Hyun Ae is out. Will she blossom or wither?

Chapter 4

No genetic girl ever took to shopping like Hyun. Her mother was blown away be her willingness to try on different outfits. Her intention was to start slowly, maybe dressing her at home, but Hyun was having none of it. The butterfly was out of the cocoon, and there was no stopping her.

“I just love this dress, mommy! It’s so pretty” She spun around in the red and black A line dress. It had a bow in back.

Jung had to admit it was adorable. She loved dressing up her dolls as a child, and this was just as much fun. “Okay, Hyun Ae. We’ll get it”

“Yay, mommy! Yessss! I can wear it to Hannah’s birthday party!”

“When is it, sweetie?”

“I dunno, mommy. Soon?”

‘Duh’ thought Jung. How would a four year old know when Hannah’s birthday was? “That’s all right, sweetie, I’ll talk to her mother”

“’kay. Are we gonna get a swimsuit for me? I need one. A Little Mermaid one. Please!”

This girl was wearing mommy out. “All right, but we still need some everyday wear. We’ll get to it” They had gone through the mall twice, and had spent well over five hundred dollars on new clothes. Jung was burning through their emergency fund quickly, but Justin told her that if they were going to do this, they would do it right.

They took a break from shopping to grab a bite to eat. Little Hyun was nibbling at her favorite chicken nugget meal, and playing with her new toy. Jung really looked at Hyun. She was a very pretty little girl. Jung could see a little of herself, and a little of Justin. She was actually a very pretty young girl.

“Mommy?” Hyun said between bites, “do you think Grammie and Grampa Brooks and Grammie and Gramps Song will be happy? When are we going to tell them?”

Jung winced inwardly. Her parents would be a pain, she was sure. Justin’s folks were a little more open minded, so she really didn’t think they would be too shocked.

“I’m sure everyone will love you, Hyun Ae. But we’re not due to see them for another couple of months, so let’s worry about that then. Now finish your lunch, sweetie, and we’ll get you a swimsuit on our next stop”

Hyun clapped her hands. “Yayyyy! Okay, Mommy!”

In truth, Jung was worried about everyone. She felt so conflicted. She wanted what was best for Hyun, but she knew that this would be a difficult time for her. She had taken time to look at some materials that Stacee had given her to read. Transgender kids were very rare and almost unheard of at Hyun’s age. Would she be the subject of ridicule? Hyun was so sweet and innocent. Would this scar her for life? Rejection by her grandparents would crush her, as she just loved them. She would draw for hours on end pictures for her Grandmother Song, who was an artist in her own right. Hyun, as Kwan, reveled in showing his pictures to her, and his Grammie would laugh with Kwan as he told the little stories that went along with the pictures. Jung was sure that Hyun would have a whole lot more for her this visit.

Jung and Hyun finished their shopping trip, and they had a whole new wardrobe for their new daughter. Little Hyun was a trooper all day, as good as gold. She started to yawn a little toward the end, and Jung knew she was finished.

Hyun was asleep shortly after they got into the car. She was in her booster seat, and didn’t make a sound all the way home.

After Jung pulled into the garage, she turned around and watched her sleeping child. Hyun was at that age when she still retained the features of a toddler when you looked at her just right. She was getting big, thought Jung. And too little to realize what she was getting into. Jung sighed and went to the back of their minivan to retrieve their haul for the day. There were seven large bags. Hyun could sleep a little longer.

Justin came home from his job as an engineer for an aerospace manufacturer at his usual six o’clock. “Hey babe! How was your day?” He threw his car keys on the counter and grabbed his wife in a friendly hug.

Jung smiled and met his hug, turning so she could kiss him. “Good! How was yours?”

“Same as always, I guess. Where’s our little girl?”

Hyun whirled around the corner from the hall leading to the kitchen. She was dressed in a new pink tee and a very obviously feminine pair of khaki shorts. “Daddy!” She ran and jumped into his arms.

