“Clingy”

We broke up last April - only a month or so after the pandemic hit full blast. I was out of work, depressed, and getting increasingly anxious about where things were going relationship-wise. So far, we'd been dating for several months without any sign of becoming exclusive. I was in love, though, and willing to overlook his excuses for why he wasn't ready to commit. I was loyal despite the fact that we weren't monogamous. I kept thinking that eventually he'd recognize how great I was and come around.

Instead, he saw me depressed about my COVID induced unemployment and becoming more and more reliant on him for validation and comfort (I believe this is what the kids call "clingy.") He ended the relationship telling me that he cared about me but that he wasn't able to give me what I needed. I wondered, though, why he would get rid of easy sex and companionship during a pandemic. It was only a week later that I found out he already had someone else. He no longer needed me. It broke my heart. On the bright side, all the free time I had due to being out of work left me fully able to wallow in my grief.