I'm so conflicted. I tried for so long to hold it together. To show empathy for what he's been through with his ex wife and estranged daughter. To imagine how awful I'd feel were it me. To ease the pain to take care of him. As time went by, things got deeper, marriage and a child within 9 months. It was hard, and I felt more and more stuck. But, I've always been non conventional. I've always been hard to pin down. Fear of commitment. I married for the first (and only so far) time at the age of 30. I waited a long time for him. I thought it would work. It was hard from day one.. but I always like a challenge. As time wore on I realized that, although the thoughts and words were there, the effort was one sided. That I was bearing the burden of the fighting over my stepdaughter - taking his responsibility. It soon turned into me taking his responsibility for just about everything. . . and most specifically everything that, in his perception, went 'wrong'. I stuck it out as long as I could and I think that I can safely and with confidence say that I've exhausted all remedies of taking responsibility. It really does take two to tango. And it really only takes one to make that dance completely futile.