"Humor me," Viv said. "We're not leaving until you choose a teddy bear."

At that, I reached out and grabbed the nearest bear. "Done!"

"No," she said. "You need to choose one. You need to find a bear that's special to you."
 

Coincidence, Luck or Fate?

The Fates of the ancient Greeks plotted and wove the threads of mankind. The Furies dealt with the tangles caused by the choices of those mere mortals. [Clotho, Lachesis, Atropos; Tisiphone, Alecto, Megaera]. You meddle with Fate and Fury alike at the risk of them noticing you. That’s a real risk.

“Have you ever talked to someone who really understands what it is like to be the real you?” asked Maxine when I had recovered at least a bit of my composure.

I shook my head.

"But would you do that, if you could? If you were a girl?"

"What kind of question is that?" I asked, taken aback, and more than a little offended.

"It's a yes/no question," she replied. "Would you?"
 

A Wife Found
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

"Why did my boy end up with someone as awful as Amber? Why?"

"I don't know."

"Why couldn't he have found a girl — you know — a girl like you.
I mean, you know, your personality and kindness and all..."
She fumbled, her cheeks reddened. "Do you know what I'm trying to say?"

You have a spare Bra?

There’s times you get caught out – and there’s times you put yourself into a deep steaming pile of poo.
This was one of the second sort.

Jamie and Nana Bev, are finally forced to reveal their identities.

The Heart of January Bliss
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

I don’t know where she came from. That is the funny thing about being a creator. Sometimes it is not a deliberative process – it just happens. She just happened.

Sure, I was looking for a new comic strip to develop and publish, and I had read somewhere that strips are more often read by men. So, I suppose the idea was that I would come up with a strip that women could enjoy.

The next day Dan was very wary around Mandy. She of course sensed this and asked him out to lunch. At first, he refused, but then thought it was unfair. It was his problem, not hers.

Sitting in the café the conversation was muted. Dan was wary of her. She seemed to be able to look into him. He suspected that she knew he wanted what she had.

“Dan, I think I understand what’s going on. You dress or have dressed as a woman before, haven’t you?”

Dan could feel his face flush red. He could barely look at her.

Dad’s Style
An Illustrated Vignette
By Maryanne Peters

We always thought of my father as being the most masculine of men. He was fairly big with a square jaw and a strong nose, but people will always say that the features that made him stand out were his bright blue eyes and his huge mop of grey hair.

Dan waited outside his boss’s office bedside the door. He could smell the sweet perfume coming from Cindy, his boss’s secretary. He looked at her as she faced away from him photocopying. She was slim but had a nicely rounded bottom. She wore a narrow black skirt and black stockings. He wasn’t sure. He knew she did sometimes, as he had seen the bulges of the clips outlined in her skirt before. She had a silky white short sleeved blouse on and 3-inch heels.

Thanksgiving

Sometimes Chaos can be a good thing. The old place was filled to the rafters, but we managed to find places for both visiting families to sleep. I graciously volunteered to sleep at Lucy's place to make room. Hey - I'm a writer, I make up stories for a living. I don't claim they're convincing stories.

I'm Elliot Beekman, and I'm a guy. Or I was a guy.
It's something I'll have to figure out, and by the end of this story,
you'll understand my perplexity.

Changing Roles
By Julie Dawn Cole
Chapter 4

The Letter

I had fallen into the habit of checking the mail each day when it came through the letter slot. Today's missive contained something different: a letter with FINAL NOTICE prominently printed on the envelope. Mom was three months behind on her electric bill.

The Conference Call

I got Mom settled in front of the TV and went out into the back yard. I knew that my sisters were two time zones away, so it was evening for them.

"Hi Pam, It's Harry. I have some news."