Around 12:30, Sam started the car and went to the doctor. Lisa was beside him while Oliver and Jessica stayed with their grandparents, and Lisa was even more nervous than Sam.

What if it was something that put him in danger? Could she even handle it? She knew how much she loved Sam, and she also knew that he loved her. Only death could separate them, and that’s what made Lisa afraid.

“I am the one who’s going to see the doctor here, so why are you nervous?” Sam joked. He already knew that Lisa worried about him and was glad, but he still didn’t want her to be nervous.

“Because I love you.” Lisa sighed. She didn’t know if she wanted to know what was happening to Sam. “What if it’s testicular cancer or something else dangerous? I am worried about losing you,” Lisa finally admitted. She worried about Sam, and she couldn’t imagine being with someone else, and he was the love of her life, her soulmate.

Sam wanted to slap himself now since he worried that Lisa might abandon him. Lisa, on the other hand, was only worried about his life. At least he could rest assured that Lisa didn’t plan to leave him.

“Don’t worry. I assure you it’s nothing like that. We’re about to know everything soon enough. We’re here after all,” Sam said as they parked the car.

They left the car, headed inside the building, and took the elevator to the second floor. When they got to the end of the hall, they found the clinic full of young men around Sam’s age, which surprised Lisa. She expected to see mainly men in their fifties and a few closer to Sam’s age.

Lisa and Sam took their seats while waiting for their turn to see the doctor. Sam could tell what Lisa was thinking from the look on her face. He knew why most of them were here. In some way or another, they all shared the same problem—Erectile Dysfunction. Although Sam didn’t know the reason for his sexual inability, he was still here for that problem.

They didn’t have to wait long as a nurse called for Sam. “Mr. Aston.”

Hearing his name, Sam stood up, followed by Lisa, and they entered the doctor’s room. A lady in her late thirties to early forties was sitting behind her desk. Her name was Dr. Jacobson. Of all her patients, she felt a connection with Sam, and he reminded her of her little brother.

“Mr. Aston, I am glad you took an appointment today,” Dr. Jacobson said. Standing up to greet Sam, she noticed Lisa. She hadn’t seen Lisa before, but she knew that Lisa was the one who had convinced him to come.

“I am glad you decided to come, and please have a seat,” Dr. Jacobson pointed to the chairs in front of her desk. They noticed a second person in a lab coat standing beside Dr. Jacobson’s desk.

“Beside me is Dr. Hannah O’Neill. She’s a gynecologist and will be following up on my appointment with you,” Dr. Jacobson announced as both Lisa and Sam took their seats. Sam and Lisa looked up at Dr. Jacobson, confused, and it didn’t make sense for Sam to visit a gynecologist, let alone follow up with her.

“Mr. Aston, I will be clear with you. The reason you have erectile dysfunction is that you’re becoming a woman. The blood tests confirmed that the level of estrogen and other female hormones in your body is much higher than normal. Extremely high, in the range of a young teen girl beginning to experience puberty. Your testosterone levels are non-existent. From that blood sample, we could determine the GCS profile. Mr. Aston, you are experiencing Gender Change Syndrome,” Dr. Jacobson explained.

Sam’s face went white as if he had seen a ghost. He was vaguely familiar with this condition but only knew three things about it. One, males become female, and females become male. Two, it can affect all ages, but the number of affected has been few. And three, there is no cure.

“Are you sure? Maybe you’re wrong. The test, maybe you mixed it up with someone else’s. Can we do the test again?” He pleaded.

“Mr. Aston, I’m sorry, but the test is correct. You have the condition.”

He started to think about his family, Lisa, the kids, and what would happen if Lisa rejected him. He won’t be her man anymore; he will be a woman just like her. Leaving aside that, the idea of him becoming a woman is terrifying. Lisa could see his doubts, but she now had something more important to ask.

“What about Sam’s life? Will he be in danger? I mean, his life is more important than other things.”

Lisa was sure she would never leave Sam before, but now she was even more convinced. Sam’s life was her top priority, and what she said last night was true. She wouldn’t mind being a lesbian if it was Sam.

“If dealt with correctly, GCS won’t be any danger to your life, but we would like to keep you under observation,” Dr. Hannah said, looking between Lisa and Sam.

