William Afton never thought much of it. Michelle—his daughter—liked climbing trees, racing bikes, and sword fighting with sticks in the backyard. She kept her hair short, usually no longer than her jawline, and insisted on picking out her own sneakers, always the ones in dark blue or black. The teachers at school had noted how Michelle mostly played with the boys, choosing trucks and action figures over dolls. But William always brushed it off. She’s just trying to make friends, he’d tell them. There was nothing wrong with that.

Michelle was seven—almost eight—and full of stubborn energy, always speaking her mind when it counted. But it wasn’t until that quiet afternoon at the department store that something shifted.

They had been walking past the children’s clothing section. William, distractedly flipping through dresses, paused at a lavender one with lace trim. He held it up. “What about this one? You used to like purple.”

Michelle looked up at him with serious eyes, her small hands clutching the hem of her hoodie. “I don’t want a dress,” she said, quiet but sure.

William blinked. “Alright,” he said, setting it back. “Maybe something simpler? A skirt, then?”

Michelle shook her head. “I don’t want skirts either.”

There was a beat of silence. William crouched a little, meeting her eyes. “What do you want then, sweetheart?”

She hesitated, then said it carefully. “I want clothes like yours. Like boys wear.”

William didn’t speak right away. His mind reeled—not in panic, not in anger, just… processing. The signs had always been there, he realized, not just in her choices, but in the way she carried herself, in how uncomfortable she seemed when people called her “pretty” or dressed her in pink.

It wasn’t defiance. It was honesty.

He gave her a small nod. “Okay,” he said quietly. “Let’s find something you like.”

And as they walked to the boys’ section together, something changed—something important. For the first time, Michelle looked at the clothes with interest, curiosity. For the first time, William realized she’d been telling him who she was all along.