At first, it was small stuff.
A bottle of lotion. A pack of gum. My favorite scarf gone for a day, then returned slightly worn.
I thought maybe my teenage son borrowed things and forgot to ask. Or that one of our guests grabbed something by accident.
But when my wedding ring disappeared from my dresser — only to show up in his room the next day — I knew it wasn’t forgetfulness.
It was intentional.
I sat him down and asked gently, “Why are you taking things without asking?”
He looked at me, eyes wide with guilt.
Then whispered, “I didn’t think I’d get caught.”
That’s when I realized this wasn’t about rebellion or defiance.
It was about identity.
Because here’s what I didn’t know until that moment:
My son had started identifying as transgender.
And he was quietly borrowing my clothes, my jewelry, even my perfume — not to mock me, but to explore who he really was.
He finally said, “I was scared to tell you.”
“I didn’t know how you’d react.”
“So I just… tried being someone else when no one was watching.”
I pulled him into my arms and held him tight.
“You never have to take anything in secret.”
“Just come to me. We’ll find the right way together.”
What followed was a new kind of journey.
We talked. We cried. We learned.
I reached out to support groups. Brought him to counseling. Even helped him pick out his first pair of men’s jeans — not as a replacement, but as a beginning.
Because sometimes, kids don’t steal because they’re bad.
Sometimes, they take what they can’t ask for — afraid rejection will cost them everything.
Now, nearly a year later, we’ve built a stronger bond than ever before.
Because love doesn’t disappear when you learn something unexpected.
Sometimes, it just grows deeper.