Archive of Our Own ^beta

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Abby Anderson knew she wanted to adopt from a young age. Growing up with a doctor for a dad she heard all sorts of stories of children whose parents failed to care for them properly. Abby had always felt bad for children who grew up without a loving parent like her father.

She had started the incredibly long process two years ago with her now ex-girlfriend, Ellie Miller, but hadn’t done much work on it since their incredibly painful break up. Abby had noticed a shift in Ellie during the months leading up to their break up. She had become distant and avoided being affectionate with Abby. All of Abby’s attempts to address their issues with Ellie were either met with hostility or ignored entirely, Ellie preferred to run from her problems rather than meet them head on.

But that was all in the past. Abby had been working on herself over the past two years and was finally in a position to foster a child.

Abby met with Lev, a short 13 year old boy with black hair, several times over the course of a month in order to make his transition into her home easier on both of them. Through their meetings Abby learned: Lev’s favorite color was blue and that he loved sharks. She inferred these things from the blue shirt with a shark graphic he wore to every meeting. Lev was quiet around Abby, rarely answering in more than one word. Abby also learned some less fun facts about Lev. Such as that he ended up in foster care after being found living on the streets of Seattle because his parents kicked him out. She knew little about Lev’s home life but was told his parents kicked him out after he shaved his head and changed his name to Lev. Abby thought that was absolute bullshit, what kind of parent kicks their son out for being who he is? Lev also had a sister, Yara, who was adopted out of a teenage and young adult program. Lev and his sister were apparently very close often calling for hours on end according to his current foster mom. Abby promised Lev she would take him to visit Yara when he came to live with her.

After more than two years in the making Abby was finally on her way home with Lev in the passenger seat. He fidgeted nervously in his seat, his hands drumming on the dashboard. Abby couldn’t blame him for being nervous considering they barely knew each other and he was now going to be living with her. Lev never said much during their meetings and Abby got the idea he was a shyer kid. She tried to lighten the mood by asking Lev his favorite music artists but he only shrugged and mumbled, “I don’t really listen to music.” Abby could tell he didn’t want to talk so she turned on the radio and they continued their drive in relative silence.

Once they had pulled into Abby’s driveway she promptly jumped out of the car and grabbed Lev’s few belongings he kept from his foster home. “I can carry my own stuff you know” Lev said to his feet as he dug the toe of his shoe in the gravel of Abby’s driveway.
“I know you can I’m just trying to help. If you’d feel better carrying it by all means lead the way” Abby’s reply was muffled by the box in front of her face but she assumed Lev heard her because he started walking towards the door without further protest. Abby walked up the white porch steps of her craftsman home and placed Lev’s items down to unlock the door. Once the door was open and she turned around to retrieve Lev’s things Abby was greeted by the small boy straining to lift the two cardboard boxes of clothes and toiletries he packed. “Alright strong man, hand those over before you drop them” Abby said through a laugh.
“I’m doing just fine” Lev grunted through gritted teeth as he pushed past Abby. Abby realized she had clearly struck a nerve but couldn’t parse out what it was she had said. As they walked through the door way, Lev leading Abby, she finally realized where she went wrong. Probably shouldn’t have commented on his masculinity right off the bat, Abby thought to herself as Lev put his boxes down in the entry way.

“Your room is through here” Abby explained as she led Lev down a hall past the kitchen. Abby opened the door and watched Lev take in his new room. The bed had a dark blue comforter with two white pillows and a throw blanket of “Sharks of The World.” Across from the bed an oak dresser was pushed against the wall with a small hamper placed against it. A mirror stood in the corner adjacent to the door and faced towards the bed. Aside for some prints featuring waves hanging on the walls the room was relatively empty. Lev meandered through the room and Abby, feeling self conscious of her decor choices, said, “We can redo it if you want I know it’s pretty boring.” Lev just nodded and sat down on his new bed. “I’ll go get your things” Abby murmured awkwardly as she turned to walk away.

