The Morgans came home from their usual date night to find Sarah cleaning up the mess from her and Jane's cupcake making adventure.
"Let me help" Samantha offered. Sarah had gotten most of the mess but there was still some cupcakes batter splattered on the stove that was giving her grief.
"Thanks Mrs. Morgan. Everything was fine, as usual. Ethan's been acting kind of strange lately though-"she trailed off.
"He's just been going through a lot lately. I think preparing for all of it has been a little much even for him." Samantha explained.
"Yeah he started to tell me about some stuff I wasn't really sure how to take it all in." Sarah tried to explain but she couldn't exactly get the words right.
"I'm proud of him. He's been through a lot in the last few years, and I know this surgery will make it easier for him"
Sarah nodded. But why hadn't he told her about any of it? He literally watched her turn into a fledgling, and later saved his life even though it meant turning into a full vampire. It meant he trusted her no matter what, she realized.
"Anyway" Samantha got out her wallet "Thanks for coming over" she handed Sarah her earnings.
Samantha headed up the stairs into her oldest son's bedroom. The door was already fully open, but to be polite she knocked gently, knowing that he was fast asleep.
"Ethan, honey" she gently tapped his shoulder, causing him to awaken slightly.
He groaned, turned onto his other side and opened his eyes. "Mom? When did you get home?"
"Just now, honey. Are you feeling alright? Sarah said you've practically been asleep all night." Her forehead creased with concern.
He sat up "It's nothing I've just been freaking out about all of this." he sighed "I mean Benny's known since we were kids but telling Sarah has just been…I don't know. I know she's fine with all of it but" he paused and pursed his lips "What would happen if I told someone and they weren't okay with it?"
Samantha sat down on his bed next to him "Look honey, I'm not going to pretend it's not dangerous to let people know about you and this surgery and the hormone stuff, but I raised you" she gave her son a reassuring smile "I know you know how to judge the people around you, and I admire that. I really do. You have a good heart and a smart mind, and that'll get you through a lot." She gave him a light hug.
"So what's going to happen? With the surgery stuff, I mean?" Ethan asked nervously.
"You mean as far as prepping and medications go?" he nodded. "They're probably going to give you something to help you deal with all of the needles and everything else, and after that it'll be like any other surgery" he was visibly relieved. "And then after that you'll probably spend a day or two recovering, and then you'll be home for the rest of the week"
Ethan laid his head on his mother's shoulder. "I love you."
She put her head on top of his "I know, and I love you more. You know your father and I have tried to help you transition as smoothly as possible"
"I know, and that's why I love you. I'm glad I have you and dad, and even Jane. Well, most of the time." He smiled
"Good. Now go back to sleep and tomorrow we can talk about how you're going to get all of your assignments from your teachers next week so you can do everything while you're gone"
"'Kay mom, g'night"
"Night sweetheart"
Samantha and Ross Morgan always knew their oldest child was different from other kids, to say the least. They had hundreds of stories about how Ethan screeched if anyone put him in a dress when he was only a few months old, or how he, at 3 years old, dressed up in Ross's button up shirts and walked around the house. The most famous of these stories was when Ethan was 3, Ross and Samantha had gone to a banquet in honor of Ross's insurance firm. Ethan was left with a neighbor from down the street, Mrs. Pruit. She brought her pet parrot with her, who attacked the small child when he was playing with a fire truck, one of his favorite toys, but that was usually left out of the story. She was slowly losing what she had left of her eyesight, and went to pinch Ethan's cheeks and told him "What a pretty little girl you are" In response Ethan stomped his tiny feet on the carpet and shouted "I'm a boy!" with a scowl.
When the couple returned home, they asked their son the customary "Did you have fun?" as Samantha scooped him up in her arms.
Ethan reported back "I don't like her. Her parrot tried to hurt me and she called me a girl" he pouted.
Samantha turned to her husband, with Ethan still in her hands, "Well I'm sure the eye patch doesn't help anything" She turned back to Ethan. "Let's get you up to bed in your pajamas?"
He rubbed his eyes with his fists and yawned in response.
A few hours later after Ethan had been put to bed, Samantha laid down, covers still up on her side of their bed, and sighed
"If people still stay he's a girl right now, imagine how bad it'll be when he gets older" Samantha sighed.
"When he was born we told each other we would support whoever he wanted to be, without hesitation. If he thinks of himself as a boy, he's a boy." Ross responded curtly.
"I know but that's not what the world is going to think. I want him to be who he is, but I also want to know he's safe and happy"
Her husband nodded in response. "We both know this isn't some kind of phase, so what are we going to do when he's older?"
"I mean hopefully if we just keep calling him by masculine pronouns and buying boy's clothes it won't be a problem." Samantha mused. "But what about when he hits puberty?"
"I guess that's a bridge we'll cross when we come to it." Ross shook his head lightly, "Kids don't come with directions, that's what everyone said when we had him. There's no way to know how this'll end up."
"I just don't want to screw up and have him hate us for it his entire life. The road to hell is paved with good intentions anyway."
"We just have to let him figure things out for himself, and be there when he needs us. That's it. Now let's get some rest" Ross gently placed a kiss on his wife's forehead.