[100 people ahead of you, estimated wait time: 30 minutes.]

True to form, getting a cab downtown on Valentine’s Day was next to impossible.

Even the cab app honestly told you how long you’d have to wait.

But Cole couldn’t manage that.

He’d give you hope, telling you to wait for him.

But he never said how long.

Like today, I waited until eleven, until the restaurant closed, and Cole still hadn’t come back.

Yet he kindly sent a message, telling me to take a cab home.

He even remembered to remind me to let him know once I was home.

And of course, there were those never-forgotten explanations and justifications.

[Nadia’s not feeling well. I had to take her home to be sure.]

[Take care and try to get some sleep early.]

He was not unaware of the dangers a girl would face taking a cab alone at night.

But while he could escort Nadia, he couldn’t do the same for me.

Because I was more sensible than Nadia, as he said.

Cole always said what he loved most about me was my sensibility and compliance.

Whenever he mentioned this, he’d always add, “Not like Nadia, who’s been spoiled from a young age.”

But Cole was wrong.

Sensibility isn’t innate.

Even the most sensible people wouldn’t want to be sensible forever.

He might not realize, but what I hated most was when he said, “You’re more compliant than Nadia; you’re more sensible than her; you’re better than her.”

But I never wanted to be compared to Nadia.

Comparison meant he was judging, choosing, weighing me against Nadia.

Even though he always concluded that I was better, his choice had never been me.

I finally got a cab.

Watching the city’s neon lights blur past, I suddenly realized that I’d become numb to Nadia.

The biggest fights between me and Cole were always about her.

But lately, it’d been calm for months.

I didn’t know when it started, but I stopped minding Nadia’s presence.

Like today, I could calmly accept Cole’s sudden departure.

Even seeing that social media post didn’t stir much emotion.

Is this what moving on feels like?

I picked up my phone and sent a message to Cole.

[I don’t want to be sensible anymore. Cole, let’s break up.]

He didn’t reply by the time I got off the cab.

I scoffed to myself.

Of course, with Nadia by his side, he wouldn’t have the bandwidth to respond to me.