by Barbara Lynn Terry

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Chapter I - Introducing the Grangers.
 
 
It was a time when the Granger family had to make a decision if they should have one more child. They already had four girls, and they so wanted to have a boy. Joe Granger was a hard working family man, who cared well for his family. He was very well tanned all year 'round, and had a marvelous sense of humor. Marcia Granger was a local realtor and did very well. Her sun yellow blonde hair contrasted very well with her sky blue eyes. The family wanted for nothing, and least of all love. That was the first and foremost thing that Joe and Marcia Granger made sure their children would have.

Charlene (Charlie) Granger is 14, and the oldest of the girls. She was a very good student in high school, and she was on the honor roll. Her blonde hair stood out and framed her tanned face perfectly. Sheila Granger is 12, and she is in middle school. Her grades are very good, but not exactly a 4.0. Janey Granger is 8 years old and in the third grade. Her blonde hair was to her waist, and she had the most infectious smile. All the Granger girls had that smile. They inherited that from their parents. Naomi Granger was just going on 5 years old, and due to start school in the fall.

Joe and Marcia Granger loved their family, and made sure they had the love that every child needs. Physical things like dolls, stereos, computers, and a few items of jewelry were things they gave as a reward for having good grades in school and for being a real help around the house. The only thing missing was a son. On this night Joe and Marcia Granger talked in their bedroom as they got ready for bed.

"Joe, I really want to have a boy. Do you think the odds are with us this time?"

"I guess we will only know if we try. I'm all in favor of trying for a son."

"Then what are we waiting for, you big, uhm, handsome even, stud?"

"I thought you would never ask." They both laughed a little, and in the the throes of love and passion hoped and prayed they were creating a son.

The next morning, everybody got up and did their toiletries, and went down for breakfast.

"Girls, how would you like to have a little brother?" Joe Granger had asked.

"I think it would be great, daddy," Charlie had said with her infectious smile.

"I would love to have a baby brother," Naomi chimed.

"We we will see what we can do. Maybe we can get one at the stork store." Everybody laughed because daddy was so funny.

After the other girls went to get their coats and books for school, Charlie asked their parents if they were really serious.

"Yes Charlie, we are very serious. It isn't that we don't love all of you girls, but we have been wanting a boy for a long time. We are happy that all of you were born, and there is nothing that we wouldn't do for you. But your mother does want a son though. You're not disappointed are you, Charlie?"

"No daddy, I think it's wonderful. But ..."

"But?"

"But if it is another girl, do you think the family will be big enough?"

Joe and Marcia didn't laugh at that last remark, because she was right. If this child turned out to be a girl, they would need to stop, because the family was actually big enough. It was big enough now, but they wanted one more chance at a son. Hopefully this was that chance.

All the girls waited for their mother to drive them to school. No school buses for the Granger children, especially after three buses had accidents the first day of school. After dropping all the kids at school and making sure Naomi found her room, Marcia went to her office.

Marcia greeted her secretary, who had three messages already, and the office had just been open for ten minutes. She thanked the smiling redhead, and asked her if she had had breakfast yet.

"Not yet."

"Well, you go over to Pete's and get something to eat. I can manage for an hour or so."

"Are you sure? Marcia what has come over you? You seem very radiant today."

"Angie, if our plans work out, I will be the happiest woman on earth. Now you go and get a little breakfast. I can handle things here."

There was nothing left to be said, so Angie went to get her breakfast. Angela Stuart was twenty-eight, and had very nice coiffed red hair. Her blue eyes just sparkled all the time. She couldn't get out of her mind why Marcia had been so cheerful. Maybe she's pregnant. That has to be it. With that in mind, she ordered a big breakfast of two eggs, ham, two pancakes, and a steaming hot cup of coffee.

When she was finished, she paid Pete, the diner owner, and wished him a good day. Pete was your average greasy spoon owner, with a big belly and a balding head. But he had a wonderful sense of humor, and was known to give free meals to those that were needy. Not all the time, but here and there.

Angie returned to the office, and found Marcia ushering a client into her office. Angie sat at her desk, and sifted through the paperwork. There were two accounts that needed attending to right away. Wait a sec here. There were five accounts on my desk when I left. Marcia sure could handle things. So she took care of the two accounts, and then filed them.

Marcia came out of her office, and bid the client a good day and promised her everything would be taken care of.

"Marcia, did you file three accounts while I was gone?"

