Suzanna returns to her home and family in a new role, and they all must figure out how to adapt to the changes.

The wedding was short and simple. Suzanna and Luke kissed awkwardly at the priest's command, and she was Mrs. Overton, married to her son. Rather, she reminded herself, she was married to the man who had been her son back before she was transformed. No matter how she felt, she was not Stan Overton any more. She had Stan's memories, but was not Stan.

For the first time in months she was able to leave the temple, and she was returning to her old home. "It's so great to be back with you two, and finally out of the temple." She wasn't sure what she was feeling, but determined that she would appear upbeat.

Luke shut her down, "And this is all it took?" None of them spoke again during the ride home.

Suzanna felt tears well up when they got to the house. She never thought she'd see it again. The yard was messier than she left it and the fresh coat of paint she'd put on the fence in the spring had weathered, but it was still her home. It wasn't fair. The house should have changed as much as she had. It was, instead, an island of stability.

"Luke," she asked, "could you carry in my things?" She had been allowed to bring some supplies from the temple. A few changes of clothes, some makeup and toiletries. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.

"Yeah," he grunted in return.

Their home was a mess. She should have expected it. Ellen did most of the cleaning, neither of the kids was neat, and she had only helped out when Ellen asked her to. With Ellen in the hospital, the house deteriorated. The kitchen was the worst, with a week's worth of dirty dishes piled in the sink.

Maria ran to her room as soon as they were inside, leaving her alone with Luke, her husband.

Luke gave a halfhearted apology for his silence. "I didn't want to do this. It's just weird. But Sister Paula said it was the only way to keep Maria. I'm sorry Dad. I just couldn't let her go."

"She told me the same thing," She wanted to reassure Luke, but didn't know how. She reached out to hug him, but he stepped back. She didn't press it. Kissing him during the wedding was difficult for both of them. Further contact was awkward.

"It's a loophole. The city accepts any marriage the temple performs, and the city still considers me Maria's, well, father. That makes it harder for them to take her away legally. You did the right thing, protecting her."

Luke sagged. "Great. So I'm not a complete failure." Bitterness crept into his voice, "You can keep your old room. I'll stay in mine."

"All right," Suzanna agreed. She picked up her things and brought them into the room she'd shared with Ellen for the last 2 decades. Same room, but different. Larger and emptier. Her old clothes were no longer hers. She pulled an old sundress of Ellen's from the closet and held it against her body, looking at herself in the mirror. The dress was large, Ellen was taller than her. It was too small in the chest. She had larger breasts than her wife. Her former wife.

Suddenly realizing what she was doing, Suzanna put the dress back in the closet. She felt guilty. Ellen had been in the hospital for two months, but these were still her things. Suzanna had no idea what they'd do if Ellen got better, but the prognosis was poor. It only added to her guilt when she thought that was at least one problem they wouldn't have to deal with.

As she was getting closer to breaking down, Maria quietly entered the room. "Are you really Daddy?"

Suzanna looked at her daughter. She used to have to kneel down to talk to her, but Maria was only slightly shorter than her now. The young girl was growing like a reed, while Suzanna, of course, had shrunk. She forced herself to remain calm. Deep breath.

"Yes, Princess, I really am. Sort of. God changed me, so I can't be your father any more, but it's who I was."

"I can't call you Daddy. What should I call you?"

The pain returned. She struggled not to show it, not to even hint at it. She knew her little girl was right. "Call me Suzanna. Sue would be fine too." She tried to get a laugh with, "But not Suzi." It didn't work.

"OK" She nodded and walked back out, leaving Suzanna nonplussed.

She wanted her family to feel normal again. They didn't have a reception like when she'd married Ellen, but she could prepare a good dinner for everyone. She started by cleaning the kitchen. After months doing it at the temple, she knew she'd be able to make at least a basic meal now.
She had to use what Luke and Maria had on hand, so they wound up with pigs in a blanket, peas and carrots cooked in butter, and applesauce. Not much, but she could do better after some shopping.

"Dinner's ready," she called proudly after setting it all out on the dining table.

Maria came to the table and sat down, "Thanks Sue. We haven't had dinner since..."

Luke came too, but looked surly. "Guh," he grunted. He grabbed the plate Suzanna had made him, took it, and went into the family room to watch television.

Suzanna was stunned, but didn't say anything. She never thought this would be easy, but she'd hoped Luke would cooperate. She sat down. Maria looked at her brother, picked up her plate, and went to join him.

Suzanna ate alone.

At night, in her old bed, she cried herself to sleep.

Any hopes she had for a happy homecoming were soon dashed.

Luke avoided her. He worked two days a week, but found reasons to stay outside whenever he could. She tried to engage him one evening, "Glad to see you back. So what were you doing today?"

"Watching the guy who helped me break in to the temple to rescue you get publicly flogged," he sneered.

That was one of their longer conversations. She usually got grunts or stares from him. His rejection hurt her more than she'd ever expected.
Maria was little better. She followed her brother's lead. She would speak to Suzanna, but not enough to ease her pain.

"Hi there Princess. How was school today?"

"Same."

"What did you do?"

"Nothin." By then she'd turned on the television or head back outside.

Suzanna was losing her family even while she was with them. Her loss was worse due to crushing loneliness. She had hated having her duplicates around her, but that was because they made her feel unreal. On the other hand, she'd gotten used to having people around her all the time. Now she didn't, and found she missed it.

It might have been possible to spend time with neighbors, but she gave up on that her very first full day back, when she went grocery shopping.
"It's Jack's Gift."

"Can I get your blessing?"

"Tell Jack to heal my daughter."

People were waiting outside her home. She didn't know how to react. Her first thought had been relief that Luke and Maria were not here to see this, until she realized they had to have seen the crowd when they left earlier. After the initial shock it became annoying. It was frightening by the time she got home. She slammed the door on one of her pursuers' face.

She stayed inside the rest of the day. She could not go meet neighbors with her stalkers outside. She wasn't sure she wanted to either. They didn't know who she was, and she wanted to keep it that way. She was a new person, and it would be too embarrassing if anyone learned who she had been. Of course, there was little danger. She barely knew her neighbors' names. That was Ellen's department.

Each night she sobbed alone in bed. Her children... no, her husband and sister-in-law, didn't want her. She was alone, lonely, a freak. She couldn't go on but didn't know what else she could do.

Each day she cleaned and cooked and tried to avoid looking out the window. She dreaded having to go for groceries or the mail, so she avoided those tasks for days on end.

