Does this mean we are entering piecing?

[Missmeg]

Actually, our definitions of "working it out" were pretty much the same. We spent a lot of time together this weekend, and discussed what we were doing and where he wanted to be. He "doesn't know" Of course. But he did acknowledge that he still enjoys being with me and is still hopeful that there might be a way we can work things out. We agreed to the following: each of us will get individual therapy/counseling. We will resume marriage counseling, although he would like to switch the therapist because he felt our previous one was badgering him. We will both wear our wedding rings. We obviously will not date anyone else, and will observe strict boundaries when dealing with friends of the opposite sex so that we don't cause each other any jealousy or feelings of disrespect. We will both consider ourselves 100% percent "in" the marriage and sincerely try to find solutions to our problems. He wants us to each draft up and write out our vision for how we would like our living arrangements/family/marriage/household to be. How we would like things to be, what things we feel we could negotiate on, and what things we feel are nonnegotiable. And then to go over those with a professional to see if we can come to common ground.

So that's all very positive.Monday we walked around the mall arm-in-arm and were very lovey-dovey and I started to think he'll be moving back home soon.

But today he was cool and distant and didn't offer to stop by or see me. Luckily because of this site, I realized I need to back off, continue my GAL, don't do anything that looks like pursuing, and be patient. How I hate that word!

I have some doubts about how promptly he will follow up on the agreement to get himself into individual counseling. I have some big doubts about the boundaries with women. He has a female roommate now. I have told him it is unacceptable to me and I hate it. I am 100% sure that there is nothing sexual nor romantic between them. Yet. But that's a very dangerous situation, it is a slippery slope. I don't care that they are not interested in each other, and that she is dating someone else. It's just no good. It makes me very very nervous. Things could change at any point 😣

We also put a timeline on this. Three months of honestly trying to make it work. Then we will reassess and see if we believe we're making progress or not.

So the journey continues, and I pretty well hate it. The emotional highs and lows are crazy making. Trying to sustain hope, but not too much of it, is also crazy making.