Start of the end..

[Gardener]

iwitw,

Is it common for the WAW to race right into another relationship, and 'replace' the LBS in there life?... I am just trying to understand it, and maybe I can't but looking for other people's thoughts, or if you have noticed similar from your waw's...

I have no experience, per se. Despite early suspicions, I have never seen any hard evidence that there was an OM before X left or in the sixteen months since.
I'm chiming in on your question because I remember/wrote down some statistics/study I read online somewhere the day I stumbled across this site. The last statistic is the only thing I've ever seen on this:

- 87% of couples who formally separate - or one Walks Away - never reconcile.
- 5 yrs later over 90% of them reported wishing they had reconciled and being unhappier overall
- Of the 13% that did reconcile, over 90% of them were glad they did and were happier overall 5 yrs later
- In the majority of WAHs there already was an OW
- In the majority of WAWs there was no OM.
- In the majority of WAWs, however there was an OM within 3 - 6 mos. of Walking Away.

fwiw. Like I've said, I've seen no evidence of OM in my sitch, but regarding that last statistic, exactly 4 months into what she called not a separation, just a "temporary respite" she asked for 1 month of zero contact at the end of which she asked for a D, ended MC, got our joint Cell Phone plan separated into two accounts and kind of fell off the face of the earth for a while.

Who knows? You can drive yourself crazy with this stuff.