sarah, we’ve only known each other for about three weeks now. She’s a colleague and just as mature as me; she knows full well that I'm not looking for anything serious at this point in my life. However, when we started to flirt more seriously last week, something inside of me clicked. It's hard to explain, but there was an instant connection, like we were meant to be together. I had a rule: no mixing work and personal life; it’s all separate compartments for me. But here I am now, feeling ashamed because despite my better judgment, I decided to break that boundary this past weekend when Sarah invited me over for dinner. The conversation flowed naturally, we both shared stories of our younger years, laughed together, and the night just seemed right. We ended up spending some time alone in her bedroom, it's not like anything inappropriate happened there or anything; but I know the look on my face and hers was enough to tell that the line got crossed. I woke up the next day questioning everything: had I done something wrong? Was it just dinner, a platonic night spent with an old friend, or was there more to it than meets the eye? It's not like we have any kind of professional relationship left to ruin, she’s moved on from my class. Still, this guilt is eating at me. I've never considered myself someone who'd break their own rules so easily and with such little thought. And now I'm here, writing it down, wondering how much worse things could get if we decide to cross more lines together in the future.