The drive home was a bit bizarre. There I was, in my tiny Chevy Sonic, Emily sitting beside me and singing along to a Daft Punk song that my cell was streaming through the sound system via Bluetooth. We didn’t talk much, preferring to just enjoy the vibe of the drive. We had successfully escaped her house before her brother had arrived, avoiding a potentially awkward conversation with him and his lady friend. While I’m sure that Emily was being quite honest in her appraisal of my appearance, I was also equally sure that her brother would be able to tell at a glance that I was just some guy in women’s clothing.

I kept pondering the “egg” phrasing that Emily had mentioned. She had mentioned before that she thought I was born female and was trying to act masculine? That didn’t make any sense to me. Well, maybe my voice played into that a bit. Having heard it recorded and played back to me, even I had trouble discerning a gender in it. But I didn’t have any of the more obvious feminine tells. I had no breasts, my skin wasn’t especially soft, and…

“Lauren?” Emily asked in a lull between songs, interrupting my thoughts. “Are you okay? You look like you’re concentrating on something.”

I turned down the music a bit. “Nothing too serious. Just trying to sort a few things out. But I feel like I don’t have enough perspective to look at it the right way.”

She patted my right thigh reassuringly and said, “Try not to stress about it too much, right now. Sometimes it’s better to just let yourself feel things in the moment and the truth will bubble to the surface.”

I gave her a sidelong glance but just nodded, turning my full focus back to the road. It wasn’t long before we pulled into the driveway alongside my mom’s Honda. Unlike Jeff had done numerous times, Emily didn’t acknowledge the “budget” status of our cars. It wasn’t fair to assume that of her, but I guess I half-expected her to say something given how nice the vehicles in her family were. That was probably just insecurity on my part, though. 

Before I had a chance to grab her bag from the back seat however, Emily had already darted around to fetch it herself. So much for playing the gentleman! Instead, I made a point of opening the front door to allow her to step in. She’s a guest… no side door or garage shenanigans for her! Plus, I didn’t feel like having to open the fence gate or the garage door - Mom had the opener because my car wouldn't fit.

“Well, here we are. Chateau d’Monroe. I apologize if it’s a bit less comfortable than you’re used to, but it’s cozy enough and we call it home,” I managed with a wan grin.

“Oh, please. It’s bigger than the house I grew up in. My parents weren’t always rich, y’know.” Despite the smile on her face, I picked up a slightly acidic tone in Emily’s voice. That was probably a topic I shouldn’t poke at too much, I supposed.

“Oh, hey Lauren,” Maggie said, looking up from her phone from her prone position on the couch. “Where’s your wig?”

“It’s in Emily’s bag. We had… a thing,” I explained unhelpfully. “Emily, this is my sister Maggie. Maggie, this is Emily.”

Emily hefted the bag from her shoulder onto the floor in the living room and slid her feet out of her shoes as I took my own off. “Hi Maggie, it’s nice to meet you! Is your mom around? Lauren and I wanted to chat with her about a few things.”

“Is it about my sibling’s utter lack of self-awareness?” Maggie spouted off.

This triggered a sudden burst of laughter from Emily and a look of frustration from myself. “Look here, you little brat!” I announced as I stalked across the room. “Just because you helped me look pretty doesn’t mean you get to act like some kind of know-it-all about–”

“Oh, so you admit that you look pretty?” came my mother’s voice from the doorway to the kitchen.

Yep. There was that hot, flushy feeling in my face again. “Oh my god, what is with all of you? I feel like a trapped rat, here!” I retorted as I turned to face my mom.

She just gave me a self-satisfied smirk and turned her attention to Emily. “You must be the young lady that has my eldest in such an excitable state,” she said, ignoring my statement. “I’m Monica, Lauren and Maggie’s mother. It’s a pleasure to meet you!” It did not escape my notice that both my mother and sister had avoided using gendered terms to refer to me.

“Hello, Mrs. Monroe. I’m Emily Langenkamp. It’s nice to meet you, as well. You have a lovely home!” Emily said politely.

“Oh, please, none of this Mrs. Monroe business. Feel free to just call me Monica. Come on in and sit down. Would you like anything to drink?” 

