So many tears came out from her eyes. A wet sensation caressed Haruka’s cheek. It was Yuichiro’s shirt getting wet from all her crying. “But…”, muttered her while she looked at the pictures askance. Yuichiro understood perfectly. What was done was done. They may let it go one day, but at that moment, it was a hard reality to assimilate.

“We can’t change the past, but we can change the present”, said Yuichiro to comfort Haruka. “We can’t just go back and change all those things. But now we know who Lan is. We can let Lan express him… herself. Letting our daughter grow up as the girl she is. And I know you will be a great support for her”.

‘Daughter’, ‘girl’, ‘her’… There was something beautiful about those words that made Haruka feel warm inside. It wasn’t the idea of her child being a girl, but the feeling that those words actually belonged to Lan. While she had begun accepting that Lan was a girl, she still didn’t think about using them. She was so obsessed about the past mistakes that she didn’t think about the future possibilities, about the present situation, about the possibility of actually calling Lan ‘daughter’. Regaining her composure, she stood straight, drying the tears from her already red swollen eyes.

“You… you are right. I… I love her”, mumbled Haruka while sobbing. “And I… I want her to be happy. I’ll do good this time. I’ll support her in everything she needs. And I’m sure you’ll be a great dad for her as well”.

“Well, I’ll try, but I think you will do better. I don’t know that much about girls nowadays”, joked around Yuichiro.

A bit more relaxed, the couple giggled a bit. Yuichiro was not the funniest person out there, but he knew how to calm down a tense situation. That was something Haruka always loved about him. He always knew what to say, how to calm her fears. After that long conversation, they felt even more tired than before. It was already time to call it a day. Yuichiro was the first one to leave, while Haruka remained on the couch. She was still holding one of Lan’s old pictures. A cute girl with a dress smiled, sparks surrounding her. Haruka smiled and murmured:

“Who would have thought I’d have a pretty witch as a daughter?”.

…

The following morning, Haruka and Yuichiro woke up early, just like always. Yuichiro should have already left for work, but he called to say he would arrive just a bit later. He wanted to be there that morning. On her part, Haruka was preparing breakfast. She was awaiting nervously for Lan to wake up and greet them, but at the same time, there was confidence in her heart. She made a resolution and there was nothing stopping her.

“Good morning”.

Appearing through the door with her long hair down, Lan greeted her parents with her usual sleepy voice. Haruka and Yuichiro greeted her back, just like every day. Lan was wondering why her dad was still there. However, that situation was better for her. She was nervous, wanting to bring up everything that happened the previous day. Fidgeting a bit, her eyes staring at the floor, she said:

“Mom, dad… About yesterday, I…”.

Since her parents didn’t say anything the day before, she was scared. Did her parents understand her? Were they mad? Lan was so nervous she couldn’t even look at them. Because of that, she didn’t notice Haruka approaching her stealthily. By the time she could react with a little jump, her mother knelt down and hugged her.

“I’m… so happy for you. I love you”.

How could that be? All that tension Lan had since she woke up. All that nervousness and worrying. It was just… gone. Her mother’s gentle hug was enough to make all her fears vanish. In its place, a warm sensation surged. Was it Haruka’s arms surrounding her? Or could it be the relief in her heart for knowing she was accepted? Slowly, Lan raised her arms and hugged her mother back. Haruka could hear some short sobs.

“Cry”, said Haruka, as if inviting Lan. “Cry all you want. You don’t need to hold back anymore”.

In the past, Lan remembered her mother’s words. She couldn’t cry. That’s what Haruka wanted. But now, those old words, echoing from the distant past, were replaced with those new, sweeter ones. A warm welcome for her tears that had waited a long time to come out. A release for both the pain of the past and the happiness of that moment. Lan cried. However, unlike that painful afternoon she was tired of her life, she was crying out of happiness.

Yuichiro contemplated the scene at some distance. He didn’t feel the need to say anything else. Just like he expected, Haruka was doing an excellent job. The father stood up and approached them. The young girl saw him, or at least a blurry figure of him through her tears. But his smile, it was the real deal. Lan released her mother and ran towards her father, both of them hugging as well. When was the last time Yuichiro hugged his child? He couldn’t remember, but he would surely remember that moment from now on. Even with his job, he was committed to support his daughter. After calming down, Lan released him and stepped back, looking at both parents.

“Are… are you really ok with… me?”, asked Lan nervously.

“Of course we are”, answered Yuichiro, patting his daughter on the head. “It was a surprise, sure. But you deserve to be happy. So if you want to live your life as a girl, just do it. We’ll be there for you”.

“Your father’s right”, continued Haruka. “Whatever you need, just say it. And if you want to ask me anything, talk to me. I don’t want you to hide your feelings anymore”.

Lan kept sobbing. She always thought her parents were nice, but she didn’t expect such a warm welcome for her. When she woke up just a few minutes before, she feared they would react in a wrong way or say something bad. On the contrary, her opinion of them was reconfirmed.

“Thanks… Really, thank you two”, thanked Lan with broken voice. “Right now, I… I have no idea where to begin though…”.

Haruka giggled. She didn’t expect Lan to have all the answers either, but seeing her daughter admitting it was funny.

“Well, there’s no rush. For now, why don’t you just… observe your surroundings?”, proposed Haruka. “If you are interested in what other girls do, look at them. Get some ideas. And whenever you want to try something, we can do it at home, little by little. What do you think?”.

Trying out things at home… She imagined herself sometimes wearing things that she saw from her classmates or in the street. But knowing that there was a chance to finally look as a girl filled her with joy. She nodded shyly, her nervousness not letting her show her full excitement. Finally, the family sat down and had breakfast together. It was a rare occasion, but one they enjoyed happily. After that, Lan prepared for school. She hated having to wear her usual boy clothing again, but she tried to calm down. There would be chances to wear something different, something… comfortable.

Lan was the first one to leave for school, her parents accompanying her to the front door. As the girl was about to open the door, she stopped. Remembering her mother’s words, she actually had something to ask them. She turned around and said:

“Before I go, can… can you please… call me ‘daughter’?”.

That took Haruka and Yuichiro by surprise. But again, those eyes… Lan was asking that out from her heart. Those eyes were proof of that. But seeing their reaction, the girl became nervous. She was about to tell them to forget it. They might not be ready. However, Haruka hugged Lan, patting her head, and said:

“Good bye, my daughter. Hope you have a nice day. And don’t push yourself too much”.

Contrary to whatever Lan could think, it was so easy for Haruka to do it. Why wouldn’t it be? In her eyes, all she could see was a wonderful girl. One that still had to learn to express in her own way, but a girl still. Lan felt so calm at that moment. Just a simple word felt so comforting, so… true. That was who she was. Haruka and Yuichiro’s daughter. A girl. Maybe others couldn’t see it yet, but her parents did.

“I… I’ll try”.

With a smile, the first honest smile Haruka and Yuichiro had seen in a long time, Lan bid them farewell and left her home. Sure, things wouldn’t be so easy at school. She still didn’t know if or how she should tell her friends. However, knowing that there were new possibilities for her and that she was accepted at home, Lan walked towards her school with determination. She had taken the first step and there would be many to come.