Zero steps forward

[Pax_luv]

Hello everyone and how ya doing pinn?!

Hope you had a nice thanksgiving. I'm doing ok. Thanksgiving was hard, but not as hard as other recent events. Thanksgiving was/is Hs favorite holiday. He has dietary restrictions so I always took special care to make his own dressing, mashed potatoes, and dessert. Over the years, I adopted a menu and it became a tradition to make these items just for him. He would always be in heaven over the smells of our kitchen on thanksgiving morning.

Last year, I had food poisoning so we didn't celebrate and this year... Well I just spent it with my family without him. Gosh, it's been 5 months and he is still noticeably absent at these functions. Eh.... The emotions will pass. It was hard because everyone was asking where my dog was and it was hard to explain that he was with h. Everyone missed the dog! That was hardest to talk about!

Anyway, I actually popped in here today because I have a question and I just want to be prepared with options on how best to handle it. So my SIL flew in from back east this morning. She has an event a few hours away next week and came in early to spend the weekend with H. There's a really good chance that I'm going to see her. Now, I don't know what H talks to her about in terms of me, but I do know they are tight. She drives him absolutely crazy, but they'rve got each other's backs. I reached out to her in June so we could talk as I was having a hard time with all of this and she said H is her brother and she doesn't feel comfortable discussing anything with me. It was a hard bullet to take, but I figured at that time h was just saying anything he could to justify his actions (I have no idea if he's playing victim or what). Anyway, I let it go and haven't reached out since. At one point I reached out to my MiL too on her bday and never got anything back either. Again.... I don't know what H has told them and it really doesn't matter

So, if/ when I see her tonight, during dog swap how should I act? Friendly? Initiate a hug? Ask how she's doing? Or just be as brief as I've been with h? With H I've been friendly, provided a listening ear., but I don't engage- i let him lead. Since she blew me off, do I act as if and be happy to see her? Any advice would be welcome!