Before she could grab his things, Abby remembered something special she got prior to Lev’s arrival. Abby stopped in her room down the hall from Lev’s and looked through her closet for the small Progress Pride flag she bought once she learned he was trans. Abby wanted Lev to know her house was a safe space for him to be himself. She briefly remembered a time when she had carried a flag through Seattle Pride alongside Ellie but shook off the memory before she could get lost in it. Taking a detour to the kitchen on the way to the door Abby placed the flag in a plant pot alongside an aloe plant sitting on the kitchen table.

Continuing to the entry, Abby grabbed Lev’s things and brought them to his room. When she walked in he was sprawled out on his bed staring up at the bright white ceiling. Abby knocked gently on the door frame to get his attention and placed his boxes at the foot of his bed. Checking her phone, she noticed it was getting late. “You hungry?” She asked as she leaned against the wall adjacent to Lev’s bed.
“I guess” Lev said as he sat up and looked towards Abby expectantly.
“Follow me to the kitchen” Abby said as she waved at Lev to come with her. He followed close behind Abby as they made the short walk down the hall to the kitchen. “Oh, by the way this is the bathroom” Abby explained as she opened a door in the middle of the hall. Lev nodded in understanding and brushed past it.

Once they made it to the kitchen Lev took a seat at the small round table in the middle of the room. “So, what do you want to eat?” Abby asked Lev as she drummed her fingers against the table. When it was clear Lev was not going to answer Abby tried again. “We have pasta, pizza, stir fry, we can do sandwiches, pretty much anything.” She hoped her suggestions would help Lev decide. After a minute of Lev staring out across the table he finally spoke.
“Can I just have a PB and J?” He asked quietly.
Abby walked around to the counter, glad to be out of this awkward silence, “Of course” she replied as she grabbed the bread.

After making both Lev and herself sandwiches Abby returned to the table. “Want anything to drink?” She asked still too restless to sit down. Lev just shook his head and stared at the sandwich in front of him. Abby opted to stand as she ate, slowly rocking back and forth while she chewed. By the time she was done Lev still hadn’t taken a bite. Abby, worried something was wrong with his food, sat across from Lev and asked, “What’s up? You not very hungry?” Lev shook his head and opened his mouth as if to say something before closing it again.
A minute later, Lev seemed to find his words. “What country is that flag from?” He asked with his head tilted to the side like a dog listening for its favorite words. It would have been cute if Abby wasn’t so stuck on the fact Lev had never seen a pride flag. She wondered how strict his upbringing was that he couldn’t recognize the flag, even after his transition.
Abby considered her words carefully before explaining, “Instead of representing a country, this flag represents a group of people. This flag is called a Pride flag and is used as a symbol of different queer communities.” Lev furrowed his brow and stared at Abby as if she had spoke in tongues.
“What does ‘queer’ mean?” Lev asked with a confused look on his face. This was going to be harder than Abby thought. How do you explain queerness to a sheltered queer kid?
“Well, queer is a word used to describe anyone who is attracted to people besides the opposite sex or identifies as a different gender than the one they were assigned at birth.” Abby watches Lev’s face as recognition dawns on him.
Lev spoke tentatively, “What is the second one called?” Abby found his lack of knowledge on his own community incredibly sad. She was lucky to have grown up in a relatively progressive city with a diverse group of close friends, many of whom were gay, who helped her explore her own identity.
“When someone doesn’t identify with the sex they were assigned at birth they are called transgender.” Abby replied hoping her explanation would help Lev better understand himself. Lev’s mouth fell open as he stared at Abby. Abby realized then that Lev was unaware she knew about his identity. The way his face twisted into one full of fear as his doe eyes stared up at Abby told her all she needed to know. She decided then to keep her knowledge to herself and let him tell her when he felt ready. Abby thought she saw tears beginning to form in Lev’s eyes and suddenly decided to change the subject. “Are you gonna eat that?” She joked, motioning towards his sandwich. Lev shook his head and was on his feet in a matter of seconds. Before Abby could say anything else he stormed down the hall and into his room leaving her with a PB and J and a sick feeling in her stomach.

