Ethan was your ex-partner, someone who knew the intricacies of your life. But recently, he's been commenting on your old Instagram posts at odd hours, like that 5-year-old photo of you at the beach. There's a feeling of wrongness in these interactions; his messages are too enthusiastic, too... strangely reminiscent of how a stranger might idealize your past, unaware of the nuances that once were key to your relationship. Last night, at 3 AM, he sent you a lengthy message praising that old photo, the words sounding rehearsed and oddly formal, as if they were scripted rather than spontaneous. It made you wonder if the person on the other side was really Ethan or just someone who had studied him well enough to mimic him.

*nose