A Summer of Changes

by Louise Anne Smithson

Book 3 Chapter 6

A weekend visit

On Friday, both Denise and Samantha came into work with suitcases containing their clothes and makeup for the weekend, as they were both planning to visit their respective parents after work. Jane also brought in her skirt and jacket for Denise to wear, as she'd promised. The modelling work went fairly smoothly and there was no further discussion about the weekend. As soon as they were finished for the day, Denise carefully repaired her makeup and changed into her travelling clothes. The others all came in to offer her their good wishes for the weekend before leaving.

‘How does your skirt and jacket look on me?’ she asked Jane.

‘You look fine in them,’ she answered. ‘It's surprising how many different colours look good on you.’

‘Thanks, but it's nice to have your re-assurance nevertheless, particularly as I'm still anxious about how my mother is going to react when she sees me,’ said Denise.

‘I hope all goes well with your weekend, but don’t let yourself be bullied into doing anything against your will,’ added Jane giving her a kiss.

‘That’s a bit rich coming from the woman who strong-armed me into serving as her bridesmaid,’ said Denise laughing.

Jane blushed.

‘Yes but at the time we were desperate; and in any event, look how things have turned out for you since then,’ she answered.

‘Yes I know. But don’t worry, there's no way that I'll be coming back on Sunday as Denis, I have been having too much fun living and working as Denise.’

‘I'm glad to hear that, we're still relying on the two of you to complete the catalogue this summer,’ said Helen.

---

She arrived at the station in plenty of time and so went to the ladies to check that her hair and makeup were still alright. She then bought a bunch of flowers to give to her mother when she saw her, together with a magazine to read on the journey and try and take her mind off the forthcoming interview. It was odd that whereas before she'd taken hardly any interest in or notice of fashions they were now her natural choice of light reading.

As soon as the train was ready she found herself a seat and was about to put her case on to the overhead luggage rack, when she found a young man from a few seats away was offering to do it for her. With the extra couple of inches provided by her high heels she could have easily done this for herself, but she smiled sweetly and let him get on with it, only to find herself the object of sharp looks from his female travelling companion. The carriage began to fill and she soon found herself getting up to help an elderly woman put her own somewhat larger case on to the rack at the end of the carriage. It was noteworthy that none of the men in the carriage had bothered to offer to help her. There was a seat vacant next to Denise and so the woman sat there and caught her breath.

‘Thank you for your help my dear, the taxi driver put my case on to a luggage trolley for me, but there's always the problem of getting it on to the train,’ she said.

Denise smiled in acknowledgment, and asked, ‘Where are you travelling to?’

‘I'm going all the way through to Norwich, to stay with my son and his wife for a week,’ she replied.

‘Me too, I'm visiting my mother, so I should be able to help you with your case at the other end if you like.’

‘Thank you very much, that's most kind of you. My case has wheels so it will only be a question of pulling it down the platform for me, as my son will be waiting for me. At the concourse.’

---

These days Denise didn't have any worries about being recognised as a man in her appearance, her voice, or her general deportment. She'd already discovered that most people were far more willing to chat to a stranger who was a young woman than one who was a young man, and so it was not long before the two of them were talking happily to one another. As a result the two-hour train journey passed quickly and she had no chance to look into her magazine or worry about her reception.

Their train pulled into its destination on time and some of the passengers began to queue at the entrance to the carriage. Denise suppressed her own impatience and waited until the carriage had nearly cleared before making any move.

‘If you can carry my flowers and my handbag for me, I should be able to manage both of our cases’ she said.

‘That's very kind of you dear.’

The young man had got off at an earlier station, so she reached for her own case from the overhead luggage rack, and collected her companion’s case as she was about to exit the carriage. As they walked off the platform and on to the concourse, they first came across her mother and Julia waiting for them.

‘Hi Mum, Hi Jules, I'll just help this lady to find her son and then I'll come straight back’, she said in a very matter of fact way, as she handed her own case to Julia. Ellen didn't answer.

The elderly woman turned to Ellen and said, ‘you're lucky to have such a lovely helpful daughter.’

Ellen smiled to her in reply but didn't say anything.

Her travelling companion then caught sight of her own son and daughter-in-law, waved and pointed them out to Denise. He came over, and they met him half way when he took charge of the case. Denise said farewell and wished her an enjoyable visit, collecting her handbag and the flowers from her. A few seconds later she'd returned to rejoin her mother and sister.

‘Hello Mum,’ she said awkwardly, as she handed her the bunch of flowers. ‘It's good to see you again. These are for you.’

