It's difficult. You can be doing so well for a few days then something can knock you back. In this case it is W planning time away with the children with a lady friend and not with me. I didn't react. I responded that I was planning a work trip around the same time and didn't want to be away from the kids the extra few days. W was ok about it and said she would move her date.

I don't want another spring/summer of W taking kids away on separate trips. It was like this last year... "I'll go with my mum" or "it'll give you time to do work at the house". In reality it was to create distance in the relationship.

I don't want this continued dead marriage, no effort, sad situation. It's affecting the kids.

I get that forcing her back isn't the way. But how to wake her up, get her unstuck? She can't be happy living like this.

So some of the logistics of our sitch.

I gave lots of space from DB on.
maybe 10-15 R talks in 6 months (including those around BD and EA). I know we say no R talk but this doesn't seem like much.
No sex since before BD.
I have started some light touching as it felt natural the last few days.
Day to day we rarely text, we don't speak much except for logistics, kids are always there, she goes to D's room at D's bedtime. I try to ask about her day but mostly get short replies.
W has not returned to IC since Christmas.
W seems to think we will co-parent like this indefinitely.
Stuff gets done at home. We are both proactive enough to keep things ticking over.
There isn't much future planning going on. Not a great way to run a family...
I'm trying to match her energy, maybe leading/approaching slightly more but not easy when nothing's coming back.
I'm listening, making eye contact. Not much eye contact coming back.

W has got a bit more secretive on social media lately but she will leave her phone unlocked and leave the room. I tend not to snoop. Recently her and friends went for a night out. It was strange that I didn't see any of them posting pictures.

So I guess this seems like me obsessing over her still.

I see things clearly at times and then feel confused again. Maybe I'm grasping too much. Maybe confusion is ok. It just isn't comfortable for me. Is this too comfortable for her?

Remind me again. what am i wrong about?


Me M42
W38
T14
M8
S6 S4 D2
BD (INLY) SEP2024
BD2 (EA) OCT2024