The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike) Part 1032 by Angharad Copyright © 2010 Angharad All Rights Reserved.

Billy and I got back to the house in a reasonable time, although both of us had lost the urge to improve our cycling performance. I did manage to suggest to him that when we couldn’t go out regularly, I’d set up the rollers so he could do some riding, but he wasn’t to do it without letting me know. I also pointed out that I found cycling a good way to mull things over when they worried me, and sometimes the best answer presented itself to me during the ride.

“Will I know what I want to do when we get home?”

“I don’t know sweetheart.”

“Will you know what you want me to do?”

“I already do–I want you to be happy. Personally I think that would be for you to remain as a boy, but if you think you want to be a girl–then so be it. If you want to be a bit of both–that’s up to you.”

“A bit of both, Mummy?”

“Yes, you know be one or the other most of the time, going to school that sort of thing, but to sometimes be the other at home or with the others.”

“Won’t they think I’m strange?”

“It’s not as easy to cope with, but I’m sure they would, because they love you.”

“I don’t know, Mummy–I don’t know what I want.”

“That’s why Dr Stephanie is coming to see us for dinner, so she can use her special skills to help you decide.”

“She won’t cut my um–you know–off will she?”

“No, that I can categorically answer–she’s a psychiatrist not a surgeon. C’mon, let’s go home.” Which is what we did.

“Good ride?” Simon asked.

“Sort of.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means what I said, some of it was good.”

“You’re getting very strange in your old age, girl.”

“Little piggies have big ears.”

“Wanna talk?”

“Somewhere private–let’s go over to the bike workshop.” I told Julie to keep an eye on the others while Simon and I had a talk.

“What happened?” he asked and I explained it as best I could.

“He’s brought this up before hasn’t he?”

“Yeah a couple of months ago.”

“So it’s obviously on his mind.”

“Yes, it’s not something the average boy talks about–but then this household is a bit different.”

“You could say that again–so, what do we do?”

“I think we listen to Stephanie’s advice, and then discuss it with Billy, and if necessary, with the others.”

“He didn’t want to play football with us, he rarely wants to do much in the way of rough and tumble, like Danny does or even the girls occasionally–so he is different.”

“It might just bewilder him, if he’s never done it before–it might be a step too far.”

“They’ve been here six months, I thought they had settled in.”

“They are both traumatised and dealing with lots of negatives. Sadly, even we can’t be positive all the time–real life gets in the way, and if they do wrong, I have to tell them.”

Simon shrugged and nodded.

“I have to go and shower then buy a joint of lamb–I’ll see if Waitrose have any Welsh lamb.”

“Ooh, yes please, will you do roasties with it?”

“Simon, you’re getting too fat now–roast potatoes are just junk food like chips.”

“No they’re not, when you make them, they’re wonder food.”

“Fine words butter no parsnips,” I replied.

“Oh can you get some of them too?”

“I am going to shower, and see where our youngest son is–why don’t you do something with him?”

“Like what–paint his toenails?”

“Simon, that was crass. I meant like do some male bonding with him.”

“How do I do that?”

“What did your father do with you?”

“Gave me a shotgun and told me to reduce the local wildlife.”

“I don’t think we’ll be doing that–I’ll buy him a dress first.”

“I don’t know why you have such a downer on guns?”

“Have you shot anyone?”

“Course not.”

“Well when you have, come back and we’ll discuss it.”

I had my shower and after dressing and sorting my hair, I called out if anyone wanted to do some shopping with me. Trish came running up and so did Billy. It rather looked as if Simon’s male bonding with Billy hadn’t worked too well–there’s a surprise.

“Can we call in Asda, Mummy,” asked Trish.

“If you like–we can go there instead.” Which is what we did. I got a trolley and as soon as we got into the store, the two of them hared off to the clothes section. By the time I caught up with them, they were going into the changing rooms with armfuls of clothing.

I stood outside with my trolley carrying some potatoes and carrots and waited. I could hear giggles from inside the cubicles–the two of them were in the same one. I’ll shoot that Trish, what is she up to?”

“They yours?” asked the girl in charge of the changing rooms.

I nodded and answered, “’Fraid so.”

“Wanna go and see what they’re up to? I’ll watch your trolley.”

I thanked her and made my way down the row of changing cubicles–they weren’t hard to find. I poked my head around the curtain and Trish squealed, then giggled. I gasped, Billy was wearing a white dress with a pattern of tiny rosebuds in pink and red over much of it. On his feet he wore red slip on shoes, and behind him there were several more dresses hanging up.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” I asked him.

He blushed and nodded.

“Okay, just pick two dresses that go with the red shoes, we’ll get you some panties and camisoles and some socks.”

“May I have some tights, Mummy, like you wear?”

“If they do them small enough–okay, we’ll go and look.” He pulled off the dress and put on a red one with blue circles on it. It wouldn’t have been my choice but it went with the shoes. Trish went and hung the surplus clothing on the returns rail and Billy dressed in his jeans and top. He didn’t look very masculine at the best of times, but suddenly he looked very feminine. No wonder Gareth guessed wrong. This wasn’t going the way I expected.

“You haven’t put him up to this, have you?” I hissed at Trish.

She looked indignantly at me, “Certainly not–you can take a horse to water, but you can’t make him swim.”

“Drink,” I corrected her.

“Yes please, Mummy,” she smirked.

One of these days I’m going to murder that little madam. We got the rest of the essentials, a pair of girl’s pyjamas, some panties, some camisoles and some tights, as well as a pack of short socks. I drew the line at that–I’d spent enough for something which I hoped was going to be a nine days wonder. If it wasn’t–don’t go there.

We worked our way up and down the store, and of course Trish insisted we get a bracelet and a necklace plus some lip gloss and smellies for Billie, her new sister. Trish was thoroughly enjoying the exercise, and Billy seemed to be happily accompanying her to his doom.

Was I being weak in not stopping this and making him wait until he’d seen Stephanie? Had Trish steamrollered him into this? So many imponderables, and now they were dragging me off to the little cafe place for a drink–maybe a cuppa would be useful–we still have to face Simon and the others yet. Oh poo.