She didn't recognize the first ray of light when it came. As is so often the case, she would only pinpoint it much later with the benefit of hindsight. She'd made chili one night. Luke and Maria ate by the television as normal. After dinner Luke confronted her. "We can't keep doin' this," he said waving the empty bowl angrily. "We can't afford to eat like this every bloody night. I only work two days a week."

"I've been doing the best I can. This is cheap." She was put off. It was almost the first full sentence Luke had spoken to her since she'd come home with him and it was to accuse her.

"And Mom's in the hospital and the truck's not paid off and there's all the other bills I got." He braced his hands on the table across from Suzanna, his frustration clear.

"What? How bad is it?" She felt hard pressed. Luke spent so much effort avoiding speaking to her, and now this. Fear, frustration, and anger all vied for her attention. Sister Paula's lessons in restraint stood against it, and she held her poise for the moment.

Luke didn't. "You want to see?" He stomped back to his room, came out with a pile of bills and threw them at her. "That's how bad it is. So stop it. Just stop. Just..." His voice broke and he stopped, went back to his room.

"Sue?" asked Maria timidly, "what does he mean? Are you going to leave again?"

"No Princess, I'm not going to leave you again. Ever." She'd make it true.

Maria hadn't run. Suzanna was proud of her. "Gather up those bills for me, let me go through them."

Hours later, after Maria went to bed, she knocked on Luke's door. "We can do this," she told him. "Most of the bills are from the hospital, for... your mother. We can delay most of them, and might get temple coverage if we can convince them her illness was due to Jack's visit."

She paused. Luke opened his door, came silently into the room with her. "You're right. It's not going to be enough. We need to budget more. Your... no, Ellen and I had to do that for years. We can do it too. I can, well, I can help. Get out of the house, get a city job. Bring in a bit more. It all helps."

Sullenly, but at least participating, Luke said, "What about plumbing? You can take the truck back." He would not look her in the eye.

"No, that won't work anymore. Not strong enough."

"There are women plumbers," Luke insisted, still looking away from her.

"I know. But I won't be one of them. This body just doesn't have the strength for it. Some women might be strong enough. I'm not one of them."
"You hated the idea of working for the city. It ain't right I have to make you. It's all wrong. It's my fault."

"Luke, it's not your fault. It's no one's fault. It happened, and we have to deal with it. I'm in this with you, and will do what's needed. You know that."

His shoulders slumped. "So now I'm on the temple's side, using you. Fine. Whatever." He finally looked at her. His eyes watered. He went back to his room.

Suzanna wanted to follow, but didn't know what to say.

She got dressed the next morning in a long yellow skirt with a green and yellow patterned blouse and a wide black belt. She had gotten used to wearing yellow while in the temple to identify herself, and it looked good against her dark skin. She curled her hair and put in a pair of dangling earrings.

She looked herself over in the mirror to confirm there was no sign of Stan Overton there. There was no reason there should be, she had a new body, but she felt better after confirming it. Thus armored, she boldly walked out of the house.

She was let down by the lack of an audience or reaction.

Her stalkers and passers-by had apparently given up. Cheered by her absurd reactions, she walked to the bus stop. No one reacted. On the bus, one person she didn't know called her Rosa. Suzanna shook her head no. She heard an old woman stage whisper "She's one of Jack's Gifts," just before her stop. She scurried off the bus without drawing more attention.

Walking to city hall, she thought about her reaction leaving the house. She was disappointed that her stalkers left her alone. Why?

None of her old friends had come to visit since she came home. They didn't know who she was, of course. She hadn't felt any urge to reconnect with them either. Some part of it was shame, but a bigger part was that she didn't have any good friends. Ellen had friends, she had Ellen and her family. Since the war host, she realized, her twins at the temple were the best friends she had.

She'd changed more than just her skin. Was this part of Rosa, part of being a woman, or part of her given license to be friends again? She didn't know.

At city hall, she stopped thinking about herself and made an appointment to apply for a job. While waiting she picked up a fashion magazine and paged through looking at the women, but now looking for hair and makeup ideas. Or so she tried to tell herself. She was still attracted to beautiful women. Then again, she reasoned, these magazines were made for women, so she wondered just how much natural women were attracted to other women too.

Getting out of the house seemed to spur her to deep thoughts. She'd have to try it more often.

Someone tapped her on the shoulder. "Finally leaving the house then, Mrs. Overton?" came a voice from behind her, with a heavy stress on the 'Mrs.'
She turned to see Brother Jose.

"I'm applying for a job. Not that it's any business of yours," she said coldly.

"Of course it's my business," the priest snarled at her. "God commanded we find something good for you, as Sister Paula reminds us. God's commands don't end because you are no longer on temple grounds. As long as you are in town and I can keep track of you, rest assured that your business is mine."

He loomed over her, staring down, "When our newlywed Gift spends an entire week in her house I'd say it's a sure sign we found her a fine position. Perhaps many positions," he leered. "But then I see your husband leaving the house each day while you remain behind, so perhaps I'm mistaken."
"Our home life is none of your business."

Pointing dramatically at her chest, he spouted "Didn't I just tell you, your business is my business? No matter what Sister Paula says or believes, God gave you to us. You belong to the temple. We may send you out and we may take you back. Don't ever forget it. You are ours for life."

He paused, looked dramatically around the waiting room. "You can leave now. You will find nothing here. I've seen to that."

"What? You can't do that."

"I can and I have. It is the temple's job to find you a good position, and a city welfare position is not it. If Sister Paula was wrong to place you here, you are still our responsibility and we will find you a new home. I have informed the city planners of our position."

"We need this. My son, my husband has had a lot to..."

"Hah," crowed Brother Jose. "He is your son, not your husband. I will break this farce of a marriage and see you sold to benefit God and the temple, Mrs. Overton." Once again, he placed a strong emphasis on the Mrs.

Brother Jose left. The two other applicants stared at her, but looked away whenever she looked back.

After a few minutes, she left. It had turned into a pretty miserable day.

Without a second income, things stayed tense at the Overton's. Brother Jose was successful, assuming that had been his goal. Suzanna drew up a budget and got Luke to acknowledge it. Luke at least recognized her existence, but rarely spoke more than a full sentence.

Suzanna stretched the family meals and tried to learn to sew. Ellen had a sewing machine, but it proved harder than it looked. She could darn socks, at least, and pledged to keep practicing. Every little bit helped.

For her own sanity, she walked into town every day. She wanted to get used to seeing old neighbors in her new body. She was called one of Jack's Gifts far more than she liked, but at least that's all she was called. No one knew who she used to be.

In early October, Suzanna got a call from Maria's school. Maria had been caught skipping class. Suzanna swore out loud after hanging up, covered her mouth in embarrassment, and then laughed at herself. There was no one else home.

She had gotten used to seeing people and saying hello, but a personal meeting was something new. She and Luke were Maria's guardians. She dressed up in grey slacks, a green blouse and scarf, and pumps with a small heel. She put on some makeup, and made sure to bring some with her in her purse. Clothes were her armor, she hoped she could withstand the slings and arrows.

The last time she'd been at the school she was still Stan. She went to see Maria sing in the annual Winter Festival program. This was her first time as Suzanna. She was nervous each time she had to return to someplace she'd been before changing. She calmed her nerves by checking and refreshing her lipstick. It was a surprisingly effective calming technique, only available to women.

Maria was waiting, and the two of them were soon escorted in to see Brenda MacHale, the school counselor.

"Mrs. Overton, Maria," the matronly woman started, "I'm sure you both know why we're here, but I'd like to go over it to start us off. Maria was caught behind the bleachers during her religious history class.

"This is not the first incident we've had with her. Her grades have fallen steeply, she has gotten into two fights, and she has had multiple behavior complaints from her teachers. Now, we understand she lost both of her parents last year, and are prepared to be understanding, but we must deal with these problems."

Suzanna turned. "What's going on, Maria?"

The young girl squirmed in her seat. She looked at everything in the room other than the two adults, then shrugged in the way so well known even to pre-teens, "I dunno. Nothin'."

"I'm very sorry about this, Mrs. MacHale. I will make sure she behaves in the future." Suzanna tried to project calm and authority.

"I'm sorry to say that might not be enough," said the counselor. "Maria has been suffering from all the disruptions in her family life. She would have been removed from her brother's care last year, but for your marriage. If she continues to act out, we might need to remove her from your home, even if only temporarily to let things settle down."

"No," said Maria suddenly, "No, don't take me, everyone will go away. I don't want to leave Luke and Daddy."

Suzanna gasped. She turned to Mrs. MacHale and tried to cover the slip. "Her family is tied to that house. They have pictures and memories everywhere. Please let her stay with us." She was as alarmed by Maria's vehemence as her inadvertent exposure of Suzanna's identity.

Unperturbed, the counselor asked Maria to wait outside, and then returned to her desk to speak more with Suzanna. "I'm pleasantly surprised, Mrs. Overton. After all she's gone through, I thought your arrival was making things worse. It's not unusual. Young girls often feel like they're being replaced when a woman marries into the family. Treating her brother as her father is not a long term solution, but it's healthier than I was expecting."

Confusion, followed by relief. The counselor misheard Maria's outburst. She thought Maria called Luke her father.

Mrs. MacHale continued, "We can work with this. Maria wants and needs parent figures. I know you are one of Jack's Gifts, and the temple..."

"Please," interrupted Suzanna, "Don't call me that. I am not a gift. I am Luke's wife."

"Of course, I didn't mean anything by it. My apologies." Brenda was suddenly on the defensive. This was the time for Suzanna to press her advantage.

"You're right. I've been remiss in caring for Maria. I've been preoccupied with the changes to my own life," she gestured at herself, "and situation. I apologize for that. You have my word I will pay more attention to Maria's school work and behavior." She apologized in order to end the meeting. While saying the words, Suzanna realized that it was the truth. She hadn't paid attention to Maria. She was ashamed of herself.

The counselor had seen parents make promises before, so she didn't expect results. She let Suzanna go with a warning, "I hope we do not have to call you back in the future, but we'll take your promise for now. Best of luck to you."

Suzanna left the room and grabbed Maria's hand, "We'll talk about this again at home," she said firmly.

Brother Jose was waiting for her outside school, "Well, well, now your little girl is in trouble at school. You are still the temple's responsibility, Suzanna. Now I have to go look over Maria's school records to see if the Church must get involved. I do so apologize for the intrusion into your life," he added with no sincerity at all.

Her newfound resolve carried her, "Enjoy yourself. I know how much you like looking," Suzanna said as she walked off with a bump of her hips. She was pleased when Brother Jose got flustered.

On the ride home, Suzanna thought more about her promise. She had been wrapped up in her own problems. Luke and Maria had as much pain as she did. She was part of the problem. She was getting better thinking of herself as Suzanna, but she still thought of Luke and Maria as her children. They weren't. Luke was her husband, and Maria her sister-in-law. She was Maria's guardian, and had to act as a mother to her.

She spent the ride back trying to figure out how.

When they got home, Maria went right for her room. Suzanna stopped her. "Hold on there. We have something to talk about."

"What now?" Maria acted exasperated, but Suzanna knew she was trying to avoid being punished.

"When I came back home, you asked what you should call me, remember?"

Maria nodded, confused.

"Right, you were going to call me Sue. Well, thing is, I never asked what I should call you. I kept calling you Princess. I don't think that's right anymore. What do you want me to call you, Maria?"

The little girl's eyes widened. She thought about it, trying to figure out what was going on. Tentatively, she asked, "Could you maybe call me Tiger? I kinda like it."

Suzanna smiled. "You got it Tiger. Now, go get your homework. We're working on it out here. And we're going to work on it every day for an hour. No going out with your friends until it's done."

"Hey. You tricked me," Maria complained without conviction. She ran to her room but returned a moment later with her books.

They spent an hour reading and reviewing spelling. "Work on that essay now," Suzanna told her, "while I cook dinner. We'll go over it when I get things on the stove."

Maria stuck out her tongue playfully but got out paper and pens and started writing. She seemed happier than she'd been all month.

Dinner was a simple chicken stew, but it took time to cut everything up and get it in the pot. She got back to Maria, looked over what she'd done, and helped her improve it.

Luke came home shortly before dinner. He was mildly surprised to see Maria doing homework. "You're back," greeted Suzanna cheerfully, "How was your day?"

Luke made a quizzical face and grunted "Fine." He went over to the television and sat down.

Suzanna let it go, but when she'd set the table a few moments later, she announced, "Dinner's ready. We're all eating at the table tonight." Maria got up and came over. Luke did not.

"Unh, unh," he said from the sofa, only turning his head, "Not t'night."

Suzanna was prepared. She gestured at Maria to stay where she was. She went to the sofa where Luke was sitting, and sat down next to him. She put her legs up and sat on her knees next to him. She put her arms around Luke's neck and whispered in his ear.

"I can't make you eat dinner with us, but I'm asking you. I'm your wife. We are a family, and I want us to act like one. Please."

She asked, begging. There was more than there seemed in her plea. She couldn't be Stan anymore, and was making sure Luke knew it.

