A Summer of Changes

by Louise Anne Smithson

Book 3 Chapter 7

Acceptance

Denise had set the alarm on her phone to wake her at 7.00 a.m. as she wanted plenty of time to dress, put on some makeup and tidy her hair before the others saw her. She also wanted to show willing by helping to prepare the breakfast. Julia and their mother had clearly stayed up talking until quite late, as neither of them emerged from their rooms before 8.30, by which time Denise had done all the washing up left over from the previous night, laid the table, made a pot of coffee and was just making some toast.

‘Good morning Denise, I can definitely see the benefits of having two daughters,’ said Ellen as she looked at the dining room and noticed that Denise had even arranged the bunch of flowers she'd brought in a vase on the table.

Denise smiled and greeted her mother as she continued to make their breakfast. Julia came down soon afterwards and greeted them both.

‘You look nice in that dress Denise,’ she commented, and then turning to her mother she said, ‘See, I told you that my sister was beginning to develop a great dress sense.’

‘Yes, she does look nice again this morning,’ agreed Ellen after a second of hesitation.

‘My friends Samantha and Sue usually advise me what I should, or shouldn't, wear, so I'm still going to need your help and guidance when we go out shopping later,’ answered Denise.

‘Alright, and you can also help me choose another outfit for my new job,’ added Julia.

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Their shopping trip turned out to be great fun for all concerned. Although Denis had grown up in Norwich, Denise was able to see the city from an entirely different perspective as a young woman and went into several shops that she had never been in before. She also noted how the shared experience of shopping brought her closer to her mother and sister in a way that would never have happened if Denis had been with them. At one point she recognised a couple with whom she had been at school, but there was no trace of any recognition or suspicion of herself on their part. They acknowledged and briefly spoke to Julia, congratulating her on her new job and asking how her brother was doing in London.

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During the course of the morning Julia tried on several trouser suits ready for her new job and Denise looked out for a new dress.

‘Here try this one, I think it's your size and should suit you,’ said Julia handing her a blue grey shot silk dress.’

‘I like the colour and the material, but don’t you think it's a bit too dressy for me?’ asked Denise.

‘Maybe it wouldn't be suitable to wear for the office, but you're going to need something nice to wear when you go out with your new boyfriend,’ answered Julia.

Denise blushed at the reference, but there was no trace of malice or sarcasm in her sister’s voice. She didn't answer, but took the dress into the fitting room. A few minutes later she emerged, having regained her composure and wearing the dress.

‘What do you think?’ she asked her companions.

‘You seem to look nice in whatever you wear,’ commented Ellen, ‘but does it fit you alright.’

‘Yes I believe so,’ answered Denise as she examined herself in a full-length mirror.

‘Do you like it?’ asked Julia.

‘Yes, I think so, it's comfortable to wear and I do like the colour.’

‘In that case it will be your birthday present from me,’ said Julia.

‘Jules, are you sure you can afford it?’ asked Denise.

‘Yes of course I can now that I have got a decent job, and in any event you have recently given me a couple of expensive outfits for work,’ said her sister.

‘We'll look out for some shoes and a handbag to go with it, and that will be my birthday present’ said Ellen.

A half an hour later Denise had purchased a handbag in a sale in a nearby department store and was trying on a pair of dark blue high heeled shoes.

‘They look nice but are you sure you will be comfortable walking in those heels Denise?’ asked Ellen.

‘I think so, I managed alright in high heels at my friend’s wedding and have been getting a fair amount of practice wearing them ever since,’ she answered.

‘Ellen sighed.

Alright then, I suppose it is your birthday, and they do show off your legs rather well.’

‘Thanks, Mum.’

As they were leaving the shop with their purchases, Ellen turned to her daughters.

‘I've got away quite lightly with your birthday present, let us now leave our various purchases in the car boot and I'll treat you both to a coffee and sandwich’ said Ellen.

‘In that case I would like to be responsible for preparing the dinner tonight’ said Denise.

‘Alright, you always were quite a good cook. In fact you really are becoming quite domesticated Denise,’ said Ellen.

‘I don’t wish to be outdone by my little sister so I'd better volunteer to cook the lunch tomorrow,’ said Julia.

