The First Girl She Ever Loved

She wasn't looking for love.

Fresh out of a five-year toxic relationship, 21-year-old Elise only wanted to heal, find herself again, and stay away from anything that could break her heart.

Then she met 26-year-old Amara on a dating app.

What was supposed to be a brief encounter slowly became late-night conversations, stolen moments, and feelings neither of them expected.

Amara knew what she wanted.

Elise didn't even know if she was allowed to want it.

Because Amara was a woman.

And for the first time in her life, Elise found herself falling for another woman-while carrying the weight of a religious family, the fear of judgment, and the scars of a love that had already taught her to be afraid.

One was ready to fight for them.

The other was still fighting herself.

But what happens when the person who feels most like home is the person you're afraid to love?

Maybe they were meant to be forever.

Or maybe they were only meant to teach each other that sometimes, the deepest love comes from the place you never expected to find it.

She was never supposed to fall in love with a woman.

But she became the first girl she ever loved.