Part 46 By Anistasia Allread “Any moment now.” Mr. Martin told Erika as he stood up. Erika pushed herself to her feet and smoothed down the royal blue, sweater dress she was wearing. Her palms began to sweat with nervousness as she followed her father's lead and ambled to a column about thirty feet from the exit of the security gate. “Here she comes.” her father said. |
 |
P&P 46
--o0o--
Erika sat nervously outside the Arrivals security check point. Her father seemed so calm, so reserved and pulled together. The only thing that gave him away was a quick glance from his magazine to the clock across the waiting area.
The plane had just landed and was going through the tedious process of taxiing up to the gate. Another roar and window rattling shook the building as a jet sped past at full throttle getting to take off speed.
Erika tried not to think back to the events that happened two weeks ago, but the more she tried to 'not' think about it, the more they needled themselves into her thoughts.
~~ ~~ ~~ ~~
She had laid in bed her thoughts sour. Her stomach sour. Her whole being sour. She lay there listening for her dad to come home. Hoping for his arrival yet dreading his arrival. She was just plain miserable.
When she heard his truck drive up and park she sat upright in bed and listened, straining to hear his foot steps, wanting to make sure that it was indeed him.
“I'm home!” he announced from the front door.
Silence.
“Hello? Where are my girls?” he asked puzzled.
Erika took in a deep breath to call down to him.
“We need to talk about your child .” Erika heard her mother call from the living room in a pinched voice. The voice that she used when something was bothering her and you really didn't want to know what it was.
Erika jumped up out of bed and started down the stairs. “She had a priest over to interrogate me.” Erika snapped.
Erika watched as her father's gaze snapped up to meet hers, then snap back to where her mother was sitting.
“She has been out of control, gallivanting off at night with those delinquents she calls friends.”
“I was an hour late.” Erika yelled at her mother.
The fight escalated with Erika making her way down stairs, while her mother rose from her seat. They stood on either side of Mr. Martin accusing and pointing the finger at one another.
At one point, her father had to actually pull the two of them apart.
“You are an embarrassment.” her mother shouted.
“You are a cold hearted bitch, I hate you!” Erika screamed back.
“Up stairs, now!” he ordered Erika. “I'll deal with you in a minute.” he growled.
Erika's heart pounded, adrenaline raced through her veins, her face was hot with rage as she forced herself to retreat to her bedroom. Her body shook with un-vented anger. She buried her face in a pillow and screamed. She took a deep breath and screamed again, and again. Tears flowed freely, her face was red with emotion. She threw the pillow across her room as hard as she could and fell onto her bed.
“You promised me that you would keep religion out of this.” Erika could hear disappointment and anger in her father's voice.
Erika put on her headphones and cranked up her stereo to drown out the argument below.
A while later, her father opened her door. Erika unplugged her music and stared at her father. He looked like someone had just hit him in the gut, wrecked his truck, killed his puppy and told him that he had one week to l.
“Why didn't you call your mother when you were past your curfew?”
“My phone battery was dead.” Erika hugged a pillow to her stomach.
“Why didn't you use a friend's phone?”
“I didn't think it was that big a deal.”
A slamming of a closet door sounded from downstairs.
“What is she doing?” Erika asked, not sure she wanted to hear the answer.
“She is leaving.” His voice was hollow and dead sounding.
“Where too? For how long?”
“She's going to her mother's. I don't know how long.” he looked like he was about to cry.
Tears ran unheeded down Erika's cheeks. Her eyes burned. It hurt so much to see her dad in this much pain.
“She has a lot of things to think about.”
“Is she coming back?” Erika was suddenly worried about her family.
“I. . . I don't know.” he hung his head. “I hope so.”
“I'm sorry daddy.” Erika sobbed. “I'm sorry I didn't call. I didn't know it would cause all of this.”
The front door slammed shut. The house was silent except the quiet shuddering breaths of her father, and the snuffing of her nose. Erika wiped her eyes on the corner of her pillow and heard her mother's car start and pull out of the drive way.
“She's driving to Grandma's?”
“She's going to her friend's house tonight and flying tomorrow morning.”
