Beth was confused, hurt, and somewhat angry at her mother's strange remark. She did not have very long to ponder what it could possibly mean as the priest walked in starting the long funeral. Beth had an excellent view of her Grandmothers coffin. It was a symbol really since her grandmothers ashes were inside and a picture of her when she was much younger was on display over the coffin.

As the funeral proceeded with the old pipe organ giving the queues when to sing Beth did her best to follow along in the booklet. Everytime she sang loud enough for others to hear her, her mother would give her a gentle nudge and she would look at her mothers upset face. With a roll of her eyes she would tone it down a notch. She had sang once in the church choir with her clear soprano voice. Singing in the choir was easy as the music was practiced before hand. This was different as many of the hymns were never sung by the choir. She couldn't remember the last time she had been to a funeral in the church. Most of the few she had been too had been in the more modern funeral homes in the city.

It seemed that part of the service also included communion but before Beth could rise her mother clamped onto her arm. Bewildered once again she looked back to her mother who shook her head side to side. Beth would have asked why had it been anyplace else. She had gone faithfully up each time after her first communion and to not be allowed to go seemed wrong. Honor thy mother and father was never so difficult for Beth as it was during the service. She stood when others did and uttered the amens at each point.

Her part time pastor uncle Joe passed on a few words of her grandmother and her life experiences. Her name was omitted when he listed the grandchildren and she was puzzled as to why. She was sniffling and when her mother burst into tears it was she would hugged her mother while she shed many of her own tears. Her father said nothing but he looked very upset throughout the whole funeral service. She could not tell from her father what her mother's problem was because he, as usual, was not the best person to read. While her and her mother's face could tell novels worth his was stone.

She opened her purse and grabbed a few tissues which she tried to give to her mother but she refused them from her. That little rejection hurt Beth and her eyes leaked more tears of her own pain. Still no matter what they did to her she was still the dutiful daughter they had raised and she did her level best to help her mom throughout the funeral.

After the funeral when everyone stood up she resisted the urge to stretch out the small kink in her back. It was unseemly for a woman to do so in the church, her Aunt Macy's new husband was not so inhibited and stretched with a yawn. Nobody thought this out of place and for the hundredth time Beth felt a pang of longing for such freedom. She remembered her own last yawn at church. She was about 7 in a two toned pink dress. The lighter pink dress itself was set off quite prettily by her dark pink collar, short sleeve edging, and sash. The white petticoat and lace socks had tickled her as she walked to the church behind her mother. She had sat through the service then not yet allowed to do communion and had yawned part way through. Her mother had chastised her for her rude behavior in her stern but low whisper.

She cleared the pew and waited for her parents as they exited her mother turned up her nose and walked forward instead of holding her hand like normal. Her father just motioned her forward with brisk movements of his hands. She felt like a little girl being punished again even though she did not know why.

Following the rest of her extended family and the families friends she made to stop to pay her respects to her grandmothers image but the rough grip of her father on her hand prevented her from doing so. No sooner had they passed into the assembly hall behind the church that her father returned his grip to her arm along with her mother and they escorted her down the small stairs to the lower area where people would normally come in from outside.

As soon as she could she jerked her arms away from her parents. She was a grown adult woman and did not need to be treated like a naughty little girl. She had done nothing wrong and such treatment was beneath either of her puzzling parents. Her father closed the small door behind them she rounded on them both for an explanation.

"Okay mom, dad, what gives? I come for the funeral as you asked. I even wore my best dress and as soon as I get here you act like you don't even know me? Tell me please what is going on." She pleaded before either could start.

"I could ask the same of you young man. What is the meaning of showing up for a family funeral dressed as a woman. Gods, the embarrassment you have just... What were you thinking?" Beth's mother got out.

"This young woman is Eric? Are you sure Bev?" Her father was upset and obviously confused.

"Yes Henry this this thing is your son Eric." her mother stated while Beth just stood there opened mouthed in shock.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Beth almost shouted." I'm your daughter Elizabeth Marie Tanner. I have always been Elizabeth and your daughter. I'm not some transsexual. My name is not and has never been Eric. Please tell me what is going on cause your scaring the crap out of me!"Beth's face would have been very white if not for her makeup hiding it. She was starting to breath fast as her parents, the parents that had raised her from a little girl were starting to sound like they were not her parents.

