If you find one of those buttons, get me one, too! In fact, get me two, in case I wear out the first one!
Hanging on by a thread was really just referencing my goal of sticking it out for S12, and then escaping to focus on my life. I don't even care if we D. I just look forward to being able to make plans for myself without having to constantly consider what someone else would want. I just have to manage to not kill him in his sleep before then.
Regarding the hurt, I don't think it's so much that I don't acknowledge it. I think it just comes and goes so quickly. When he stomped off? I was shocked, but only for a second. I chastised myself, because I know better, but that only lasted for a second, too. I've just run this course soooo many times, recovery is pretty instantaneous. Like scratching a lottery ticket when you don't really expect to win, versus scratching it off because you really need it and expect to win. The same disappointment will result in totally different reactions because the expectation was different going in.
After H walks off, he plays the "hiding" game. Standard response for conflict-avoidant types. And that's fine, because I have no desire to be around him anyway. The only problem I have is that at some point, he'll re-engage with me and pretend like nothing ever happened and I'm supposed to be good with that. Yeah, ... not so much.
My H is king of the shell game. But I'm not actually sure he does it intentionally. I'll ask him a point-blank question that can be answered with a simple yes or no. He'll respond with something completely unrelated. So I'll acknowledge his statement then ask the question again. He'll do the same thing. My H's biggest complaint is how long our conversations last, but if he would just stay on topic and contribute and help with a resolution, instead of making it a contest or a "shell-game" as you called it (like that!), we could be done in a fraction of the time. But I really think he does what he does because oftentimes the only practical solution requires that HE change, and he just doesn't want to.
