“She couldn’t have chosen a more convenient month for this?” Sophie sighed as she, Amy and Hayley tried to manoeuvre the cumbersome single bed into her bedroom. “I always thought that August was, like, the busiest month for foreign travel.”

“Oh, stop whining,” Amy chastised her flatmate. “You were the one who suggested this, remember?”

“Yes, yes, I know,” Sophie said, stretching her tired muscles as the bed was lowered and slid into place, before straightening her short denim skirt and sitting down on the edge of the bed. “And yes, I know that August is one of the months when new hires are taken in.”

“And, most importantly, it’s also the first hiring round since she turned nineteen,” Hayley informed her friend. “The airline may have relaxed a lot of rules since the strike, but that isn’t one of them.” Sophie smiled and nodded as she mused on how her life had changed over the previous three months.

For most of the cabin crew of Soixante-Trois Airlines, life had quickly returned to normal, albeit in much more comfortable, but no less feminine uniforms. The example that had been made of the man who had assaulted Rachel had resulted in 'incidents' between passengers and crew quickly becoming a thing of the past, even on the previously dreaded London to Paris route. The number of times the flight attendants faced questions about their birth gender had also dramatically fallen, and job satisfaction levels had sharply risen. The relationship between management and crew had also improved dramatically, thanks in no small part to Marie’s appointment as the new hub manager. However, there were employees who chose not to return following the end of the strike, and Sophie found herself missing Rachel Lyscombe more and more as the summer went on.

Of course, Antoine Masson took full credit for resolving the strike, earning him praise from both the general public and his peers, but the cabin crew were able to quickly look past this- they were just happy to be back at work and to have better working conditions, and Sophie counted herself among this number. To her, the only difference between stockings and tights, or stiletto heels and block heels, or even a 26” waist or a 30” waist was that the latter was more comfortable. Sophie felt just as feminine in the new uniform as she had in the old one, feelings that were shared by her flatmates in their discussions of the new working conditions. Even though her expose had long since been published and the work on her second book could be done in any work environment, Sophie found herself unable to take the steps necessary to end her employment with the airline. Amy and Hayley were the two best friends that she had ever had, and she counted many of her other colleagues among her closest friends as well. They unquestioningly accepted Sophie for who she was, whether that was male, female, both or neither. They helped her with any problem she had and enabled her to live the life that she could never see herself leaving behind. For better or worse- and Sophie saw it very much as the former- ‘Sophie’ was now as much a part of her life, even more so than ‘James’ had ever been. However, there was still one major obstacle standing between Sophie and the freedom she yearned for- her parents. As far as they were concerned, ‘James’ was only living as a woman for a job. As far as they were concerned, ‘James’ hated wearing skirts, heels and make-up. As far as they were concerned, ‘Sophie’ would soon be a thing of the past- and Sophie had no idea how she was going to shatter this illusion. All she knew was that if she didn’t do it soon, her anxiety levels would quickly become intolerable.

Sophie's 25th birthday the previous month had been a prime example of the dilemma she faced. On the 18th, the day of her birthday, 'James' had spent the day with 'his' parents, opening presents that were unquestionably masculine in nature and facing questions about 'his' life- not Sophie's life, but his. The following day, however, Amy and Hayley had treated 'Sophie' to a girly day the likes of which she had never experienced before. She was taken to an expansive salon, where her hair and nails were expertly treated and shaped into their most feminine look yet (a far cry from the 'lazily swept back' look that 'James' had worn on his birthday), before going on a shopping spree on Regent Street, buying new skirts, dresses, shoes, make-up, and even lingerie and swimwear. The day after that had been Saturday, and Sophie got the opportunity to show off one of her new dresses and bikinis when she, Amy and Hayley had wangled invitations to one of Charlotte Hartley's legendary Saturday night parties, where she'd spent the night drinking, dancing and relaxing in a hot tub, surrounded by women who unquestionably accepted her for who she was. If Sophie ever lost the life that she'd grown to love, she genuinely didn't know what she'd do. However, if she fell out of contact with her parents, she would feel even worse.

However, as Sophie mused to herself, that was something that could not be said for another of her friends, one to whom she was almost as close as Amy or Hayley and into whose family drama she had been unwittingly drawn. Despite the fact that she had left the airline some months beforehand, Amelie had been as passionate about the strike as any of the other cabin crew. However, when the strike ended, she became if anything even more resentful of her father than before. While Sophie held no particular love for Antoine Masson, she was deeply disturbed by the level of anger his second-youngest daughter showed him, especially while continuing to enjoy the life of luxury paid for by his vast fortune. Amelie and Ellen still lived in the opulent London flat that he owned, Amelie’s university studies were bankrolled by him and they were even discussing how he would pay for their wedding. While none of this personally affected Sophie, she still found herself drawn into the drama out of a desire to not offend her friends, which left her in the situation she’d somehow found herself in of gaining a new roommate.

“That’ll be them!” Hayley giggled excitedly as the doorbell rang. “We’ll finish off the mattress later.”

“Yep!” Sophie said with a forced giggle as she and her two best friends headed to the front door, which they opened to be greeted by the smiling faces of Ellen Briggs and Amelie Masson… And the nervous face of Amelie’s younger sister.

“Ah, bonsoir, mademoiselles!” Amy said, earning an eye roll from the older French woman as the three newcomers entered the flat and made themselves comfortable on the sofa.

“We are in London and Francine needs to practise her English!” Amelie chastised the ginger-haired woman, before giggling. “But thank you. Or merci, or however you please!”

“Really, it’s our pleasure,” Hayley said. “Though I am surprised that you’re moving in here, Francine- wouldn’t you have preferred to live with your sister?”

“Umm…” Francine said, a nervous grin instantly spreading across her face as she carefully considered her words in a language with which she was not yet fully familiar. “I would not want to be there when they are, well…”

“Say no more,” Amy giggled as she headed into the kitchen, returning seconds later with a bottle of wine and six glasses.

“PLEASE say no more,” Sophie said, smirking as Francine giggled while her sister and her fiancée scowled and rolled their eyes.

“But I would want to be in London and not Paris as I would want to be close to Amelie,” Francine continued. “I mean, I have other sisters and my mama and papa in Paris, but it is Amelie to who I am most close. And I want to live, umm, free, if you know?”

“You want to live independently?” Sophie asked, smiling as the French teenager nodded. “I get that, heh. I don’t think there’s a single person in this room who doesn’t get that, in fact. The need to be your own person…”

“Definitely,” Hayley whispered. “Even if for some of us, it wasn’t exactly by choice.” The brown-haired woman bit her lip as the room was filled with an awkward silence.

“…Though that is not only for us who are ‘T’, but also ‘L’,” Amelie said softly as she gripped her fiancée’s hand. “Though Francine is not- is actually the only one of us who is not any of LGBT.”

“Oh god, you’re not going to be bringing boys home, are you?” Amy said in a teasing tone. “It’s bad enough when Hayley does that!”

“Oh- shut up…” Hayley snorted. “Besides which, you’ll be sharing a room with Sophie, so she’s the one you’ll need to clear it with.”

“…Just as long as you warn me ahead of time,” Sophie chuckled.

“I can do that,” Francine said with a grin. “Though I hope I will not take too much time to find a footballer from one of these Premier League teams in London!”

“Though as I’ve told you a million times,” Ellen sighed, “the REAL footballers all play in Manchester.”

“In red,” Sophie said with a smug grin as Ellen rolled her eyes.

“And how many trophies did United win this year?” Ellen asked. “Was it three more or three less than City?”

“Filles! Enough talk of football!” Amelie said with a dramatic sigh. “Especially from you, Francine!” The four English women in the flat all giggled while Amelie failed to notice her sister sticking her tongue out at her. “We have everything for Francine here in these bags, we can stay and help her to unload if you’d like?”

“If you want,” Amy replied with a shrug. “Though you don’t seem to have much stuff, Francine?”

“A lot more of it is in Paris,” Francine replied. “I only shall stay for my year with the airline, then go to university in Paris.”

“Well, while you’re here, our home is your home,” Amy said with a warm grin. “Bring in anything you want, just as long as it’s not too big. And make sure you let Sophie know if it’s going to be a boy, hehe!”

“Sophie will let you know if she’s going to bring Amy into the room,” Ellen teased, earning angry glares from both Amy and Sophie and a confused look from Francine.

“Oh, are- are you two a couple?” Francine asked.

“No, we most certainly are not, as Ellen damn well knows!” Amy replied as she hurled a cushion at the Manchester native’s head.

“DEFINITELY not,” Sophie said firmly.

“Methinks the ladies doth protest too much!” Ellen teased, before squealing with laughter as Amy and Sophie both brandished cushions at her.

“She’s taking the piss, Francine,” Sophie reassured her new roommate. “Better get used to that if you’re going to be her sister-in-law, heh!”

“I know about her jokes, yes,” Francine giggled. “A part of why I do not live there, hehe!”

“Charming!” Ellen snorted, before letting out a giggle of her own. “But not unfair, I guess. Though our spare room is there for you whenever you need it, if Sophie and Amy become too loud during the night!”

“Bite me,” Sophie snorted.

“Are you talking to me or Amy?” Ellen asked, giggling even louder as Sophie rolled her eyes. “Ahh… But seriously, Francine, get used to this, heh. There’s a lot of teasing, but it’s all meant to be fun.”

“You are nineteen and living away from papa for the first time,” Amelie advised her sister. “Enjoy the feeling! There shall be many parties.”

“Many parties is something I would very like!” Francine giggled excitedly. “But maybe first I should, umm, to say…”

“Settle in?” Sophie asked, smiling as the brown-haired girl nodded. “That’s okay. Probably for the best as it’s your first day tomorrow, heh!”

“Do you know who your mentor’s going to be, yet?” Amy asked.

“A girl called Alicia, I think,” Francine replied, frowning as Amy, Sophie and Ellen all rolled their eyes. “Is this a problem?”

“Alicia, she- she’s a bit of a…” Sophie replied hesitantly. “What’s the French word for brown-noser? Sycophant?”

“Flagorneuse,” Amelie explained, making her sister frown and nod.

“I know these people,” Francine said. “All times in school, other children would try to be friends with me and Amelie because they thought it would help with our papa.”

“They did not know our papa does not listen to us,” Amelie scoffed.

“My sister is correct,” Francine sighed. “I love my papa very much, but to him me and Amelie are but little children, not like Henri, Veronique or Antoine. He was not happy when I said I was going to London for my year of work.”

“His condition for him paying all your uni fees?” Hayley asked, smiling as Francine nodded. “I get it, heh. Though I think you’re being a bit too hard on Alicia. Okay, she didn’t join the strike, or even the union, but she’s a pretty nice girl when you get to know her.”

“But a flagorneuse anyway,” Amelie said. “I am sure she will expect to become your friend and then become our father’s friend.”

“But you don’t need to worry about that,” Amy reassured her new flatmate. “Tonight, we’ll get you settled in, we’ll get a takeaway dinner, have a few bottles of wine and then we can get to know each other a little better. How does that sound to you, Francine?”

“It sounds perfect,” Francine replied with a wide, genuine smile, relaxing into her chair as Amy took out her phone and began ordering their dinner.

The six women spent the rest of the evening eating, drinking and chatting, listening to the sisters’ stories of their opulent upbringing. However, despite Amelie and Francine's openness about their family life, none of the three original residents of the flat felt even remotely like talking about their families- particularly Sophie, who felt her whole body tense up whenever she was asked any question, no matter how innocuous. As Sophie went to bed, she felt a little uneasy at first about having to share a room for the first time in weeks, but she was quickly able to relax. Sophie reasoned that having a new flatmate was at least something to distract her from the rest of her life- especially one as genuinely friendly as Francine. And besides, as she'd been told on countless occasions, you can never have too many friends.

Sophie was awoken the following morning by the alarm on her phone, and for a brief second, she was momentarily shocked by the changed layout and the gentle snoring of the other occupant of the room, before remembering the events of the previous evening. Sophie smirked as she pushed back her covers, before tiptoeing over to the slumbering teenager and gently rocking her shoulder.

“Francine…” Sophie cooed, trying not to giggle as the teenager slowly stirred. “Francine, wake up, it’s time for work…”

“Va-t'en, je suis fatigué,” Francine replied, tiredly batting Sophie’s arm away.

“Non, il est temps de se lever maintenant!” Sophie replied, smirking as Francine slowly opened her eyes. “Do you regret your decision to live and work here yet?”

“I shall tell you in the afternoon,” Francine replied, before letting out a long sigh, that Sophie could immediately tell wasn’t entirely the result of tiredness.

“What’s up?” Sophie asked, biting her lip nervously as the other girl frowned.

“It is nothing,” Francine replied. “I just- I have never lived outside of my home before. I mean, yes, I have stayed in hotels, or at my father’s homes in Hollywood, or Miami or Monte Carlo, but I did always have my room in Paris to go home to.”

“Well, you still do have that room, don’t you?” Sophie asked. “To go back to when your time with the airline is over. You could always think of this as a very long hotel stay.”

“Maybe,” Francine said with a shrug. “But I do miss my family.”

