Gromit: spot on.
Candy: Hang in there and join in wholesome groups. I'm not pushing anything on anybody, but church is a far better place to meet people than pubs.
P.S. TAKE YOUR TIME. I know it's not easy, but it's not impossible. Sally and I met after I divorced and she had been in an intimate relationship; we stayed "chaste" with each other for the year and a half that we were dating & engaged. As she was basically in your position, she found out the entire "big picture with baggage" (my 2 kids and ex), then made her own decision. Here we are, 24 years later, and the honeymoon has no sign of being over yet.