Winter was right around the corner, heralding its arrival slowly with the autumn breeze turning a little colder. In stores, the decorations for the Christmas season began to appear, like the buds of roses that open their buds in spring.
Standing under the clock in the central plaza, a young man with shoulder-length black hair tied up in a ponytail, impatiently awaited something while keeping his arms crossed. As the days passed, the changes in Emilio's physiognomy became increasingly accentuated in his body.
Forcing him to wear looser clothes when he went out on weekends to meet Esther. The clock showed three in the afternoon and the autumnal sky barely allowed the rays of sunlight to pass through, causing the wind to feel a bit icy when rubbing the skin on the young man's face.
- "Sorry, I'm here!" – Waving her hand in the distance, a girl with loose hair waved her hand in the distance in greeting. His face had an expression of joy and his bright eyes radiated that same emotion that he had as the first time they went out.
- "Don't worry, I don't have much I'm waiting for"
- "Emilio, you are a bad liar. I bet you were half an hour early like always."
- "Hey, I'm not that predictable. Also, what happened to your glasses?"
- "Today I went to the eye doctor to pick up my contact lenses. Don't I look better like this?" – Leaning her chest against the young man's arm, Esther had a mischievous smile like that of a little devil trying to provoke Emilio. Who could barely hide the embarrassment by pursing her lips.
- "It's not fair. You know I've been very sensitive lately."
- "I know, that's why it's more fun to bother you"
- "I definitely can't compete with you" - Resting his hand on Esther's head, the gentle gesture of Emilio's caress caused the young woman to feel embarrassed, shrugging her shoulders a little and pouting her cheeks.
Unable to contain himself by the impression of that adorable gesture, Emilio let out a light laugh, making Esther laugh along with him.
- "Okay, that's enough. We better leave now or we won't get tickets to the amusement park. Remember that this season is usually saturated by discounts" – Pulling Emilio by the arm, Esther began to rush him while the young man tried to keep up with her.
Despite the huge queue to get in, the young couple was not discouraged and waited patiently until their turn came to purchase tickets. The ticket office dispatcher placed some bracelets on them, which would allow them to enter all the attractions and at nightfall, they would have the opportunity to observe the parade of lights.
- "Emilio, you should only have bought general tickets. You didn't have to buy the bracelets for us to see the parade. Remember that you need to save for your relocation."
- "I know, I seriously do not forget. But the last time I saw you in your house, you had too many Bonny the rabbit stuffed animals in your room. So I thought it would be a nice touch for us to enjoy the night parade for you to take pictures with your heroine."
- "Do not make fun of me! It's true that I like Bonny because she's cute, but I'm not a little girl who wants a picture."
- "Look! Isn't that Bonny?"
- "Where? Where is?" – Frantically turning in all directions, Esther seemed excited like a little girl. Causing Emilio to laugh when he saw that the joke had taken effect on his girlfriend.
- "Emilio, you really are bad"
- "Hahahaha, cof, cof, cof" - While he was laughing when contemplating Esther's angry face, the young man felt an itch in his throat that gradually changed to a sting on his vocal cords.
- "Hey, are you okay? If you want, let's sit on the bench that's in front of you."
- "Seriously, nothing is wrong with me..." - Emilio's voice suddenly became sharper, leaving behind the last masculine trace that remained in his body. Faced with that surprise, Esther didn't say a single word and took her boyfriend's hand, slowly leading him to the bench to sit next to him.
- "Emilio, if you want we can leave things here for today. You don't need to force yourself if you feel uncomfortable."
- "Does it bother you?"
- "Sorry, I got confused with the words after hearing your voice. Don't get angry"
- "I'm not angry, in fact, I think it's okay that you refer to me in feminine from now on when we're alone. That way it will be easier for me to get used to it by the time I have to leave." – Being aware that there were only two more months left before Emilio's departure, the young woman squeezed his hand, resting her head against her boyfriend's shoulder. Nodding silently at the young man's request, who felt for a moment a slight regret for embittering the atmosphere.
- "Hey, get rid of that face. Today we have come to have fun, so let's go buy some cotton candy first. It looks delicious" – Breaking the ice that was beginning to form with her jovial personality, Esther smiled at Emilio pulling him once more like a small child.
Amid the bustle of the sound of the mechanical games, the young man's mood changed as his girlfriend asked him to go on each of the attractions. Without discriminating a single one, the young people went from the rolling cups, passing through the carousel and the flying gondolas.
