Fifteen months after leaving his family, Kevin calls to talk about the summer with his kids, tension with his ex, and growing conflict with his partner. Later, in a February call, he shares how the second year of his new life is unfolding—and the unexpected challenges he never saw coming.

The Affair Recovery Room

Tim Tedder, LMHC

Kevin Leaves: His Second Year

NOV 25, 202516 MIN
The Affair Recovery Room

Kevin Leaves: His Second Year

NOV 25, 202516 MIN

Description

<p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Episode 3 of <em>Kevin Leaves</em> returns to Kevin’s story after a six-month pause in our conversations. By this point, he’s been away from his family for fifteen months, building a life with the woman who had been his affair partner. When Kevin calls me in November, he’s ready to talk about what these months have really felt like—what’s been encouraging, what’s been painful, and where the cracks are beginning to show.</p><p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Kevin reflects on the summer visit with his children, three weeks he had looked forward to with excitement. He tells me what went well and what surprised him, including the emotional distance that lingered beneath the surface. He also talks openly about the tension with his ex-wife, the strain that shows up around holidays, and the difficulty of staying connected as a long-distance father.</p><p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">The challenges in his new relationship are becoming harder to ignore. Kevin describes a conflict with his partner over the attention he gives his children, and how competing needs and expectations are creating friction that neither anticipated. The emotional weight of his ex-wife beginning a new relationship adds another layer he wasn’t prepared for.</p><p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Later in the episode, we move forward to a second call in late February. Much has shifted by then—externally and internally. Some of the hopes Kevin carried into this new life now feel less certain. Some of the realities he thought he could avoid have followed him anyway.</p><p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">This episode captures the slow, complicated unraveling that often happens after a major life change. The distance, the longing, the conflict, and the unexpected pain—this is what the second year after leaving really felt like for Kevin.</p><p data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">LINKS and EXTRAS</p><p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Episode Web Page: <a href="https://affairhealing.com/podcasts/032">https://affairhealing.com/podcasts/032</a></p><p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Help for Unfaithful Partners: <a href="https://affairhealing.com/renovate">AffairHealing.com/RENOVATE</a></p><p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Sign up for our <a href="https://affairhealing.com/newsletter">Weekly Newsletter</a> for encouragement and information about recommendations and new resources for affair healing, relationship growth, and personal change.</p><p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Need personal help? <a href="https://affairhealing.com/infidelity-recovery-coaching">Schedule a Session</a> with one of our coaches.</p>