Erika groaned when she heard the alarm go off. Her brain told her it was Saturday and that she should be sleeping in, but she had her first photoshoot to do. She was excited, but wished that it wasn’t so early.

“Quick shower.” Her mother reminded.

She had taken a long shower the night before to remove all of her body hair. This morning’s shower was to remove the night sweat and wake her a little.

When she came out of the bathroom her father had a latte and scone waiting for her.

“Where are we going?” Erika noticed they weren’t going to Bobbie’s studio.

“I was told to have you at a different studio.” Her father stated as he pulled into a warehouse district. “It should be just up here. Look, there are lots of people at that building, I’ll bet that is where it is.”

Erika finished her latte and tossed it into a nearby dumpster. Then followed her dad through a non-descript door.

The area was huge. Large lights flooded a green screen with light

“Mr. Martin?” a man approached.

“Yes?”

“I’m Trent. Ms. Caine’s assistant.” He glanced at Erika. “You must be Erika.” He took her hand in greeting. Then started leading them further into the building “We are thrilled to have you as one of our models. It’s always great to see our models come early.” He looked more closely at Erika. “No makeup, or hair done, fantastic. Let’s get you over to our stylists and have them get started. Have you eaten? We have a spread set up over there.” He pointed. “Fruit, muffins, dough-nuts, Coffee, bottled water. Help yourself.”

“Thank you.” Erika couldn’t believe how fast this guy spoke.

“Do you have dietary restrictions? Glutton intolerant? dairy issues?”

Erika shook her head

“This is Claire. She’ll be doing your makeup today, and Bree will be doing your hair.” He introduced her to the two women. “Mr. Martin.” Trent went on. “We have a chair over here for you.” He led her father away.

“Hi, Erika.” Claire greeted. “Wow, you have beautiful skin, and look at those beautiful eye lashes. I am so jealous.”

“Thanks.” Erika took a seat in front of the makeup/hair mirror.

“Permed?” Bree asked running her hand through Erika’s hair. “We don’t see that much on girls your age.”

“My stylist Sasha suggested it.”

“Sasha?” Bree looked puzzled. “Sasha from that little town out in the woods?”

Erika gave a slight nod.

“I love Sasha.” Bree broke out into a great big smile. “He and I used to work together way back. “Is he still with his boyfriend?”

“Last I saw him, he was.”

“Okay we are going to start with your hair curly.” Bree stated. “half way through, we’ll run a straight iron through it to change up the look. The company wants you to look like a teenage daughter, so nothing too elaborate.”

“We will also be keeping the makeup very neutral.” Claire added. “It’ll feel and look like a lot, but on camera it’ll just look natural and fresh.”

“Hi Erika.” Bobbie greeted.

“Bobbie!” Erika was happy to see a familiar face. “Are you doing the shoot?”

“Oh, no.” She shook her head causing her dreads to sway. “I’ll be playing the assistant today. Joe is the photographer today. He’s really good. I think you’ll like him.” She turned to Claire. “Erika looks stunning in true, jewel tones. Ruby red, Sapphire blue.”

Claire nodded. “I can see that. Especially with those eyes.”

Erika blushed.

In the reflection of the mirror, Erika could see a woman speaking with her dad. “Is that Ms. Caine?”

Bobbie looked up. “Yes.”

Ms. Caine saw the two looking at her through the mirror. She gave them a tight smile and approached. Her graying blonde hair was pulled up in a tight French twist. She wore a gray business suit with a pink button down blouse and gray two inch, sturdy heals that said all business.

“Hello Erika.” She greeted. “I’m Terri, the insurance company’s representative. How are you doing?”

“Fine, thank you.”

“We are excited to have you do this campaign for us. I hear from Bobbie and your dad that this is your first modeling job?”

Erika nodded.

“Is it as exciting as it sounds?”

“I’m not sure yet. I haven’t done anything.”

“Honest. I like that.” She smiled. “Did Trent see to you?”

“Yes.”

“Good.” She nodded. “If you need anything, just flag him down.”

“Thank you.”

An hour later, Erika was astonished looking in the mirror. It was definitely still her, but a way better version. A dressing screen had been set up in one corner of the building. Three rolling wardrobe racks stood beside it. Ms. Caine and Joe were talking and pointing out different clothes.

“Alright, Erika.” Bobbie took her hand. “Off to wardrobe. Ms. Caine already has some outfits for you.

