I hope one of the things the writers do is address some of the mysteries of Neal’s life in a way that establishes his character better. Most of us who follow Swanfire infer a lot about Neal from what we saw in Baelfire. We also look at the actor’s expressions and intonation–people can read that differently. His first adult scene in Broken has no words!
We still don’t know through dialog how he felt getting that postcard. I thought he looked upset. Upset about what, that he’d lost his chance and knew she never would forgive him? Upset that he’d proposed to Tamara and oops, Emma broke the curse that day? I just want to know what the timeline of all of it was.
It’s fine that I can make up a headcannon that he was manipulated and played by Tamara, but they left so much room for interpretation on why he was with her. So I might imagine some convoluted scenario involving Tamara faking an abusive boyfriend, an aborted pregnancy, tears and “you’re the only man I can talk to” kind of stuff, then proposing to him, but then obviously, other people can imagine the complete opposite.
“If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?” -- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass