Aunt Rose Change Me Into Girl (Again) - Part 3

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Afterward, we sat down and looked at the photos. I felt so good about them that I had to ask Aunt Rose, "Do you think it's okay? That I wore it?" She gave me a warm, steady look. "I think it's you, and that's always okay," she said. I didn't even hesitate. I picked the two photos where I looked the most like myself and happily sent them to Leo.

To: Leo

Thanks for the dress.

He didn't reply for a few minutes, but then his message came.

Leo:

Wow, you look gorgeous. I'm glad you wore it.

I just stared at the screen for a long time, smiling so big. Then, I just typed, "Thanks."

The Next Morning,

Aunt Rose was already on her mat. She sat cross-legged in a light green activewear set, her back straight and her eyes closed. I put my mat beside hers without a word. I was still wearing the loose, lavender tunic and leggings Aunt Rose had given me the night before. My fingernails still had yesterday's matte brown polish.

She slowly opened her eyes as I got into mountain pose. We went through our usual routine—sun salutations, twists, and balancing poses. My body felt so flexible and good. 

As I stretched, I remembered Leo's kind words. We finished by sitting, hands in prayer, eyes closed, just breathing. When I opened my eyes to the morning light and reached for my water bottle, that's when she saw it.

Aunt was rolling up her mat when her eyes landed on my hands. The light hit my nails just right. She just blinked and then said, "You didn't have those yesterday, did you?" I suddenly realized how much they stood out! I turned my hands slightly. 

"At the mall," I said quietly. "A girl was promoting a nail polish brand. She thought I was, like, her. Before I could say anything, she just painted them." 

Aunt Rose didn't react weirdly at all. She tilted her head, nodded slowly, and came closer. "I didn't even notice last night. I was too focused on your face in the dress," she said with a faint smile. 

"Do you want to take it off?" she asked. She held my hand and looked at the polish. 

"There's no shame in keeping them." I looked at her. "Do you have remover?" She nodded. 

"You really think it's okay?" She smiled big now. "I think it's beautiful." Just like that, the remover stayed in the cabinet. I happily kept my nails—matt brown, shining quietly in the light.

At Brunch.

The whole kitchen smelled amazing, all French toast and bacon, while I sat at the island in my lavender tee. Aunt Rosw set a bowl of fresh berries down, sat, and took a sip of her coffee. "We've got a wedding tomorrow," she said, so casually, like she was just telling me to get groceries. 

I just blinked. "Whose?" I asked. "An old friend from high school is finally getting married," she said. "I told her I'd go. It's downtown, super nice, a day reception." "Oh," I said, trying to sound cool. "What should I wear?" Aunt looked up, and her eyes were twinkling. 

"We'll see. But first, we need to go shopping. I'm taking the whole day off! No calls!" "Really?!" I said. 

"Yep," she nodded. "We'll relax for a bit, then head out. I need to grab a gift—maybe a platter from Crate & Barrel. And you," she pointed her fork at me, "you need something for the occasion." 

Something for the occasion! "Will it be... a dress?" I asked slowly. She raised a playful eyebrow. "Do you want it to be?" I paused. "I don't know." Aunt Rose just smiled. "Then let's find out!" She poured more coffee and leaned back, looking so excited.

By Five in the Evening.

My aunt and I headed out, both dressed pretty simply. She had on a soft gray top with black jeans and a leather tote. I wore a pale beige button-up shirt and straight white chinos—nothing fancy, just comfy. My nails still had the faint brown polish on them, and I didn't even try to hide them. 

I felt so confident! We walked to the street and hailed a cab to Lincoln Park, to a quiet little boutique she said had wedding stuff and cool gifts. The shop was tucked away next to an old brownstone. The walls were full of pastel, ivory, and gold clothes—dresses, long skirts, delicate blouses, and wraps. Aunt Rosw gave the woman at the counter a big hug. 

"This is Rome," she said, introducing me like I was just a happy person, not a bag of nerves. The woman's eyes got soft. "You've grown," she said. 

"Let's find something graceful." No one mentioned gender. No one raised an eyebrow. No questions. Just a lovely welcome. While my aunt went to look at gifts, I stood by a rack of dresses. One caught my eye: a soft powder-blue one with delicate embroidery, and a silk scarf so thin it looked like a whisper. I reached out and brushed the fabric with my fingers.

Inside the fitting room, the mirror was huge and had a gold frame. I stood there, trying on a pale peach dress. It was a gentle A-line cut, made of soft fabric that hugged my waist and flowed down nicely. It had floral embroidery on the chest and see-through sleeves that made my arms look so thin and... different. It buttoned up the back. It was definitely a dress for a girl. 

