First "new style" office meeting

The new girl had took a while to come around. Smart, diligent, conscientious. Just not very social, not asking for help as needed. "I don't want to bother you. I should figure this myself, right?"

One big factor: she had been up-front in the interviews. She'd looked for a company like them. One tolerant of, well ... being legally male, She didn't HAVE to wear women's clothes but just felt more creative and sharp when she did. She wrote better law school essays and studied better. All this, the counselor understood. HR let her know they'd defend her clothing choices.

Her grey skirtsuit was classy. She replied to emails right away. But she was 5 minutes late for the meeting.

"We understand your situation, this time."

She started silent, not risking looking foolish, then at meeting's end had almost too much to say. A qualified success.

She wore a pantsuit for the next meeting. They noted it stabilized her. A week later, she spoke dynamically in a skirtsuit. Her shell had broken.