~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~
Erika's stomach felt queezy just thinking about the whole thing. She wondered if time away would help or hinder their relationship.
“Any moment now.” Mr. Martin told Erika as he stood up.
Erika pushed herself to her feet and smoothed down the royal blue, sweater dress she was wearing. Her palms began to sweat with nervousness as she followed her father's lead and ambled to a column about thirty feet from the exit of the security gate.
“Here she comes.” her father said.
Erika looked up and bit her lip, anxious at the homecoming. She saw her mother wearing jeans, and a puffy white winter coat, pulled a suitcase behind her. Her mom's face looked nearly as anxious as her own felt. When she spotted the two of them she smiled and waved. Something was different about her, but Erika was too preoccupied to notice exactly what.
“Welcome home.” Mr. Martin said wrapping her in a hug and tentatively kissing her.
“You look cute.” She said appraising Erika standing nervously beside her father. Her mother wrapped her in a hug.
Her mother called her cute. She was taken aback by the compliment. Maybe her mother did have a change of heart.
“I love you momma.” Erika could feel tears burning her eyes. “I'm so sorry about some of the things I said.”
“I'm sorry too.” her mother spoke softly. She gave Erika a firmer squeeze then pulled back.
“You cut your hair.” Erika realized.
Mrs. Martin's fingers touched her tresses. “I did.” she nodded.
“Let's have a look.” Erika's dad stated.
Erika's mother slowly turned around to model her new look for them.
“Looks good.” her father smiled as her mother finished her rotation. “How was your flight?”
“You know me. Once I get a drink or two in me, I can deal with speeding through the air in an aluminum tube.” Mrs. Martin
The three began walking to the car, an uneasy, uncertain silence fell between them.
“How is school?” Mrs. Martin inquired.
“Same. . . nothing new.”
“I suppose the house is a wreck.”
“Erika has done very well at keeping up on the house work.” Mr. Martin defended. “. . . It's only partially a wreck.”
“We're out of laundry soap.” Erika commented as they climbed into the back seat of the truck, “. . . and peanutbutter.”
“I suppose there are pizza boxes stacked up in the garage.”
“We only ordered pizza one night.” Mr. Martin lifted his chin defiantly.
Mrs. Martin eyed the two with disbelief.
“We'll pick up your car tomorrow morning.” Erika's dad told his wife.
“Grandma says she I proud of your grades.” Mrs. Martin stated.
“Did you tell her about. . . you know?”
Mrs. Martin nodded. “She's says she can't wait to see you when she comes for Christmas.”
“She's coming for Christmas?” Erika couldn't believe her ears. Her Grandmother hated to fly worse than her mother did. They hadn't seen her in three years. The last time is when they flew to see her.
“She also said that she wants pictures.”
“I decided to have surgery.” Erika blurted out, getting the weight of the decision off from her chest.
“You did?”
“Yes.” Erika affirmed sheepishly.
“She has an appointment with the surgeon tomorrow.” her father pulled out of the parking structure and started down the road.
Erika's grandmother knew the big secret now and was excited to see her at Christmas. What would her grandmother say? How would she act? Would she accept her? It sounded like she was already accepting her. Erika's mind started to whirl around the possibilities not only with her grandmother, but also with her mother.
It was late when her father pulled the truck into the driveway and shut off the engine. Erika entered the house ahead of her parents and wearily climbed the stairs to her room.
Home. They were all home, together. There were still some unspoken things between them that needed to be worked out, and she didn't know if it would feel 'right' for a while, but they were all where they needed to be, under the same roof.
Erika carefully hung her dress back up. It was still clean and could be worn to school in the morning. It would look cute with her leggings and new boots. Since Samantha had her license, it was easier to plan outfits now that she didn't have to walk to and from school.
She slipped into her nightgown, brushed her teeth and snuggled into bed. The parental units, she decided would need time to mend their hurts.
A knock sounded at her door.
“Yes?”
Her mother entered her room. “You are going to bed without saying good night?”
“Sorry. I was trying to give you and dad some time alone.”
She nodded. “I'm glad to hear that you decided to have the surgery.”
It was Erika's turn to nod.