Luke looked at her. She knew what she looked like, a woman with her arms around him, kneeling fetchingly on the sofa next to him. It didn't surprise her at all when he got up and came to the table.

Suzanna called Luke the following afternoon. She asked him to come home and fix a clogged pipe.

"You're kidding, right?" Luke's incredulity carried over the phone. He caught himself and tried to cover, "I can come home and help, sure. No problem. Just, well, you've got a problem with clogged pipes?"

She laughed but sounded sad when she answered, "I turned off the water but can't loosen the pipe. I don't have the strength for it anymore. Think you can help?" She tried to sound casual, but Luke could hear how much that request cost her.

"Of course. Be right there. Don't worry about it." Luke wanted to be nice after their tentative reconciliation last night. He tried not to sound smug or prideful, but was not entirely successful. Suzanna in turn tried not to let it bother her.

She welcomed him home. The kitchen sink was clogged. "Grease?" he asked.

"No, or at least, grease plus something else. I tried snaking it, but couldn't break the clog. Need to pull the pipe, and that's where I got stuck." She looked away.

"No problem. Don't worry. Let me at it. You can walk me through it, right?"

"Let's see what you remember," she answered sharply. Softening, she added, "I'll be here if you have problems."

Luke looked at her a little too long. She started to blush under his gaze. Then he turned away, "Let me get the toolkit, just in case." He carried it in easily, while Suzanna would have trouble lifting it with both hands.

He checked that the water actually was off. Suzanna approved. She knew she'd turned it off, but she also knew better than to ever take the customer's word for what she'd done. Luke saw her nod of approval and smiled in return. It was his turn to feel warm.

He got to work, disconnected the pipe, and got splattered with water and grease. Suzanna laughed despite herself. Luke cycled rapidly through anger, embarrassment, and laughter himself.

"Yeah," he said looking at the pipe, "It's clogged all right, tight. Grease and food. Sorry, but that's probably Maria and my fault. It just took time to build up. Looks like the pipe's dented too, which is why the snake got caught. If we replace it, should get better drainage overall. I got it."
"I'd agree with all that. Thank you."

Luke went back to work. Suzanna heard him humming while stuck under the sink. She stopped herself from laughing, as she'd had the same habit. When he finished he tested that everything was working, made sure there were no leaks, and only then cleaned off his face.

"All done," he said proudly. "Look, Suze, I'm going to head back out, OK? I'd stay here with you a while, really I would. I was helping Peter out though. He got some old cars from a reclamation crew, and he's gonna see if he can get them working again. I was helping him move 'em to his place. I'll be back later."

"Of course, go help Peter."

She was honestly surprised. Luke explained what he was doing and cared what she thought. She hadn't known that he was helping his old friend, or that Peter was trying to start his own career. She surprised Luke in turn by giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before he left.

She was happy. She wondered if she'd have to break something else before Luke got the idea to take up plumbing jobs on his own.

Suzanna got dressed for a lunch meeting a week later. She put on her yellow skirt with a pale green shirt and vest. After some thought, she put on her heels. She still needed practice walking in them, but wanted to make a good impression. It was worth the risk. With silent apologies, she went through Ellen's jewelry to add a bracelet and necklace. She tied back her hair with the same yellow ribbon she used in the temple.

Sister Paula was already waiting for her when she got to the diner.

"I hope I didn't keep you waiting," she said while kissing Paula hello. "It's good to see you again."

"Not at all, I just got here a few minutes ago. You're looking good. I've missed seeing you around the temple."

"We go every week," she said defensively. "That's not what you meant, is it? Sorry, it's been busy. I will try to get up there to see all of you soon." She took off her jacket and placed it with her purse on the chair next to her as she sat down. Paula noted her feminine mannerisms approvingly.
"I'm afraid that I asked to see you so I could ask for help," she said.

Paula smiled, "That's usually the case. What do you need?"

"I need a job, or at least to get Brother Jose off my back. It's pretty tight for us right now. Luke's got his janitor job and he's starting to drum up some plumbing work. He's got a sink repair job today." She smiled proudly. "I want to help more. Brother Jose made sure the city won't hire me. I was hoping you could get him to back off."

Sister Paula looked away, then turned back to face her. "I might be able to help, but I doubt I can get Brother Jose to back off. There's temple politics involved in every decision concerning all of you. I'm sure you know that already. It hasn't stopped. You, specifically, bother Brother Jose. He's got much more support pursuing you than I'd have expected. I wish I knew why.

Changing the subject, how're you doing? Anna's busy in Mississippi, so I don't hear much from her, and Julia, well..." Paula paused, then added, "I liked working with all of you. I'd love to hear how you're doing."

"Like I said, money is tight. Luke wasn't ready to take over when Ellen had her stroke. Some things fell through the cracks. We're putting it all back together, but it's not easy."

"I was sorry to hear she passed away."

"Thanks. We were expecting it, but it hurt. I'll always miss her. So will Luke and Maria."

"So, how are you and Luke doing?"

Sister Paula was Suzanna's mentor at the temple, and honestly cared about her. She was also a priest, and just as honestly devoted to God. She took Jack's commands seriously. Suzanna was sure she'd agree with Brother Jose that the temple's responsibility for her extended for life. In the end, she decided to tell the truth. If nothing else, it would be a pleasant change.

"It wasn't working out well at first. I think we're getting better, but it is slow for both of us. Please don't tell Brother Jose, I know he thinks our marriage is a fraud. It's not. But it's also not really, well, real either. We are getting there, though. Really." She sounded silly, but she was relieved to have said it out loud.

Sister Paula's surprise was obvious. It took a moment before she responded. "I won't tell him. I'm surprised you're telling me."

"You were a harsh taskmaster, but you were always honest with us. You tried to do the best by us you could. I figured I could return the favor."

Paula smiled, "Thank you, I think. What do you mean when you say it's going slow?"

Another pause. This was becoming an awkward conversation. "When I came home, neither of us acted like we were married. I still do it. Look what I just said. I said I was coming home, not getting married. It was tearing us apart. Luke resented me. I was both his father and his wife. That combination sucks. Sure, I did the cooking and housework, but only because I didn't want to go outside. It hurt." Her chest shook with silent sobs.

"So what changed?" Paula asked after giving her a little time.

"Maria. She got in trouble in school. Don't get me wrong, we hold her responsible for what she did and punished her. But I was responsible too. She and Luke couldn't accept the way I was acting. So I could hope for Luke and her to change, or I could change. So I did."

"Good for you. I'm sure it's hard, but it's doing you good. You look absolutely great."

Suzanna smiled. "Now you're just being polite. I'm a mess."

