[Early September]
"Well, love it is your first day at a new school and in a new country and… as the new you. I know that it will all be rather strange at first and very different from Park View High, but the new girl will be the centre of attention at first, so just be careful, eh?"

My daughter smiled.
"I know that it will be different, and… well, I'm a different person now as well."

"Just remember that you… well, I don't need to tell you to keep things tucked away when going to the Ba… Toilet, ok?"

Kym smiled back at me. There was very little of Benjamin left for which I was truly thankful. The pair of us had been through the wringer in the past year, and for me, moving back to the country of my birth would allow us to make a fresh start.

“Just remember, no social media, especially photos. We don't want your Mother finding us now that she's out of Rehab…"

"I know, and I will try to keep any exposure down to a minimum."

I gave Kym a hug, and let her go.

---

That day was awful. I kept watching the clock. Some of my team noticed this and asked me what was wrong.

"It is my daughter's first day at an English School. They are very different to what she's used to…" I said, hoping to avoid having to give any more details.

"Don't worry, Dan, we've got your back if you want to slope off early?" said Kieran, my deputy team leader.

"Thanks, but no thanks. Kym is almost an adult now, so I should start to treat her like one. I'll leave at five along with everyone else."

I smiled and hoped once again that I’d been convincing, but somehow, I doubted it.

“Kym? Are you home?” I said when I went through the front door to our home.

"In the Kitchen, Dad," came her reply.

I breathed a sigh of relief as I kicked off my shoes and headed for the kitchen.

Kym was sitting at the small table doing her homework.

“Homework already?”

She nodded.

“Yeah. I’m so far behind the others. If I’m going to pass the exams at the end of the year, I have to get cracking. I got a full briefing on how important 'A-levels' are for my future. I knew that what was taught, here would be different, but some of what we did in Maths class today, would not be taught outside second year of college back home.”

That worried me, so I changed the subject.

“How was everyone? Did you make any friends?”

Kym smiled.

"I'm already marked down as a bit weirdo because I'm not on Facebook, WhatsApp or Snapchat, but there is one girl that is nice to me. Lydia was assigned to be my… mentor until I get used to everything. She’s not on Social Media like me, so we are well placed in the weirdo category.”

I chuckled.

I could see the glint in her eyes.

"Just be careful darling. I know that look. You take after your mother in that respect."

“She’s nice and lives just three blocks away.”

“Blocks?”

"Sorry, dad. Three streets away. At the house on the corner where you turn to go to the store."

“Shops?”

Kym sighed.
“As you are forever reminding me, ‘what did supposedly Churchill say?’”

We both laughed.

[10th December]

“Dad…?”

I looked up from the magazine that I’d been reading.

“Yes…?”

"Christmas is coming, and as we didn't celebrate Thanksgiving, I was wondering…?"

I laughed.

“You want to do something special for Christmas, perhaps?”

Kym smiled.

"I was sort of wondering if we could invite Lydia and her mother to come over for Christmas Lunch? They don’t have anyone or anywhere to go so... I thought that it might be kinda nice.”

I put down the magazine.

“Do we need to have a talk?”

“Dad!”

I smiled.

“Things are a lot different, now, aren't they?”

“I know they are but…”

"You like her, and perhaps you feel that she likes you more than as just a friend and neighbour?"

Kym went rather red in the face.

“But…?”

“I know, I know. If I date her I’ll need to tell her.”

“If she hasn’t guessed already that is?”

“What?”

“Could it be that she already knows?”

“How could she?”

I sighed.

“There are signs. You know that, and since you have been spending so much time together studying this term… Well, it would not surprise me if when you tell her, that she says something like 'So?'"

Kym thought for a bit.

"I don't know how I'm going to tell her about me and her. Firstly, that I'm interested in her and that I'm 100% a fake."

Her last words wiped the smile off my face.

“You are most certainly not a fake, my darling daughter. I knew from an early age that you were different. Your Mother did as well but would not accept it. That is all down to your Grandfather. He’s… well, you know how he is. Please remember that he was sued, for firing someone who came out as gay. He lost the case but never accepted the verdict. Even to this day, he won't employ anyone who is openly LGBT. He'll never change, just like your Mother, I'm afraid.”

Kym nodded her head.

"Just be careful, darling. Children can be so spiteful.”

Kym looked oddly at me.

"I was your age, once remember…"

Then I added,
“Just choose the moment and be prepared for it all to go pear-shaped. Good luck!”

Kym hugged me. That was something that my son would never have done.

---

[13th December]

Kym was late home from school because she was helping out with the School Play that was due to be performed in a week's time. She was assisting with the props and loving it. I thought that it was a good thing that she would be mixing with others outside of lessons.