"Hold on a minute dear." her father started stopping her mother from what no doubt would be a heated reply."Elizabeth perhaps you should tell us what you remember." He father was trying to be reasonable.

"I remember as a little girl mommie scolding me for yawning in church while wearing my pink dress. I remember joining girls scouts at age 7. I remember trying to do gymnastics in a pink leotard with black tights and leg warmers. I remember my room with its pink walls and rose flowers at the top. The cheap white vanity with the mirror that was always a bit crooked. I remember my canopy bed with the white lace trimmed canopy that had a loose piece of lack near the right front edge on the inside were it overlapped just a little." She started.

"I remember how soft my bed always felt and warm with the frilly edged quilt that gran Tante had made for me along with the matching pillow cases. I remember my barbie doll house that you made for me along with all my barbies. I remember my stuffed toy kittens and unicorns. I remember you and mom both putting me to bed often at night and how you stayed with me as a little girl to keep the closet monsters away. I remember Christmas mornings in my thick winter nighties where you got me all those wonderful presents. I remember the Christmas wear I always wore a pretty dress with a Christmas theme even when I got into highschool. I remember helping mom bake pies for thanksgiving and butter tarts for Christmas." she paused for a moment to lick her lips.

"I remember how proud you both were of me in highschool where I was a cheerleader. I remember how mother would cry seeing me in my proms dresses. I remember how you only let me date boys when I was 15 and my first boyfriend Jason you sat on the couch in the living room and grilled for an hour while mom kept me in the kitchen in my black skirt with the side slit fretting the whole time that you would ruin it for me. I remember how you both were upset that I decided to go to university and how dad got grandpa's old Diplomat fixed up just for me to take there. I drove that here my bags are in the back and I so wanted to spend a night at home in my warm soft bed but that won't happen now." Beth burst into tears as her legs gave way. Her father caught her and carried her over to a chair to relax in.

"Fascinating." her father spoke out while raising his eyebrow.

"Gods I even remember that Spock eyebrow of your and how it annoys mom to no end."Beth's father actually chuckled at that last comment of hers.

"I.." Her mother hesitated before continuing." I remember bringing my son home for the first time after an agonizing wait in the hospital. You had been born premature due to complications and were in an incubator all yellow from jaundice with a big tube in your tiny leg. I remember how your father had painted your room blue while I was recovering in the hospital with you. I remember changing your diapers and your tiny penis squirting all over my bib. I remember watching you grow from a toddler who could barely walk into a young man that would fight with me to wear your suits to church." she sniffled a bit before she sat down opposite Beth at the small table.

"I remember how you always wanted to be just like your father from an early age and would pout and complain if I asked you to play nice with your girl cousins on visits. You never showed any interest in boy scouts but would often come home with cuts and bruises from trying to climb trees. I remember how you were actively in sports all through highschool and would never help around the house keeping your room a veritable pigsty. I remember how you had worked for a year pumping gas at the gas station saving all your money just so you could go to university. I remember how you and your father would come in after spending hours cleaning out and doing who knows what to that old Diplomat. You would both come in dirty from head to toe and make a big mess out of my kitchen sink. I'm sorry but I do not have any memories of ever having a daughter." She finished and burst into her own tears. Beth felt horrible for making her mother cry but she was wrong she had never pumped gas at the station she was a waitress on the rollerblades at the pizza restaurant on main street. Her father moved to comfort her mother who was in obvious distress. Beth looked to her father to see if he would say what he remembered.

"I'm sorry Elizabeth but that is what I remember as well." This broke her heart. Her life had been reduced to nothing and it felt like her family had been wrenched away from her. Her sobs grew as her shoulders heaved she knew without a doubt her carefully applied makeup was ruined. Waterproof makeup held up against the occasional tear but when they were this bad nothing would stop the mascara from making her look like a clown. She made a decision to leave as these looked like her parents and felt like her parents but they were not her parents. Her being there was hurting them just as much so it would be best if she left and went to her room at the sorority. Maybe her sisters could help her figure out what had happened.

"I'm sorry. I never meant to cause either of you any pain. I can see it was wrong of me to come here but I wanted to see both of you so bad. I missed you so much but oh." and her tears returned anew causing her stop speaking as her throat had closed up while she choked out the sobs.

