Yvonne lowered her sunglasses and let the guard watch her eyes shift from chestnut to amber. "You'd do good to respect my wife. I can get you in a lot of trouble as a witness, and that's not 'cause I'm the one running the show."

The guard straightened like a slap bracelet. "Ma'am! I-I didn't realize it was you. I apologize."

The couple didn't spare him a second glance as they walked inside. They were both used to racial discrimation, but on some days Yvonne wondered if her talk show was really making a difference. She was glad she had her sunglasses; she didn't want Sierra to see how upset she was. Plus, she had to rein in her emotions before her curls turned a depressing shade of blue.

Their high heels sounded off the hardwood floor. Sierra elbowed Yvonne. "What you thinking? C'mon, don't let him get to you." Her voice softened. "You need some time to yourself?"

Yvonne smiled and draped an arm around her wife. Sierra had been always been there for her since university; battling their homophobic parents, battling society's fucked-up system, and most of all, helping Yvonne battle her body dysphoria. Sierra knew her better than anyone else, and she'd been her sun in the sky when everything seemed so dark.

"We've plenty of time before we go on air. Just thinking of how beautiful my wife is."

Is, not look. Because what was inside mattered more than anything else. Sierra kissed her on the cheek before they went to their separate dressing rooms.

In the dressing room, Yvonne joined in the gossip of the hairdressers and stylists as they worked with Yvonne's make-up and hair. In addition to focusing on body positivity, Yvonne made sure that Black hairdressers who knew how to take care of Black hair were hired and paid fairly at her talk show. Their kids needed to see people who looked like them rocking their natural curls.

For too long, Yvonne had let the entertainment industry dictate how she was "supposed" to look—slender, straight hair, light-skinned. She wasn't proud of the times she buckled under that pressure. Shape-shifting to appease others never made her truly happy. It only distanced her further from loving herself.

Far too many people were ostracized because they didn't fit into that tiny box. Far too many people who were gorgeous, beautiful and worthy of love had been sidelined. Yvonne wanted to change that.

When her phone rang, she smiled. It was a video call from her daughter. Kimika wanted her advice on choosing her prom outfit.

"Mommy!" Kimika demanded through the screen. She spun around in her dress. "Is this one okay? It matches my hair extensions, but what happens if Denis doesn't like it?"

Her daughter had inherited her mother's chubbiness. Nowadays it was so much easier to find affordable and stylish clothes for their body types. Yvonne was so proud that she had raised a daughter who knew and valued her beauty.

"Pick anything that's comfortable for you, baby. But tonight's chilly, so pair that up with a cardigan. Get mine from the closet if you can't find one."

Kimika grinned and curled her red locs in her fingers. "Okay Mommy! Send a picture to Momma too! Have fun on your show!"

"Thanks, baby. And no funny business, you hear me? Nothing until you're married."

"Mommy!" she shrieked, dissolving into a fit of contagious giggles. She ended the call.

Sending the picture to Sierra, Yvonne wondered if her child had inherited her power. The house had run out of hair extensions, last time she checked.

It was almost time for her show. She smoothed her outfit and looked in the mirror. No shape-shifting needed today, just like it had been in the past fifteen years. She couldn't find a single thing to fix, even if she tried.

"And let's welcome the host of Not Brave, Just Beautiful: Yvonne Jackson!"

Stepping on stage, Yvonne no longer wondered what she looked like on camera. She just knew what she felt: sexy, confident, and everything she was meant to be. 

Inspired by a quote from a Black singer, Lizzo, who also doesn't fit in society's rigid beauty standards: "When people look at my body and be like, 'Oh my God, she's so brave,' it's like, 'No I'm not. I'm just fine. I'm just me. I'm just sexy.'" Link to full article in the in-line comment -->