The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 2962 by Angharad Copyright© 2016 Angharad

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This is a work of fiction any mention of real people, places or institutions is purely coincidental and does not imply that they are as suggested in the story.
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“Who have we here?” asked Dave Lane, his wife standing beside him.

“This is Danielle, Livvie, who are mine and this other young lady is, Desiree or as we call her, Puddin’.” With that Puddin’ blushed and smiled nervously.

“Our granddaughter?” gasped Sue.

“Yes, she thought it was time she saw her grandparents, didn’t you, Pud?”

“Yes,” she said squirming. I simply thought it was easiest to get things over as quickly as possible.

Needless to say, they made a huge fuss of her but remembered the other two as well, although Danni and Livvie were both mature enough to cope with all the attention focused on Puddin’.

While Sue fussed around her grandchild Dave asked me how I’d managed to get Stella to let her come. I told him the truth that I’d asked her directly and also told him that Stella was still embarrassed by her behaviour at Des’ funeral, when she was more confused than usual. He asked me to tell her that they’d realised she wasn’t well and hadn’t thought about it since except to miss meeting her and their granddaughter. I speed dialled her and as she answered her mobile I simply said, “Someone would like to say hello,” and handed him the phone. I then walked away to give them both space.

Five minutes later Dave handed me back my phone and smiled. “We’re going to meet halfway next month.”

“Oh good. I’m afraid Tom has been standing in for you as a second granddad, a position I suspect he’d be reluctant to leave.”

“Can you have too many granddads?” asked Dave.

“I suspect not and a surfeit has to be better than a dearth.”

“Absolutely,” he said grinning. “Thanks for forcing the issue.”

“That’s okay, I just sensed the time was right.”

“You women are so good at that sort of thing, aren’t you?”

Now it was my turn to blush, “Uh not always. In fact, I’d suggest my record is pretty poor.”

“Oh,” he said and I shrugged. It was no big deal. I knew what I was and conforming to all sorts of irrational stereotypical behaviour would neither confirm or deny my status, either personally or officially. I suspected on people whose identity was challenged or hung in the balance would consider things any differently.

When I was still living in my previous role, any mention of girly appellations would have embarrassed me but confirmed what I really felt. The same was important when I transitioned, but now, I tend to ignore them because I don’t need to hear them anymore. I suppose it’s a matter of self-confidence in my choices and in reacting to people. Okay, someone reminding me of my previous existence, even now can challenge me somewhat but I feel much stronger in dealing with it, especially as they can’t do anything about it. My status is legally recognised and I’m comfortable with it as are my loved ones—end of...

“You hinted there was something you wished to talk to me about,” I said quietly to Dave.

“Was there?” he looked bemused for a moment. “Oh yes, yes there was. I found a pile of photos of Des and I was going to ask you if you thought Stella or Desiree would like some of them?”

“I think it would be better to ask the two ladies themselves.”

He paused for a moment before agreeing with me. “Yes, you’re probably right. We can ask her when we see her.”

“I suspect that would go down better than telling her which ones you’d thought she’d like. Stella is fiercely independent.”

“I had a feeling she was.”

“But there are ways of dealing with her.”

“Yes, but I lack the ability you women have to do so.”

“In which case I’m sure your strengths lie in other directions.”

“Perhaps,” he said absently.

I glance at my watch and said quietly to him, “We’ve got some further things to sort out, so I’ll have to repossess the children.”

He nodded his understanding and called the children to order and then thanked us all for coming and me for bringing them their beautiful granddaughter. I was simply happy to have been a help.

An hour later we were walking along part of the Kennet and Avon Canal having just eaten a delicious ice cream. The sun was shining and life felt good. A canal barge came puttering by and as it did so the wash disturbed something in a stand of reeds the other side. It looked like a bundle of rags and then we saw arms and legs attached. It was obviously a body. I sent Danielle to go upstream and stop any boats coming down—any sort of motor would chop the corpse to pieces and destroy evidence which may help to identify it.

I immediately called for the police and said what I’d thought we’d found. They promised to have someone there in minutes and they were quite right. A police car came out onto the tow path and parked about fifty yards away, the blue lights still flashing. I pointed out our grisly find and they took my name and address and thanked me. I had a very strong feeling that the body had not met a natural end or just fell into the canal, I suspected that the body had been placed in the water after death, possibly weighted down and somehow the bonds to the weights had become detached and the body had floated to freedom. It looked, face down, like that of a young woman or teenager.

As soon as the police said we could go, we left the scene. All the girls were excited but I felt very sad by putting myself in their position. It might bring some closure but dreadful sadness for a family and I understood how they felt.