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Abby was at a loss for what to do. She wanted Lev to know she accepted him while also avoiding making him uncomfortable. He was clearly not very open about his identity, which Abby thought was understandable considering his parents’ reaction, which made it almost impossible for Abby to talk about it without a really awkward conversation for both of them. As Abby sat alone at her kitchen table with her head in her hands she wished there was a guide book for this sort of thing. Abby silently scrolled through different Reddit posts and communities searching for anyone with a similar problem. Unfortunately for Abby, no one on Reddit seemed to have fostered a trans teen who not only didn’t know they were outed to their caretaker but also didn’t know what transgender meant. Abby’s last resort was to text her childhood friend group. Throughout the last almost two decades since she met them, Abby and her friends remained a tight knit group. They all lived relatively close to each other and tried to meet up as a group at least once a month. Abby met her diverse group of friends when she first moved to Salt Lake City at 16 years old. Over the years they’ve supported each other through their tumultuous teenage years and Abby trusted the group with her life. While they knew Abby was going through the process to foster she kept the details about Lev pretty vague in case it didn’t work out. No one in the group knew about his identity or complicated history. In order to respect his privacy, Abby didn’t want to out Lev to her entire seven person friend group. However, she still desperately needed help. Instead, Abby called her closest friend in the group, Nora, and asked for her advice.

Nora picked up on the first ring and greeted Abby with a jokingly rude, “What do you want?” Abby rolled her eyes at the familiar greeting. She dragged her hand down her face trying to decide what to say.
Finally, she spoke quietly, “You know the kid I’m fostering?”
Nora seemed confused by the question and replied, “Yeah, what about him?” Abby quickly explained as much of Lev’s history as she could while still maintaining any semblance of his privacy.
She blew out a breath before finishing with, “Basically I have no idea how to help him because like I’m bi but of course it’s not at all the same…” She left Nora no time to reply before adding, “And he doesn’t even know what a pride flag is for God’s sake! He’s so sheltered and when I tried to explain it to him he totally shut down and now he won’t leave his room and…” Nora sighed at Abby’s textbook worrying.
“Abby! Stop talking for a second! Are you calling me to ask for advice because you know I’m not that knowledgeable on this either” Nora stated calmly, effectively interrupting Abby’s anxious rambling.
Abby suddenly felt a bit embarrassed of her long speech, “I know that but you’re more… involved in the community… I was hoping you might know someone who could help me” Abby mumbled shyly. Nora shook her head at her friend’s bashfulness. She thought it was sweet how much Abby cared about this kid after knowing him for all of a day. Nora opened Instagram and scrolled through her followers before returning to the call in order to answer Abby.

She knew Abby wasn’t going to like her answer.

Nora spoke slowly as she said, “I do know someone… but you’re not going to like who it is.”
Abby answered confidently, “I don’t care who it is. If they can help Lev I’m sure they’re not too bad.” Nora found it almost laughable how sure she was.
Deciding to rip the bandaid off, Nora murmured, “Ellie.” Abby immediately choked on her words and started sputtering. Nora thought it would’ve been funny if she weren’t so worried about her friend’s reaction.
Once she caught her breath, Abby exclaimed, “What do you mean Ellie!?”Nora chuckled at her friend’s antics.
“Well, now Elio” Nora started nervously, “he transitioned a little more than a year after you guys broke up. He’s the only person I know who could help you.” She ended softly.

