So my SO did end up losing his job, as in, he won't be hired after the internship is over in 3 weeks.
The company he works for is a young startup and though they are internationally secure already, the division in Germany isn't. They are really pleased with my SO's work, but sales came out lower than projected and they just can't justify a full time hire right now. His company did so much for us already in regards to visas and getting a good start for him, so I'm not mad, but it still puts us in a tight spot.
It's scary how one thing like that can throw off everything. This is why I'm so pissed off by people who always say "you just didn't try hard enough". Get your bootstraps crap away from me. People can work hard and do everything in their power, and sometimes things still don't work out. The notion that you can do anything if you just try hard enough is ridiculous, and I say that as a generally optimistic person. If anyone pulls that speech on me, I'll tell them as much.
Now, instead of going for a long residence visa, we gotta extend his temporary one for the job search. We'll go to the employment bureau on Friday to get that handled. My SO is already applying left and right, and getting advice from other expats. He takes a lot of initiative, and I appreciate it a lot.
The stress the past few weeks has done a number on me. My body is still not really back in shape after the hospital stay two months ago, and I've been clenching my teeth so much I'm getting very piercing headaches. Thankfully I started physical therapy, and as grueling as it is, I'm keeping up with it every day. I can't wait to stop feeling like a rusty machine.
A lot depends on whether my SO finds a job in the next weeks or not. We can extend the visa with little issue, most likely, but we'll need money to live. My mom already helped us out, and while I know she'd help us more if necessary, I really don't want it to come to that. She's too kind already. Times are tough, but I'm trying my best to keep my chin up.
Other than that I can only hope that he finds a new company that hires him! Good luck to the both of you!!
My health is quite shaken from all of this, still, and I worry about not being able to support my SO enough. I booked stuff for us to go to a job fair in Berlin on Wednesday, but I might not be able to go with him. I really want to, to be there and to help him with German, but I also know that he's very proactive and smart when it comes to handling things on his own. I have a hard time trusting it, but maybe it really would be best to stay home and focus on my health. The situation has been rough on both of us, too, and we've been fighting more. Being good to each other and ourselves should happen now more than ever.