“I get that,” Sophie mused. “I suppose as you’re the youngest of your brothers and sisters… Heh. We will do everything to make you feel at home here, though. And everybody has to live away from family sooner or later.”

“Maybe,” Francine shrugged. “At least I am near Amelie, some family. And she is why I came to London anyway.”

“True,” Sophie said. “And think of this, too- Amelie still lives in a flat owned by your father, but you don’t, so technically you became independent before she did!”

“Even with our father is paying my, umm…” Francine began, trailing off and blushing as she tried to recall the word.

“Rent?” Sophie asked, smiling sympathetically as Francine nodded.

“Oui, rent,” Francine nodded. “But he does pay it through wages.”

“…Well then, technically, he does for me as well,” Sophie said, earning a giggle from the younger woman. “Come on, we’d better get a move on before Amy and Hayley use all the hot water, heh. I suppose you didn’t have to queue for the bathroom at your home in Paris?”

“I had two of my own bathrooms, so no,” Francine replied with another giggle as the two left the bedroom, entering the flat’s living area to find the other two women already awake and showered.

“Ah, good morning!” Amy chuckled as she provided the two women with a mug of coffee each. “I would say ‘bonjour’ but your sister’s banned us from speaking French while you’re living with us, hehe!”

“Mer- thank you,” Francine said softly as she sipped her drink. “And thank you for buying real French coffee!”

“We may have made a special trip to the shops when we learned you were moving in,” Amy said with a wink.

“Not that we don’t all love real French coffee ourselves, hehe!” Hayley chuckled. “Are you looking forward to your first day, Francine?”

“A bit,” the French woman replied. “I know what to expect from Amelie, and your help last night.”

“More importantly, did you sleep well?” Amy asked, earning an eye roll from Sophie.

“Give the poor girl some space, for god’s sake!” Sophie chastised her friends, though even that gesture earned an eye roll from her new roommate.

“I am not a child, I can answer a question!” Francine snorted, before smiling. “And I did sleep well, thank you. If it was my first time in a new bed, and sleeping with another woman in the room, though.”

“Yeah,” Hayley mumbled, fidgeting awkwardly and earning frowns from both Sophie and Francine.

“Did I say something I should not?” Francine asked.

“No, Hayley just wants to ask something she shouldn’t,” Amy said, making Hayley roll her eyes and snort angrily.

“Please ask, I shall not take offence,” Francine said, trying not to fidget herself as Hayley took a deep breath.

“Does- does your father know you’re living with three transgender women?” Hayley asked with a heavy sigh. “I mean, what does he think about, you know, his little girl living with three- well, three people whom many consider to not be ‘real’ women?” Francine fidgeted as she considered her answer to the question, and much to her own surprise, so did Sophie.

‘Real’ women. It was a phrase Sophie had heard often, usually from passengers and usually preceded by the words ‘are you actually’. It was a phrase that Sophie had previously thought nothing of- she was simply doing a job, undercover and only projecting the image of a woman. Even as she sashayed up and down the plane in her tight skirt and high heels, or partied with her friends in expensive cocktail dresses, or even spent Sunday mornings wearing a leotard and a pair of tights at her dance class, Sophie had always been of the mindset that her femininity was simply skin-deep- but all that had gradually changed over the months, and when Hayley asked her question, it truly made Sophie think. To Sophie, being a woman wasn’t about what clothes or make-up you wore, it was about something more- the way you acted, the way you thought, and most importantly of all, the way you felt. And the more that Sophie thought about it, the more she realised that she felt like a ‘real’ woman in every way that mattered. She'd written over thirty thousand words about her feelings of what it was like to be a woman, but she'd never really contemplated Hayley's question before. Which made her suddenly very interested in Francine’s answer to it…

“…It is not something that bothers him, to be true,” Francine replied. “At first, he was upset that the EU said he had to hire employees of all gender identity, but that was because he wanted to fly to Muslim countries. But then he was able to open grey route anyway, and the airline makes profit, so he- he is happy.”

“Then whose idea were the uniforms from hell?” Amy asked.

“Probably one of the board members,” Francine replied with a shrug. “I will not claim that everyone who works for the company will support your rights. But I know my father does.”

“Even though one of his daughters is marrying another woman?” Sophie asked, biting her lip as the French girl frowned.

“Amelie, she- ugh,” Francine sighed. “She is my sister, my favourite sister and I adore her. But she- ugh. It is too early, can we please just eat breakfast?”

“That’s the most sensible thing I’ve heard anyone say so far today,” Hayley giggled as she headed to the kitchen to prepare Sophie and Francine's morning meals. “Though I do have one other question, if you don’t mind…?”

“Please, ask,” Francine said hesitantly.

“How glad is your dad that you won’t be wearing the uniforms from hell?” Hayley asked, smiling as the four women of the flat shared a genuine giggle.

A short while later, the four women arrived at Heathrow airport where they quickly made their way to the locker room to change into their pristine blue uniforms. As Sophie zipped up her knee-length pencil skirt and slipped her nylon-covered toes into her high-heeled shoes, she continued to muse on what Hayley had said that morning. ‘Real’ women. In all the months that Sophie had worked for Soixante-Trois Airlines and had changed in the women's locker room, it had never occurred to her to think of any of the other flight attendants as anything other than ‘real’ women, regardless of their DNA. While she hadn’t had the most liberal of upbringings, she’d been taught from a very early age to accept people for who they were, and it had taken very little time in the company of Amy and Hayley to convince Sophie that they were as ‘real’ as any other woman, regardless of their chromosomes. The book Sophie was compiling was full of many such testimonials, all from women that Sophie considered to be ‘real’, whose stories Sophie hoped would open people's minds. However, Sophie knew that two of the people who would read the book would be her parents- and while they would likely have no issue seeing Amy or Hayley as ‘real’ women, Sophie wondered whether or not that acceptance would extend to their own son…

“Where you off to today, then?” Ellen asked Sophie, bringing her mind back to the present.

“Oh, umm, Amsterdam,” Sophie replied. “Haven’t been on a red route flight in weeks, heh.”

“Well, you can just enjoy the tulips and Heineken while I’m sweating it out down in Faro, then,” Ellen said as she gestured to her smart red uniform. “Heh, I’m just kidding, really. It’s the slackers who are sitting in a classroom all day we should really be teasing, heh! You didn’t fancy babysitting any of the newbies, then?”

“Oh, I put my name down,” Sophie replied. “Didn’t hear anything back. Didn’t expect to, either, even with the new face at the top.”

“Hey, that’s technically my family you’re talking about!” Ellen said with mock offence. “Sort-of, anyway. Is your sister-in-law’s sister family?”

“Well, technically, sort-of,” Sophie replied with a giggle. “Ah, I don’t mind, though. I mean, it’s not like I’m ever going to get promoted here, heh.”

“Even if Marie is a lot more reasonable than Alana ever was?” Ellen asked, smiling as Sophie nodded.

“I still feel a little guilty about what happened to Alana,” Sophie sighed.

“Well, you shouldn’t,” Ellen said with a shrug. “Her nose was so far up Masson’s arse, and she completely mismanaged the strike and the, well, ‘situation’ with poor Rachel. And- well, she didn’t- ugh, I shouldn’t really be saying this…”

“Saying what?” Sophie asked.

“Didn’t really have experience with, well, ‘girls like you’,” Ellen mumbled. “Marie at least used to live with Jessica and Nat. In Paris, I mean.”

“Alana never- never really gave me any trouble on that front,” Sophie said. “But meh, I guess there’s no point in dwelling on the past. You working tomorrow and Friday, too?”

“Yep,” Ellen replied. “Portugal all week, heh. You?”

“Last flight until Sunday,” Sophie replied with a smug grin that made the Mancunian woman roll her eyes.

“Got any plans for the rest of the week then?” Ellen asked. “Take advantage of summer while the weather’s still good?”

“Umm, not really,” Sophie replied. “I mean, Francine wants to go to Rachel’s tonight, so we’ll probably do that.”

“Cool, I’ll be there,” Ellen said with a grin. “Going to see your parents on your days off?”

“…Haven’t decided yet,” Sophie mumbled. “Might call them… Ugh. I’d- I’d better get to my flight. You take care in Portugal, okay?”

“Sure thing,” Ellen replied, exchanging air kisses with Sophie as they headed to their respective flights.

Even though Ellen had not explicitly said anything, Sophie knew what she was implying, and she was forced to concede that her friend had a point. The upcoming free time Sophie had was a golden opportunity for her to come out to her parents, and more importantly, to put an end to the stress she was feeling about the situation with them. However, the same could have been said about any day that Sophie wasn’t on a flight, and she felt no braver than she had on any of those previous occasions. As far as Sophie was concerned, she had a job to do on the flight, then when she returned to London, she would have a fun evening out with her friends- girlfriends who she was just as female as. Anything else could wait for now. As much as it continued to eat away at her…

As the two brown-haired stewardesses made their way to their flights, two of their blonde-haired colleagues were putting the finishing touches to their uniforms and make-up while reminiscing about the previous summer.

“You know, of course, where we were this time exactly twelve months ago, don’t you?” Abbey asked her American friend, who giggled at the memory.

“I sure do, honey,” Annabelle replied. “I also remember how cold it was in that bridesmaid’s dress!”

“Who’d ever have thought that the side of a lake in the middle of Scotland would be cold and wet?” Abbey joked, smiling sadly as Annabelle giggled again. “I still really miss Jess and Paige, you know? Even if I did only see them last month after AngelCon.”

“Yeah, I miss them too, honey,” Annabelle sighed. “Can you believe we’re two of the longest-serving employees here?”

“What, are you saying we veterans need to stick together?” Abbey asked.

“Absolutely I am!” Annabelle replied with a grin. “Especially now that we don’t have to, you know, get permission from the bosses for the- well, ‘the’ operation.”

“Ah- yeah,” Abbey chuckled bashfully. “You know, as glad as I am to not be wearing a corset on the plane, for me THAT was the biggest win for us from the strike.”

“Amen, honey,” Annabelle said with a nervous chuckle. “I- heh, I’ve actually already booked my, well, you know.”

“Wha- really?” Abbey asked. “When are you booked in for?”

“November,” Annabelle replied. “I figured by then I’ll have been on HRT for three years, and I’ve paid into the NHS for even longer, so I figure that while I’m still living in Britain… Yeah.”

“Wha- you’re not moving back to America as well, are you?” Abbey asked.

“…I haven’t decided yet,” Annabelle sighed. “I certainly ain’t movin’ back to Atlanta, my family have made it clear there ain’t nothin’ for me there, but my sister’s recently graduated from college, and she lives in California now, and- yeah. Plenty of work going there for experienced cabin crew.”

“Thanks for saying ‘experienced’,” Abbey sighed. “You do know I only just turned 24, right?”

"Well, seeing as your party was on Saturday, I did kinda notice!" Annabelle teased her friend, who rolled her eyes in reply.

"What I mean," Abbey said, “is that I’m not ready to say goodbye to another friend. Or be the longest serving one here! There are girls starting today who’s mentors’ mentors I trained…”

“I’m not goin’ anywhere YET, honey,” Annabelle reassured her friend. “And look at it this way- plenty of potential new friends startin’ today!”

“Well, that’s true- heh, and there goes one now!” Abbey giggled, making Francine blush as she walked past in her clean blue uniform. “Looking forward to today, Francine?”

“Everybody has already asked that of me!” The French girl protested, before sighing and giggling. “But yes, I am.”

“Glad to hear it, honey,” Annabelle said with a smile. “I don’t think we’ve been introduced yet, I’m Annabelle Cope, one of the supervisors here, I’ve been with the company since November ’14.”

“Abbey Watkins, also a supervisor, but I started three months after Annabelle,” Abbey said as she and her American friend shared gentle, polite handshakes with the French girl.

“You both know a lot, then?” Francine asked.

“We- we’ve both seen a lot, yeah!” Abbey chuckled. “If you have any questions that aren’t covered in your training or that your mentor doesn’t know the answer to, just ask either of us, we’ll be happy to help.”

“Okay…” Francine replied uncertainly. “You- are you being nice because I am the daughter or the owner?”

“Wha- oh- no, not at all!” Abbey replied in a flustered tone. “…Though I kinda get why you might think that, heh. Your sister had to put up with a lot of, well…”

“Ass kissing?” Francine asked, smiling as the two older women nearly doubled over in laughter.

“I see you’ve learned all the important English words first!” Annabelle teased the young Frenchwoman, who blushed in response. “But what Abbey was trying to say was that we’re here to help you and any of the other newbies today if you need us. But we can also tell you a few stories about your sister too!”

“Now that I would like!” Francine giggled. “Sophie has promised to take me to the pub of Rachel tonight, can you come also?”

“She’s English, honey, she’s not allowed to say no if you invite her to a pub!” Annabelle teased, giggling as Abbey rolled her eyes. “But I’ll be there too.” Before the Englishwoman could retort, though, they were interrupted by the arrival of Francine's mentor- and the disapproving look on her face.

“Francine, we should go,” the quiet voice of Alicia Tate said as she led the French girl away from the two blonde women, only pausing to give them another disapproving scowl before she left with Francine.

