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felix woke up to the faint sound of his mother’s voice calling him from the kitchen. “felicia, come on, you’re going to be late!” she called. the word ‘felicia’ landed heavily on him, the name settling uncomfortably in his mind like a stone dropped into a still pond. he knew it was his birthday, but it didn’t feel like it. not really. not when everyone around him still refused to see him as he was.
he slowly sat up, pulling the hoodie hyunjin had given him tighter around his frame. the fabric, soft and slightly too big, was the one thing that gave him a little comfort this morning. felix glanced at the small mirror in his room, seeing his reflection with the hoodie covering most of his body. it was the only thing that made him feel like himself. for a moment, he wished he could just disappear into it, hiding from the day ahead.
downstairs, the breakfast table was set up with pancakes, a few wrapped gifts, and a small cake off to the side. his younger siblings were already sitting at the table, laughing and chatting. they didn’t notice the hesitation in his step as he walked into the room. they didn’t notice how much effort it took for him to even exist in this space today.
“happy birthday, felicia!” his mother beamed, walking over to give him a hug. felix stood stiffly as she embraced him, the sound of that name grating against his skin.
“thanks,” he muttered, barely audible.
his father glanced up from his newspaper, smiling as if everything was fine. “felicia, you should open your gifts before you go to school. your grandmother’s been looking forward to seeing your reaction.”
