Work Text:
Jenny Walsh really believed that it was her daughter’s right to come out as trans on her own timeline. However, every day she had to keep it a secret was excruciating. She was so scared of outing Sally, even more scared that Larry would react badly.
But when it got hard to stay quiet, she remembered how happy Sally had been to be accepted as her true self. That was enough motivation to keep her mouth shut.
It seemed that one side effect of having a trans daughter was that Sally texted her way more often than she used to. For years and years, there’d been virtual silence, except for the occasional happy birthday or the even rarer happy mother’s day.
Now, Sally seemed to text her every day, little things about her life in the city, and updates on her social transition.
One day, a few weeks after their conversation, Sally sent Jenny a very exciting update.
Sally: Hey
Sally: Going shopping with some of my girl friends
Sally: Outfit pics later
Jenny let out a squeal of excitement. Of course, she’d offered to help Sally pick out clothes, but it was true that their aesthetics weren’t really aligned. Even in high school, Jenny hadn’t had a goth phase, and she couldn’t really imagine her daughter wearing anything pastel.
The pics from an hour later confirmed her suspicions. They were all very cute, but none of them were cutesy.
It was still very emo. Or was it goth? That was the other reason Jenny was sure she wouldn’t be that helpful on a shopping trip; she didn’t know any of the names of Sally’s subcultures.
Still, she hyped her daughter up. Or was it glazed, now?
She looked up glazed on urban dictionary before she sent it to Sally, confirming that hype was correct in this situation. Glaze seemed kind of mean. Much meaner than hype.
Maybe it would be good to learn some more slang, now that Sally was talking to her more. Or maybe some of those cute little dance moves some of her younger co-workers did on TikTok.
Jenny: Are you on TikTok?
Jenny: I’ll follow you :)
Sally: No, wtf? No
Okay, so she hadn’t completely changed. That was fine. At least they were talking again.
Sally sent a few more pictures, some with other people in the frame and a few that were clearly taken by those same people. The awkward selfies were endearing, but Jenny liked seeing the full outfit, continuing to send heart emoji reactions and compliments.
Jenny: Who are all your nice friends? I’d love to meet them
An ellipsis popped up, which meant Sally was clearly thinking about it. Probably, like when she’d been in high school, her first instinct was to be defensive.
But things weren’t the same as they’d been in high school.
Sally: Maddie, Iga, Sofie, and Esther.
Sally: Maddie helped me figure out I was trans
Jenny: Well then, I owe her a lot, and she’s definitely invited over sometime
Sally: None of my friends are gonna visit New Jersey
Ellipsis…
Sally: But maybe you can come visit me sometime
This was a genuine surprise. Back when she’d moved to New York, Sally hadn’t even wanted them to help her get her stuff settled. Then she’d moved around a bit, and eventually Jenny hadn’t even had an address for her only child.
That had been a hard and scary time. She’d spent a lot of nights crying to Larry about how they’d lost their kid. New York was such a big city, and it was so easy to lose yourself.
But, against all odds, Sally had found herself. And in finding herself, she’d made her way back to Jenny. Maybe she wouldn’t visit all the time, but she’d opened a door up for Jenny to visit her, and that was enough.
Although one thing still weighed on her mind.
Jenny: Have you thought more about telling your father?
Sally sent another selfie instead of responding.
Then, ellipses.
Then nothing.
Jenny held her breath, worried she’d ruined a good thing. Worried she’d crossed a line that would make Sally fully retreat. She couldn’t lose her daughter, not when she’d finally gotten her back.
Jenny: I’m sorry
Jenny: I shouldn’t have asked
Jenny: Have fun with your friends <3
Jenny set her phone down so she wouldn’t look at it, hoping the little emoticon heart would be enough to convey that she wasn’t trying to pressure Sally into anything she wasn’t ready for.
Unfortunately, her phone wasn’t on silent, so as soon as it buzzed, she had to look at it.
It was a digital coupon from Wegmans. She put her phone down again and left the room, looking for any distractions.
She found herself in her bedroom, staring down at her jewelry stand.
A thought flitted across her mind. “I should give some of this to Sally.”
Maybe her aesthetic wasn’t the same as her daughter’s, but she had to have some jewelry Sally would like. She began to set aside some neutral jewelry. A chain here, a charm bracelet there, and then she struck gold.
Well, actually, it was silver, a little guardian angel necklace her mother had given her years ago. The thought of passing it on to her own daughter made her want to cry. Her Sally, her Night Angel. Yes, it was perfect… Just as long as Sally still wanted anything to do with her.
She went back out to the kitchen and tentatively checked her phone.
Another coupon, a text from Larry saying he’d be home late, and there, a text from Sally.
Sally: I don’t really know what I’d say, but I don’t want to put off telling him forever
Sally: I’ll come over soon, and we can all talk
Jenny let out a sigh of relief and hugged her phone to her chest. Sally hadn’t given up on her. Sally was coming home. She went back into the bedroom to wrap up the angel necklace, knowing that no matter what happened next, she’d be there to love and protect her daughter.