"	Gene's Story or How I Gained a Cousin A novel by Karen Lockhart Copyright 2016

CHAPTER 42

As you can imagine, the horse show was hilarious; there were horses dressed as witches, hobos, and even Imperial Storm Troopers. The riders themselves were dressed as wild as the imagination would allow. There were two boys dressed as girls, one was Snow White the other was dressed up as Dorothy from the Wizard of OZ.

My vote as a judge went to Dorothy, and the horse dressed as an Imperial Storm Trooper. Kevin's choices were the same as mine, but Jim Brady didn't like the boy dressed as Dorothy, and instead gave his vote to the girl in the Lady Godiva suit.

She wore a tan body suit with a very long wig, not bad, but to be honest, I think a boy dressed as a girl made him nervous.

By an unanimous vote the Storm Trooper horse won, and by a two to one vote, Dorothy won as a rider.

I wonder what Ginny was thinking about this? I would have to remember to ask on the way home.

Everyone than hit the refreshments, hot chocolate, hot cider, doughnuts, and cookies. We even had peppermints and carrots for the horses. I think seeing the horses behavior when covered by costumes, and with the riders bouncing around on top of them, may have allayed most of Ginny's fear of them. Maybe next week I'd try to put her up, and walk her around on a lead-line.

We made our good-byes and headed home. Ginny was full of amazement over the horses allowing themselves to be dressed up, and how well behaved they were. I asked if she might like to try riding a lesson horse while on a long line. Ginny thought for a bit and surprised me when she said she'd like to try it.

Major victory!

I was so excited about that, I almost forgot to ask her what she thought of the boy cross-dressing, and winning the costume contest. Ginny wasn't aware that 'she' was a 'he' until I told her. Her brow furrowed in thought, and we drove in silence for a while.

“Do you think that was his first time, or just the first time in public?” Ginny asked. “I was taken in; Dorothy looked so natural, I never would of guessed that was a boy.”

“Look in the mirror, you are a woman in every way but one yourself. I think he's really a girl dressing as a boy. It's nice to see parents understand, and try to work out a solution that's best for the child. You hear so many horror stories, of abuse, and of children turning to prostitution to survive after running away from a rigid father who would try to beat the idea out of the child.”

This last was said sitting in the driveway. We ran inside to catch the second half of the Patriot's game with the Jets. They won, 37 to 10. I wish we could play the Jets in Foxbrough every week.

Work the following week moved along at a snail's pace. The crew taking soil cores finished with no shocking news; the consultants came by with a plan for driving piles. No surprises there. I then made phone calls to the general contractor to have him schedule the pile drivers to finish up the pre-foundation work. This would allow the grading be started.

On Friday afternoon, Ginny had another appointment with Doctor Singh. This was another test of her hormone levels to see if adjustment was necessary in her meds.

I went with her, figuring that this might be the last time when I could shut down the job early just to go with her.

Right on time Ginny was summoned into the doctor's office by the nurse, who hung back to give me a quick hug and a “I'll bring you in in a few minutes, dear.” before she led Ginny through the maze that made up the exam rooms.

A good 20 minutes later, I got a wave in by the nurse, and joined Ginny in the Doctor's exam room.

“Hi Ellen, nice of you to join us,” Doctor Singh said. “Ginny has made remarkable progress on her trip to womanhood, so much so, I'm sending her to a Doctor Braun, a psychiatrist. I've had my nurse make an appointment for her next Friday at 4.30pm. Her office is Room 103 downstairs.”

“Doctor, has her RLT allowed her to progress a little in the one year test? Oh, I know that's redundant, but you know what I mean?”

“That was a little convoluted, but yes, if Doctor Braun agrees, I think Ginny will get an approval for surgery sometime in January or February next year. That will make, what seven months since we started her treatment?” Dr Singh said before turning to her computer's screen.

“Doctor, I read in the Boston Globe that the Boston Medical Center will be opening a GRS clinic soon. Have you heard anything about when it will be open to patients?”

“Ellen you know as much as I do on that. Us doctors are the last to find these things out, we learn more from our patients like you and Ginny than a notice saying 'We're ready, send us patients.'”

“Check with the nurse on your way out Ginny. Ellen, I'll see you next week?”

Ginny stopped and made another appointment with Doctor Singh and picked up info on Doctor Braun.

We got to the condo in 15 minutes. Soon the aroma of a new dinner creation filled the room. 'I'm so spoiled,' I thought. 'I need to ask Ginny if she wants to live here permanently.'

Ginny called me in to dinner at 6pm, and by 6.30 my plate shone like it had been washed.

She had made a stuffed pork loin with a homemade apple-mint sauce, it was like nothing I ever tasted! Potatoes au gratin, and Brussels sprouts finished it off.

While doing the dishes , I broached my idea to her. You would not believe the hug I got!

“Yes, oh yes. I was so afraid you'd want me to leave! I finally have someone I consider family, and who returns the feeling. I honestly love you like a sister, not a cousin, You can't know what a relief this is, and what a gift.”

At this point Ginny was in tears, and of course I joined her. There we were, sitting at the kitchen counter, mascara all down our cheeks, eyes red, and the doorbell rings. I got up and answered the door still wiping away tears. Of all people, it was Kevin.

That sent Ginny running for her room and make-up, leaving me to explain to Kevin that those were happy tears.

“I gathered as much.” he said, “Ginny ran too fast for them to be from sorrow. Jeeze, listen to me, I'm around too many girls these days.”

“I never thought I'd hear you say that. You changing sides?”

Well, that caused him to turn bright red, and start stuttering.

“Wha', wha' what do you mean change sides? I'm not changing anything, come on, cut it out Ellen”

I had to run to my room now, I needed a change of panties after that!

Poor Kevin was left alone in the living room, not knowing what just happened.

Ginny made it back before I did, asking Kevin where I went.

“I've got no idea,” he said. “She started laughing real hard, said 'damn', and ran for her room.”

That set Ginny laughing, “Men,” she said, shaking her head. About now I re-entered the room.

“Men? Men what?” I asked.

“Kevin didn't have a clue why you ran to the bedroom, do you want to fill him in or should I?”

“You do it sweetie, also tell him why you weren't here when he came in.”

So she did. Kevin couldn't figure why laughing caused women to pee, but he accepted it. He was very happy I wanted Ginny to stay with me. He felt it would be good company for the both of us.

I asked Kevin why he dropped in, and he said just to visit a bit. That got me laughing again.

“Just don't hog the shower in the morning, let me get in there first.”

Now his face was red again!

To be or not to be!

To be continued.

Many thanks to Bronwen Welsh for her help in fixing typos and punctuation