“I just want to let you know that I love you, Erika. I'm not thrilled with this change you have made, but I will try harder to not . . . . over re-act.”
“I missed you mom.” Erika's body felt warm with a wave of relief and love.
“I've missed you too.” her mother planted a kiss on her forehead and retreated from the room. “Good night.”
Erika grabbed her phone and sent out a text. : Home :
Tricia : How did it go?”
Erika : a bit weird, but okay.
Samantha : How are you?
Erika : Fine.
Tricia : Your mom?”
Erika : She's going to try.
Samantha : Is your mom still going nuts?
Erika : No. She's trying to be understanding.
Tricia : What did she say?
Erika : She isn't happy with my decision, but will try to not over react.
Samantha : Did you tell her that you are going to have surgery?
Erika: Yes.
Samantha: You should have told her that you are going to have breast implants.
Erika: lol
Tricia : I'm glad you are all home safe
Erika : Love you.
Tricia : Love you too. Night.
Erika : Sweet dreams.
Samantha : See you tomorrow.
Erika : ok
Erika turned off her lamp and snuggled into her blankets.
--o0o--
To be continued. . .
If you liked this post, you can leave a comment and/or a kudos!
Click the Thumbs Up! button below to leave the author a kudos:
And please, remember to comment, too! Thanks.
Comments
a note from the author
sorry this one is a bit short. It does have a lot in it though. I hope to post a longer chapter with the next post.
It's getting closer to the end of this part of the saga and I still don't know if Erika should continue with her transition into womanhood, or if she should have a change of heart. I'm really struggling with this. both sides have great points. we all like Disney endings, but I also want to be true to character and a little to realistic possabilities.
Thank you for continuing to follow this story and I'm sorry there was a dry spell, but like I said last week, I'm really trying to work on HaP.
Hope you all are having a happy holiday
love, A.A.
Second or Third doubts are understandable
... but the only way to make this 'realistic' is that Erika has to be given the unfettered opportunity to be her/himself. The struggle for me to be objective in all this is of course my personal POV. To me I cannot see how Erika can try to be a fully masculine Eric for a while and then pull back and be able to be successful as Erika again is pretty difficult.
Hormones are powerful things and at her age can affect a lot of stuff and a deep voice and a masculine build is a pretty high price to be paid to find out you had made a mistake. There is also no guarantee that as a man, he would be attractive.
If I were she, it is definitely more of the case of working with the enemy ( or friend ) you know then one you don't. She has found a measure of happiness as a girl and the only doubts she really has is the strain she has put on her parents. That alone is a poor reason to detransition.
She should push her transition to her limit while she can until she realizes that she is not cut out to be a woman. Erika, if she was genetic will of course go through the bad as well as the good things of being a girl/woman. If she encounters the bad things and still finds womanhood fits her sense of selfhood then that will inform her decision and I say then it is a no-brainer.
Reiterating my point: There is still plenty of time to detransition if necessary. Testosterone is powerful, it will still masculinize at any point in her life.
For me I never found my identity belonged with my birth gender and the way Erika has been presented to date, she is not an emotional fit as a male person. What does that mean ? Testosterone blunts emotional feeling, FTMs have found that they find it a lot harder to cry or feel emotions as deeply after going on T. You are a very different person afterwards.
In the latter case, I have a real life example of a GG who fell in love with an MTF in the midst of transition. The MTF decided to stop transition, claiming it would not change HIM. But yes, the lack of estrogen did change her. The GG confided in me that she decided to continue the relationship but it was not quite the same and she misses the person she first fell in love with.
That said, Tricia may say now that she would love Erika boy or girl, but the reality of loving an awkward boy going through puberty again, potentially lacking sensitivity may very well end their relationship.
My 2 farthings worth.
Kim
If she does remain a boy ...
You'd sure be breaking the mold; maybe make some fans unhappy.
I have my own opinion about Admiral Krunch's classic. Perhaps he came up to the same decision, hit the wall and just abandoned the story, either permanently or until he could work it out. I've heard all sorts of other explanations but I ain't buyin' em.
