Harvey - Don't overthink the dating thing. It is probably too soon to start a full on relationship, but as long as you are honest with yourself and the person/people you are meeting, act deliberately and with no expectations then I am fully behind you. Use it to meet some nice people and build up your confidence. When the time is right the right person will come a long. As a girlfriend from long ago once said, "you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince".
I've responded on my thread on interacting with my H. It [censored]. I am healthier and happier when I do not see him. The smirks, the "urghs", the looks of disapproval, still make me shrink both physically and emotionally and all the hard work I put in to build myself up seems to be for naught. It will set you back in your healing. But, like you, in those two days, I do not really have a choice. My advice would be to keep your head up. Be polite but let words and actions wash over you. If you need to dissect, do it here. Do not use the two days as an opportunity to rub in her face how well you're doing. She should sense the changes through your actions and your 'amoafwl' attitude. Treat her like someone who helps look after your kids. Detached friendly. Logistics, practicalities and conversations about the children - that is your world for those two days. Also, validate if she wants to talk. But only if she wants to talk.
That's it. It won't be easy. There are some interactions that still send me into an emotional spin - but not very long. Ten minutes of quiet mindful breathing are normally enough to calm my mind now. But I've had more practice.