“We’ve got several looks for you to work with.” Ms. Caine stated. “Once we get the pics back to the office, we’ll figure out which one we’ll use. Shall we start with this?”

Erika took the proffered outfit and quickly changed into a red sweater and black straight skirt.

“Hello, Ms. Martin.” A man greeted with a camera. Erika could only assume that it was Joe. Especially with Bobbie hovering around him. “Let’s start simple, shall we?”

The next two hours were nothing more than a blur mostly of white flashes, wardrobe changes, makeup and hair changes. It was a whole lot less glamorous than she expected and a whole lot more work.

“Okay, everyone, let’s call it a wrap.” Ms. Caine finally called.

Erika’s stomach took that opportunity to growl.

“I hear this is your first time?” Joe asked as he walked with her to the table of food.

“Yes. I’m sure it showed.”

“Only a little. There is something different about you.” He stated. “I can’t put my finger on it. You are a bit shy, but that is understandable, you aren’t one of those girls making duck lips at every opportunity. It’s like you were a tomboy and are just now blossoming.”

If you only knew. Erika thought.

“Most young girls spend a lot of time looking in the mirror practicing poses. This is why I think you are a tomboy. I don’t see you making those ridiculous poses that they post all over face book or twitter. You seem more…… more genuine. I hope you stay this way.”

“Thank you.” Erika didn’t know what to say. She however couldn’t help by see Bobbie, standing behind Joe, beaming as if she had won the lottery.

Bobbie wrapped her up in a great bear hug. “You were wonderful.” She whispered in to Erika’s ear. “You wouldn’t believe the nice things Joe was saying. He usually is like a grouchy bear, but to you, he was more like a teddy bear.”

“Really?” Erika was stunned.

“Yes.” Bobbie pulled back and smiled at her. “And to think that I found you while going through family portraits. You are going somewhere Erika.”

Erika’s stomach grumbled again. “Hopefully to grab a bite before they clear it all.” She watched as staff started clearing the table of food.

She grabbed a banana and a small sandwich triangle.

“Good job, Erika.” Ms. Caine approached. “Joe is not an easy photographer and not only did you put up with him, he seems smitten with you.”

“He seemed pretty easy going to me.” Erika shrugged.

Ms. Caine eyed her looking for hints of sarcasm. When she didn’t, she smiled. “Your father mentioned that your house burned down the other day.”

Erika grimaced. “Yes. We lost everything.”

Ms. Caine looked around as if to make sure that someone else in charge wasn’t eaves dropping. She smiled at Erika. “Take a couple of outfits off the rack.”

“Seriously?” She covered her mouth so not to show the mouthful of food. She did see a couple of items that she had planned on searching on line for.

“Consider it a bonus. If these pictures work out as well as everyone seems to think, it’ll be well worth it.”

“Thank you, Ms. Caine.”

“It was a pleasure meeting you, Ms. Caine.” Her father came up to them.

“You too, Mr. Martin. I have another appointment to make. Don’t forget to grab a few things.” She said to Erika as she left.

Erika’s father looked at her with eyes full of pride. “You looked amazing.”

“Thanks Daddy.”

“What few things do you need to grab?”

“Ms. Caine said that I could take a few outfits as a bonus, especially since we lost the house.”

“Well that was very nice of her.”

Erika nodded as she made a bee line to one outfit in particular.

Erika was on cloud nine by the time they had returned to their hotel room. She hung her new clothes in the closet with the few that she had gotten.

“You’d have been proud.” Her dad was telling her mother. “The way that she handled herself in front of the camera. Here.” He pulled out his phone. “You have to take a look at these. I wasn’t supposed to take them, but I couldn’t help myself.” He began showing her mother.

“Crap, not again.” Erika cursed.

“What is it, Erika?” her mother asked.

“My vision is starting to go. I’m going to have an event.” Erika lay down on the bed as the gray around the outside of her vision began closing off the world to her. Her mother and father’s voice became more distant as if hearing them from down a very long corridor.

“I’ll call 911.” Her father’s voice was fading

She felt her mother cradle her head. “I’ve got you, sweetie. I’ve got you, it’ll be over soon.”

Erika’s world disappeared.

Eric’s strong muscles ached. Ached in the good way after a long hard work out. He flexed his tired, but rock hard biceps and turned to the front door of the duplex he and Samantha were renting as the door opened.

“Daddy!” Summer exclaimed with excitement as she bounded awkwardly down the steps to his open arms.