I am very happy in my new life, but I have to say that I have some personal decisions coming up about next fall, and due to some practicalities, I may return to living, or at least dressing as a Man. I am thinking about traveling and camping out and a Man is just a lot safer doing it solo. I'm secure in myself and don't mind changing the wrapping to suit my purposes.
Many Blessings
Khadijah Gwen
There are a lot of issues to resolve here
Will the testosterone start flowing once the surgery is had. There are many options available here. With Admiral Krunch I think that story has it's outcome already set by the events that have unfolded and the way the main character has reacted to all of it. It's just a matter of getting the storyline to work toward the logical conclusion there. This one isn't quite there yet. I want Erica to win out but yet I don't know if that is the way it should go. Guess we'll all just wait and see. I'll read it with interest regardless.
So...
I really don't like Mrs. Martin. Whatever way you try to justify her actions she was way out line with those cops and ever further out of line with that priest. I certainly don't buy her sudden change in character just because she took a break from the situation, unless she's bipolar or possibly planning something really bad for Erika.
I'm with you
I just do not trust the bitch. Zealots and bigots are the worst of all evils.
Her mother (and maybe even grandma) is just biding her time, in allegence with the reverend and his army of christ church members... that is terrifying. I was almost waiting for him to be introduced as Rev. Phelps.
Or...
She could have a heart to heart with someone whose opinion she trusts, who said she thought having a grand-daughter was a great idea. This story is very much a real story, and as such it reflects true life where people are seldom truly villains. I suffered for the better part of 12 years at the hands of bullies yet I know for a fact two of them came from abusive homes. Worse in a situation that gave me power I found it far too easy to bully.
People are what their environment makes them, while I fully agree on the nature rather than nurture theory things like bigotry and hate are learned not built in. Without a greater in depth look at Mrs. Martin we're unlikely to know quite what makes her tick nor why she flips seemingly from one end to the other.
I'm willing to let the story play out, though I'd rather suspect that being afraid of becoming 'The Plague' again would be something that Erika would avoid more than anything else... if I'd had the opportunity to become someone popular and well liked instead of the overweight fat cry baby I was while at school I'd have jumped at the chance, and fought tooth and nail to stay that way. Weighing up the pros and cons of being Erica I doubt she'd see many cons. Eric on the other hand is mainly cons.
JC
The Legendary Lost Ninja
Washing her hands of responsibility.
I think you're trying to hard to take the responsibility out of Mrs. Martin's hands and using a nature vs. nurture argument to do it. I know people who live in the bible belt of the states and a lot of them are Christians, however a few of them rejected religion in favour of science, even though the environment in which they were raised should have predetermined that they would have grown up entirely Christian.
I know you can easily say that these people are outliers and don't necessarily reflect the theory. However, I think what's truly important to remember about this is everything boils down to a personal choice. How you are going to react to a certain situation is entirely up to you regardless of your upbringing. You may be brought up to believe in God and to be a Christian but it's still your choice to either look at the facts and say "I will continue to believe" or "I reject these beliefs". It doesn't matter that Mrs. Martin was raised to believe homosexuals are going to hell, what really, *truly* matters is that Mrs. Martin rejected her child in *favour* of these beliefs. In the end it was *her* choice to do this. To deflect this first choice because of "nature vs. nurture" arguments is to wash her hands of responsibility. No matter the reasoning behind her actions, her actions were still wrong. Those actions *are* inexcusable.
Furthermore, if her beliefs were so important to her that she would reject her child the first time around, why is it all right that she suddenly wants to understand just because her mother said she should? If her beliefs were *so* important that she would actually abuse and *betray* Erika's trust, how do we know she won't do it again? If those beliefs were so important to her that she actually *stormed* out on her husband how do we know she isn't planning on trying to "save Erika's soul" again? How do we know? Well, we don't. All we're left with are our opinions based on her past actions. I honestly still think that something nasty is coming for Erika from her mother. If those beliefs were so important to her, a sudden understanding or rejection of those beliefs is completely unrealistic without her, at the very least, suffering a relapse. If Mrs. Martin was truly free of her previous bigotry it certainly would have been important enough to see written down in a chapter.