"It was nothing, Angie, the least I could do for my one and only secretary/confidant/friend/and I couldn't get along here without you employee." They both laughed, and Marcia and Angie talked about nothing, just trying to pass the time. Then Angie just had to ask Marcia why she was so cheery today.

"Angie, if mine and Joe's plans work out, we will have the son we have always wanted."

"What about the girls? Have you told them, yet?"

"Yes we did, and they think it's beautiful. And everybody will not be left out because there is a new baby in the house. All of the girls would not hurt for love, or anything else. There are no hand me downs in our family. All the girls get their own clothes new. We tried for a son last night, Angie, and I am so hoping our prayers are answered this time."

"Well I knew something was up when you came in all bubbly and cheery. I was thinking you might be pregnant, so I was on the right track. And thank you for helping with the files."

"Oh it was nothing, Angie, I would have had them all filed but Mrs. Latisch came in and I just had to talk to her if I want her business."

Geraldine Latisch was the town's first and foremost prominent citizen. Marcia managed her vast real estate holdings. She owned factories, rental properties, stores, and even vacant tracts of land she was going to develop. But Geraldine Latisch wasn't stuck up, and she gave freely to charitable organizations. The women's shelter for abused women was started by her, and so was the big cinema on the highway just outside of town.

Most of Marcia's income was from management of these properties. Angie knew from experience that the more you were nice to Mrs. Latisch, the more she did for you. It was such a nice day out, and Marcia had to go and show a couple of properties. Mrs. Geraldine Latisch didn't own everything in town, but almost. Angie figured she had a few hours to get the office in shape. If Marcia became pregnant, she wanted the office spic and span.

So with the filing out of the way for now, Angie busied herself with cleaning up the office. She dusted everything, and even put furniture polish on the tables, and Marcia's desk. She made sure there was nothing on the ink blotter of any importance, and she changed that with a new one. Her thoughts were with Marcia, and a mother of two herself, she was happy that Marcia and Joe were trying for a son. Hopefully, their prayers will be answered this time.

Marcia returned to the office with one sale out of two. She noticed right away that the office was cleaner, and shinier. She smiled to herself as she entered her office and saw the new ink blotter on her desk. She sat down to look over the contract before sending it to Angie for completion. With that out of the way, she got herself a cup of coffee from the coffee maker just outside of her office.

"What do you think you are doing?"

"Getting a cup of coffee. Would you like one? You seem to have been busy while I was out. I like what you did with the office."

"Oh think nothing of it. If you become pregnant, I want this office smelling sweet, and clean. That is important for a woman bearing the next heir to the Granger fortune."

Both women laughed, and decided to take a break. They talked about their children and their husbands. They talked about the weather, and that there was a carnival coming in town at the end of the month. These two women could have been close sisters the way they got along with each other. There was no boss or subservient secretary/employee here. Both were equal in their positions. Marcia had often listened to Angie when she gave her advice. Angie and her family had been invited over to Marcia's for dinner more than once.
 
 
Chapter II - Marcia gets the news.
 
 
A month later, Marcia was in her doctor's office, getting the news about her pregnancy. She was hoping that this would be a boy, but a little too early to tell. Dr. Alicia Turner OB/GYN was in her thirties, shoulder length brown hair, and sky blue eyes. She had delivered every one of Marcia's girls.

"Well, you definitely are having a boy. I haven't seen the genitalia yet, but I know. I want to see you in three weeks and maybe then we can tell for sure. If anything happens in the meantime, call me."

"Thank you, Ally."

"Just give my love to Joe and the girls. I will see you in three weeks."

Marcia left after getting her appointment card, and was very happy. When Ally said her patients were having a boy, they had a boy, so Marcia was very happy. She went home and told everybody what Ally had said, and they were all very happy. Charlie said that they needed to get the nursery ready, so that they didn't have to do it at the last minute. Joe is ever the pessimist sometimes though. He thought they should wait on the nursery until they were sure it was a girl or a boy.

"But daddy," Charlie argued, "if we wait, it may be too late."

"Yes dear, but we should be positive. We can wait another month. We have to be really sure, sweetheart."

Charlie knew it was futile to continue to argue, and she went to her room, and started looking on her computer for baby clothes, furniture, and toys. She saw a very beautiful musical mobile with carnival animal shapes. She thought this would be wonderful because it could be for a girl or a boy. Charlie was really happy mom was going to have a boy because she could help take care of him. The other girls were happy too, because it gave them a purpose. They all talked about teaching their younger brother proper things when he as old enough.