It always astounded me how quickly my mom could get into ‘hostess’ mode when guests came over. Not that me or Maggie really invited too many people into our home. Maggie’s friends were all on Discord and most of mine were… casual at best. I think this whole situation felt pretty novel to all of us, if I was being honest. I’d only had a couple girlfriends in high school and one so far in college, but never actually brought any of them home to meet Mom and Maggie. Nothing ever felt serious enough.

“Oh, just water is fine! No need to go out of your way for me,” Emily said as she took a seat on the couch next to Maggie.

Maggie responded by giving a sly grin and propping her feet on Emily’s lap. “Couch tax. Obligatory footrest time,” my annoying sister stated as she continued to play on her phone.

“What are you playing?” Emily asked innocently of her captor. I rolled my eyes at how easily she had triggered the trap. If you gave Maggie even a hint that you were interested in her mobile gacha RPGs… I sat on the arm of the couch furthest from the other two, both my legs to one side, and readied myself for the oncoming torrent

“Currently I’m playing Honkai: Star Rail. I prefer it over Genshin Impact because it’s turn-based, so it’s easier to play on a smartphone without controller accessories. The monetization of a lot of game features is annoying, but if you’re persistent like me you can do pretty well going strictly F2P,” Maggie rattled off without making eye contact. “Additionally, I really like the character designs. While there are a lot of fan-servicey elements, especially in the female designs, overall they’re very well-crafted and have unique–”

“Mags, I think just the title would have sufficed,” I interrupted, hoping to spare Emily from the no-doubt overwhelming amount of information. “I mean, you can just tell her the titles of a few of the games you play. She’s a gamer, too, so she might already know about ‘em.”

Maggie’s eyes went wide with surprise. “No shit? That’s awesome! So, do you prefer puzzle games, RPGs, cozy sim games, or…”

A devilish smile spread across Emily’s face. “I play everything. Right now I’m grinding an event on Fate/Grand Order, but I’m also juggling a couple others. I was thinking of downloading Star Rail, but I’m bad about impulse spending, so I have to make sure I don’t randomly decide to whale on it.”

At this point, Mom had returned to the living room with a couple glasses of water and a bowl full of wheat crackers. “Here you go, Emily. I’m sorry that my youngest has reduced you to ergonomic furniture, but I’m glad to see you making yourself at home.” She sat down in the recliner at the corner of the sofa near me and set the glasses and snack bowl on the coffee table.

“Only two glasses?” I noted wryly.

“You know the rules, young lady. Self-serve, except for guests. If you want something, you know where it’s at.”

I nodded and shrugged despite the warm heat prickling my cheeks. ‘Young lady,’ huh? “While I’m at it, I think I’ll change into some loungewear or something. I’m feeling a bit self-conscious in this outfit without makeup or a wig.”

“If that’s what’s bothering you, you could just put the wig back on,” Maggie muttered while frowning at her phone.

“Nah, it’s okay. I… I want Emily to see the way I normally look. Like, guy clothes and stuff.” All three women turned their heads to me as one and I felt for a moment like I had just sprouted antlers and fur. “Uh… is that all right?”

Mom sighed. “It’s still a bit early for loungewear, don’t you think? Besides, you and Emily just got here. Why don’t you sit down and relax for a bit?” There was an irritation in her tone that was difficult to interpret.

I glanced at Emily, who simply nodded encouragement. Well, shit. I slid off the arm of the couch onto the cushion next to her with a grumble and turned to face my mom. It was then that I realized I still hadn’t gone to fetch a drink. “Oh, I still need to grab some water.”

Surprising all of us, Maggie swung her feet from Emily’s lap to the floor and stood up. “No worries, I’ll grab us both a glass. You stay put, I’ll be right back.”

My sister stepped out of the room, leaving me alone with Mom and Emily for the moment. “So Emily,” my mother began. “Tell me a bit about yourself. Lauren has only described how adorable you are and how silly you make her feel and the somewhat amusing circumstances of your first meeting.”

This time Emily blushed. Good. Glad to see someone else doing it, for a change. “Oh! Uh, sure! I’m twenty-three, currently between jobs but I have a strong investment portfolio and make additional money from freelance editing and proofreading. Still living at home with my parents but it’s less about financial means and more about comfort.” She began playing with her hair as she continued. “My parents came into quite a bit of money during my early teens from a lucky investment on my father’s part. As a result, we moved into a nicer home and my brother and I both went to private school. I dropped out of college when my dad demanded I change my major for my brother’s sake.”

