New Year, New Perspective

By Tiffany B. Quinn

The correctly chosen New Years Resolution can lead to perspectives that you may have never considered.

The Twelve Days of Christmas

By Tiffany B. Quinn

Fortunately, I have access to my new nightgown drawer again. I pick a shorter flannel nightgown for tonight. After cleaning off my makeup, brushing my teeth and admiring my new studs, I braid my hair and crawl into my parent's bed wondering what tomorrow’s epiphany will be.

The Twelve Days of Christmas

By Tiffany B. Quinn

I quickly remove my traitorous arms from around his neck and duck into the house.

OMG! What did I just do?

The Twelve Days of Christmas

By Tiffany B. Quinn

As we fall asleep in each other’s arms later that evening, I think of how good it is to have friends.

The Twelve Days of Christmas

By Tiffany B. Quinn

I take off the topaz necklace and set it on my nightstand. I am positive that there is a very slight glow emanating from the stone after I turn off the light.

The Twelve Days of Christmas

By Tiffany B. Quinn

I went over the story again as I made my rounds setting tells and making sure the house is secure before turning in for the night.

I still don’t get it.

The Twelve Days of Christmas

By Tiffany B. Quinn

I wonder again if my parents aren’t truly communicating with me from the grave.

I go to bed with more questions than answers.

The Twelve Days of Christmas

By Tiffany B. Quinn

I am very tired when I get back to my lonely home late that evening. After trying unsuccessfully to work the clasp on the necklace in my exhausted state, I decide to just leave it on for the night as I fall into bed.

An Angel’s Job
by Tiffany B. Quinn

Note: To those of you who have trouble with religious ideas in this genre, I suggest that you skip this story. When I think of Christmas, I cannot help but think of its religious foundations. It is from these thoughts, that this story has sprung.

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Young Terry's unsympathetic siblings make his life a living hell when they discover his secret. There appears to be only one way out until divine providence steps in to prompt a different ending.

Not What We Expected

by Tiffany B. Quinn

Thinking of Kelley and Jenny and their upcoming weddings, I was starting to wonder if finding a life companion was next on my list of accomplishments. I found myself wanting to be part of a loving married relationship again. While reading to the kids that night, I had felt a feeling that I had been repressing whenever I am around them. I realized that I wanted a family of my own. I wanted what Tom and Sandra have. I wanted a husband and children to love. I just didn't know how to go about it given my odd circumstances. I knew that I would have to trust fate to provide a way to add that missing link in my life. After all, Grandma had continued to tell me that she saw love in my future.

I had smiled to myself as I realized, even without a husband and family of my own, I was content and happy.

Not What We Expected

by Tiffany B. Quinn

"Oh my," Susie had looked surprised at my blush, "you think he's cute too, don't you?"

"In a shy kind of way," I had admitted, "but then again, so are a lot of other boys."

"That's because they are all in love with you," Kelley had claimed, "but don't want to deal with your parents."

"By the way," I had changed the subject, "Someone told me that Amanda and her sidekicks are up to their old tricks again. There is a freshman girl that we need to go talk to."

"My goodness," Susie said with exasperation in her voice, "when is that bitch going to learn?"

"I guess that I will have to have another talk with Amanda at cheer practice after school," Kelley sighed.

I don't recall thinking any more about the interchange with Pete until we met again that snowy December evening several years later.

Not What We Expected

by Tiffany B. Quinn

If I thought that living with a pregnant woman was a challenge during Sandra’s first pregnancy, I soon found out that dealing with a couple of hundred girls going through puberty all in one place was probably worse, if not its equal. Throw in approximately the same number of boys going through their own puberty and you have a real hotbed of hormonal emotional turmoil. I don’t know how my mother had dealt with kids in this state of being for her whole career. I NEVER want to be a middle school teacher.

Not What We Expected

by Tiffany B. Quinn

Later, after the girls had gone home to spend the evening with their families, I was satisfied that I had a solution to the problem that my ‘advisors’, psychologist, and I had been trying to solve for a couple of months now. I had found a natural way to connect with girls my ‘age’. And, as predicted, it turned out to be a great way to learn how to truly become a girl.