“Hi sweetie.” He gave her a gentle but loving hug. “How was your day with mommy?”

“We made you something.” Summer pulled back, her dark hair in pigtails bounced framing the bluest eyes he had ever seen.

Eric picked her up and looked to the front door. Samantha in all of her beauty leaned against the front door and smiled with more love than anyone should ever give another.

Her hands absently stroked an expanding belly. His heart leaped with love. His son was in there. Only a month more to go before he’d finally meet him.

Eric set Summer down and watched as she ran back into the house wearing a football jersey and tutu.

Samantha wrapped him up in an unforgiving embrace. “Glad you are back.”

“Oh?”

“We’ve missed you.” Samantha hugged his arm as they entered the duplex. “Dinner will be ready shortly. How was training?”

“Hard and tiring.” Eric smiled. “Little greatness comes without hard work.”

Eric flopped on to the couch and eased Samantha into his lap. She lay her head on his shoulder her shoulder length blonde hair smelled of coconut.

“Here you are, Daddy.” Summer bounced over in her tutu and held her hands in front of her. His sweet daughter held out one of her latest works of art done in water color.

“You did that?” he exclaimed.

Summer nodded her head. Eric’s heart burst with pride and a fading sorrow. His daughter had inherited her name sake’s love of art.

“Come on back, Erika.” Her mother’s voice cut through her darkness. “I’ve got you. You are safe. I’ve got you.”

“Momma?” Erika croaked. “Why is this happening?”

“I don’t know, sweetie. I don’t know. It’s good to see you back though.” Erika cracked her eyes to see her smile down at her.

“Ambulance will be here in a few moments.” Her father put his phone down and squeezed her shoulder. “How are you doing, sweetie?”

“My head is pounding. I’m going to be sick.!” She lurched from her mother’s lap.

Her dad grabbed a trash can and brought it up just in time to catch the contents of her stomach.

-------

“Can’t you give me something that will get rid of them?” Erika asked the Doctor.

He shook his head. “There are some medications that can reduce how often they happen, but there is still too much we don’t know about the brain that we can’t cure them… Totally.”

“Did the surgeons damage my brain when removing the tumor?” Erika asked.

“We can’t be sure.” The Doctor stated. “It could be that the tumor was putting pressure on a part of the brain and now that it is gone, the brain is reacting in a negative way.”

Erika sighed.

“I’m going to have you see a neurologist that specializes in seizures.” The Doctor stated. “Until you see him, I’m going to have you start taking something. It might help, but again it might not.”

“Let me guess, it’s a brain thing.” Erika was exasperated.

-------

“How are you feeling this morning, hon?” Erika’s mother came out of the hotel bathroom.

“Head ache is gone.” Erika sighed as she rolled over.

“Well that is good.”

“Momma?” Erika asked.

“Yes, Dear?”

“What changed?” She had been pondering it for a few days, did she really want to know?

“What’s that?” Her mother sat on the edge of the bed and stroked a hand through Erika’s hair.

“What caused you to change how you feel about me?” Erika bit her lip. Was she ruining it? “My wanting to be a girl.” She clarified.

Her mother took a deep breath. “It was a number of things.” She sighed. “Mostly it was the fire. When we couldn’t get to you and you weren’t responding to our calls. I was …. I was afraid you’d die in there.” Tears welled up in her mother’s eyes. “I …. I … I’m embarrassed and well…. A bit ashamed. I …. I thought we’d lose you. I promised God that if you came out unharmed that I would do my best to accept you as Erika, my daughter.”

Erika had so many feelings swirling around in her, she didn’t know what to feel. But she could see that her mother needed validation.

“Thank you.” She laid a hand on her mother’s.

The two just looked at one another for a moment.

“Time to get a move on it, young lady.” We have to go.”

“Go where?”

“We need to find an apartment. You think we can live in a hotel forever?”

“Apartment?”

“Just until we figure out what we are going to do. I don’t really want to spend Christmas in a hotel, especially when my mother is coming. Hop to it.”

Erika was ready before the hour was up. She emerged from the bathroom and pulled on her leather boots, grabbed her purse and phone and looked to her mother. “Ready.”

They stopped by the coffee stand before heading out to look at apartments.

The first one they looked at was close to her school, but it was older and had a communal laundry facility. Erika, like her mother, didn’t want others handling her clothes.

The second one they looked at was a bit further away from their neighborhood. It was in a newer part of town in one of the trendy buildings that had businesses on the first floor and large lofts and condos above them. Restaurants, coffee stands, and service businesses would be a quick walk away, but the parking was horrible and the layouts were not comfortable.

