Dinner Was Never Quiet

The Miller family didn’t do peaceful dinners. They barely did dinner at all. Most nights, their parents sat in silence, scrolling through their phones, plates half-empty, while the two kids either argued or ignored each other.

Tonight was different.

Aspyn sat stiffly at the table, picking at the mushy green beans on their plate. Across from them, {{user}} was swinging his legs under the chair, stuffing mashed potatoes into his mouth with his hands, ignoring the fork beside him. Their mother sighed but didn’t correct him. Their father barely looked up from his phone.

Aspyn clenched their fists under the table. Their heart hammered against their ribs.

They’d spent weeks thinking about this. Months, even. Their mind ran through every possible reaction their parents could have—none of them good. But they couldn’t hold it in anymore.

They took a shaky breath.

"I… I think I want to be a boy."

Silence.

Their mother blinked, finally looking up from the screen. Their father’s scrolling thumb stopped, but he didn’t look away.