Daughter For A Day

I'll pass the message on to Leo

I was out of the house for most of the next day, so Leonard and I barely saw each other. He spent the majority of the day in his room playing video games (or so he told me), and during the times we were together we didn't once mention the events of the day before or make any further plans for the party.

Once the weekend turned into Monday, Leo was back in school and I was back at work, albeit it on part-time hours which I had recently been reduced to, due to cutbacks related to a rather large increase in the state minimum wage that had occurred several months ago. Everyone was suffering from that.

Anyways, we had our evening meal together as usual, but when we finished, Leo disappeared into his room to do his homework, not saying anything else about preparing for the party.

This occurred again on Tuesday evening and I was left to wonder if he had started to get cold feet about dressing up for the party.

On Wednesday evening I brought up the topic over dinner, hoping to get things back on track.

"So, are you still going to the party this Saturday, Leo?"

I rarely did subtle so I thought it best to just ask him straight.

"Yeah, 'course," he replied quietly, obviously trying to avoid any sort of eye-contact with me.

"Are you sure? It's just that we haven't really spoken about it since the weekend, and, well . . . I just thought you might be a bit more excited about it all after the fun you had trying on my dresses. You did enjoy doing that, didn't you?"

Leo looked up and this time did make eye-contact with me.

"Mom, I enjoyed it immensely, it was amazing having you do that for me, it really was. I guess I'm just a bit nervous about doing it in front of my friends. I'm starting to get cold feet. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all."

"Have you told anyone you're going to be dressing as a girl?"

"No, no one."

"Oh, I see."

I gave my son a comforting smile across the table.

"Well that's perfectly understandable, it's a really huge thing you're doing, stepping out in front of your school friends all dressed up. Going to that party in a silly costume would easy but what you're wanting to do . . . it takes balls! I think you're really brave."

"Brave?"

"Yeah! You might get a few childish comments, but only from those who know no better. You'll turn heads, I guarantee it. The girls will be jealous and the boys will be . . . well jealous too, probably. Jealous of all the attention you'll be getting, they'll wish they had thought of your idea."

Leo finally returned my smile.

"Seriously? You really think so?"

"Of course."

"Thanks, Mom, that really helps."

"Good. I came up with all these great ideas for you, but anything you're not comfortable with just let me know and we can rein it in a bit. I'll take it as far as you let me, but this is your thing, not mine."

Leo laughed a little to himself.

"What?" I asked, wanting in on what he was thinking.

"You don't need to rein anything in Mom. After last time, I'm kinda curious to see how much further you can take it, how much more like a real girl you can make me look."

"Oh, you sure you really want that? I have plenty of ideas up my sleeve."

I winked as I stood up from the table and cleared our plates away.

I didn't have work at all on Thursday so I had spare time to go to the mall and buy a few things for Leo. I wanted to keep this a secret until Saturday, though, so I made sure I was home well before the end of school, giving me chance to hide my purchases.

Almost as soon as he arrived home, Leo changed into a pair of heels again so he could wear them all afternoon and practice for Saturday night. He also assured me he had been keeping up with his moisturizing routine.

I suggested he also put on an above the knee skirt so he could get used to the feeling and also practice sitting modestly in one.

On Friday he came home and went straight upstairs. When he returned he had a pair of my three inch strappy sandals on his feet and the same skirt.

We spent the evening together watching a two hour documentary on the life of Princess Diana. I noticed that Leo was more relaxed than he had been all week, and had begun to let himself slip into girl mode again, he commented on how beautiful Princess Di's hairstyles and dresses were on more than one occasion.

He also told me he was now really looking forward to what was planned for the next day, but that his nerves were on edge. I knew he was nervous about this, what boy wouldn't be, but I also suspected some of his nerves could be excitement and anticipation, and I outright asked him.

Hearing me say it, gave him the courage to admit it. He said he kinda was getting excited.

Not only did he tell me so, I could see it all over his face. Seeing this made me happy as well and I asked him if he wanted me to paint his toenails while we finished the documentary.

He immediately said he thought that was a great idea and hopped up to go get polish from my room. He almost fell when he started up the stairs and I had to remind him to slow down in those heels.

When he returned, he handed me a bottle of cream white and another bottle of navy blue polish. I had him take off his shoes and he laid down on the couch with his feet in my lap.

I began working on one foot and a couple of minutes later we were interrupted when my phone rang.

Pausing the TV, I realized I had left it in the kitchen, so I ran to see who was calling.

"Hello?"

I looked at the clock as I answered, wondering who would be calling at this time of the evening.

"Oh hello, Mrs. Jenkins?" The woman on the other end spoke with a slightly posh accent.

"Yes, I'm Louisa Jenkins," I replied, curious to find out whom I was speaking to.

"Hi there, I'm Victoria Weaver, Abbie's Mother."

It took a moment for me to realize who Abbie was, Leo hadn't mentioned her by name for almost a week, but I quickly remembered.

"Oh yes, Abbie, Leo's friend."

"Yes, that's right. I'm sorry for calling you so late in the evening, but I had a big list of names to get through and you were towards the bottom. It's about Abbie's party tomorrow, I'm afraid we've had to cancel it. It's so unfortunate her getting Covid the week of her birthday, but half the family has it now, so it wouldn't be right to have the party at our house and risk infecting everyone. She's devastated of course, but I guess it's just one of those things, maybe we'll do something in a few weeks for her."

My response took longer than it should, but I struggled to process the information I had just heard. After everything Leo and I had been through in the past week, him first plucking up the courage to tell me about the party, the amazing afternoon we had had last Saturday, the doubts which had then crept in, followed by nervousness and then finally the excitement he had shown tonight. To not now go through with it all, I didn't want to do that to him.

"Oh dear, that's a shame. Thanks for letting me know, I'll pass the message on to Leo. I hope Abbie and the rest of you guys, feel better soon."

I had no intention of engaging Abbie's Mother in any kind of small talk, so I hung up the phone and returned to the front room.

"Who was that?" Leo asked curiously as he pressed play on the remote.

"Oh just someone from work, asking about shifts for next week." I replied, pickingvthe bottle of nail polish back up off the end table next to me.

I rarely lied to my son, but I made an exception this time. I wasn't ready to let his dream die just yet.