To wrap it up, I *don't* think we've seen the last of her disgusting behaviour. It should be interesting to see what happens when the grandmother comes to visit for Christmas. Mrs. Martin *had* to learn her behaviour from somewhere, right? I'm an eternal pessimist so I'm sitting her thinking that the grandmother will be Mrs. Martin's last ditch effort to save her son. Hopefully I'm wrong, but with Mrs. Martin you just never know.
Still suspicious....
I completely agree and offer this additional note. At this point in time, I think that Mrs. Martin's sudden and unexplained turn-about is a calculated effort to keep Erika around and 'off-guard' until Grandma arrives.....
PB
Washing her hands of responsibility, altogether identical to..
...Pilate's response to the whole matter of the crucifixion. And you are entirely right. Keeping in mind that there are trans-gendered Christians, there remains a dichotomy between faith practiced as opposed to abstract belief. As I said to someone just moments ago, the verse, "Come unto me who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest" seems to have been removed from the Bibles of all too many people. Christianity is supposed to be inclusive and meant to reconcile, and unfortunately some, all too many I believe, have not always held fast to those concepts. It is sad that a whole belief system meant to express love and forgiveness has been expressed by many as just the opposite. And that is profoundly sad. Excellent observations, dear one.
She was born for all the wrong reasons but grew up for all the right ones.
Possa Dio riccamente vi benedica, tutto il mio amore, Andrea
Love, Andrea Lena
LOL, you're confusing
LOL, I agree wholeheartedly but you're confusing Christianity with Christians.
Your observations about Mrs Martin's character are spot on. Yes "this is only fiction" but nevertheless she put her faith's bigoted views before her child. That is a huge character flaw for which she will have to go to the ends of the earth for a spec of very cautious trust.
I once wanted to make a bumper sticker that says
"Christ is coming and oh God is he pissed!"
Meaning his teachings have been perverted into franchises that probably resemble nothing of what he intended.
This is such a good story!
This was a wonderful surprise!
I am theorizing that since brain material doesn't do a great job of repairing its self, then she is permantently a girl, and with the pituitary having been damaged due to the tumor, I don't see a lot that is repairable or that Erica would want to change. It would be nice if the damage also caused ovaries and the rest of it. :)
Nice job!
Gwen
The Princess and the Plague: 46
Me, I see Erika's birth chamber biding her time until she can 'liberate' her child and send Erika to some ort of Bible Boot Camp to be 'saved'. She has shown that propensity before.
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
It's Grandma - Duh!!!
RAMI
It’s simple -Duh!!!
Mom comes home from a visit with her mother, Eric's grandmother, who is willing to meet with, and apparently love her grandchild even if that child is now a girl Erika. So mom probably expected an ally in her mother and instead probably got a lesson (lecture) in loving her child unconditionally. Perhaps grandma, reminded mom of something that happened in mom's past, or perhaps in grandma's circle of friends there is a family who had a transgendered or maybe gay child who was rejected and then did the ultimate act of revenge by killing themselves. Perhaps grandma warned mom that her acts, not necessarily her attitude ,could lead to: a) estrangement from her child, b) divorce from her husband and c) the death of Eric.
As to the open question, what finally happens to Eric/Eric/a/Erika, I was in the past one of the champions of the Eric has never had a chance to be a self-assured boy, who could face the world as anything other then the plague. I still think that somehow, he should be given that chance to explore a secure life as a self-assured male. Why? So that if and when (and at this point I think, the greater part of the readership will hope when)he decides to live at least partially as a woman he will have no regrets. Remember, until this past summer, less then 6 months ago in the context of the story, he had never, ever, even experimented with wearing a female's clothes. It is not as if he grew up, as apparently many of the readers here, knowing from the age of 3 or 4, that they were a girl inside, and their heart and brain did not match their outward appearance. He “enjoys being a girlâ€, because as a girl, he is not “The Plagueâ€. His life was at the point, that probably anything, perhaps even suicide, was better then being “The Plagueâ€. The dilemma , “Panties†or “Suicideâ€. I think the decision to go with “Panties’ was rational under the circumstances.
What I would love to see, is some interlude when, Eric is given a chance to be a male again. Since it appears A.A. is looking for input, from her loyal readers, here is a suggestion.
