Tug of War 34.2

The three of them entered a small cafe a few minutes later. Much to Susan's discontent, Timothy had kept his head down all the way, too embarrassed to face Katherine again. That situation was too absurd... How would he explain to her the fact that he was at the mall dressed like a chick? Not only that, but he looked more feminine than the girl. While Kate was wearing a plain lilac tank top, jeans and sneakers, he was wearing a fashionable dress and high heels, and had a lot of makeup on his face. Would he still have any chance to date the girl after that? It was definitely hard to believe so…  

"Sweetie, why don't you swing by the bathroom to fix your face?" Susan suggested, resting a hand on her stepson's shoulder. "I'm afraid to say that your makeup looks a little messy right now due your tears."

"Really?" Timothy asked, worried. He was sure it would be a lot easier for people to find out he wasn't a girl if his face wasn’t perfectly made up. At the same time, he hated discussing the matter in front of Katherine. It was quickly becoming almost impossible to think of a way to convince her that he wasn't a sissy.

"Yes, honey. You should go now. Kate and I will find a table and wait for you."

As Timothy walked away, with his high heels clicking on the floor, Katherine followed him with her eyes, getting more and more perplexed. It was incredible how girly he looked. And the way he walked on high heels… She doubted she could walk on heels as graceful and confident as he did. 

"Tiffany truly is turning into a lovely young lady, isn't she?" Susan asked, as if she was reading Katherine's mind. 

"Yes, Ma'am" the girl replied. "How long has he... I mean… has she been doing this?"   

"She started dressing as a female at home a few weeks ago."

"Just a few weeks? Gosh, but she looks so natural..."

"I know, my dear. It seems like she has always been meant to be a one of us, after all, don’t you think?" Susan smiled. 

"Is this what she wants?" Katherine asked anxiously. "Does Timothy... Tiffany really desires to be a girl?"

"That's what I want to discuss with you before she returns, my dear. Follow me, please. Let's take a sit" They then went to a table in the corner, away from the other costumers. "Now" Susan continued, "I ask you to listen to me carefully. We don't have much time. Tiffany has already proved to be impressively skillful with makeup, so I'm sure she soon will be back. The thing I want to tell you is… she came out to me as a transgender about a month ago. Yes, this is true, honey" the woman emphasized, seeing the Katherine's astonishment expression. 

"Despite the fact she has been calling me mom for some time now, because we became so close to each other, I'm in fact her stepmother. Her mother passed away when she was still a child, and for many years she was raised solely by her father. Now, don't get me wrong. Richard, my husband, has many qualities, but he is also what we might call an old-fashioned man. I'm sure Tiffany suffered a lot during all those years having to pretend to be a boy just to please her father. Now that she has finally mustered the courage to reveal the truth about herself, their relationship is very troubled, as you can imagine. Richard is having a hard time understanding that he has a daughter and not a son. I'm supporting her in every way I can, of course, but I think she needs more people at her side. People like you, for instance, if you really are the kind and sensitive girl that Tiffany described to me."

"Of course, Mrs. Foster! I'll do whatever I can. Gee, I have to say that your words explain a lot." 

"What you mean, my dear?" 

"Well, I didn't know the truth about Timothy... Sorry, Tiffany! I haven't gotten used to her new name yet. Anyway, I had... well... a crush on her. This is very difficult to find such a sweet guy as she used to be. So, not long ago, I asked her. She accepted my invitation, but later she made up an excuse to say she couldn't go. All makes sense now... She must have been too afraid to go out with me in such circumstances as she probably isn't into girls... Since then she has been avoiding me at school. Poor little thing... Without knowing it, I was just making her even more afflicted."

"I'm sure you didn't mean any harm, darling."

"Yes, Ma'am, but I could have paid more attention to some details. One day, I remember very well, I saw her wearing a little bit of makeup at school… Her nails were very clean and shiny, too… Then, the way she walked and gesticulated started to change and become much more gentle and delicate. I think deep down I already knew that something was going on. That's why I was able to recognize Tiffany so easily today. Anyway, about her name..." 

"Oh, it was she who said she wanted to be called like that. I think this name suits her wonderfully well, though. I feel like Tiffany is going to be a very girly girl, so to speak. She really enjoys spending her time reading women's magazines, doing her nails and makeup, taking care of her hair... Earlier this week, she even kept insisting she wanted to have her hair dyed blonde. I told her that if this was what she really wanted, I would have to bring her to the salon, where her hair would be properly dyed and cared for. Despite her fears of going out in public as a girl, she ended up accepting it, and here we are."

"But what's going to happen now, Mrs. Foster? I mean, I doubt Tiffany can pass a guy after her makeover. Is she going to start attending school as a transgender girl?"

"I'm still not sure, my dear. But who knows... Maybe Tiffany will become a school girl soon. Now, there's one last thing I need to tell you." 

"I'm listening, Ma'am."

"Tiffany is still very insecure about her situation. I'm afraid she might come up with some lame excuse to explain her transformation, denying that she is a transgender for fear of you thinking she's some kind of freak."

"Mrs. Foster, I'd never ever think..."

"I know, Kate" Susan held the girl’s hand. "But you need to understand that she's a lot stressed and scared right now. So, if she tries something like that, can you promise me that you're going to support her whatever she tells you until she's ready to admit the truth?"

"Absolutely, Ma'am."

"Fabulous, my dear! I see Tiffany wasn't wrong about you. You really are such a sympathetic girl. Oh, let's talk about something else now. I can see her approaching." 

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Hey, guys!

Just wanted to thank you for supporting me for yet another month! Love you all! :-)