I'm hoping an expert can help me decide whether she is "asking for help" or "showing me what I'm losing" or "trying to soften my shell"

No idea. Could also be another smoke screen. I couldn't know less about what is going on. All I can control is me so I just have to keep trying to learn FACTS rather than interpretations.
I have to try to see objectively rather than subjectively; like it was happening to someone else or I was watching it on TV.

And get MY LIFE together and hope she eventaully gets it. Or she doesn't.

And I can't make any attempts at accepting her outreaches (if that's what they are) until I know ther is NO AFFAIR.