Justin lifted her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Hello, beautiful! I see mommy bought you some new clothes today!”

“I know, daddy! She got me a bunch of new clothes! They’re so pretty, so much nicer than my yucky boy clothes” She pulled the waistband of her shorts out. “Look, daddy, Panties!”

Justin laughed as he saw the waistband of the new feminine undergarment. “Pretty neat, kiddo!”

“Hyun Ae! Little girls do not show their panties!”

“Mommy, he’s just my daddy” She said it in such a matter of fact way that both her parents broke out laughing.

“Hyun, go wash up and you can help me set the table” said Jung.

“Okay, mommy. I have to go potty anyway” She sprinted off to her room.

“Little girls sit, Hyun Ae!” called Jung.
“I know, mommy! I never stand!” said the little voice echoing from the bathroom.

“Well, she seems to be happy today. How about you?” asked Justin.

Jung sighed and hung the dishtowel she was using up. “I’m good. It’s a breath of fresh air with Hyun out of her shell. She seems like someone who has just been rescued from drowning and find they have a new lease on life. I just don’t want her hurt. Other people scare me”

Justin hugged his wife. “Honey, I worry too. But this is a course that we all chose, and she’s going to have to deal with people her whole life. Give her a little credit. I know she’s just a baby, but I think she’s stronger than either one of us give her credit for”

“I wish I was as confident as you, Justin”

“I have to be. We made this decision, and we’re going to see it through. I took a half day from work today and went to the downtown library. I found a lot of stuff on this gender issue, and the statistics are scary. Suicide rates for people like Hyun are staggering. I’d rather have a live daughter than a dead son”

“So what do you propose to do about introducing our new daughter to the world?”

“Easy. We start small and work our way out. I’m talking to Dan and Jena Smith tonight”

“Hannah’s parents? Why?”

“They live next door and are our best friends. If they don’t get it, then we’ll know, but they need to know first, as Hannah will be playing with our son”

Jung rolled her eyes and sighed. “I suppose we need to get this over with”

Justin scowled. “Jung. You need to lose the attitude. Are you not on board with this?”

Jung was surprised at her husband’s change in tone. He was getting angry with her. “Well, of course I am. I just don’t want to see Hyun hurt”

“Hiding her isn’t the solution. We hit this head on, and introduce him just as we would have introduced Kwan. This is going to be difficult, and you’d better be able to handle the questions, because you’ll be answering a lot of them for the near future”

Jung’s eyes brimmed. “I’m sorry, Justin. I just don’t think I’m dealing with this as well as I could be”

“I gathered that. But we are doing this for Hyun Ae. I’d die for either you or that child. I’m proud of our child, boy or girl. I don’t know how to tell you to deal with this. If you need to talk to Stacee, that’s what she’s there for. But tonight, toughen up and deal with it. I know you’ve got it in you. They’ll be here at eight”

Jung gave him a weepy laugh and dabbed at her eyes. “I know, I know. It just takes me longer to process things than you”

“What’s process, mommy?” asked Hyun as she walked into the kitchen.

“It’s dealing with a pretty girl like you. Now start setting the table”

“Okay, mommy, I’ll process the table” Hyun giggled and got the plates.

The doorbell rang at eight. Jung was with Hyun in her room. They wanted to bring her out after Justin had a chance to explain what was happening.

Justin answered the door. “Hi Dan, Jena. Come in. Thanks for coming over. Hello, Hannah”

Dan shook Justin’s hand. Dan Smith was a software engineer, who, at thirty five was already the father of a fifteen year old, as well as Hannah, who was already five. Jena, his wife was slightly younger at 34. Dan and Justin had a lot in common as both were college athletes. Dan was a football walk on as a defensive back at USC. He had managed to get a couple of national championships while warming the bench for the most part.

“Where’s Clarissa?”

“Oh, she’s got a cheerleader meeting at one of the homes. You know how it goes”

“Well, not yet, anyway. Can I get you guys something to drink?”

