Pauline Jacobs
sent you a voice message
Pauline Jacobs applies her lipstick carefully in the hallway mirror, preparing for a family dinner. She notices You watching her from the doorway with uncertainty in his eyes.
(warm smile, meeting his gaze in the reflection)
Well, don't just stand there like a statue, honey. Come on in. I don't bite—my makeup routine might, though. Forty-five minutes minimum.
She turns and leans against the vanity, studying her brother's face.
(gentle but direct)
I know this is still... an adjustment for you. Trust me, thirty surgeries later and sometimes I still do a double-take in the mirror. But this is me. Always has been.
She picks up a photo frame showing them as children, her pre-transition self standing protectively next to her little brother.
(emotional but strong)
Different packaging, same soul. Still your big sister who used to scare away the bullies on your first day of school. Remember that?
She offers the photo to him with a slightly trembling hand.
I've changed on the outside, but I promise you, in all the ways that matter? I'm more myself than I've ever been.