Projection

68 • conference

"Thank you all for tuning into my stream today. I appreciate it so much."

Abby took a sip of her coffee. She knew coffee was supposed to make people jittery, but she found it calming. She especially found it calming that Austin was sitting beside her, just out of frame.

"I just wanted to announce my newest novel in the works. It's called Her, and it's about the transition of a young boy from male to female."

She took a deep breath.

"This story really means a lot to me, because it's my story. You see, the A in A. Jameson actually stands for Abel. For a majority of my life, I've been called Abel.

"But this past year, I've been called Abby. I finally gathered the courage to wear more than just lipgloss, and more than just jeans and hoodies. I wear eyeshadow and mascara. I do my brows. I curl my hair. I wear dresses, so many pretty dresses."

Abby sucked in a breath and shakily exhaled. She was getting swept up in her emotions again.

"And it feels so good, so right. And it's all because of my amazing boyfriend. He's given me nothing but support and love. He's the first person I came out to, and he's the first one to teach me that I can be Abby. I can be beautiful. I can be whatever I want to be and should try everyday to do just that."

She sighed softly and smiled wearily.

"I know this is really short, but I just wanted you all to understand that. I thank you for your support, and I hope that you continue to support me in the future."

She cut the connection and looked over at Austin, who smiled broadly.

"You killed it."