Abby felt the floor fall out beneath her as soon as the name “Elio” fell from Nora’s lips. Questions swirled through Abby’s mind. How didn’t she know this? Why didn’t he ever tell her? But she kept coming back to one question; Why couldn’t she tell? They were together for two years and friends for even longer, there must have been signs Abby missed. Her mind was reeling as she tried to recall their relationship and anything that could have tipped her off. Suddenly, Nora coughed loudly and Abby was reminded of their call. “Nora. What the hell. Why didn’t you ever tell me?” Abby asked, still in shock from this new information.
“I’m really sorry I didn’t tell you, Abby. I wanted to but I knew you were trying to leave him in the past and I didn’t want to remind you” Nora responded guilty.
Abby calmed down a little and replied, “It’s alright, Nora. I’m just shocked, I had no idea he felt that way when we were together” Abby swallowed past the lump in her throat and continued, “If you really think he can help me, how do I even get him to? He probably hates me.”
Nora thought for a minute before responding, “No matter how Elio feels about you he has a large platform geared towards helping trans youth, I’m sure he’d be willing to help Lev.” Abby hummed in reply before Nora went on, “I’ll send you his insta, just dm him and explain your situation. I’m sure you two can be mature about this.” Abby and Nora exchanged a quick goodbye before Abby hung up.

Abby sat, still at the kitchen table, with her head in her hands. How was she supposed to be mature about this? How can she act normal around the boy she once thought would be her wife? Abby couldn’t sit still anymore. She stood up, cleared the table of Lev’s untouched sandwich, and stormed into her bedroom.

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Abby tossed and turned for what felt like an eternity. When she checked her phone it had really only been an hour since she put on her tank top and basketball shorts and climbed into bed. Tired of lying down, Abby sat up and leant against her headboard. She reached over to her night stand and grabbed her phone. She unplugged it from the charger and squinted against the light as she unlocked it. She checked her messages and as promised, Nora had sent her Elio’s instagram handle. Abby noticed he must have changed his account sometime after their break up as she did not recognize his tag. Then again, his old account was @elliemillerlesbianthriller which didn’t exactly fit him now. Abby begrudgingly clicked the link in order to open his profile in the app.

She was stunned when she saw him. Abby hadn’t seen him since she deleted all their photographs and removed and trace of Elio from her apartment. His profile picture stared back at her and he was instantly recognizable. He stood in a white muscle tea flexing his bicep with a toothy grin on his face. Elio’s once long auburn hair was now cut into a shaggy mullet ending at the nape of his neck. As Abby scrolled through his profile she was shocked by how much he had grown since she last saw him. He looked stronger and had a larger build, but most notably he looked happier. In almost every photo he was either smiling or laughing candidly. It was nice to see as he rarely smiled for pictures with Abby, often opting to cover his face with his hand. Why wasn’t he this happy with me? Abby thought as she scrolled through countless pictures of Elio. He was at Pride, he was at the gym, he was eating dinner. It was painful to see how well he was doing after their break up.

After scrolling through the last year on Elio’s page, Abby had finally worked up the courage to message him. She stared at her empty chat box for ten minutes as she thought through what to write. She couldn’t just say ‘hey sorry we haven’t talked in 2 years after you broke my heart but do you wanna help me with my trans foster kid that we were supposed to be fostering together?’ With shaky hands, Abby typed out, “Please read this whole message before blocking me. We don’t have to acknowledge our history, I’ll forget the whole thing if you’ll help me out. The boy I’m fostering is trans and I’m in way over my head. He’s super sheltered (like doesn’t know what queer means sheltered) and really sensitive about his gender (rightfully so cause his family’s awful) and I just don’t know how to talk to him. If you could talk to him I’d really appreciate it.” Abby sent the message before she could think too hard about it, knowing that if she didn’t she’d never send it.

Abby blew out a shaky breath and tossed her phone onto her desk chair. She laid back down in bed and shut her eyes willing herself to think of anything but Elio.

