My H had to start real small. He would take a dry erase marker & draw a smilie face on our bathroom mirror.
He also sent nice or silly or romantic e-cards. I liked them.
try it. go on. *nudge nudge*
Dare I say "bend".
M 19 years, MC for 8 months, DB'd for 8 months 4 kids; 18, 15, 14, & 10 I was never meant to be a doormat. It took me years of therapy to become assertive enough to stop his abuse.