First Piecing Thread

[Hope4us]

Thanks guys. No worries Sandi, I know you're in high demand around here and there's other people who are in worse situations than I am right now that need your help.

Pup, Flynn, Yes, truth dart. BIG one. And not to jinx myself, but since that dart, W has been responding & engaging me even more.

W had a pretty crappy work week last week and would come home totally pissed at her boss. I just listened and validated all I could. She told me a couple times that she appreciated me listening to her bi*ch.

Friday after work we went out to eat, and after W had got her griping out, she was kind of quiet. I could tell she was tired, in fact we've both been pretty tired the last few days. Rainy weather, work has been extremely busy for me also, all just adding up to needing a good nights sleep.

So we came home and I went to bed pretty early. W fell asleep on the couch and came upstairs when S17 came home.

Yesterday was a GREAT DAY! It was absolutely the best day we've had in over two years!

Started out by going to W's company picnic. She wasn't really sure if she wanted to go or not. She asked what I thought and I told her I wanted to go, even if it was just for a little bit, to eat and talk to some of her co-workers. So we went and ate and didn't stay long because the weather stunk which caused a lot of people to not show up.

So we left and went for a little drive in the Amish country near us. Went to a little wine and cheese shop and listened to a duo they had playing. Left there and went to another winery and sat on the porch enjoying a glass of wine and TALKING. REALLY TALKING. Not directly about our sitch, but about a friend of W's from work who is having M difficulties. This friend's H is either in a MLC or is having an A. Not sure what it is yet, but the H is angry with his W about everything, blames her for his unhappiness, accuses her of having an A, etc. And my W, in talking about her friends sitch, allows us to talk about her A, etc without her having to directly deal with it with me. I was telling W everything I've learned through our sitch (not directly) so she could help her friend. At one point, W said "maybe you should talk to her" and I said, "uh...no. Her H would accuse me of having an A with her and when opposite sexes become friends talking about marital problems, that's when bad things happen" and W looked at me like "I get it".

I know it's not ideal, but we're making progress because of it. At one point W and I were talking about our kids and how lucky we are that they are fine young men, never have given us any trouble, don't drink or smoke, etc. Just good kids (yes that makes me smile writing that). And W was joking around and said where'd they come from with parents like us and she realized what she'd said, kind of joking that one of us wasn't their biological parent and she just dropped her head. I just said "I know, right?" and she looked up at me with the most contrite, apologetic face you've ever seen. I just smiled at her letting her know it was ok.

We left there and decided to just go for a drive. And the drive was freakin great. We talked and talked and W kept grabbing my arm and pulling it towards her and hugging it and stroked my hand/arm almost the whole time we were driving. We were listening to an old "Grass Roots" CD and you should have seen her when their one song came on about that "little gold ring that you wear on hand that makes me understand".....At that point she leaned over and pulled me close to her and gave me a kiss on the cheek. I looked at her and she had this great big smile on her face.

We got home and sat together on the couch, making out for a little bit before S17 had to wreck it by coming home (just kidding, I think). We watched the news together while talking about our future. W really likes it here, but acknowledged that she hates her job and in a year when S17 graduates from H.S. that she's ok with us moving back to our hometown. She doesn't really want to, but realizes a home and shopping isn't worth being miserable in a job and I told her that it was the same way for me, that I didn't really want to do my job for the rest of my career and the only real opportunities I have to move to a different one or to move up are at the main office in our hometown. She also admitted that she really misses our friends back home and misses being closer to family so we can see them more often. GOOD STUFF.

We went to bed and ML. And man oh man was it passionate. When we were pretty much done, W looked at me and had this terribly pained look on her face. I thought for a good long moment she was going to break down. But in the end she didn't. But that's ok. We're getting there. We kind of snuggled for a bit and then went to sleep.

Ok, what's everyone think? Still a long way to go and I won't feel comfortable until I hear those three words I've not heard in almost 2 years and until I see those rings back on her fingers, but I've got time.