Continuing like this until reaching the imposing roller coaster, before which Emilio insisted on not going up clinging to the tubes of the handrail at the entrance.
- "Miss, if your friend is indisposed, you cannot force her to go up with you" - Upon hearing Emilio's tone of voice and appearance, the game operator mistook him for a woman; causing the young man to feel a chill , realizing the pernicious look of that man.
- "She is not my friend, but my girlfriend. Have any problem?"
- "Bride? Damn, what a waste." - Laughing secretly, the operator continued to look sideways at Emilio, who lowered his face a little, bringing his arms to his chest.
- "Did you know? I lost the desire to play this game" – With an angry look, Esther began to walk, leaving Emilio behind, who upon realizing this began to run after her.
- "Esther, please. Wait for me, I have a hard time keeping up." - Hitting the heel of her right foot against the ground, the young woman sighed with her arms crossed, turning her back on Emilio. Who was feeling deep anxiety as he crept up his hand to reach for his girlfriend's shoulder.
- "Forgive me"
- "Why are you apologizing Emilio?"
- "Me, I shouldn't have opposed getting on the roller coaster, it's just that I've been feeling dizzy lately"
- "dizzy"
- "Sorry?"
- "I said dizzy, you must start referring to yourself as a woman. You already forgot about our agreement so quickly when we got to the park. Also why are you apologizing? You did nothing wrong"
- "Then why did you walk so fast leaving me behind?"
- "It was because I felt frustrated Emilio, I couldn't keep seeing him. Are you going to behave so submissive when you're away from here? Soon you will be in a place where you will have no one close to you. You are supposed to be strong, but when I saw how you behaved with that guy; I felt my head heat up with anger, so I couldn't take it anymore."
In her eyes there was a hint of pain, visibly reddened by the contained crying of impotence in the face of the painful situation. For Esther's heart, the fact that Emilio was turning body and soul into a woman filled her with a panic that she did not let easily see, but inside it gnawed at her.
Being present in Emilio's life no longer as a friend but as his girlfriend, the young woman was able to experience first-hand those changes that seemed distant, galloping strongly against her, hitting her face with a reality that she was not fully prepared to face.
Yes, as Emilio told her, it would not be the body or soul of a man that would be in front of her in that transition to adulthood. That young man would become a young woman, with the physiological changes that this implies at the same time that his mind would synchronize with that external image.
For a few nights before going to sleep, Esther would stay thinking in her bedroom, contemplating the full moon through the window, if the strength of her confession under the acacia tree could break that wall that stood in front of the two of them. When Emilio completed his transition, would she still love him? Being far away, would his heart remain faithful to that promise?
Emilio would change, it was that truth present in front of her that at times terrified her and in the same way made her feel guilty just thinking about it. Because she had promised to be firm and take him by the hand on that path of thorns, but the hesitation in her heart put her in the middle of a crossroads that she did not expect.
- "Esther…" – While she was lost in her thoughts, the young woman's body felt those warm arms that completely wrapped her and took her against her chest. Leaning his chin against her shoulder, Emilio sincerely kissed Esther's hair as he sighed a few words that reached the young woman's ear.
- "I can see it in your eyes, you don't need to hide it anymore. I'm not stupid Esther, I know you're afraid that I'll have a change of heart and forget your feelings. But don't worry, you said it yourself that day. I will always be who I am." – Bringing his hands to the young woman's face, Emilio placed his forehead against hers and looked into her eyes with full conviction while he saw his pupils reflected in Esther's.
- "I am your Emilio, you are my Esther. My body and my mind may change, but the feelings of my heart will not" – Gathering courage in that statement, Emilio passionately kissed Esther before the gaze of the amusement park passers-by.
- "Emilio, what are you doing? Everyone is watching us."
- "You're right, let's go this way" - Taking Esther by the hand, Emilio began to run with her in the direction of an instant photo machine and they got into the booth, closing the curtain.
- "Are you ready?"
- "Emilio? Ready for what?
- "Just relax" - Overcome by her instinct, the young woman closed her eyes trembling, raising her lips a little while waiting for her lover. Being surprised by the sudden flash of the photo booth camera flash.
- "Oh come on, you closed your eyes"
- "That? As?"
- "Yes, we are supposed to enter the booth to take some photos as a souvenir. I wanted you to have something tangible to remind you of my words today when I go on a trip."
