“So, what made you want to try out a new hairstyle? Not that I’m complaining.” Bea asked as she took three large strands of Lexi's hair. She had come to her asking for advice on how to do her hair differently.
“Not much, I just wanted to see what was cute. Maybe change things up a bit from time to time. It's long overdue for me to learn how to do some of these things.” Lexi looked up at her sister through the mirror. Even when they stood she had to look up at her… it was odd, but she was used to it. To the point where it felt right for Lexi that Bea was taller than her.
“Cute, huh?” Bea thought about how resistant Lexi was to “cute” things at first. And here she was using the word often. That wasn't all there was to it though. As she looked down on her sister and her girlish mannerisms and demeanor, not to mention the fact that this was the most “masculine” thing she had worn in a week, it was clear that it went a lot deeper than saying a simple word. She had embraced her cuteness, surely she enjoyed such things before changing, but now she was free to indulge. Speaking of cute… “Well, your hair isn't quite long enough to get the braid I want… but we could do a side ponytail! What do you think Lexi? Ah, sorry, Dad.” Lexi had told Bea a while ago that she didn't have to call her Lexi while at home… she forgot because, well, Lexi was so… “her” now.
“Oh. Uhh… It’s okay if you call me Lexi at home.” Lexi fidgeted in her seat in front of the mirror. “It’s just… that’s my name now, y’know? I should get used to it, or whatever…” She blushed.
“Really? So it’s just… Lexi now?” Bea said, with a questioning tilt of the head.
“Y-yeah. Or, whatever you want…” Lexi, realizing what she really meant pulled back a little bit, embarrassed. Accepting her name, for good, huh?
“Okay! I love it!” Bea dropped what she was doing and gave her a big hug from behind.
“Y-you do?” An expectant Lexi turned towards her sister. Something had been on her mind. In all of this self-discovery, what did Bea think? That should have mattered to Lexi more than anything. “What… do you think of me? Of “Lexi”?”
“I love you! I love doting on my cute little sister who's grown so much. You’re the sister I always wish I had, everything I do with you is fun.” Bea smiled and looked her in the eye. “I like it when you’re happy, you seem so free sometimes. I don't know what you think of it all, I guess, so I'll say I like whoever you want to be. As Dad, or as Lexi.”
“I haven't failed you? As a father?” Lexi was, of course, apprehensive. She knew what she wanted, deep down. All signs pointed towards Lexi taking over. But she was leaving her family, just so she could be happy, no?
“What? No.” Bea spat out as if it were obvious “It's not like I lost you, you're still here. As long as we love and have each other, who cares what you look like or the life you live? We're…” Bea thought about what she should say next. If Lexi’s attitude was any indication… “Sisters!”
Lexi smiled. Hearing that was… wrong. She knew it, at least a little bit. But she felt like she and Bea had a sort of… new forming dynamic, so she was happy to hear herself be accepted as Bea’s sister. “You don't think I fail to look after you these days?”
“You look after me plenty already.” Bea continued on and put the final touches on Lexi’s hair. “So hey, let me return the favor and take care of my little sister, okay?” She tied a blue ribbon, the same one Lexi often wore in her hair since she transformed, into her ponytail. “There. Adorable!” Lexi and Bea both turned to the mirror and admired her work. “So hey, I was thinking… what if we, you, me and Mom, had a girl's night?”
“Girl’s night… Huh. Yeah, I’d like that.”
No comments:
Post a Comment