"No really, you do. I'm sure Luke notices too. So tell me," she said with a sly smile, "how does sex compare as a woman?"

"Whoa. Hold on. You're a priest. I can't."

"What? You think I don't know what a wedding means?"

Suzanna looked around warily, then gestured Paula closer to her. They leaned their heads over the table so she could whisper. "I don't know. I'm sorry, and please don't tell Brother Jose. When I came home we started sleeping in different rooms. I've only just started acting like his wife. And I'm scared."

Paula grabbed Suzanna's hand, but held it reassuringly. "Don't worry. Your secret's safe. Sex is part of being married, though. Don't be scared. I wasn't always a priest. Let me assure you that celibacy is a real sacrifice. You will enjoy it."

"I'll try. I promise you that."

Paula gripped her hand harder and smiled warmly. "I'm glad to help. I'm even happier that I think I've found a friend."

Suzanna smiled back.

Sister Paula almost jumped, "Oh my, I'm sorry, I completely forgot. I think I can help with what you came for. Shawnee runs road crews every day. You can't get a city job, but Shawnee contracts out administrative duties to a private company, Primus Call Center. Road crews don't always show up, sometimes they need more people, and they need people to track who showed up, things like that. It's all paperwork and phone calls, and it's early morning work, and it's only a few hours a day, but it is every weekday. I happen to know they need a new caller. Here's a number to reach them."

"I'll call them today. I can't thank you enough."

"Actually, you can. I have a favor to ask too."

"Anything," responded Suzanna.

"It's Melissa. She hasn't been the same since you left. She's the last of the transformed in the temple. I've got a political marriage for her. He's a good man down in Texas. Brother Jose is making a strong case that she's not fit for it. He hasn't cancelled the deal, but if he can set something else up he might. It's not just that. She's depressed, lonely. Could you talk to her?"

"That's a favor? Go talk to a friend? Sorry Sister, but I think I still owe you one after that."

They smiled at each other.

Suzanna was in a great mood the next day when she set off to the temple. She'd spoken with the manager of Primus Call Center, and would be able to start work on Monday. Luke was enthusiastic and gave her a kiss when she announced the news. It was the first time he spontaneously kissed her. Maria eagerly volunteered to start making breakfast since Suzanna would be gone in the mornings. Her family was feeling like a family again.

It was still warm out, so she wore her green and white patterned dress, one of the few dresses she had. She got a brand new yellow headband, figuring that would amuse Melissa, and set off.

It had been over a month since she'd last seen her friend. She was so excited she nearly skipped on her way to the Pilgrim's quarters. Then the first words out of her mouth were, "Dawn's Grace, what have you done to your hair?"

Melissa was wearing a pair of women's blue jeans and a grey turtleneck shirt. Her hair was straight, but tangled and frizzy. She might be Suzanna's twin, but she was a twin who'd hit hard times. Suzanna's heart went out, she hadn't realized just how much she'd missed her friend.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. "It's been so long, and it's so good to see you Mel."

Melissa was stunned. Then she started laughing. "Suzanna, it's good to see you too." She came over to give her friend a hug. They both felt better. "I guess I do look a bit of a mess. Just a bit depressed, I guess."

"Well, we can fix the first bit. Sit down and let me work on your hair. Give me that brush." They did each others' hair regularly when they were learning to be women, so this was like old home week for them both.

Melissa's hair was badly tangled, so they were quiet while Suzanna brushed it out. After wincing a few times, Melissa broke the silence, "How have you been doing? What's it like?"

Suzanna knew what she meant, and also knew what Sister Paula needed her to say. "It's different, but it's not bad. Sister Paula's lessons helped more than I thought. Take clothes for example, dressing up is fun. Before, I used to dress for function, or just to blend in. Now I dress to draw attention. I'll admit it made me nervous at first, but I've gotten to like it when people notice me." She knew Melissa wanted more than that, but Suzanna wanted to start with the easy things.

They spent some time gossipping while Suzanna continued brushing Melissa's hair. They didn't know a lot of people in common, but she could catch her friend up on those few that they did both know. She'd made a point of going out to the base to find out where some of Melissa's friends were now.

They also talked about the temple goings-on, where Melissa had the better knowledge. Of course the fight between Brother Jose and Sister Paula was still going on. Sister Paula had the upper hand, but they both knew Brother Jose could still turn things around, and they'd be right in the middle of it if he did.

They had more fun talking about the people they used to watch in the orchards. The long running love triangle between Ed, Lisa, and Molly had finally resolved. Lisa nabbed Ed. Molly didn't mourn her loss for long, and was now dating Francisco. Melissa had great fun telling the whole story. She proved a particularly nasty mimic. Suzanna had to stop working on her hair to laugh.

When Melissa's hair was brushed out, and Suzanna started braiding it, Melissa went back to serious mode. "Have you heard what Sister Paula has in mind for me? She wants me to get married. I don't know if I can do it. How do you manage?"

She knew that question was coming, but Suzanna wasn't as ready as she thought. She didn't want to lie to Melissa, but she was in the middle of the temple. Sister Paula was her friend, but Brother Jose was not. She had no idea who might be listening, so she had to be cautious.

"It hasn't been easy," she hedged. "I mean, we're acting like women right now. I'm sitting here working on your hair. Believe me, nothing drives home that you're a woman now like being a wife, having a husband."

"How do you? I mean, sex. As a woman." Melissa was agitated, making it hard on Suzanna to continue working on her hair. This wasn't the time for that, so she stopped.

"You were married before, right?"

Melissa nodded.

"Did you and your wife ever play? I mean role play?"

"You want details?" she asked archly.

"Maybe later," Suzanna replied in the same vein. "I's like that. Act like you're playing, only play the wife role. It might be awkward at first, but it gets easier the more you do it. It takes time, but eventually you get into it and it is fun. It's easier if your guy is nice and caring too. Thing is, as you keep playing the role, it gets easier and more real. Keep at it, and soon the role is reality." She smiled suggestively, "There are other benefits that come with it."

Melissa didn't entirely buy it, but she felt better. They went back to working on her hair, gossiping, and just reconnecting. When she was heading home, Suzanna reflected that the advice she gave Melissa was pretty good for her too. Same thing that happened at Maria's school. She might have to listen to herself more often.

On the way home she stopped at Victoria's Secret. For later.

While Suzanna and Luke were more pleasant to each other, they continued sleeping separately. They were both feeling their way into their new roles. Suzanna's morning job helped with the finances, and Luke was getting more plumbing jobs.

