It proved to be surprisingly easy to organise a full week off at the end of August for us to go to Thailand, it merely meant that I’d have to work virtually every other Saturday until I left for University. Likewise, purchasing one more air ticket for the same flight didn’t prove difficult, as there are always a couple of cancellations. When we looked at the details of the hotel we discovered there were already two queen sized beds in the room and so it was agreed that we could share and take it in turns to go down to breakfast. I needed to retrieve my passport from home to get the details so that Julie could arrange to substitute my name for her mother’s on the air tickets and at the hotel. I therefore popped in to see Mum and Dad the following evening, partly to let them know how I was getting on at Woodley.

For once, I was in Mum’s ‘good books’ as one of her workmates had been served by me at Bentalls and had commented to her what a helpful young lady I was becoming. Dad muttered that he missed having me around the place and gave me a hug, which for him, was equivalent to an emotional outburst. Inevitably mum wanted to know why I needed my passport, but seemed satisfied when I told her it was for identification purposes at my forthcoming Probate Interview. I didn’t think it was a good idea to tell them about our proposed trip to Thailand at this stage. I would have to tell them before we left, but wanted to choose my moment carefully and only after all the arrangements had been made. I did however make the mistake of mentioning that I might be going to have a look around Nottingham.

‘What about Julian?’ she asked.

‘He can come with me, if he wants,’ I lied.

(I wasn’t going to mention about Joe coming along, or else she would start asking about the sleeping arrangements.)

‘Where will you be staying?’

My mother is so predictable. I could see how her mind was working.

‘In a Travelodge; it’s only for a couple of nights, we can share a twin room.’

‘People might talk with two teenagers sharing a hotel room.’

‘Only people like you.’

‘You don’t need to worry about Julian Mum, I’m sure my virginity is perfectly safe in his hands,’ I replied caustically. ‘After all he is my half brother, still recovering from the loss of his parents, and from the look of him I doubt whether his balls have even dropped yet.’

‘If only you knew the whole story. Julian would be the least of your worries.’

‘Jennifer, you can be very coarse at times,’ she commented; so I knew that things were back to normal between us.

Assuming Julie was right with respect to the timing of the Grant of Probate, my own financial situation at the end of July looked quite secure. I had the money already paid to me by Julie over the previous four weeks, most of which I’d managed to save; my salary from the shop, which would keep me afloat for my day to day needs in future, and of course the promised legacy expected in two or three weeks. The proposed trip to Thailand had already been paid for, and it wouldn’t cost us much to get from Reading to Heathrow Airport. Even if Julie was being over-optimistic regarding the timing of the legacy there was also the overdraft facility. If it came to the crunch, I’d be able to keep us both afloat for a few weeks, and, if necessary loan some money to Julie when I moved out. Thus I wouldn’t be leaving her entirely in the lurch.

Julie had less money immediately available following the death of her mother and the freezing of her bank account, but her longer term financial prospects also seemed to be improving by the day as we received more correspondence containing financial statements or cheques due to the estates of either of her parents. She kept me informed exactly what was going on because, in due course, I would apply to be the administrator and would have to handle the funds.

‘I’d no idea my parents had so much money invested or else due from life insurance policies,’ she said. ‘By the time I sell the family home and pay-off the inheritance tax I’ll have more than three quarters of a million pounds at my disposal.’

‘Wow! So what do you intend to do with it all?’ I asked.

‘First of all, I’ll find somewhere quiet to settle where nobody knows me and where I can live as a girl and complete my transition. If I can, I’ll also try and resume my education, but only if I can do so as a girl. Then, on my eighteenth birthday, I want to have my operation. Two years after that I’ll apply for my Gender Recognition Certificate, and if Mr Right should come along at some time, get married or else find a job and live happily ever after as a woman.’

Then, as an afterthought she added, ‘except, of course, I’d far rather have done it with the help and approval my parents than merely by using their money’.

‘You really have got you life mapped out, haven’t you?’ I said.

‘You’ll need to be very careful though, a lonely and isolated young girl with access to plenty of money is likely to attract every good looking fortune-hunter and wastrel in a fifty mile radius.’

‘I suppose I have, but Jenny I’m very grateful to you for your help.’

’I do wish you’d stop saying that!

‘It’s been my pleasure,’ I said giving her a smile, ‘even if you do bully me into wearing too much makeup.’

She smiled shyly in return.

‘Most of the time these days I find it difficult to remember that there was once a boy in there.’

‘By the way, there was a cheque this morning from daddy’s motor insurance for nearly  £12,000 for his written-off car,’ she continued. ‘I think it will be fairest if we bank it in his savings account. That way you and I can receive a quarter after his probate and the remainder will go into my mother’s estate. Your legacy should now be more like  £30,000, and there may be even some more in the years to come if the company can prove the liability of the other driver.’

