I saw her beautiful tears every time I closed my eyes. I became obsessed with distracting myself from her memory. Once casual alcoholic drinks became ...he norm, no longer casual, consumed to numb me and help me sleep.In moments of inebriation I wondered if there was only one person in the world that was the perfect partner and Keira had been mine. In those moments I regretted pushing her away. In morning sobriety my life felt dull, boring, the passing of time painfully slow. Work suffered. One. I remember those times withdistaste, I should have managed better, but hindsight is a wonderfulthing and I was the first misgendered victim. They hadn't been set up todeal with that particular problem, though it shouldn't have been sodifficult to foresee. I wasn't the last, but they offered better supportfor the misgendered who followed.I can't be bothered to wash my hair this late so I twist it into a knotand deftly secure it with a barrette. Chloe cajoled me to grow mineagain and nowadays I. Would you believe this ticket cost me $4200?" Jeeze, no." Brenda said, "Why would you pay that?" I have to get to Salt Lake City to catch a train, and this was the last possible plane I could get," he sighed."Really? I know somebody who paid a lot less for the flight that goes out after this one." Well, like I said, I have to catch the train," he said, with a plastered on smile that he had honed to looking real through years of practice."Yeah, but that plane comes in at like 3:30PM-" she. She nods to me and begins her daily cleaning of my cage with a rag filthier than the torn "clothes" she's been allowed wear.While she cleans, Mina talks to me, her voice a consistent flow of pretty gibberish. I can't understand much that she says, but it's still nice to have friendly company, and I hope being able to vent to a stranger who doesn't understand her language brings her some comfort as well. Satisfied with her work, Mina crouches in front of me and says two words. "Master coming.".