No question. But when I looked at myself, I didn't want to take it off. It just felt right. The neckline went down a bit, not too much, but enough that the fabric lay flat on my chest, which wasn't there yet. Still, I walked out. 

My aunt was sitting on a bench, looking at some bracelets. She looked up, and her face totally changed. Her eyes got a little wide, and she let out a slow, happy breath. Then she looked down at the dress and tilted her head. "But you'll need a bra to fill that in," she said calmly, like she was just pointing out a loose thread. I froze. My face felt hot, but in a good way. 

"What?" I asked. She looked back up at me, being so kind but also so honest. "The cut is for curves, honey. It's pulling a little funny on the sides. You'll need some light padding, at least. 

Otherwise, it'll always look like something's missing." In the mirror, I could see what she meant—the flat chest, the way the fabric just didn't sit right. I suddenly felt a little exposed, but also... understood. 

"I just wanted to see how it looked," I mumbled, taking a step back. Aunt Rose got up and put a hand gently on my shoulder. "There's no shame in trying it on," she said softly. I didn't know what to say. 

I had wanted to see it, and now I couldn't unsee how wonderfully it was missing something. "I'll change," I whispered. She just nodded and stepped back. But before I went behind the curtain, I heard her say, in a quiet but super warm voice, "When you're ready... we can talk about what your body needs next."

Back in the fitting room, I slowly changed out of the peach dress, folding it up super carefully. My chest still felt tight after my aunt said I'd need a bra to fill it out—not because it was mean, but because it was totally true. I saw the other thing I'd picked out: a sleeveless ivory blouse with a matching skirt.

 It had some subtle gold designs on it. It was light, elegant, and just... perfect. I put it on and let out a big breath. It fit so easily. The fabric just skimmed my shoulders and flowed like it was made for me. 

No weird lines, no missing curves. Just a lovely, simple flow. When I stepped out, my aunt looked up right away. Her eyes softened, and she got a big smile. "Really?" she asked. She nodded, and her smile got even bigger. I looked in the mirror again. 

The sleeveless cut showed off my arms, which were a little toned from yoga. The fabric shimmered gently in the light. "It's perfect for the wedding tomorrow," she said. "It's subtle, but you'll still stand out." 

My cheeks got warm with a happy blush. She came up next to me, looked at me in the mirror, and said, "Rome, you make it okay."

Right after the fitting, I was still just happily looking at myself in the mirror. The soft ivory fabric went just past my knees, and the sleeveless cut showed off my shoulders more than anything I'd ever worn. My aunt came up and rested a hand on my back. 

"Okay," she said calmly, "if you're wearing this tomorrow, we've got to take care of two things tonight." I looked at her, confused but also super curious. "What things?" She smiled gently but didn't even blink. 

"First, we've got to shave your underarms and your arms. That sleeveless cut is going to show off the hair a lot." 

My chest felt tight—not from fear, but from the sudden, exciting reality of it all. Wearing this meant I was letting go of things I never even thought about before! 

"And second," she added, her voice a little quieter but so warm, "we need to get you a bra. A light, padded one. Just enough to make the fabric fall right." "I don't—" I started, then stopped. She looked at me with this gentle, understanding look. "It's not about pretending to be a girl, Rome," she said with a soft smile. "It's about dressing your body in a way that feels like you."

We left the boutique with the ivory dress in a paper bag. I figured we were headed home. But instead, my aunt led me to a department store nearby—one of those mid-sized ones with quiet aisles. She gave me a playful wink. 

"Just picking up a few essentials," she said. I followed her, not sure what to think, but happily quiet. 

Then I realized where we were going. The lingerie section! It wasn't super flashy—just a side aisle labeled "Intimates." Rows of bras in cream, beige, and black were hanging there so neatly. A few mannequins were wearing satin bras. I just stopped at the edge. 

Aunt Rose noticed. She turned and said, "It's just fabric, Rome. Fabric with a purpose." She picked up a soft, padded bralette in a light almond color and handed it to me. 

"It's stretchy and lightly lined. See if it feels comfy." I took it. It was way lighter than I expected. She grabbed another one—a delicate one with a little lace and side support. 

"This one gives a bit more shape." I didn't ask what she meant, but the way she said it made me feel like she already saw something beautiful starting to happen that I was too scared to even think about. 

A store assistant was nearby but didn't say anything, like she knew we were here to discover something, not just shop. 

Aunt Rose put the two bras in the handbasket. Then, just as easily, she went to the "Personal Grooming" aisle and picked up a women's razor—it was sleek, baby pink, and shaped for a body. "You'll use this tonight," she said with a gentle, knowing smile. 