The girls had unconditional love, and that was exactly what their little brother was going to have too. They all needed to talk about who was going to look after the baby, when the girls weren't in school. Sheila had already said she would help take care of him. Charlie said they both could. Janey and Naomi were not to be outdone. Their little brother was going to have five mommies. They all giggled but they knew that everybody had to pitch in to help. But their little brother would have to be with a sitter when everyone was gone for the day.

Three weeks can go by in an instant if you aren't paying attention. It was time for Marcia to see Ally again, and this time Ally had better news.

"Well Marcia, your prayers have been answered. See here on the ultra sound picture, that little spot right there. That is the penis. So you are definitely having a boy." Marcia hugged Ally as tight as she could, and just couldn't wait to tell the family. She started to run out of the office, when Ally reminded her to get an appointment for three weeks. Marcia got her appointment card and headed home at such a rate that she was lucky she didn't get stopped or in an accident. Luck was with Marcia Granger that day.
 
 
Chapter III - It's A Boy!
 
 
Every three weeks for nine months, Marcia continued to see Ally until on June 23, Sean Mair Granger was born. Mair was Marcia's maiden name. The family was all there the day he was born. The girls were so excited they had to be let in the room one by one. When it came Naomi's turn at holding little Sean, she sat there in the chair, and just talked to him. She didn't do any of the coochy coos and baby talk that everybody else did with their babies. She talked in a matter of fact way she had seen her parents do many times.

"Hi Sean, I'm Naomi and I'm oldest in age just before you. I'm 6 years old now, and I can tell you that you are a very lucky boy." She didn't call him a baby, but a boy. "You have a wonderful mom and a wonderful dad, and 4 big sisters to help take care of you. Welcome to the world, although why anybody would want to be born is beyond me."

Marcia and Joe smiled at that last statement because she was too young to be so cynical. But they just glowed when Naomi was talking to little Sean. All of the girls had talked to him like he was older. Marcia and Joe appreciated that.

Marcia was in the hospital only a few days, and she, baby, and family went home. They left all the streamers, balloons, and flowers, but took the well wishes cards. When they got home, even Joe was surprised that the nursery was already finished. Charlie had the girls help and they got it done by themselves. Marcia put little Sean in his bassinet and went to lay down. She was still very tired. When little Sean had cried, Marcia got up to go and get him his bottle, but Charlie was already coming with it.

"Go Lie down, mom. You need your rest. We're here to help, and that's what we are going to do."

Marcia couldn't argue with that logic. She didn't go back to bed. Instead, she sat and watched Charlie feed little Sean. Marcia couldn't help but think that Charlie and the other girls would make very good mothers. She fell asleep somewhere between Sheila and Janey. When she woke up, she saw Janey feeding Sean. She thanked her and told her to thank her sisters for all the help they were giving her.

"Is there anything you need, mother? I can get one of the others."

"No dear, you have all been very helpful. Thank you."

Marcia didn't sound too good. She was sleeping more and more, and she was devoid of emotion, except maybe a weak smile. Janey took Sean with her, and went downstairs to talk to her father.

"Daddy? Something's wrong with mom. She seems very weak, and she doesn't seem to have any energy for anything. I think we need to call Dr. Turner and get her to come see mom. I'm very worried, Daddy."

"Alright punkin, I'll call her and let her know. Then I think I should go and see for myself. If you are right, she may need to go back in the hospital for a few days." He was hoping it would only be a few days. But he had read about women who had given birth that had internal bleeding. Dr. Turner needed to be called, and as soon as he had called her, he went up to see if Marcia needed anything.

"Hi honey," he said with a smile, as he walked to her bed. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm feel...ing okay," she said in barely a whisper.

"Alicia called and said she would be right over. We are to make sure that you don't exert yourself. If there is anything you need, I want you to ring this bell." He showed her a small, what looked like an old fashioned hand school bell. She tried to hold it, but it fell out of her hand. "That's alright, dear. I'm going down and wait for Alicia. You just get some rest."

When Dr. Alicia Turner arrived at the house, she was immediately shown to Marcia's room. Alicia could hear a faint heartbeat, and could not feel a rapid pulse. She pulled out her cell and called for the ambulance.

