Olivia 8

Summary

• The chapter begins with an account of Dr. Monica Powers testifying in a courtroom. She is a gender confirmation surgeon, a trans woman, and an expert witness brought in by Jordan to educate the jury about transgender individuals.
• Dr. Powers explains the concept of being transgender, touching on gender dysphoria, nonbinary identities, and the differences between sex and gender.
• The narrator, Olivia, reflects on how exhausting it must be to constantly explain and justify one’s existence as a transgender person, as evidenced by her previous conversation with someone named Elizabeth.
• Dr. Powers shares the challenges that transgender individuals face, including stigma, discrimination, and violence.
• The narrator observes the impact the testimony is having on her brother Jordan and her son, Asher. Dr. Powers then describes gender affirmation surgery and confirms that her patient, Lily Campanello, underwent such a procedure.
• During the prosecutor's cross-examination, Dr. Powers responds to questions about hormone therapy for transgender youth and surgery before legal adulthood.
• The chapter includes flashbacks of Olivia making a honey loaf for Asher to console him during tough times and her reflections on an incident where Braden, her ex-husband, angrily left her stranded in a storm.
• Olivia encounters Mike Newcomb outside the courtroom, who is there for support. She also has a conversation with Coach LaCroix, who speaks highly of Asher during his testimony but has his words turned against Asher by the prosecutor.
• Olivia confronts Braden for the first time since she left him, shocked by his surprise visit to the courtroom to support Asher.
• Olivia testifies about Asher's character and her relationship with him, ultimately lying to protect him by stating he is not abusive.
• During a break, Asher admits to Olivia that he knew she was abused by Braden, which complicates Olivia's feelings about Asher's own possible culpability.
• The prosecutor's cross-examination of Olivia forces her to confront the possibility that she can love someone who is capable of harm, reflecting the ambiguity in her feelings toward both Braden and Asher.
• The chapter ends with Olivia recalling the moment Braden hurt Asher when he was a child, sparking her decision to protect her son at all costs.