“…What’s her problem?” Abbey snorted as she finished fastening the gold buttons on her blue blazer. “If she’s THAT much of a transphobe, she really picked the wrong company to work for!”

“I don’t think it’s THAT,” Annabelle replied. “Hayley Fisher was her mentor, she says she’s a- a bit of an ‘Alana in training’, if you get what I mean, honey?”

“Ah,” Abbey said. “Didn’t approve of the strike, then?”

“I heard she went even beyond ‘disapproval’,” Annabelle replied. “Rumour has it she actively tried to break apart the union. But, like I said, that’s just rumour, so- yeah.”

“I guess,” Abbey shrugged. “I’m surprised Marie would give her the task of mentoring Francine, though.”

“Well, again, rumour has it that came from a lot higher up than Marie,” Annabelle said. “But, like I said, we’re here to fly, not gossip all day, hehe!”

“More’s the pity!” Abbey giggled. “You take care in the air, okay?”

“You too, honey!” Annabelle giggled as she and Abbey headed to their respective flights.

The young women all worked hard throughout the day on their flights to and from London, and when they returned, all were eager to kick back and let off some steam. None were more eager than Sophie, who found herself relaxing despite the noise with which she had surrounded herself in her favourite central London pub.

“Seriously, I am SO glad I’ve got the next two days off,” Hayley said with an overdramatic sigh. “Really glad I didn’t put my name down to be a mentor this time round. No offence intended to any newbies here, hehe!”

“Which means just you,” Amelie teased her younger sister, who rolled her eyes before taking a sip of her wine.

“Everybody was at a time new,” Francine retorted.

“Well, can’t argue with that!” Amy giggled.

“How are you keeping up?” Sophie asked the French teenager. “With the English, I mean, but also the work?”

“It is- both are hard sometimes,” Francine replied. “Tonight, with the noise, I sometimes don’t hear what is said, but I am, as you say, ‘keeping up’.”

“We can go somewhere a bit quieter if you’d prefer, honey?” Annabelle asked the teenager, who simply giggled and shook her head in reply.

“It is I who wanted to come here tonight!” Francine reminded her friend. “I want to see the real of the airline, not just what my father says or what is said to him.”

“Yeah, Amelie’s said that people are afraid to tell him what he doesn’t want to hear,” Amy said.

“It sometimes happens,” Francine shrugged. “But he will want to listen more to his own daughter, I think.”

“I imagine the strike got a few things out in the open, though?” Amy mused.

“You would think,” Francine replied. “But even in that there were those who would not tell the truth to him.”

“Well, I’ll tell you the truth,” Abbey interjected. “I’ve had a long day flying back and forth to Berlin and I want to talk about something other than work!”

“I agree one hundred percent!” Francine said, giggling as her new friends all cheered. “I want to talk about you all, to know about all my new friends!”

“Well, there’s not much to know…” Sophie mumbled, knowing that she said was untrue. She was expecting one question in particular to be asked, one that hadn't been asked the evening before, and a quick glance at her other friends confirmed the same thing. Francine, however, also noticed her friends’ discomfort and smiled sympathetically.

“I will not ask any questions about being transgender,” Francine said reassuringly. “Ellen’s sister has told me all that I should know, including that I should not ask questions if you do not want to answer.”

“All that she needs to know is that there are eight women sat at this table, and that is all,” Amelie said proudly. “Before Francine says it, I will admit that I did not always hold that opinion, but I was educated, and unlike my father, I can admit that I was once wrong.”

“C'est injuste,” Francine said with a frown.

“It is not unfair, and you should be speaking English!” Amelie chastised her younger sister, making Sophie and many of the other women feel uncomfortable as the teenager blushed and frowned.

“Hey, hey, let- let’s just take a breath, okay?” Abbey asked. “Though I guess there’s no one here who hasn’t had any family issues in the past, heh.”

“That’s for sure,” Sophie sighed as she finished her glass of wine and tried her hardest not to think about her own family issues. “I’m going to get another drink, do any of you want anything?”

“No, you should not pay, I shall pay for the drinks!” Francine insisted, standing up at the same time as Sophie. “Unless you are also daughter of a billionaire?” Not quite, Sophie thought to herself. According to my parents, I’m not even THEIR daughter…

“…Okay,” Sophie mumbled, sighing as she smoothed her short summer dress beneath her as she sat back down.

“You just wish to speak to the sexy barman!” Amelie teased her sister, who sighed and rolled her eyes.

“He’s not really that tall, the floor behind the bar is raised, you know,” Ellen teased.

“And he’s also engaged to the manager,” Amy said with a grin that the French teenager quickly mirrored.

“Good,” Francine said. “Then I can invite her down to speak to her!” The seven other women all chuckled quietly as Francine skipped over to the bar, before relaxing back into their seats.

“…In fairness, it is kinda hard for us to talk about ourselves without talking about, you know, ‘it’,” Abbey sighed.

“Or our families,” Sophie mumbled.

“That’s for damn sure,” Amy sighed. “Well… Our biological family, anyway. I know I’ve got seven sisters sat here with me right now, heh!”

“Francine is settling in with you, then?” Amelie asked.

“Yeah, she’s great,” Sophie replied. “I’m still surprised we’ve got her living with us, instead of you two, or Alicia or someone.”

“I may have given her a suggestion,” Amelie said with a smug grin. “She said she did not want to live with me, but to be close to me, so I told her to live with someone we could both trust.”

“Well- thanks,” Sophie chuckled. “And- ugh, I’m an only child, as you know, so I can’t really comment, but- but you two don’t seem to be, you know, best friends all the time?”

“Same for all siblings,” Ellen shrugged. “God knows me and Sasha fell out all the time growing up, doesn’t mean I don’t adore her.”

“Even if I can tell you Ellen’s sister is the quietest person in the world,” Amelie chuckled. “You would not believe she would argue with anyone, but not anyone is her sister. And I adore Francine just as Ellen does Sasha. Even if we do not agree all the time.”

“Is that the same for you and your father?” Hayley asked, biting her lip as the Frenchwoman frowned.

“…Oui,” Amelie admitted. “He can piss me off with everything he does, but he is still my father. I perhaps see more than Francine does, I do not criticise her for defending him. She will learn as she works with us. Just as I hope my father will learn from the book, or from the strike. But I do not hold out hope.” You're not the only one who feels that way about their father, Sophie self-pityingly thought to herself.

“Well, you never know,” Abbey shrugged. “I never thought my mother would accept me for being who I am, but she not only accepted me, she encouraged and enabled me to the woman I truly am. Maybe your father has a softer side you just haven’t seen yet.”

“…Maybe,” Amelie whispered. “But either he accepts Ellen as he accepts my brothers’ wives and my sister’s husband, or he accepts neither of us.”

“Well, that’s something we certainly can’t argue with,” Amy chuckled as Francine returned with their drinks and the bar’s manager.

“Hey everyone!” Rachel Harrison said with a grin that was mirrored by the women at the table. “Francine here says you’re all helping her settle in, both in London and with the airline?”

“Well, we’re trying,” Abbey replied with a chuckle.

“Who’s your mentor, Francine?” Rachel asked. “One of this motley crew?”

“Funny woman,” Hayley snorted.

“…No,” Francine replied with a chuckle. “It is a woman called Alicia Tate.”

“Don’t think I know her,” Rachel replied.

“You’re not likely to either,” Abbey sighed. “She’s one who takes the informal ban on coming to this place seriously.”

“Ah, well, fair enough,” Rachel shrugged. “Not like we don’t do great business otherwise, heh! Are all of you at work tomorrow?”

“Just me and Ellen,” Abbey replied. “Oh, and Francine, of course!”

“Of course!” Rachel chuckled. “Have the rest of you got anything special planned for tomorrow?”

“Not really,” Amy replied. “I might- I might go and see my parents, maybe…” Sophie and Hayley both tried not to frown, as they knew that when Amy said ‘see her parents’, what she really meant was ‘see her daughter’- a topic that was still sensitive for the otherwise extroverted woman.

“Me too,” Hayley said. “Well, my dad, anyway…”

“Sophie?” Rachel asked, making the brown-haired woman flinch in her seat. “Any plans for tomorrow?”

“Oh, umm, nope, nothing planned,” Sophie replied, inwardly groaning with frustration. All the talk of visiting family only served to remind Sophie of her stress. The upcoming rest days would be the perfect opportunity for Sophie to tell her parents the truth about herself, especially as she’d have Amy and Hayley for moral support too. And yet, the more she thought about it, the more anxious she became, and the more anxious she became, the more frustrated she became, as she knew that she could plan her coming out to the minutest detail, but it wouldn’t make a difference, as she’d never have to the bottle to actually go through with it.

As she laid in bed that night, Sophie- as she had done many, many times before- ran over all the possible scenarios in her head. She could come out to her parents, be accepted and live happily ever after as a gender fluid person with all the friends and family she could ever hope for. She could come out and be rejected, but still have her friends and still have her life as ‘Sophie’. In either scenario, she’d also still have her career, both as a flight attendant and a journalist/writer. That would also be the case if Sophie took no action and allowed the status quo to remain- keep working for the airline, keep living with her friends as Sophie, and keep her parents blissfully unaware of the truth. And keep being stressed out every time the thought of coming out even approached the back of her mind.

And then, there was the ‘nuclear option’, an option Sophie hated herself for even considering, but which had crossed her mind with increasing frequency over the prior few months, especially since the strike. She could always abandon her life as Sophie and go back to being ‘James’ full-time- just as she’d always planned to do when the whole thing had started. She’d still have her career as a writer, her parents would be none the wiser and all the stress she was feeling would just melt away. But in doing so, she’d lose her friends. She’d lose the support network she’d come to depend on, and in many ways, she’d lose her life. Amy, Hayley and the others weren’t just Sophie’s friends, they were her sisters in every way that mattered. Sophie could take or leave the job with the airline, and she could even take or leave the clothes and the make-up, but she simply couldn’t abandon the love that her friends had shown her- HER, not James. Even if she took the ‘nuclear option’ but made occasional visits to her friends, it wouldn’t be the same. She didn’t want to be ‘James in a dress’, she wanted to be Sophie- the woman she felt like she truly was, deep down inside. She just wished that she could be Sophie but be free of all her stress- and all her insomnia…

“Wake up, Sophie!” Francine giggled, shaking Sophie free from her dreamless slumber the following morning.

“Ugh, leave me alone, I’m not working today…” Sophie mumbled, pulling her spare pillow over her head only to have it immediately snatched away by the French girl.

“No, but I am,” Francine replied. “And I thought as I shall wake you anyway when dressing, I shall wake you now, so you are not surprised.”

“You could always get dressed quietly,” Sophie said, before biting her lip and blushing as the nineteen-year-old stripped off her pyjamas without a second thought. “Oh- umm…”

“Why do you look away?” Francine asked. “We are both girls, are we not?”

“Yeah, but as we established last night, not everyone thinks that way,” Sophie replied.

“We also est- umm, est- that word that you said- that I am not one of those people,” Francine said. “Unless it is that you think I am attractive? Or very ugly?”

“Well, I- ugh, funny,” Sophie stammered, before letting out a long sigh as her roommate giggled loudly. “Are you travelling to work with anyone today?”

“Hayley shall be with me,” Francine replied. “She is travelling to see her father, who lives in the west of the country, so she shall go the same way as me.”

“Good,” Sophie said, before rolling over in her bed. “So go and wake her up.”

“Very well, I shall!” Francine giggled. “I shall see you when I return!”

“Yep,” Sophie grunted. “Travel safe!” Sophie smirked as the young Frenchwoman left the bedroom with a giggle, before letting out another long sigh. It was already daylight outside, meaning the chances of her getting back to sleep were close to zero.

Sophie remained alone with her thoughts until she heard the flat’s front door open and close, signifying Francine and Hayley’s departure. With a tired sigh, Sophie dragged her body out of bed and headed through to the flat’s living area, where the other flatmate was busy preparing her breakfast.

“Morning!” Amy said with a tired-looking smile. “You just missed Hayley and Francine.”

“Yeah, I didn’t miss Francine this morning,” Sophie retorted, chuckling at the confused look in her friend’s eyes. “She woke me up before she went.”

“Ah, George Michael fan, then,” Amy quipped, making Sophie smirk.

“I dunno,” Sophie chuckled. “Though you can’t deny she’s a lot more, well, fun than Amelie.”

“Yeah… That’s not exactly hard, though,” Amy said. “Especially since the strike, I mean, you’d have thought she’d have been happy about, like, ‘beating’ her dad, but- ugh. Never mind.”

“And I can’t exactly comment about parent issues,” Sophie chuckled.

“Me either,” Amy sighed. “Though in my case, I AM the parent, heh.”

“Yeah…” Sophie grimaced. “When you said yesterday that you were going to see your parents today, I- I kinda, you know, wondered-“

“If I was actually going to see Jade?” Amy asked, before sighing again. “Yep, that’s the plan. I mean, school holidays started over two weeks ago and I’ve not so much as spoken to her yet…”

“There’s got to be some law against that, surely?” Sophie asked. “Like, a custody arrangement, or something?”