The ambulance was quick in responding, and they got Marcia to the hospital. Alicia walked right in behind the ambulance crew, and told the emergency department nurse that she needed immediate assistance. Alicia told the nurse to start an IV, and to call radiology for an immediate ultra sound machine to be brought down, stat.

When everything was in place, and Ally had done the ultra sound, she then looked at her patient. With Marcia's feet in the stirrups, Alicia opened Marcia's vagina, and saw nothing but blood.

"Order an OR, STAT! This patient has internal bleeding, and I need to stop it. STAT NURSE!" Two orderlies that were there to take another patient to the floor, was volunteered to help with Marcia. "Guys, she can wait, this patient needs immediate tending to now. Take her as fast as you can down to OR 3. I will be right along side of you."

In the OR Dr. Turner worked quickly but steady. She was able to control the hemorrhaging, and as they wheeled Marcia out to the recovery room, she sat down and let out a big sigh. She was able to save Marcia, but it was very close. She was going to find out which one had sounded the alarm and make sure they got a plaque for this. Marcia Granger wasn't just a patient, but a dear friend, a mother of five, and a very good wife. But she sat there thinking that she should give Marcia a lecture on why it is necessary to call the doctor.

Marcia would be in the hospital until she gained her strength back, and Dr. Turner made sure there were no more complications. Ally sat by Marcia's bedside in the recovery room. She looked at the peaceful expression on Marcia's face. She thought to herself if Marcia wonders how close she came to not making it. Well, that's in the past now, I will wait until she wakes up. Marcia slept for a long time, and Ally slept in the chair beside the bed. Ally was awakened by a sound, and she saw Marcia looking at her with a puzzled expression.

"I didn't know doctors made hospital visits," Marcia said trying to lighten the mood.

"I don't," both women laughed, and Ally continued. "But you're a special case. One that needs a lecture on why it is necessary to call the doctor 101. Listen Marcia, it was very close. If Joe and the girls hadn't called me, we would not be sitting here right now talking, and your family would have been without a mother. I'm keeping you here until you regain your strength, and I know there are no more complications. I have also done something else too. Because of your age, and because this was a very close call, I tied your tubes. Listen, you almost did not make it this time, and it only takes once to die. Don't you ever die on us like that Marcia Granger. Now I am going to examine you so I know that we don't have to go back in the OR and do emergency repair service."

After the examination, Ally told the nurse that Marcia could go to the floor. When the orderly came to take Marcia to her room, Ally followed right behind them. When they got to the general care floor, Marcia was put in a room with an older woman. The lady was told Marcia's name, and that she would be here for quite a while. After admonishing Marcia to get some rest, Ally left. She stopped long enough at the nurses station to give last minute instructions for Marcia's care, and to write prescriptions.
 
 
Chapter IV - Marcia's hospital stay.
 
 
Marcia was in and out of sleep for most of the day. The anesthetic hadn't worn off until the next morning. The nurse came in with a breakfast tray and a menu. She told Marcia that she could order anything from the menu, there were no diet restrictions. She showed Marcia where the number on the menu for room service was, and she said if she wanted to call out she had to dial 9 first. Then the nurse looked at the IV and the monitors, and then took Marcia's vital sign readings. After the nurse left, Marcia looked at the breakfast tray, and gave a turned up nose to the food. She was still tired and exhausted, and she fell back alseep.

Marcia woke up and saw Ally sitting by the bed. "Hi," she said very weakly.

"Don't you 'hi' me Marcia Granger. The nurse called me and said you hadn't eaten your breakfast. Listen here woman, you need to eat to gain your strength back. Joe and the girls and little Sean are waiting to see you. Now, it is about an hour before lunch. I will have them come in and see you, but I will be back to make sure you eat, even if I have to feed you myself." Ally went out and sent in the Granger family. Ally went to get herself a cup of coffee.

"Mom," Charlie said looking really worried. "Dr. Turner said you didn't eat this morning. Mother, please, you have to eat. We want you back home as soon as you are well enough. But you can't get well if you don't eat."

"I know, dear. I saw the tray, but my eyes wouldn't stay open. I will try better at lunch. Who was it that called Ally?"

"I did, dear, but it was Janey that said you didn't look well, and that we should call Ally right away. I called her and then came up to see if you needed anything. Do you remember that?"

"Not right now, I don't. But maybe that's a good thing. How is Sean doing? May I see him?"

