I would, say, answer the phone in the middle of the night and not be pissed, even though I had a newborn. And more than once, I sat in the middle of the floor in the kitchen (so as not to disturb my sleeping husband), nursing my newborn, advising my drunk friend about his issues with his dude du jour.

Is it strange that I don't find that weird at all? Like, I would probably act the same way?

People who want a fixer, I think, feel flattered at the individualized, intense attention.

I'm pretty sure that is spot on. There's a certain kind of person a fixer attracts. Other people figure you out pretty fast, I think; but someone in need will be attracted to fixers.

Well, that's all well and good until (general)you, the project, wants to make a bad decision, wants it with your whole heart, and doesn't want to hear any backtalk about it.

Yeah, I have to be really careful around my friends; I have gotten a lot better, but I still tend to try and "fix" them. I see so much potential in them, and feel like they're wasting their lives by working retail and not going anywhere; but it's a) not my decision to make, and b) what is wrong with working retail anyway? They have enough money, they like what they do, so who am I to judge?

It also didn't help that I had found some resources about toxic families, started healing, and started Using My Words (as Captain Awkward says) about wanting our friendship to be more reciprocal. Well, to him, I'm sure it felt like I started making unfair demands all of a sudden.

Same. I get you so much. Thank you for sharing! I hope you'll find new friends, and I wish you happiness and good times with the little one!