After lunch Denise bought herself a short jacket that could go with the dress and some spare pairs of tights, together with a wheeled cabin-bag that would hold her new purchases on the journey home. Her two companions also made various purchases for themselves. The group then returned home by means of an out of town supermarket where Denise bought everything that she would need for their evening meal.

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As she was working alone in the kitchen later that afternoon, Denise knew that he sister and her mother would be discussing her situation in the other room, but was confident that her mother was now over the worst shock, and that in any event Julia would support her. At some point during the weekend she wanted to be able to have a long talk alone with her mother. Perhaps Julia’s offer to cook lunch on Sunday would provide them with a suitable opportunity?

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The evening meal went very well. The food was well cooked and enjoyed by all three. The conversation was relaxed and was not just about Denise’s situation and her future, but also about Julia’s new job and their mother’s plans to take a holiday in Greece. At one point however it inevitably turned to matters about which Denise was not so confident

‘When do you plan to wear your new outfit Denise?’ asked Ellen.

‘Julia was right, I have been asked out for a meal by my friend John on my birthday, and so I thought I might wear it then,’ she answered blushing.

‘Is he your boyfriend?’ asked Ellen hesitantly.

Denise blushed again.

‘Not really, we just sat next to one another at the wedding reception. I've never been out with him as he has been living in Birmingham. However, he's due to move down to London next week and doesn’t know anyone other than his cousins and myself, so we'll have to see how it turns out’ she replied.

Somewhat to her surprise, Denise noticed that neither her mother nor her sister seemed particularly surprised by this news.

‘In that case, I wish you luck on Friday and hope the evening turns out as you would wish,’ added Ellen.

‘Thanks, but at the moment I'm not really sure what I'm wishing for.’

Julia sensed her sister’s embarrassment and steered the conversation on to other matters. They eventually went to bed around midnight and Denise felt a palpable sense of relief as she removed her makeup and put on her nightdress. Before going to bed, she sent a text message to Samantha, who was in Birmingham visiting her father for the weekend.

‘Visit has gone v. well so far - will tell all on Mon morn, luv D ;-).’

Her reply came back after a few minutes:

‘New it wld, c u mon! lol Sam xx ;-)’

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The following morning over breakfast Julia reminded them of her promise to prepare the Sunday lunch and suggested that her mother and sister should go out for a walk together.

‘That is a good idea, I'd like to have a talk with you this morning Denise, where shall we go?’ asked Ellen.

‘I'm afraid that I haven't brought any shoes suitable for a country walk, but would you like to have a walk around the cathedral close, it's one of my favourite places in Norwich.’

‘Alright then, I'll just go to my room to collect my coat.’

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As soon as she left Julia turned to her sister.

‘Alright Sis, you've done very well so far this weekend, but I now think it is time for you to have a heart to heart chat to mum just to make sure that all is well and answer any questions she may have.’

‘I’ll do my best, but I'm not sure what else I need to say.’

‘Just act naturally and be honest with her.’

They caught a bus into the city centre and then walked around talking of nothing in particular, each one was waiting for the other to raise the issue that was on both their minds. At last Denise decided that it was up to her to take the initiative.

‘Thank you for being so kind and understanding about everything Mum. I'm really glad that I came this weekend and that you now know all about my life in London.’

‘I'm not sure that ‘understanding’ is the right word, maybe ‘accepting’ would be more accurate,’ she answered. ‘I must admit to having been horrified by the idea when Julia first told me, but now that I've seen you I feel more resigned to the situation. In fact I've quite enjoyed having two daughters home for the weekend, and I hope we can all meet together again fairly soon. It will be a little lonely for me when you are both in London so please keep in regular touch by phone.’

‘Yes of course, it'll be so much easier to do so now that I can tell you all about my life and my job. There would be nothing to stop you coming up to visit us for the day, or even staying overnight in a hotel, as long as you're always prepared to accept me as I am.’

‘I believe that I can now assure you that I'll always accept you whether as my son or my daughter.’

Denise squeezed her mother’s hand.

‘Thanks Mum, I've had a great weekend.’

Ellen reached into her handbag and handed a little black box to Denise.

‘Here, I've already given most of your grandmother’s jewellery to Julia, but I'd like you to have these; you may keep them as long as you remain as Denise.

Denise opened the case and found a sapphire necklace in a white gold setting with small diamonds to help set them off. There were also two matching pendant earrings. They exactly matched her new dress.