Denise was blushing and clearly feeling very nervous. Ellen had been preparing herself for this meeting for the last couple of days, but was still at a loss to know what to say.

‘I was intending to be very angry with you when I met you, and I still have many questions to ask, but I must say that you look nice in that outfit ... Denise,’ she said.

Then, after another moment’s hesitation she added, ‘and I'm glad to see you too.’

Denise smiled. There was a palpable release of tension, particularly after Ellen had used her new name, as she had previously been instructed to do by Julia. The pair of them proceeded to hug one another.

‘Thanks Mum, I borrowed the skirt and jacket from a girl at work.’

‘Thank you for the flowers,’ said Ellen.

‘Come on you two, we can admire her outfit later,’ said Julia starting to move towards the car park. ‘Remember that we've ordered a takeaway meal to be collected at eight forty-five.’

Denise put her suitcase in the boot of Julia’s tiny two-door car and then clambered into the back seat through the passenger door, a task made somewhat more difficult because she was wearing high-heels. As she did so she knocked her knee on the lever protruding from the front seat and laddered the tights she was wearing.

‘Damn it, does it notice?’ she asked her sister.

‘Yes I am afraid so. You see Denise, wearing smart clothes can have its disadvantages as well,’ answered Julia.

Denise blushed.

‘I just wanted to make a good impression with you both.’

‘And so you did, but don’t worry, you should be alright for this evening as we're only going to my bed-sit.’

‘I should have thought to bring a spare pair of tights with me, I’ll have to buy some more tomorrow,' said Denise fretfully.

‘In that case why don’t we change our plans and take the meal to my home, I've an unopened pair you may have,’ said Ellen.

‘But Mum, you said that you didn't want Denise to visit your house in case the neighbours saw her,’ said Julia.

‘I know, and I've been feeling guilty ever since I said it. Now that I've met her I've changed my mind,’ answered Ellen. ‘You're both welcome to come to my house with the meal and also stay the night if you wish. I'd still rather the neighbours didn't find out the whole story though, at least until I’ve had a chance to come to terms with the idea myself. If we should meet anyone I will just have to introduce Denise as my niece.’

‘That suits me,’ said Denise

‘It'll be a lot more comfortable than having her sleeping on the couch in my bed-sit for the weekend,’ said Julia.

---

Half an hour later, the three women arrived back at Ellen’s house bringing with them their meal, but there was no sign of any neighbours. Denise went straight away to change her tights using Denis’s former bedroom, whilst Julia and her mother laid the table and began to serve out their meal.

‘So what do you think of your new daughter mum?’ asked Julia.

Ellen sighed.

‘I suppose that Denise does look like a real girl and also acts in a most convincing manner, but there are still many questions and concerns that I have about her future,’ she answered.

‘Yes, I understand your concerns Mum but please take it easy, this weekend can’t have been very easy for her,’ said Julia.

‘Nor me!’ said Ellen.

‘In that case let why don’t we all make a particular effort to get along with one another.’

---

In fact the meal together and subsequent conversation over a glass of wine went far better than any of the participants had imagined. Denise was again asked to tell the story of the last two months, beginning with the hen night, her first weekend as Denise, the wedding, Angela’s emigration, her own new job and the flat shared with Samantha. At first Ellen asked some questions, but after a while she just let her daughter get on with her story. She discovered that she was soon able to relax and accept Denise in her chosen new role. She was still worried about the future but she put these to one side for the time being and enjoyed the company and conversation of her two daughters.

‘So when do you see it all ending?’ asked Ellen.

‘We're due to complete work on the catalogue by the end of September, when Samantha goes back to university,’ answered Denise.

‘So will you be changing back into Denis then?’ asked Julia.

‘Perhaps, but I'm not sure at the moment. If I do so I'll have to look for new living accommodation. All I know is that I'm currently having a great time, with good friends, somewhere nice to stay and am earning good money. I've promised my boss that I'll finish the work we have started,’ she answered. ‘I may get fed up with the life, or they may get fed up with me, but for the time being I've no intention of giving it up before I need to.’

During the course of the conversation Denise received a text message on her mobile phone. She looked at it and noticed it was from John, but didn't respond whilst she was talking to the others. Eventually Ellen and Julia started discussing the latter’s new job and so Denise sought to open her message without attracting too much attention.

‘Hi Denise, wht r u doing ths wknd?’;— D

She sent a hurried response

‘At Norwich - telling Mum abt Denise ;-o.’— D

She assumed that this would put an end to their text messages, but a minute or two later her phone bleeped once more. The others looked round. Denise blushed but was anxious to see what was in the new message.