I was home preparing something for us to eat, then she arrived home when the front doorbell rang.

I wasn't expecting a visitor, so I was surprised to see a woman standing there.

“Mr Robinson? I’m Sharon Dwyer, Lydia’s Mother.”

"Oh? Please come inside it must be freezing out there."

I stood aside and let her come into our home.

“Please go through to the kitchen and take a seat.”

I followed her into the kitchen.

“I’m preparing something for when rehearsals are over. I understand that Lydia has a leading role? Good for her.”

“Thanks”

“Can I get you anything?”

Sharon smiled.

"Not at the moment, thanks. Like you, we'll eat when Lydia gets home."

I sat down opposite her.

“What is it that you want to talk about?”

Sharon didn’t reply for a few seconds.

"Lydia mentioned that Kym had invited us for Christmas Lunch. Is this correct, or has my daughter got the wrong end of the stick as usual?"

Without thinking, I sighed.

“So she's got it all wrong then?" asked Sharon.

“No… No, she hasn’t. I wasn’t aware that Kym had said anything to your daughter. But… she has, so what is done is done, but the invite stands. Kym suggested it to me, but I hadn't finally made up my mind. Trust a teenager to jump the gun.”

“Oh!” exclaimed Sharon.

I sighed again.

"Kym and I would like it very much if you and Lydia were able to come here for Christmas Lunch.”

Sharon smiled.

“We’d love to accept but… I wonder about the relationship between our daughters.”

Her words filled me with dread.

“What… What do you mean?”

It was Sharon’s turn to sigh.

“I know that Lydia is a bit of a loner. I won’t let her use Social Media, so all the 'in' crowd think that she's really weird, so I wonder why your daughter and mine seem to have become close friends."

I managed a small smile.

"Kym is the same. We have our own very personal reasons why I won't let her use Social Media, but they are part of the reason we are living here rather than in Silicon Valley or some other high tech hub in the US.”

Sharon was about to say something but hesitated not once but twice. Eventually, she spoke.

"I can't help thinking that there might be something more than just friendship between them. I've seen how Lydia looks at Kym and… I'm worried."

I knew exactly what she was on about. Kym had the same one when she was with Lydia. It was just something that was part of being a parent.

“Sharon… I know what you mean but would it not be more appropriate to involve the girls? Then we won’t get things wrong or go up the wrong garden path or even worse, jump to totally the wrong conclusions?”

After a bit of thought, Sharon nodded.

“Good. Why don’t you phone Lydia and tell her to meet you here? They’ll have to come past here to get to your home when they leave rehearsals?”

“Eh?”

“Didn’t you know? Kym has been walking Lydia home after rehearsals this past week.”

Sharon’s shoulders dropped.

Then she nodded her head.

---

Half an hour later, the girls arrived. They had guessed that something was up.

"Come into the kitchen, and there is something to eat," I said.

Neither of them believed my smile. Kym could always see right through me.

There was silence as we all sat around the table. Then Kym said,

"Lydia knows about me, and she's cool.”

Sharon looked at the two girls.

“Knows what? That you are a Lesbian?”

Lydia smiled.

"No, Mam. I'm not a Lessie, and neither is Kym. Kym is Trans."

Sharon seemed shocked.

“What? You are a man?”

"Sharon, Kym is transgender and is transitioning to a woman," I said, hoping to get things straight.

“But…”

“Sharon, Kym has the body of a male but the mind of a woman. It is not that unusual for a Male to Female Transgender person to fancy women. That is the difference between sexuality and gender. Kym started hormone treatment last July, and before you ask, the school knows.”

Sharon could only look at her daughter.

"Mam, it is ok. I'm still a virgin but… we are in love. Something just clicked between us, and we just knew."

“But you can’t be! You are so young?”

"We are Mam, but we know that we want to be together for the rest of our lives."

Lydia held Kym's hand. I could tell that they were in love. I hoped that it would last, but that was in the future.

“Are you going to let this happen?” asked Sharon to me.

"I don't see any reason to stop it. Kym is a sensible girl. She always has been, and because Lydia has accepted that Kym will eventually become a woman at some time in the future. I don't think that we should intervene. They are almost adults. Nearly old enough to vote, to buy a drink and … well, I think that it is time to treat them as adults, don't you think?"

Sharon sat impassively while looking at her daughter.

Lydia used her free hand to hold her mothers.

“Mam, I’m not going to be silly. You are always saying that I’m the sensible one at home.”

"It is not just about us, you know…"

“Oh, you mean Dad?”

