Looking for a Spark in the dark

[Sparkls]

I really should think more before I hit submit>
I think in the beginning, as corny as it was, he told me that I made him want to be a better man. So he showed me just how good of a guy he could be. But lately, he decided he didn't want to try and be that guy anymore and I started to try and push him more and more to not backslide. And the more he did, the more I pushed and we got into this dynamic where I became his parent telling him what he could/couldn't do and he became the obstinate teenager doing things just to spite his parent.
In order for our R to go forward, we'd both have to meet each other in the middle. I'd need to see him trying to be a better man and he'd need to see that I"m not going to parent him.
I dunno if that'll ever happen.