Wednesday morning, Jake woke up with a sense of calm. Only one show remained after tonight. The cruise ship contract waited in her email inbox for her signature.
She made coffee. Greg came out of his room already dressed and said he had an early class. Jake wished him good luck. He told her he would see her at rehearsal and left. Jake sat on the couch, opened her email, and read the contract again. Six months, full time as Christine, with salary, housing, and wardrobe included. She signed it and hit send.
Her phone buzzed almost immediately. It was Mark Nelson, saying he’d received her acceptance. Welcome aboard. Rehearsals would start January second in Miami, and he would send travel details the following week. Jake typed back that she was excited.
She put the phone down. The decision felt final now, with no going back.
She walked to the theater. The afternoon sun felt warm on her face. Students passed her on the sidewalk; a few smiled, and she smiled back.
In the costume basement, Gail reminded her it was the last dress rehearsal before closing night. Jake agreed, calling it the last one. She changed into the white dress, the corset tightening, the wig and tiara going on.
Howard called places, the orchestra started, and the show began. Jake sang “Think of Me,” her voice carrying through the theater. Greg watched from the wings, his eyes following her. The act moved forward, scene by scene, song by song.
During the rooftop scene, Greg took her hand and told Christine he loved her. Jake looked into his eyes and replied that she loved him too, calling him Raoul. They kissed for a five-second beat, Greg’s hand resting on her cheek. Howard called for them to hold, and they held the pose. The lights changed and the scene ended.
Act Two brought the Masquerade and the final scene. Christine kissed the Phantom, pulled back, and then Greg entered. Christine ran to him, and Greg caught her, wrapping his arms tight. Howard called curtain, and the lights went dark.
The cast gathered on stage. Howard praised their work, telling them tomorrow was closing night and to give it everything. The cast clapped. Jake walked off stage and found Nicole in the wings; they both murmured, “One more.” After they changed out of costumes, Gail packed the wig and asked if Jake had signed the contract. Jake confirmed she had that morning. Gail congratulated her, and Jake thanked her.
Jake walked home. Greg waited by the apartment door and asked if she wanted to walk. She agreed. They headed to the bench near the apartment as the sun began to set. Greg noted there was one more show, and Jake said then it would be over and she would leave. She reminded him she’d be back in three months. He paused and then asked what they were before she left for the cruise. Jake thought about it and admitted she didn’t have a label, but she knew she cared about him. Greg nodded and said that was enough for now. They sat on the bench until the sun went down and the streetlights came on. Jake said she was going to bed, and Greg agreed. They walked back to the apartment, Greg opened the door, and they exchanged goodnights. Jake went to her room and lay on her bed. The final show would be tomorrow, then closing night, a cast party, and three months until the cruise. Three months to figure out who she was. She closed her eyes.
Thursday morning arrived with gray clouds and a chill in the air. Jake woke up before the alarm. It was closing night, the last performance.
She made coffee. Greg came out of his room already wearing his dress clothes. They both acknowledged it was closing night. They drank coffee in silence, the apartment feeling different, as if something was ending.
Greg told her he had something for her and pulled a small box from his pocket. Inside lay a thin silver chain with a small pendant shaped like a music note. He’d seen it at a shop near campus and it reminded him of her and the show. Jake held the necklace in her hand and said it was beautiful. Greg urged her to put it on, and she did, the pendant resting on her collarbone. She thanked him, and he said she was welcome.
They walked to the theater. The building looked the same as always, yet something felt final. In the costume basement, Gail said it was the last time, and Jake echoed the words. She changed into the white dress, the corset tightening, the wig and tiara placed carefully. In the wings, the cast gathered in a circle. Howard told them this was closing night and that they had worked harder than any cast he’d directed. He was proud of them and wanted them to give it everything. The cast cheered, and Jake looked at Greg, who smiled at her.
The orchestra started, the lights went down, and the show began. Jake sang “Think of Me,” her voice stronger than ever, and the audience clapped. The act progressed, scene by scene, song by song. During the rooftop scene, Greg took her hand and declared his love for Christine. Jake looked into his eyes and said she loved him too. They kissed for a five-second beat, Greg’s hand on her cheek, and this time she did not want to pull away. Howard called for them to hold, and they held the pose. The lights changed, ending the scene.
