Previously…

 “Mom! Mom! Can I go to Edward?” 9-year old Marie asked. “Sure, just see you are back before 6.” She told her child. She watched Marie walk away and sighed. Her 9-year old daughter was different from most other girls. She had her hair short and she never, but really never wore dresses and when Tina tried to get Marie into one it was drama and crying. Marie was convinced she was a boy. She had even told everyone in her class that they had to call her Mario. Most of the kids did because Marie had hit a boy who kept calling her Marie. She was also constantly reminding her mother she wasn’t a girl.  Tina didn’t know what to do. She tried to stimulate her child since she was four to do ‘girly-stuff’ but it never worked. She had another daughter Tabitha, four years older, who was totally the opposite of her youngest child. You couldn’t tear her away from her nail polish or make-up. She was always dressed in pink or purple. Had hair that was just above her butt and it was always a fight to cut a little piece of it. Tina just thought that Marie would become a very masculine lesbian but now Tina was finally beginning to think about the possibility her child was a transgender. She was thinking about going to a therapist with Marie to see if she was indeed trans. Tina didn’t know what she would do. She didn’t have someone to talk to or get support from. Her wife, Sophia, died two years ago, her parents were also under the ground and she didn’t have any friends. At work, the only who she did talk to was her boss, Helena; they had a platonic friendship, not very close.

CHAPTER ONE…

Tina walked into her office and passed her assistant, Alice Pieszecki. She liked the vibrant girl because she could always make her laugh but she didn’t like her nosiness.

“Hello, boss-lady.” Alice greeted her. Tina chuckled. “Hi, Alice.” She greeted the woman. “You have got a call from Marie’s school.” Alice said. Tina sighed. “Thanks for telling me.” Tina said and walked into her office. She hung her jacket on the rack and then sat down after her big desk. She took the phone and dialed Marie’s school. “Hello, Charles Elementary School, how may I help you?” A friendly voice said. Tina felt a jolt of electricity. What the fuck? Was this phone broke? “Hi, I’m Tina Kennard, Marie Kennard-Gray’s mother and you’ve called me so I wanted to make sure my child is okay.” Tina said. “She is fine but the head would like to have a talk with you about Marie.” The voice still sounded friendly and filled with compassion. Tina sighed. “Sure, when?” Tina heard papers being  flipped. “He has time at 10AM. Are you able to make that?” Tina nodded while saying. “Yes, I am.” “Okay, then. See you then, Ms. Kennard.” The woman said.