Chapter 26

The first opportunity I had to talk to Gem, I asked for a private meeting. She couldn't straight away, but after a promised five minutes that ended up being half an hour, we met in my bedroom. I explained what had happened with Dr Barn and the love that Laura was showing and my desire to come clean. I also mentioned my fears about Eve and my thoughts that if we convinced Laura, she could decide what to do with Eve.

Gem thought it was my decision really. She also said that if I can slip up once, I probably will do again some time. If I wanted her to, she would speak to Laura after lunch and use the Diary as evidence. After lunch Eve would be working on her music, then her singing lesson and not long after that her personal training session, so Laura would have time to digest and ask questions when she wanted. I asked if I should be there and Gem suggested against it.

I felt relieved and stressed at the same time. It was the right decision. I knew it was the right decision. If it didn't go well, we might well be back in the one bed flat. I'm not sure whether Gem had cancelled that lease and I didn't want to ask. I wouldn't be going to that school and I would lose two friendships that were beginning to mean a lot to me. Real worse case scenario, they told the MIB and I was taken away. What was that saying again about good intentions?

To keep myself distracted I started looking at the different subjects that I had chosen and any studying I could do regarding them. I picked a book on American history that had a lot of good reviews. I couldn't buy it though. Something else to add to the list, get an American bank account. Not much point until I had some money to put in it. I might have to ask Gem for a loan. I also needed a phone. I hate asking for things. Another reason to be frustrated by my change in circumstance. I took a deep breath and realised that I was just replacing my nervousness with other emotions. I was getting angry and irritable. This was not me. I needed to get this out of my system. I still had a personal training session later, but I needed to do something now. I checked my watch. Lunch was still an hour away. Time enough to do some laps of the pool. I got changed quickly and headed for the pool. I started with a couple of warm up laps and then I went full speed, giving it everything. Two lengths was all it took and I was shattered. Slow lengths until I had recovered then one fast one, then back to slow. I must have zoned a bit. It took Gem tapping me on the head when I reached one end to bring me back to reality.

“Lunch is ready.” She said and left me to it.

I hurried myself, not bothering with more than a rinse off. When I arrived I apologised for being late, which everyone waved off. The food was great as usual, but I wasn't that hungry, so I only really picked at it. My stomach felt off. I knew the stress was getting to me. After lunch I tried to have a nap. It was impossible though, I tossed and turned completely uncomfortable. I knew Gem would be speaking to Laura any second and my life could change in an instant.

I needed to occupy myself with something. I decided to write a letter. I wrote to Eve and Laura, telling them how much I appreciated them and all they had done for me. The love, care and tenderness that they had shown had really warmed my heart. That I had to begun to care deeply for them both and wished them all the happiness in the world. If they felt deceived in any way or uncomfortable with my presence, I would go, but I would never betray their trust in any way. It took a long time to come up with the right words for a letter that I hoped would never be read. That is not quite what happened though. I was sitting at the kitchen table typing it out on my laptop. I had just about finished when I felt this hand on my shoulder.

“Eeep!” An involuntary sound escaped as I leap half a foot straight up from my chair from surprise. Heart rate approaching the speed of light, I twisted my head to see Laura standing behind me with tears in her eyes.

“Oh honey.” She said, now holding her hand open, body language requesting a hug.

I got out of the chair and hugged her, crying like crazy. “I'm sorry, I'm sorry.” I kept repeating.

“Hush baby, hush.” She said, stroking my hair. “You don't have anything to be sorry for. What you have been through. What you are going through. I believe you. I believe you.”

We manoeuvred ourselves to the sofa, still holding one another. “So, you are really Dillan?”

I nodded my head, I don't think I was capable of speaking.

“Wow.” She said.

Laura's POV

When Gem wanted some privacy for a chat, I took her back to my bedroom. As part of our bedroom area we had a small sofa in front of a large screen TV, so that is where we sat. I knew it was something about Soph, but I would never have guessed in a month of Sundays. First Gem gave me this little speech about trust and believable truths which left me even more confused. Then she passed across a slim book which turned out to be the diary of Soph's mother. She had a book mark suggesting where to start.

It began when Soph was calling herself Richard and they were getting ready to go on holiday. I thought it was to give me an idea of what Richard/Soph was like before he/she changed her mind on the whole transition thing. Then we got to the bus journey and I looked up at Gem in surprise. She just said keep reading. I went back to that time before the bus journey and I could see why Gem had suggested I start there. The way Richard was described was nothing like Soph as I knew her. I read through the wonderful shopping trip and how Amy was bonding to her new daughter. As it was a diary there were gaps in the story and Gem had actually written some questions relating to those gaps and then added Soph's replies to those questions.