I could tell by the way Mom pressed her lips together that she was holding back from expressing something unkind about the last statement. Instead, she said, “What about your hobbies and interests? Future plans?”

At this point, Maggie had returned with two more glasses of water, setting one down in front of me on the coffee table and taking her seat at the far end of the couch on the other side of Emily. Interestingly, she did not resume playing on her phone.

“Lauren may have told you, but I absolutely love reading and playing video games. I mostly play on console and mobile, but I’m not too bad at a few PC games!” Emily resumed. “I have a strong interest in social issues, human rights, things of that nature. But my parents are pretty strict about not wanting me to be actively involved in anything that might draw attention to them, so I mostly just keep my head down and try to stay out of everyone’s way. I think they’re trying to get me married off to someone rich for financial security so that I don’t have to work, but I’d rather feel like I’m doing something with my life. I just haven’t found my goal yet.”

“Someone rich, huh?” I asked without meaning to. “Definitely not going to find that person here!” Realizing what I’d just said, I immediately lunged for my glass of water, hoping to put something in my mouth other than my foot. The cool water drained some of the heat from my face and I drank deeply. I’d noticed, with some discomfort, that the muscles at the back of my mouth and down into my throat had been aching a bit and the water was providing relief to that sensation, as well.

Mom raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Instead, it was Maggie that interjected with “Thinking about marriage already, Lauren? You haven’t even rented a U-Haul yet.”

“Oh my god, Maggie! Can you not?!” I cried in embarrassment.

Emily’s mellifluous laughter filled the air. “I am in no rush to get married. I’m still looking for my place in the grand scheme of things.” She paused thoughtfully for a moment, tapping her chin with an index finger while giving me a smirk. “Although, if things work out with the right person, I wouldn’t say ‘no.’ Eventually.”

Desperate to change the topic, I finally blurted out, “Anyway, Mom, can we grab the guest linens for Emily? She’s going to stay the night here so we can talk about things that have been going on. Y’know. Me, crossdressing, Jeff, life.”

My mother’s suspicious gaze fell upon me. “And where is our guest sleeping?”

“I figured I’d crash here on the couch and Emily could sleep in my room,” I replied. “I just didn’t want her to have to sleep in the sheets that I’d used.”

Mom nodded for a moment and then smiled. “I have a better idea!”

Now it was my turn to eye my mother suspiciously. “Oh, and what’s that?”

“I think it’s time for Lauren’s first sleepover party!”

I closed my eyes and took a deep, calming breath. “And how, pray tell, would that even work?”

Maggie gestured toward me and said, “Easy. You borrow pajamas. We pull the hide-a-bed out of the sofa, use the recliner as a bed, and bust out the twin-size air mattress from the closet. Mission accomplished!”

“Okay, but… what’s the point?”

This time Emily responded, “A casual environment that encourages open communication, close contact, and unguarded interactions. Plus we can do some fun stuff like painting nails, braiding hair, watching silly movies. Y’know, all that stereotypical girl stuff you see on TV!”

I rolled my hand in a gesture for Emily to continue. “And this benefits me, how, exactly?”

“Lauren, you’ve got communication barriers so thick, the Huns gave up without even trying,” Emily quipped. “In all seriousness, though, I think we’re all hoping you’ll get past some blocks in your thinking to really give some consideration to your situation and your future. What do you want to see for yourself going forward? What does the future ‘you’ look like?”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “I get it. You want to know if I could see myself being like non-binary or trans or something?”

Mom leaned forward and placed a hand on my knee. “Sweetie, we just don’t want you to feel trapped the way your father did. We want you to know the options available and that this is an environment that would accept whatever you decided was best for yourself. I’m here for you. Your sister is here for you. And I think we can count on Emily as an ally, as well.”

I turned my head towards Emily for confirmation. She gave me a broad smile. “I’m just in it to see you smile like you have been. Ever since you took that wig off, you’ve been looking a little sad and lost. If all it takes is a bit of encouragement from me for you to dress the way you feel best, you can count me in!”

“Why are you all being so accepting about this? Shouldn’t you be encouraging me to be normal?” I asked rhetorically as I flopped against the back of the couch. “Shouldn’t I just be happy as a guy?”

“Are you?” Mom asked. 

“I honestly don’t know anymore.”