Chapter 3

The next morning we arranged to meet Richard and family that evening to try and work out our future. I stressed a bit about my relationship with Jen and whether choosing to stay female would make us sisters rather than a couple. It did make me briefly reconsider, but my internal voice was clear. The future, as always, was a mystery. At least now I was looking forward to it as a great adventure rather than dreading what was to come.

I had another great day with Jen. Several times I came close to asking about us, but chickened out each time. Originally, when I had been doing my research, she had been helping me through it, but now that my decision had been made, Jen was borrowing my laptop to do her own research. She wasn't trying to hide what she was looking at. I could see it was mostly psychology stuff and related to transgender relationships, so I was interested in what she was coming up with, but knew she would only open up about it when she was ready.

One of the times I was about to ask her, she looked me in the eyes. “Give me a bit more time.” She said.

I called her my beautiful witch because there were times when it felt like she could read my mind. I felt this was one of them and my best option was to do what she said.

We had dinner and met in their room at the agreed eight thirty pm. Richard was slouching on the sofa with a beer in hand watching sport on the TV. He obviously hadn't shaved and was working his way towards a light beard. He acknowledged us with a flick of his eyes and that was about it. Peter and Amy had already set up some chairs so we all had somewhere to sit. Jen and I took the sofa again.

“Switch it off Richard, we have a lot to discuss.”

He huffed and I could see that he contemplated arguing. In the end, he reached for the remote and turned it off. Amy sat next to Peter with a notepad and pen.

“I have been thinking about this meeting since day one. There is so much we need to sort out, but to do that, we first need to know where we are right now. We know nothing about each other and that needs to change. I thought I would go first.” He looked around to see if anyone wanted to add anything. None of us did. “Right, well, I work as an architect for a big firm in London. We live in Guildford and I commute in. Fortunately my hours are pretty flexible and I do a lot of work from home, so it is not too bad.”

“I'll go next.” Amy said. “As you can probably tell from my accent, I am American. I worked as an Air Hostess, until I met Peter and settled down. Now I do volunteer work and work mainly with transgender youths at a local shelter.”

Jen put her hand up to go next. “I'm in love with Sophia, formerly Dillan. My mother and I live with their family in Purley. I am due to take my A levels in about five months and have already been accepted into Cambridge to study Psychology, providing I get the grades. I have already checked and the University is happy if I defer for a year. I don't have much choice for the next five months, I have to study hard, but after that I want to be available to help Sophia as much as possible.”

I had to wipe my eyes a bit. “I suppose I had better talk about what was going to happen in my life. I was due to take my A levels in five months. I took Maths last year, so I only have Further Maths, Physics and Chemistry this year. I had intended to follow Jen in Cambridge setting up a flat together, working on my business while she went to Uni.”

“What is your business?” Peter asked.

“I set up a business with Jen's mum, Katie. We buy profitable websites and revamp them to make them more profitable. I also look for website ideas that I think will make money and start my own websites. We sell advertising space, e books, you name it. Nothing physical, just digital.”

“Are we talking about a bit of pocket money or is this a career path?” Amy asked.

Jen smothered a laugh. “The company made more than two hundred thousand pounds last year in revenue, with assets in the multiple millions.” She said.

There was a shocked silence. “But you are barely eighteen.” Amy whispered.

“I started when I was thirteen. My grandparents left me a nice inheritance. I offered it to Katie, who refused, so I tried to work out how to employ her and came up with an internet business. She had so many skills that were just being wasted. Since I haven't really needed the money, I have pretty much invested whatever we have earned, back into the business. I have learnt a lot along the way.”

“Does this mean I am rich?” Richard asked intently.

I shared a look with Jen. “No. I am.” I told him.

“But I am in your body now. Your identity, your bank accounts.”

“Richard, that would be wrong. You haven't earned the money, you will have to give it all back.”

“Like hell. Did you not hear what she said. We are talking about millions.”

“Richard that is not happening.” Peter said sternly. “I'm sorry about this.” He said turning to us.

“I am eighteen, you can't tell me what to do anymore. And I am sorry, but I want to keep that money.”

“It is just as well that this week you decided to give it all to Jen.” I interjected.

“No I didn't.” Richard replied.

“That is strange, since you logged onto your bank and transferred the money into her accounts and sold your half of the business to her. It has got your signature and everything.”

“What! You bastard.” He turned to Jen. “Well, you can put it back.”

“I think I will use your words. Like hell. It was the first thing Sophia did. I thought it was not necessary, but she is not as trusting. She knows I will never betray her.”

The look on Richards face was ugly and it went from angry to sullen.

“I am sorry for my son. I thought we had brought him up better than that. I think I had better talk about his circumstances and intended future.” Peter said. “We moved about four years ago so that Richard could enter school as a boy. Everyone only knows him as a boy. When he turned sixteen he was going to start testosterone and his surgery was due when he turned eighteen. I don't think he has worked out what he wants to do career wise. OK, here are the issues as I see them. We have got one week more of skiing and then Richard is supposed to go back to school.”

I raised my hand to interrupt him. “Err...you may have, but Dillan and Jen only booked a weeks holiday. We are due to go back the day after tomorrow.”

“I didn't even think that we could be here for different amounts of time.” Peter sighed. “You realise that you are going to need to stay with us. Theoretically you are only fifteen. By the way, what do we call you, Dillan or Sophia.”

I took a deep breath. “Sophia, I guess. I have decided to stop taking the hormone suppressants.”

“What! You can't do that. If we ever change back, that will ruin that body.” Richard shouted, standing up and leaning over Jen and me.

“Richard sit down!” Peter said, standing up next to Richard.

Richard turned to Peter. “Dad, he can't do that. Tell him he can't do that.”

“Rich, we don't know if you are ever going to change back. Sit down and I will tell you what I have found out.”

Richard glared at me, growled and went back to his seat and sat heavily in some kind of teenage protest.

I was practically shaking, holding Jen tightly. Richard scared me.

“I think we all want to know what happened on that bus. I have been speaking to the other passengers and even the bus driver. It turns out that we all had the same nightmare. One lady even said that she dreamed that she died and saw the light with her family waiting for her, but they told her it wasn't her time yet. The bus driver remembers hitting something invisible on the road which forced the bus off the cliff. He has made the trip several times since then and where he thinks it happened, the barrier is complete and undamaged, but the trees and plant life look like something large knocked them all over. His conclusion and mine is that it was real. We all fell off the cliff and probably died, but someone or something saved us. Unfortunately for you two, there was some error in putting you two back together.”

“I'm not complaining.” Richard muttered.

“The thing is, I really don't think something like that is going to happen again. I don't think either of you are ever going to change back, so we have to live our lives on that premise. Sophia has the right to do whatever she likes with her body. It is hers now, Richard, and you have no say in it. Likewise, are you going to ask her for permission before you do anything?”

“No.”

“Well then. We need to work out about this holiday. What are your thoughts? Jen, Sophia?”

“I think you should work out what you want to do with Richard and then you or Amy can come to our room.” Jen said.

“Why not discuss it now?” Peter asked confused.

“Because Richard is scaring us.” Jen said bluntly.

“Pussy.” Richard muttered, but loud enough that we all heard him.

Peter sighed and looked irritatedly at Richard. “OK. You go back to your room and we will join you shortly.”