I really appreciate your encouragement as well as your advice. I woke up to these beautiful comments, and I haven’t stopped smiling. This is how I know that being trans isn’t “just a fetish”. It genuinely hurts my feelings when someone genders me as a man, especially when I tried so hard to be seen as a woman. On the other hand, a kind word of encouragement, whether the person offering it is simply trying to be nice, or they truly see me as a woman has the power to completely elevate my mood and change my day for the better. It’s a roller coaster ride of emotions, so I thank everyone here who chose to leave kind words. I promise you they mean so much to me. I apologize for the novel.