I couldn't guess how many scripts I had read. You learn to read when characters words and actions gel with the personality they are supposed to be portraying. You get an almost instinctive feel for authenticity. I didn't doubt this story for a moment. My biggest emotional response was surprise, but when I looked back this explained everything. Little inconsistencies that you ignore since there is no reason to doubt.

None of us had known Richard, so we had no one to compare, however, Soph did not seem at all like I would have expected a female to male transgender individual to be like. She seems quite an emotional girl and yet was only upset by her parents death rather than grief stricken. She was hit hard by her relationship break up with Jen, when she had only known her for a week, and had only a hope of a romance rather than achieving one. Probably the biggest hint was her maturity. I kept thinking that she was the most level headed teenager I had ever met.

Everything now fit perfectly. Even her response to my shopping trip. She had been a self made millionaire, so she was not used to money being an issue. Her worry about the MIB was interesting. Eve's dad was a general and either was in the intelligence community or had connections with it. We had this house swept for bugs a couple of times. I was not naïve enough to believe that some agency looking into such matters didn't exist, the question was what could we do to protect Soph.

I thought about that for a second. My first reaction was not anger that they hadn't told me sooner, but a maternal defensiveness. Should I be angry? I had only known them for a few days really, even if it felt a lot longer. I was pleased that they trusted me enough to tell me. Then I thought what poor Soph had been through. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to wake up in a different body that was the other gender. Then to go through an attack, be separated from all she knew and worried about MIB taking her away. No wonder she was a bit emotional. I loved that about her, she really wore her heart on her sleeve. Her real parents hadn't died but they were on the other side of the world and she couldn't contact them for fear of the consequences.

I looked at Gem who was studying me intently. “I am a believer.” Gem let out a breath, I don't think either of us realised she had been holding. “It fits perfectly and explains so much. Was the privacy because of worries about the MIB? I should mention that we have the house checked for bugs, so we should be safe.”

“That is a relief. The privacy was Soph's idea. She needed to tell you, but she doesn't really believe anyone will believe her. Especially Eve. She cares for you both and wants to come clean, hide nothing. However, she is very vulnerable and feeling unsure. She thought you would be more likely to understand and then we could leave it in your hands about whether to tell Eve or not. I chose this time because in a short while, Eve will be having her singing lesson and you would have the opportunity to talk to Soph, ask any questions without worrying about Eve listening.” Gem replied.

I would have to think about the question of telling Eve. Soph was right, I was almost sure Eve wouldn't believe unless there was incontrovertible evidence. It was too far outside of what she believed possible. “So you wrote the questions at the end?”

“Yes. Soph hadn't told me anything, but I found Amy's diary and was too nosey to resist. What I found blew my mind. I was pretty convinced after reading it. I kept in contact with Amy and her description of Richard was so different to the child I found that it just made sense.” Then Gem laughed. “I asked her when her birthday was and she didn't know. We have tried to correct that by finding out as much as we can for her to memorise. There are so many gaps in her knowledge of her old life. From the school perspective, she was just about to finish and now has to go back and repeat two and a half years. She has accepted that, but she doesn't know what Richard knew in terms of what subjects he has studied, how good his results were or even who his friends were.”

“And the answers?” I asked.

“As best as I can remember. I asked those questions and Soph answered as best she could. There is an abundance of questions that we have no answers to, only more questions. When Soph suggested telling you, I went back to the diary and tried to write down the answers she had given me. Feel free to ask them again or anything else that you feels needs asking. What do you think about telling Eve?”

I sighed. I hated the idea of keeping any secrets, but I couldn't see any way this could end except badly if Eve was told and didn't believe. “Leave that to me. I think I might have to slowly work her up to it. It does change a few things though.” I said thoughtfully. “Under these circumstances, it would be better if I became the other legal guardian rather than Eve. I will talk to her about that. It may even be better if I formally adopt her. That might be a better way to persuade Eve without revealing anything. It is a lot harder for agencies that work in the shadows to do anything under the celebrity spotlight. How would you feel about that? I don't want to take her away from you.”

“If it made her safer, I am all for it. When I realised that she was not Richard I had to make a decision as to whether I still considered her family. The soul that was my nephew has passed on, her physical body lives on and is still my niece. Most of the bringing up has already occurred so I see my role as more one of guidance and I can do that whether she becomes your daughter or not.”