Erika has the operation, a week before Christmas break. She recovers over Christmas. Sage grandma visits for Christmas. She suggests a compromise for all the family. Eric agrees to return to being a boy for one school semester. Everyone agrees. Eric, attends the other school in town. Is befriended by the Sk8tr girls. Is still friendly with the Camp friends. Eric goes on a voyage of discovery. Is not the butt of ridicule from the students at the new school and in the end makes a decision. What it will be should depend on how that year goes and the influences of friends, family and situation.
My conclusion, would be..., he remains a male, attends college with Tricia, marries her and is able to freely express his female side and identity in a loving marriage.
RAMI
RAMI
I'm with Rami on this one...
My only question is if Tricia is going to realize that it is Eric/Erika the person that she loves, not the "wrapper" (i love that term!).
Hugs!
Jenna
I think the time when Eric could be the ...
... new self-assured Eric is past. The choice was there when Erika returned from camp: Tell his parents everything, meet with the school officials with his parents and a lawyer onboard, and tell the mysoginist jocks to go to hell. That plan was never given a chance because instead of encouraging Eric, Erika's friends almost automatically backed the really risky secretly go to school as Erika plan, and, against all odds, it worked. Going to a new school as Eric at this point would only be avoiding his confronting and overcoming his past demons, and going back to the same school where it would be almost impossible to hide that he had been Erica would be hell and he would only be labeled the sissy transvestite plague. I would like to see Erika go public about her past as Eric and transition at her current school. With her parents and her school girlfriends and the law's backing, I think the school would have to fall in line, and I think she could make it. (No chance of dating the cheer or pep squad members for guys who hassle Erika.) The time for Eric to try and make it is past. (But freeze some sperm! )
BE a lady!
Either way it ends up going,
Either way it ends up going, for right now she needs to go on blockers. You can't undo the changes that Testosterone is going to make in her, and I don't think Erika is strong enough to be Erika if she were being read all the time.
Eric / Erika still needs an awful lot of time with Dr. Barts to work through having been the plaque. Frankly, I doubt that at this point Erika could pull off being Eric. She wasn't very good at it before she became Erika and now she has had immersive full time as Erika since June / July.
In fact she was struggling when she tried to hide it from her mother and father earlier in the year. Her mother of course was on her all the time looking for it, but still she is not going to go back to being Eric easily.
Of course, in real life, it would never have progressed this way, she wouldn't have made it through the first day at Camp K, and certainly not the first week. But its a fictional story and suspension of belief is expected. She surely would not have gotten away with showing up at school as a different person in real life either.
And absolutely (as we have discussed many times) Dr. Barts would be insisting that she face the problems of being Eric as Eric first, and then look to whether being Erika was right for her. But that wouldn't have been nearly as much fun as this has been.
So once again, thanks Anistatsia for what is still my favorite story here in the Big Closet. I look forward to more as you have time, believe me I understand the difficulties that RL can face. I also have not had anytime for writing of late.
I know that you are vacillating over the direction to take, I know what I hope for, but it is your story. I truly hope you avoid turning it into a tragedy, though, as that would make it too difficult to ever read again.
hugs,
Kristy
For all that Erika has gone through
I feel that Erika will win out in the end. He was never happy as a boy and suffered greatly at the hands of his classmates. True, Erica has suffered also, mostly with her mother's weird reactions. It looks like mother is coming around. I'm sure that Grandmother is responsible for that change. Now, with breast implants in the near future, it's the beginning of "no turning back" time. Yes, Erica will come out as a beautiful, happy young lady. And, we will all rejoice!
Diane
Be interesting to see where this all goes but my comment on the
Eric or Erica thing is that Eric has experience a huge amount of pain ... Erica has gotten lots of love and rewards (except from Mom). I'd expect Erica to win in the end but who knows (beside the author) there could be a lot more interesting stuff coming yet.
No going back
I'm afraid it isn't realistic to expect Eric to return. Socially, Erika is too well off, and moreover a de-transition would look too much like giving in to mum's bullying. She also seems way too comfortable as a girl to really be a boy under it all. And despite what the adults say there's no evidence that changes in the hormone balance have any effect in 'curing' transsexuality, the medical profession gave up on that approach ages ago.
