My friend drew this excellent comic about Trans Louie that I loved so much I had to write a little sequel to it. Go read the comic on their tumblr page soupy-drawz, give them a follow and some reblogs while you're there.

"Aw man, now I look like a-" Louie's breath caught, eyes widening.

"Like a boy."

Louie smiled then, hesitant, laughing a little at his stupidity. His stupidity. How had it taken him so long to see it? When he'd always had no trouble seeing all of the angles before?

Maybe because until now, a stranger had stared back any time he'd looked in the mirror.

And now Louie finally recognized himself.

He would have to file it away, of course. Pull his hood up while he schemed the best way to tell his family he was trans. They already called him Louie, that didn't have to change. He could deal with everything else for a while.

He could deal with other people not seeing him as he finally saw himself.

Or, at least he thought he could.

However, the second he stepped out of the bathroom, reaching to adjust his hood, he ran into the one other person who always saw all the angles.

Della froze. "Louie, your hair-"

"It was getting too long," he shifted from foot to foot, avoiding eye contact.

"It looks good. You look like-"

"Me," Louie finished for her. "I look like me."

Della beamed, "Yeah, you do."

To Louie's surprise, Della gathered him into a hug, whispering, "It's more than a haircut, isn't it?"

Tears sprung to his eyes unbidden.

"How did you know?" He asked, keeping his voice low.

"I've never seen you look this happy before."

"Is it okay?' Louie asked, knowing he didn't need permission, wanting reassurance anyway.

"Of course it is. Do you want to talk about it?"

Louie nodded a little, "I haven't really felt like myself, when I look in the mirror I've just been seeing someone else."

Seeing you, he thought, though he did not say it.

Della nodded. "Mirrors can be cruel and unforgiving."

"But today, when I finished cutting my hair, it was like all the pieces finally clicked together. I wasn't me before. I guess I got so good at lying I started lying to myself. I'm not a girl. I've… I've never been a girl." Saying it out loud felt like a weight off of his chest.

"I'm proud of you, Louie. I'm proud to call you my son."

The tears came faster now, and he buried his head in her shirt.

"Why didn't I see it before?" He sobbed.

"Hey, hey. There's no timeline for these things. It's never too late to find out who you are. There's no shame in taking longer than other people."

Louie didn't say anything, just clung to his mom while he composed himself.

It felt like he'd wasted his life pretending to be someone he wasn't. But maybe Della was right. Maybe it wasn't too late.

"Will you help me tell the others?" He requested when he'd finally dried his tears. Now that the dam had broken he didn't want to bide his time and hide his truth.

"Of course."