Mara surprised me a few minutes ago. She came up here and told me that she had talked to Bobby and they had decided not to talk anymore, because of some of the things I said. One of the things I had asked was how she would feel if I met a girl that I was really attracted to at a time when I was thinking about leaving her and, even though nothing had happened, I continued to talk to this girl daily on the phone and in text messaging. How would she feel, knowing all this?

I didn't so much want her to stop talking to Bobby as I just wanted to be acknowledged and respected. I had begun to feel that my feelings had been dismissed, and I've really been struggling with this. I suppose only time will tell if Mara feels like she's given me a concession at great personal cost and comes to resent it.

I also hope she means it, even though I didn't ask for this. I hope she means it because it will be even more damaging if she says she's going to stop talking to him and then keeps right on doing it. In that case I'll consider that to mean that she's made her choice. Right now, though, I prefer to believe that Mara is genuine and wants to do whatever it takes to make our marriage work. I know I am.

It means a lot to me that Mara has acknowledged that I've been hurting, too. Now I don't feel so much like I'm being made a fool of.