Blindsided

[gutwrenching]

Working too well...I don't think so. Just go with things for now. AS for MC, now let it go. You gently mentioned it, planted the seed, don't bring it up again. I doubt he is yet in a place to be willing to really put effort into it.

Remember this is going o take a long time, I know it sucks to hear and you hope to be the exception, but rarely are there exceptions.

Being his pal isn't bad right now...will give him something to miss...I suspect like most, eventually you will have to let him go and make him feel what its like not to have you as a fallback plan and not to have you in his life...so having a strong friendship to lose is not necessarily a bad thing

Keep expectations low, keep doing what works, be proud of progress you have made