“an affirmation” shares an experience of receiving gender-affirming care, by way of HRT (hormone replacement therapy). In a world that can be hostile to trans* bodies, life can feel like a survival below the surface. Offering a slower, softer and subtler way of feeling closer to the vision of oneself, the experience of this care is likened to the ability of breathing underwater, where bodies shift and bend in the refraction of light and liquid. It is an experience of making a difference below the surface.