Free At Heart(transgender story)

Chapter Eleven

The next day, I put on my chest binder and followed it by my favorite oversized bunny hoodie. Once I was completely dressed, I walked over to the kitchen table to see Nathan and Cody already eating breakfast. It was only Wednesday, so we had to hurry up for school.

There was already a plate sitting on my seat filled with eggs, bacon and toast.

Taking a piece of bacon, I started poking at the egg yoke, but I wasn't really hungry. Nathan gave me a concerned look.

"What's the matter, Kodi? You don't eat when something is bothering you" Nathan asked worriedly.

I forced myself to smile. "It's nothing. I'm fine, really, Nathe! Just a little shaken up from yesterday is all." He nodded.

"We need to get to school" Cody said. I nodded. Nathan looked at me worriedly.

"Kodi? I need to speak with you privately" Nathan said.

"I will go wait in the car" Cody replied, "actually, I need to run back to the house to grab my stuff. I hope you don't mind, Kodi. I will see you later at school!"

"It's fine" I forced myself to smile. It was heartbreaking to watch Cody leave, knowing this would be the end of our friendship.

"Well," Nathan said once Cody was out of the house,"father wants us to go to his house after your school ends for the day." My eyes widened. He had divorced my mother when I was ten. My mother couldn't take anymore of how he was treating me, so she left.

"Why? I don't want to go back to that horrid man!" I exclaimed.

"I know, Kodi" he sighed, "but, we have to go. He wants us to meet the woman he married three years ago. They had a baby about a year ago, but he wants us to meet his new family. I think it's about time we stop running away and face the man."

"No! I don't want to go!" I got frustrated. After all the pain he put me through, I don't want to go back to see him.

"Come on, you want to meet your little half brother, right?" Nathan frowned. I sighed.

Looking back at my brother, I took a deep breath. "Let me have some time to think about it."

"You could stay home today" Nathan smiled, trying to reassure me that everything would be okay.

"Thanks, Nathe" I headed back to my room and decided to lie down. I took off my chest binder first, though.

Nathan knocked on the door. "Come in, Nathe" I said. He opened the door.

Poking his head inside, he asked, "have you decided on an answer?"

I nodded. "I'll go." I just hoped I wouldn't regret this decision.

He smiled at me. "Alright, go get ready. It's about time to go." I nodded, still a little sleepy from my nap.

After he left, I put on my chest binder.

It was about a twenty minute drive to my father's house. I took about ten minutes after arrival to get the courage to walk out of the car. Nathan gave me the pep talk the whole time.

I hesitated for a moment before knocking on the door.

"You okay, Kodi?" Nathan asked and I nodded. "Don't worry, you will do fine."

A pretty woman answered the door. She had curly black hair and baby blue eyes. Her eyes fell on Nathan.

"You must be Nathan!" She turned her attention to me, "and you must be Cand-"

"Kodi" I corrected her. She smiled in understanding.

"Oh, that's right, my apologies" she moved out of the way of the door, "come in, come in!"

The woman led us to the kitchen, where everyone was sat down at a table. I was a little surprised to find Rose from the Wolf exhibition or farm.

"I am Katie, your father's wife" the lady smiled, "and this is my daughter, Rose."

"Kodi?" Rose questioned. Katie seemed surprised.

"You know each other?" Katie asked.

"Yeah, I met Rose yesterday" I mumbled. For the first time, I looked at my father. He had a little baby bundled up in his arms. A little one year old.

"This is Jacob"  my father replied, smiling at me. He seemed to be happy. I don't remember him being that happy with my mother.

"He's cute" I muttered.

"Listen, Cand-"

"Kodi" I corrected him.

"Listen, Kodi. I'm sorry for how I treated you when you were younger. I was a blind idiot. But Katie has taught me that it doesn't matter how your child is born, it's just the way they are. From her I've learned that you are a boy, and I don't even care!" He took a deep breath, "I'm not asking for your forgiveness, Kodi, but do you think we could start over?"

I hadn't been expecting that.

"I suppose we could start over" I mumbled, "but it's going to take a lot to forgive you for all the pain and suffering you put me through!"

"I know" he said, "just giving me a second chance to make it up to you as a father is enough."

"Its going to have to be" I mumbled.