Sheila brought Sean over, and sat down next to the bed. She helped her mother hold Sean. Marcia was very grateful and proud that her family was responsible and caring. She held Sean for a few minutes, and then the nurse came in and said they should come back afer lunch. They all left with hugs, and promised to be back after lunch was over. Sean needed to be changed, and fed, so they were going to go and have something to eat themselves. As they were leaving, Ally came in.

"Well, are you ready to have lunch? I took the liberty and ordered it for you. It should be here in a few minutes. I am staying here until you finish it too. When I was called this morning that you didn't eat, I got really worried. You almost lost your, well, everything. You are very lucky to have the family you do." Just then a lady in a maroon colored uniform set Marcia's tray on her bedside table. Marcia Just looked at it, but didn't seem to interested in eating any of it. "Now I see what's going on. You're a little too weak yet. Okay, I will help you. I will also leave orders at the nurses desk that you will need help eating for a bit until you can get your strength back to at least hold a spoon." Ally then helped Marcia eat her lunch.

"That's a good girl, now you get some rest. I will make sure they help you get your nourishment when your tray is brought up. If you want I will leave a standing order for your meals. They will come up automatically. Would that be alright, Marcia?" Marcia smiled weakly and just nodded.

The lady in the other bed was saying something to Marcia as she drifted off to sleep. Marcia dreamed of being with her family, and Sean was grown up, and had a family of his own. But her dream was interrupted by the nurse. She had to take Marcia's vital signs and then check the monitors. When the nurse was finished she smiled at Marcia, and sat down in the chair next to the bed.

"Hi Marcia, I'm Janey, and I will be your nurse for this afternoon. I saw the order Dr. Turner left that you will need help eating. The PCA is Maria, and she is very nice. I understand you have a daughter named Janey. I think that is so cool. Your family is waiting to see you, so I will go for now. You try and get some rest, even while they are here." Marcia could only nod, and Janey left.

"Hey mom," Janey said smiling. "Did you know the nurse's name is Janey too? I think that is soooooooo cool. Anyway, Sheila has Sean, and they will be right up. Daddy wanted us to come up now. We saw Dr. Turner who said we should help you as much as we can, because you are too weak right now to even eat. So we will help you. We all brought our homework too, so we can do that here. We want you to get well quickly mom, so you can come home. Everybody misses you.

“I’m trying honey. I just feel so drained.”
 
 
Chapter V — Marcia goes home.
 
 
The next week went by fast, and Marcia was well enough to go home, but was told she was not well enough to go back to work. When Marcia got home, she was put to bed and told that everybody was glad she was home. Two hours later, Marcia was caught in the kitchen making a salad.

“Mother! Just what do you think you are doing?”

“Making a salad, Charlie.”

“You are supposed to ask one of us. How are you feeling?”

“I’m feeling alright. A little weak yet, but I am getting there, and I have to eat to get my strength back. Don’t I?”

“Yes, I suppose so, but Dr. Turner said you were to stay in bed until she said you were well enough to get up.”

“Well Charlie, I do have to walk around a bit. So I thought I would do my walking by coming down here and making a salad.”

“But you are supposed to walk with someone, like one of the girls or me,” Joe said coming into the kitchen. “Now, when you want to go back to your room, you let one of us know, and we will help.”

“Okay, if you say so, warden.”

Marcia ate her salad, and then slowly started back to her room. Sheila decided then to come in the kitchen.

“Mother! Daddy! Mom is trying to walk by herself!” Sheila yelled through the house. Joe was there in almost an instant.

“Dear, didn’t I tell you to call for one of us? Come on, I’ll help you back to the room.”

Joe helped Marcia back to their room. He made sure that she was in bed before he went back downstairs. He called Ally and told her what Marcia had done, and Ally said she would over as soon as she was finished with her last patient . When Ally got to Marcia’s house, Joe took her upstairs.

“Hi Ally.”

“Don’t hi me, Marcia Granger. You were told to stay in bed, and that the girls and Joe would help you. Now just what is this going down the stairs by yourself? You aren’t that strong yet, physically. Do you want me to put you back in the hospital just so I know that you are safe? I will you know.”

“But I can’t stay in bed all day. I have to get up and walk around.”

Ally picked up the little school bell, and shook it at Marcia. “Then you use this, so that one of the girls or Joe can help you. I will let you know when you are strong enough to get up on your own.”
 
 
Chapter VI — The present time.
 