“We need to run more tests to know what stage you are in, and then we can assess what else we need to do to make your transition a smooth and complete process.”

"I will be honest with you. You saw the number of young men in the waiting room. This syndrome has recently become widespread, and every day, more and more young men seem to be affected. We don't know what is causing it, it may be a virus, and we can find no way to stop it. The men affected by GCS numbered around four times the number of women. You will make a fine woman, Sam, it's not life-threatening in any way."

An hour and a half later, after further tests and more blood samples were taken for even more difficulties, Sam and Lisa walked out of Dr Jacobson’s clinic. Sam was devastated. Not only was this suddenly life-changing, but he also feared Lisa would leave him. He was sure she had put up with enough with him, and he couldn’t ask her for more.

“Sam, get these thoughts out of your head, so what if you become my wife instead of my husband? I love you for who you are, not what you are,” Lisa said as they both got in the car. Sam was in no condition to drive now, so they both agreed that Lis should be the one to drive the vehicle.

Sam just sat in silence, looking blankly ahead as tears formed in his eyes. He wondered why he was so emotional lately. Sam now knew why. It was usual for women to have all these emotions. The Doctors told him he was in the last stages of his transition. He didn’t need surgery which was a good thing. Still, he would need to be kept in the hospital for a whole day and rest for an entire week.

Before he knew it, Sam found himself in front of the Barkers’ house as Lisa parked the car. Sam almost had a panic attack at the moment, and he was sure that Hank would ask about the results of the doctor’s visit.

They had talked before he left with Lisa. He had explained how worried he was about disappointing Lisa while she was a wonderful and supportive wife. He told him how much she brags about having the best husband in front of her cousins and friends. He even cried in front of Hank. Eventually, Hank did assure him that Lisa still loved him and was not disappointed in any way.

He couldn’t face Hank now; he was so afraid he sat shaking in his seat. Hank was like a father he never had; for Sam, Hank meant as much to him as he meant to Lisa. How was he going to face Hank? How was he going to explain this?
It took all Sam’s willpower to leave the car and follow Lisa into the house. Inside they heard squeals and giggles from the twins as they walked inside. Worse, Terry, Lisa’s little brother, was there.

All heads turned towards them as they entered from the door. Immediately Oliver and Jessica ran to them, receiving their hugs. Sam was silent, but he couldn’t help but smile.

“Sam, it’s been a while, man. How are you doing?” Terry quipped.

Terry was a brilliant guy. With the college credit classes in high school and the summer session classes he powered through, he achieved a college degree in two years instead of four. He had a degree in social media, and his job paid well. He hadn’t seen Sam and Lisa for a long time and missed them.

“I am fine too, Terry. Thank you for asking,” Lisa said, rolling her eyes. Everyone laughed a bit, and Terry did it on purpose as a joke, and it was an old joke that Lisa was very used to already.

“I missed you both,” Terry said, walking to Lisa and hugging her before doing the same with Sam. “I have also missed these two monkeys,” Terry said, tickling Jessica and Oliver, making them wiggle in their parents’ arms and squeal. “What do you feed these two? They don’t even get tired,” Terry joked, wiping a fake drop of sweat from his forehead.

“Admit it, Terry. You’re an old man. Even Hank can last longer,” Sam joked, making Terry fake a hurt expression.

“For your information, I am only 21, and you’re 25. You’re the old man, not me,” Terry replied as everyone laughed at the dramatic exchange between them. Even if Sam was struggling with everything that had happened to him, he was happy to see Terry again. He always loved the way they joked and laughed together.

“Kids, which of us is the old man, me or your uncle, Terry?” Sam knew that the kids would take his side.

Terry, however, seemed to have other plans. He took two lollipops from the front pocket of his shirt, and he handed the chocolate-flavored one to Oliver while he gave the strawberry-flavored one to Jessica.

Oliver and Jessica looked at each other for a second, then they answered in unison. “Daddy,” both Oliver and Jessica said as they giggled.

“What do you say to uncle Terry?” Sam asked, already accepting that he had lost the fight.

“Thank you,” both Lisa and Oliver thanked Terry.

Everyone settled in the backyard while waiting for Hank and Rosa to return from the grocery store. Sam realized that Terry knew nothing about what was happening or why he had visited the doctor. Still, Sam knew that eventually, everyone would know about his condition. He would have to talk to his boss and tell his mom and explain to his fellow workers why he didn’t come to work for a whole week. Even worse will be when or if he must start going to work dressed as a woman.

