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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

DF and his ex - just what a non-toxic breakup looks like?

17 replies

Eikar · 11/07/2024 02:38

DF and I have been together for 4 years and have a 8 month old DS, before that he had been single for 6 years, and before that in a 4 year relationship, so they broke up 10 years ago.
If I’m honest we don’t talk about our exes, I’m a DV survivor, he told me they broke up as they brought out the worst in each other, he told that he held no bad feelings towards her and he hoped she was happy but wanted nothing to do with her. He hadn’t seen her since they broke up.

Well at the weekend by nothing but pure coincidence he ran into her, I was there, we were at a park and she had 2 children, pleasantries were exchanged she introduced her husband and children, he introduced me and DS. They briefly asked about work/family, we moved on, he seemed quiet but we had a nice day with DS. On Sunday night my DF cried in front of me for the first time ever, in 4 almost 5 years. Not a tear when DS was born or his dad passed nothing but he was crying properly. I asked what was wrong and he told me nothing but eventually broke and said that he found it really hard seeing his ex, I asked why and he sort of said he didn’t know and eventually told me that she had given her two children the names they had picked and it felt like a slap in the face. I’ll be honest I was jealous that he was crying over another woman. He told me he has no real feelings for her but she will always hold a space in his heart and it’s hard to see someone live the life they planned with you but with someone else. He calmed and seemed ok from then on.

I noticed tonight when I looked over that he was on his phone a lot and I could see he was on instagram, he told me he was just scrolling but he never does that. I decided to look and see if he was following anyone new and of course his ex was there. I asked him about it and he said I shouldn’t be worried but he just went a follow request as so much time has passed and why not be civil, I asked if they messaged and he said yes. He let me read them, nothing flirty, just talking about life, he was telling her about our wedding and DS, she was talking about her wedding a few years back and her kids, they joked that they both have used names they picked together (tbh if I’d known this I might have picked a different name for DS but whatever). He told me that he had also called her on his commute yesterday and that it wasn’t anything deep. He told me that they discussed maybe going for a coffee but obviously her husband and DDs would be there and me and our DS and he wouldn’t go if I wasn’t ok with it.
Now I don’t know how to feel. I have no contact with my exes and if I did it would be horrible. Is this just what it looks like when break ups aren’t toxic? Should I be worried?

OP posts:
IdealHomeExhibition · 11/07/2024 05:10

Sorry op that sounds shit.

Bumping into someone and being civil yes that's normal. The rest no.

Lostworlds · 11/07/2024 05:16

I agree with @IdealHomeExhibition bumping into an ex, being polite and Introducing family is normal!

Even having a little social media stalk is normal.

Crying over having the life they planned together but with someone else is not normal. Phoning for catch ups isn’t normal since they haven’t spoken in years.

It feels very much that she broke his heart and he’s now wanting to be in contact with her again.

I had a few favourite baby names that I might have told to exes when I was younger but it wasn’t really - this is what I’d call our children - sort of thing. I then didn’t even name my children those names as my dh wasn’t keen. I find it weird he’s admitted to her that he’s chosen a name that they picked out.

Useruserdoubleuser · 11/07/2024 06:05

He’s being wildly inappropriate. If she’s sensible she’ll shut him down. Hope he isn’t getting a ‘grass could have been greener’ feeling, romanticising what could have been.

In my long marriage I was twice contacted by exes who had married other people. Evidently looking to see if I would be up for some rekindling.

Tell him he’s being weird.

DancingPhantomsOnTheTerrace · 11/07/2024 06:13

eventually told me that she had given her two children the names they had picked and it felt like a slap in the face.

they joked that they both have used names they picked together (tbh if I’d known this I might have picked a different name for DS but whatever).

Have I understood this correctly - he also used a name for his child that they both chose? Why is it a slap in the face when she does it then??

The rest of it is weird and inappropriate as well.

Kittea · 11/07/2024 06:14

Goodness OP I got anxious on your behalf just reading that.

I would be extremely uncomfortable at how inappropriate it is. You can’t stop him if he really wants to see her or rekindle their relationship.

For now just be honest about how this makes you feel and ask him to stop out of respect for your feelings. If he does, great. If not … well I wouldn’t hang around until he cheats tbh.

ShouldhavebeencalledAppollo · 11/07/2024 06:21

The meeting was fine.

