I looked back just in time to see my sister, Jake, before she headed deeper into the forest. That’s a weird thought: Jake, my sister. Maybe Jacqueline would fit her better? Nah. She doesn't really seem like a Jackie.

My dad looked over and saw me looking back. “Well, it's certainly been an unusual night. That definitely was weird, wasn’t it, son?”

I thought a bit before replying. “Well, yes and no. I mean, I was just thinking that Jake is a weird name for a girl.” I laughed a bit at that. “She’s going to have to come up with a better one if she hasn’t already. But I’m not surprised, ya know?”

“I know what you mean. I was surprised to see her shoot that purple spark out of her finger, that’s for sure. But I’m not shocked that she’s actually a girl. And, I don’t just mean that only girls in your mom’s family get magic when they become teenagers.”

I rubbed the stubble on my chin. “That’s true. She always did seem to be kind of, I don’t know, longing when he would have to split from the girls at the mall to join us guys." I cringed at my lack of grammar. "Don’t mind the mixed pronouns there”. I gave my dad one of my patented nervous laughs.

“Those darn pronouns are definitely going to be tough to keep straight, but I’m sure she’ll understand that this is all new to us. She’s always been a good kid.”

As we turned into the last path before the cabin, I replied. “I’ll admit it does confuse me a bit that she’s into sports and things. She did really seem excited to come up here with us to the cabin. When she wasn’t watching the ladies blast magic fireworks into the sky, that is.”

We stepped up onto the little porch out front and my dad took out his keys to unlock the cabin door. “That doesn’t negate her feelings, son. Lots of girls her age enjoy doing sports. Heck, your mother is still a bit of a tomboy.”

That last sentence startled me a bit. Tom… boy. “Do you think she’ll be able to use her magic to make herself into an actual, functioning, girl?”

“You are asking the wrong parent that question. You’ll have to ask your mother.”

My dad turned on the outdoor lights and headed out back, but I just stood there.

“You’ve gone uncharacteristically quiet, Nathan. Something bothering you?” When I didn’t respond, he added, “Don’t worry son. You can tell me whatever’s troubling you and I won’t get mad. You know me. Comments are to me like water is to a duck. They just wash right over me.”

I wasn’t sure about my father’s duckness, but I wasn’t going to tell him that. I sucked in a bunch of air and nervously blew it out. “Do you think you would be this accepting of Jake being a girl if he didn’t perform magic?”

That question seemed to stick and ruffle my dad’s feathers a bit, as he hesitated a bit before replying. “Wow. You don’t pull punches, do you?” He sighed. “I’m a bit ashamed to admit that I don’t know. I mean, intellectually, I understand that he’s a girl. But we got to see unmistakable evidence when she did something guys just can't do. But without physical proof, I really don’t know how I would respond. I’d like to think I’d do the right thing and be supportive, but it would probably take me a while for me to come to terms with it. How about you?”

I was a bit thrown by my dad tossing my question back to me, even though I should have expected it. "I think I'd have some trouble too. But I'm sure I would be civil to her, even if I wouldn't understand. I don't really understand, even with everything that happened, but I still love her."

"I'd be the same way, I think. It would not be easy, but I'd still love him, as I love you."

My dad grabbed the sumo suits. I'm glad that we're still doing sumo, even without Jake here. My dad thinks he can beat me, even after I thrashed him thoroughly when I was 13. It's five years later, and I'm not a kid anymore. I'm certainly not built like one. Dad's going down, again.

My dad continued his train of thought, even if my excitement had thrown my own track off its track. "I would never be an ass... specially angry person to any of my kids."

I laughed out loud at that. "Nice save, dad. Now, let's get ready to sumo!"