Dan nodded his head. “Beer me, Justin”

“What about you, Jena?”

“White wine, if you have it?”

“Just busted open a bottle just tonight, Jena. I thought you might want some”

Jena looked around the room. “Where’s Jung?”

“Taking care of a few things. Hannah, do you want some juice?”

Hannah looked to her mother. “Is it okay, Mommy?”

“Sure sweetie. Just not too much”

“Where’s Kwan?”

“Around” said Justin as he poured the wine and grape juice. “That’s actually the reason I called you all over. Let’s go into the living room”

“What’s the matter, Justin?” Asked Jena, looking concerned.

“You guys have been our best friends in the five or so years we’ve lived here. There have been some changes in the last few days, and I wanted you to be the first to know”

Dan took a pull off of his Bud. “What’s up Justin? Is everyone okay?”

“Yes, but Kwan has had some issues. They are serious enough that we’ve had to take some action”

“Out with it, buddy. We’ll support you. Is it a complication of the brain injury?”

“No, thank god. We found out some things during the time in the hospital. Kwan’s been dealing with some issues for some time now, and we just found out that, based on medical opinion, Kwan is transgendered. A girl trapped in a boy’s body” He paused “Jung? Bring in Hyun”

Jung walked in with Hyun. She was in her pink tee and khaki shorts. She looked very feminine. “Dan, Jena and Hannah, this is our daughter Hyun Ae”

Hannah gasped, “Kwan? Is that you?”

Hyun just nodded shyly.

Hannah squealed with joy. “Kwan! You’re a girl now! You got your wish!” She ran over to hug Hyun. “You’re so pretty!”

Hyun bounced up and down. “Aren’t my new clothes pretty! The doctor said I was a girl and I had to wear girl clothes. And my new name is Hyun Ae. It’s a girl’s name in Korean” She invited Hannah to go to her room and they happily skipped off.

Jena smiled at Jung. “She looks adorable! You should have seen her playing dress up with Hannah. She seemed a little too at home in those costumes! I can’t believe it”

Jung looked at Jena in amazement. “You knew?”

“I didn’t know. Who can know with little kids? I was just glad Hannah had someone to play her silly games with. I was with them the whole time. It was pretty harmless. But seeing her here, now? She’s always been a girl”

“And you don’t care?”

“Heavens no, Jung. This is California, for Pete’s sake. I volunteer with a group that counsels at risk children, remember? I’ve dealt with kids in this same situation, only they didn’t have great parents like you who understood. One of the kids I was helping was murdered two months ago” she said as her voice began to break. “I’m sorry. It’s just that Jasmine, that’s what she liked to be called, was so sweet. Her parents rejected her, and she lived on the street. She turned tricks to earn money for hormones. One of her ‘Johns’ found out she wasn’t a full girl, and beat her to death”

Tears were tracing down Jung’s face. “Oh my God. How terrible”

“She told me that she knew she was a girl from the age of three. Her parents wouldn’t accept it. The conflict grew and grew until Jasmine ran away at fifteen. She was so pretty. You may not know it now, but you could have saved your daughter from a similar fate”

Jung was dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. Justin and Dan were silent. Jena’s point was not lost on them.

“C’mon, Jung! Show me her new wardrobe. I’m sure the boys would like to talk for awhile”

Jung brightened. “Yes! I got some absolutely adorable clothes today. Hyun will look so cute”

The two women were talking to each other as they went down the hall.

“Damn, Justo man. You don’t do little changes, do ya. I need another beer. Cute kid you got there. She and Hannah are going to give us no end of trouble”

“I hear you, bro. Two more comin’ up”

“So you don’t have a problem with this?”

“After the story I just heard? Are you nuts? You gotta do what’s right for the kid. We’re there for you, Justo man. Clarissa will be crazy because she wasn’t here for the big reveal!”

Justin thought he was very fortunate to have friends like the Smith’s. It gave him hope for the parents.