"Adam!"  Mum called out.  "Come downstairs!"

"Coming…"  I grumbled.  November was almost done and the coldness of December was hitting.  Despite my layers of clothing, I was still cold.  Getting out from under my blankets wasn't something I particularly wanted to do.  They were the only thing keeping me somewhat warm.  

With a grunt, I got up and got out of bed.  I ran my fingers through my hair, smiling at how much longer it felt.  In less than a month, it had grown out a surprising bit.  It was probably about 5 inches long now, which was much better than what it used to be. Desperate to not deal with the cold much more than I had to, I rushed downstairs to see what my mother wanted.

"Yes, Mum?"  I asked tiredly once I got downstairs.  To my surprise, she was dressed up, clearly ready to head out.  Normally when she dressed like that, she was going shopping.  

"I'm heading out shopping."  Mum smiled, answering my questions about where she was going.  "Would you like to come?"

"Uh, sure?"  Why was she asking if I wanted to shop?  That was something she almost never asked.  She wouldn't even go with Dad half the time!  "Let me just get out of my nightclothes."

"Okay!"  She was a bit too chipper for just shopping, but I went with it.  Maybe it had something to do with why she asked if I had this day off a couple of weeks ago.  

Cool air hit me in the face as we walked down the streets.  A slight bit of a flurry was beginning to occur, giving the town a nice Christmas feel to it.  Being Canadian, I did love the snow.  From what I could remember from when I did live in Canada, it snowed a lot.  In the states, there wasn’t as much snow though.  Oh well.  December was one day away and people already had decorations up for the occasion.  Even shops had them up.  Personally, I didn't mind it and found all the decorations quite beautiful.  It gave the town a warm feeling even though it was quite chilly.  

I followed my Mum, hoping she would give some hint of where we were going or why she even asked me to come.  So far, nothing.  Only small talk was made regarding work or about the Christmas decorations that surrounded us.  We headed down to the edge of the main street in town and stopped at a boutique.  It wasn't one that screamed high fashion by any means.  The brick exterior looked old and rigid, with bits and pieces missing from it falling apart with time.  There was a display window to the side that had a naked manikin leaning on the wall slightly.  Clearly, it wasn't a popular shop either.  No Christmas decorations were put out, but there was a nice big sale sign announcing the Christmas sale.

"It's not the nicest looking place, is it?"  I mumbled.  The tattered look made it almost eerie and unwelcoming.  Truth be told, I was hoping this wasn't where Mum wanted to go.  Setting foot in there just seemed like a sketchy idea.  You never know when there's someone lurking and ready to kidnap you.

"No, it's really not."  Mum frowned a bit.  "But I thought it'd be worth a try!  Besides, they are quite a bit cheaper and it looks like there's nobody else shopping here, which is also a bonus."

"Eh?"

"Well, I wouldn't want anyone degrading you for trying on a dress, dear."

"Wait… so we're shopping for me?"

"Why, of course!"  Mum giggled at my look of surprise.  "I can't be giving you all my clothes, can I?  I think it's time we find you something that suits your style!"

I gave her an even bigger look of shock.  "But… What about Dad?  He's not going to like this…"

"What your father doesn't know won't kill him.  I'll just tell him I went out and bought it without you, and there you go!  Problem solved!  He agreed to let you wear it at home, so he can't argue.  Come along now!"

Without hesitation, Mum walked into the shop.  She seemed to be oblivious to the eerie feel of the place.  Hesitantly, I followed suit.  The interior looked just as tattered as the exterior.  The flower-patterned wallpaper was slipping off the wall, revealing cracks and small holes in the plaster behind it.  Half of the flooring was missing at the edge of the boutique too.  The dresses though were pretty decent quality.  Compared to the building at least.

Mum wasted no time and started looking.  Having never shopped for a dress before, I had no idea what I wanted or what I was looking for, so I simply stood there like an idiot.  There were so many choices!  I didn't know where to start!

"How about this?"  Mum pulled out a dark red skirt with a loose white blouse to match.  It looked absolutely stunning.  

"I really like that,"  I said rather quietly, almost afraid my Dad would hear me.  I could also see the clerk in the shop giving me an unsettling glare from across the room.

"Hm.  I'm trying to decide between the red or green skirt though."  Mum pulled out a green one.  "Or even possibly yellow…"

"I'll try the red."   

"Perfect!  Let's see if you can try it on."

As Mum went to the clerk to ask if I could try it on, I looked around a bit.  Most of the attire there resembled the common casual dress that people wore.  Some were obviously made for work, while others were aimed for going out.  It just so happened that one of the 'going out' ones caught my eye.  It was a nicely fitted, light blue blouse with a vibrant aqua blue skirt to match.  It even came with a nicely fitted blue coat.  At the bottom of the skirt and sleeve cuffs, white snowflake patterns were sewn in to give it a wintery feel.  Curiously, I felt the fabric to see if it felt as comfy as it looked.  It was so soft!  Not only that, but it had a thin fuzzy lining on the inside so it would be warmer.

