When John’s girlfriend, Sarah, started to act strange, he knew he had to figure out what was going on. His once loving and caring girlfriend had turned cold and absent, and his relationship was on the brink of collapse. So, he decided to follow her, something he later wished he never did… Because once she told him the truth, everything changed… John sat next to Sarah on the couch. They looked at each other, and there was a lot of tension. Sarah seemed very nervous and could only hold eye contact with John for a couple of seconds. Then, after a long silence, Sarah finally spoke up.  “John, I’ve something to confess.” John sat up straight. That did not sound good. Suddenly, this had taken a very serious turn, and John’s heart sunk into his shoes. He feared Sarah was about to say something she would later regret but kept his mouth shut. Whatever it was she was hiding, John had a right to know. A million different scenarios ran through John’s mind. There were a lot of explanations for her weird behavior, but none of them were positive. Well, maybe one was positive, but John was sure that wasn’t the real reason. And then, she finally revealed her secret. But what was Sarah hiding from John? And why was she acting so strange? John and Sarah immediately hit it off when they met six months ago, and John knew he wanted to spend more time with her. But she seemed to pull away every time he tried to get closer. He was worried she only wanted to have fun and wasn’t interested in a relationship, but little did he know there was far more going on… John decided to plan a romantic dinner to salvage his relationship with Sarah. He planned to surprise her outside her work building and take her to a secret location. There he would set up a table for two, dinner, candles, and roses everywhere. It was truly the most romantic thing he had ever planned.  So, the next day, around five P.M., John headed to Sarah’s work. He waited for her to come outside and handed her a big bouquet of roses. Sarah was taken aback and didn’t expect John to show up out of the blue. But she didn’t seem as happy as John had hoped.  John shook off the uncertain feeling and led Sarah into a taxi. He handed the location to the driver on a note, so Sarah wouldn’t hear where they were going. And when they were almost there, he wanted to blindfold her. Sarah refused at first, but with some persuading, she let him put on the blindfold.  The table was beautifully set on a beautiful pier by the sea. He carefully guided the still-blindfolded Sarah to the table and took off her blindfold. Sarah gasped when she first looked at all the candles and seemed very happy. But out of nowhere, her expression changed, and she ran away without saying a word.  John was stunned. He had made a big effort by planning this romantic dinner. And Sarah just ran away? How could she do this to him? There had to be something else going on. John decided to enjoy his dinner on his own. But he wasn’t about to let this go. He wanted to know what Sarah was hiding from him.  So, that evening, he sent her a text. He really thought about what to say, as he didn’t want to come over too strong. But he wanted to let her know he wasn’t going anywhere. He figured Sarah would feel sorry for leaving him like that, so he expected her to text back right away, but she didn’t. The next morning, John woke up and immediately checked his messages. But still, no text from Sarah. He sighed. The last six months had been so nice and chilled with Sarah, and he feared he had destroyed his chances last night. But most women would melt if a man did something like this for them, right? John knew there was more to this story. And he also knew Sarah had a day off today. So he decided to head over to her house. She might not answer his texts, but she couldn’t ignore him if he were right in front of her. But when he arrived at her house, he saw something very confusing. Just as John walked around the corner of Sarah’s street, Sarah walked out of her front door. John quickly hid behind a big bush and watched as she walked away. John hesitated but decided to follow her. There was something off about Sarah, and he desperately wanted to find out what.  It wasn’t like him to act so suspiciously. He had always trusted Sarah, and even though they never really agreed to be exclusive in these last few months, she had always assured him she wasn’t seeing other people. So that is why John was so curious. It just made no sense. He followed Sarah for a while, and finally, she stopped. She sat down on a park bench and waited. John hid behind a tree, still watching her every move. She had no book or other things to pass the time with, so it was obvious to John she was waiting for someone. But who?  But soon after, Sarah stood up as a woman approached. They hugged each other and sat back down. Their body language was comfortable, a sign to John they had known each other for a long time. The other woman touched Sarah on her arm and put her hand on her knee as they passionately talked about something.  John couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but it looked like the other woman was trying to comfort Sarah. They hugged, kissed each other on the cheeks, and then parted ways. John was very confused. What did this mean? The woman walked away, and Sarah sat back down on the bench and sighed. There was clearly something on her mind.  But then John was almost caught. Because Sarah grabbed her phone and called John, whose phone wasn’t on silent. The sound of his ringtone echoed through the park, and he quickly ran away before Sarah could see him. He picked up the phone as soon as he thought the coast was clear. “Hi, John,” Sarah said with an uncertain voice. John was out of breath from running but tried his best to sound surprised by her call.  “Hi, Sarah,” he said as calmly as possible.  “I’m sorry for ignoring your text and leaving you like that yesterday. Can we talk?”  Shit, John thought. That did not sound good.  Suddenly, a big truck drove by, just as John wanted to answer Sarah’s question.  “Where are you?” Sarah asked, confused.  “Oh, just out, you know?” John rambled. He quickly changed the subject. “Yes, I definitely want to talk. How about tomorrow after work? I’ll come by your house.”  “Uhm, alright I-” “Alright, bye,” John interrupted her and hung up.  That was a close one; John thought as he hurried home. Sarah almost caught him spying on her, which wouldn’t look good. When he got home, he felt like he could finally breathe again. Tomorrow was the day he would find out what was happening with Sarah and who that unknown woman was.  The evening couldn’t last any longer. It felt like an eternity until John finally fell asleep. And he did not wake up well-rested. He tossed and turned in bed all night, thinking about what Sarah would tell him. But today was that day. All he had to do now was wait for the evening, and he would finally find out the truth.  John filled his day with things he enjoyed to keep his mind off tonight. He worried about Sarah’s secret. What could be so bad she couldn’t even enjoy a nice romantic dinner on the pier? And who was that woman? She had a lot to explain. And even if she had a good reason, should John just forgive her? Finally, it was time for him to head over to Sarah’s house. He waited until six o’clock to be sure she would be home from work. He wore his best outfit, brushed his teeth, and walked out the door. His heart raced as he got closer to her house. He could still turn around and go home, but he didn’t. He stood in front of Sarah’s door for a few minutes before knocking. He knew what he wanted to say to her, but still. He felt nervous. What if she lied to him? Or what if he was wrong all along? That would be very embarrassing… And he didn’t want to lose her. He just wanted the truth. When he finally felt his nervousness go down, he took a deep breath and knocked on the door. His heart pounded in his chest because he knew tonight would be the night of answers. He would either go home as a single man or could go home still dating Sarah. He heard footsteps from inside the house, and soon after, Sarah opened the door. She looked downcast, which wasn’t a good sign in John’s eyes. “Hi, John,” Sarah said with a slight smile. “It’s good to see you,” and she stepped aside to let John in. John smiled back, but he felt miserable on the inside. John felt the tension in the air and wondered if Sarah felt it too. He hung up his coat and walked over to the living room. Sarah followed quietly behind him and got them both a glass of wine. They sat down on the couch and sipped their wine without saying a word. After a few minutes of painfully tense silence, Sarah stood up and walked to the kitchen. John could hear her sigh on her way. He doubted if he should just tell her how he felt and get it over with, but his pride stood in the way. He wanted her to start explaining first.  Minutes ticked by, and Sarah had still yet to return. Deep down, John knew he should’ve put his pride aside. He waited another five minutes and finally heard Sarah coming back. When she sat down again, John could see her eyes were red. Did she cry? John thought to himself. Sarah sighed and looked down. She fidgeted her fingers nervously and couldn’t seem to make eye contact with John. So, John took the initiative. “Listen, Sarah… I have to ask you something,” he began. Sarah looked up and looked John directly in the eyes. “No…” Sarah sighed. “I have to tell you something first.” “Listen, John. There is something I haven’t told you,” Sarah continued. John felt his hands getting clammy, and his body began heating up. This was it, he thought. The truth will finally come out. He could feel the sweat gathering in his armpits and his forehead. Oh, no… The tension became too much for John, and he felt himself becoming lightheaded. “Sorry, Sarah,” he said. And he stood up and walked outside. John needed to get some fresh air. He cared so much for Sarah, and the thought of her telling him it was over was too much for him. But little did he know it wasn’t like that at all. Sarah followed him outside. She put her