The Shadow Behind Her Ear

I first noticed something was wrong with Ayla during our third video call.

The image was perfect. Every single one of her eyelashes was there. When she pursed her lips, that slightly asymmetrical curve at the corner of her mouth was exactly how I remembered it.

What was wrong was her left ear.

That day, she was wearing a silver earring. The light was coming from the right side. The earring should have cast a shadow to the left on her earlobe.

But that shadow―it was on the right.

A real pers