Everything was just a foggy haze. Emma just lay there number looking up at the ceiling. The bright fluorescent lights were almost blinding.
Where was she? "Where am I?" She thought
She tried turning to look around but her head was held firmly in place.
"Where am I?" She thought again. The last thing she remembered was a car ride
"Car ride to where?" She didn't have the littlest idea where she was and just as she was about to panic, she heard a voice
"Miss Peterson?"
Where was the voice coming from? Then a head wearing a surgical mask popped into her line of view
"Good. I'll need you to count backwards from 10 for me. Can you do that?"
She nodded slightly as she began counting. It was all coming back to her.
Groggy she began "10, 9, 8.. 7....."
"Patient is under. Prep her for surgery" the person she figured to be a doctor said.
She was surprisingly peaceful now as the thoughts.... or memories started rushing in as her eyes closed involuntarily.

"I'm almost there mum" she had said on the phone
"Don't you need us to pick you at the train station?" Her mother asked
"No no I'm driving"
"You're driving? When did you get a car?"
"It's a long story. I'll explain when I get there"
She hung up the phone.
"Oh it'll be a long day" she thought finally.
She didn't want to overwhelm her family so she had worn dark jeans, a white split-neck top and flats.
She had her her up in a pony tail and light beige lip gloss.
She was feeling good at the time. She had told Andrew about Inspire magazines interest and he had loved the idea so there was lots to be happy about.
She had also wondered whether Mr. Matsevich had anything to do with it.
But nevertheless, she felt good. Which could change in the next few minutes.
Her family usually had that effect on her.
And today, she might as well had given them ammo for their guns.
She parked in front of the familiar lawn.
Her family had lived here since she was born.
They moved here shortly after Jimmy had been born.
She came out of the car and started walking to the house when her mother walked out stunned. Just standing there.
A few seconds later, Jimmy walked out and had basically the same expression.
"Dad?" He yelled "wanna come out here?"
A few seconds later he father walked out and said
"What? Who is this?" He asked turning to Jimmy.
Perfect. Icing on the cake.
"Dad. It's me" Emma then said
Then her father produced the expected look.
They all stood there with her mother and brother looking uncomfortable, her father looking troubled and Emma with her left hand on her right elbow looking at the ground.
"Well come on in dear" her mother finally said "you must be famished"
Her father just turned and walked into the house without saying another word.
Jimmy followed and her mother gestured for her to coming in.
She did and the door was closed behind her sealing her fate.
They had been well into a wordless lunch when Jimmy said
"So since when?"
She gave him a look as if to say "back off". It's a look she had given him many times in the past but it looked so much different now
"Honey you just caught us by surprise is all" her mother said "we just thought we'd have a bit more time"
"What does that mean?" Emma asked worried
"I mean we knew. For a while now. Jimmy found your stash about a year before you left for university and then it all made sense. All my missing clothes and the ones out of place."
Emma was mortified.
"We expected today. Just not yet I guess"
"Why didn't you tell me?" Emma said almost yelling "i have been struggling with this for years and you knew?"
"We figured you'd tell us when you were ready. And it seems you are. So tell us"
Even her father that hadn't said a word all day seemed interested
"About a year ago, I started seeing a therapist. But I've been wanting to be a girl for as long as I can remember"
"Since you were four. That was the first I remember" he mother interrupted smiling
"Yeah I remember that. You wouldn't touch the suit dad had bought us for Thanksgiving. Remember that mum?" Jimmy had said laughing
Her mother's eyes lit up. She had remembered.
"'I want what mummy got' you kept crying. We didn't get to take a photo that year" her mother added.
Emma just kept looking at the two
"How come I don't remember any of this?"
"You were asleep most of the day after that" her father finally said
She looked at him stunned
"Are you sure this is what you want?" He asked
"Yes dad" she said sharply
"Then we support you darling" her mum said reaching across the table to hold her manicured hands.
She looked over at Jimmy who only nodded. She smiled.
"Oh look at this bob. Our Superman. And our Lois Lane" their mother said
"Ewww mum! Terrible reference!" Emma exclaimed laughing
"What?" their mother asked oblivious to the fact that those two characters had been dating.
Emma took a deep breath before proceeding to tell them how she met Andrew through the whole soccer thing.
She noticed her father getting uncomfortable as she began talking about Andrew but Jimmy saved the day with that loud mouth.
"You know dad had been worried that you would neglect your studies joining that team?" He said
"Remember he said that that was you becoming a man. Getting invested in sports. Boy was he wrong." Their mother added
"I uh admit I was wrong" he said.
That was hard for him.
"But you gotta understand. We're not trained for this sort of thing. I mean it's not exactly normal"
Her mother and Jimmy just turned and looked at Emma worriedly.
She in turn looked at her father annoyed.
There he was. To think for one second, she could have a nice conversation with her family without him ruining everything.
This was what she had to live with. The utter disappointed in every look.
The close-mindedness that led him to believe that she wasn't 'normal'.
"What? It's not. How many men do you see walking around with make up on going around looking for boyfriends"
"Bob!" Her mother shouted.
"It's okay mum"
"No it's not. You apologise to your daughter this instant"
He chuckled "Daughter? I don't have a daughter. And It seems I have only one son now" he got up to leave.
"Dad! Come on dad" Jimmy said
"You don't have to leave. I will." Emma replied angrily
She put her hand in her purse and brought out an invitation dropping it on the table
"Andrew and I are getting married in summer. I hope you can make it. Thanks for dinner mum" she said walking out of the house with tears welling up in her eyes"
"Emmanuel!" Her mother called to her
"It's Emma" she replied without turning back.
Reaching her car, she was already crying.
"Hey wait up" Jimmy was saying grabbing her arm.
"I.. I.. he-" Emma said unintelligible while sobbing
"I know" Jimmy said as he hugged her.
She just stood there crying for a while on his shoulder.
He stood at least 5 inches taller than she was and would have been exactly the kind of stuff he would have teased her about in the past but now she just felt safe.
He was much more nicer to her now than he had ever been.
And for a second there, she hated that they had fought so much when they were little. Maybe they would have spent quality time together.
When she was done crying, she looked up at him and said
"Thank you. Come visit me sometime okay?"
"I will. Besides you owe me a new shirt. This one's soaked"
"Shut up" she said smiling "don't let him drive you crazy"
He waved at her as she got into her car, reversed and drove off

"She's waking up. Get the doctor"