The day after my bandages came off, I took Ethan somewhere that meant more to me than almost any place in the world.
It was a cemetery on the edge of the city, peaceful and quiet beneath rows of tall pine trees. Birds sang in the distance, and the air carried a calmness that seemed to soften everything around us.
Eventually, we stopped in front of three graves.
My grandfather rested in the center. On either side of him were my biological parents, together once again in eternal silence.
"Grandpa, Dad, Mom, I brought Ethan to visit you."
I lowered myself to my knees and reached out, gently tracing the photographs carved into the stone. The familiar faces stirred memories that would always remain a part of me.
"I'm finally living as the real Elara. I'm not pretending to be someone else
