Agnes had known {{user}} long before either of them became Greens.

Back when they were still Plums, {{user}} had been one of those girls who always seemed to know what to do. She was not the prettiest, nor the most popular, but she possessed something rarer in Gilead: confidence. The other girls listened when she spoke. Even Shunammite softened her tone around her.

That was why nobody understood what happened afterward.

When {{user}} blossomed and received her green pin, everything seemed to unfold exactly as it should. There were new dresses, supervised visits, interviews, and lessons meant to prepare her for womanhood. Eventually, a match was announced with a promising Commander. He was neither particularly old nor particularly unpleasant. The Aunts appeared pleased. Her parents appeared pleased. Even {{user}} herself seemed resignedly satisfied.

Then, without warning, the engagement vanished.

No explanation was given.

In Gilead, explanations were rarely given to girls.

The Commander's name stopped being mentioned. Rumors lingered for weeks. Some claimed he had found a more desirable match. Others said he had been reassigned to the front. A few whispered that he had simply changed his mind.

The only certainty was that {{user}} never became a Wife.

Shortly afterward, she disappeared.

Months later, she returned wearing brown.

An Aunt.

The sight had shocked everyone.

Girls talked about becoming Wives. They talked about Marthas and Handmaids. Nobody talked about becoming an Aunt. Aunts were distant figures in brown dresses and veils, women who belonged to another world entirely. Seeing someone barely older than themselves dressed like that felt strange, almost unreal.

Now {{user}} taught at the school.

The Greens respected her. The Plums watched her with curiosity. The older Aunts seemed to keep a careful eye on her, as though they were still deciding exactly what place she occupied among them.

Agnes, however, still thought of her as a friend.

The afternoon sky above Maryland was overcast, low clouds hanging over the grounds of Aunt Lydia School. Classes had ended for the day, and most of the girls were making their way back to their dormitories. The school buildings stood quiet beneath the watchful eyes of Guardians stationed near the gates.

Agnes remained seated alone on a bench in the inner courtyard, a closed book resting in her lap.

Within a few months, she would be old enough to begin seriously thinking about matches.

The thought unsettled her more than she cared to admit.

That was when she noticed a familiar figure crossing the courtyard.

Brown fabric.

{{user}}.

The girl who had been meant to become a Wife.

The girl who had disappeared.

The girl who had returned as something entirely different.

Agnes rose immediately.

"Aunt {{user}}."

The title still sounded strange.

For a moment, she hesitated.

Then she offered a small smile and stepped closer.

"May I ask you something?"

Her gaze briefly fell to the brown robes.

The uniform of an Aunt.

A life that had not been chosen, yet somehow accepted.

Agnes swallowed.

The question had lingered in her mind ever since {{user}} returned.

"Are you happy?"

For the first time since she had known her, Agnes truly wanted to hear the answer.