“Well, that assumes that Kerry acknowledges that I’m Jade’s father,” Amy replied. “Which she doesn’t. And if I go through court, there’s every chance that Jade will find out I’m her father and not her aunt, and- ugh.”

“…Would that necessarily be a bad thing?” Sophie asked quietly.

“If it means that Kerry moves away and I never see Jade again, then yes,” Amy grumbled, making Sophie cringe. “Ugh, Soph, I- I’m sorry, I don’t mean to take it out on you, I just- ugh.”

“I dunno how much this’ll help,” Sophie mumbled, “and I’m sure I’ve told you this before, but- but, you know, for my second book, I- I’ve talked to a lot of people who are in your position.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt there are plenty of fathers who are in my position, heh,” Amy sighed. “Can well believe there are more than a few mothers as well, heh. But all that means is there are more people out there who are going through this shit unnecessarily.”

“Well- can’t really argue with that,” Sophie sighed. “And there are two women in particular who spring immediately to mind…”

As Sophie and Amy were talking, one of the two women that Sophie was referring to was on a train heading westward, her body riddled with nerves as she prepared for the day ahead. Whilst Hayley had travelled to Bristol many times before to see her father, today would be a new experience for both of them.

When Denise came out to her family, they had rejected her without a second thought- just as they would do to Hayley five years later. While the two women wasted no time in patching up their relationship once they were reconciled, they still remained estranged from the rest of their family- at least, until Hayley received an unexpected call from her sister. While further contact between the siblings had been kept to text messages and Facebook chats only, it was still more contact than Hayley had had from her family in over two years. However, while Hayley was grateful for the opportunity to speak to her sister, there was one thing she couldn't, and wouldn't look past- the fact that she continued to refer to him as ‘Harry’.

Hayley was certain that her sister felt that calling someone by their deadname wasn't anything inherently wrong- after all, Hayley had been known by that name for almost two decades. For Hayley, though, every time she was called ‘Harry’, especially by her family, was a message to tell her that her feelings, her very identity, was not legitimate- not real, even. It was a message to tell her that they thought that ‘Hayley’ was just a game, just a phase that she was going through. It was a message that they would never accept the real her.

Many of Hayley’s friends had advised her that she should sever contact with anyone who used her deadname, family or otherwise, and Hayley knew that several of her friends had done just that when put in the same position. However, as much as she might have wanted to at times, Hayley couldn’t bring herself to hate her family, not after she’d re-established contact after so long. Hayley was certain that she could educate them, that she could make them face the reality that she WAS a woman and there was nothing that they or anyone else could do about it. And if she had to do that one family member at a time, so be it. It would even be easier that way, Hayley reasoned to herself as her train pulled into Temple Meads station, as that way she’d at least have the numerical advantage…

“Hi Hayley!” Denise said with a wide grin as she greeted her daughter with a hug. “How’ve you been lately? I read all about the strike, and saw that interview with your friend Rachel…”

“Yeah, it- it’s been a bit mad at work, heh!” Hayley replied with a grin. “But today, I- I really want to forget about work, heh. Got another type of stress to worry about instead…”

“Don’t think of it as stressful,” Denise quietly advised. “She’s still your sister. And together, we WILL make her see that you are hers.”

“Well- let’s hope so,” Hayley chuckled. “I mean, I want to be optimistic about this, after all, she reached out to me, which must mean she wants some kind of relationship, but- yeah. We’ll only know for sure once we see her. Or rather, when she sees us.”

“Yep,” Denise said. “Fingers crossed, heh!”

“Yep!” Hayley said with a nod as she and her father headed to a café in the station concourse, where they awaited the arrival of the train from Nottingham.

The two women didn’t have to wait long for the train containing their family member to arrive, and mere seconds later, Hayley stood up and froze as she caught sight of her sister across the crowded concourse. In the years that had passed since she’d last seen Lucy in the flesh, Lucy had hardly changed at all, but Hayley mused on how much she herself obviously had. What gave Hayley the most pause, though, was how much she resembled her sister- not just in terms of their physical characteristics, but also in terms of their fashion and make-up sense. As her sister approached, Hayley began to wonder how much she'd unconsciously copied from her sister's unique style, and whether or not Lucy would notice- and hold that against her. Hayley bit her lip as her sister approached the table, before being momentarily surprised when her father gripped her hand for support.

“H- hi Lucy,” Denise said, her breath catching in her mouth as her oldest daughter sat down opposite her.

“Hi… Dad,” Lucy hesitantly replied. “Hi Harry.”

“Hayley,” the younger woman said firmly. “My name is Hayley.”

“Well- okay, if you insist,” Lucy said, taken aback by her sibling’s defensiveness.

“Well, yes, I do insist, because that’s my name,” Hayley said, flinching as her older sister frowned.

“…This was a mistake, wasn’t it?” Lucy sighed, motioning to stand up only to be stopped by Denise.

“No, no it wasn’t,” the older woman said softly. “But- but it was a mistake to call your sister ‘Harry’. Her name is Hayley.”

“Well- I’m sorry, but when I look at her, I only see ‘Harry’,” Lucy said dismissively.

“Then maybe you should look closer,” Hayley whispered, keeping her tone calm out of fear of further alienating her sister. “And maybe look at my passport, too, ‘cause that says ‘Hayley’ on it.”

“What does it say your gender is?” Lucy asked, making her sister bite her lip with frustration as her blood pressure climbed ever higher.

“…Male,” Hayley confessed. “But only because the gender recognition act really needs updating.”

“Well- okay,” Lucy said, conceding her sister’s point with a nod. “I’ll admit, I don’t know what that is, but you’ll both obviously know more about it than I do, so- yeah.”

“Well, homework was never really your strong suit,” Denise teased, giggling as her oldest daughter rolled her eyes. “But I don’t care about any of that now. All I care about is that you’ve agreed to come and see me.”

“Well, I thought, you know, life’s too short to hold a grudge, like,” Lucy mumbled. “I mean, I don’t HATE you, and, like, I don’t hate transgender people, like, in general, so I thought,- well, you know…”

“I think I know,” Denise said softly. “Now that the dust has settled, calmer heads prevail.”

“And both of you- both of you are still women,” Lucy mumbled.

“Always have been women,” Hayley corrected her sister. “On the inside, anyway.”

“Well- yeah, I guess,” Lucy said. “I mean, I see that now, like, thirty seconds of talking to you both and it’s obvious, but I- I keep hearing all these stories about, you know, people who change their gender only to regret it later…”

“I’m guessing you hear that from people who don’t want to tell you about the vast majority of us who transition and don’t regret it?” Hayley asked.

“Probably,” Lucy mumbled with a shrug. “But I- I don’t want to, you know, let ‘it’ come between me and my family.”

“By ‘it’ do you mean our being transgender or your transphobia?” Hayley asked.

“Hayley, this isn’t helping,” Denise said softly, smiling sympathetically as the younger of her two children frowned.

“…Sorry,” Hayley mumbled.

“And it’s a fair question, I guess,” Lucy shrugged. “And I guess the answer would be ‘both’. But I- I wanna make a fresh start, you know? Like I said, life’s too short, and I- I’d rather have a little sister than no little brother.”

“How is Dylan, anyway?” Denise asked, her daughter’s words evoking memories of her youngest child. ”Did- did he not want to come today?”

“…He doesn’t know I’m here,” Lucy replied with a sigh. “Neither does mum. But I figure, you know, I’m 26, I don’t need permission to see you, right?”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Denise whispered. “And I really can’t tell you just how happy I am to see you again, here, in the flesh.”

“Yeah,” Lucy said. “I- I hope you know that this- this is still weird for me. Like, REALLY weird. But, you know, like a good weird, if that makes sense?” Hayley felt a smile start to creep onto her face as for the first time ever, she felt acceptance from her sister.

“I think so,” Denise said.

“But, you know, I really enjoyed chatting with Har- with Hayley, these last few weeks,” Lucy said, widening Hayley's smile further at the use of her real name. “It’s, like, making a new friend, and if I ignore the fact that you’re, you know, trans, well, yeah.”

“You don’t need to ignore that to accept us,” Hayley said, her voice much calmer than before.

“Well- no, I guess I don’t,” Lucy said. “But, you know, it’s not that easy. But, I guess it’s worth trying anyway.”

“Well- thanks,” Hayley said, keeping her temper in check despite what she perceived as her sister's dismissive attitude. “And for what it’s worth, I- I enjoyed chatting with you too. When, you know, you weren’t calling me ‘Harry’, anyway.”

“Meh, well, now I know why I shouldn’t do that,” Lucy shrugged. “But, you know, if you do want to be sisters- like, real sisters- I’d- I’d like that.” Hayley paused as she considered Lucy’s offer. They’d never been particularly close while growing up, but it still hurt Hayley when Lucy so callously rejected her after she came out. Hayley had resigned herself to never having a family again, but then she met Amy and Sophie, two women who had become more like sisters to her than Lucy ever was, or likely ever would be. Sophie had often spoken about the idea of a ‘family of choice’, something in which Hayley firmly believed, which led to her believing that she wouldn’t need her biological family. However, she knew that she could never turn down Lucy’s offer of reconciliation- if not for her own sake, then for her father’s. Denise hadn’t been as lucky as Hayley. She didn’t have the family of choice or the career to fall back on. All she had was Hayley. And Hayley was determined to do everything within her power to make her father's life easier.

“…I’d like that too,” Hayley said as all three women at the table smiled widely and genuinely.

The family spent the next two hours getting reacquainted with each other, Hayley dominating the conversation with her stories of the strike and the unruly passengers she’d had to deal with in her time with the airline- stories Lucy listened to intently. Hayley and Denise listened as Lucy told them about her life and that of her brother, and of the many changes that had happened in their hometown since Hayley and Denise had left. Hayley felt her initial sense of unease gradually disappear, and she soon found herself wishing that she had more time to get reacquainted with her sister- something helped by Lucy never using the name 'Harry' during the remainder of the visit. However, throughout the afternoon, Denise remained for the most part quiet- something Hayley couldn’t help but notice as they bade farewell to Lucy with a tight hug each.

“Are you okay?” Hayley asked her father as they made their way back to the concourse to wait for Hayley’s train back to London.

“Hmm?” Denise replied. “Yeah, I’m fine, why do you ask?”

“You were just, you know, kinda quiet, that’s all,” Hayley replied.

“Hmm,” Denise said. “I was just- I was just marvelling at how I was having lunch with my two daughters, heh. If you’d told me two years ago that that’d happen, I’d have thought you were on drugs.”

“Yeah, I know that feeling,” Hayley chuckled. “The, umm, the ‘not believing I’d have this much contact with my family’ thing, not the drugs thing, heh.”

“Glad to hear it,” Denise chuckled. “And are you okay?”

“Umm, yeah, I’m fine,” Hayley shrugged. “Had a great day…”

“If you insist,” Denise said. “Because I saw how stressed out you were getting when Lucy first got here.”

“Yeah, but it was my idea for her to come down,” Hayley said, before sighing. “Even if part of me wanted to, you know, confront her for constantly calling me ‘Harry’…”

“There aren’t many things that sting quite like being deadnamed,” Denise said. “And it’s not like you and Lucy got on brilliantly even when you were- well, when you were both kids.”

“True,” Hayley mumbled. “But, you know, we’re both adults now, no reason we can’t get along- well, no reason now she’s had a much-needed attitude adjustment, anyway.”

“Exactly,” Denise said with a smile. “And I know I shouldn’t get my hopes up, but if Lucy’s willing to see us again, then maybe Dylan might be too?”

“…And mum?” Hayley whispered, frowning as tears started to form in her father's eyes.

“…She wouldn’t want to see me again,” Denise mumbled. “That much I can tell you without doubt. But you’re still her child, she can’t deny that.”

“I dunno, she had a bloody good go at denying me when I came out,” Hayley sighed. “But you’re right, there’s no sense in being pessimistic, heh.”

“Today has definitely proved that,” Denise said with a grin. “Do you know when you’ll be back this way again?”

“Not until October at the earliest,” Hayley sighed. “You could, you know, always come to London again, if you wanted?”

“I would,” Denise said, before grinning as she exchanged a tight, loving hug with her daughter. “And you take care of yourself, okay? Especially now that I actually have two daughters, heh.”

“I will,” Hayley chuckled, before sighing as her train was announced. “And you take of yourself too. Heh, especially now that you’ve got two daughters!”

“I will, you don’t need to worry about that!” Denise giggled, before bidding farewell to her daughter with another tight hug.

As she sped back to London on her train, Hayley mused on how she’d been so certain that her sister would reject her again that she nearly didn’t go to Bristol at all, but in the end, things went even better than she could’ve imagine. For the first time in a long time, Hayley was excited about the future, but she quickly realised she was as excited, if not more so, to share the news with Amy and Sophie- the two women she considered to be her ‘real’ sisters.

However, while Hayley was privately celebrating her victory, in Kent, Amy was having less success with her family.

“Auntie Amy!” Jade squeaked excitedly as she rushed over for a hug, which Amy was only too happy to share even if inside, her heart was breaking.

“Hi Jade!” Amy said, forcing a smile on her face as she held her six-year-old daughter. “Have you been having fun over summer?”

