At last Mum gets to meet
her new daughter

A Fortuitous Adventure:
or, how I got my first job

by Louise Anne Smithson

Chapter 17

A meeting with Mum

It was nearer to twenty minutes before I saw my mother emerge from the gate, pulling a medium sized case behind her, and looking around for her new daughter.

‘Hello, Mum,’ I said feeling my cheeks burning with embarrassment as I walked alongside her.

She turned to face me and gasped in surprise.

‘Emily–but you look so lovely,’ she said.

‘Thanks,’ I said smiling and blushing at the same time. ‘You look pretty good yourself.’

We hugged and she kissed me on the cheek.

She then stood back as if to scrutinise me holding my hands.

‘You really do look good; who helped you to put on your make-up this morning?’ she asked.

It was the same question that my grandmother had asked the previous day.

‘I did it myself, of course,’ I answered laughing.

‘In that case you’ve made a good job of it.’

I blushed again, but was pleased that she had noticed.

‘My friend Jenny helped me to choose this outfit, which I bought with the money you sent me.’

‘You both chose well, it suits you,’ she replied without expressing any surprise. ‘But come on,’ she said suddenly becoming more business-like, ‘we can’t stay here admiring one another. Let’s find the hotel and check into our room; then we can have a pot of tea together and talk about everything that has happened over the last four weeks.’

‘What about your other suitcase?’ I asked.

‘Oh that’s already checked in for the entire journey, I’ve only brought what I needed for tonight with me, and some presents for you to take back to Shrewsbury,’ she answered.

‘May I take that one for you?’

She looked at my high heels and the fact that I was already carrying a weekend case and a handbag.

‘No that’ll be alright thanks, dear, I can manage; you look after your own case.’

Her manner of addressing me seemed to have changed; she’d never refer to Chris as ‘dear’.

---

We crossed the road outside the Terminal and walked into the hotel reception. Mum checked us in as Jill Richardson and her daughter Emily, without any hesitation, and paid with her credit card. The receptionist smiled at me momentarily but otherwise hardly gave me a second look. She handed over two key cards for our room and directed us to the lift. Once inside our bedroom we set down the cases on the racks provided, and my mother filled the kettle whilst I sat down on one bed, smoothing my skirt as I did so.

‘How has the trip been so far?’ I asked.

‘It’s been very successful indeed, thank you, dear. I’ve made several outright sales and one new line is in production ready to be launched next spring. I’ve also taken lots of orders for completion over the next year.

‘That’s good news,’ I replied.

She then looked severely at me as a signal that she wanted to change the subject.

‘And what about, you? You’d better tell me how you’ve been getting on’ she asked in sympathetic tones.

I shrugged.

‘I think I’ve already told you most of my news, I’ve been having a lovely time and have now earned more than enough to cover the money that I lost,’ I answered.

‘So it would seem.’

I wasn’t sure what to say next. I knew what I wanted to say, but was uncertain whether this was the right moment to say it.

‘Anne and I went to see Gran yesterday,’ I volunteered, changing the subject.

‘Yes I know, I spoke to her on the telephone last night and she told me all about your visit,’ she replied.

‘What did she say? I hope she wasn’t upset by my visit.’

‘No; I got the impression it was quite the opposite. Once she’d gotten over her surprise at the way you were dressed, I think she was pleased to see you and quite impressed with her new granddaughter.’

‘That’s a relief. Now she knows about Emily, I’ll be happy to visit her again fairly soon, Karen, Anne or Aunt Carol will probably take me there,’ I answered.

‘Yes, I’d like you to do that, particularly as I’m unable to go and see her myself at present,’ she said.

There was an uncomfortable lull in our conversation, whilst my mother made us both a cup of tea. Neither of us knew quite how to introduce the subject that was on both our minds. Eventually my mother broke the silence.

‘Well, young lady, I know you’ve been sending me emails and pictures of yourself, but I think it’s now time for you to explain in detail just how it is that when I left the UK I had a son, and now I seem to have acquired a daughter.’

Over the next forty minutes or so I went through the whole story again. At times she would interrupt with questions which I sought to answer as honestly as I could. I didn’t try to disguise from her my feelings or that I wished to continue living as a girl. I pointed out that I hadn’t caused any serious problems or embarrassment to her sister, my three cousins nor, for that matter, to myself.

‘For how long have you wanted to dress this way?’

‘I’d never considered the possibility four weeks ago, but I knew that something was wrong with my life and that I wasn’t happy as things were. Once I started to work as Emily everything began to feel different. It was as if the sun had suddenly come out after a long and dreary day. It just felt right for me,’ I answered shrugging my shoulders.

‘How long are you intending to go on living at Emily?’

‘There’ll be work available until the end of the summer holidays and Aunt Carol and my cousins appear to be prepared to have me stay until then,’ I replied.

‘And then what?’

‘You’ll be back from your tour and I’ll return home,’ I said, ducking the issue.

There was a long silence whilst she was thinking. After a minute or two I decided to talk.