‘Mum, these are really lovely, I'll be able to wear them with my new outfit. Thank you very much.’

‘I thought of them as soon as I saw that dress. Don’t lose them, and I would like them back if or when you decide to stop living as Denise.’

'OK,' she replied.

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After a late lunch and leisurely conversation, Denise packed her own small suitcase and the wheeled cabin bag that she'd bought the day before. Ellen insisted on clearing up the meal whilst Julia drove her sister to catch the five o’clock train.

‘Thanks for arranging everything this weekend, Julia,’ said Denise, as she was about to board the train.

‘The last two days appear to have gone pretty well and Mum now seems more at ease about your situation,’ answered Julia.

‘You've been a great help in making that happen.’

‘Perhaps, but that's what sisters are for.’

‘I’ll see you soon Julia, and be sure to ask if ever you want to stay with me again.’

They hugged one another and Denise boarded the train and made her way to a seat.

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As soon as her train pulled out of Norwich station and she had waved goodbye to her sister, Denise took out her magazine to read on her journey home. However, she never read further than the first paragraph or two as she was going over in her mind the events of the last weekend, and then of the last two months, trying to make sense of her feelings. It had certainly been an interesting, exciting and, above all, enjoyable time for her. She had been accepted without question as an attractive young woman on a number of public occasions and now had been living full-time as a woman for nearly a month, without experiencing any problems. She had also undertaken to remain as she was for the next two months and felt quite excited by the prospect. Now, for the first time, she began to think about what she might do afterwards, and even to entertain the possibility of continuing to live as she was. After all, her friends and all family seemed to accept her situation, and as Denise she had somewhere nice to live. The full-time modelling job will have finished but Sue had implied that there might be further part-time work as a model, and in any event someone would need to keep the website up to date. Even if she reverted back to her former duties she felt sure that her colleagues would not object to her remaining as Denise. The quality of her life had improved over the last few weeks and at present she had no particular desire to go back to her former existence unless she had to. However, she still had plenty of time to reflect on her situation before making any long term decisions about her future.

The train was on time, and she caught a tube across London so she was home by 8.30 pm. The flat was empty, since Samantha was not intending to travel back to London until Monday morning. She hung her new purchases in the wardrobe, and sat on her bed wondering what to do. She thought about preparing a light meal, but was not feeling hungry. She then considered calling her friends to let them know how she had done over the weekend, but her mind was still in something of a turmoil and there were many things she wanted to think about on her own before discussing them with friends. She therefore turned off her mobile and decided that she would devote the remainder of the evening to herself and her thoughts.

After undressing she carefully removed her breast forms and cleaned the area behind them. They had been firmly attached to her chest for nearly three weeks, but there was no trace of soreness to the skin, which just appeared rather pale. Nevertheless she thought it wisest to leave them off for the remainder of the evening, and get up early the next day to replace them. It felt strangely odd to be flat-chested once again, but she noted how the weight of the forms had pulled her own flesh into the vestiges of a female breast. For the first time she let her mind wonder about what it would be like to have breast implants, or even her own natural breasts. In spite of the absence of her breast formes, she still felt like a woman as she took a long hot shower and began to wash her hair. She enjoyed the feeling of having such long hair and using shampoo and conditioner, and wrapping it into a turban with a towel as Samantha had shown her.

Before getting dressed she de-fuzzed her legs and arms once again using depilatory cream and replaced the nail varnish on her toes. She then examined her finger nails, but these appeared to be ok for the time being and in any event the colour might need to be changed the following day when she was modelling again. Finally she changed into the frilly pink night dress given to her by Samantha on the first occasion she had stayed at the flat, and then sat at her dressing table drying her hair and putting it up in rollers. She found this task to be oddly relaxing, and was quite pleased with herself that she could now cope without any help. Whilst her hair was still drying she put on some moisturising cream and sat down and read a long and chatty very encouraging email from Angela. There was no question in her mind that she enjoyed living as a girl and everything that went with it including the clothes, makeup, new job, and above all, the friendships. On the subject of friendship, one aspect of being a girl was having a boyfriend. The idea of being taken out on a date and treated as a lady quite appealed, as long as the guy in question realised what he was letting himself in for. It was with this thought that she eventually fell asleep.

(Next time Denise has to make a number of decisions regarding the future direction of her life.)