“Yep!” Jade replied. “Mummy says that next week she’s going to take me to Legoland in Windsor!”

“Ah, that sounds like so much fun!” Amy giggled.

“Because it’s near London I’ve asked if daddy can come too, but mummy says he’ll be too busy,” Jade said, her excited tone rapidly disappearing and breaking Amy’s heart all over again. Amy frowned as she gazed over at the little girl’s mother, almost like she was asking for permission. However, Amy inferred from the angry glare she received that she wouldn’t be given permission that day or, in all likelihood, any other day.

“Well- you know your daddy loves you very much, don’t you?” Amy asked, smiling sadly as the little girl nodded. “I’m sure he-“ Amy paused as she pondered her next words. She wanted to say, ‘I’m sure he’ll see you very soon’, but she didn’t dare out of fear of getting the little girl’s hopes up.

“He misses you too,” Kerry said in an almost dismissive tone. “Now come on, get your shoes on, the sooner we’re ready the sooner we can be at the park!” Amy forced her smile to remain on her face as the little girl giggled and raced back up the stairs, before frowning as the girl’s mother turned to her with an angry look on her face.

“Honestly, I wasn’t going to tell her,” Amy said quietly.

“But you were thinking about it, weren’t you?” Kerry hissed.

“Well, this- this can’t go on forever,” Amy sighed. “I AM her father, and-“

“Keep your voice down!” Kerry interrupted. “She’s not deaf, you know! As I’ve told you a million times, when she’s old enough to figure it out for herself, THEN you can tell her the truth. Until then-“

“Until then I’ll just keep sending you hundreds of pounds in maintenance each month,” Amy hissed, biting her lip as the other woman’s scowl deepened. “Sometimes I think that’s the only reason you let me have any access to Jade at all.”

“Sometimes, you’re right,” Kerry sneered, before smiling as her daughter returned to the living room wearing a pair of pink trainers- shoes that Amy immediately recognised as the pair she- or, from Jade's perspective, her father- bought her for her birthday two months earlier.

“Aww, don’t you look pretty!” Amy cooed as the little girl did a playful twirl to show off her dress and her trainers.

“Thank you, Auntie Amy!” Jade giggled. “Please can you take a picture of me to show daddy?”

“…Of course,” Amy said, smiling as she took her phone out of her handbag and snapped the young girl. “I’m sure he’ll think you’re as pretty as I do.” Equally as pretty, Amy thought to herself sadly as the three of them headed out of the house and to the nearby park.

Amy spent the next two hours playing with her daughter in the park, but eventually, the afternoon drew on and Jade became increasingly tired and grumpy, prompting her mother to call a halt to the visit. If Amy had had the choice, though, she would've been happy to stay in the park with her daughter forever.

“Okay Jade, it’s time to go home,” Kerry said as she helped her daughter with her lightweight summer jacket. “Say goodbye to your Auntie Amy!”

“Goodbye Auntie Amy!” Jade said, eagerly skipping over to the ginger-haired woman for a long hug.

“Bye Jade!” Amy said, forcing a smile on her face and blinking back tears as she embraced her daughter. “I’ll be back really soon, I promise!” Despite her best efforts, a tear trickled down Amy’s cheek as the little girl giggled happily.

“Will you show daddy the pictures you took?” Jade asked, freshly breaking Amy’s heart all over again.

“Of course I will!” Amy chuckled. “I’ll make sure he sees all of them, and all the videos too!” Even if he’s already seen it all live, Amy ruefully thought to herself.

“Okay, it’s time to go now, come along Jade,” Kerry said, reaching out her hand for her daughter to take. Amy reluctantly released her hug and watched tearfully as her daughter was led away once again. “Amy, I’ll call you about the next visit, but it won’t be until she’s back at school, okay?”

“Okay,” Amy whispered, though deep down, her overriding thought was that it was not okay- and neither was she.

Amy had no doubt that if she had still been ‘Andy’, she would’ve been allowed to see Jade as often as she wanted and wouldn’t have had to hide the fact that she was the little girl’s parent. However, if Amy had still been ‘Andy’, there was no way she would’ve been able to tolerate that life, father or otherwise. As ‘Andy’, her life had been a constant source of frustration and anger. She acted out because she felt she had to act out in order to be a man. She got in trouble because she felt that she had to get in trouble in order to be a man. She'd had multiple girlfriends and slept around because she felt that she had to, in order to be a ‘real’ man. And she’d impregnated her girlfriend when she was just sixteen years old because she felt that she had to in order to be a ‘true’ man. Amy strongly suspected that had she continued down the same path, she’d have ended up homeless, or in prison… or even worse. Seeing a counsellor, coming out to her parents and transitioning had literally saved her life- but it had also cost her the opportunity to be a father.

One day, maybe, she’d be able to tell Jade the truth. But that day was a long way away, and didn't seem to Amy to ever be getting any closer. With a heavy heart, Amy trudged back to the rail station and boarded her train back to London, hoping that maybe, just maybe her other friends had had more luck than she had.

However, whilst her flatmates were on their travels, Sophie found herself growing increasingly anxious as she was left alone with her thoughts. She’d arranged to call her parents in the early afternoon, but as afternoon arrived, she grew more and more reluctant to pick up the phone and actually make the call. Every call she’d made recently had gone the same way- she’d call them or they’d call her, she’d ask how they were, they’d ask how ‘James’ was, and they’d spend the rest of the call trying to persuade ‘James’ to stop pretending to be a woman, quit the airline and get a full-time journalism job. And Sophie would make up increasingly tenuous excuses as to why she couldn’t leave the airline just yet, even though (as far as her parents were concerned) she ‘hates being a woman’, and would end the call feeling more frustrated than when she started.

Nonetheless, when the clock ticked over to 1:30pm, Sophie took a deep breath and forced herself to pick up the phone and dial her parents’ home number. Seconds later, the line connected, and despite her best efforts, Sophie felt her body tense up.

“Hello?” The refined voice of Sophie’s mother asked.

“Hi mum,” Sophie said in her supposed 'natural' voice- 'James's voice, a voice that continued to feel and sound less and less natural as time went on.

“James, hi!” Mrs Connolly said enthusiastically. “I wasn’t expecting you to call this early!”

“Yeah, well, I didn’t have anything to do, so, well, yeah,” ‘James’ replied. “How are you and dad?”

“Oh, we’re fine, just enjoying the sunshine while it lasts!” Mrs Connolly replied. “How about you? Have you made any plans yet to get away this summer?”

“Well, I- I kinda get enough ‘getting away’ at work,” Sophie replied, frowning as her mother paused.

“…Of course,” Mrs Connolly said quietly. “I just thought, what with your young lady and all that…” Young lady? Sophie thought, before grimacing as she remembered the lie she’d told about her relationship with Amy.

“Ah- yeah,” Sophie said with a grimace. “Well, as she works for the airline too, well- yeah.”

“Ah, yes,” Mrs Connolly said darkly. “I forgot that ‘she’ was a colleague of yours.” And it’s a good job you’ve never met Amy if you’re going to say ‘she’ like that, Sophie continued to think.

“…Yep,” Sophie said. And here it comes… Sophie thought to herself.

“Why you’re still working for that airline is beyond me,” Mrs Connolly sighed, as she had during every phone call she’d shared with Sophie since learning about her child's employment status.

“I won’t be for much longer,” Sophie semi-lied. “Just as soon as I’ve finished my second book.” Then I’ll leave whether I want to or not, Sophie thought to herself as she remembered the conversation she’d had with the London hub’s new manager after the end of the strike.

Unlike Alana, Marie was more concerned with building a relationship with her subordinates than sucking up to her superiors, and crucially, had also contributed to Sophie’s expose of the airline. Both Sophie and Marie had privately agreed to keep that detail to themselves, but Marie hadn’t hesitated to tell Sophie that her managers were almost certain that she had ghost-written the book- and that any future book Sophie wrote would be taken as proof of that and used as justification to dismiss her. Unlike Alana, Marie had been apologetic when telling Sophie this, stating that her hands were tied by management, but like Alana- and her parents, friends and virtually everyone else Sophie knew- Marie had expressed surprise that Sophie would want to remain with the airline.

“Well, good,” Mrs Connolly said, though Sophie could immediately tell that she didn’t entirely believe her. “The sooner you’re out of that place and back to being the real you again, the better!”

“Yep!” Sophie said, grimacing as she knew that this time, it wasn’t just a semi-lie, but a full-blown lie.

“When are you next at work?” Mrs Connolly asked.

“Umm, not until Monday,” Sophie replied. “It’s kind-of a long weekend for all of us, as we’ve been putting in a lot of shifts with it being holiday season and all that.”

“Yes,” Mrs Connolly said in a clipped voice. “Well, if you’ve got a few days free, you can come and visit, can’t you? And did you say that your girlfriend was also free?” …Dammit, I did, Sophie thought to herself.

“Umm, yep,” Sophie mumbled. “I, umm, don’t know if we have anything planned…”

“Well, a couple of hours to visit us at home won’t kill you,” Mrs Connolly said. “And we’ll finally get to meet this Amy of yours! I was surprised she didn’t come along to your birthday dinner last month.”

“W- well, umm, like I said, if we don’t have any plans,” Sophie stammered.

“Well, even so, you should tell her that you want to visit your parents,” Mrs Connolly said. “Remind her that you are a man- I mean, well, underneath- well, everything. I can see why she might have forgotten.”

“Well- maybe,” Sophie mumbled as she felt her stress levels grow ever higher.

“I don’t see why there’s a ‘maybe’ about it,” Mrs Connolly said. “I mean, you did say that Amy knows the truth about you, doesn’t she?”

“Well- yes, yes she does,” Sophie said, before letting out a quiet sigh. I’m just not sure that YOU do… the distressed young woman thought to herself.

Fortunately for Sophie, she was quickly able to steer the conversation onto a different topic, and she spent the next fifteen minutes talking with her mother about things other than work or Amy. All throughout the call, Sophie tried to forget the fact that she was dressed in a loose summer camisole and a short denim skirt, or the fact that all 20 of her nails were covered in deep red polish, or that her hair was long and styled- or especially that neither of her parents had ever seen her dressed in such a fashion.

“Well, I’d better let you get back to it,” Mrs Connolly said, causing her child to let out a quiet sigh of relief. “But we will see you tomorrow, won’t we?”

“Of- of course!” Sophie replied, too exhausted from the call to argue. “I- I’ll let Amy know too, if she’s not, umm, busy…”

“That’ll be great,” Mrs Connolly said. “We’re looking forward to meeting her, your father and I!”

“Great!” Sophie chuckled insincerely. “I, umm, I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

“We’ll see you then,” Mrs Connolly said, before ending the call. With a loud groan, Sophie flopped onto the sofa as it slowly sunk in what she’d agreed to.

On the one hand, it wasn’t too great a burden to visit her parents, or even to become ‘James’ again for a short while. While she considered ‘Sophie’ to be her 'real' personality, she had no desire to completely abandon ‘James’ as she still found comfort in being able to retreat into 'James' whenever she needed- especially when it came to her parents. She could also just as easily say that Amy was ill, or had been called into work on an emergency- after all, as the phone call had demonstrated, she had no problem with lying to her parents either. However, if she did this, then her problems would just continue to pile up. She’d still be stressed out, she'd still have to maintain a lie to her parents, and most importantly of all, she still wouldn't be out to them. Sophie wondered whether the visit the following day would turn out to be a blessing in disguise, a chance to finally be free of the stress of hiding her true self- or rather, her new true self. After all, there was no guarantee that her parents would outright reject her- the fact that both Hayley and Amy were visiting with family at that exact moment was proof that some family bonds were too strong to break. However, Sophie knew that if she was to finally come out to her parents, she wouldn’t be able to do so alone…

“Yoo-hoo, anyone home?” Hayley asked as she walked through the front door, waking Sophie from a light nap. “Soph? Amy? Somy?”

“Ugh, I told you already that ‘Somy’ is a lame name,” Sophie grunted as she opened her eyes.

“Yes, yes, okay,” Hayley scoffed. “’Somy Lame Station 4’ and all that…” Sophie smirked before stretching her tired muscles and relaxing back into the sofa where she’d snoozed.

“How was Denise?” Sophie asked her friend, who immediately smiled at the thought of her day.

“She was great!” Hayley giggled. “And so was my sister. I mean, I don’t know what I was expecting, but when I think about it, I figure that she wouldn’t travel all the way from Nottingham to Bristol just to tell us where we can shove it, right? So, she heard us out, we got talking, and- yeah. Things are actually looking up, heh!”

“Cool!” Sophie chuckled, her confidence levels rising. “Do you know when you’ll be seeing her again?”

“Umm, not yet,” Hayley replied. “But hopefully soon. Hopefully again during summer, at least.”

“Yeah,” Sophie chuckled.

“You been up to much while I was out?” Hayley asked. “With the whole flat to yourself, like?”

“Umm, not really,” Sophie replied. “Just did a bit of cleaning, wrote some more of my book… Called my parents…”

“Ah, okay,” Hayley said, her smile immediately giving way for a look of concern. “How- how did that go?”

