Chapter 6: Bobbie is concerned that Cindy has not taken the final steps in her relationship with Don. After all, from a life experience point of view, they are both over 35 years old. So, Bobbie and Andy have given Cindy and Don a little Christmas present.

Chapter 7: The group gets together over the Thanksgiving holiday and Avery is brought in on the magical aspects of the group. He also remembers Donna.

If you haven’t read the previous stories about Cindy and how she arrived where she is now, you should probably read them. Start with An Incremental Journey, Cynthia and the Reluctant Girlfriend, Cynthia and the Dumpster Diver, Cynthia and the Moment of Truth, and Cynthia and the High School Years — Part 1. This story, the twelve chapters, completes the Cynthia Chronicles, Volume 1.

Part 2 is almost as long as part 1. It is 12 chapters and 27,500 words long. There are many more stories out there, and bits and pieces are being discovered almost every day.

I have researched the Spell’s—R-Us Universe diligently and cannot find anything that violates it, other than that The Wizard is a bit kinder and gentler than sometimes reported. Don’t get me wrong. Given an opening, The Wizard could resort to some of his more ironic and nasty transformations. I’m sure that could happen at any time.

Holly really took me to task this time due to my poor sentence structure and punctuation. She wields a firm ruler and isn’t afraid to use it; my poor knuckles. Thank you so much, Holly, for making this more readable!

This work is copyrighted by the author and any publication or distribution without the written consent of the author is strictly prohibited. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of the characters to persons living or dead is coincidental.

Chapter 6 — Bobbie takes charge. So does Marissa

“Cindy, don’t you think it’s time?”

“Time for what?”

“Don’t give me that ‘time for what’ bull shit. Let’s be reasonable about this. If you and Don were normal seventeen year olds, it would be one thing. Let’s face it; you have both gone through hell to get where you are. You weren’t afraid to make love when you were both women. It’s time that you love each other the way you both have wanted to. Since the day he came back you’ve been talking about how you were going to bed him at first opportunity, but you’ve done nothing. It’s almost as if you’ve taken a step backwards.

“Look at what he did to be with you. Based on faith and the word of a ditsy redhead and a cantankerous old wizard, Donna allowed her physical existence to be wiped out, just so Don could be with you. Look at what you’ve been through to be where you are today. You didn’t have to do any of this. You could still be that fat curmudgeonous misanthrope with no friends and no life. You could be, but you’re not. You took all sorts of chances to be where you are today.

“You are not some sort of blonde bimbo throwing herself out there to a bunch of love crazed teenagers. There’s a man out there who loves you more deeply than any woman deserves. I think it’s time that you two took the next step; and the sooner the better.

Cindy turned away from her best friend, silently staring out to space. Bobbie came up to her and pulled her close to her right side.

“Bobbie, I love him so much, and I’m so afraid.”

“Afraid of what? Afraid of being a woman?”

“I think that’s it. I’ve come so far, and I am beginning to wonder if I can do it. I’m afraid I will fail, afraid that I can’t be enough of a woman for him.”

“Cindy, you don’t make any sense. You seduced Donna; well, maybe not seduced. I think you both knew where your relationship was going. You were both plenty of woman for the other. Nothing has changed. We are still dealing with the same two people.

“Are you afraid of the pain that first time? Believe me it’s nothing, and you can use a little spell to numb that area. I chose not to. Do you think that for one moment that The Wizard would allow you to be hurt, or that Don would hurt you?

“Look, we have both been given a gift, something that so many like we were will never be able to experience. Both of you have received gifts, too. You have waited nearly forty-five years to make love to the man who loves you, to be a woman, and he has waited nearly thirty-five years to make love to you.”

“But we made love.”

“That was just foreplay, and you know it. Well, you know it now. Cindy, you are not two love-sick teenagers rushing off to a disastrous, hormone driven encounter. You need each other. What else do you have to experience before you decide to become a woman?”

“I think you are just trying to reassure yourself, since you’ve already jumped into the sack with Andy.”

“Cindy, you are just being defensive. Andy and I made love because it was right. I think you should start relying on the powers that make us a bit different from many others. You know damn well that everything about you two is right. You also know that there won’t be any mistakes. You need each other so that you can get on with other things, and not have to worry about it.

“There is no one else, Cindy, and there never will be. You need to feel complete. I think it’s important for you to get over this hesitancy and regain your confidence.

“I am going to employ a little KITA.”

“What the hell is KITA?”

“‘Kick In The Ass’: we’ve made some arrangements. Andy and I are giving you and Don a little Christmas gift. We’ve reserved a cottage for you at the bed and breakfast that Andy and I like. Your parents already know, and I used a little persuasion on the Brewers. They have already accepted the fact that you and Don are bonded for life. I just opened them up to being a bit more accepting of things. They’re going to have to know the whole story someday, anyway. We’ll feed it to them a little bit at a time. This multiple universe thing will probably be a bit difficult for them to accept, though, especially for an ex-military guy”

“So, you have this whole thing figured out, do you?”

“I guess the shoe is on the other foot. There was a time when you knew what was best for me, and now I know what is best for you. Your reservations are for four nights and three days the week between Christmas and New Years. Don already knows. For some reason, he wasn’t nearly as tough to convince as you.