"Do you like that one?"  Mum snuck up on me, nearly causing me to scream.  I whipped around and gave her a nervous look.

"Uh, maybe a little?"  

"Oh, you can't lie to me!  I can tell you like it more than a little!"  She giggled as she reached for it.  "Oh!  It's got a lining on the inside too!  Would you like to- oh."

I saw as she reached for the price tag and flipped it over.  As expected, it was quite pricey compared to the first dress she pulled for me.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Adam."  She sighed heavily.  "It's out of the budget.  I'm afraid I can't afford it."

"It's okay."  I put on a fake smile.  While I did work and made money, Dad normally kept it safe for me.  He only let me take a small portion out every now and then for something nice.  Had I known we were going dress shopping, I would've stashed it up and saved it for the dress, but unfortunately, I spent it all on sweets.

"Maybe we can come back another day?"  Mum suggested.  "Maybe it'll be on sale next time."

"Yea."  I nodded.  "So, can I try on the first dress?"

"Unfortunately, no.  The clerk refuses to let you try it.  So I'm thinking if you like it, I'll buy it, and then I can tailor it for you?  You can even help if you'd like."

"Yea, that's fine." I smiled.  Although I loved the blue dress much more, the red one was still very nice.  It was better than no dress anyway.  

With a smile on both our faces, Mum purchased the dress and we hurried home so I could try it on.  It had been years since I last got to try one on and I was excited to do it again.  When we got home, I wasted no time getting it on.  Mum helped me get on one of her stays, then the petticoat, then the skirt and blouse.  Without even seeing myself, I already felt 100 times better about myself.  I felt elegant and feminine and I was living for it.

"Well, it's on!"  Mum smiled, stepping back.  "What do you think?"

Expecting to see an elegant woman in the mirror, I eagerly looked over at my reflection.  At a quick glance, I did meet that expectation, but the longer I looked, the more disappointed I felt.  To put it simply, I looked like a man in a dress.  Not a very tasteful look if you ask me.  Or at least not on me.  My hair was at an awkward length, and the stay didn't do much for my body figure.  The blouse was loose around my thin arms, but tight in the shoulders.  The skirt was the best-looking part because, well, it's a skirt.  There's not much it could offer to my figure.  

"I look awful,"  I muttered.

"What makes you say that?"

"I'm obviously too boxy for it, my hair is an awkward length, the shoulders are tight, and, well… I just look like a man in a dress."

"Those are all things we can fix, dear."  Mum smiled.  "Do you know what I see?"

I stayed quiet, anticipating her answer, preparing myself for the worst.  Possibly even worse than my own self-criticism.

"I see a beautiful young woman who just needs a bit of time to bloom.  You're just in a bit of an awkward stage right now, which is totally okay.  We all go through it."

Surprised she even referred to me as a woman, I gave her a shocked look.  I didn't know what to say!  That was not what I was expecting at all!

"Now!  As for the blouse and dress, I'm going to tailor it so it fits you better.  Sounds good?"

Still a bit in shock, I nodded.  With a slight giggle from my facial expression, Mum went to leave the room so she could fetch some pins to mark where she needed to fix.  Right as she got to the doorway, Dad walked in, causing her to retreat a bit.  I felt his eyes focus on the dress, and then me.  If looks could kill, I would've died many times over.

"I thought I made it clear that I didn't want to see you dressing like… that."  He scowled.  "Take it off."

"You did walk into it."  Mum pointed out.  "So that's on you.  And he will be soon, I just need to pin a couple of places so I can tailor it."

"Why would you tailor it?  I don't want to see my SON wearing WOMEN'S clothing!"

"We came to an agreement on this."  Mum hissed.  "Adam is allowed to present how he wishes, just not outside of the house or around you if it can be helped.  So if you don't want to see it, then you are welcome to leave."

Dad scoffed and stormed out.  While the two had argued, I began tearing up.  All I wanted was to be myself.  Wearing feminine clothing made me feel so much better, even if I didn't like how it looked just yet.  Maybe now it wouldn't look right, but I knew down the road it would.  Like Mum said, I was just in an awkward phase.  But Dad was determined to ruin it all.  God forbid his child be different.

"Are you okay?"  Mum looked back at me with a frown.

Shakily, I just nodded.  Speaking would give away my shaky voice and that I was on the verge of tears.  

"C'mere."  Mum came over to me with her arms open, welcoming me in for a hug.  I took a second before letting myself fall onto her and took the hug.  

"He loves you, okay?  We both do.  He's just worried that this will get you hurt.  I know the way he handles it isn't… great.  But I promise, we both love you, okay?  No matter if you're our son or daughter."

"Thanks, Mum…"