Confession from a Nurse

I'm a nurse, 35 years old, and I've been in an open relationship for over two years now. It started as a way to explore my sexuality without feeling guilty about it. My partner Alex is great with that, really supportive. We both like going out separately and meeting new people. Last week, something happened that made me feel... weird. One of the patients I was assigned to care for was a guy in his early 30s who had been through a tough surgery. Let's call him Sam. He was handsome but clearly hurting, both physically and emotionally. We talked quite a lot during my shifts, more than usual. He seemed to be grateful for any company. One night after work, I ended up seeing Sam at a bar downtown where we both go sometimes. I guess there was something about him being in the hospital that made me feel protective, maybe? Anyway, we had drinks and talked more. We got close, held hands and kissed a few times. He asked if he could come over to my place. I... agreed. It felt really spontaneous and exciting at the time. Sam was incredibly gentle and understanding, making sure I was okay with everything they did. When it came to intimate moments, we were both very explicit about our limits. We explored things that made me feel alive but also a bit uncomfortable admitting. The next day, after getting dressed and before leaving my place, there was this moment where I thought: what am I doing? Alex would be okay with it because of the open relationship, but still... is this right? Is having a night like that with someone from work crossing some line? So here's my question for anyone who might read this and understand. Am I being too hard on myself? Or is there something inherently wrong about what happened between Sam and me? It felt good at the time, but now I'm left questioning everything.