I went to spend the evening with my parents where my mother and I had a long chat about my new group of friends. She agreed that the girls were good for me. She had been impressed with the group when we were on the sailboat together.

I ended up staying the night and the next day was spent doing mother/daughter things with my mom.

Not What We Expected

by Tiffany B. Quinn

She gave me a squeeze, "You can count on me, Andi. Thanks for being my rock." She wipes the tears from her eyes.

"I love you, Sandra," I whispered.

"I love you too, Andi," She whispered back as we turn to hug each other.

We moved the room's couch so that we could sit together while we continued to stare out the window as the night slumbered on.

A sense of peace settle on both of us as we silently sat together, each with her own thoughts.

Not What We Expected

by Tiffany B. Quinn

"One last question," I grinned at Tom. "If I do agree to the adoption, do I get to play with your computer center?"

He laughed before replying, "Sure, munchkin. I think that we can arrange that."

"I will have it put in the agreement," I grinned. I felt a big burden lift from my shoulders.

Not What We Expected

by Tiffany B. Quinn

As the wedding plans and my girl training ground on, I kept in touch with my lawyer.

One afternoon at the end of April she called me to let me know that we had a court date set in mid-May.

I let Sandra know about our upcoming court appearance when she got home from work. She broke her date with Tom that night and the two of us stayed home together and ignored the phones.

We pulled out our photo albums and spent the evening reminiscing. That evening we laughed a lot and cried a lot as we talked about the good times that we had shared.

It was a double chocolate ice cream kind of evening. We consumed more than was healthy.

I learned that chocolate ice cream is surprisingly therapeutic.

Not What We Expected

by Tiffany B. Quinn

Most of all, I just wanted the transition to be over so that I could truly move forward with my life. I sighed as I braced myself for another three months of transition.

That first night in my new room was lonely. It would take some time to get used to being alone in bed again. I was sure that Sandra was having the same problem, but her bed would not be lonely for too much longer.

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With the help of my lawyer's office, I filed the dissolution, gender, and name change petitions the next day. There would be no looking back.

Not What We Expected

by Tiffany B. Quinn

The incoming text read: "Looking forward to lunch, sweetheart. We have reservations at Sullivan's for noon. Wear something nice but sexy. Please. We will find a way through this, I promise. Love you forever. XOXO"

The message was from Tom and it was more intimate that I would have expected.

Scrolling through her messages, I saw that this wasn’t the first such text. Her replies were equally as intimate.

Sandra hadn't said anything to me about seeing Tom regularly again outside the office.

Not What We Expected

by Tiffany B. Quinn

So by the New Year, my wife was a babe and I was a shrinking skinny androgynous young adult getting younger every day and with out-of-whack hormones and little to no sex drive. In many ways, our friendship was the best it had ever been as the result of our hours of shared thoughts and feelings. While we still worked at sex, it was getting increasingly more difficult for me to perform sexually.

While we never talked about it, both of us were starting to see where Grandma Broussard's magic was taking us.

Neither one of us were thrilled.

Not What We Expected

by Tiffany B. Quinn

"I don't know," she admitted, "but I promise that this will be the last time that I bother you about getting pregnant. If this doesn't work I will quit trying and we'll find happiness without children. We will continue to be best friends."

"You promise?" I asked to make sure.

"I promise", she sighed with resignation.

Not What We Expected

by Tiffany B. Quinn

I first truly fell in love at this very place twenty years ago today. Only then, I was the tall, handsome young man. I married that girl the next summer.

The Maitre d' showed us to the very same table that I had shared with Sandra that night long ago. A strong sense of déjà vu washed over me.

Can history be repeating itself, after a fashion?

If so, can it turn out differently this time around?

Not What We Expected

by Tiffany B. Quinn

A chance dinner date brings echoes of the past. A strong sense of déjà vu has Andi wondering where this will lead.

It Wasn't a Mistake
by Tiffany B. Quinn

How bad can things get? In his darkest hour, Jerry finds out that his life has been one big character test... And he passed!

Jeri finds a way to reassure her new peer group.

It Wasn't a Mistake
by Tiffany B. Quinn

How bad can things get? In his darkest hour, Jerry finds out that his life has been one big character test... And he passed!

Samantha struggles with being perceived as Jeri's mother.