It was her mothers gentle hand, a hand that was as soft and delicate as her own that made her look up. The face she saw was that of her mother, loving, warm, caring just as she would be at a time such as this. Beth wanted so badly to believe this was really her mother. She really needed a hug and for her mother to say there there it will be ..

"There there my sweet. I do not know what is going on but we will find out. It will be alright you'll see." and Beth got her hug that she returned. The two women were hugging and crying into each other as the priest's aide walked in to check on them. A wave from her father sent the man on his way and he looked at the two women in his life. For once the stone face cracked a little and there was a hint of a smile on his face that neither of the women saw.

"I must look a fright." Beth suddenly stated from her mother's breast where she was warm, loved, and comfortable.

"You and me both kiddo." Her mother suddenly laughed through her tears.

"Right. Bev you and E go do whatever it is you women do in there and I'll go see if anyone has something better than punch to drink."

"Daddy!" Beth moaned.

"Henry!" Her mother groaned.

"Oh noes I'm double teamed now. Daddy hmmm. I could get to like that. I always wanted a daughter to spoil rotten." Her father joked with a deadpan face making it all the more funnier. The two women giggled in spite of themselves before shoeing him off. Her father chuckled once as he moved to go upstairs and join the rest of the somber crowd.

Beth lead the way both upstairs and to the ladies room with her mother only hesitating as she followed her new found daughter inside. It was not a very large bathroom having just two stalls and a small counter it was however alone. The two women made a b line straight to the stalls to relieve their over full bladders. Beth thought nothing of using the tissue paper to clean her vagina before rising to flush and pull up her panties. Her mother in the stall next to her was a little surprised to hear her do such a thing.

Beth exited the stall a moment after her mother only because her slip had gotten snagged on the edge of the garter belt clip and she had to spend a moment straightening it. Her mother was standing there before her not yet fixing her own makeup as she fully took in her daughter. Beth seeing this did a slow twirl to show off how her figure had filled out since she had last seen her mother. With a smile on her face she waited for a comment from her mother.

"Well you certainly don't look like a boy in a dress." Beth's smile again dropped as did her shoulders at the caustic remark. Her mother noticed and put her hand to her mouth.

"Oh I'm sorry E! It's just that this is going to take me a bit to get used to."Her mother stated. She knew this to be true as her mother, like herself, could not lie worth spit because of her expressive face. Beth sighed to no one in particular. It was not the complement she was hoping for at all.

"This was not what I expected either. I was kinda hoping you would be proud of how my figure had finally filled out after being such a stick pin during highschool. I'm so tired of being your little girl and was hoping you would finally see me as a grown woman. I guess it was a bit much to ask for."

"Oh sweetie that is not what I meant at all. I do see you as a grown woman but I also can't help but see my son Eric there at the same time. This really is very hard for me. I just need time please give me that. No matter what I can tell that you are without a doubt my child boy or girl." She paused a moment to turn to the sink and start cleaning off the smeared sections of makeup.

"When you called each month from that horrid payphone I guess I never noticed how your voice was really now that of a girls. I was just so happy to hear from my baby. When I had invited you for the funeral I had even talked to that nice Angela girl you used to date and was hoping the two of you could maybe work things out."

"Mother! Angela was one of my good friends. We used to work at the restaurant together some shifts. I even went to her sleepover when I was 16. I just don't swing that way at all mother dear." Beth said with some heat to her voice shocked at the revelation.

"Sorry sorry. I'm making a big mess of this ain't I?"

"A bit."Beth sighed."This is so weird. You have different memories of me growing up than I do. It is making the usual light conversation difficult for both of us. Oh that's a nice color where did you get that lipstick?"Beth asked as she noticed her mothers lipstick tube. She had already fixed the few runs of her own mascara easily enough with some tissue and her powder compact.

"Avon actually your aunt Marie is a representative and she showed me this new color a week or two ago. I think it really matches my coloring well."

"That wench Jenny is holding out on me!" Beth exclaimed to her shocked mother almost putting a smear onto her face.

"Sorry Mom. Jenny is my avon rep and is a sister at my .." The two women had found the ice breaking topic and spent more than a few minutes discussing the pros and cons of Avon makeup. It was a much more relaxed duo of women that exited the washroom still discussing Avon products. To Beth it was like coming home as she had fond memories of her mother first teaching her the mysteries of makeup when she was a young and overly made up girl of 10.