“Now we can either do this the easy way or the hard way. I know a couple of pretty good spells, and I’m not afraid to use them.”

“You wouldn’t dare!”

“I will if I have to, and how do you know I haven’t already cast one?”

Cindy turned to her best friend. “Bobbie, I love you. I know you wouldn’t do anything like that. You are right. I am a coward. I have lived all my life for that special moment with Don. I’ve known he was the right one ever since that day on the beach. I guess I am just going to have to get over this last bit of doubt.”

“There is no reason for you to doubt anything about your femininity. The Wizard and his kind wouldn’t allow it. There are about four hundred boys at school who would love to prove it to you. They’re not in the picture, though.”

“So, do you have any suggestions?”

“Well, I could cast a little spell like I mentioned; however, I don’t think either of you needs any additional magic. There is more than enough magic between you two to last a lifetime. You just need to let it happen.”

“Mari, I’m not sure I approve of this. After all, they are only seventeen. If anyone found out that we were letting our children sleep around, tongues would wag.”

Marissa and Stan were having a few quiet moments together in the sitting area of their bedroom. Randi was doing some lessons that The Wizard had left her, Stan Jr. was in bed, and Tom was out with some friends.

“I think I could use anther glass of that port The Wizard left for us. I don’t think there are any potions in it, but have you noticed that the bottle is always half full? That is certainly quite a gift.

“Now, about our daughter: physically, she is seventeen; however, she is an adult chronologically, and you know it. She has never done one thing that ever bordered on the irresponsible. You hardly batted an eye when she and Donna fell in love and started their little affair, and that was more than a year ago.”

“But it’s different now. He’s a boy.”

“He’s a man,” Marissa countered. “He has experienced thirty-five years of life on this planet. Donald Brewer loves our daughter as deeply as it is possible for a man to love a woman. She loves him just as much, and they have waited a long time for each other.

“Their whole situation is so beyond the ordinary. Besides, Cindy needs to have some private time with him. We are not encouraging promiscuity. You know darn well you don’t have to worry about that. I just know that she is ready, more than ready, to take the next step. No one outside our group will ever know about it. She won’t get pregnant, and I know a few spells that will back up the confidentiality aspect.

“I think what Bobbie and Andy did is real sweet. Of course, in other circumstances with different people, it might be inappropriate. That is not the case here. You are being a protective father just as you should be, and I am being the loving mother who knows what is best for her daughter. We just need to realize that this whole situation is exceptional, it is unique.”

Stan was quiet for a few moments. “I guess you’re right. I just have a few issues with our daughter being a grown woman. My goodness, we could become grandparents.”

“You know that won’t happen for a while.

“Now, we have something else to discuss. I want to show you another spell.” She stood while undoing her skirt. Placing it on the bench in front of their bed, she unbuttoned and removed her blouse. Her bra followed. She walked rather seductively over to Stan, and started unbuttoning his shirt. He didn’t wait for her to loosen his belt. They were both quite unclothed as she led him to their luxurious shower enclosure.

“See, with out even touching you, I made that rise. It has to be magic.”

About an hour later, they were basking in the afterglow of some wonderful love-making. Marissa was diddling her fingers through the hair on Stan’s chest. “I have a little surprise; I turned on my egg factory two weeks ago. My temperature was up this morning. I think we may have just made a new daughter.”

She looked at Stan with a little question on her brow.

He smiled back. “Well if it didn’t work, I think we should try again just to make sure. I’m up to it if you are.” They needn’t have worried.
”ƒ
Chapter 7 — Avery is brought in.

Before they knew it, it was Thanksgiving. Avery was able to get away early and avoid the Thanksgiving travel rush. He made the relatively short drive from Boston, and the three couples were able to get together the day before Thanksgiving. They spent the afternoon ice skating before they met at the Lewis’s for a pizza feast in the recreation room.

As it was with Maddy, Silky and Chloe did not mature at the rate normal cats would. Normal cats would have long before become adults; however, Chloe and Silky were still adolescent. For that matter, Maddy appeared to be just on the verge of maturity herself. The cats ventured downstairs, and settled down with the humans. Maddy moved in next to Avery, who was absentmindedly scratching her behind her ear.

Maddy interrupted her purr of gratitude.

“Just a little to the left, please.”

“Sure. … What? … Who said that?”

“Oh boy, here we go again,” Cindy shook her head smiling knowingly at the others.

“Avery, what do you know about us?”

“What do you mean? You are all good friends. Don seems to fit in real well, and I’m glad Cindy finally decided to have a boyfriend. I don’t think I’ve ever met a tighter group of friends. I didn’t know it before, but one of you is a pretty good ventriloquist.”

“How about another piece ’a pizza?” Bobbie asked.

“Sure, I think I’ll have another slice of that sausage and pepperoni. Gramma’s visiting, and Mom’s taken all the pork out of the house. Gramma knows we aren’t kosher, but Mom just avoids the whole issue.”

Bobbie took his plate, retrieving a slice of thick pizza from the greasy box. “Say, this stuff is getting a bit cool. Want me to heat it up?”