"I'll help you." At the checkout, the cashier, a woman in her thirties, barely even blinked when she scanned the bra, the razor, and a little bottle of rosewater toner aunt added. She didn't ask who they were for, and for once, I didn't feel like I had to explain. 

We left the store as quietly as we came in. In the thin plastic bag was my first bra, a beautiful secret now out in the open.

Outside the Mart.

We had just walked out of the store with our shopping bags—the dress, the bra, the razor, and a few gifts for the wedding. 

Back Home,

By the time we got home, our feet were killing us. I carefully put the shopping bags down by the couch, making sure not to squish the dress or the soft bag with my first bra, my secret little treasure. Aunt Rose slipped off her shoes, sighing softly as she rubbed her ankles. 

"We did a lot of walking today," she said, dropping her bag by the kitchen counter. I just nodded and flopped onto a floor cushion. "It felt like a marathon! But for clothes!" She chuckled. "I guess you could say that." Then she looked at the clock. 

"Let's not cook. We're too tired. Let's just order something light on Grubhub." She grabbed her phone and sat next to me. 

"Soup? Salad? Maybe some risotto?" 

"Risotto sounds perfect," I mumbled, stretching my legs out, Aunt Rose placed the order easily, then leaned back and sighed. The risotto arrived in brown paper bowls, warm and simple. We just ate quietly, sitting on the floor by the window. We didn't really need to talk. The whole day had said everything beautifully.

After dinner, Aunt washed her hands and looked at me with her calm expression. "Come on," she said. "It's time." I knew what she meant. The bathroom smelled so good, like eucalyptus and rosewater. A clean towel was on the stool. The new razor was out of the box, sitting next to a bowl of warm water and some shaving cream. She patted the stool. 

"Sit. I'll show you." I sat. She gently put cream on my forearms first, and the warmth felt so nice. Then, with slow, practiced movements, she started to shave. Every stroke was so careful and gentle. She didn't say anything, and I didn't need her to. Next was my underarms. I slowly raised my arms. 

The cream felt cool, and the feeling of being this vulnerable was a little sharp, but in a good way. She moved gently, without any hesitation. When she was done, she rinsed my arms and dried them with a soft towel. 

My skin was so smooth, softer than I'd ever felt it. She stood up, dried her hands, and left for a second. When she came back, she was holding something. The bra! A soft, almond-beige cotton one with light padding. 

She handed it to me. "You can wear it now. Just see how it feels." I looked at it, then at my arms. Seeing my arms all smooth and clean made the whole idea feel less weird and more normal. "Want me to help?" she asked gently. I shook my head. 

"I'll try on my own." 

She nodded and stepped out. I closed the door, unbuttoned my shirt, and slowly took it off. Then, with my hands shaking a little, I picked up the bra and put my arms through the straps. It gently hugged my chest. The soft pads felt like they had been waiting for me. I fumbled with it for a second, then looked in the mirror. 

I didn't look silly at all. There was a slight shape now, not a lot, but enough to see a new, lovely outline. I stepped out of the bathroom, wearing a soft robe. 

Aunt was in the living room, lighting a candle, already in her nightclothes. She turned, looked at me, and smiled. "How does it feel?" I swallowed. "Strange. But... nice. Like I'm being held." She walked over and kissed my forehead. "That's what a bra is supposed to do, honey."

I slept with the bra on that night, curled up under the light sheet. My arms were freshly shaved and felt so smooth against the fabric. I wasn't really asleep, just super aware. Then my phone buzzed. Leo – Online now.

Leo:

Hey. You awake?

I just stared at the screen for a few seconds.

Me:

Yeah.

A few seconds later:

Leo:

I've been thinking about yesterday. The dress. I swallowed hard, feeling a happy flutter in my chest.

Me:

I felt scared too. There was a pause. I watched the "typing..." bubble flicker on and off for what felt like forever. Then:

Leo:

I'm proud of you. But... I just want you to know that I see you, and I still want to be your friend. Those words hit deep. And that was more than enough for me.

Me:

Thank you. That means everything.

I wore the bra tonight. For the first time. I didn't even know why I told him that. Maybe part of me just wanted someone else to know, too. His reply came fast.

Leo:

How did it feel?

Me:

Like I was really being held.

Leo:

Then keep holding on.

My fingers hovered over the keyboard. Then, I just typed:

Me:

Good night, Leo.

His reply came instantly.

Leo:

Good night, Rome. Sleep well.

And just like that, the conversation was over. I put my phone on the side table, let out a long breath, and sank deeper into my mattress, feeling so peaceful.