The film is framed as a retrospective interview ten years after Laurence begins her transition. Throughout the narrative, we see the tragic dissolution of Laurence and Fred's bond. After a valiant attempt to stay together, Fred breaks under societal pressure and her own lack of same-sex attraction. She leaves Laurence, marries a man named Albert, and has a child, attempting to force herself into a "normal" life.
Years later, Laurence and Fred secretly reunite and run away to the Isle of Black. Their passion briefly reignites, proving their soulmate connection, but reality crashes in when Fred's husband discovers the affair, leading to a permanent fracture. In the final, devastating scene in a café, they both realize they no longer fit together; the "baggage" is simply too heavy. They part ways forever. The film then pulls off a brilliant twist: the final shot flashes back to the day they first met. A closeted Laurence introduces himself, saying, "Laurence, anyways." This reveals the hidden meaning of the title—despite the gender transition, the lost decade, and the tragedy, her core essence was, is, and will always be simply "Laurence."