Her call center had an annual dinner for their employees. Luke resisted going when Suzanna told him about it. He didn't like dressing up and didn't know anyone there. She pointed out that meeting new people was the way to generate new jobs. He accepted that and agreed to go along. It didn't occur to her until later, but Luke was serious about plumbing and he listened to her advice. She felt better inside when she realized.

Suzanna had a black dress from Rosa's wardrobe. She had never worn it and was surprised at herself that she was looking forward to it. The dress showed a fair amount of cleavage, which she'd avoided until now. The low back prevented her from wearing a bra, but the dress had its own support built in. She'd gotten so used to wearing a bra that she considered this unusual. She had to go through Ellen's jewelry collection again to find something appropriate. A ruby necklace and long earrings completed the outfit. Maria had to help her with her makeup. They worked on it together for almost an hour before they were satisfied. Like Luke, she'd never enjoyed dressing up this much before the change. But then, she thought, she didn't look this good back then.

To her further surprise, she was looking forward to making an impression on Luke as much as her coworkers. She got a gasp from him when she stepped out of the room, but she was just as surprised by him.

"Luke honey, you look fantastic," she exclaimed. He was wearing a grey jacket with a blue tie and dress shoes. He'd gotten a hair cut, and to her amazement, he'd shaved his sideburns.

"So do you Suze, so do you."

"Hey, get a room, you two," Maria broke in as they each admired the other.

That broke the spell. Suzanna straightened Luke's tie, and brushed his shoulders. She wasn't even sure why. Luke opened the door to the truck for her and helped her in. She needed the help, given her heels and dress, so really appreciated the courtesy.

They got to the Ambrosia restaurant in plenty of time. Suzanna introduced Luke to her coworkers. "This is my husband, Luke. He's the handsomest plumber in town, if you need one." By the third time, introducing him as her husband seemed almost natural.

They sat down at a table with a coworker, Carole, her husband, and two couples she didn't know. They talked a bit about work and the town. Carole and Jim had a three year old, and asked if they had any kids of their own.

"None yet," answered Suzanna while Luke looked on flustered. She took Luke's hand as she said, "Luke wants to get his plumbing business on its feet before we have any kids."

"Don't put it off too long, kids are a blessing," she answered back.

"Before Carole gets going any longer on her spiel," interrupted Jim, turning to Luke, "how is the plumbing business? It's pretty gutsy trying to set yourself up that way. Love to hear more."

"There aren't enough plumbers, and a lot of old pipes are breaking down. There's a lot of recycling old parts and patching things. I can replace broken pipes when I have them, but that's not often enough. Regular maintenance helps prevent breakdowns in the first place, so there's plenty to do for people who know enough to hire us." Suzanna was impressed. Luke was selling himself. Confident and relaxed, pushing the idea that he could do the repairs. He'd be drumming up some business tonight.

"Of course, I've got to give Suzanna here a lot of the credit. No way I'd have done this on my own without her behind me."

"Oh come on now," she answered, "of course you would. But thanks." She was flattered, put her arm around him and leaned in to him. It felt good.
After dinner came the speeches. They'd all had a bit to drink, and were willing to listen. They introduced the new employees, including Suzanna. In the process, they mentioned that she was one of the people transformed by Jack.

"I hadn't realized," said Jim when the speeches finished, "you're one of Jack's Gifts."

"Hey," interrupted Luke before Suzanna could say anything, "she's not a thing. She's not a gift."

Jim backed down. "I didn't mean anything, that's just what they're called, right? Really, sorry, I didn't mean any offense."

"None taken then." He looked cautiously at Suzanna, then back to Jim and Carole, "She is a treasure, though."

That brought a laugh from Jim. Carole needled him, "And why don't you have such a silver tongue?" Suzanna just stared at Luke, seeing him anew.

She walked out after dinner on Luke's arm. She was smiling, happy, and expecting a big night with her husband when they got home. Instead, they ran into Brother Jose. He accosted Suzanna angrily.

"You're not fooling anyone. You're not married, you're not sleeping with your son." He spoke angrily but quietly enough not to be overheard. "Sister Paula may have gotten her way with Melissa, but I will show you are a fraud. Just wait. I'll be there when you slip. As for you," he said while pointing at Luke, "Cheating God is heresy, and you'll see what we do to heretics."

Luke pulled her away. The mood was spoiled, and they went to their separate rooms to sleep.

"Wha' happened to your face, man?"

Peter greeted Luke in surprise the day after Suzanna's dinner. Luke had fixed an irrigation system in the morning but his afternoon was free, so he went to help Peter chop up an engine for parts.

"What can I say? Suzanna never liked the sideburns, figured it was time for 'em to go. 'Sides, I'm trying to be a respectable businessman. Gotta look right."

"OK, what happened to my old buddy? Who is this stranger?" Peter smiled as he teased. He grabbed a bottle of cider and threw another to Luke. "Doesn't the tat sort of break the image?"

Luke smiled back. "Yeah. I sorta keep that covered now." Looking down, "Probably have to see about getting it removed when it warms up again."

This time Peter really was surprised. "OK. I could ask. But truth is, I don't really care." They both laughed. "Got lots to do, and I'm glad for the help. Let's finish these and get to it."

"Slavedriver," said Luke in a stage whisper.

They spent an hour in companionable silence. Peter knew his way around cars, even if it was just to break them down.

Peter was right, he knew. He'd shaved his face for Suzanna and it wasn't like him. He'd married her to save his sister and he'd do it again. It meant he's failed in so many ways. He couldn't provide for his sister without help. He was serious back when he called the temple slaveholders, and now he was participating. Every time he saw Suzanna he felt guilty.

"Lift."

Luke came out of his thoughts as he and Peter tugged an old engine out of the car. Peter had a good pulley rigged up, but it took muscle and attention to stop it swinging.

"You got anyone lined up for these yet?" asked Luke.

"No, just got a few more junkers. Figured I'd break 'em down, try to get the better ones working."

"I bet the base would pay for parts you got. Anything doesn't go to getting something running, try selling to them." Luke was still getting used to thinking how to sell and look for opportunities. It was worth sharing with his friend. "Suzanna knows some people over there, can probably give you a name."

Peter was dumbfounded. "Sure. Sounds good. Thanks."

They finished and washed up. Luke was leaving when Peter said, "Hey, I'll check on the base thing. It's OK if I ask your... Suzanna for a contact?"

"Yeah, of course."

"She's good. I don't think I know this woman who's getting my buddy to grow up." Grinning.

Peter was right, of course. Luke had changed, and Suzanna was a big reason for it. He'd stopped feeling like a failure for one thing. No, more than that. He wasn't acting like he had in school. Peter had it again, he'd grown up. Suzanna knew him better than anyone, but he didn't know her nearly as well as he thought. She was a different person now, Luke carefully avoided thinking about who she used to be. She was making her own choices now, and maybe it was time for him to stop feeling guilty about a situation neither of them caused.