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Abby was awoken from her restless sleep only an hour later by her phone ringing across the room. Abby sat up with a groan and stretched her arms above her head before slowly padding across the room. Her stomach lurched as the contact flashed across her screen. ‘Elio Miller’ was apparently calling her through Instagram. Abby swallowed thickly before accepting the call. Immediately, Elio’s frustrated voice rang through the phone. “Abby what the fuck?” Abby noticed his voice was deeper than when she heard it last, two years ago, but still held the same passion.
“I’m really sorry I just… didn’t know who else to ask” Abby answered guilty. She expected this reaction from Elio but it still hurt to hear him say her name with such anger. “I’ll leave you alone… Have a good…” Before she could finish her sentence and hang up the call, Abby was interrupted by a loud sigh.
“No, don’t go” Elio muttered, effectively stopping Abby in her tracks. “I’ll help you with the kid” He finished quietly. Abby let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding as he continued, “Can you tell me more about him?”
Abby paced back and forth in front of her bed as she replied, “Well his name is Lev, he’s 13, really quiet kid but then again I’ve only known him for like a day so…” Abby trailed off nervously, suddenly very aware that her ex was on the other end. She heard Elio chuckle, likely at her nervous tone.
“Abby, calm down” Elio said through a sigh. He groaned and Abby’s sure he was rolling his eyes as he said, “Send me your address, I’ll be there at two” before hanging up without another word.

Abby was left stunned by their call. Elio had never been shy, but he now spoke with an air of confidence that Abby thought sounded good on him. Abby knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep so she instead laid in bed and scrolled further through Elio’s profile.

She woke up the next day with her phone still clutched in her hand and the promise of seeing who she once thought was the love of her life weighing heavily on her mind.

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Abby rubbed her eyes as she walked into the kitchen and checked her dark blue Casio for the time. It was a little past nine and Abby noted that there was no sign of Lev. She decided to let him sleep in until ten, it was summer after all, and started on her usual breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast. Abby recalled her call with Elio from last night and anxiously chewed her thumbnail as she waited for her toast to finish. The more Abby dwelled on it the more she began to panic. How was she supposed to act normal around him? She promised him they could forget their history but she sure as hell couldn’t forget what happened between them. Before she could spiral too far, her toast popped out and she plated it alongside her eggs.

“Fuck!” Abby cursed as she looked up from her plate to see Lev, in a shirt at least two sizes too large for him, sitting across from her. He jumped a bit at her loud outburst. “How long have you been there?” She asked as her heart rate returned to normal. Lev just shrugged in response before getting up to sit on the plush couch in the center of the room. “Want any breakfast?” Abby asked him through a mouthful of eggs.
“I’m not hungry” Lev replied as he grabbed a book off the stack on the coffee table. He flipped it over and began to read the back.
Abby recognized the cover that was now facing her and said, “That one’s really good, it’s about a girl and her brother growing up in Alabama during the Civil Rights movement. The title’s a bit misleading though, no mockingbirds are killed.” Lev nodded and opened the book to the first page.

They spent the morning on the couch. Abby scrolling on her phone as Lev read To Kill a Mockingbird. Abby completely forgot about her upcoming meeting with Elio until a message interrupted her doomscrolling. All it said was, ‘address’ but it still made her heart speed up. She was really going to see him after all this time. She responded with her address before turning to Lev. “What do you want for lunch?” She asked without looking up from her phone.
He took a minute before responding, “I don’t know, whatever you want” Abby sighed at his entirely unhelpful answer.
“Alright I’m just going to order pizza then, is pepperoni good with you?” She asked as she opened DoorDash. Lev nodded his approval and Abby placed an order.

Once the pizza arrived and they were eating it out of the box still sat on the couch Abby decided to rip the Elio bandaid off. “Lev,” he turned to face her at the sound of his name, “I have a… friend coming over later and he’s really excited to talk to you” ‘Friend’ didn’t even begin to describe her relationship with Elio but she wasn’t ready to have that conversation with Lev yet. His whole body tensed and he looked like a deer in headlights so she decided to continue. “My friend, Elio, is transgender” the unsaid ‘like you’ hung in the air between them as realization dawned on Lev’s face. Abby didn’t know how much Elio wanted Lev to know so she left it at that. “He’ll be here at two” She added before turning back to her phone. When she peeked over the screen she saw Lev smiling and kicking his feet as he read, clearly excited by something other than his book.

