Page 22 of Finding Tane
It wasn’t enough. I still felt out-of-sorts and angry.
Well, I knew why. I fired off a quick text to Tane asking how he was doing.
I made myself a cup of coffee. Then brought up my financial spreadsheets and sales reports.
Things weren’t going well.
I frowned at the spreadsheet. I hadn’t noticed a particular drop off in customers, but it appeared people weren’t buying as much as they used to? I wondered if there was something at work I didn’t know about. Did we need to sign up to Instacart or something like that? Who’d do the deliveries?
But maybe people were ordering stuff in from the next town?
Why would they do that?
Did they miss my parents that much?
I glanced at the pinboard where Mom and Dad’s latest postcard looked back at me, judging.
There was something wrong. Had I made too much of a change by ordering in new kinds of food?
I couldn’t work it out.
Around midday, Ivy came into the backroom. Her face was uncharacteristically blank.
“Dill, I need to talk to you.” Her voice was tense, and when I searched her eyes I could see something serious had happened. I pushed my chair back from the desk and looked up at her.
“Yeah? Here or do you want to go grab a coffee?”
“Here’s fine.” Ivy grabbed the spare stool and straddled it. She took a deep breath. “Dillon, I need to tell you something.”
I bit my lip, suddenly worried. Our parents were away and Ivy had come to me with something deadly serious. Was she pregnant? What would I do? I barely contained myself fromblurting out ‘I’ll look after your baby!’, I didn’t want to jump to conclusions.
“Uh huh,” I said instead.
Ivy hesitated further and I realised I could be more supportive of whatever she was going through. “I’m here for you, baby sister.”
Ivy took a heavy, loaded breath. “That’s… well, that's just it. Dillon, I…"
She hesitated. I bit my lip. I didn't want to force her to say anything she wasn't ready to say. But I didn't want to butt in either. I nodded, trying to encourage her.
"I don’t think I’m your sister.”
I blinked. What could she mean? Were our parents not our parents? Was she adopted? No, there was no chance. I remember Mom being pregnant with her.
“What... what do you mean?”
“Dill, I think I’m trans. I’ve been feeling a sort of way lately, and things are grating on me, and I think... I think I’m your babybrother.”
Relief flooded me. No baby to worry about.
Ivy, however, needed my full support right then. I took both of her... no, his hands in mine. His pronouns were he/him now. I adjusted my thinking.
“Okay. You’re my baby brother. Do you have a new name I should call you?”
Ivy blinked at me. Then swallowed. “That’s it? That’s all you have to say?”
“Uh, yeah?” I shuffled my chair closer to him. “I love you, you’re my sibling, and that won’t change even if you do. I mean, you didn’t freak out when I told you I was gay, did you?”
Ivy teared up, his face contorting into a picture of misery. He threw his arms around me and sobbed. “You’re the best brother ever!”