At the mention of Lydia’s father, Sharon’s face drained of what little colour it had. She didn’t say anything.

Lydia turned to me and said,
"My father used to work on the Oil and Gas rigs in the North Sea. That was three weeks away and two at home. Those three weeks away were booze-free. When he came home, he would get blind drunk and hit both Mam and me, so we left. That was four years ago. So far, he does not know where we are."

Mentally, I breathed a sigh of relief.
“That’s why we don’t use Facebook or WhatsApp and stuff,” added Lydia.

I managed a smile.

“Much like us in that we don’t want certain people in our family to find us. That is down to their very radical views on the subject of LGBT people. So why don't we let things carry on and see what happens, eh?"

“But what about school and… University?”

"I'm sure the girls will be sensible and keep their young love under wraps while at school. You will do that, won't you girls?"

They both grinned back at us.

“Don’t worry. We know the rules. Coming out as lovers would not be good especially, with the 'in-crowd' at school,” said Kym.

“We can keep things cool until after our exams,” added Lydia.

Sharon still appeared to be unconvinced so I decided to suggest something.

“Why don’t we review the situation before the girls go back to school in the new year? Perhaps seeing them together over Christmas will make you a little happier?”

"But what then? They are both so young?" said Sharon, obviously still not convinced.

“Being young is the right time to make mistakes. You have time to pick yourself and change direction with your life. I know that I made some stupid mistakes when I was their age. We make mistakes all the time in our lives. That is one thing that I have learned these past two years. We came here to start afresh and move on with our lives. I suspect that you and Lydia have done the same.”

I leaned over and gently put my hand on top of Sharon’s. I felt her recoil slightly but then relaxed.

"I'm sure that together we can keep a watching eye out for our daughters. Isn't it good that we know about them and we can be ready to support them in any way we can? I'd far rather be part of their lives than being excluded because, they might think that as 'oldies', we can't possibly understand what they are going through? Don't you agree, Sharon?"

Slowly Sharon nodded her head.

“Good!” I said with hopefully the right amount of confidence in my voice.

“Now about Christmas Day? Are you going to join us for Lunch?”

[Tuesday 3rd January]

"All ready for school tomorrow?" I asked Kym, who seemed a bit down in the dumps.

“I guess so.”

"She won't be far away, you know?"

"I know, but it will be hard."

“I know you can do it. You have your mock ‘A-Levels’ coming up. Won’t that take your mind off her for a bit?”

Kym sat silently for a while.

"Cheer up, darling. In six short months, it will all be over, and you can tell the world about you and Lydia."

“I know that, but it seems an age away.”

I smiled.

“Today is the first day that you have not seen her for two weeks. Perhaps you are suffering a little bit of withdrawal?”

“You mean like a ‘junkie’?”

“Yes, exactly like a ‘junkie’. You have not had your fix of Lydia today. And don’t even think of asking about social media. You know the risks.”

Kym nodded.

[Late morning, Saturday 7th January]

"We aren't feeding the five thousand, you know," I said to Kym as she filled our trolley at the Supermarket.

"Oh, sorry, Dad. I was miles away."

I smiled.

"We have lots to do and only a few hours to do it, and I can't do it all myself, you know?"

Kym just gave me one of those looks that teenagers around the world seem to be able to do at will.

I smiled.
"I was your age once upon a time, believe it or not, so don't go giving me that look, eh?"

Kym managed a smile as we carried on with our shopping.

[Early evening the same day]

"Why don't you go and let our guests in then?" I said as the doorbell rang.

I didn’t need to ask twice.

“Remember about kissing her with the door open!” I called as Kym disappeared.

I need not have worried. Sharon came into the room with a wry smile on her face.

“Young love eh?”

I felt so relieved inside. She seemed to have come around over the holiday. Our daughters had played their part although it was hard at times to stop them even holding hands when out in public.

“Indeed,” I replied.
“Drink?”

Sharon hesitated for a moment but shook her head.

“I’ll limit myself to a glass of wine over dinner if that’s all right with you? I think I got a little drunk on New Year’s eve.”

She had indeed gotten a little drunk, but we'd seen the new year in, at their home, so no one minded very much.

The girls appeared arm in arm. I could tell that we would have trouble prying them apart tonight. Mentally, I sighed. As every day went by, I could see them growing closer and closer. I just hoped for all our sakes, if they did break up then, it would be amicable.

Over dinner, the four of us discussed what was going to happen next. At one point, Sharon said,

“I’ve not seen Lydia so happy in years.”

No one could disagree with that. Then she said,

“But darling… please be careful.”

I prayed that those words would not come to haunt all of us.

[Continued in Part 2]