The minutes passed at a snail’s pass as Abby waited anxiously for a knock at the door. Lev fidgeted nervously in his spot on the couch, Abby thought he was just as nervous as her. She tried to distract herself with Instagram reels but kept going back to Elio’s page. Finally, a loud knock rang through the living room and Lev jumped up to answer it. As he hurried to unlock the door, Abby swallowed down the lump in her throat when she caught a glimpse of Elio’s auburn hair through the window. Lev pulled the door open and invited Elio inside before Abby could even stand from the couch. As soon as Elio was in the house with the door closed behind him Lev immediately began introducing himself. “Hi! I’m Lev, I know your name because Abby told me but you can tell me again if you want just for the formality…” Lev rambled on excitedly. Abby was shocked by how talkative he was with Elio because he rarely said more than a few words to her at a time. Abby couldn’t deny they had an immediate connection. Lev grabbed Elio’s hand and dragged him into his bedroom before Abby could so much as make eye contact with Elio. Maybe it was for the best that she interacted as little as possible with him.

Two hours later, Elio and Lev emerged from his bedroom chatting excitedly amongst themselves. Abby couldn’t decipher what they were discussing before Elio ran his hand through Lev’s short hair and said “Alright kid I’ve gotta head out. I’ll see you later, right?” Elio asked Lev but the question felt targeted towards Abby who was still sitting on the couch. Lev nodded ecstatically, earning a chuckle from Elio. Abby smiled at the scene and took a photo of the two of them.

Right as she put her phone down, Elio turned to her and spoke under his breath, “Abby, can I talk to you outside really quick?” Abby nodded despite the fact her entire body screamed at her to refuse. She followed Elio out the front door and waited for him to start. “He’s a really good kid” he said quietly as he stared off the porch and into the street.
Abby nodded before responding tentatively, “I’ve never seen him talk that much, he really took to you.”
“I couldn’t believe you described him as quiet” he said through a smile as he turned towards Abby. They made eye contact for the first time and all Abby could focus on were the piercing green eyes boring into her soul. She’d recognize those eyes anywhere, she saw them in her dreams and in her nightmares.
Abby was the first to break eye contact as she stared out at her front yard. “If you don’t mind me asking, what’d you guys talk about in there?” Abby asked cautiously, afraid to cross a boundary.
Elio sighed before answering, “A lot of stuff. He had a lot of questions. How did I know? Am I ever scared?” He stifled a laugh before continuing, “Do I have boobs? Kid stuff. What really hit me was when he asked if my parents knew. I told him Joel did and that he was cool about it. The kid broke down in tears after that so we switched to less serious topics.” Abby’s heart dropped hearing how upset Lev was, she wished so badly she could have been there for him when he told his parents. Elio appeared to share the sentiment as he mumbled “He’s a good kid, it’s just not fair what his folks did.” Abby nodded and pretended not to see when Elio wiped his eyes. He pulled a scrap of paper from his pocket and scrawled so,etching on it before turning towards Abby. “If he needs anything, anything at all, call me.” He punctuated his words by handing Abby the paper with his phone number written on it before walking down the porch steps to leave. On the last step he paused, and explained “Got a new number” before continuing to his car.

He drove off and left Abby with a scrap of a paper and a familiar warm feeling in her chest.

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The next two weeks went surprisingly smoothly. Every morning started with Abby rolling out of bed at eight o’clock sharp to find Lev sprawled across their small couch with a book in hand. As Abby made breakfast for the two of them, Lev chatted excitedly about his current book or different things he thought they should do that day. If she was working that day Lev shared his plans for the day, usually reading and riding his bike around town. On his third day with Abby, Lev asked for a bike after reading This Was Our Pact. She went on Facebook Marketplace that same day and picked up a bicycle for him. They had grown closer in their two weeks together, never quite talking about anything serious but maintaining a steady flow of conversation nonetheless.

Abby’s friends had been itching to meet Lev ever since she sent a photo of the two of them with his bike that first week. The invitation came from Mel, a pool party at her and Owen’s place with the whole group. They thought it was the perfect opportunity for Lev to meet everyone, Abby did not voice her opinion that it was a bit strange for the group to expect Lev to jump at the opportunity to meet them. Nevertheless, Abby asked him.

