AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Have you thought about changing your name?”
“My name?” I asked, the confusion clear in my voice. What did my name have to do with anything?
“Charles is a very… supposedly masculine name. And I’ve seen you flinch every time I’ve called you that. Many enby and trans people prefer to change their name to something they relate to better, usually unisex names or just using initials, a childhood nickname, or something completely new, and so on,” Brady explained. I flinched when he said my name? How had I not noticed? The better question was how had he seen it in one day when no one else in my life ever had?
“So…changing my name would make me feel better?”
“It would if you found a name that speaks to you or one you’re more comfortable with,” Brady said, and I realized he was right. I’d always disliked my name when I was younger, but just like every other thing, I’d buried it deep inside myself.
As I thought about it, a name from my past drifted onto the forefront of my memory. It was something my younger brother used to call me before Dad had told him to use my given name. I’d loved the nickname he’d had for me, and now it seemed like the perfect choice. It was a name I always connected with joy and happier times, and going back to it seemed like the right thing to do.
I looked up at Brady and smiled, my heart racing in my chest as I took this new step toward finally, finally finding my way back to myself, “Let’s redo the introductions. Brady, my name’s Charlie, and it’s nice to meet you.” The name felt good on my tongue. It feltright.
“Hey, Charlie. I’m Brady, and I’m going to take you on a kickass ride of self-discovery,” Brady promised, shaking my hand firmly as he gave me a wide, delighted grin. Even though we’d just met, I felt a strange kinship to this man. He got me in a way no one had before, and I was so grateful I’d walked into his café that day.
3
Brady
“Areyoufuckingkiddingme right now?” Luke demanded, staring at me with wide eyes.
I opened my mouth so I could tell him everything, but he continued speaking, “You’re telling me that instead of calling the cops on him, you invited the stalker to have dinner with youin your home?Are you crazy?”
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing because I knew his fear wasn’t unfounded. But he just looked so fucking adorable with his angry face. He was glaring at me, his cheeks were flushed, and yet somehow he managed to look cute. I glanced over at Scott, Luke’s boyfriend, and saw he was trying not to smile as well.
“Are you done?” I asked Luke, the grin finally appearing on my face. “Listen, I know how stupid that sounds, but you didn’t even listen to the rest of it. Are you ready now?”
Luke huffed but gave me a short nod. Taking it for the agreement it was, I told him everything Charlie had told me yesterday, both here in the café and at dinner later. I watched as the indignation and anger slowly disappeared from Luke’s face, and a soft, concerned look replaced it. Luke was an empath, through and through, and I knew he’d understand once he’d heard me out.
“So how exactly are you going to help him?” Luke asked, making me smile. This was exactly why I adored him so much. The moment he realized Charlie wasn’t going to harm me in any way, he was ready to help, no questions asked.
“I told him about the support group, though I’m not sure yet if he’ll go. I also gave him the idea about changing his name, and he seemed to appreciate it. Talking to him, observing him, I realized that he’s spent a lot of years burying his wishes, and now he isn’t sure how to go about expressing himself. I’m going to try to introduce him to various things, from fashion to self-care and anything I can think of, so that he can figure out what feels right.”
Luke smiled at me before leaning against Scott. “That sounds good. Let us know if you need any help, okay?”
“Will do, hon. Now, I gotta get back to work. You two order anything you want. It’s on me today.”
I started to get up when Scott said my name, stopping me. I turned to him expectantly, and he glanced at Luke before looking at me with a smile. “I just wanted to say…this journey will probably be very difficult for Charlie on many levels. He’ll need a lot of support from you, and he might go through some hard days. Don’t give up on him, okay?” Something in the way he spoke made me think he was speaking from experience, and the fond look on Luke’s face confirmed it. I smiled at the both of them, thanking the powers that were for setting them in each other’s paths. They were so perfect for each other, and I’d loved watching Luke blossom into the confident person he’d slowly become with Scott’s love and support in the past few months. If I could do for Charlie even a fraction of what Scott had done for Luke, it’d be enough.
“I won’t,” I promised him before getting to my feet. Remembering something that was sure to make Luke happy, I turned back to them yet again. “Oh, by the way, Mama D is planning a kickass Pride celebration for next month. It’s going to be awesome!”
Luke’s eyes lit up, and he sat up straight in his seat. “She’s doing one at the rec center?”
I nodded, and Luke grinned widely before turning to Scott, who was watching us with a puzzled smile. “Mama D’s a pro at hosting parties and celebrations. It’ll be awesome.”
Scott smiled down at Luke, and I realized it was time for me to slip away. Grinning, I made my way to the kitchen, my thoughts shifting back to Charlie. We hadn’t planned to meet up again yet, but we’d swapped phone numbers last night. Making a note to text him later, I washed my hands and straightened up.
As I took my place on the counter beside Honey, I remembered Charlie’s appreciation of the cake the other day. “Hey, Honey. One of the customers told me to pass on the message that they loved your chocolate cake yesterday.”
The grin on Honey’s face had me smiling, and I gave him a mock salute before getting back to work. Honey smiled the whole time he worked. This was exactly why I made a point of telling everyone who worked here how much their hard work was appreciated. These people deserve the praise, and I’d bet anything the pastries Honey made today would be even better because they would be full of his love.
*****
“Oh my god, Cherry. I’m so tired,” I grumbled as I fell into bed, Cherry jumping up beside me like the loyal companion she was. She snuggled against my cheek before licking it once and falling flat on her back so I’d rub her belly. Chuckling at the look she gave me, I rubbed her tiny tummy as she wiggled happily. Today had been way too exhausting for my tastes. If it weren’t for Kasey, I didn’t know how I would’ve handled everything. The girl was a godsend, and I made a note to give her a bonus with this month’s pay.
I closed my eyes, a yawn escaping my lips as I wondered if I had enough energy to even order something to eat or if it would just be easier to go to bed now and think about food tomorrow. Deciding to eat a big breakfast tomorrow, I turned off the reading lamp and snuggled deeper into my blanket, pressing my face against Cherry’s silky-soft fur.
Just as I started to drift off, my phone pinged, pulling me out of the sleepy haze. Frowning, I grabbed my phone from where it was charging on the bedside table, growling under my breath at the interruption. I quickly clicked open the notification when I saw it was a text from Charlie.
