Take Three Girls

Take Three Girls. This is about 2 girls and one woman (myself) and their very different route to become the women they knew they should be. It was going to be called Take Two Girls, but an on line friend (she knows who she is) and the girls bullied me into the name change. Some poetic licence has been used to help the flow of the story but not very much.

This final episode is posted very quickly after part 17. This is because I’m going on a romantic weekend (well half a weekend) followed by a flight to Houston with Kate this Sunday so I have to tidy everything up.

This is the final part of the story and brings us up to the present day (October 2014) This ties up a lot of loose ends and explains how 2 girls the same age had the same genetic disorder.

It was now 2012 and both girls were fully functioning in their new lives Kate had enrolled in college and was doing really well she had a real flair for hair styling and beauty. Working full time in Ruth’s salon not only did I see her every other day I also saw her when I went for my hair doing.
Victoria on the other hand had decided she wanted to study medicine and had been accepted at Oxford she started her first year in 2013 in the autumn as she has decided to take a gap year.

Jan sent me an invitation to her daughters wedding, as I read it I looked at her and said, “Janine MacLeod you have kept that quiet” she grinned at me telling me it was hard but guess who’s going to be a bridesmaid?” I squealed, “Not Kate oh god she’s going to be so excited.” Mind you I was excited for her.

The wedding was scheduled for May (2013) so there was plenty of time to sort out what I was wearing. Kate was bouncing with excitement and had dragged me shopping looking for ‘That prefect outfit’ for the night-time dance.

It was during this period that our three worlds collided in a strange way. I was wandering around the Meadow Hall shopping centre in Sheffield looking for a suit for the wedding and an outfit for the night when I heard two girls arguing. Both voices I knew. “AUNTY AV” was shouted across the shop, “WHICH ONE D’YA THINK!” It was Kate of course holding up two dresses.

But with her was Victoria.

As I walked across to them my mind was working overtime. I heard Tori say, “I never knew Avril was your Aunty?” “Well she’s not really but she helped me through some tough times” Kate replied “Why d’you know Av?” Victoria looked at me and quietly answered, “Yes because she helped me too!”

Then the penny dropped! Kate recovered first and looking at Victoria then at me she said in an amazed voice, “You---------mean---------you--------were”
She got no further as Victoria had recovered and replied, “Oh God--------- you too------ I thought!”
They both stopped turned and looked at me saying in near unison, “You never told me!” (Or words to that effect)

I was a bit flustered and embarrassed this was never supposed to happen so I suggested, “Coffee girls and we can talk.”
Leaving the dresses they had been arguing about we left the shop and went to the nearby Starbucks and settled at a quiet table.

It turned out that Victoria had met Kate at the Salon. Victoria’s mum had been using Ruth’s for years so it was natural for Tori to follow.
As the two of them were the same age they soon became friends and very soon were very good friends.
I explained that I couldn’t have spoken about them, as it’s just not done.

However I was amazed that they had become friends – they were absolutely poles apart.

It took a while but soon all of us had recovered from the shock and were talking away like we had know each other for ages – which I had.

Then I was shocked when Tori suddenly commented, “we are three very special girls. We’re all the same!”
Kate said with a grin, “Well Tori us two are.................” then she stopped dead! Looked at me and stammered, “A, a, a, a. are you like us Aunty Av?”
A bit embarrassed I chewed my bottom lip and nodded.

Kate looked at me for a second then said, “Why didn’t you tell me?” there was a trace of accusation in her voice.
“Kate” I started, “At the time it didn’t seem important anyhow would me telling you have made any difference?”
“But you told Tori!” She retorted. “No she didn’t – I knew that Avril was different so I made a lucky guess.” Victoria told her.

Kate mulled this over for a while Victoria looked at me and mouthed “Sorry” I smiled and shrugged at her as if to say, “It’s ok.”
Finally Kate responded, “You’re right aunty Av it wouldn’t have made any difference at all. If anything love you even more YOU really know what I’ve been going through.”

For the next hour we discussed anything and everything; any questions the girls had about their new sex I tried to answer them, the most awkward question for me was who to tell about their past.
Now I could only go by my own experience so I told them honestly, “Girls I personally never tell anyone. Where guys are concerned it’s none of their business they can never guess.”

I have described the girls, now it’s my turn I am 5’ 10” and weigh 135lbs (Finally! because when this story began I was 210lbs) and take a dress size 12(UK).
My figure is 38 -28- 38 with a C cup. I have blonde shoulder length hair.
As I have had my Adam’s apple shaved and vocal chords slightly tensioned I look and sound what I am a vivacious confident 40 year old woman who loves life.

I carried on telling them, “You two are so drop dead gorgeous guys will never know. But if you do choose to tell someone about your past life then be very careful as people can be very hurtful.” They mulled this over so I continued, “Look girls everyone who knows you has always seen you as a girl – think about it.”

We discussed this for a while then it was back to shopping between us we decided which dress would suit Kate the best. Then they helped me choose an outfit for the wedding a dove grey dress and jacket black shoes gloves and handbag.
As it was late night shopping we ‘shopped till we dropped’ I gave the girls a lift back and they ended up at my place.

Since then I see Victoria when she’s home from Uni. She frequently stays over at my place along with Kate; she also phones me at least once a week.
Kate I see every couple of days.

Now we are up to the present day namely Summer (2014) the girls met two guys who play football (soccer) for a local pub team. They play every Saturday then got to the home teams pub where food is provided.

They persuaded me to go with them to watch their guys play.