As she started on their breakfast, Abby called out, “Hey, Lev! My friends invited us to a pool party tomorrow, they really want to meet you. Do you want to go?” Abby looked across the room for his reaction, a frown flashed across Lev’s face before he shook his head and turned back to his book. Abby didn’t want to push him, but she thought there might be a reason he was so averse to meeting her friends. She continued, “I promise they’re all really nice, they just want to get to know you better.” She walked around the kitchen table in order to sit beside him on the couch. Lev just shook his head harder this time.
He looked down at his hands where they gripped The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and mumbled, “I don’t want to go, Abby.” Abby was taken aback by the firmness of his tone and decided to press the issue yet again.
“We don’t have to go if you don’t want to, but is there a reason you don’t want to go?” She tried to make eye contact with him as she spoke but he wouldn’t meet her eyes.
Abby thought Lev returned to his book before he mumbled, “Do they know?” Lev’s answer only managed to confuse Abby more.
“I don’t know what you mean, Lev. Do they know what?” Abby asked the book in front of Lev’s face. He lowered the book and sent her a surprised look over the top of it.
Lev finally met Abby’s gaze as he quietly continued, “You know, about me” He gestured vaguely at himself. Lev decided to explain himself further when Abby shot him look of total confusion, “How I’m… Not really a boy.” He ended so quiet Abby could hardly hear him. Her heart broke for him and she was kicking herself for not considering this. Of course he would worry they wouldn’t accept him after his experience with his parents.
Abby took a deep breath before speaking, “I haven’t told them anything. All they know is that you’re Lev and you’re a fine young man. That’s all they need to know.” She hoped her reassurance would comfort him but Lev’s face remained twisted in fear.
He pulled his knees up to his chest and quietly said, “But they’ll know, if I swim they’ll be able to tell.” Abby thought about this for a moment before realizing what he meant. What was he supposed to wear in the water? She was disappointed that she could not think of a solution for his problem.
Abby decided to go out on a limb and say, “I’m sure there’s something we can do about that,” and remembering Elio’s promise from weeks ago, added, “Want me to ask Elio?” Lev’s eyes lit up at the mention of Elio and he nodded enthusiastically. Abby was happy to see him smile and pulled out her phone.

She opened up the contact she had made for Elio two weeks ago after he left her house. She made eye contact with a now giddy Lev as she pressed the call button. The phone rang and she started to regret calling. Elio picked up on the third ring, his deep voice filling the quiet house as he asked, “Abby? What’s up? Is Lev alright?” Lev grinned at the mention of his name.
Abby sighed at his antics before replying, “He’s fine but we need a bit of help.” Elio urged Abby to continue and she explained, “We’re supposed to go to a pool party tomorrow but Lev isn’t sure what to wear.”
Elio made a sound of understanding and said, “Totally get that, there are a few options. My favorite is swim trunks with a swim binder covered with a rash guard.”
Abby understood most of what he said but asked, “What’s a swim binder?”
Elio chuckled, likely at Abby’s lack of knowledge, and replied, “It basically keeps your chest flat in the water. I have one he can use.” Abby let out a sigh of relief at having a solution for Lev. She called Lev’s name to get his attention and explained what Elio told her. His face broke out into a huge grin as Abby talked.
Once she finished Lev announced, “If Elio’s coming over anyway why doesn’t he come with us to the party!” Abby worried her lip between her teeth as she thought about that. Elio knew Abby’s friends from before the break up and while Nora clearly knew about his transition Abby doubted her other friends kept tabs on him.
She returned to the call and let out a breath before nervously speaking, “Lev likes that idea… and he is inviting you to the party. You should know though, it’s with all my old friends.”
Abby could hear Elio sigh before he muttered, “Fuck it, I’ll go for the kid. Can you give me a ride?” Abby replied affirmatively despite her entire body telling her to hang up and never contact Elio again. “Great, I’ll send you my address. See you tomorrow.”