When you live with two psychology grad students you already find yourself being over analyzed.

Kelsey and Avery both looked for "hints" of my gender struggles in the past.

This is the final part. Thanks for indulging me. Thanks Patricia Allen for proofing. And hopefully it starts on the right chapter!

Chapter 14

There were times when Kyle wished for a little normalcy.

But he had forgotten really what normal was. It seemed like everything was moving way to fast.

His mother filed for divorce from his father. He had no objections.

He still hoped his father would change, but he knew his parents would never get back together.

This is the sequel to His Secret. I originally wrote the stories in 2007-08 when the Iraq war was still raging. Thanks again to Patricia Allen for the proofing.

Chapter 1

It had been an unusual Christmas.

Two families sharing a house. Two families in the process of healing.

One family trying to overcome the death of a father who died of cancer a couple of years before. Another trying to heal from a father out of control and a marriage that fell apart.

This is the second part of three. Again, thanks to Patricia for proofing.

Chapter 8

Kyle felt intimidated being under the watchful eye of Madam Kathryn.

This class was much more different than the one Miss Arceneaux taught. That one was more relaxed. This one seemed much more serious, even though it was still fun.

She watched almost every detail. She was a lot more "hands on" as Olivia put it. She grabbed his arm to show him how it was supposed to be in second.

He thought he had a straight leg in arabesque, only to have her push it actually straight.

Chapter 4

It was supposed to be a day of fun at the skateboard park.

The gang of five usually had the park to themselves. It wasn't really a place where jocks showed up.

That's why Jade thought she could be herself when her friends came by the house to ask her to come along.

She wasn't dressed too girly, just a ponytail, makeup and her middriff showing. She could be sort of a goth-punk chick. Her friends didn't care.

They were dressed about like she was, well except not the guys, they weren't dressed girly at least. And it started off fun.

That was until a few jocks showed.

She was thankful her son's more feminine look was confined to the weekend. He still wore the black eyeliner and the earrings to school to school, but no sign of the the lipstick, light makeup or the nail polish. His clothes, the jeans and the black shirt, they were pretty much gender neutral.

Her son's "new look" unnerved her a little bit, but she was more concerned about his safety if he dressed more girly at school. For now, she was somewhat comforted by what one of Jacob's best friends description.

Virginia in Bloom, Chapter 4

Emma stared at the doll on the shelf at the store.

Her sisters had plenty of dolls growing up on the farm, but none never as nice as the one she fancied on the shelf.

As Emmitt, she made fun of her sisters, although privately she...or he...had wished to join in on the play. But she knew her brothers would make fun of her if she did.

She also remembered the words of her father: "Carolyn, sometimes I think you want to raise that boy as a girl."

Chapter 3

"How much longer do I have to walk with these silly books on my head?" Emma protested.

"Until you learn to walk gracefully like a young lady should," the stern looking woman sitting in the corner with a stick replied.

The other girls in the room tried not to snicker. And Emma wasn't the only pupil being drilled on walking gracefully.

She found a kindred spirit in a spunky girl by the name of Maggie Madison, or Margaret Anne Madison as their teacher, Mrs. Balew preferred her she be called.

Author's note: This story takes place during the last half of the American Civil War. The war has already turned against the South. The casualty rates have devestated families in many Southern communities. A draft has been instituted. Unless a family held a large number of slaves, every male able to hold a rifle was suddenly called to fight for the Southern cause. As the war drug on, boys as young as 13 and men as old as 65 were expected to fill the already depleted ranks of the Army of Northern Virginia.

Chapter 1

The Vacation

Eric thought he was alone in his grandmother's house.

His mother, older brother and grandmother went to the store to buy food for the Thanksgiving feast.

His father took his younger half-sister and his stepmother to the movies.

He really didn't know why he had the urges he did. And seeing his mother's dress on the floor in the laundry room was a temptation. He planned it out right, just like he had dozens of times before.

Chapter 1
She couldn't help but wonder where this turn of her life would lead as she sat across the table from the brown-headed boy with dark eyes who was munching on the dinner she had prepared.

Her 11-year-old nephew was a kindred spirit.

She was in her young 30s and had seen her life turned upside down. She married her college sweetheart, had a beautful daughter. She passed up a promising career as a college professor to become a stay at home mom.

I stared at the mirror trying to tie my bun into place.

I never knew it could be so hard. All those years in a ballet studio and the experience of getting my hair perfectly right alluded me.

"Are you about done?" A young voice yelled, breaking my concentration. "Madame Anne wants us in the studio. And the boys are waiting."

"Just a sec, Caroline," I said as I grabbed my Gaynor Mindens.
I couldn't help but fight the butterflies. The memories were all rushing back.

It was a battle just coming back to this place, even though it was always my refuge during my struggle within.

The airplane ride, the trip through the countryside seemed to take forever.

The young boy in the back seat of the car felt somewhat like a criminal as he traveled with the social worker who knew all too well.

He was small for 12, and looked a little malnourished. His hair was way too long for the social worker who had accompanied him on this trip.

"Don't pull anymore of your tricks," she lectured. "You dressing like a girl. We couldn't keep you in foster homes. I suppose this one won't last very long if you keep that up."

Chapter 5

"Okay, batter, batter," Riley said from the pitcher's mound. "Swing batter, batter."

I swung as hard as I could. I missed, as usual.

Rainy days have a way of breaking up the routine at my grandmother's house on the river.

Jack and I were never much help around the house. It was usually a day we'd spend video gaming.

The Beach House

This has got to be the craziest thing I've ever done.

I've been dressing for quite some time. I've been to parties and functions with friends dressed.

I'd been seeing a therapist for a few months. She had done a good job helping me sort things out. Am I a crossdresser? Am I transgendered?

Am I "a woman trapped in a man's body?" I could use every cliche in the book to describe the fact that I've struggled with my gender identity since I was in elementary school, maybe younger.

My Summer with Meg: The Age of Discovery

Chapter 1

I always looked forward to spending two weeks each summer with my grandmother at her home by the Elk River.

Rachel and I wept when we saw her, standing tall and green and lit up.

I had seen the Statue of Liberty once before. We passed her on the Mauretania on our way to Europe a month before.

 
I studied Rachel's every move, her mannerisms.

I did my best to imitate her, although I didn't want it to be too noticeable.

She spotted it, though, and it brought her to laughter.

"Are you trying to copy me?" she asked.

 
"I'm sorry ma'am, only women and children," the young sailor said as he held me by the arm, keeping me from stepping into the lifeboat.

"He's my only son!" my mother pleaded. "He's only 14!"

"I'm sorry ma'am, I have my orders," he replied, ordering the lifeboat to be lowered.

Chapter 7

"What in the world could it be?" Mom said as I opened the package Maria sent me.

I honestly had no idea. It came as a complete surprise.

"Books!" I said.

It also included a note.

"These were mine when I was your age. Katie and Sasha are too young. Thought you might enjoy Jane Austen's books. Love, Marie."

There were three books: Emma, Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility.

"I read those when I was your age, too," Mom said. "I never thought I'd be saying this, but it's really a thoughtful gift. You need to call her and thank her."

Chapter 5

"Good, you guys are here," Melanie Piper said when Jessi Mears and I arrived for our shift during the "Santa's Toy Give-away" our sorority was sponsoring for underprivileged children in our community.

The pledges were to be "Santa's helpers," helping Santa Claus pass our gifts to children. It sounded like a worthwhile cause on a Saturday morning after ballet class.

"Jessi, you'll be getting Amber's uniform as soon as they're done," Melanie said. "Lucas, you're getting Caroline's."