Returning to the living room, Vanessa and Jonchelle found her dad (now mom) still in the recliner and watching TV—only now, something else was on. To their surprise, it was a cooking show. Maybe she was using it to get some ideas. She didn’t look like much of a chef before her transformation.
Speaking of transformation, what a transformation! They could hardly recognise her. Gone were the tatty jeans and the wifebeater. In their place, she wore a white wooly sweater with a high neck under a camel-colored checkered pinafore dress. On her feet, she wore a pair of comfortable shiny black flats.
Her hair had been transformed as well. Instead of the short, black traditional buzzcut, she now wore a curly black wig which fell down to her shoulders. She wore no makeup and no jewelry.
“Dad?” Vanessa tried, peering around the recliner. Her dad rolled her eyes.
“Ugh, Vanessa. How many times do I have to tell you? It’s Mom. It’s bad enough that you encouraged me and Michael to dress like women. The least that you could do would be to actually call me mom.”
Vanessa blinked.
“Right, sorry...Mom.” Vanessa looked at Jonchelle, who was equally shocked by the transformation. “What are we having for dinner?”
Vanessa’s mom shrugged her shoulders.
“I don’t know, there’s some pizza in the fridge. How about that?”
“Sure. Can Jonchelle stay for dinner?” Mom made a noise, shrugging her shoulders which seemed to indicate a yes, and so, Jonchelle and Vanessa returned to her room.
“Wow!” Vanessa exclaimed after she shut the door. “That was amazing! I hardly recognized her.”
“I know,” Jonchelle agreed. “Although I do think that her personality left a little to be desired.”
“Yeah, it’s almost like...she’s reluctantly doing this which isn’t exactly what I want, but I can work with it. Hopefully she’ll come to an understanding at the end and allow me to fully transition.”
Vanessa sighed happily at the thought. Jonchelle smiled and took her hand and squeezed it.
