First time caller...

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Thanks, jbnati. I know I need to give her the time and space she needs, and I told her weeks ago when all of this came to a boil that I would do just that; no pressure, no deadlines, no ultimatums. I think that helped in stopping her from running out the door, but that also became a double-edged sword. I'm glad she is still in the house, but it is difficult to maintain the "hands-off" boundaries after so many years of being "hands-on." There have been many times recently that I thought it would be easier if she were not around.

Yesterday was a backslider. I left a Mothers' Day card for her on the kitchen counter before I left for church. When I returned home she barely spoke to me other than a short "thank you" for the card. I know, I should expect nothing from her so I am not constantly disappointed, but my emotional side was overtaking my DB side. It took great willpower to not ask "What's wrong?" but I did not ask. Unfortunately my mood started to spiral downward and I'm sure she noticed that, so I left the house to go on a long ride.

When I returned there was no communication at all. I made a light dinner for us, not to gain any "points" but because it was Mothers' Day after all, and I thought it was a considerate thing to do. We ate in silence, spent the rest of the evening in separate rooms and went to bed (separately) w/o saying "goodnight".

These incidents may seem trivial and not so important to others, but to me they are like little daggers that continue to slice away at what is left of our life together. I read somewhere on another post that it is like an alien has taken over my wife's body, mind and soul. She is a complete stranger to me.