The two woman began to circulate with Beth following her mother in the old pattern of the dutiful daughter. She found it strange and more than an little unnerving that none of her many uncle, aunts, and cousins recognized her at all. Many treated her like they had seen her for the very first time. While a few gave her the weirdest wide open eyed look she had seen in ages. She was complimented on being so pretty a few times and she could feel the eyes of more than a few of the men follow her.

Often her mother would be pulled aside by a few of the women for a whispered conversation that she was not privy too. She would stand there with her hands in front of her trying to not look as out of place as she was increasingly feeling. The small sandwiches she nibbled on later were hardly tasted as she got the chance to get off her feet and sit. She made extra sure to sit as gracefully as her mother had once taught her but she still felt like others were seeing her making a mistake of some sort. It was eating at her nerves and when the priest came to announce that it was time they all filed out of the assembly to get their coats from the cloak rooms. Beth still felt as if she was on display but less intense than before.

Beth was glad to pull on her faux fur black coat and escape the attention of the other women. While she was used to the unspoken competition women always had, this was different. It wasn't as if they were comparing her but more like trying to take her apart and find a fault of some sort. Not with her appearance as she knew she looked far better in her black dress than most of them but more with her as a person. It was creepy in a whole new way to her. Beth waited in the vestibule now missing the podium and sign in book for her parents. Her mother soon joined her showing her a strained smile. When her father walked out still putting on his grey tweed winter coat and noticed them his face broke into that fake smile both knew so well as his eyes did not smile at all.

Beth put her fingers to the bridge of her nose to collect her thoughts and starve off what was sure to be a wonderful tension headache developing. Unknown to her, her mother did the exact same gesture in the same exact way at the same time but for different reasons as she already had the headache. A few people noticed this and knew without question the two were mother and daughter. Even though many did not remember her mother ever having a daughter. A few of the younger boys didn't care as they found the new girl to be quite attractive to their overblown hormone controlled minds.

A frightened and lost little girl caught Beth's attention as they started to walk out of the church. Beth recognized the girl as her little cousin Emily. The girl had grown since she had last seen her but was still the same girl she remembered baby sitting. Beth knelt a little after shoving her purse into her mothers arms. Beth did not expect the girl she had changed diapers on to shrink back from her as she opened her arms to the girl for a comforting hug. The young girl of 5 hesitated before she moved forward into Beth's arms for a hug with the strange girl.

"It's okay Emily. I'll help you find your mother." Emily smiled at her which warmed Beth's heart that at least one person had recognized her finally. She stood up and offered her hand which Emily took and the two braved the cloak room again to find Emily's mother. Her mother Beth's Aunt Mary was in the far back huddled with a group of women as she approached.

"Aunt Mary. I found Emily wandering out in the hall looking all lost and scared."Beth smiled at her collection of Aunts as they turned en mass to see her and Emily. Her Aunt instead of smiling in return looked at her with horror in her eyes. She turned her gaze to Emily and hurried forward to all but rip the girls arm off causing the sweet little girl to cry an utterance of pain.

"Leave my daughter alone you you freak!"Her very upset Aunt said to Beth's complete shock. One of her older Aunts stepped in front of her Aunt Mary and Emily blocking them.

"Leave now Eric."Aunt Jane said to her. Breaking out in new tears as the words had poured into her heart like molten lead Beth ran from the room into her waiting father's arms. She did not see what his face looked like but if she had she would have also seen the women instantly shrink back from the normally stone face a mask of rage. She did however see the daggers of her mothers gaze. She knew full well that whoever was on the receiving end of that gaze was in serious trouble with a capital T. She only saw that as she had reached for her purse and the tissue within before her face was again ruined. It was in her fathers protective arms that she and her family followed the others to burying of the brass canister that was once her grandmother. She was buried beside her grandfather in the family section of the old graveyard. Many of her great grandparents with the last name of Tante were buried in this plot.

Her father did not let go of her once. Not during the burying nor during the walk back to the cars. Beth was doing her best to control her sobs and shaking but she knew she was in no shape to drive. When her father brought her back to the good car with her mother and opened the passenger door she understood that he knew she was also in no shape to drive. She wordlessly handed over the keys to the Diplomat before closing the door for the silent drive to the house she grew up in on the other side of town.