- "Uh-oh. So this is what you were referring to when you asked me if I was ready" – With her face completely red with shame, the young woman raised her hands to her face, hiding from Emilio's sight. Who quickly realized the misunderstanding he had caused with the previous environment before reaching the cabin.
- "Sorry Esther, I didn't mean to make fun of you."
- "You are a fool, Emilio . Wait, it sounds weird to say Emilio when I refer to you with your male name. Have you thought about what name you will give yourself when you change your identity?
- "Now that you mention it, it's honestly something I haven't thought about yet. With everything that has happened these last few months, I feel like my head has been wandering too much and I haven't paid attention to the details."
- "Oh really? Look, I hadn't noticed." – With a sarcastic tone in her voice, Esther laughed while Emilio made an annoyed face while the second flash fired its light into the cabin.
When the photo shoot was over, the youngsters went out to collect the prints and looked at them smiling as they hugged each other as they walked under the lights of the amusement park streetlights.
After the night parade, Emilio accompanied Esther to the bus and left with her to drop her off near her house. Feeling euphoric from the excitement of that day, the young man took his girlfriend by the hand and they walked down the street until they were a few blocks from his home.
- "Emilio, it's already too late. Your mother must be worried about you. I'm already close to home, you don't need to worry about me."
- "But Esther, I want to be with you a while longer."
- "My, you've become a capricious young lady." – Holding on to the tips of her feet, Esther kissed Emilio on the lips, giving him a slight push, saying goodbye to him smiling as she headed home. At the same time, the young man turned around and began to run to the bus stop to catch the last run of the day.
Seeing how Emilio's silhouette was getting smaller in the distance, Esther began to walk towards her house rubbing her arms to get a little warm. Glancing at times at the photographs she had taken with her boyfriend.
- "Hey four eyes, isn't it a little late for a woman to be walking alone at night? What happened with your boyfriend?" – Coming out of the shadows projected by the fences of the houses, Rubén appeared in front of Esther with a dominant attitude, making her take a few steps back.
- "What are you doing here? Were you following us?"
- "Follow them? Please, do you think I'm a fucking stalker? I come from visiting your father, or rather, my uncle Alfonso asked me to come with him to visit your father."
- "What the hell are you talking about? What does my father have to do with all this?
- "Practically a lot. You just need to take a look at this photo to have a clear idea" – Extending her cell phone with the illuminated screen in front of Esther's face, the young woman opened her eyelids in surprise when she saw the photo of Emilio entering the TCG management clinic.
- "How come you have that photo?"
- "It just happened by chance and one thing led to another. When I showed the photo to my uncle at first it didn't seem to bother him, but the moment I told him you were dating that thing. Well, let's just say I don't take it very well. And it seems that your father doesn't like knowing it very much either" – Feeling like a heavy stoneware fell on her shoulders, Esther collapsed on her knees, putting her hands over her mouth, her body trembling with panic upon hearing Rubén's words.
- "Emilio, no. It can't be. What's going to happen to Emilio?" – Approaching the young woman putting her hands on her shoulders, Ruben brought his face closer to hers and looked her directly in the eyes, smiling cynically.
On Monday morning, like every day, Emilio got out of bed and continued with the check-up routine that he had been assigned at the clinic. Her chest had gone from cup A to cup B in the span of a month and with it, the odyssey to hide her feminine characteristics forced her to bandage her chest a little more firmly.
For their good fortune, with the change of season the students now had to wear the winter season uniform. Making it stand out less when wearing the jacket closed thanks to the cold wind that blew in the morning.
- "Emilio, are you leaving yet? Come have breakfast before you leave."
- "I'm sorry mom, I promised Esther that we would have breakfast together at school before classes start"
- "Oh my boy, I see you and I could not believe that you have a girlfriend at this age."
- "Come on mom, I'm not a child anymore."
- "You're right, son, you're almost a man now" - When Ágata said those words, for a moment Emilio felt as if a slap had hit his guilt-ridden face when he saw his mother's eyes.
Despite being there for him, Emilio was hiding something very important from his mother and that ominous feeling that he was repressing in his mind ate at his insides. Trying to think about the situation, the young man didn't feel able to face his mother regarding the TCG, since the incident with the taxi driver when they went to Tomas's funeral.
