Seemingly taking a ride home from Kevin wasn’t my best idea, even though he didn’t come into the house. Cortney who encouraged me to take time with my friends; wasn’t happy that I danced with Kevin or other guys. Riding home with him was a real sore point, and though Cortney didn’t say anything; Grace told me, I should have known better.

Sunday morning some college mates and friends, Denise and Darby Sue among them, stopped over having heard about the change in Heath. Cortney and I went out with them for a small brunch. I had twice dated Denise and been a close friend and neighbor of Darby Sue. Darby remembered an incident in a chemistry class when she saw traces of makeup in the corners of my eyes.

Cortney told them when I started to use makeup again, that Heath still did a poor job of cleaning off makeup come to the end of a day. Denise acknowledged with Cortney that I had a tender side that the average man didn’t. Denise said, “I wanted to keep Heath as a friend but neither Heath nor others at the time could accept I wanted to keep him as a close friend without romantic intentions. There was more than one time I wanted to dress him up and see him as a girl.”

Darby jumped in, “That’s how I felt when I discovered the makeup.”

Cortney said, “You’re both lucky. If you ever made out with Heath as a girl, it might have changed your lives. Denise and Darby both giggled at the thought. Darby asked her, “Is that part of what attracts you to Dara?”

I could tell Darby felt strange for asking, but Cortney replied. “It’s part of our attraction. I really like how she cuddles up with me. We can relax and just enjoy a quiet time.”

Darby says, “My husband has no trouble being quiet with me.”

Denise answers, “Yes, but are either of you really enjoying that time together. My Chuck had no trouble being quiet, but we were in two different worlds. I don’t think that is what Cortney meant.” Cortney nodded in agreement. I remembered a quiet morning when Cortney and I spent a marvelous two hours together, hardly ever saying anything. It did include times of light touches and sounds of endearments.

Unfortunately for Cortney and I being at a distance took a toll on our relationship and our spirits. Soon we became more distant to one another. I dated Kevin once when I went back to my parents’, but it never became anything more.

Sixth months have passed since Cortney and I were history. Nera did not get the contract with her previous customer and she blamed that on me.

My sister Grace has since talked me into adding an ‘l’ to become ‘Darla’ and I am now officially Darla Jennifer Martin. Only Nera and a few of her friends that continue to call me Dara. My girls change at times calling me Daddy or Momma.

The footings were set for the building of the lumberyard/hardware store, three months after the anniversary. My parents had acquired property behind Jodi’s house, where I rented the third floor.

My Dad and Jodie had become partners in developing lots and putting in a street. The city and utility companies would bring in electric, water, and a sewer system.

True enough the bank tried to cause Jodi enough trouble and tried to get her to sell to them the property. The denied requests became undo pressure to sell. The state banking commission stopped that and officials at the bank have since been changed. My parents and Jodi have since joined together to develop the seven acres.

People are amused by me at my building sight in stylish pink overalls. We have not let on what we’re doing. There are numerous rumors going around, from a car dealership to a warehouse for a national trucking firm and even a nursing home. It would be known soon enough, but we weren't wanting one of the other companies like Lowes, Home Depot or Menards getting the idea to move into the area.

Dean Proctor and I are very sure once we’re up and running we’d be able to compete. I am taking two new computer-aided drafting and design programs. I am not a full-fledged architect but I can now put up someone’s plans and check them to see if they meet state code and structural soundness. The coming month we’ll have the walls in place and another month for the roof and the concrete floor. It is ambitious but we’re hoping to have the business operating come spring.

Like I did with Nera’s company I will be running the wires for computers as well as helping to install the computer and security systems. The national corporation we’re working with was at first skeptical. They now pay me to use the systems I designed.

My sister Grace and I have grown closer than ever and my relations with my brothers have improved. My parents bought a fair size beach house a block off of the ocean for summer vacation with some of the family. With the housing development with Jodi, they’re now looking financially stretched on paper.

Jodi Miller, my landlord, and I share meals at least weekly. I take her out to dinner twice a month. Neither of us is saying it means anything.