hand on John’s shoulder and asked him if he was okay. John held a brave face and told Sarah he would be okay. But he wasn’t sure about that at all. Sarah smiled slightly and took John by the hand. “Let’s go back inside.” “I really need you to know something about me,” Sarah continued. “It’s a big deal and something that lays heavy on my heart. I hope you understand why I’ve kept this a secret for so long and won’t judge me about it.” John sighed. Just get it over with, he thought. “Just tell me, Sarah. Just rip the bandaid off.” John was getting impatient. Sarah had just basically confirmed to John that she had been lying to him about something, and he was convinced he knew about what. He just wanted her to tell him already so he could leave and go home. But Sarah had other plans.  Sarah looked perplexed at John. “Are you getting angry with me?” she said while frowning her eyebrows. “I’m in the middle of telling a delicate secrete of mine, and you have the nerve to tell me to hurry up? John could hear Sarah getting irritated. “No,” he said. “I… I didn’t mean it like that.” “It’s just..” John looked down. Now he was the one telling a secret. “When you called me today, and I said I was ‘just out,’ I lied to you. I actually followed you to the park.” “What?” Sarah said, confused. “I needed answers, and you weren’t answering my texts. And I saw you with a woman.” Sarah couldn’t believe what she was hearing.  “You spied on me?!” she said while raising her voice.  “I’m sorry, but I just had to know what was going on with you,” John said tremblingly. “I care about you, and you were acting so strange! You left me with no other choice..” Sarah sighed and stood up. She paced around the room in silence. John knew he had made a mistake, but he really felt like he had to find out on his own what was going on with Sarah. He just hoped Sarah could be able to forgive him and still trust him enough to tell her secret. This had gotten way out of hand. Sarah had imagined a calmer environment to tell him her secret. But now that she’d found out he’d followed her earlier in the day, she questioned whether she wanted to tell her secret at all or just wanted him to leave. But deep down, she knew what to do.  Sarah sat back on the couch and grabbed both of John’s hands. “Alright, we’ve both made mistakes. You spied on me, and I kept an important secret about me. Tonight will be the night we both get everything off our chests, and after that, we can move forward and grow as a couple.” John nodded his head and looked at Sarah. Her words sounded promising, and he only hoped they could actually stay a couple after tonight. But to know for sure, he needed to hear her secret first. “I’m all ears, Sarah,” he said. “Tell me everything.”  “John, I’ve something to confess,” Sarah said. “I’m sorry,” Sarah said, looking down at her feet. “I didn’t know how to tell you.” “Tell me what?” John demanded, his heart racing. “I’m transgender,” Sarah said, her voice barely above a whisper. John froze. He had never expected that. He didn’t know what to say or how to react. He sat there, staring at her, trying to process what she had just told him. “I know it’s a lot to take in,” Sarah said, her eyes filled with tears. “I understand if you need some time to think about it.” “No, no,” John said, shaking his head. “I just…I didn’t know. I wish you had told me sooner.” “I wanted to, but I was afraid,” Sarah said, wiping away her tears. “I was afraid you would reject me, that you wouldn’t understand.” “Sarah, I care about you,” John said. “I don’t care about your past or your gender identity. I care about who you are as a person.” Sarah’s eyes widened. “You really mean that?” “Yes, of course,” John said, pulling her into a hug. “I just wish you had trusted me enough to tell me sooner.” John felt kind of relieved. So Sarah wasn’t cheating on him after all. “But who was that woman you talked to in the park? He asked. “That was my high school sweetheart. The last woman I dated before I transitioned. She had been my rock through it all and really helped me with my transition.” John and Sarah talked for a long time that night, discussing Sarah’s gender identity and what it meant for their relationship. John was honest with her, saying that he needed some time to think about it and to understand what it all meant. Sarah was understanding, and they both agreed to take things slow and see where their relationship could go. Over time, John learned more about transgender people and the challenges they face. He learned about the discrimination and prejudice they often encounter, and he was determined to be an ally and a support system for Sarah. He knew that it wouldn’t always be easy, but he was willing to work through the challenges together. In the end, John and Sarah’s relationship grew stronger because of Sarah’s confession. It brought them closer together and allowed them to be more honest and open with each other. They both knew that they had a lot to learn and that there would be challenges ahead, but they were committed to working together. The end.