My friend is exceptional yes. I met her after H stole my fridge and all my food and I was in mum's and toddler group with dd3, crying about how he'd taken everything and she came up to me and we spent ages talking and then she went to town and bought me loads of packet food and our friendship just flourished from then on.
I couldn't afford to replace the fridge and I had this butter I was still using which then gave me food poisoning and I collapsed after 5 hours vomiting.
H came round and took me to the hospital and they had to give me 4 bags of saline to re-hydrate me and the baby had to go on a foetal heart monitor (I was 7 months pregnant).
H was so guilty he stayed with me for 4 hours while they were putting drips into me and held my hand etc and told me not to look at the needles.
He put the fridge back after that and never did it again.
But that is how my friend became the best female friend I've ever had.
She hates H personally because she's seen what he's put me through but she is still supportive of us reuniting as she says that it's obvious we still love each other and it's what I want so she wants it too regardless of her disliking of him.
Re my childhood, H's was as bad and he HATES talking about it so I don't suppose discussing it with him is a good idea.
I thought when I met him and had the kids I had everything I wanted anyway. A lovely H, gorgeous kids, my own business, my books. (I decided at age 7 I wanted to write books so I did). I had more happiness in my M than I'd ever had in my whole life.
The only blip was the D, but as you can see, I am working on that, they are still mine and he said ILY
