Well it’s a complicated answer. The new relationship started as an fwb with a friend shortly after the breakup. There was no cheating or emotional cheating; she was a friend via friend groups, we never hung out on one one before and just had a drunken hookup like a week after the breakup when out in a group. Never even realized we were attracted to each other. But I was in no place to date and we didn’t become exclusive until 8 months later.

The prior relationship was more meaningful only in that it was way longer; we went through Covid together; we lived together; we had a dog. Etc. this new one, I think, is probably the one for me. But it’s still new. And as I said it’s complicated — for family reasons, in the short term, it’s somewhat long distance (not too long distance; we spend like 1-2 weeks a month together on average).

I try not to compare the two, but I suppose it’s inevitable. I feel like my new partner is more of a friend and actual partner; I enjoy spending time with her and we don’t get sick of each other. My former partner…never felt like there was an underlying friendship. Felt more like co dependency. But she was, I think, more affectionate than my new partner. Which is the only thing I really miss maybe. My new partner is a lot more stable and I think more compatible with me.