He was excited about getting to know her better.

About getting to know his wife better.

For Suzanna, life was getting better. Her part time position combined with Luke's job and his growing plumbing business were slowly getting them back on their feet. She was doing the housework as well as keeping the books, which proved to take more time than she'd once expected. She made sure to clear time to help Maria with her schoolwork each afternoon, and started making friends in the neighborhood. She was leaving her old life behind, and doing it on her terms.

One night after Maria was in bed, she told Luke to make sure to keep Friday evening free. Maria had a band concert at school, and they would attend.

"OK," he responded, "but I didn't even know she played."

Suzanna smiled kindly, "It was a deal we made. I got her an old flute at the pawn shop, and she could play as long as she behaved in school and kept her grades up. She practices a lot, and really likes it."

"How come I never heard her play then?"

"She didn't want you to know, so she practices before you get home. Now be nice to her."

Luke faked a frown, "I don't know. If all the women in my life conspire to keep secrets from me, maybe I should put my foot down and not go."

Playing into it, Suzanna poked him in the chest, "Don't even try it buster. You're going, and you're taking us out for ice cream afterwards." She leaned in and kissed him on the mouth.

He gave up and agreed.

The warm weather fled by Friday, it was cold and windy. Suzanna wore her dress and heels to look nice for Maria and Luke, but then had to cover it up with a winter coat. Luke didn't suffer at all with a jacket over his shirt and tie. Suzanna thought that was completely unfair. However, when she complained about the cold he put his arm around her. She decided she could manage to like cold weather.

The Fall Concert was just what she'd expected. It was a performance for the parents and other children. The fun came from seeing your children on stage. Luke cheered for his sister as Maria haltingly played John Phillip Sousa, John Williams, and other school staples. Suzanna clapped and took delight in Luke's obvious pride and surprise.

After the concert, Luke made Maria cajole him into going for ice cream. "What do you mean, take you out for ice cream? I didn't know anything about it."

"Come on, Suzanna promised we'd go out for ice cream after the concert."

"Well that's between you two. I don't see what that has to do with me, and I'm driving."

Suzanna knew all along Luke would take them, he just had to mess with his sister. It came as a surprise to realize Maria knew it too, and was enjoying the game every bit as much as her brother. Suzanna was closer to them now than she'd ever been before.

It was a cold night for ice cream, but with Luke holding her against the cold, she didn't mind. She had chocolate. It bothered her a bit that she liked chocolate so much since she changed. It felt like a cliche, but it tasted so much better than it used to. Luke got vanilla despite her and Maria teasing him about it, while Maria got her favorite, chocolate peanut butter.

Luke complimented Maria's playing, especially since he'd had no idea she had taken up the flute. Suzanna took the opportunity to praise her hard work, both in music and at school. Maria ate up the compliments, and then launched into a rambling discourse on all the friends she'd made in the band.

They got home late, but everyone was in a good mood. Suzanna told Luke to put Maria in bed. She was old enough to do so on her own, so Luke knew something was up. Suzanna took the time to change into the red baby doll teddy she'd gotten nearly two weeks ago. She walked out of the room, and Luke's eyes grew wide.

"Do you... Do you like it?" she asked shyly.

"You look amazing," he gaped.

She spun coquettishly. Luke hugged her tightly, then picked her up in his arms. Shrinking during her transformation was usually a source of frustration, but not now. Now she was small enough that Luke could hold her.

He carried her into her room. No, she thought. He didn't. He carried her into their room.

Shortly after Thanksgiving, Suzanna met her husband at the Hickory Diner for lunch. He was a plumber full time now, he'd quit working as a janitor two weeks earlier. Suzanna started her job before he was up, so they rarely saw each other in the morning. They met in town for lunch when they could.

"All right, you were right," laughed Luke, "mingling at your party has paid off big. Between the work he's thrown at me and all the references, I should be putting Jim on the payroll. Gotten so much I'm running low on PVC, and if you know anyplace to get copper pipes I'd love to hear it."

"PVC we can manage," Suzanna told him, and let him know who he could contact for that. "Copper's always a problem. Check with the junk dealers regularly, best I got for you on that one. Doesn't Peter get his wrecked cars from some reclamation crews? Ask him who, they might have copper. Let's have him over for dinner some time."

Luke was still learning the trade, and meeting for lunch was a good way for Suzanna to give him tips or training. They were also a way for them to get together during the day. Luke's hand only left hers when it went to her waist or leg. She was little better, though she preferred rubbing her foot along his leg or thigh. They'd gotten closer each day since Maria's concert.

Suzanna moved all of Luke's clothes into their room the day after they first slept together. Luke never said a word about it, just smiled and kissed her. He put his things on the nightstand but otherwise accepted whatever she did. She understood what he meant. The nightstand was his. She should leave it alone, but he wouldn't say so in case she needed to clean. She'd used the same code once.

Once she got started it was hard to stop. She had left the home as it was before her transformation, but no more. She repainted the family room. She added some pictures of their new family, while keeping ones of Luke and Maria as children. Sister Paula helpfully donated some pictures of Rosa as a child. Suzanna put them up after thinking about it.

Luke kept talking while she was lost in thought, and suddenly she pulled away from him. "Say that again," she commanded.

Luke put on his hurt puppy dog face at her sudden withdrawal. "What'd I do?"

"Sorry, honey." Suzanna knew it was important to mollify her husband. "You were saying something important, and you can make it hard to concentrate on what you're saying..."

Luke smiled back. "Well, it was a repair job this morning. The pipe burst from the inside. It was discolored black around the hole, but no blockage or obvious reason for the break. Simple enough patch job, just thought it was odd was all."

Suzanna paled. "Blackwater eel."

Two days later Suzanna's cell phone rang while she was at work. It was Luke, "I found the nest, Suze. I'm going in. Just wanted to tell you I love you first. I'll be fine. Don't worry."

She wanted to yell, to command him to wait. Instead she offered encouragement. "You'd better. Be careful. Good luck, and I love you too." It surprised her how hard it was to say that, to just let him go when she wanted him to come to her and let someone else handle the eel.

Her friend Carole overheard, and when she found out what was going on, got Suzanna to go home. Carole could cover for her. She didn't really want to leave, but she wasn't getting anything done, so she went.

She was angry her house was empty. Maria should be there with her to wait. Or Luke should be home so she didn't have to worry in the first place. She cleaned the breakfast dishes and started dusting the living room.