‘So what do you think about it all, Mum,’ I asked anxiously.

‘To be honest, I’m not sure what to think. I’ll just have to see how I get used to the idea of having a daughter. I suppose I should be upset with you but it is hard to be annoyed with someone who looks so lovely and seems to be so happy,’ she said. ‘Also losing your case, which was the catalyst for these events, wasn’t entirely your fault.’

‘It wasn’t so much a question of my losing my clothes as discovering an entirely new aspect to my life,’ I answered.

She looked into my eyes.

‘But will I get my son back at the end of the summer?’ she asked.

I sighed and looked towards the floor. I couldn’t keep ducking the issue.

‘I don’t know, Mum! The way I feel at present is that I don’t want to go back to being Chris. I don’t want to go back to having to pretend that everything is alright. My feelings may change in time, but at present I don’t see that happening.’

She didn’t respond.

‘I realise that this must have come as a shock for you, but, if you do lose a son, you’ll also gain a daughter at the same time,’ I said to break the silence.

‘But what about your schooling?’ she asked.

‘I’ll get my ‘O,’ level results later this month. I think I’ve probably done alright, but I don’t want to go back into the sixth form,’ I said. ‘I’d prefer to get a job and study for my ‘A’ levels in the evenings.’

‘Are you sure that is a good idea?’ she asked.

‘I didn’t like the atmosphere of school and didn’t have any friends there,’ I answered. ‘I think I’d be better off working.’

‘What kind of job would you want to do?’ she asked.

I looked away for a moment.

‘One which I could do whilst remaining as Emily,’ I said quietly.

‘So you want to remain living as Emily after the end of the summer,’ she asked.

‘Yes, I think so,’ I answered blushing.

‘But how long for?’

I don’t know, I’m still trying to work out what I feel.’

‘Me too,’ she answered. ‘I’ve been thinking about you ever since I received your first email, and I wonder why I was not totally surprised when I heard the news.’

‘You can’t have been expecting me to lose my case and end up working as a waitress?’

‘No but I’ve always felt that you were never entirely comfortable as a boy. As a toddler you used to love to dress up in my clothes.’

‘I don’t remember that,’ I said.

‘In the end I had to lock my bedroom door and find other things for you to do,’ she said.

‘Really? I’ve no recollection. I must have blotted it out from my mind.’

‘It also worried me that you’d no real friends at school,’ she continued.

‘I never realised that you’d noticed,’ I replied. ‘But I now have two very good female friends; we get on together very well both at work and hanging out together afterwards.’

‘So I understand from Clare, but you’re coming to an age where boys and girls tend to form relationships?’

I blushed, thinking about the incident with Rob, not more than two hours before. However, he would probably want nothing more to do with me, so there was no point in troubling Mum with the information.

‘I’ve been asked out a couple of times but I declined and have deliberately steered clear of any sexual encounters until I know what I want to do with my life.’

‘I’m relieved about that, at least for the time being,’ she said.

For thirty seconds or so neither of us said anything.

‘There is a lot for us both to think about, let us leave any decision about your leaving school for now; perhaps we can talk again after breakfast in the morning.’

Then, as if to break the spell, my mother deliberately changed the subject.

‘I’ll say one thing, Emily, it’s a lot easier to buy a birthday present for you as a daughter than as a son. I’ve bought you a new dress and some jewellery in Prague. They’re in my suitcase, would you like to try them on?’ she asked.

‘Oh yes please,’ I answered excitedly.

Mum had clearly been in contact with one of my cousins since she knew my dress size and what sort of styles would suit me and complement my existing wardrobe. She had bought me a lemon yellow cotton summer dress which fitted me exactly, together with a necklace and a pair of earrings which matched them. She helped me to put them on.

‘Thanks very much,’ I said as I stood in front of the mirror. ‘How do I look?’

‘You look lovely and the colouring suits you,’ she said, clearly pleased with her purchases and we hugged and I pecked her on the cheek.

‘May I wear them when we go down to dinner tonight,’ I asked excitedly.

‘Strictly speaking the dress is for your birthday on Saturday, but as I won’t be around to see you then, I think we can stretch a point,’ she answered.

She also handed me a birthday card, which I opened. She had chosen one addressed ‘To my lovely daughter’. The message said how proud she was of me. I gave her a long hug so that she couldn’t see that there were tears in my eyes.

‘Thanks, Mum, for the super presents and a lovely card,’ I said sniffing.

---

We both had a shower and proceeded to get ourselves ready to go to the restaurant in the hotel. Mum again commented on my skills in using cosmetics and in styling my hair, but insisted on helping me with the latter nevertheless. It was nice to have her brush my hair for me.

‘My cousins and my friend Jenny have all been teaching me how to look and sound more like a girl,’ I said.

‘It appears as if there has been a conspiracy to turn you into an attractive young lady,’ commented my mother, but she didn’t sound angry about it.

‘I don’t think there was any deliberate plan on their part. Things just developed that way and have tended to escalate. I suppose they could all see that I was having a good time as Emily.’

