FOR most people, having a significant other say “I’m moving out” spells heartbreak — and adjusting to life as a singleton.
But when 26-year-old Maiah Police’s boyfriend of three years said he was leaving their home to move in with his brother, she wasn’t fazed — and despite skeptics, she insists they’re still a happy couple.
“My boyfriend and I have been living together for a year and a half now and he’s moving out next week,” Maiah (@misssmaiah) said in her now-viral video posted on August 30.
“We’re not breaking up. It’s just a new phase for us,” she said.
The reaction was swift — and brutal.
The clip racked up 7.5 million views, with commenters trying to convince Maiah that her relationship was actually over.
“I call this quiet quitting a relationship,” wrote one, while another said: “This is a sign and you should listen. He’s telling you without telling you.”
“I want to be this delulu,” wrote one more, as others insisted she was “gaslighting” herself.
But Hawaii native Maiah is unbothered.
She tells The U.S. Sun she has been dating her boyfriend Austin, 24, since April 2020.
Once Covid lockdown measures had eased, the couple embarked on a new chapter together outside of their home state.
“We had kind of been jumping around from place to place and I had the opportunity to choose anywhere in the country because of my job,” explained Maiah, who works in tech.
After two years of dating, they decided to relocate to Austin, Texas together to “try something new.”
Maiah and Austin had experienced “trial periods” of living together as they stayed in various Airbnbs in Alabama, Utah, and Southern California.
However, their apartment in Austin was the first time they had officially called the same place home.
Maiah and her boyfriend emphasized “open communication” while they both worked remotely from their 700-square-foot space.
“We had to just be really honest with each other of like, ‘Okay, you need to go work at a coffee shop or I’m going to lose my mind,'” she explained.
Austin also continued to travel a lot for work, which Maiah said made moving in together “feel less daunting.”
When the time came to renew their lease after their first year of cohabitating, the couple made a decision that divided TikTok users.
She revealed that Austin and his brother were moving in together, but they had invited her to share with them.
On TikTok, Maiah said that Austin has “always dreamed of living with his little brother,” and since they’re still so young, now’s the time to do it.
“Who am I do get in the way of that?” she asked in the clip. “It’s not like some kind of traditional contract you sign, like once you move in together with your boyfriend, you must live together until marriage.”
Despite the offer to join them, Maiah seized the opportunity to try living alone for the first time in her life.
“The traditional mindset [was] once we move in together, it’s kind of weird that now we’d move out but our whole relationship has been kind of untraditional,” she explained to The U.S. Sun.
As well as exploring her independence, Maiah cited the other reasons the living arrangement made sense.
From her sleeping issues to Austin’s excitement about living with his brother, the whole thing clicked for them.
So when she decided to update her followers on the situation, Maiah was not expecting the reaction she got.
From breakup predictions to rude comments, TikTok users gave their unsolicited insight into the couple’s relationship.
One told her: “He wants to be all moved out before he breaks up with you so he doesn’t have to deal with the drama of moving after.”
“He’s putting in the 2-week notice girl,” another said.
But those who know the couple outside the realm of social media didn’t bat an eyelid.
“I’ve never gotten a weird reaction from anyone [in my life] just because everybody knows us,” Maiah said.
“Nobody thought twice about it and then when it blew up, everyone was like ‘Wait, I actually can’t believe people are responding this way,'” she continued.
Despite the backlash from strangers over her living situation, Maiah says she “couldn’t recommend it to people more.”
She pointed out all the benefits of living separately from your partner, including having “two zones to hang out in” and consciously spending time together when you do meet up.
As well as helping to improve the development of her relationship, Maiah’s biggest takeaway from the set-up has been about her personal growth.
“It’s never too late to do things on your own, no matter if you have a boyfriend or a partner,” she said to anyone contemplating the same move.
“Do what’s best for you, no matter what societal norms are, you don’t have to date, get a house, get married, or have kids, that’s no longer the case anymore,” Maiah added.
“If you’re in a healthy relationship, your partner should understand what you need,” she concluded.