‘Good luck hpe all gos well! No 1 cd be angry with a dghtr as luvly as u! Much luv John xx. PS I move 2 Lndn on Thurs’

She smiled to herself.

‘Thnks fr knd 4ts! Gd luck wiv move. Mst go now - luv Denise xx.'

Denise put her phone away in her handbag.

‘Who were you texting, Denise?’ asked Ellen after a while.

‘Just a guy that I met at Birmingham’ she said.

‘What's his name?’ asked Julia.

‘John; he's the cousin of my flatmate Samantha. We were sitting next to one another at her sister’s wedding reception’ replied her sister.

‘The one where you were a bridesmaid?’ asked Ellen.

‘Yes that’s right.’

‘Does he know about both Denis and Denise?’ asked Julia.

‘Yes, of course he knows! I wouldn't try to keep a secret like that from my friends.’

Julia and Ellen exchanged meaningful glances but nothing more was said on the subject.

---

Julia left them for a while at 11.00pm in order to drive back to her flat at Sprowston and pick up a change of clothes for the weekend. Denise welcomed this first opportunity of speaking with her mother alone.

‘Well mum, so what do you think of your new daughter?’

‘I really don’t know what to think. You seem to be happy and relaxed and you do look lovely, and so I ask myself 'what does it matter?' Yet at the same time I remember that I gave birth to and brought up a boy.’

‘Yes but I was never a particularly happy or successful little boy, whereas I seem to be doing much better as a girl’ said Denise.

Ellen sighed.

‘Yes but you'll never be able to truly be a woman and get married and have children.’

‘I realise that, but for the time being I feel happier living, and being treated by others as a young woman.’

‘Well I suppose you're old enough to know your own mind. We'll have to see how things work out over the next few weeks.’

‘Thank you mum, I really appreciate that,’ said Denise giving her a kiss.

‘You'll be nineteen next week. Do I need to buy a birthday present for Denis or Denise or something that might suit either one?’ Ellen asked.

‘I think I would prefer to have something for Denise, after all, `one of the advantages of having a new daughter rather than a son is that she will be much easier for you to select presents.’

‘Julia said that is what you'd want. She suggested that she and I should take you out shopping tomorrow and buy you a new outfit to wear on your birthday.’

‘That would be very generous of you both’

‘Julia wants to thank you for your kindness to her when she came up to London. I feel that I should now acknowledge my new daughter’ said Ellen.

‘In that case I should love to go out shopping with you both.’

‘Good! Once Julia returns we'll make the necessary arrangements.’

‘In the meanwhile I’ll unpack my case and begin to get ready for bed. It takes me quite a bit longer these days than it used to do for Denis.’

‘So it would appear. I’ll bring you a towel. Is there anything else you need?’

‘No thanks mum, I should be fine.’

Denise took the towel from her mother before retiring to her room.

---

By the time Julia arrived back from Sprowston, Denise had cleaned off her makeup and changed into a negligee and a pair of slippers. She briefly re-joined her sister and mother to arrange to go shopping the next day.

‘I must say those breasts look most realistic’ commented Ellen. ‘For a moment I thought they were the real thing and that you’d had plastic surgery on them.’

‘They're silicone formes which are glued into place.

They need to look realistic for the modelling. Don't worry I'll warn you if I ever decide to take things any further,’ said Denise.

‘How long will you keep them on for?’

‘They have remained in place for the last three weeks and so I'll need to take them off for a couple of hours and then re-affix them sometime over the next week.’

They agreed a time to go out the next day and then Denise left the others and went to her bedroom. She knew they would want to compare notes about how the evening had gone.

---

As soon as she was alone Denise took out her phone and wrote a text message.

‘Hi John! Mtg wnt well, mum & sis now qt cool re Denise.’

It was only just over a minute before a reply was received

‘Of crse they r, y ever not? R u doing n e thing nxt wknd?’ luv John.

She thought for a moment then shrugged her shoulders and responded.

‘No, was hoping 2 see u ;-), luv D. BTW Frdy my bthdy!

His reply came almost immediately

‘Gr8 Frdy settled thn bthdy grl! ;-)) ring u Mndy 2 arrange - lots luv J xx.’

‘OK but ring eve not dytme, now going 2 bed - luv D xx’

Almost immediately a response came through:

‘Wsh I was wth u - sweet dreams! J xxx.’

‘It looks as if I am now going to have to face one more of the consequences of living as a girl full-time,’ she said to herself as she got into bed, but there was a smile on her face.