Julie was being very fair with me. She could easily have decided that the cheque should be banked in her parents’ joint account in which case I would have received no benefit from it.

‘That’s very generous of you,’ I said.

‘Generosity has nothing to do with it; it’s just a question of following the instructions in our father’s will. They each regarded their cars as their own. However, once we’ve finished sorting out my mother’s probate, I’d like you to keep her car as a thank-you present for doing the work.’

‘But it’s only a few months old, and in any event you’ve done most of the work.’

‘It’ll be more than a year before I’m old enough to have a provisional driving licence, and I’m not even sure whether they will give me one in Julie’s name before I am eighteen. The car will have lost much of its value by then.’

‘That’s very kind of you Julie, but I don’t think I can accept such a gift,’ I said, knowing that in a few weeks time I’d be leaving her to fend for herself.’

‘So be it, but the car is insured in your name for nearly a year, so there’s no reason why you shouldn’t continue to borrow it. You can even take it with you to University, if you like and then you could come and visit me from time to time. In the meanwhile it’ll be useful having you here to drive me in to Wokingham.’

I could see that there was an ulterior motive behind her generosity, but it was generosity all the same.

To be honest I didn’t know how I should be feeling about the recent events. After all, I was hardly likely to be heartbroken about the prospect of  £30,000 plus the loan of an almost new car, at the expense of the deaths of two people that I barely knew existed, no matter what I ought to have been feeling for my father and his wife. Of course it was quite different for Julie who would now have to face her future without parents or friends and I truly felt sorry for her. The best thing for me about the last few weeks had been the discovery that I had a sibling, even if it was one with a severe case of gender confusion.

I went out with Joe on a couple more occasions during the week which gave me a brief dose of normality. He was good fun to be with, and the sex was pretty good as well, but I made sure that I didn’t get any long term romantic ideas about him and got the impression that he was doing the same about me. He even came to lunch with the two of us on the Sunday and stayed at the house for the afternoon and early evening. I did wonder whether Julie and I were taking a risk by exposing her to a visitor for such a prolonged period, in case she did or said something to give away her origins. I needn’t have worried though, my sister played the part of a fifteen year old girl to perfection, even to the extent of insisting that we sat through a (so called) talent contest on television that had her cooing at some adolescent boy bands.

After tea Julie decided to go and wash her hair and then have an early night, so that Joe and I could have some time together.

‘Sorry to inflict that mindless pap on you,’ I said to Joe after she’d left us.

‘That’s ok, I’m quite used to it; after all I’ve a fourteen year old sister of my own. Maybe we could take both our sisters to see the latest Harry Potter film sometime?’ he suggested.

‘It would be nice for Julie to have some friends of her own age, but maybe it would be a little bit risky.’

‘Perhaps, but you’d better check it out with your sister first.’

From Monday to Wednesday we were both working. I didn’t really mind my job, and it was infinitely preferable to my summer job last year packing bacon. The only snag is that you don’t get to meet any fit guys in the ‘Ladies Wear’ department, just bored looking husbands, but with Joe on the scene this wasn’t really an issue. Julie continued to be enthusiastic about her work, coming home each evening with new ideas regarding makeup and hairstyles which she was anxious to try out on one or other of us. I didn’t really mind, although it was always a relief to go out with Joe, even if he was now beginning to think of me as a ‘girly girl’ in spite of my periodic attempt to disabuse him.

The first big step towards acquiring the legacies from our father’s estate came on the Thursday when I was required to attend for an interview at the Probate Registry in St. Aldates, in Oxford at 11.00am. Julie accompanied me: but of course wouldn’t be able to come in to the interview with me since, according to the documentation, the only other person involved was my half-brother. It might be difficult to explain who she was.

For once, we were in agreement as to what I should wear. I needed to look as mature, smart and business-like as possible, but I insisted that if I was going to have to wear a suit and a blouse for the trip, then she should do so as well. Julie seemed more than willing to oblige and there were a couple of suitable outfits formerly belonging to her mother, which fitted us both. Mine was a dark red linen trouser suit, as I’d had enough of wearing tight skirts whilst at work. My sister wore a charcoal grey jersey two-piece suit with a full skirt. We chose co-ordinating blouses and jewellery. I let her finish off my makeup, as she did for work. I think we both looked the part as we drove to the Redbridge ‘Park and Ride,’ on the Ring Road south of Oxford, and caught a bus into the High Street. The Probate Registry was opposite Christchurch, a short walk away

‘How are you feeling?’ Julie asked as we sat in the waiting room prior to my appointment.

‘A little nervous,’ I replied.

‘There’s nothing for you to worry about, but remember you should mention that my mother has died since we made the application, and show them her death certificate. They have not been formally notified as yet. It shouldn’t complicate matters; indeed it might even simplify them as she was the original named administrator.’