“Well, umm, okay, I guess,” Sophie shrugged, before frowning as Hayley sighed and sat down next to her on the sofa.

“Same as always?” Hayley asked gently.

“Same as always,” Sophie moaned. “Even better, I’ve somehow been talked into going round there tomorrow to see them… Ugh. I know, I know, I can’t keep this up forever, I just- ugh. You know, there are some days, some times when I- when I wished I’d never become ‘Sophie’ in the first place…”

“I know, I know,” Hayley whispered as she pulled her friend in for a much-needed hug.

“But then I think about everything I’ve gained since being ‘Sophie’, and I realise how ungrateful I am to think that,” Sophie sighed. “I mean, even if I could be ‘your friend James’-“

“Which you can, as we’ve said multiple times,” Hayley interrupted.

“I- I’d much rather be, you know, ‘your friend Sophie’,” Sophie said, before letting out yet another long, tired sigh. “But I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to risk telling my parents I’m ‘their daughter Sophie’.”

“You wouldn’t be able to put the cork back in that bottle,” Hayley sighed.

“Exactly,” Sophie sighed. “Just like I can’t with ‘Sophie’ now that I’ve had a taste of- well of this, heh.”

“…You’ve been living as Sophie for two years,” Hayley said. “Almost exactly two years, come to think of it. That’s a lot more than just a ‘taste’.”

“…Sometimes, that’s all it feels like, though,” Sophie sighed. “And yes, me and Doctor Phillips talk about ‘imposter syndrome’ a lot, heh.”

“I think every transgender girl- heh, and not just the girls, like, every transgender person feels like that sometimes,” Hayley said. “And don’t say that you’re ‘not really transgender,’ because we both know better than that, okay?”

“…Thanks,” Sophie whispered, before smirking as the front door opened and the final member of Team ASH came walking through.

“Hey Amy!” Hayley said as she released Sophie from her hug. “Good day?”

“Meh, had better, had worse,” Amy shrugged as she dropped her handbag, kicked off her shoes and headed into the kitchen. “Have either of you started dinner or are we getting a Deliveroo again?”

“Umm, Deliveroo works for me, but shouldn’t we wait for Francine to get back first?” Sophie replied.

“Ah- yeah, probably,” Amy said with a forced chuckle. “It- it’s been a long day, heh.”

“Did you have a good day with your daughter?” Sophie asked, to which Amy replied with a silent nod. “You can be forgiven for forgetting about our new ‘little sister’ then, heh!”

“Heh,” Amy chuckled.

“I had a good day with my sister, too,” Hayley said. “Seeing as you’re mentioning ‘sisters’, heh. Actually, come to think of it, neither of you have any sisters or brothers, do you?”

“Nope,” Sophie replied. “Francine could probably tell us a few stories about growing up with brothers and sisters though, heh!”

“Oh- sure, ‘cause THAT’s the most extraordinary part of her childhood?” Hayley snorted. “Not the whole ‘having a father who’s richer than God’ thing?”

“Meh, I’ve already met Amelie,” Sophie shrugged, smirking as her friend giggled. “I’ve never lived with anyone who has four older siblings before, heh!”

“I bet she’s a much cooler aunt than Amelie, too,” Hayley chuckled. “Don’t get me wrong, I mean, I love Amelie, but she- A- Amy?” Hayley and Sophie paused as they glanced over at their red-haired friend- or more specifically, the tears trickling down her cheeks.

“Oh- oh my god, Amy, are you alright?” Sophie asked as she jumped to her feet.

“No,” Amy moaned, before leaning in for a hug that Sophie was only too happy to give.

“Oh god,” Hayley whispered as she and Sophie led their distraught friend to the sofa. “Amy, I am so sorry, I should have-“

“No, y- you don’t need to apologise, it’s just, you know, hormones,” Amy sighed. “Kinda built up on the train ride home, I- I’ll be fine, honestly.”

“Yeah, well, you’re not fine now, and that’s what matters,” Sophie said.

“Thanks,” Amy sighed. “Ugh, it- it’s my daughter. Or rather, her mother.”

“…What happened?” Sophie asked hesitantly, hoping not to offend her friend with her question.

“The same thing that always happened, that’s the problem,” Amy snorted. “’Auntie Amy’ went away promising to tell Jade’s ‘father’ all about what happened, and apologising that ‘he’ couldn’t be there.”

“Ugh,” Hayley spat. “There must surely be something that you can do about this?”

“What, other than cry, you mean?” Amy snorted, before shaking her head. “Ugh, I dunno. I mean, you’re right that Kerry can’t legally prevent me from telling Jade the truth, and if I went to court, they’d probably side with me, but- ugh. That’s hassle I really, really don’t need right now. I mean, Kerry’s said if I even hint about it, she’ll move away, and she’s got family in, like, Yorkshire that she can go and live with, and while I can take time out to visit, it’s not like my parents can, and as Jade’s the only grandchild they’re ever likely to have, well- yeah.”

“That just sucks so much,” Sophie sighed. “And no, to answer your next question, none of this will go into my book.”

“No, I- I want it to,” Amy said softly. “All of it.”

“Are- are you sure?” Sophie asked softly.

“100%,” Amy said, drying her eyes with her hands before taking a deep breath to compose herself. “’Cause I know I’m not the only trans woman to have- heh, to have ‘fathered’ a child, and I can’t be the only one to be going through shit like this. Even if- and I get the irony here- my own parents never had a problem with me transitioning.”

“Well- yeah,” Sophie mumbled as she remembered her own issues with her parents- and how trivial they suddenly seemed when compared to Amy’s troubles.

“…Soph?” Amy asked, her stress quickly being replaced by a look of concern for her friend. “Are you- is everything okay with you?”

“Yeah, sure,” Sophie replied with a shrug, before frowning as a tear slowly trickled from her eye. “Well, okay, not EVERYTHING… I- I kinda called my parents today, but that’s not important right now.”

“Again, ironic that I say this, but bollocks it isn’t,” Amy said. “Though I’m guessing it was ‘same old shit’ for you, just as it was for me?”

“Yep,” Sophie sighed. “With the added bonus that I’ve somehow been talked into visiting them tomorrow, so I get to be stressed face to face, wearing a sweaty pair of jeans instead of this skirt.”

“I was going to offer to go along with Sophie tomorrow, for moral support,” Hayley said. “But then you came back and- well, yeah.”

“Ugh, sorry,” Amy mumbled, before taking a breath and continuing before Sophie could speak. “But yeah, I’ll totally go along with you too. If- if that’s okay?”

“Umm, but you- are you- are you sure?” Sophie asked, smiling with embarrassment as the ginger girl sighed and rolled her eyes.

“Yes, I’m sure!” Amy replied. “Just ‘cause I’ve had a shit day, it doesn’t mean I’m not going to be there for my friends, does it?”

“Well- yeah, but-“ Sophie grimaced.

“No buts, okay?” Amy insisted.

“This- this is kinda a big one, though,” Sophie sighed, her cheeks reddening as Hayley suddenly giggled.

“Yeah, I think I know why, too,” Hayley said.

“I- ah, shit,” Amy sighed as she remembered what Sophie was implying. “They still think I’m your girlfriend, don’t they?”

“Yes, and I’ve already thought of several excu-“ Sophie said.

“It- it’s fine,” Amy said, shooting the still-giggling Hayley a death glare. “I can pretend for a few hours, and it’s not like your parents are going to want us to make out right in front of them, are they?”

“Nothing you haven’t done before,” Hayley teased, shrieking with laughter as Amy hit her in the arm with a cushion.

“…And I said I’d be there for you every step of the way when you came out to your parents,” Amy said. “So yes, I can stand pretending to be your girlfriend for a short while until you tell them the truth. Umm, you are- you are planning on telling them the truth, aren’t you? ‘Cause I really hope I didn’t just jump to a conclusion I shouldn’t have…”

“I- I don’t know,” Sophie confessed. “I probably won’t know when I’m going to come out to them until about 10 seconds before I actually do so, heh. And then chicken out about 8 seconds later, as usual…”

“Well- regardless, we’ll be there with you,” Amy said. “’Cause while the three of us might have, well, different family situations, one thing we all know is how stressful that first coming out actually is.”

“Totally,” Hayley said as the three women shared a tight group hug.

“…I don’t say this nearly often enough,” Sophie whispered. “But I truly, genuinely love both of you.”

“…I love both of you too,” Hayley said, wiping tears from her eyes.

“So do I,” Amy said without hesitation. “Team ASH forever!”

“Team ASH forever!” Hayley and Sophie both cheered with absolute sincerity.

While the three women were making plans for the following day, Francine was finishing her latest day of training. After sending a text message to her flatmates informing them she’d be home late, she headed out into the airport’s vast concourse, where her sister was waiting for her alongside three other familiar faces.

“Ah, bon- I mean to say, good evening!” Francine said, smirking as her sister rolled her eyes while Ellen, Zoe and Natalie all smirked.

“She is under orders to speak only English while living in London,” Amelie explained to her fiancée’s sister and her wife.

“Even though tonight there shall be four French women and only two English?” Zoe asked.

“When in London…” Ellen said, smirking as her sister-in-law giggled and rolled her eyes. “Don’t you have a dance class to teach this evening, anyway?”

“Not during the summer holiday,” Zoe replied. “Only pointe, pre-pointe, elite and adult classes continue, and Krystie likes to teach those by herself anyway. Perhaps when our second school opens next month, it shall change.”

“And you forgot the Sunday morning classes,” Natalie informed her wife, who smirked. “I think we can trust Francine with this ‘secret’, heh. They’re private classes for current and former employees of the airline, mostly just to hang out, get a bit of exercise on a Sunday morning.”

“…Do you mean to say that my sister has also spent the weekend dancing the ballet?” Francine asked, giggling as her sister rolled her eyes.

“Yes, for which I have already told you!” Amelie snorted. “And for that, you shall come along this Sunday as well!”

“But I have no justaucorps and no collants,” Francine replied with a smug grin.

“Zoe also owns an online dancewear store,” Natalie retorted with a smug grin. “Well, joint owns, but same thing.”

“And I always have room for more students in my class,” Zoe said with a smile that widened as her sister approached. “And so! Here is the one woman who has been more of a coward to dance than anyone else!”

“Oui, oui, très drôle,” Marie snorted as she greeted the five women with a gentle hug each. “My apologies for my lateness, I had to finish paperwork and a call with Paris and Berlin before I could leave.”

“Spoken as a true boss!” Zoe teased, giggling as her sister rolled her eyes. “And you know now there is no excuse why we should not see you on Sunday morning!”

“Other than the fact that I am thirty years of age and have not danced ballet since I was fifteen?” Marie retorted. “And also, it would not look good for a manager to be seen playing with employees, would it?”

“I disagree,” Amelie said bluntly. “Why should not a manager spend time with her friends? Of the five of us only two still work for you. And at least one shall leave within a year.”

“And we are all going to dinner together tonight,” Zoe reminded her sister.

“…I shall think about it,” Marie said with a tired laugh. “And there is a difference between dinner with family and playing with friends and colleagues!”

“And there is a difference between a serious dance class and ‘playing with friends’!” Zoe protested as the other four women began to giggle at the sisters’ increasingly heated argument. “Though I shall confess it is more the latter than the former. Especially when it is a birthday!”

“What happens on a birthday?” Francine asked.

“You get a year older,” Ellen replied, giggling as the French teenager rolled her eyes. “Nah, seriously though, Zoe has this amazing tutu that she makes everyone dress up in and dance in front of the class. You should have seen Abbey this Sunday just gone!

“Oui, I ‘make’ them wear the tutu,” Zoe snorted. “Sometimes it is making them take it off that is the challenge!”

“I assume that is especially so for the transgender women?” Francine asked, frowning as the other five women fidgeted awkwardly. “I- I’m sorry, did I say something bad?”

“Well… Yes and no,” Natalie sighed. “It’s kinda… Stereotyping trans girls to suggest that we’d all love to pull on a tutu and prance around everywhere- not that I’m saying that that’s what you said, though, and god knows it’s not like I don’t love doing that, heh! But- ehh, this is kinda hard to put into words, but- don’t think of us as ‘transwomen’ and ‘cis women’. Just think of us all as women, it’s just that simple. Though I am now kinda feeling self-conscious that I’m the only person here with a Y chromosome, heh.”

“I am sorry if I made offence,” Francine mumbled. “But I am still learning, and I have a lot to learn.”

“Yeah, but you’re at least willing to learn, which is more than can be said for some people,” Natalie chuckled. “And don’t worry about the ‘Y chromosome’ thing either, that’s on me, not you. Heh, even after almost ten years of living gender fluid, sometimes I feel, well- heh. My brother would say in a situation like this that he’d feel like Hugh Hefner or something.”

“I can confirm that, yep,” Ellen said with an overdramatic sigh.

“The only difference being that I don’t think old Hef ever wanted to wear the bunny costume himself,” Natalie chuckled.

“And thank you for THAT mental image just as we are about to eat dinner!” Amelie snorted, making all six women laugh as they left the airport.

