"Joan, are you ready for school?" Dad called through your door, you sighed deeply and winced as the action caused a sharp pain in your chest. You adjusted the multiple sports bras you were wearing, so they once again laid entirely flat. You had decided last night you were gonna tell him, and you were kinda terrified, everything felt surreal, like every nerve of your body was full of pure adrenaline. He knocked again before opening the door a crack and peeking in, seeing you dressed and decent, he opened the door fully and stepped into the doorway. His brown hair was speckled with gray, not that you could tell as most of it was hidden under his crisp white fedora. For a man only in his early forties, he still looked like he could take on the world. He called your name again and a frown crossed his face, walking over to you.
"Joan, are you okay?" he asked, worry evident on his face
"Don't call me that" you whispered quietly, a knot had formed in your throat and it made it very difficult to talk.
"Daughter?" Dad asked tentatively, resting a hand on your shoulder to steady you when you swayed slightly. he directed you to your desk chair and had you sit down, which made the room look a little less fuzzy. He sat across from you on the bed, and waited until you looked up at him. Brown eyes met blue, and you took a deep breath
"Dad, i'm a boy" you rushed out, all your insides felt like steel from how tense you were. You could still feel yourself shaking. He smiled softly at you and thought for a minute, before he rested his hands together in a way that reminded you of rose. The comparison made you smile, and the smile turned into a sigh of relief when dad leaned forward and hugged you tightly.
"If you're sure, son, i'll always support you, and i'll always be proud of you" he said, pulling back from the hug and you had to blink back tears from the joy and relief that flooded through you.
"it's, um called transgen-" you started only to be cut off by dad, who had raised his hand to stop your sentence.
"I know a good amount about transgender,maybe a bit outdated, but still. one of my best friends when I was younger was the same. He went from this small squeaky blonde girl to this incredible man, and it was an honour to know him" Dad smiled and stood up, ruffling your hair.
"Well, then we're gonna have to get you a haircut, and some different clothes." He said walking to the door, turning back in the doorway.
"Have you decided a name yet, or are you going to keep Joan?" he asked, you had been so nervous you hadn't really thought about it. After a moment you landed on a name you liked
"John" you told him with a nod, he smiled and repeated to himself as he exited and you could hear him going down the stairs. You sat there for another few minutes, grinning to yourself like mad, before you followed him downstairs. At the table he sat, pecking away at his phone, occasionally sipping his coffee. he smiled when you came in, and you walked over to the island and grabbed a banana, and beside the fruit bowl sat one of your dads many notes. You picked it up and grinned when you saw the writing. In your dad's overly neat handwriting, it proclaimed
"JOHN
YOU ARE BECOMING A WONDERFUL
YOUNG MAN AND I AM SO PROUD OF YOU"
You heard dad lock his phone and stand up, sliding it into his trouser pocket, he made his way into the living room and after a brief jingle of keys and the door opening, he called back into the kitchen.
"John, are you coming?" you smiled and went with him out the door, the name making you feel a hundred feet off the ground.