“What clothes do you have?” Leah asks.
“All kinds. Do you have a preference?” Tina replies. Leah thinks about it. She doesn’t want to be recognized, so she should disguise herself as much as possible.
“Boy clothes,” she says.
“Are you sure?”
“I don’t want anyone to know it’s me,” Leah says firmly.
“If you insist.” Tina takes out some shorts and a T-shirt. In the middle of the aisle, she changes Leah’s clothes, ignoring her stepdaughter’s blushing. It’s still not boyish enough, so she tucks Leah’s hair under a baseball cap. “How’s that?” Leah looks at her reflection. If she didn’t know she was a girl, she would think the person in her reflection was a little boy.
“Perfect,” she says in relief.
“Great! Now, let’s continue shopping, Leah.”
“That’s a girl’s name. Call me a boy’s name.”
“How about Aspen?” Tina suggests. Leah nods. “All right. Let’s continue shopping, Aspen.”
Tina sets off again, Leah following close behind. A few strangers coo at her, calling her a “handsome little boy”. One old woman tells Tina that her “son” is “positively adorable”, which visibly thrills Tina. When they check out, the cashier gives Leah a dinosaur sticker. By the time they get to the car, Leah is exhausted by all the attention she gets posing as a little boy.
“Do you want to change into your old clothes?” Tina asks.
“No, I’m fine. I just want to get home,” Leah says tiredly.
“All right. In that case, you’re going in the car seat,” Tina says, lifting Leah and buckling her in. “You’re dressed like someone who needs to be in one.”
“Fine,” Leah groans. Bored, she puts the dinosaur sticker on her shirt while waiting for Tina to load up the car and get in. Tina finally pulls out of the parking lot. Halfway home, they hit a traffic jam. Leah groans again, frustrated to be stuck dressed like this for so long, and tired from her day.