Later that evening, Sophie laid in bed, wide awake with her mind racing about the following day's visit when she heard the flat’s front door open and close. A few seconds later, Francine strolled into the bedroom, kicking off her shoes and dropping her expensive designer handbag on her bed before giggling at the sight of the still-awake Englishwoman.

“Good evening Sophie!” Francine teased as she began to change out or her dress and into a pair of designer hipster jeans and an expensive t-shirt. “I am not that late, am I?”

“Hmm?” Sophie replied. “Oh, umm, no, I just- I just fancied an early night, heh. Did you have a good time out with everyone?”

“I did, thank you!” Francine replied. “I got to know Zoe and Natalie more, and learned about the Sunday morning dance class, which I hope I will go to this week!”

“Yep, well, I’m not back at work until Monday, so I should be able to go too,” Sophie said, smiling as she remembered the last time she went to the class, and the big, fancy tutu she was coerced into wearing- not that Sophie needed much coercing. However, the day’s events had made Sophie wonder just how her parents would react to the sight of their ‘son’ in a big, fancy tutu.

“Really?” Francine asked. “You dance too?”

“Well… Yes and no,” Sophie replied. “I’m really not much of a dancer at all, it’s more just an exercise class, only wearing tights. Though we don’t even wear them in this weather. Mostly, it’s just an opportunity to hang out with friends, as a lot of us have flights on Saturdays so would be too tired for a night out, so we can hang out on Sunday mornings instead, when there are fewer flights than normal.” Sophie grimaced as she realised that as she spoke, her roommate may have struggled to keep up with her limited English. “…Ah, sorry Francine, I keep forgetting you’re still learning English, did you get all of that or would you like me to repeat it in French?”

“No, I am okay, I think I understand,” Francine said. “Dancing is less important than friends, and to that I can agree!”

“Yeah,” Sophie chuckled.

“And I most want to see Amelie try to dance!” Francine giggled. “You will not be surprised when I say she did not enjoy dance classes when we were children.”

“No, that isn’t surprising!” Sophie said with a giggle as her stress levels began to fall.

“It is a surprise how serious many of- umm…” Francine said, before trailing off and grimacing. “I should not say more for it will offend.”

“…Let me guess,” Sophie said softly. “You were surprised by how many transgender girls are serious about their dancing?” Sophie smiled sympathetically as Francine blushed and nodded. “It’s okay, I’m not offended by that, even I am in the ‘doesn’t really take it seriously’ group, heh.”

“Merci,” Francine whispered. “But at dinner Natalie tells me she can dance en pointe for three years, and has even danced in a show, but does not even take, umm, oestrogène.”

“No reason why any girls, especially girls like us, shouldn’t want to do that,” Sophie shrugged. “There aren’t many things as graceful and feminine as ballet, and it helps with things like posture, after all.” Sophie smirked as she thought about how two years ago, she’d heard a similar explanation from one of her then-new friends. Back then, Sophie had been just as sceptical as Francine seemed to be, but over time, spending her Sunday mornings in a leotard and a pair of dance slippers had grown as normal to Sophie as brushing her teeth- or, for that matter, brushing out her long, feminine hair, or applying make-up, or painting her nails…

“…Sophie?” Francine asked, frowning as her new roommate appeared lost in thought.

“Hmm?” Sophie asked, shaking her head as she was snapped out of her reverie. “Oh, umm, sorry Francine, I just- ehh, never mind, not important. I just- I just have a lot on my mind, that’s all.”

“Is it anything where I can help?” Francine asked in a sympathetic voice, bringing a smile to Sophie’s lips.

“I doubt it,” Sophie sighed, before a thought flashed in her mind. “Though actually… Francine, if- if you don’t mind me asking, how- how exactly did your father take the news that you were moving to London for a year?”

“…To be true, he had no problem with it,” Francine replied. “It was for him a surprise, and he was unhappy to begin, but he said that I am an adult, and it should be my choice.”

“I suppose there’s no arguing with that,” Sophie mused. “I’m just asking ‘cause- ugh. You know the history between me and my parents, right?”

“You have said some things, yes,” Francine replied. “Most for about how they do not know about, umm, why you, umm…”

“Why I haven’t abandoned life as ‘Sophie’,” the English woman sighed. “Well, yep. And- ugh. I think the time has finally come to tell them. Then again, I’ve thought that for the last eighteen months, heh. But, well, I’m going to see them tomorrow, and Hayley and Amy are coming with me, so- yeah.”

“Well, I will say good luck,” Francine said softly. “Were that I not at work, I would go too.”

“…You’ve only known me a few days,” Sophie retorted.

“But that is long enough for you to be my friend,” Francine said with a warm smile. “I have learned more in this flat than I have at work, most about what real friends are.”

“Of course,” Sophie whispered as she remembered Francine’s tales of the sycophants that were her school ‘friends’. “Well, I’ll let you know how it went, heh. But I’m planning on going up there first thing tomorrow morning, hence the early night.”

“Oui,” Francine said. “And as I am in work tomorrow, I should get an early night too!”

“Good idea,” Sophie chuckled, smiling as she rolled over in bed to face away from Francine as she changed.

“Sophie,” Francine asked hesitantly as she pulled on her casual (but still designer) nightdress, “do you know where is the girl who used to sleep in this room?”

“Who, Rachel?” Sophie asked in reply. “Umm, I know she’s living with her parents again, I think she’s working in an office in the city somewhere, why do you ask?”

“I would like to meet her, some time,” Francine replied in an uncharacteristically stoic voice.

“Umm, okay,” Sophie said. “She used to be a regular at the Sunday morning dance classes, but I don’t think she’s been since she- well, since she left the airline. I could drop her a text and ask if she wants to come along this Sunday, if you’d like?”

“Please,” Francine said. “I wish to apologise to her.”

“A- apologise?” Sophie said with shock. “What for? You’ve never even met her.”

“No, but I know how she was treated by my father’s company,” Francine whispered. “No woman should have to experience what she did, or be treated the way she was afterwards. My father would not apologise, but I have his surname, and the name ‘Masson’ is not only about money, it should be about, umm…”

“Responsibility?” Sophie asked, smiling as Francine nodded.

“In France, there is a saying ‘noblesse oblige’,” the teenager said.

“It’s one we use over here, too,” Sophie said softly. “Though I suppose in your case it’d be less ‘noblesse’ and more, umm, ‘billionairesse’?” Sophie smiled as Francine nodded again.

“It is a saying my father does not always follow,” Francine said. “But even after they were not married, my mother would always teach me that I should feel lucky to be my father’s daughter. She would also say to Amelie.”

“Amelie… Doesn’t seem to have listened as closely as you did,” Sophie mused.

“Au contraire,” Francine chuckled. “She has a kind heart and wants to help people. She just does it in angry ways.”

“Well- I suppose,” Sophie said. “I mean, I do like her, I just- sometimes I think she gets off on pissing off her dad. Your dad, I mean.”

“Maybe,” Francine replied with a shrug. “And I will admit, when she first told us she was loving another woman, I thought it was to, as you say, piss off our father. But her love for Ellen is very real, as is our father’s love for Amelie, despite how much she might try to piss him off.”

“I- I suppose,” Sophie said as she contemplated whether or not her parents would have the same kind of unconditional love for her when she came out to them- or rather, IF she came out to them…

Sophie didn't sleep much that night, and when she did, it was only for brief periods at a time, but she was still woken the following morning by the sound of Francine getting ready for her day of work.

“Mmph,” Sophie moaned as she opened her eyes, only to clamp them shut again when she saw her teenaged roommate in a state of total undress.

“Ah, good morning Sophie!” Francine giggled. “I am sorry if I woke you up.”

“No- no, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have- well, peeked…” Sophie mumbled.

“Why apologise?” Francine shrugged. “I have changed in front of other girls many times before.”

“Yeah, but-“ Sophie said, before grinning. “Touché.”

“I hope it goes well for you today with your parents,” Francine said with a warm, friendly smile.

“Yeah, well, if it goes AT ALL it’ll be a miracle,” Sophie sighed. “I- I still don’t know what I’m going to do, ugh. I mean, today’s the best chance that I’ve ever had, but- I dunno. I’m stuck with this problem that once I’ve done it, I can’t take it back, and I- am I going too fast for you again?”

“Only for that it is 7am,” Francine replied with a giggle as she finished dressing and brushed out her long brown hair. “Take care today, Sophie. I have never slept in a room with anyone- well, another girl before, and I think I am enjoying it, so I hope it can continue tonight.”

“Thanks,” Sophie chuckled. “I’ll let you know too if I hear back from Rachel.”

“Merc- thank you,” Francine whispered, before giggling as she leaned in to give her roommate a gentle hug. “I must go to the airport now, but I shall think of you today at work. Good luck, my friend!”

“Thanks,” Sophie whispered, sighing as the French girl released the hug and let her flop back down into her bed.

Sophie spent the next 45 minutes trying futilely to get back to sleep, but as helpful as they were no doubt intended to be, Francine’s words only served to make Sophie more stressed out. With a long, frustrated moan, Sophie dragged her tired body out of bed and through to the living area of the flat, where she was surprised to find her other two flatmates were already not just awake, but dressed and made-up ready for the day ahead.

“Ah, good morning!” Hayley giggled, before practically forcing Sophie down onto the sofa and placing a hot mug of coffee in her hands. “All ready for today?”

“What’s there to be ready for?” Sophie replied with a shrug. “I’m just going to see my parents, which I’ve done hundreds of times before.”

“Yeah- cut the crap, Soph, this is us you’re talking to, remember?” Amy said.

“…Yeah, okay,” Sophie sighed. “But seriously, you two don’t have to come along if you don’t want to, I-“

“We want to,” Hayley firmly interrupted.

“…I don’t even know if today will be the day that I do come out,” Sophie sighed. “You’d be surprised by the number of times I’ve gone to see my parents with the intention of coming out, only to chicken out at the last minute.”

“Yeah… I doubt I’d be THAT surprised,” Hayley retorted. “Seriously, Soph, every day- every single day- after my dad came out, I thought about coming out too, I thought about how I’d say it, what I’d say, what I’d wear, even what body language I’d use. It dominated my brain for literally every waking second, and- and I think that’s the same for you, isn’t it?” Hayley and Amy both smiled sympathetically as their friend nodded and blinked back a tear.

“And if you don’t come out today, that’s okay too,” Amy said softly. “It would be so, so wrong of us to force you. But we’ll be there for you either way. Assuming, of course, you want us to go along?”

“If anything will make the difference this time, it’s you two,” Sophie chuckled. “Even if, umm, you know…”

“I’m going to have to pretend to be madly in love with you?” Amy asked with a tired but still playful sigh.

“Sure, ‘pretend’,” Hayley teased, giggling as Amy gave her a soft punch in her arm.

“Not the time OR the place,” the ginger haired girl growled.

“Sorry, sorry,” Hayley chuckled. “So… Have you decided what you’re going to wear?”

“…’James’s clothes,” Sophie sighed. “Much as I want to go as- well, as ‘me’, heh, I- I should probably, you know, ease them in gently.”

“Probably wise,” Amy said softly. “And I know you probably haven’t, but have you- have you told Dr Phillips what you’re going to do today?”

“I don’t see her again until Tuesday, so no,” Sophie replied. “Yes, yes, I know, I should’ve emailed her, but- ugh. Didn’t want to send her another email- yet another email saying I’d chickened out. Again…”

“Well- who needs her when you’ve got us, right?” Hayley asked, smiling as her friend nodded.

“Right,” Sophie said, taking several deep breaths to psyche herself up, although on the inside, her nerves were more shredded than ever…

Just over an hour later, ‘James’ felt ‘him’self shaking with nerves as ‘he’ stood at his parents’ front gate. His face and fingernails had been scrubbed clean of any and all cosmetics, his shoulder-length hair was combed back into an androgynous style and covering his body was a very plain grey polo shirt and pair of dark jeans. It was exactly how ‘he’ had looked every day for the first 23 years of his life, and yet he’d never felt so naked. There was no trace of ‘Sophie’s identity anywhere on his body for the first time in months, and he felt bereft, as though he was buried in his own body, his own clothes- or even ‘his’ own identity. The closer he got to his parent’s front door, the more he found himself yearning to run back home and put on some make-up, or a loose summer dress or a short denim skirt.

“Actually,” James said, “you know what, maybe I should just-“

“You’ve come this far,” Amy gently advised her friend. “We’re here to help you take the last few steps if you need us.”

“…You may need to carry me,” James mumbled.

“Then we’ll carry you,” Hayley whispered. “No matter what happens today, we will still be Team ASH. Forever, right?”

“Forever,” James said with a defiant nod, before taking a deep breath and letting himself into his parents’ house. “Mum? Are you in?”

“James!” The young man’s mother said, emerging from the kitchen with a smile on her face, which turned into a confused grin when she saw the two women flanking her son. “Oh, um, hello! I’m assuming one of you is Amy? I’m- I’m hoping one of you is Amy…?”

“H- hi, I’m Amy,” the ginger haired girl said, extending her hand for a polite handshake. “This is our flatmate Hayley.”

“Hi, it- it’s nice to finally meet you,” Hayley said softly.

