Predictive Text

My phone still suggests his name after "Hey."

I've tried everything. Reset the keyboard. Deleted the app. Turned off predictive text, then turned it back on because I couldn't spell "definitely." But the keyboard remembers. It's loyal in a way he never was.

His name was Callum. We texted so much that the phone learned us. "Good" always led to "morning." "Love" always led to "you." "Hey" led straight to "Callum," like a sad little autocomplete prayer.

We broke up in July. Mutual, kind of. He said I was "too intense," which is what people say when you care more than they do.

Tonight, I typed, "Hey," out of habit, into a message to my friend. The suggestion bar glowed. "Callum."

I deleted it. Typed it again. Callum.

Then I tried something stupid. I typed, "I miss," and the phone, perfectly calm, suggested the next word. "You."

It's not even fair. The one thing that never forgot me is a piece of software.

My thumb hovered. I wondered what happens if I stop. If I just don't type his name for six months, a year, will it finally forget?

Will I?

Then I typed, "I love," just to see.

The suggestion appeared.

"You."

Even my phone is still in love with him.

And, apparently, so am I.