Ok guys, I want to tell you why I'm posting so much now. I remember when I got the atomic BD and he left for good. I tried to find everything I could on MLC and what the stages look like (like everyone else probably). I found lots of stuff on replay, and very little after that. I am writing now in case this is reconnection (it may not be). I have no hopes, no expectations. I am just reporting in case this is helpful to anyone.

I sometimes take S's phone away. Usually when I think he is watching shows instead of doing HW or sleeping. I haven't taken it away for a week or so. I assumed he was talking to OD and that OD was still texting. I've mentioned that my S is very sensitive. He takes after me and is more emotional. D takes after her dad and she has to be in the mood for anything emotional or sensitive, and it isn't too often. So I'm looking through and see that OD and S talked on the phone this week again. That was good.

I see that in the texts OD is actually asking him about particular pieces of schoolwork, and across multiple days, like a father wanting to make sure the work is being done. This is somewhat shocking to me. The rest of the texts are things like I hope you are sleeping well, hope you got lots of rest yesterday, I would love to hear from you or talk to you, can I call you later, banter in the foreign language that S is studying and in which OD has shown an interest over the last several years. That sort of thing. Recall that he used to send links to articles or videos (music, self help, etc. that were more about what OD was going through) with no real text or robotic love ya, miss ya, etc. Nothing asking about S's life, nothing paternal, nothing too emotional.

Then I see a text from a couple of days ago in which OD tells S that he loves S very much and could not have asked for a better son. I have never, ever known OD to say something like this. His father lived nearby growing up but was never part of his life. Maybe one meal a year kind of thing and all of their conversations were very superficial.

Again, don't know what this is, if it is going anywhere, etc. Just recording it.