Now I hate football! I always have even in my past life!
But the thought of eyeing up all this fit young talent was just too much of a temptation to this 40 year old!
The result being that I have been going out on dates with the trainer of the team – he’s more my age and cute!

This is the first Sunday of October and Victoria has just left my house going back to Oxford for her second year as a medical student.

So I had to complete this story. The only thing remaining is an update on the main figures in this story.

Jan Macleod – My best friend and Kate’s adopted mum. She is back with me at the drop in centre after a 2-year break. The two of us have a very active social life along with a group of women we love going to horse racing especially ladies day. And have nights at the theatre, concerts and spa days. She has fully recovered from her injuries.

Rhona (Jan’s Daughter) - Happily married to a hunky fire fighter with a fledgling business as a chocolatier making really yummy chocolate – Oh and she has a 6-month-old baby boy (My God Son)

June (Kate’s social worker) – June is now head of child protection in the local council we still have some dealings with her via the drop in centre

Carl – Kate’s eldest brother finally saw sense about us older women and is engaged to a girl of his age who is really lovely. We are still really good friends.

Pete – The silent brother he left the building sites in Autumn 2010 and joined the Marines. He has completed 2 tours of Afghanistan. He has made the rank of sergeant.
He has married a girl from Arbroath where his unit is stationed.

Wayne – The hero brother. Took over from Pete working with Carl – he lives with Carl and happily dating a really nice girl he knew at school. They plan to move in together in the near future.

Tina – I would love to say that Tina kicked her drug habit and left the streets. Unfortunately this was not the case At the ripe old age of 26 as her looks faded it is suspected that her supplier who was also her pimp gave her some very pure gear she died of an overdose just over a year ago.
We (Kate and myself) went to her funeral and Kate told her story over Tina’s coffin. The only other people there were Tina’s mum and dad. Kate’s story at least made them proud of their daughter. They blamed themselves for what had happened to Tina and must have been tortured at the way things turned out.
Kate wanted to scatter Tina’s ashes with her mothers up at Top Withens, which Tina’s parents allowed.
Kate’s brothers were a bit upset that nothing could be proved against her pimp. Mysteriously he was found beaten but alive – the police have never found the perpetrators! And I suspect didn’t spend too much time looking.

Kate – This girl is truly remarkable; after all life has thrown at her she’s grounded, sensible, hard working, back to being a cheeky little minx and so very lovable.
She finishes college soon and Ruth has given her a full time job. Kate is doing courses in massage and aromatherapy, which is making Ruth think about expanding her business.
My one worry is that she mistrusts men, just a little bit, which is understandable in one way because of her dad. But every other man in her life has been normal and nice! However the guy she has recently met she seems happy and comfortable around him – It's a case of watch this space.

Victoria – What to say about her, she is a second year medical student at a very prestigious Oxford college she is excelling and is so sensible it’s unreal.
She has the façade of a dizzy blonde but underneath there is an IQ of 168 a mind as sharp as a razor and a potential honours graduate to boot!

She has been great for Kate understanding, supportive and a willing ear. She understands that Kate has been through a lot and is helping her to put the past behind her. Easier said than done.
Where boys are concerned she has them around her little finger and is stupendously happy around them.

Avril – Me there is not much to say. My two ‘nieces’ are the bane of my life I simply can’t get rid of them – not that I’d want to.
I have just formed a relationship with the trainer/manager of the football team that Kate and Tori’s boys play for.
I still do my days at the drop in centre and my proper job is going well, later this month I am going to Houston to discuss some work and am taking Kate with me. (Her first time abroad) Tori meanwhile is a bit miffed at me! So I think I’ll take the two of them to New York for some Christmas shopping.

Sam & Dillon Kate’s canine councillors well they are still around and we spend many a happy hour up on the moors Sam is 9 while Dillon is 8 Kate still loves them to bits.

And for the sake of completeness I had better mention Kate’s Dad! Apart from ‘Who Give’s a F*%K!’ He is having one hell of a time inside. As a child abuser and wife killer he is a target and spends all his time isolated from the other prisoners.

And finally the reason we had two seemingly unconnected girls with the same genetic disorder was due an amazing set of coincidences.

I knew that Jan would get bored not working and so it proved. She set about looking into the possible causes of the girl’s condition and came up with the following theory.

In 1994 there was a big fire at a pharmaceuticals plant in the area. Now this place specialised in the production of hormones for the livestock industry.
Helen (Kate’s mum) worked on the production line and Victoria’s mum was a secretary in the same company.
When the place went up some of the workforce were hospitalised with excessive smoke inhalation.
These two women were among those in hospital for a good while. Also they happened to be in the very early stages of pregnancy.
It is thought that the smoke contained massive amounts of male hormones this had affected the two foetuses as they were exactly at the right stage of foetal development.
Left to nature both would have been born girls and lived a normal life (XX) but with the huge amounts of male hormones the two women had ingested through the smoke inhalation there had bee a mutation in the genetic coding from XX to XX(y) hence the problems.

These two foetuses would later become Kate and Victoria!

It is all supposition and circumstantial but what is true is that the company did produce the hormones Kate and Tori’s mum’s both worked there and both ended up in Hospital. And both women were in the very first stages of pregnancy!

A classic case of life being stranger than fiction!

Of course all names have been changed except the dogs! One name was selected in honour of and to thank my graphic designer and severest critic (in a nice way) – the observant ones will soon realise who she is!

You will notice that most of the list are women which happened purely by accident so I make no apologies to finishing with the same song that I finished the first episode with – the words of this song sum up this whole story – please listen to them and you will see what I mean.

Every Woman's Song