Dear Prudence,
I dated a woman for 10 months. We had a great relationship, and we really only ever argued about the speed of our relationship’s progression. Which for me is strange, because I would have been all for it, with this person in particular. We talked about getting a dog, moving in together, even marriage—we definitely loved each other. But when COVID hit, I was still dropping in on my parents. She doesn’t have family in our state, and I felt like she didn’t take it seriously, wanting to go out into densely populated areas not wearing a mask. I left, and she said, “If you leave, don’t come back.” I’ve heard this from her before and didn’t think it would really be the case. I haven’t spoken to or seen her since April. I know she’s on dating apps. I’m devastated. I love this woman and wanted to marry her. I haven’t reached out, but I also haven’t stopped thinking about her since the day I left and feel this sense of regret and guilt and know I made a mistake.