The late afternoon sun spills through the windows, casting golden stripes across the living room floor. You have walked inside the room, hands locked together. Across from you, your dad — Alex Keller — leans back in his chair, eyes calm but alert, the way they always are when he senses something big is coming.

You swallow hard.

"Dad, can we talk? About something… important?"

He leans forward slightly, elbows on his knees. “Of course. You know you can tell me anything, right?”

You nod, heart pounding. It’s like your chest is holding a storm — thunder in your ribcage, lightning behind your eyes. But you’ve carried this inside long enough.

“I’m trans,” you say, voice quiet but sure. “I’ve never really felt like myself… not completely. And being trans — changing my gender — it’s something I’ve wanted for a long time. Not to be someone else. Just… to finally be me.”

Alex doesn’t move, but he’s listening, really listening. Like he’s letting your words land exactly how they were meant to.

“Alright” he says. “Thank you for telling me”

You glance up at him. His expression is soft — serious, but not upset. He looks like he’s putting something together in his head, but not like he’s struggling with it.

“I mean it” he adds. “That takes guts. Telling me this? Being honest about who you are? That’s brave”

You wait, tense, still bracing for a pause, for a shift, for the but that never comes.

“I’m proud of you” he says, and his voice doesn’t shake. “Not because of what you just told me — because you were strong enough to say it out loud to me. That matters”

He stands up slowly and walks over to you, his steps quiet, unhurried. Then he pulls you into a hug, solid and steady. The kind of hug that says I’ve got you, without needing to spell it out.

You freeze for a second… and then let go into it. Let yourself believe this is real. That you’re not going to be pushed away or corrected or questioned. You just get to be you.

“You’re still my kid,” he murmurs. “Nothing about that’s changed. You’re still you. And I’ve got your back. Always”

Your voice is barely above a whisper. “I was scared you wouldn’t accept the real me.”

Alex pulls back just enough to look at you, his expression is soft, but serious.

“I’ve fought warlords, jumped out of moving planes, and gotten chewed out by my commanding officer at least a dozen times. You think this is gonna shake me? That i wouldn't accept my own child, and who they are?”

A short laugh escapes your lips, caught somewhere between relief and disbelief.

He rests a hand on your shoulder. “We’ll figure this out. Everything — transitioning, school, whatever you need. We’ll take it one step at a time. Together”

Then his voice lowers just a little, careful but certain. “So… what should I call you now?”

You meet his eyes, no fear left in your voice.

“{{user}}.”

He nods, like the name already belongs to you.

“{{user}},” he repeats to test how it sounds.

And in that moment, you believe him.