Nera having her way, we will officially be divorced come to the end of the year. The settlement while heavily in Nera’s favor, is more than livable for me. It will be even better if Teresa and Katy come to live with me.

Nera has shown some improvement in running her company but it is likely to be too little, too late for her larger plans. Now she is taking an extended summer vacation she cannot afford, nor should she be it taking during her busy time.

I have been back to my doctors a few times and most recently Dr. Amanda Mueller my Gynecologist and Dr. Steve Gould the Endocrinologist have approved my moving ahead in transitioning as a woman. It doesn’t yet mean I’m physically making a full transition. Within two months my male reproduction system may be non-functioning. I have banked sperm though I do not have any plans past that.

Dr. Amanda has become someone I count as a friend. She is amused by my progression and takes added time for my appointments. She takes part in that time to help me as a woman in ways that goes into day to day living and good hygiene.

Presently I have my girls every other weekend and take them to and from daycare or pre-school three days a week. The hardest thing for my daughters is when others say cruel things about me in their hearing. The worse yet is when I don’t know something that has happened. It is usually Teresa who hears something, and takes it to heart but doesn’t share. They are going to counselors but it is still rough at times.

I am consistent in making parent-child conferences and I have improved greatly in reading and spending time with them. They enjoy times they can go downstairs to play with Jodi’s children or when the two families have gone to Friendly’s or share a mea

It is over a year since my second girls’ night out; I thought of returning to where I met Cortney, but instead, I went up to New Hope to a place I’ve learned of more recently. Most of the community there is LGBT friendly and I’ve found acceptance and made new friends there. Taelyn is one of my new friends and for the anniversary we make two nights of it.

While my body is not yet changing much physically because of the hormones; my body’s sensitivity has grown significantly. Either Taelyn was in the right mood, or I’ve also grown in being responsive to my lover. I felt Taelyn was wanting too much sex this early in our relationship. While she was finding me too slow for her tastes. Time helped me to find things like that.

Two nights later it was Jodi who suggested it was time for us to get serious. “Darla, it looks like you’re going to be having your daughters more often, if not have primary responsibility for them. And I find myself growing in love with you. It would be hard enough for me to love you, but I don’t want our children becoming attached if we can’t make a bigger commitment.”

I was totally caught by surprise but I was feeling much the same way as Jodi. What I liked was more than the physical attraction was our friendship and our willingness to take our time. The first time sleeping together was more emotional for Jodi as she had more feelings for her husband.

I was nervous that I wouldn’t measure up to what she experienced with him. Her warm loving presence caused me to respond more than I anticipated. She touched my breasts and felt them respond. “Heath I want you to know I find myself attracted to you as Darla. If that makes me a lesbian so be it.”

Come March 23, everyone was celebrating the Cove Center’s Ace Lumber and Hardware. Though it was outside the town; the Mayor called it rightfully to be a good shot in the arm for the town’s development. This, however, wasn’t his father’s small-town hardware store. It was designed to serve builders and the remodeling of homes and businesses. Not only supplying the town but reaching out to three counties.

Darla’s Sister Grace was there along with her parents. Bethany home on Spring Break would also be back in the summer on an apprenticeship for her marketing major. She with Grace enjoyed her newest Aunt being in the pink overalls they first chose for Darla.

More than one contractor came hoping to fluster Darla but found her knowledgeable and professional. She tried not to embarrass them but win them over as a customer. Dean Proctor, heading the builders’ desk and lumberyard gloried in his element. A veteran contractor himself; he with the larger corporation’s help did his homework. He was learning the business from a different point of view. Two loan officers from area finance companies were present and busy. Several contractors were using the promotions to begin new projects. There was even a developer out of Flemington putting up seven apartment buildings. Jamison another contractor was beginning condominiums close to Somerville/Bridgewater. It would be a great day if all were approved.

By the time Teresa and Katy arrived in the late afternoon, Darla had been working nine hours with only pauses to eat or drink something as she kept working. Katy’s request that Daddy takes her to the bathroom was a welcome break. But instead of using the regular restroom Darla used the one near her office. She did pause for a sandwich, popcorn, and cola with her daughters. Katy now a year older and heavier was up in Darla’s arms for well over an hour after dinner. Grace’s daughter Bethany entertained Teresa until she insisted her grandmother to take over as Darla and Bethany were still working.

