40 years

We got through the lockdowns via 15k hikes, Netflix films and IPlayer documentaries. He read, I sewed, we talked, we tried out new recipes and I thought we’d managed ok

Then two days before Valentine’s Day we went for a walk and he told me our marriage had run out of road, that we did not have enough shared interests and that he did not want to spend his remaining years of good health with me. We would have been married for 40 years next month.

He refused to go to couples counselling. The day after Valentine’s Day he instructed a solicitor. Family life has been blown apart, his children are estranged from him and he has not seen his grandchildren in weeks.

I have never cried so much in my life. But I am so fortunate to be supported by my children, my extended family and absolutely wonderful friends. I’ve discovered I am stronger than I ever thought I could be. And I’ve been feeling my way towards a different future. 

Now comes the plot twist. He has just told me he loves me truly and deeply, he has made a massive mistake and that it has all been like a dream he’s just woken up from. What do I do now?