The "Happy Mask" is a must, no way at this time can she remotely come to terms with reality ... she is just not capable currently with everything going on so she must sell how happy she is to everyone ... especially you... internally justifying her choice was in fact the correct one by externally projecting that feeling. It helps when they are high on this rush/fantasy that the new life they have been slowly fantasizing for years is finally starting to take shape, understand MLC did not just happen at BD, it was slow cooking for some time prior to that, you just did not see it coming.
During some moments of clarity my MLCr told me she would 'fake it till she made it' and try to pretend to be happy though deep down she was miserable and guilt ridden .... other accounts of this have been shared as well ... take the "Happy Mask" as just that ... a mask.
Ok ... First book/homework. This one was the first in a long line that I read and was definately a nudge for me to get where I wanted to go. No More Mr Nice Guy, like you I was a fixer, I also wrapped up half if not more so in Mr MLCr Father MLCr etc .... which wounded up losing who Cali really was. Project Cali 2.0 was put into motion and has been since that time, well worth the investment I assure you, if you invest in yourself it will pay off hand over foot.
