I'm a 36-year-old female, and I'm feeling quite frustrated with my significant other, who is 42 years old.

I’m a 36-year-old woman, and I’ve been with my partner, who is 42, for 13 years. We have two children, aged 2 years and 6 months. Things were going well until our first child was born. Since then, we’ve only been intimate around 15 to 20 times, and it’s really taking a toll on me. Additionally, I feel like he struggles to truly listen to me; it’s as if my words just don’t register. I was working before becoming a stay-at-home mom when our kids arrived. However, I’ve found it challenging, especially dealing with postpartum depression. I was in therapy until December of last year. My partner has a demanding job, and I understand that his business partner is battling cancer, which adds to his stress. Still, I feel like our relationship has been pushed to the back burner, and I’m starting to lose patience. I’ve tried discussing my concerns with him—regarding our lack of intimacy, not being married, and his difficulty in listening—but he just says “sorry” without making any real changes. I’m committed to my children and want them to grow up in a family, but I don’t want to be unhappy in that environment. If anyone has experienced something similar, I would really appreciate hearing your story.