Him even being a bit shell shocked by seeing her, I could understand. If I had been so serious with an ex I planned kids etc and I found out they replicated the life we planned with someone else, I would probably feel weird about it. Not crying, just a bit weird though.

Then it goes off the deep end, for me. Following eachother on social media? Because I might feel a bit weird about seeing them I definitely wouldn’t want to know more. Messaging it another stale to far.

Then calling her on his commute? To chat about what?

I absolutely wouldn’t be happy with that, at all.

olympicsrock · 11/07/2024 06:31

This sounds really odd I’m afraid. He has serious feelings about her. The whole thing is not good for your relationship.

There is a chance that if they meet , she will make it clear that she has moved on. I think I would insist that any meetings are with partners to reinforce that you are now his partner. Ideally though , he should not be contacting her again.

UKposter · 11/07/2024 06:36

I think a non-toxic breakup is where you remain friends from straight after the break up. I have one (not close) friend that fits into this category. Someone I’ll be friendly to when I bump into them and we message occasionally. I think the key thing is though that our relationship never got off the ground properly and we were friends for a long time beforehand.

I agree with others that say that the phone call and wanting to meet up seems weird & potentially like he still has feelings for her.

kkloo · 11/07/2024 06:39

I doubt he would be ok with it if you broke down in tears after seeing your ex (if he hadn't been abusive) and you were saying it was a slap in the face that he used the babies names that you had planned together.....and then started chatting to him and calling him.

I can understand that bumping into her could have thrown him off and it's normal enough to get a bit nostalgic and emotional about it but to break down about it in front of your current partner is an extreme emotional reaction and not normal and then he goes and starts chatting to her and calling her? Nope

renomeno · 11/07/2024 06:58

Im in a slightly different camp in that I can imagine if this had been quite a serious (talking a bout kids) deep relationship. That bumping into each other has brought up a lot of feelings for both of them that need to be processed.

He has been honest and said that it's hard seeing a life they'd planned together happening with someone else, that doesn't mean that he's not happy with you. In this situation I think the more open you can be with each other the better the outcome. Comfort and support will go a long way in confirming why he's with you and not her...

In all honesty it's unlikely they will go on to be long term family friends but maybe going for a coffee will give some closure.

DaisyChainsandSunnyDays · 11/07/2024 07:05

That would not sit right with me and I would be telling him it’s not appropriate to re kindle this relationship.
one thing bumping and having conversation but messaging and everything he did after that is not on. If he needs closure and to heal so many years later perhaps he needs to speak to therapist and seek professional help with that

AppleCream · 11/07/2024 07:08

She obviously meant a lot to him at the time and bumping into her again brought some feelings back. I think it's all ok so far but I would keep an eye on things OP.

Commonsenseisnotsocommon · 11/07/2024 07:10

My spidey senses would be up with how he's behaving now. Bumping into her and initial upset understandable but now starting to reignite contact and wanting to be buddies isn't, imo. I'd be loving towards him but also mention that he's making you feel very uncomfortable and can he just imagine if it was you now pursuing contact with an ex, how that would make him feel... let him know you don't like it and feel it's inappropriate and that if he continues then he's going against your wishes, before he actually makes plans to see her. If he still does it then you've got a bigger problem of him purely prioritising his feelings over how he's making you feel. I'd also have lots of family things in the diary for the next few weeks so if he's trying to get away for a few hours to meet her it would be obvious to you. I hope it turns out to be him just being daft and emotional but I wouldn't be happy at all to tolerate it.

Mumoftwo1316 · 11/07/2024 07:12

I'd be telling him not to be a fool - he's got his happy family right here, don't throw it all away (again?)

Mumoftwo1316 · 11/07/2024 07:14

As an aside, grown adults who pick names for babies before they're even conceived always strike me as a bit childish.

I definitely understand how you feel about what they said about DS's name. I'd be enraged if my son's name turned out to be the name my dh "picked" with his ex

SpringleDingle · 11/07/2024 07:25

The bump into, chat a bit, do a social media stalk part is totally normal. Calling, following, wanting a catch up is not.

Binman · 11/07/2024 09:21

SpringleDingle · 11/07/2024 07:25

The bump into, chat a bit, do a social media stalk part is totally normal. Calling, following, wanting a catch up is not.

This

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