After a few more minutes I was called into the interview room and shook hands with the registrar, and sat on the seat provided. She looked through the file on her desk. I was glad that I was dressed smartly, and grew in confidence. At last she finished looking through the documents and looked up smiled at me.

‘Miss Robertson, please accept my condolences for the death of your father, but I must also compliment you on the correct way you have completed the forms and supplied us with all the required documentation. The applications that we receive from solicitors do not always meet this standard of accuracy. I don’t think I have any further questions to ask of you.’

I blushed.

‘Actually it was my younger brother who did most of the paperwork,’ I admitted, ‘but I’m sure that I now understand what will be required of me as the administrator.’

‘In that case he is to be congratulated as well,’ she said, continuing to smile.

I then started to explain about the death of Julian’s mother and handed over one of her death certificates to be copied and returned to us in due course.

‘So your younger brother has lost both of his parents and he’s still a minor; that really is a tragedy,’ she commented.

‘Yes, but he seems to be coping reasonably well, and his mother and father have left him well provided for — at least until he completes his education. We are also planning to administer his mother’s estate in due course.’

‘I hope you’re able to do so without too much difficulty. If you have any questions as to what is required you may telephone our office, I’m sure my staff will do their best to help in any way they can.’

She then asked me to swear an oath on a copy of the Bible, promising to administer the estate in accordance with the deceased’s will.

‘Thank you, she said at last. ‘As you are not the executor named in the will, your Grant of Representation will be in the form of a document known as Letters of Administration, which you will received by post within the next ten working days. This document will give you the right to dispose of your father’s assets in accordance with his wishes.’

We shook hands again and I left.

‘How did it go?’ Julie asked as we walked out of the office together.

‘Julie, you’re a genius. There were no problems and we should get the grant sometime in the next fortnight and you and I should get our legacies. So why don’t we now do some shopping to celebrate and have you looking more like a teenager from 2010.’

We spent the afternoon in Oxford shopping for some more modern looking tops and slacks for Julie to wear. I also decided that as soon as the bulk of the money arrived I’d treat myself to an iPhone, and also get something special for mum and dad as well.

‘There’s one other thing I’d now like to do, if you’re willing to help me,’ said Julie as we were waiting to pay for her purchases.

‘What’s that Sis?’ I asked.

‘For practical reasons I had to attend both of my parents’ funerals as Julian, but I’d now like to say goodbye to them as Julie. How would you feel if we arranged to scatter their ashes together at some time?’

‘Yes of course, I should be happy to do so. Where do you have in mind to scatter the ashes?’ I asked, hoping it wouldn’t be somewhere too distant or embarrassing.

‘I was thinking about the Berkshire Downs near to the Uffington White Horse*. Dad was always interested in the prehistoric monuments in that area and used to take us there and to Wayland's Smithy from time to time. We could do it at any time that’s convenient to you,’ she said.

‘We’re both be working on Saturday, but I suppose we could take a drive there this Sunday afternoon’ I suggested.

‘Fine, in that case would you be able to collect the ashes from the Funeral Parlour tomorrow as you aren’t working. I cannot very well do it myself?’

‘Perhaps ’Julian’ could phone them as to say that I will be coming to collect the ashes, together with my sister. With your new hairstyle I don’t think they are likely to recognise you as Julian, but it may be wisest to let me do the talking,’ I said.

‘Alright then, I’ll phone them now and we’ll pick them up tomorrow morning,’ she replied smiling.

‘There’s also something I’d like to ask of you, as well Julie.’

‘What’s that?’

‘I’ve no memories of our father and yet he’s leaving me all this money. Would you let me have a picture of him to keep?’

‘Yes of course, there are one or two nice studio portraits of him, at home, I’ll buy a photo frame this afternoon and let you have one.’

Julie and I decided to walk to the funeral parlour together as it was another nice day and only just over a mile away. With her new hairstyle and up to date clothing there was now no trace of any incongruity in her appearance. As we left the house I stopped briefly to speak with one of the neighbours. I explained that Julian had gone to stay with his Aunt in Canberra for a few weeks and that my sister and I would be looking after the house for the summer until the legal formalities for its sale had been completed. The neighbour accepted the story without question and briefly spoke of what an awful tragedy had befallen the family. She didn’t seem to recognise the young girl who was waiting for me a few steps away. No doubt, she would spread the story around the neighbourhood. Similarly, there was no difficulty when we arrived at the funeral parlour to collect the ashes. In both of these instances Julie stood there looking like a slightly awkward teenage girl, whilst I did the talking. From now onwards there would be no question of our having to hide her as we came and went or when somebody came to the door.

* The Uffington White Horse is a huge prehistoric representation of a running horse cut in to the chalk of one of the Berkshire Downs, and is visible from several miles away. Wayland's Smithy is a Neolithic long barrow and chamber tomb site located near the Uffington White Horse.