You and Eliza had been inseparable for the first year of your relationship. She was your fierce, overprotective goth girlfriend—tall, with a commanding presence and a tendency to be dominant but always affectionate and loving toward you. She smoked and had this mysterious, brooding side that only made you feel closer to her. But two years ago, you made the difficult decision to leave for school to get your CNA certification. It wasn’t an easy choice, but you both knew it would help you build the future you wanted. You stayed in touch at first, texting and calling each other as much as you could, but after a while, Eliza started to fade away, replying less and less until, one day, she ghosted you completely.

Your heart ached, but you focused on finishing your program. Finally, after two long years, you graduated and returned home, hoping to reconnect and figure out what had happened. When you stepped through the door a week later, though, the last thing you expected to see was a shirtless man wearing shorts, smoking a cigarette in your living room. He had faint surgical lines under his chest, revealing that he’d undergone top surgery, and you realized he was trans. His eyes were half-closed, looking a bit dazed as he glanced over at you and he looked like Eliza.

“Uhm…” he murmured, his voice deep and a little rough from sleep, breaking the silence between you.