NEWFOUND HAPPINESS - PART 7

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Part 7: A “Talk” Between Mom and Dad

The class began, the instructor, a middle-aged man with glasses and an honest face, walked in, carrying a drawing board. “For the first session, we’ll learn about basic lines,” he said, his voice deep and warm. Tracy listened, pencil in hand, and unconsciously began to draw along. Soft, curving lines appeared on the paper, though far from the mechanical detailing in engineering, the field Bastian once wished to pursue, she still enjoyed it deeply. Drawing was drawing, after all. She smiled, feeling as if these hands were born for that very task. It could not be noticed, but at that very moment, another small piece of memory had been unlocked, for she was beginning to love herself.

The class passed more quickly than Tracy had expected, probably because she was too excited about going to college. During the lunch break, Tracy opened the lunchbox Hallie had prepared for her, surprised to find neatly rolled rice with egg, carrots, and a golden-fried piece of chicken. Lina glanced over and suddenly exclaimed, “Wow, your mom is so skillful! I’m really jealous!”

“Jealous?” Tracy thought to herself. Just a few days ago, she had been constantly arguing with that person. But now? She didn’t know how to feel. Clearly, she was living a dream life. So why couldn’t she just accept it easily? It was simply that her former father had now become a woman and was her Mom. Well… it was a bit hard to accept, indeed.

Even so, she would not embarrass her mom! The one who treated her badly was Turner, not Hallie. Tracy smiled and nodded, “Yeah, my mom is amazing.” She took bite after bite, savoring the delicious taste made by Hallie, who had once been Turner. Suddenly, a strange warmth filled her heart.

While she was having lunch with Lina, a group of male students walked by. One of them, tall and sharply featured, stole a glance at Tracy. At that moment, she looked up and their eyes met. He quickly turned away. It lasted only a moment, but both of them knew for sure they had been looking at each other.

After the group of male students had passed, Lina laughed loudly and patted Tracy on the shoulder, “See? I told you! You’re so cute, of course guys are going to notice.” Tracy lowered her head, her face slightly flushed. Of course, she had once been a man; she wasn’t happy because other men were paying attention to her. It was just that no one had ever appreciated her appearance before, so the sudden compliment made her feel shy.

That afternoon, as soon as she got home, Tracy rushed into the kitchen to find her Mom. Hallie was standing there, cooking dinner, wearing a bright red fitted dress, her hair tied up high, revealing her fair nape.

“Mom…” Hearing Tracy’s voice, Hallie turned around, smiled, and gently patted her daughter’s head, “What is it, my sweet girl?” That kind of affectionate, daughterly gesture startled Tracy, but she didn’t show it. She went on, “It seems like I recovered a bit of memory today. At the very least, I now know how to put on makeup, how to wear women’s clothes.”

Hallie laughed heartily, “Of course, sweetie! Because you are Tracy! I told you, just live as Tracy, and her memories will come rushing back. So, how was today? Tell me everything.” She pulled Tracy down to sit at the table, poured her a glass of orange juice, her manner gentle yet still radiating charm.

Tracy decided not to hide anything, since her mom was now the only person who could truly connect with her, who truly knew who she was. She told her about the design class, the delicious lunchbox, and even about receiving a compliment from Lina. “It felt so strange. I don’t know how to handle compliments from others,” her cheeks flushed.

Hallie stroked Tracy’s hair and gently said, “You’d better get used to it, because there will surely be many more compliments to come. You’re my daughter, after all, of course you’re adorable! Now, let me go finish preparing dinner. Go change your clothes, don’t let your uniform get wrinkled.”

Tracy nodded and ran up to her room, not knowing why there was a slight flutter in her chest. She changed into a pink dress and stood before the mirror, gazing at herself. It seemed she no longer hated wearing women’s clothes like she did yesterday, on the contrary, there was even a hint of excitement. It must be because Tracy’s memories were returning, little by little. She remembered how to tie her hair, remembered her fondness for cute things, remembered the joy of drawing. She wasn’t fully synchronized yet, but she was getting closer to becoming one with the Tracy from before.

Perhaps because of this sudden shift, the family dinner that evening felt less strained than the day before, except for one detail, her mom, who had once been a man, kept casting affectionate glances toward her new dad. Luckily, Tracy didn’t glance beneath the table. Otherwise, she would have been even more shocked to see her mom's leg constantly rubbing against her dad's leg, while one of her hands was touching her dad's “that thing.”

