Christine Suggs draws in a soft, cartoony style with a textured line and mostly flat, bright colors.


Page 1

Caption: Visiting my parents' house.

"You abut ready to head out?" Calls a voice through the bathroom door.

"Yeah, one sec-" Christine replies as they tousle their shock of spiky black hair on the top of their head, admiring their reflection in the bathroom mirror. They are a nonbinary plus size Mexican American person in a yellow collared button-down shirt and jeans.

A gross red "GOOSH" sound effect fills the air, causing Christine to flinch and blush.

Christine unbuckles their pants, shimmying them downwards to the tile floor.

Caption: Thanks to my birth control, it's been nearly five years since my last period.

The panel crops in on their bare lower legs that have a smattering of hair and little tattoos on them, their jeans pooling around their feet.

"OH." Christine exclaims.


Page 2

Caption: Recently my husband and I made the decision to start trying for kids. And here I was, in my parents' house feeling like a pre-teen.

Tentatively, Christine pokes their head out from the bathroom door, calling, "Uh, Mom? Could you come here a minute?"

Caption: Of course, things were a little different this time around.

"Do you think a panty liner will work?" Christine's mom asks while offering one in her hand. She is a Mexican woman with chin length black hair. The caption "Post Menopause" helpfully points at her with a little arrow.

Laughingly, Christine reaches out to accept the sanitary pad, saying, "It'll have to!"




Page 3
Caption: It felt right that it happened now, after spending a weekend with my family.

Christine's rolling luggage and backpack sit to the side as they hug their mother, saying "Bye, Mom!"

To which their Mom replies, "Love you."

"Drive safe." Their father, a plus size white man with a white flat top, tells Christine's brother with a friendly clap on the shoulder.

"Will do." Grady, their brother responds, one hand on his backpack shoulder strap. He is a plus size Mexican American person with thick black hair and glasses.

Caption: My brother, as always, was working hard to get my parents to use the right pronouns for me.

Behind the driver's wheel in the car, Grady asks, "Ready?"

"YES." They reply as they pull the seat belt across their chest. Their words are spoken with confidence but their face looks panicked, with a little sweat drop rolling down their temple.

Caption: Like most of my trips to my small and conservative hometown, I simmered in anxiety. This time I brought a few new ones.

Christine looks contemplatively out the car window as the sky and hillside roll by. The scene outside the window fills up with their internal worries, reading, "What will your baby even call you? What if they never stop misgendering you?? How will your body change?"



Page 4

Caption: Coming home is my favorite feeling. It's the place I feel most powerful and at ease.

Christine stands on the walkway leading to their home, waving to their brother's car as he drives away. Their brick house has a brown picket fence, green lawn, and both a cactus and a shrubby bush just to the side of the entrance steps. A big Progress Pride flag hangs proudly over the front door, showing both the traditional rainbow stripes with the newer addition of the back, brown, blue, pink, and white chevrons with a purple O on a yellow triangle.

Caption: I worked so hard to buy this house, a lot of it with the money I got from my book deal.

As Christine pulls their roll-y bag towards the house, they smile up at the flag and then let themself in through the front door.

"ARF!! ARF!!!" A medium-sized point-eared dog barks enthusiastically as it jumps up to greet Christine.

"Didja miss me, buddy?" They ask their dog, giving it a friendly scratch on the back of its neck.

Caption: Home is where I feel ready to be a parent.

"mrrrrowww!" Their cat ginger cat howls, not even letting Christine take off their backpack yet.



Page 5
Caption: Over the coming months I'd deal with heavy bleeding, iron deficiencies, rampant hormones, and all the buzzing excitement that comes with trying to have a child.

In the bathroom, Christine (who finally got to take off their backpack) pulls out a box of pads from under the sink.

Caption: And then there's pregnancy: That scry and mysterious experience that will forever change the body I've worked so hard to love.

With calm serenity, Christine pulls their button-up yellow shirt over their head, exposing their gray sports bra, hairy armpits, and belly with subtle pink stripes curving down the sides.

Caption: There's so many more conversations I need to have with doctors and family about my body, my gender, and its boundaries.

Now changed into soft jammies, Christine turns on their stove to heat their kettle. They wear a fluffy pink cardigan with red hearts, a gray crop top, and blue stripped sweatpants.

"Hey, I missed you! Calls their partner's voice from off panel.

Caption: But for now I am home, And somehow, I am ready to welcome a child into our little world.

Their partner, Kyle, leans down to kiss the top of Christine's head with a little "smeck!" and a side hug. He is a tall plus size white man with medium brown hair.

"I missed you too." They reply with a smile as they bring their tea mug to their lips.


Transcribed on February 23, 2025 by Erika Moen for ohjoysextoy.com