“You too,” Pamela replied, her look of confusion gradually turning into one of concern. “James, you didn’t mention you’d be bringing along two friends?”

“Well, umm, Hayley would’ve been home alone, so- yeah,” Sophie grimaced.

“And are you two both-“ Pamela began, before grimacing and mentally correcting herself. “Umm, employed by the airline too?”

“Umm, yep!” Hayley replied. “I started at the same time as So- umm, as James, Amy started 3 months before us.” James felt his entire body tighten up as Hayley narrowly avoided using his preferred name- in his mind, his 'real' name.

“I see,” Pamela said. “Well, umm, there’s no point standing out here in the hall chatting, why don’t we all go through to the living room and get sat down?”

“That sounds great,” Amy whispered, practically having to drag James through the living room door.

“James, why don’t you get your friends a cup of tea?” Pamela asked, making her child scream internally with frustration.

“Oh, I- I’m not thirsty, thanks,” Hayley said, almost as if she could sense her friend’s distress.

“Well, I know I am,” Pamela said. “James?”

“Mum, I- I’m one of them,” James blurted out uncontrollably, before feeling his stomach sink as he could hear his two friends grimace next to him.

“…James?” Pamela asked.

“I- I am transgender,” James said, his voice growing shakier with every word he said. “I mean, I- I wasn’t when I started for the airline, but as time’s gone on, I- I-“ James let out a long sigh and slowly wept as his mother silently approached and wrapped him in a tight, loving, motherly hug.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Pamela whispered. “And what you just said, that- that’s okay as well.”

“Wh- what?” James asked.

“Honestly, your father and I have been expecting you to tell us something like this eventually,” Pamela said. “When you didn’t leave the airline after six months, like you said you would, we thought there might be something, but we didn’t want to assume, but as time went on…”

“I- I’m sorry,” James moaned.

“Oh- no, for god’s sake, don’t be sorry!” Pamela said firmly. “You’re 25 years old, you’re your own- heh. I was going to say ‘you’re your own man’, but I suppose that would be an inappropriate thing to say under the circumstances, heh.”

“Well- maybe,” James sighed as he flopped down onto the sofa. “I mean, I- ugh. It’s not like I don’t ever want to be ‘James’ again, I mean, but- but I don’t ever want it to be the case that I can’t ever be- well…”

“Go on,” Pamela said softly.

“…I don’t ever want to lose the ability to be ‘Sophie’,” Pamela’s child said softly.

“Is- is that the name you chose for yourself?” Pamela asked, smiling as her child nodded and continued to weep. “I like it. And I’m sure your father will too.”

“You- you really don’t mind, then?” Sophie asked.

“Why would we mind?” Pamela replied. “Like I said, it’s your life, you should be free to live it the way you want.”

“A- and dad?” Sophie asked.

“Your father feels the same way,” Pamela reassured her child. “Again, like I said, we’ve had our suspicions for a while, but you’re our child, what you’ve done is nothing wrong, and we will love you and support your decision for as long as we can.”

“Th- thank you,” Sophie said, letting out a long sigh as she felt her entire body decompress.

Sophie had been so worried for so long about how her parents would react to her news, that it had never occurred to her that they might simply accept her for who she is. She had been so obsessed with the many worst-case scenarios that ran through her mind that she had barely even thought about any best-case scenarios, and as she sat on her mother’s sofa, she wondered why she had been so worried in the first place… And then she remembered the two best friends sat alongside her. She remembered that while Amy’s parents had been just as open and loving as her own turned out to be, her ex-partner had forced her to lie to her child, to deny being their parent, with all the stress that brought to the usually ebullient girl. Sophie remembered how Hayley’s family had disowned her to the point where she’d been run out of town, and how it had taken years to recover to the point where her sister could even stand to be in the same city as her. Sophie remembered her friend and colleague Annabelle, and the nightmarish stories she’d heard about her time in so-called ‘conversion therapy’. She remembered her former colleague Anna-Jade's tales of growing up in a conservative Catholic household in Northern Ireland. And she remembered the many, many tales she'd catalogued for her book. Sophie quickly realised that she had been extremely fortunate with the way her parents had accepted her, and while she was relieved, she was also angry- angry that any transgender woman, or for that matter, any non-gender confirming person should have to worry or even panic about how their family would react to their coming out. However, there was something that Sophie could do, and indeed was doing about it.

“I- I’m writing another book,” Sophie explained after composing herself. “One that looks at gender and gender identities from different perspectives.”

“Well, I can’t think of anyone better qualified to write that book than you!” Pamela chuckled.

“Yeah,” Sophie said with a chuckle. “And I- I’d like you and dad to contribute to it, if that’s okay?”

“Well- of course,” Pamela said. “Anything to help with your career. I assume that this time, it will be published in your name, right?”

“Absolutely it will,” Sophie replied. “Maybe even in both names, heh.”

“’James’ and ‘Sophie’?” Pamela asked, smiling as her child nodded. “I guess we’ll have to get used to that, heh.”

“Heh,” Sophie chuckled. “It took me a while to get used to it, too, but I- I can’t imagine life any other way.”

“Why did you choose’ Sophie’, if you don’t mind me asking?” Pamela asked.

“It was originally just something that couldn’t be traced back to ‘James’,” Sophie replied. “But as time’s gone on, it- it’s just become, you know, me.”

“And are you- are you going to be having the operations?” Pamela asked. “Or taking female hormones?”

“At- at this point in time, no,” Sophie replied. “I’m happy how I am. Well, for now, anyway. Especially now I don’t have to hide anymore, heh.”

“I can imagine,” Pamela said. “Well, actually, come to think of it, I can’t. But I want to learn, for your sake.”

“We’re willing to help as well,” Amy said with a smile. “Tip number one is usually ‘don’t ask about anything medical’ but we’ll give it a pass as Sophie is your daughter, heh.”

“’My daughter’,” Pamela chuckled. “I could definitely get used to that. Thank you, Amy. And thank you for being such a good girlfriend to Ja- to Sophie, heh.”

“Well- thanks,” Amy mumbled. “But, umm, Sophie and I, we- we’re not actually together…”

“Yeah, I- ugh,” Sophie sighed. “I kinda panicked when dad asked about them, like, during the strike, so I- I kinda, well, 'improvised', heh. So- yeah, sorry…”

“Oh,” Pamela said disappointedly. “That is a pity, even after just five minutes I think the two of you would be good for each other. And- well, umm, there’s no delicate way of putting this…”

“Most girls aren’t going to be interested in guys who, well, ‘have the same dress sense as them’,” Sophie sighed. “I get it.”

“Though you are still interested in girls, right?” Pamela asked.

“Tip 2: gender identity and, well, ‘preferences’ aren’t usually linked,” Amy said softly.

“I clearly have a LOT to learn,” Pamela chuckled. “But I will. And I will help in any way I can. Though I still think it’s a pity that the two of you aren’t a couple.” Pamela frowned with confusion as Amy and Sophie both rolled their eyes, while Hayley giggled. “…What?”

“You’re far from the only person who thinks that,” Hayley reassured the older woman. “It’s kind of a running joke, literally all of our friends think they should be a couple. Either that, or secretly already are, heh!”

“Well, we’re not,” Amy said firmly.

“And as it’s our lives, we get the final- no, the only say,” Sophie said.

“As it should be,” Pamela said softly, smiling as she began to see the happiness in her child’s eyes.

The three women stayed at Sophie’s parents’ house for the next 2 hours, catching the older woman up on everything that had happened in Sophie’s life, on her work, both with the airline and on the book, on their many friends and parties they’d attended, and even the Sunday morning dance classes. Sophie’s father returned for the last half hour of the visit, and didn’t hesitate to offer the same level of support that Pamela had, and by the time Sophie left the house, the euphoria she felt meant that she felt like she was floating.

“…Gonna be a bit less panicky now?” Amy teased her friend as they made their way back to the tube station.

“Definitely,” Sophie replied with a tired giggle. “Ugh, I mean, I know it feels like I’ve been panicking about nothing, but- yeah. There was no way of knowing for certain until, well, I, like, ‘yanked off the band-aid’.”

“…Yeah,” Hayley said. “No offence, Soph, but I’ve never known anyone come out before by yelling ‘I’m one of them’.”

“It came as a bit of a surprise to me too,” Amy teased.

“And me!” Sophie laughed. “There was just a part of me that went into autopilot, like, if I didn’t say anything then, I never would.”

“I think I get it,” Hayley said. “God knows when I came out, it felt just as abrupt. I mean, it wasn’t- like, nothing could be THAT abrupt, but- yeah. And I get what you mean about panicking over nothing, as god knows that WASN’T the case for me, heh.”

“Yeah,” Sophie mumbled. “Sorry…”

“Ugh, don’t apologise, for god’s sake,” Hayley sighed. “I’m happy for you, I really am. Though… I just wish it went that easy for every, well, girl like us.”

“Yep,” Amy sighed. “I wish there was, like, something we could do.”

“What, like be ‘transvengers’ or something?” Hayley chuckled. “Though most transphobes aren’t as reasonable as Thanos, heh.”

“There is something I can do,” Sophie said bluntly. “My book. I can use it to hopefully open a few eyes, if not minds.”

“True,” Amy said. “But, you know, playing devil’s advocate for a second, your book- it isn’t really going to be, you know, an objective thing, is it?”

“Well, what’s there to be objective about?” Sophie retorted with a shrug. “Like my mum said: our lives, our choices. THAT is what people need to understand. That it has nothing to do with them how we live our lives.”

“You go, girl!” Hayley cheered, grinning as Sophie let out an appreciative smile. “And in the meantime, though?”

“In the meantime,” Sophie replied. “How about tonight, Team ASH gets glammed up in our best dresses, our best make-up and we hit the town?”

“You’re on!” Amy giggled in reply. “As long as we bring Francine along too?”

“Well, obviously!” Sophie replied. “We want to make her feel like one of the girls, don’t we?”

“Totally,” Hayley giggled.

“And speaking of ‘one of the girls’,” Sophie said, “I really need to get home and change into a summer dress, hehe!”

“Atta girl!” Hayley cheered as the three women made their way back home.

Later that night, Team ASH, accompanied by not just Francine but also Amelie, Ellen, Natalie and Zoe hit the clubs of London and partied until their feet were sore from all the dancing they did in their expensive high-heeled shoes. They celebrated not just Sophie’s successful coming out, but the completion of Francine’s first week with the airline, Hayley’s reconciliation with her sister and most of all, their continued friendship. Even though Amy had no reason to celebrate, she was nonetheless happy for her friends and had just as much fun as everyone else on the night out- with the exception of Sophie. For the first time in two years, Sophie felt truly free to be the person they wanted to be- or, as it turned out, the woman she wanted to be. Questions about hormones and surgeries could wait for another time- all Sophie wanted to do was celebrate before restarting her work on the book that she hoped would bring the happiness that she felt to as many people as possible.

The following Sunday morning, the eight women who had been on the night out dragged their tired bodies to the Krystie Fullerton School of Dance, where much to everyone’s delight, there were a few other people already waiting for them.

“Hey Rachel!” Sophie said to her 20-year-old former flatmate as they greeted each other with a gentle hug.

“Hey Soph!” Rachel Lyscombe replied with a quiet giggle. “I saw your Facebook update the other day- congratulations!”

“Thank you,” Sophie said with a warm smile. “I will admit, I did lose a few friends from school after typing that, but- all of my REAL friends are right here, right now. Speaking of which, Rachel, I’d like you to meet Francine Masson. Francine, meet Rachel Lyscombe.”

“It is a pleasure,” Francine said with a sad smile as she gave the blonde girl a polite handshake.

“I’ll let you two talk,” Sophie said as she straightened her tight dance leotard and headed over to where Zoe and Natalie were talking with Amelie and Ellen. “Couldn’t persuade your sister to come along then, Zoe?”

“Ugh, I would find it easier to pull teeth,” the French dance teacher replied. “But maybe one day. She will not know whether she likes it until she tries.”

“Yep, that’s true,” Sophie said with a wistful smile. “And I can speak from experience there, heh!”

“Oh?” Zoe teased. “Are you speaking of your big day on Friday, or are you finally going to let me teach you for pointe shoes?”

“Well- Friday,” Sophie replied. “Though if the other offer’s still on the table…”

“Honestly, Soph, don’t do it,” Ellen chuckled. “Your feet will never be the same again.”

“Maybe not,” Sophie shrugged. “Maybe they’ll be better!”

“That is the spirit!” Zoe chuckled as she lined her students up at the barre and prepared to begin the class.

As Sophie ran through her stretches, she once again wondered on how her life would’ve been if she had never taken Rachel up on her offer. She’d still have been a journalist, would still have had hobbies and friends, but without any doubt, Sophie knew her life as a whole would have been worse. By taking the plunge into womanhood, Sophie had unlocked for herself a new world she barely knew existed- and a newer, better version of herself that she never knew existed. And without the stress of worrying what her parents would think, Sophie was free to explore, in her own terms, what being a woman truly meant to her. And yet, she knew that every day she grew closer to finishing her book, was another day closer to her employment with the airline- and possibly her network of friends- ending forever…