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The thirty year old man had spent the whole day checking his phone every few minutes, anticipating any text from you on how your day went. You would usually try to talk with him in the mornings while he made his walk to work or while watching tv in his room. But the night before you had told him that you wouldn’t be able to do it that morning, as you would be spending the day in the city – seeing your parents for the first time in a year.
A lot had changed during your first year on the farm, from getting your own pet dog to raising chickens to finally getting your first boyfriend. One of the bigger changes was when you realised that you weren’t a woman. You had finally cut your hair short and invested in a binder after being reassured that, no, no one in the town wouldn’t accept you. Not anyone you cared about, anyway. The one person you cared about the most about, the only other person who seemed to understand how it felt to be looked down on by other people, Shane, was surprisingly supportive as the first person you told. You had been so worried about telling him, seeing as you had an obvious crush on him. For once, everything seemed to be going great.
Though, you knew you had to see your parents at some point. Your mother had sent you some letters over the seasons, and you barely texted them apart from thanking them for their birthday wishes. But after that first year, you conceded and agreed to meet them for dinner in Zuzu city. You weren’t sure how they were going to react, seeing as they questioned why you cut off all your ‘beautiful hair’, and you had said this to Shane the night before you went. He assured you that you could text him at anytime if something went wrong, which he had a feeling it would after everything you had told him about them.
You woke up at six am sharp, and within the hour you were on the bus with your headphones in thinking about what would you say in every situation you could think about. Shane hadn’t told anyone else about your trip, not even Marnie, since it wasn’t anyone else’s business. He just tried to go about his day, waiting for a text saying you’d need help getting home or something similar.
The clock hit seven pm, and still no word. Shane hadn’t even gone to the saloon to get a higher score in Journey of the Prairie King, he just stayed in his room scrolling mindlessly on his phone with the tv on, playing some mediocre sitcom. After skimming over some article about a Gridball team, the text he had waited so long for finally popped up.
‘Can you meet me at the bus stop?’
Not exactly what he thought would appear, but the undertones were still clear. He turned off the tv and tied up his trainers. He grabbed the house key from the side of the kitchen table and locked up after making sure Jas was fast asleep. The cold summer’s night made itself apparent with its cool breeze as he started his trek to the bus stop.
The taxi quickly sped off out of the valley after you had paid and closed the door. You turned to see Shane walking up to the fence and you started walking to him, putting your phone back in your hoodie pocket. You tried to smile, which made him smirk slightly before his face went back to looking naturally annoyed. You partially turned to walk with him to the farmhouse.
“So, what happened?”
He said bluntly, turning his head to look at you. All you could do was look at your feet.
“Well, it wasn’t great...They said they’d always see me as a woman...”
“Ugh, not surprised.”
Your walking slowed.
“And my dad, he said...”
You stopped completely, causing Shane to stop beside you.
“He said that...he’d never call me by my name because he loved the one he choose for me. He kept telling me not to get it changed...”
You stepped towards the man and wrapped your arms around him, burying your head in his shoulder. You wanted to cry, but couldn’t no matter how hard you tried. Shane was a bit taken back by the sudden hug and stayed quiet.
“He just started shouting...about how selfish I was and how he’s done so much for me...all I could do was sit there and, and-“
Your panic fueled rambling was cut off by the feeling of being hugged back, being embraced by a warm feeling sinking through your skin. You felt a tear fall down your face, but didn’t feel the flood you had felt moments earlier. You buried your head more into the raggy hoodie the man always wore.
“Ignore them, what would they know anyway?”
You could feel him staring off at something else as if it had been the one to say it, while your own gaze moved between the trees behind you and the mark left on his jumper by your occasional tears.
“I can’t, they’re my family...”
Shane sighed and gently pushed you off his shoulder to look you in the eyes, still looking pissed off at the idea of what happened.
“If they don’t accept you, they aren’t family. I’ve said this before.”
“I know, but...but then I-”
He pulled you back into another embrace, one hand holding your head and the other arm wrapped around you.
“Look, I’ll always be here. You should be able to be happy, even if that means not talking to them.”
You could hear him huff, with a slight smirk on his face. Any tears had dried up, and all you felt was warm and safe for the first time that day.
“Even if that means living with someone as weird as me.”
You pulled back, a confused look on your face – almost completely forgetting about the last nine hours of your life.
“Weird? You’re not weird.”
Laughing a bit, he spoke back.
“Yeah? Wait until you see what I'll make for you in the house.”
You grabbed his hand with a hop, a small smile on your face, and the two of you started walking again to the farmhouse.
“What, microwave pizza?”
You smirked, getting a chuckle in response and the older man’s head looking away.
“You think that’s not weird?”
“They’re pretty good!”
You walked up the steps and unlocked the door, turning on the lights while putting down your bag. Shane closed the door as you took off your shoes, and you left him in the kitchen while you went to your room to grab a blanket. You threw it on the sofa and looked over to see the unshaven man sipping on a can of Jola Cola while waiting for the pizza to cook. You went back into your room and got changed into your pyjamas, trying to ignore the reality of taking off your binder with another, black hoodie. You walked back into the living room and sat down on the sofa, turning on the tv and tucking yourself in to your half of the blanket. A minute or so later, Shane came over and put the plate on the coffee table with an unopened can of cola.
You flicked through channels expecting your partner to start eating a slice of the pizza he made, but instead – he pulled you into his side and left his right arm behind your back. You couldn’t help but just let your head fall onto his shoulder, which wasn’t as soft without the worn hoodie. He tried to look over to you.
“I’ll always be here, understand?”
You smiled.
“I understand.”
“And you want me to be here?”
You breathed out happily and moved your head up.
“Of course.”
Shane looked back at the pizza.
“Heh, maybe you’re really as weird as I am.”