Act Two brought the Masquerade and the final scene. Christine kissed the Phantom, pulled back, and then Greg entered. Christine ran to him, and Greg caught her in a tight embrace. Howard called curtain, the lights went dark, and the audience erupted into applause. The cast took their bows. Jake stepped forward to louder clapping and scanned the sea of faces; Nicole stood in the front row with Samantha beside her, and Gail watched from the wings. Jake bowed, smiling, and the curtain closed.
The cast hugged in the wings, Howard shook everyone’s hand, and Jake walked to Greg. They both said they did it, and Greg pulled her into a strong hug. The cast party took place at a bar near campus. Jake sat with Nicole and Samantha, while Greg sat across the table. Nicole raised a toast to the show, and they all echoed the sentiment. They drank, talked, and laughed.
At midnight, Jake walked outside, and Greg followed. He asked if she wanted to walk home, and she agreed. They walked in silence through the empty streets. Greg said he’d been thinking about something. When she left for the cruise in three months, he wanted to see her before she went.
She reminded him she wasn’t leaving until January, but he clarified he wanted to spend time with her, just the two of them. Jake stopped walking and asked what he was saying. Greg stopped too and said he wanted to date her, for real, before she left. Her heart beat faster. She reminded him that she needed to figure out who she was.
He said he knew and would wait, but he wanted to be with her while she figured it out. Jake looked at him and asked if he really wanted to date a guy who wore dresses and wigs.
Greg smiled and said he wanted to date Jake, the person who made him laugh, who sang better than anyone he knew, the one he’d kissed on the couch and hadn’t wanted to stop. Jake felt tears in her eyes. Greg acknowledged it was fast and confusing, but he’d never felt this way about anyone before.
Jake reached for his hand and admitted she hadn’t either. When he asked what she said, she thought about it—the show was over, the cruise three months away, she had time. She told him okay, let’s try. Greg smiled and pulled her into a hug. They walked home hand in hand.
The week after closing night passed in a blur. Jake woke up each morning without a rehearsal to rush to, and the apartment felt larger without the constant pressure of the show. Greg and Jake spent most of their time together, going to movies, having dinner at small restaurants, and walking through the park near campus.
One evening, they sat on the bench near the apartment as the sun set and the air turned cold. Greg noted there were three months until she left, and Jake agreed. He asked what she wanted to do with that time. Jake thought about it and said she wanted to figure out who she was before boarding the ship.
When Greg asked how, she looked at her hands and admitted she didn’t know, but she knew she wanted to keep dressing as she had been—the clothes felt right. Greg urged her to do it, saying that if it was who she was, she should be that person. Jake leaned into him, and his arm wrapped around her. She asked if he saw her as a guy or a girl. Greg was quiet for a moment, then said he saw her as Jake, that the clothes didn’t change that. When she said that wasn’t an answer, he replied it was the only answer he had. Jake nodded and didn’t push further.
The next week, Jake visited Nicole’s apartment with Samantha. They sat on the couch with wine. Nicole remarked that Jake and Greg were dating, and Jake said it was good, weird, confusing, and good. Samantha laughed that it summed up most relationships. Nicole asked if Jake had told her parents. Jake said she’d told her mom about the cruise but not about Greg, and she’d figure out what to say when she was ready. Nicole reassured her she had time, three months. Jake nodded.
The weeks passed. Jake continued wearing the clothes Nicole lent her and the silver necklace from Greg every day.
One afternoon, she went to the theater building and found Gail working in the costume basement. Jake thanked her for everything. Gail smiled and said she was welcome, that Jake had made the role her own. Gail then gave her a box containing the practice wig, the brown one from rehearsals, telling her to keep it for the cruise or whatever came next. Jake hugged her, grateful.
That night, Jake showed the wig to Greg, explaining Gail gave it to her. He asked if she would wear it, and she said not tonight but someday. Greg nodded and said whenever she was ready. They sat on the couch, his arm around her. Greg said he’d been thinking about the cruise and her being gone for six months.
Jake reminded him she would come back. He then told her he wanted to do something before she left—take her on a trip, just the two of them, to a cabin up north his family used to visit. Jake smiled and said she’d like that, and Greg said he would book it.
December arrived, and the campus emptied for winter break. They drove north to the cabin, a four-hour journey through snow-covered ground. The cabin sat by a frozen lake, with two bedrooms, a fireplace, and a porch overlooking the water. Jake said it was beautiful, and Greg told her his grandparents built it. They unpacked, Greg started a fire, and Jake made hot chocolate.