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On her third night in the new body, Tracy lay on her bed, wide eyes glistening as she stared up at the ceiling, softly lit by the gentle glow of a star-shaped night lamp. She wore a pale pink cotton nightgown, arms wrapped around a small teddy bear she had found in the wardrobe, something that had once belonged to the Tracy before. Among the memories that had returned, she remembered sleeping soundly while holding it, so she decided to try and see if it still worked.

But sleep hadn’t yet come when a strange sound echoed through the thin wall from the master bedroom, Hallie and Niall’s room. Tracy sat up abruptly, ears straining to listen. It was a soft, high-pitched moan, laced with allure and unmistakably intimate, interwoven with the breathy gasps of a man. She recognized it instantly, the voice belonged to Hallie, her current mom. Tracy’s face burned hot, blushing as red as a tomato, and she hugged the teddy bear tightly to her chest, trying to hide her embarrassment. “Mom… what are you doing?” she whispered, heart pounding.

She didn’t want to keep listening, but the sounds were too clear, too vivid. Hallie’s moans, sweet and unmistakably feminine, floated through the wall like a melody Tracy never imagined could come from someone who had once been Turner, her rough, potbellied, middle-aged father, with a voice hoarse from alcohol and cigarettes. Just a few days ago, he had slumped in an armchair, cursing life with crude words, abandoned by his wife for refusing to change. And now, Hallie, in a new body, lay in Niall’s arms, making sounds that Tracy could hardly believe were real.

Tracy pulled the blanket over her head, trying to cover her ears, but the sounds still slipped through. “Oh God… I can’t believe… Mom is actually doing that,” she whispered, her face so hot she wanted to bury herself in the pillow. She remembered the old Turner, how he used to drag his feet in worn-out shoes, a liquor bottle in hand, his bloodshot eyes burning with anger. And now Hallie, in this new form, was probably looking irresistibly alluring, being adored by Niall like a queen.

Tracy couldn’t understand how her mom had adapted so quickly, as if Hallie had been born to be a woman, while she herself still stumbled with every step. Even though Hallie carried Hallie’s memories, Turner’s memories hadn’t simply vanished. They coexisted, parallel, independent, untouched by each other. So shouldn’t Hallie still be fully aware that she used to be a man? Could it be… her mom had always longed to do this, even before? Damn it! She didn’t want to consider that possibility!

After having her ears tormented for a while, the sounds gradually faded, then stopped altogether. Tracy let out a sigh of relief, lowered the blanket, and lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling. She wasn’t sure what this feeling was, embarrassment, surprise, or perhaps… was it jealousy? Hallie had found joy in her new body, in her new life. But what about her? Tracy knew she was still more entangled with the old life of Bastian.

◉ ◉ ◉

The next morning, Tracy stepped into the kitchen, her small feet making soft slapping sounds in pink slippers. Hallie was already there. Ever since becoming Hallie, she had always been an early riser. She wore a form-fitting red silk dress, frying eggs for breakfast. She turned around and beamed when she saw Tracy. “You’re up, sweetheart? Sit down, breakfast will be ready in just a moment.”

Today, Tracy was able to do her own makeup, hair, and get dressed, so her mom had both hands free to prepare a full breakfast. Tracy sat down at the table, holding the glass of orange juice Hallie handed her. Her cheeks were still a little flushed as memories of the previous night crept back. “Mom… last night… you look really beautiful today,” she mumbled, not daring to look directly. The words she had wanted to say sank back down, replaced by a clumsy compliment.

Hallie gave a charming smile, placed the plate of eggs on the table, then sat across from Tracy, crossing her legs so that the silk dress slipped up just a little. “Thank you, sweetheart. Of course I have to look beautiful! Last night, your dad wouldn’t stop complimenting me, said I was the sexiest woman in the world!” she said with a wink, her voice full of confidence. “And you? Did you sleep well last night?”

Tracy nearly choked on her drink, coughing uncontrollably. “I… I slept really well, Mom,” she lied, her face turning an even deeper shade of red. There was no way she could tell what she had heard, she simply lowered her head and focused on eating her eggs and toast to hide her embarrassment.

PART 8 >>