WAW w/Exit Affair or WW? - Don't Want Divorce (2)

[BL42]

Again it's been a few weeks since my last update...this time due to COVID. Not long after my last post I was notified of an potential exposure and tested positive the next day, so my kids and I quarantined together/alone for 2.5 weeks straight. Fortunately our symptoms were mild and the illness itself was not too serious for us...but it was quite a crazy time trying to take care of D2 and help S5 with school calls/assignments, all while trying to get my professional work done! Not much time to read/post on this forum. Normally my parents provide daycare/virtual schooling (and W has time obviously) but this was just me doing everything 24/7 - don't think they were more than 20ft from me for 17 straight days! I love them but being so young were crawling all over me LOL. It was exhausting and frustrating at times, but also a lot of fun and I felt a strong sense of bonding with them...plus they thought it was fun getting grocery and dinner delivery!

Because of the quarantine duration W video chatted more than usual and came over and saw the kids through the window several times. It was weird hearing her via the smartphone so much - because the kids are so small I had to help at times - and having her come over, but I mostly tried to keep busy doing something in the other room to avoid hearing/seeing her and let the kids interact.

W requested half my scheduled week following the quarantine. Initially I didn't want to give up the time because I love and miss the kids and felt I was helping them through illness and didn't have a weekend to take them anywhere, but eventually responded, saying "yes, that's fair" because they did stay with me through her week and S5 was definitely missing her at times. Plus if I'm being honest it was good to get a break after all that. W did request in an email I respond in a "timely manner" to her emails/texts and that it was "pretty ridiculous" it took me so long to get back to her on the schedule adjustment. I ignored the comment and did not engage, but suppose she has a point - my delay (days, not hours) was partially because I didn't want to give up any time with the kids but also a bit of bitterness regarding the situation she's put us in.

GAL has been difficult because of quarantine. Obviously I didn't see another soul in person during it, but even afterwards almost all of my friends are coupled off now and have less time to meet up spontaneously and also have other plans on weekends with family or other friends. I did clear out the basement, sell some items online, did a significant project in the garage, and had interior decorators come over today. It feel good to check items off my list and make progress to improving the house. This coming weekend is my second "off" weekend and I do have brunch scheduled with a bunch of friends on Saturday and plan to go skiing on Sunday, so I'm looking forward to that.

In terms of the D/finances, W proposed a fair value of the martial home so that's good. We're exchanging more financial information in the next week or two, so hopefully we can finalize assets soon.

This week last year we were enjoying a family vacation at Disney, and I had no idea of what was to come - it's hard to believe it's been a year since that trip. And such a bizarre/crazy/terrible year it's been. I'm just trying to keep moving forward...