After drifting from dusting to dishes for the third time, she gave it up and got on the phone. "Hi Melissa, have you got a minute? I need a friend."

"For you? Any time. What's going on?" Over the phone, Melissa's voice didn't sound exactly like Suzanna's, which pleased her.

Suzanna filled her in on Luke's hunt for the Blackwater Eel nest.

"How're you holding up?" Melissa asked after hearing her story.

"Not so well. I want to do something. I was driving myself crazy, so figured I'd talk to a friend instead. Distract me, please. Tell me how you're doing."

"It's not as bad as I feared, you were right about that. Sister Paula found me a good man, I guess. Daniel's a politician, and having a God-touched wife gives him some extra notoriety."

"God-touched. I like that a lot better than Jack's Gift."

"Yeah, he came up with it himself when I bitched at him about it. Seems to be catching on."

"So, working out well all around, then?"

"I know what you're getting at," Melissa replied suggestively. "No, we haven't had sex yet. I haven't told him who I used to be, and probably won't. He thinks I want to get to know him first, since I first met him the day before our wedding. I guess he thinks I'm a traditional girl for making him wait." They both giggled. "We've kissed and played around a bit. I took your advice. It won't be much longer. Oh, and that man is good with his hands."

Suzanna laughed again, "When you get to it, make sure he uses his mouth too. Dawn's saggy tits, if I knew what it felt like I'd have gone down on Ellen every time. Do not pass that up."

"This is going to be one of those conversations, is it? I'll have you know I can match your dirty mind any day, girl."

"Hold on, that's his truck," interrupted Suzanna. "It's Luke. I missed you Melissa, but can I call you back another time?"

She hung up and flew outside. Luke was just opening the door, "It's all right Suze, I got them. Oof."

He wasn't able to finish whatever he was going to say as Suzanna barrelled into him and wrapped him in her arms. After reassuring herself he was there she kissed him deeply, taking his tongue into her mouth and breathing his breath.

"I was worried," she said when she pulled her mouth from his. She stepped back to look at him, seeing the cut on his leg. "What happened to you?" She knelt beside him to look at the bloody bandage he'd wrapped around his leg.

"It's nothing. Pipe burst when I was there, got hit by a shard."

"Back in the truck, my love. Now. I'll drive. You're going to the doctor's."

"Really, it's nothing. I'll put on a clean bandage..."

"Now." Suzanna raised her voice, prepared to yell and scream if she had to. Luke got in the truck.

Suzanna drove faster than she needed to the doctor's office, where they took Luke in quickly once they heard what had happened. Suzanna waited, worrying, for an hour before they called her back.

"He's alright," the doctor announced. "No infection. Don't let him tell you otherwise. It was good you brought him here. Silverstorm infections are always a danger. We want to keep him here for observation for 6 hours, but if there's no other symptoms, you'll have him home for dinner."

Relieved beyond words, Suzanna went in to see Luke lying comfortably in the hospital bed. His leg was tightly bandaged, but nothing worse. "See that Suze, told you I was all right."

She took his hand in hers and held it softly, kissing it and saying, "And I'm very glad of it. I don't want to lose you, love." More saucily, "You know you're a hero now. Luke Eelslayer. Tonight you get the hero's reward. See if I can slay an eel too." She went from kissing his hand to sucking on his fingers.

Luke smiled, content.

The New Year came and went. Snow covered the ground and winds blew outside, but it was warm and cozy inside the Hickory Diner. Suzanna met Paula for lunch.

"Congratulations," Paula started. "Brother Jose has given up on you. He's no longer trying to show your marriage is fake."

"About time. I don't know how much more real he expects it to get. Paula, I know you took a lot of flak over this marriage. You took some of it from me. I'm sorry. You were right. I love Luke, and couldn't be happier."

"I'm thrilled. And thank you, it means a lot to me. You certainly look as happy as I've ever seen you."

"Hey, speaking of congratulations, I hear they're in order for you too. It's Mother Paula now, isn't it?"

She smiled broadly. "It is. I'm on the Synod now as Jack's representative. We've agreed that Julia and Brother Jose's other placements were not proper. I'm working on getting them back, but it's going to take some time. Never ends, does it? So, changing the subject, how were your holidays?"

"My first as Luke's wife. I loved being with my family, but wish we could have had a bigger celebration. It was a pretty tough year."

She paused. Both women looked at each other and broke out in laughter.

"Wow that felt good," said Suzanna finally.

"Did Luke get you anything special?"

"A few things," she answered with a faint smile. "The best were the ones he didn't intend."

"Playing at riddles, now? Come on, spill." Mother Paula was fully drawn in, a girlfriend rather than a counselor.

"I don't know how you'll feel about this one. I'm not sure how I feel about it, but he gave me back, well, me."

Paula said nothing, just peered at her.

"We went to Ellen's grave. We put down flowers, Luke and Maria spoke to her. When they were done, Luke told me to stay and spend some time alone with her. He told me, 'Just come back to me, OK?'"

"I'm not sure I see..."

"I had to stop being Stan before I could love Luke. As a woman, I mean. It was hard. You can tell me I'm a different person all you want, but I felt like the same one. Making myself believe it, well, it took work. It was worth it," she smiled, "but it wasn't easy. I didn't realize how much I missed it until then. I also don't know how I'll... how we'll deal with it. But it means a lot to me. And we will deal with it."

Paula hesitated. "Don't cut yourself off from friends, OK? I'm happy for you. Just concerned too."

"So am I. And it's the help of friends, you and Melissa, that tells me I'll make it through this change too."

They ate their salads and gossiped about the church, townsfolk, and the other transformed women. Paula heard from Anna, while Suzanna kept up with Melissa. They each shared their news. As they finished, Mother Paula turned serious again.

"I have one other big piece of news for you. Brother Jose's pursuit of you always struck me as overkill, and he had support from other members of the temple. I suppose you noticed?"

"Well, yes, obviously."

"There was more to it than just Jack's Liturgy. Your grandfather was involved in opposing the creation of the church. He did more than just oppose it, at one point he instigated a riot. He used the chaos as cover to assassinate two priests."

"I had no idea." Suzanna was honestly surprised. "I knew he wasn't a churchgoer, but didn't know about the rest."

"Well, your whole family has been marked. It's why you, as Stan, were denied entry into college, and why Brother Jose could keep you from a city job. I've lifted that punishment. If she can keep her grades up, we'll raise no objections if Maria applies to college."

"I guess that brings me to Luke's other gift." With a hand on her stomach and a smile the Mona Lisa would envy, Suzanna asked "Will that also apply to our children?"