They looked at three more places before calling a halt for lunch.

“Grandma is still coming for Christmas?” Erika asked around a fish taco.

“As long as we have a place for her, which means we need a place for ourselves.”

“And how does she feel about my decision?”

“She is not thrilled about it, but as she told me, it could be worse, you could be a heroin addict, or on crack.”

“See, I have that going for me.” Erika smiled. “Seriously? How is she dealing with it?”

“Like the rest of us.” Her mother stated. “Not much we can do about it. If this is who you are, then this is who you are.” She smiled across at Erika. “The old you, Eric, wouldn’t spend time with his mother, go apartment hunting. He’d lock himself away in his room with his computer, so I like this part of it.”

“Sorry, I was so gloomy.” Erika dabbed her mouth with her napkin. “I had a lot going on. Samantha said it was ‘survival mode’. I was so busy trying to survive what was going on, wallowing in depression that I was closeting myself away, trying to disappear. She said that her sister kinda did the same.”

“Well, now we have moved on.” Her mother took a deep breath. “Now I have a beautiful daughter, who is of all things a model.”

Erika giggled. “I know, right? Who would have thought that even a few months ago?”

“I haven’t told your grandmother yet.” Her mother confided.

“Why?”

“I’m kind of hoping that they will get the campaign signs up so that she can be surprised.

“I’m kind of nervous about Grandma meeting me.” Erika took a sip of her tea.

“You are her granddaughter. She has to love you. It’s in the laws of being a grandparent.”

“I hope so.” Erika put her napkin on her plate. “I’m stuffed. Where to next?”

By the end of the day, they found a condo for rent that was already furnished. It was right at the top of their budget, but it being furnished meant that they wouldn’t have to purchase much to move in.

They went back with her father who agreed that it would be ideal until they figured out what they wanted to do with their house. Erika was excited because it had a hot tub, and she had an on-suite bathroom similar to the arrangement in their burned-up house.

A third room was used as an office that converted into a guest room which would be perfect for grandma. The lease was signed and they would have one last night in the hotel.

Once back to their hotel room, Erika found a secluded spot and phoned up Samantha and Tricia to give them the 411 on the situation.

“I have kind of good news, kind of bad news.” Samantha told Erika and Tricia. “I spoke to Taylor. She is still kind of upset.”

“Still?” Tricia protested.

“Anyway. She has promised not to say anything to anyone, with one exception.”

“What exception?” Erika closed her eyes waiting for bad news.

“She said that she feels duty bound to talk to Melinda about it. Melinda is the Cheer and Rally captain.”

“So, she’ll have Melinda kick me off of Rally.” Erika groaned. “Are you sure she isn’t going to blab to everyone?”

“I made her promise.” Samantha affirmed. “As of tomorrow, it will be in Melinda’s court as of what to do.”

“What do you think she will do?” Erika’s chest felt heavy.

“I honestly don’t know.” Samantha sighed. “She could freak out, inform the whole school, she could kick you off Rally, she could do nothing.”

“I don’t like it.” Tricia growled. “Too many people know already, and this tiny back woods town isn’t as open as other places. Given what they did to Eric, I don’t like anyone else knowing about Erika. It could get nasty.”

“There isn’t much I can do about it now, is there?” Erika felt resigned.

“We’ll figure something out.” Tricia tried to encourage her friend.

“I’ll try to see if I can be part of the meeting with Melinda.” Samantha told them. “At least give Melinda another side of the story.”

------

Erika slipped into the hotel room. Her mother was already in her nightgown in bed watching a show. Her father was on the laptop working away at something.

“There you are.” He smiled. “I have something to tell the both of you.”

“Yes?” her mother muted the T.V.

“My coworker is throwing a Christmas party and wants us to go.”

“When?” Erika asked.

“In a few days.” Her father smiled. “He is known to throw a pretty great party and it would be very advantageous for me to attend with my loving family.”

“What kind of party?” her mother asked.

“I don’t know. I’ll email him asking for details.”

“Should we go with everything else going on?” her mother asked.

“It would be a great business opportunity.” Her father pushed.

“It’s kind of short notice. But fine.” Her other un-muted her show.

“Will there be people my age, or just adults?” Erika asked.

“I guess I’ll have to find out.” He shrugged. “I assume there will be people your age. He did say it was for the families.”