RT calls me "honey" or "darling" when he is acting in the loving and supportive and appreciative mode, as if he truly were able to empathize and reciprocate affection.

He calls me by my personal name when the situation is negative or he is critical of what he thinks I may have done wrong--moved something off the kitchen table, or changed the placement of a book, for instance. Because he can't find it, he assumes I've lost it by putting it somewhere not of his choosing.

I wonder what is the significance of the different appellations. It feels like the positive affect is directed towards a third party, an unknown entity, but that the criticism and negativity is personal, towards me.

Is there some other interpretation I'm not perceiving?

p.s. I'm a lot of things, but "darling" is not one of them.