“Sure, but I can put it in the microwave.”

“That won’t be necessary.

“Maddy, why don’t you and the girls pretend it’s a cockroach? Don’t get it too hot though, we don’t want Avery to get pizza palate.”

Bobbie put the plate on a mat on the low table. The three cats gathered around and stared at it. Soon the aroma of heating pizza was apparent, and a bit of vapor was rising from the plate.

“That should be enough, girls.

“Avery, check it out. They might have gone a bit overboard.”

Avery picked up the plate and verified very quickly that the slice of pizza was now quite hot. “What the hell is going on? Did you just irradiate all of us with microwaves?”

“I never thought of that before,” Cindy said while smiling at the stunned Avery. “They’re pretty good at focusing the energy.

“Maddy, does any of that energy go anywhere else?”

“No, it seems to all go to the desired object. That’s why we can kill fleas, ticks, and intestinal parasites without any collateral damage.”

“Okay, guys, this is getting real weird: talking cats, cats microwaving pizza? I think you’ve just exceeded the limits of my credulity.”

Myrna hugged Avery, and gave him a big kiss. “Avery, hang on to your credulity, but Cindy and Bobbie are witches; so’s Randi. Maddy, Silky, and Chloe are their familiars, though they prefer to be called associates. You’re too close to this group to not know what’s going on, and The Wizard said it was time for you to find out.”

“So, are you a witch, too? Are you going to turn me into a frog if I don’t perform up to your standards?”

“First of all, your performance exceeded my standards long ago, and second of all, I am not magical.”

“What about Don? How does he fit in all of this?”

“To tell the truth, we aren’t sure. Cindy and Don have been in love for a long time, and it seems they’re destined to be together.

Myrna glanced toward Don and Cindy, who nodded. Everyone had already agreed that Myrna would handle the reveal.

“Avery, I want you to think back to last year. Who was Cindy going with?”

“Cindy wasn’t going with anyone, and that really pissed a lot of the guys off. They said some pretty uncomplimentary things about her — obviously not true.”

“I want you to think back to last spring, and the spring before that. Remember how we used to go to the soccer games? I want you to think very hard. Do you remember a pretty Latina who was a wizard with the soccer ball? She was our friend, especially Cindy’s friend. Surely you remember. Just close your eyes and think about it. She was a beautiful young woman, a bit shy with most of the students; however, we were her friends and we were pretty tight.”

Everyone could see that Avery was thinking very hard. He would look at Cindy and Don, close his eyes and try to concentrate. All of a sudden he straightened up, his eyes wide open.

“I remember her. She was a doll, her name was Donna, and she and Cindy were lovers.

“Oh shit, I shouldn’t have said that. I’m sorry, Cindy. Now I’ve ruined everything. Damn, what can I say?”

Don quickly spoke up, “It’s okay, Avery, I know all about it. You see, I was Donna.”

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding. There’s no way in hell that could be.” Avery was not one to swear very much. “There’s no way a sex change could make you grow more than six inches, especially over the summer.”

They spent the next half-hour explaining as best they could how Donna had become Don, and the fact that Don had experienced nearly thirty-five years doing it. After a couple more demonstrations, Avery had to admit, even though most of it went against everything he knew or had experienced to date. He was studying physics and electrical engineering, yet what he had seen was irrefutable. He remembered a quote from the famous scientist and author, Arthur C. Clarke, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from Magic.”

“Okay, three of you are witches; there are three talking cats that can move things without touching them. They can also heat up cold pizza and other things. Two of the three most gorgeous women I have ever known used to be boys. Another woman I knew is now a handsome hunk. Then, there’s a wizard who seems to be able to make all these changes happen. Is there anything else I should know?”

Unseen by Avery, Myrna was giving Cindy a questioning look. Cindy shook her head slightly. She didn’t see any reason that Avery needed to find out that Myrna had undergone the transformation she had.

“Avery, there is something going on that we are not too sure about. Apparently, even though you are not magical, Myrna and you have important roles to play in all this. I don’t think there is any rush. We are just supposed to continue doing what we have been doing. We have to continue our education; that seems to be very important. Other than that, there doesn’t seem to be any plan.”

“So, do I get to meet this Wizard of your?”

“I’m sure you will. We could contact him now, but he has been pretty busy. We’ll do it soon enough.”

Next time: Chapter 8: Many years ago Cindy was a little nine year old girl just beginning to learn what being a girl and young woman was all about. Now it’s the week between Christmas and New Years and the two lovers are taking the final steps. When I started this writing this series of stories last year, this chapter was always the objective. Although this chapter represents the most important thing in Cindy’s life up to now, the story is far from over, and it won’t be completed for quite a while.

Chapter 9: The Brewers are invited for dinner, and although they didn’t know it at the time, they are going to meet The Wizard. Once again Randi manages to steal the show. The Brewers are surprisingly accepting.

Chapter 10: Don and Cindy, Bobbie and Andy, and Avery and Myrna spend a delightful weekend at their favorite place. We find out that Avery remembers some other things. Bobbie and Cindy meet an old acquaintance. Someone they met in Cynthia and the Dumpster Diver.