 
That was fifteen years ago. I have grown up a little since then. I am five feet, five and a half inches tall, and I have a very small frame for a boy. My hair was allowed to grow down past my shoulders, and my skin is soft and delicate. I am Sean Mair Granger, and I have a wonderful family.

My father is no longer with us, because he didn’t like the way mom and my sisters let me live the way I wanted to. Before he left, he called me several disparaging words. He slammed the door when he left, and never came back. Mom divorced him six years ago, and we have been on our own since.

Today was a very special day for me, because I was graduating from photography school. This was something mom had let me do on the weekends. The red satin cap and gowns were very colorful. I stood in line with the twenty other classmates, waiting for the dean to call my name.

“Miss Sean Mair Granger,” he said and smiled at me as I walked up on the stage to get my diploma. I smiled as he handed it to me, and went to join the others. Mom hugged me for completing one goal. Charlie, Sheila, Janey, and Naomi hugged me too because they loved having a younger sister. There was a dinner in honor of the students who were graduating. This wasn’t just one of those schools you go to just to be doing something. This school had their graduates working in Hollywood and New York. The dean was supposed to be a retired photographer from one of the big fashion magazines in New York, but nobody knew exactly which one. I went to the school so I could work as a newspaper photographer. But I had to graduate from high school first.

The dinner was a formal affair at the west side Hilton. There was dancing, and there wasn’t one boy who didn’t ask me to dance. I was having a good time, when Joey came and asked to cut in. Joey was a bully, that always had to have his way. After I had danced with him, he wanted to take me upstairs for a little “treat”. Charlie saw me trying to resist as best as I could, and then mom was right there.

“Young man, just what are you trying to do to my daughter?”

He looked like he was caught stealing a cookie from the cookie jar. He didn’t answer mom, just started backing away. When he got a little ways away, he started making threats and talking like he was tough. The police commissioner was there and he told Joey to stop acting like he was retarded and go home. What we didn’t know was, Joey pretended to go home, and when the dinner was over, Joey came from out of the bushes.

“I know who you are Sean Mair. I’m going to make you my girlfriend even if I have to kill you.”

“Young man, I don’t know who you think you are, but if any harm comes to my daughter, I will make sure your life is a living hell.”

“What are you going to do, put me in jail?”

“Oh no, jail would be too good for you. What I have in mind is something you can never come back from, and I don’t mean I will kill you physically, but you will die and be born entirely as someone else.”

“You’re crazy. How can I die and be born as someone else if my body doesn’t die?”

“Harm Sean, and you will live to find out.”

“Yeah well, she’s mine and I don’t care what you say. You’re crazy.”

“If you say so, young lady.”

“I ain’t no young lady, I’m a dude. Now I know you’re crazy.”

“And you are nothing but a bully that needs a big lesson in what life is all about.”

“Whatever,” Joey said angrily as he walked away.

“Come Sean, let’s go home. If he bothers you, you tell me. I guarantee he won’t ever bother you again after that.”

“Yes mother.”
 
 
Chapter VII — Joey.
 
 
Joey Seether was the school bully and many of the kids were afraid of him. What he didn’t know is that when he picked on Sean, he picked on the wrong girl. Joey was seventeen and ready to graduate from high school. He was the same height as Sean and thought that he had to be a bully so others wouldn’t pick on him.

There was something else that Joey didn’t know, and that was that Sean’s mother Marcia has certain powers that she can call up at will. Oh, she still runs her real estate business and is doing really good without using any kind of magic. But then she doesn’t have to. She never forces a customer to take something they either can’t use, or don’t want.

But Joey was different. Marcia had heard what he said to Sean, and she had seen Joey try to force his intentions on Sean too. Marcia was not an over protective mother, but she was there for her girls, and she intended to be there as long as there was a breath in her body.

On the way home, Marcia stopped at an arcane book store and was looking for a spell book that she could change to get a different result.

Oh alright, I guess! You want to know how Marcia all of a sudden developed magical powers. Well I will tell you.

Marcia Mair, she was granted her maiden name during the divorce, was the daughter of a witch who had no scruples. If she felt someone deserved or even didn’t deserve to be turned into a toad or other distasteful thing, she would do it out of spite, and all to men, because Marcia’s mother hated men with a passion. When Marcia had married Joe, he was warned he had better treat Marcia with the utmost respect. It was only when Marcia did not discourage Sean’s insistence to be treated as a girl, that Joe left. Marcia filed for divorce right away.

