Months passed after that decision and I slowly rebuilt my life inside a new apartment overlooking the Hudson River in New York, where therapy sessions helped me realize I had mistaken patience for love and silence for loyalty while learning how to exist again without shrinking myself for someone else’s comfort.
Eventually I met Caleb Wright, a thoughtful consultant at work who spoke gently and never demanded more from me than I was ready to give, and when he once asked if I would like to get coffee I answered honestly, “I am not really dating right now,” which he accepted with a warm smile that felt surprisingly safe.
Meanwhile I heard through coworkers that Colin lost his position after the company discovered the relationship with Allison violated workplace policies, and when he confronted me months later at a storage unit asking if I missed our life I simply replied, “I miss who I used to be before I believed love meant making myself smaller.”