Search Results: how do friends handle the break-up

So there's been this girl I've liked for the past 4 or 5 years, over those years we've come to become great friends (probably even one of each other's best friends). Towards the beginning of knowing each other, she didn't really seem to notice me whatsoever, but over the past year of knowing her, she now flirts quite a bit and we only hang around each other at group events that we're both at and when we plan movies to go see. About a month ago, she went through a bad breakup with a guy she was in a relationship in for 5 months, and I sort of helped her through it, and we've talked every day since (we've even sent nearly 500 texts this week alone). About a week ago, she confided in a mutual friend of ours that she "wishes I were older" and that she "wishes she could like me, but doesn't want to let herself because she's two years older, and she doesn't think she wants to date anyone younger". Yesterday, she confided in our mutual friend that she thinks I'm cute, she loves how easy I am to talk to, and that she loves how well we get along; again she said she wishes she liked me, but she just doesn't think she'd ever date a guy younger than her (even in a few years). My friend said that from what she could tell, it seems that the reason she doesn't like me is because of strong of a bias she has against dating younger guys that she's just reinforced that thought in her head so much that she wouldn't even date a guy who she's attracted to and loves to spend to talk to. I just don't know how to handle this situation because our friendship has changed so much over just the past year and she admitted that she's attracted to me and loves my personality and that I'm such a caring person - what do I do? I feel that I just can't give up on it now and that I should just be optimistic about it. Is it her not wanting a relationship right now with anyone just talking? She even said she wants to take a whole year off dating. I just don't feel like I can move on now.