That evening by the fire, Greg asked her a serious question: who did she see when she looked in the mirror? Jake took a breath and admitted she didn’t know yet—sometimes a guy, sometimes a girl, sometimes nothing. Greg said that was okay, and she asked if it really was. He assured her she had time to figure it out.
They sat in silence, the fire crackling. Jake then told him that on the ship she would be Christine full time, no breaks, and asked if he would still want to be with her when she came back. Greg reached for her hand and said yes, he would be here. Jake leaned into him, and his arm wrapped around her.
They spent the weekend at the cabin, walking around the frozen lake, cooking meals, and talking for hours. On the last night, they stood on the porch under a star-filled sky. Greg told her he loved her. Jake looked at him, and he added that she didn’t have to say it back, he just wanted her to know. She stepped closer, put her hand on his cheek, and said she thought she loved him too. Greg smiled and kissed her, soft and long. They went inside as the fire burned down, and Jake fell asleep in his arms.
Epilogue.
Six months later, in the heat of a Chicago July, Jake stepped off the plane at O’Hare carrying one suitcase and a garment bag, the silver music note necklace still hanging around her neck. The airport felt familiar, with the smell of coffee and jet fuel and the sound of announcements over the speakers. She walked through the terminal, her heels clicking on the floor. She wore a light summer dress and flats, and her real hair had grown longer, past her ears and almost to her shoulders.
Greg waited by the arrivals gate with a small bouquet of flowers. Jake saw him and smiled; he smiled back. She walked toward him, and he held out the flowers. He said welcome home, and she thanked him. They hugged, Greg’s arms wrapping around her, and she felt his heartbeat against her chest. They both murmured that it had been six months.
They walked to the car, Greg opening the door for her. During the thirty-minute drive to the apartment, Greg asked about the ship, and Jake told him about the shows, the audiences, and the ports. She said Spain was her favorite, especially Barcelona and its architecture. He asked if she’d taken pictures, and she assured him she had a ton and would show him.
They reached the apartment, and Greg carried her bag up the stairs. The apartment looked the same—the same couch, kitchen, and windows. Jake sat on the couch, and Greg sat next to her. He asked if, after six months, she had figured it out. Jake took a breath and looked at her hands, saying she thought so, partly. She had discovered she wasn’t just Jake or just Christine; she was somewhere in between.
Greg asked what that meant. She explained it meant she was okay with who she was. She didn’t have a label yet and maybe never would, but she knew she liked dresses, makeup, and being feminine, and she also liked being Jake, the person who laughed at dumb jokes and ate too much pizza.
Greg smiled and said that was his favorite Jake. She asked if he meant it, and he said really. Jake leaned into him, his arm wrapping around her. She said she had missed him, and he said he’d missed her too. He told her the apartment had been quiet and boring without her, that he’d watched a lot of TV. They laughed.
Jake then said she needed to tell him something else. When she was on the ship, she thought about him every day. Greg said he had thought about her too. She realized she loved him, not because he made her feel like a girl, but because he made her feel like herself. Greg pulled her closer and said he loved her too. They kissed, his hand touching her cheek and hers resting on his chest.
They stayed on the couch until the sun went down and the summer light faded through the windows. Greg asked if she wanted to get dinner, and she agreed. They walked to the Italian place near campus, the same one from months ago with the same red tablecloths. They ordered pasta and wine. Greg asked what happened now. Jake said she didn’t know, but she wanted to figure it out together.
Greg took her hand across the table and repeated, together. After dinner, they walked home through the warm summer air, the streets filled with people walking dogs and riding bikes. Jake looked at the sky, where stars appeared through the city lights. She asked Greg if he ever thought about what came next. He said all the time.
She asked if he was scared. He thought about it and admitted a little, but he thought that was okay as long as they were scared together. Jake squeezed his hand and echoed, together.
They reached the apartment, and Greg opened the door. He said welcome home, and she thanked him. Jake walked inside; the apartment felt like home, with its familiar couch, kitchen, and windows. Greg’s hand found hers. He said he was glad she was back. Jake smiled and said she was too.
They stood in the doorway as the city hummed outside and the apartment stayed quiet. Greg asked her to come closer, and she did. He kissed her, slow and warm, and she kissed him back. Tomorrow, she would unpack, call Nicole, and see her mom. Tonight, she stayed in Greg’s arms. The summer night stretched ahead, full of possibilities.
End of story.