Now, it may be possible that she'll start producing more testosterone after the operation -- my knowledge of the human endocrine system is minimal. But if that happens, the expected end result won't be a happy Eric but instead a very unhappy Erika. Hormone blockers would seem a good choice in this scenario.
If a realistically unhappy ending is desired, her old identity might be revealed to everyone at school, or mum might continue doing more and more stupid things. I hope not, though.
Thank you for the story so far, and happy New Year.
Not totally unexpected
Mom's seeming sudden turn of heart could very well be a result of a stern lecture or lesson in love from Grandma. From the clues Ani has dropped, it doesn't seem like Grandma is in on a nefarious plot, but who knows for sure? It that does turn out to be the case though, Mom also took some acting lessons while she was away. She wasn't that good at hiding her feelings before her unplanned vacation.
Unless the removal of the tumor changes things, I can't imagine at this point that Erika would have any reason to want to be Eric again. Her interpersonal life up 'til camp was mostly negatives, and now the only real negatives have been coming from her mother. In order for her to be able to sort things out completely objectively, she would have to go live with her Grandma for a while or something, where she is out of contact with her enemies and her friends. I also doubt that she would want to even try unless Dr. Barts insisted. Of course, should that happen, Dr. Barts would have to refer her to someone local to the area in which she is staying, and that could present a whole other laundry list of problems.
Thanks, Anistasia for continuing the story. It is a tribute to your storytelling ability that so many have so many opinions about what should happen next. I have my desires too, but I'm going to keep quiet. It's much more fun to see what you have in store for us next!
Hugs
Carla Ann
Remember After Erika Got Home?
If you remember, Erika tried to live as Eric for the first few days after coming home and felt completely out of sorts. He took every opportunity to put on Erika's clothes whenever he could and finally began living as Erika during school due to some major planning by her friends. All the trouble they went through to change her records could blow up if Eric suddenly showed up at school. He would most certainly be charged with truancy. There is also the issue of some parents getting bent out of shape because they would think him a voyeur who masqueraded as a girl to see their daughters naked.There would most certainly be more serious bullying by his old tormentors. Bullies tend to pick on kids they perceive as different. They picked up something in Eric that was not like they were. If the truth ever came out that Eric was dressing as a girl, the bullying would be far worse than anything previously experienced. I still don't know how to take the sudden change of heart by Erika's mother. Leopards don't tend to change their spots that easily. Maybe her new attitude is really genuine, but it is hard to believe after her previous behavior. Erika's life is so much more than Eric's ever was and she has thrived. I certainly hope Erika decides to stay. Most all of us know from experience that purging yourself only works for so long. It always comes back to who you really are. Most research on Gender Identity suggests that trying to go back to being what the world may expect does not work. It causes additional stress and contributes to the suicide rate. Erika would not have gone through all this if she was not serious. I think that the tumor surgery will not change Erika at the fundamental level of her soul. She is a girl in her heart and in her soul.Trying to make other people happy instead of yourself only leads to misery. I see that happening with Erika if she tries to be Eric to save the parent's marriage. There are a lot bigger issues there than just Erika's gender. If two partners don't share the same values than it is very hard to sustain a marriage in any circumstance, let alone one with a Transgendered child.
P or P?
Welcome back, Erika and Anistasia. I've missed this story.
I truly think it's obvious which way Erika would go if she was 'real.' I could spell it out but I don't want to influence you. I prefer to let you work it out and see what you come up with.
I like the way you had Erika's mom come home. It was a nice homecoming. I would've liked to see some of what happened while she was away but it's not important to the story.
Thanks and please keep up the good work when you can.
- Terry
Whew
Yes, the crack about breast implants was funny. I was thinking, her "I've decided to have surgery" and the mother's relief... usually "surgery" is downstairs.
Good, believable, still with the threat of Mom's difficulty not fully gone...
Hormones
Blockers have not been decided on have they.
hugs :)
Michelle SidheElf Amaianna
her mom is back
I guess its a step in the right direction