I'm sorry that things haven't progressed, but if it is your h, it could take him a while to work up the nerve to contact her again.
Is it possible that the MLCer will never enter the phase of reconnecting? Yes, it is possible. He could be stuck and if that is the case, then it is best to leave things the way they are for now. Some do not recover from MLC and your h may be one of them...but time will tell. Nine years isn't that long for some of those stubborn ones that have a lot of issues and continue to run from them via addictions, op, etc.
Leave things be and if he opts to have another moment of clarity, he will then reach out to her (if he was the one that actually was doing the reaching).
Again...time will tell. Sit quietly and the answers will come when you least expect them.
Sit quietly, the answers will reveal themselves when you least expect them to. The past is gone, the present is a gift and you need to focus on today, allow the future to reveal itself when it is ready.
