My husband and I do not have children together. We each have children from our prior marriages. My youngest son has only ever known my husband as Dad. My husband makes a strong consistent effort to see his biological child in another state while doing almost nothing to see my son, whom he says he considers his son, knows my son sees him as Dad, and when asking me to marry him told the kids when I marry your mom I am marrying you as well. My son is over joyed to get any scrap of attention from him. My husband is continuing to act out, has become increasingly angry, and is unwilling to do anything to provide safety. I feel like he is playing yoyo with my heart and my sons heart. It is killing me to see him stringing him along in the same way he does me. What do I do to protect my heart and my children's? We had told the kids we are experiencing some problems and are going to take a class to help. The last time my children saw him was early October. My youngest son is starting to say things like "He is never coming back." We are in week 6 of EMS Online but things are going poorly. I keep hoping a switch will flip and we will make some progress but I am loosing hope, seeing that he is acting out and blaming me almost on a daily basis now. What do I tell my son? What is appropriate for him, he is 9? How do I protect his heart?