To answer your question about ML, I think it is a good idea, but do not read too much into it. Being intimate with each other can bring you closer together, and it shows that she is open to you.
I agree with the sentiment that it takes a long time. Also, depending on your sitch, it is an up/down rollercoaster. In 6 months from BD, my W has gone from the verge of moving out, to deciding to stay, to a strange limbo. She is unhappy with many aspects of her life and this spills over into our R.
