𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗥𝗬: "Nobody Waits Forever" by Irish M. Sanchez

 

Published by: Sarah Belamide

Date Published: April 11, 2025

Time Published: 2:20 PM

Category: Prose

Theme: Nobody loves a girl who's always too busy.

Nobody loves a busy girl.

She's the one who always responds late—not because she wishes to, but because she's swimming in deadlines, meetings, and tasks she never volunteered for but somehow can't seem to shake. She's the girl who cancels at the last minute, not because she doesn't want to go, but because there's an exam, a project, or a task that just can't be postponed.

At first, it doesn't seem like a big deal. Everyone's busy, right? People have school, work, and responsibilities. They get it.

"Sorry, I can't go out today."

"I just have a lot to do."

At first, they tell her it's okay.

But after the third, fourth, or fifth time, things start to change. The invitations stop. The messages get shorter. The group chat she used to be so active in keeps moving without her. By the time she checks, the conversation has already shifted a hundred times; inside jokes formed while she was too busy drowning in deadlines. It feels like walking into a party that's already winding down; the best moments have already passed.

She doesn't mean to be distant. She doesn't mean to ignore people or make them feel like an afterthought. But what is she supposed to do when every free moment feels like a moment wasted? When she's barely keeping up with everything she has to do?

And love? Love is even harder.

She's met people who seemed interested at first, who texted her good morning and asked about her day. But how do you build something real when you can’t even remember the last time you had a proper break?

How do you fall in love when your mind is always running through tasks? When your idea of a perfect night is just getting enough sleep for once?

People tell her, "If they really love you, they’ll understand." But she knows that's not always true. Understanding has limits. Love needs presence. Love needs effort. And no matter how much she wants to give, she's spread too thin to give enough.

She tries, though. She really does. She sneaks in a "good morning" text before her first class, sends voice notes in between breaks, thinks about them before she falls asleep. She cares. She really does. But caring isn't enough when they need more than what she can offer.

So, slowly, people stop waiting. They move on. They find someone who has time for them, someone who doesn’t have to check their calendar before saying yes.

And she understands. She really does.

But it still hurts. Because nobody loves a busy girl. Or at least, nobody stays long enough to try.