Dreadfully Optimistic

[BL42]

ATLGuy13 - I'm sorry to hear about your situation. I'm newer to this board so there are much more experienced members who will weigh in but I would strongly warn you to take this very seriously. Although she may not have used the words "separation" or "divorce", your wife told you "she didn’t know if or think that our marriage could be saved" and told your marriage counselor she was a "1 out of 10" in her assessment of the marriage. Looking through the lens of my own situation, which I would never have categorized as having a rough 4 years previously, my wife had a similar talk with me in mid-February and in a matter of 5 1/2 months I discovered she was having an affair with a co-worker and she has since filed for divorce.

I don't mean to depress you or sound too negative, just want you to be aware of what's possible, despite the "good" signs such as a weekend beach trip. You say "Things with me and the wife still need to improve, sure, but they aren’t bad right now, and more importantly they are quite a bit better than a few months ago.", but does she agree "things aren't bad"? My perception was (apparently) dramatically different than my wife's.

Good luck. I wish you the best with your situation.