A year had passed since Ethan had become Ed, and in that time, he had gone from barely keeping up to fully settling into his new life. The first few months had been a blur—balancing work, bills, and, most importantly, being a father to his former best friend, Jason, who still had no idea about the swap. That part had been the hardest. One moment, Jason had been his equal, his closest friend, and now, Ethan had to be his dad. Disciplining him, guiding him, pretending he had memories of raising him—it was overwhelming at first. But somewhere along the way, it stopped feeling like an act.
Jason trusted him, looked up to him, and despite Ethan’s initial awkwardness, they had grown close in a way he never expected. He helped Jason through his struggles at school, taught him how to drive, and even attended his football games, cheering him on like a real dad. The weirdness of it all faded. Now, when Jason called him Dad, Ethan barely even flinched.
Work had been another major adjustment, but surprisingly, he had thrived. At first, he had worried about keeping up with Ed’s old job, but his natural charisma and determination had made an impression. Now, a year later, he had just received a major promotion—regional manager. It came with a raise, more responsibilities, and a real sense of accomplishment. For the first time in his life, he had stability.
But perhaps the biggest change of all had been finally coming to terms with something he had always kept buried. In his old life, Ethan had never felt comfortable enough to fully embrace his sexuality. But now, in Ed’s body, something shifted. Maybe it was the confidence that came with age, or maybe it was knowing that no one expected him to be the same Ethan anymore. So, he came out—first to a coworker, then to friends, and eventually to Jason. And to his relief, no one cared.
Life was different now. Harder, more structured, but also fulfilling in a way he never expected. Ethan was Ed now, and honestly? He was happy.
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