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Jacob had no excuses, and Isabel knew he’d done it just to try and push her.
He hadn’t had much in the way ofproofwhen she’d asked him—away from Aaron, because while she wanted Jacob to realize he didn’t know as much as he thought, she wasn’t teaching him a lesson at Aaron’s expense.
He’d mumbled under his breath something too low for her to hear but he hadn’t tried to argue his case any further. And shehadseen him reading a site she was well acquainted with—it had several articles she’d first read when she’d been trying to learn more about the science and information available on transgender youth and identity.
She already knew Jacob was into science and tech—he’d been tearing through some of the books she kept in her library for kids, so he was smart.
He just needed to ... open his mind.
If he spent some time educating himself instead of listening to hateful rhetoric, then that was as much as she could ask for.
So she’d worry about the dishes and other stuff tomorrow.
She had just finished loading up the dishwasher when the phone rang.
Frowning, she rushed over and grabbed it just as it rang a second time.
“Hello?”
Only silence answered.
Annoyed, she waited a few seconds, then said, “Hello?”
This time, she thought she heard breathing.
Disgusted, she slammed the phone back down on the cradle and returned to the dishwasher.
“Ms. Bella?”
She looked up as she finished loading the dishwasher. Aaron loitered in the doorway, pale face strained. “Come on in, sweetheart.”
She closed the dishwasher and started it, then went to the table, waiting for Aaron.
“Jacob give you any more trouble?” Bella asked softly.
“He’s not even looking at me now.” A ghost of a smile danced on his lips and Aaron hitched up a shoulder. Thick, dark brown hair tumbled into his eyes and he impatiently shoved it back. “I was wondering ... ” He paused, biting his lip.
“Wondering about what, Aaron?”
“Can I get my hair cut shorter?” He blurted it out, like he was afraid to ask. “I was thinking about buzzing it on the sides, leaving it longer on the top. I want to be able to spike it up on top, so I don’t want it too short, but the way it is ... ” Face twisting in a scowl, he grabbed the wavy locks and jerked. “This, my face, how short I am ... ”
As he fumbled for words, Bella listened. Several seconds passed though and Aaron lapsed into silence.
“It’s aggravating your dysphoria, huh?”
Aaron’s eyes dipped away and he nodded.
In the months since he’d come to live with her, he’d started opening up more and more about the misery he felt, living inside a body he didn’t belong in and although Isabel couldn’t truly understand, she could listen. And this was a small thing. “Find a couple of styles you like,” she told him with a smile. “And we’ll try to work it in this weekend, okay?”
“Thanks!” He came to her and with a wide grin, he hugged her.
A minute later, she was alone. Going through the kitchen, she turned off all the lights. As she passed by the window, she glanced outside.
Her heart hitched, then skipped a beat when she saw Travis out there, firelight flickering over his face.
She didn’t let herself think it as she grabbed a couple of beers from the fridge and headed outside.
Travis didn’t wantto brood.
