Say What?

"I don't want to be a boy," said Jon. "Say what?" said Karyn. She had assumed that Jon, knowing that his life was a lie, would want to go back to the way things were. Karyn knew that she'd want to if the same thing had been done to her. "I don't want to be a boy," Jon repeated. "I *want* to be a *girl,* Karyn. That's why I had these proceedures done in the first place. And even if its not real, it feels real to me. And, a way, doesn't that make it just as 'real' as the old reality. And I'm *happy* now. What happens if I'm not happy in my old life? What happens if it sucked? Might I just be better staying in a reality in which I'm happy than going back to something where I might be miserable? So, please Karyn, is there any way that I can stay a girl?" Karyn looked at Jon. Could she really keep Jon as a girl? What if he really was happy? He had been fine as a boy, but could it be that he would be happier as a girl? She came to a decision.