- "Yes mom, you're right. I'm almost a man now" – With a gloomy tone in his voice, Emilio turned around leaving the door of his house. While his mother remained in the hall immobile before the sensation that that answer from her son gave her.
The morning was a little bright despite the clouds that swirled in the sky like sheep in a herd. The cold wind blew slightly, raising the fallen leaves of the trees making whirlwinds between the cracks in the adjoining fences of the houses.
The students in their uniforms walked in the direction of the high school, nothing seemed different from the other days. Faced with this scene, Emilio's heart calmed down a bit, giving a sigh of relief as he continued his journey towards the school.
- "Good morning Emilio. Wake up sleepyhead" – Arriving from behind with a light tackle, Ricardo placed his hand on the young man's neck in a friendly manner.
- "Hey, I already told you not to be so abrupt with people in the morning"
- "Oh come on man, we have almost the same physique. I don't think I've hurt you, I mean, compared to Ruben's idiot, I'm a fragile maiden. – Bringing his arms out in front, waddling mockingly, Ricardo made Emilio laugh, who gave him a slight push as they both laughed.
- "Well old man, I think I better go ahead. Look who's standing at the entrance of the high school" – With a serious face, carrying her backpack in front of her thighs, Esther gave off a taciturn aura that for a moment made Emilio's heart flutter with fear.
- "Good morning, young lady." – Without responding to Ricardo's greeting, the young woman took Emilio's hand and took him with her towards the back of the laboratory buildings.
- "Esther, what's going on? Why are you so quiet?" – Remaining silent, the young woman followed her step, squeezing Emilio's wrist. Who, for a brief moment, felt like a bad vibe ran through his arm.
- "You are hurting me, what is it? Please answer me!" – Releasing him by the hand and turning around, Esther's face had changed from her serene countenance to one charged with apparent anger.
- "That's why I can't stand you anymore!"
- "Esther, what are you talking about?"
- "Emilio, stop acting stupid. It's just that you don't understand, I can't stand you anymore. I thought I could go through with this, but with everything that happened yesterday, I realized that this is impossible."
- "What are you talking about?"
- "Is it really not clear to you? I'm telling you to finish it!" – Like the sound of lightning hitting a tree trunk, those words coming from Esther's lips made Emilio stagger for a moment.
- "Finish? How can you say that? It is true that we had that argument in the park, but we had solved it, right?
- "Emilio, you are too naive. If everything could be fixed with a couple of words, no one in the world would have to suffer."
- "But Esther, I know you're afraid. But we will be together, we had promised. - When Emilio's hand reached out to reach the young woman, she hit it hard, showing anger on her face.
- "Don't you understand that you disgust me? Leave me alone!"
- "Hey Esther, that was too much" - Just when Emilio was about to fall backwards to the ground, Ricardo appeared behind him holding him.
- "Esther, please"
- "I told you to leave me alone!" - Feeling the tremor in Emilio's body, Ricardo held him firmly and began to walk along with him, leaving Esther behind; who barely saw them completely out of sight, began to cry bitterly raising his hands to his face.
- "Wow, if you were hard with that garbage. I mean, I was the one who asked you to say all those things. But hearing you say it in your own voice was like music to my ears." – Leaving behind the building, Rubén approached Esther taking her by the shoulder.
- "I did as you asked me. Will you keep your word not to tell anyone about Emilio?"
- "Of course. I promised you I wouldn't show the photo of your ex-girlfriend walking into the TCG clinic. But I've been thinking about it and I think it's not enough" – In a boastful way, Rubén maintained his position in front of the defenseless Esther. Who saw how the thick hand of that young man took his cheeks bringing his face closer.
- "That? What are you thinking about?"
- "I was thinking that without those glasses you look more beautiful. I like you so much and I could use you as a girlfriend"
- "NEVER! I would never date a piece of trash like you!" - Pressing his fingers hard on the girl's face, Ruben brought his face even closer to hers. Kissing her by force, taking her by the waist bringing their bodies closer.
Despite the resistance she put up, the young woman cried with rage unable to let go of that vile embrace, biting Ruben's lips, who threw her furiously to the ground.
- "I like women with character. But let it be the last time one of these stupid things occurs to you. If you want the secret of that chimera not to come to light, you must be obedient and do everything it tells you. Damn stupid" – Retiring from that place without looking back, Rubén left Esther crying on the ground. Cursing herself, begging in whispers that Emilio would forgive her for breaking her heart.