wil, I'm so sorry to hear that things are going so badly. It seems so unfair - you were willing to tough it out, and he decides to give up. I'm just guessing, but it sounds to me like you hit the nail on the head saying he's a big chicken, and he doesn't want to have to go through the hard work to make things right between you.

I can totally understand your fear - one thing that has really helped me deal with my fear and anxiety about being alone is to work on building my support network, connecting more with women at work, and keeping in touch better with my friends. I've even started going to a support group. If you don't have a strong support network, you could look into whether there is a support group around that might help. I know our local papers list meetings, so you could look there, or you could call a local hospital, or mental health clinic and see if they might know of one.

And of course, this is a terrific place to get support and encouragement! : )

Good luck, and let us know how you are doing.
mj