Joe tried to bring up in court that Marcia was neglectful of her children because she allowed their son to be treated as a girl. The judge had assigned a child social worker to investigate, and she testified in Marcia’s behalf. Joe was furious. After the judge had granted the divorce to Marcia, and ordered Joe to pay child support, Joe stormed out of the courtroom. He knew it was futile to fight Marcia because of her mother. So he disappeared. Joe never paid any child support, and Marcia didn’t care because she was doing so good selling homes.

When they got home, Sean went to her room. She put in a Brandy CD and just began dancing around. Charlie came in and sat on the bed while the song was playing. When the first song ended Charlie told Sean they needed to talk. Sean turned down the volume, and she sat next to Charlie.

“Sean, mom asked me to talk to you. You seemed to have taken to being a girl naturally. I mean you aren’t struggling like boys who are transgendered do. Every feminine thing you do comes natural to you. Mother wants to know if you will take a certain ritual to see if you come by this femininity biologically. If you do, then what mom has proposed is, to make you physically female and fully functional. In other words, you would be the same as the rest of us. The ritual does have a little pain to it, but it is more of a sting than a real pain.

“All of us have gone through it, but because you have a male body mom didn’t think to ask, because this ritual is only for natural females, and can be very harmful to a male. But, mom says if there is anything inside of you that is naturally female, that is what the ritual will focus on. If you come out of the ritual unharmed, then mom wants to know if you will let her cast a permanent spell on you, making you completely female inside and out.”

“I will take part in the ritual. What can the harmful thing for males be, if they take the ritual?”

“They can die, or be permanently mentally ill. If none of this happens to you, that tells us that you are naturally female somewhere in your body. Then mom can use a permanent spell to make you just like us inside and out. So, do you still want to go through the ritual?”

“Yes, I do.” She hugged me, and said she had to go and tell mom. She also said that mom would be so delighted because her youngest daughter wasn’t afraid.

Of course I was afraid, but I am a Mair and we don’t back down just because of a few shortcomings. We face them together. Mom came in with my sisters, and we all sat down to talk. When mom had a family meeting, nobody was left out. If somebody was not at home, mom would wait until they got there. But this was a special meeting. It was because mom had to explain the dangers of this ritual to me, because I was born male.

After she explained everything in detail, she asked me if I still wanted to go through the ritual. When I said yes, I got hugs from everyone. Because there were two days of school left, mom said the ritual would be held on Saturday. It wouldn’t be bad at school because everybody knew me as a girl anyway. So if I changed physically over the summer, nobody would see a difference. I didn’t have gym classes because my doctors said I was already taking gymnastics five times a week, and that the so-called gym classes at school would be detrimental to my training. So they had me take home economics instead. Mom might be a witch but she wasn’t like grandma, because mom never used her powers for spite, but always for good. Think of Samantha and her mother on Bewitched and that is pretty much what it is between mother and grandma.

The next two days of school went by fast, and it was Friday night. Tomorrow was the spring equinox, and that is when the ritual had to be done. There are two equinoxes in a year, spring/summer, autumn/winter, and any permanent spell that is cast must be cast on those days for it to work. It wouldn’t be bad at school because everybody knew me as a girl anyway. So if I changed physically over the summer, nobody would see a difference. Mom did explain that if the spell worked perfectly I would be female inside and out and if that happened it would be my legacy, because the Mair family was entirely female. It seems either the men of the Mair family (no matter what their last name was) either left or were comitted to state mental hospitals. That is interesting when you think about it.

Tonight though I wouldn't be sleeping in my room, because it was cluttered with too many emotions that could be bad for me before the ritual. So tonight I would be sleeping in what we called the "clean" room, where only those gettig ready for the ritual slept one night. A brand new nightie was laid out for me, and the room sparkled like the sun. As I got ready for bed, I had to take all of my clothes off just outside the ensuite bathroom, and take a really good shower. Mom said it was to wash away anything negative that would stop me from completing the ritual successfully. She said when I woke up, I would also have to take another really good shower and put on brand new clothes. She said this way anything bad, negative, or indifferent would be blocked and I could complete the ritual successfully.

Of course through the years I knew mom was a little strange, but when I was told she was a real witch, I just thought it was a joke. Now, after I have seen her do things I know it is no joke. Even in the Bible it says thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. So if there is no such thing as witches why is it mentioned in the Bible? Anyway, I am ready to face my legacy of becoming a young lady.