‘What does Carol think about it all now?’

‘I thought you’ve discussed it with her already,’ I said.

‘Yes I have, and heard about your dinner party, but I’d like to hear your version as well.’

‘She was away for the first two weeks, and freaked a little when she found out about Emily, but she was more concerned with what you might think. Once I’d told you and had your permission to continue, she was alright. She’s getting used to the idea of me as a girl and even took me out shopping with her on Saturday.

‘I get the impression that Carol doesn’t mind things continuing as they are whilst I’m away,’ she said.

‘So may I continue then?’ I asked.

‘Alright then, I’ll agree whilst I’m away during the summer, but we’ll need to talk about your long term future.’

We had our meal and chatted happily like any mother and daughter. I told her all about my job, and she told me exactly what she’d been doing and her plans for developing her business once she got back at the beginning of September.

‘If sales continue to go well I’ll need to employ someone to look after things when I’m away,’ she said. ‘I’ve been able to cope so far by means of email and redirecting my phone messages to voicemail, but I’m going to need someone who can deal with my post and everyday problems that crop up. Ideally, I could also do with somewhere larger to live where I could have my own studio, but we can’t really afford anything larger at present.’

‘Property prices are rather high where we live. If you moved to somewhere like Shrewsbury you’d be able to afford somewhere larger to live and work,’ I suggested.

‘I agree, now that I’m freelance I no longer need to be based in such an expensive location. Maybe we can think about moving when you’ve finished your ‘A’ levels.’

‘Surely the answer would be for us to move house as soon as possible, before I start my ‘A’ level course. I could then work for you part time and study on my own,’ I said.

‘You mean for you to work and study as Emily rather than Chris.’

I nodded.

‘Wouldn’t you be lonely working and studying on your own?’

‘No lonelier than I was before. If you came to Shrewsbury I’d have Clare and Jenny as girlfriends. I might also be able to do some occasional weekend work as a waitress’. ‘

‘You seem to have it all worked out,’ she said, and then changed the subject.

---

Mum was not due to fly out until midday on Tuesday but got up early and had a shower before getting dressed. I followed her, deciding to put on my suit and blouse once again as these were more bulky than either of the alternatives. She was the first to use the dressing table, and then waited for me whilst I fixed my hair and makeup.

I’ve also brought some samples of the new lingerie line for your cousins, your aunt, and also yourself. Will you be able to take them back with you?’

‘Yes, as long as they’re not too bulky. I’ll not have any room left in my case after your birthday present, so I’ll have to take them in a carrier bag.’

She handed over five matching sets of lingerie all in different colours.

‘You can take your pick; all those other than the white ones should fit you.’

‘In that case I’d like the girly rose pink set, please’ I said smiling.

‘You really do like being a girl,’ she said shaking her head.

‘I should’ve thought that was obvious by now,’ I replied.

‘Emily, I’ve been thinking about what we were discussing last night,’ she continued. ‘You’re almost sixteen and ought to be old enough to make up your own mind about your life. If you really don’t want to return to school and wish to spend the next few months living as a young woman, I suppose it’ll be alright with me.’

‘Thank you Mum, I’m glad that you understand,’ I replied feeling greatly relieved.

‘Also your idea about moving to the Midlands makes sense. I know we would have no difficulty selling our house. If you look for somewhere suitable in Shrewsbury over the next few weeks and email me the details I’ll give the matter some more thought. Maybe I could also offer you some part-time office work if you like. I’ll need to be better organised about dealing with my customers, especially when I’m away. However, I’d also like you to continue to study as well.’

‘That would be great Mum,’ I said. ‘I’d enjoy working for you, but have every intention of continuing with my studies.’

‘But in the longer term you’ll have to decide about what you wish to do with your life.’

She was right, it was going to be up to me to decide who I wanted to be. I wasn’t sure who I wanted to be, although I was increasingly coming to the conclusion that it wasn’t Chris.

‘Yes I realise that I’ll have to make some difficult and far-reaching decisions over the next few months,’ I replied.

We went down to the restaurant and had a leisurely breakfast together before returning to our room to pack and check out of the hotel. We carried on a desultory conversation but we each seemed to be pre-occupied with our own thoughts.

’Would I be happy to spend the rest of my life as Emily? Is that truly what I want? Should I tell Mum that I am thinking about taking female hormones?’ All these and many more thoughts went through my mind. I strongly suspected that my future was as Emily but wasn’t certain. I decided to give Mum a little more time to get used to Emily before I broke any such news to her.

---

After we packed I accompanied Mum to her check in desk in terminal two.

‘Goodbye, Emily, I’m so pleased that we’ve had this time together. I’ll see you early in September, but keep in touch and please give my love to your Aunt and your cousins.’

‘I will; I hope you have a good trip and thanks for everything, Mum.’

‘You know I’m very proud of you, and I think that I’m going to enjoy living and working with my new daughter,’ she replied.

A small tear fell from my eye as I waved to her as she passed through the security control. I therefore made my way to the ladies toilet to repair my makeup.