Guy leaving to go back to ex wife

Oy. I reconnected with someone from my past over the holidays. We spoke for hours every day but are long distance and hadn’t seen each other yet. He had opened up to me about how his ex wife broke him by saying she didn’t love him anymore and wanted more. They divorced a year ago but she has moments where she regrets it and starts bringing up memories of when they were a family. They have 2 kids. He is the one who supports them financially.

He was honest about how he desperately missed being with his girls every day but how he felt he was supposed to be with someone else. Someone who would communicate better and love him for him.

Sure it may have been some love bombing but we are both 42, have worked on ourselves in therapy, and know what we are looking for in a partner. I think our history made us kind of fall for each other again pretty quickly. It was a romanticized future but one that felt like a possibility.

We started planning the first trip and how our LDR would work with visits every 6 weeks. She shows up yesterday with the girls and asks him to move back in with her and give it a try for their family. They were married for 14 years. I obviously let him go.

I have so many things I want to say. That the kids will benefit more from seeing healthy relationships than watching parents who stay together just for convenience. That he deserves the passion and love from someone who won’t give up and leave him. That’s it’s the easy road for her to ask him back when it’s financially hard for her. But I just said goodbye. These are lessons for him to learn.

Just coming here to say the early days of no contact are hard. Especially when there had been such frequent and deep communication. Even the loss of the romanticized future can hurt and that’s okay. Appreciate the words of encouragement from those who have gone through it.