He knew that both his boss and the CEO were sexist. When they discover he’s become a woman, he’ll have to wear a skirt, suit, hose, and heels like all the other women. They weren’t even allowed to wear pantsuits, jeans, or ankle-length skirts. He always felt terrible for his female fellow workers for enduring such sexist people.

Yes, he was not in a much better situation, but he didn’t have to face his boss’s looks and behavior. It seems he would have to use his backup plan sooner than expected.

Hank and Rosa arrived half an hour later, joining everyone in the backyard. Before dinner, Lisa and Rosa headed to the kitchen, and Sam followed them in, but Rosa kicked him out of the kitchen.

Rosa was not a traditional woman, but she had one rule in the kitchen. As long as women are in the house, men aren’t allowed to prepare food in the kitchen.

“You know the rules, and even my special son-in-law is no exception,” Rosa said, pushing Sam out of the kitchen. Lisa just smiled, shaking her head.

“Mom, I think I should tell you this before dad and Terry, but Sam has GCS,” Lisa declared as Sam’s face turned red from embarrassment.

He always had a more androgynous face without much facial hair. He should have seen this coming, with the two small bumps forming on his chest even when he was always in shape. His wrists were becoming narrow, and he was losing weight while he developed fat deposits in other places.

Sam had been so busy lately trying to get his desired promotion and letting his boss overwork him. Sam didn’t realize any of the changes happening to his body, and he thought that losing weight was due to stress. Boy, how wrong could a guy be? Sam couldn’t believe he was becoming a woman. They always said that change was good, but he wasn’t sure about it this time.

“What’s that?” Rosa asked, looming at Sam, whose face turned even redder. “Hold on, isn’t that the disease where men become women? Is that why you guys went to the doctor today?” Rosa looked surprised. Even with his feminine looks, Sam was a manly man, a real man, nothing like these show-off guys with muscles but no brains. He was the man who made her daughter happy, and she couldn’t see him becoming a woman.

“It’s a syndrome, and yes, Sam is changing into a woman. Though that won’t change my love for him, he has some tough times ahead, and he needs everyone’s support,” Lisa stated. She wanted to support Sam as much as possible through these challenging times but needed Sam to be willing to receive the support. He always thought he would burden people with his problems to keep them to himself.

“I am sorry, Sam, I don’t know what to say,” Rosa said, taking him into a hug. For some reason, Sam couldn’t help but cry, and he couldn’t believe it. He was crying in front of his mother-in-law, but the warmth she provided was too good for him to leave.

While his mom was always kind and cared for him, he had never felt any warmth from her. His sister Julia always would cuddle him when he got nightmares, not his mom, and he knew his mom was so looking forward to another girl and was disappointed when he was born. Maybe she would treat him better as a woman. She loved him and would always call his school, outraged when the other boys bullied him, but she never provided him with this warm feeling.

“I don’t understand why I am crying,” Sam asked between his, sniffling, confused.

“It’s quite normal for women to cry, Sam. There is nothing to be worried about,” Rosa soothed, trying to help Sam calm down.

“But I’m not a woman,” Sam complained, sniffling. He was supposed to be a man and consistently strong for his wife. He was not supposed to show any weakness, yet there he was, crying on the shoulders of his mother-in-law. It was weird and humiliating, yet it felt nice. It felt good that Sam didn’t need to hide his sadness for once.

“Maybe not right now, but you have the same hormones as I running through your body. Sam, stop pushing yourself too hard. We all care about you,” Rosa assured Sam.

He was always a good guy with a hard time, yet he never gave up.

“You know, Sam. It turned out you were more of a man than most of the guys that Lisa dated before,” Rosa admitted before pulling out of the hug and looming over Sam. At 5’10”, he was shorter than Rosa, and Lisa towered over him, standing at 6’1”.

Lisa asked Rosa to tell Dad and Terry about Sam’s condition after they left the house. They would be back tomorrow and would answer their questions then. Rosa smiled and agreed it was no problem.

The rest of the day went normal, and the twins had already fallen asleep by the time Sam and Lisa left. Lisa and Sam picked them up, strapped them in their car seats, and then drove home.