Grandma and Grandpa had a red wagon that Katy enjoyed before she finally fell asleep. The grandparents took Katy and Teresa home. Grace and others went home as well. Darla and Dean remained until they closed and needed to meet with the corporate people as well. It was eleven o’clock when Darla and Dean checked to make sure they were ready for tomorrow.

The whole weekend was busy as many weekend project warriors were out in force. Jodi and Darla’s Mom had cooked up two soups for the family and workers. And Darla had made tuna salad before she had left home, Saturday morning. Her father would demonstrate products and tools for home repairs and how to do them. Promotions and giveaways were part of the day. Sales receipts and business cards were received for one of three prizes: 1) a thousand dollar shopping spree; 2) another thousand dollar prize for a play center and 3) choice of a riding mower or a utility four wheeler with wagon attachment. That prize would be a $2,500 to $3,900 value depending on what was chosen.

The turnout tested the capacity of the workers, corporate staff and a family of volunteers. Corporation representatives informed us this was an unusually good opening weekend.

Doug Dragon, a local braggart, and the contractor were blatant about his dislike for a transgender woman running this business. Darla knew Doug had a weakness for gambling and was a self-proclaimed repair specialist. “Hey, Doug why don’t we go head to head in three repair projects.” Darla was correct, Doug couldn’t resist showing Darla up and accepted the challenge. The first repair others suggested was to repair a screen window and a broken window.

As Heath, she had a lot of experience in helping at her father’s hardware store. The dough had repeatedly seen it as a project that was usually too small. He knows how to do it but wasn’t used to doing it and it resulted in a loss. The second challenge took them to town to replace wallboard damaged in a flooded basement. There were two sections of six foot by eight-foot walls.

Knocking out the walls and replacing the wallboard was a good contest. It was close but seemingly won by Doug. Darla challenged what the end result would be. It delayed a decision until the next day when the taping and sealing the seam would be dry. Darla had waited until her tape dried before plastering it. She was fairly sure Doug’s job was too quick and either the tape would warp, leave cracks in the plaster or worse do both.

The final project Doug had chosen and it was to install ceiling lights and run the wire and put in a switch. It was at a different house but with damage from similar flooding. Both homes were getting both the materials and labor free. Darla was hoping by doing this task at one of Doug’s customer’s this would placate him in the long term.

Darla knew her job would take longer as hers not only involved two ceiling light fixtures. It meant two switches at different ends of the basement hall. The switches and lights needed to be wired a little differently. Darla was working under the watchful eye of Guy Madison. She was working as a laborer working under his electric license. She had a good power drill and for needed holes to drive the bx-cable through. Darla was disappointed that pulling the wire through holes was more difficult than before. Her physical strength was changing, but it was only a matter of pulling harder and not being afraid to grunt when she did so.

During her doing these three tasks she needed to turn over managing her part of the store to the corporate people and her father. The projects were all done by 7:00 p.m. Saturday night. While the light project of Doug was completed earlier, the judges called the light project a draw. They cited Douglas for not having an electrician’s license and not using the bx-cable everywhere that code required.

Doug became good-hearted at that point and conceded that Darla had actually done the better job. It would be true in the morning with the second task of the challenge as well. Doug’s seaming tape had pulled and torn as the wetness of the tape and the spackling dried. Cracks and bumps meant it needed to be redone. Doug had hoped it would have been judged the night before; knowing he would have to come back to finish it correctly.

The bet for the competition had been written by Doug for Darla and Darla for Doug and then placed in a sealed envelope. Their requests for the bets were to be judged for their fairness, but that wouldn’t be needed as they were kind of similar.

Doug’s bet if he won was that Darla would have to dress and work as a man for the next month.

Darla’s bet was if she won that Doug would have to wear women’s work shirt and either pink overalls or a denim skirt. She had asked for two weeks but had questioned that and said at least one week.

The judges checked with Doug if he was willing to serve the two weeks. They also had him pay for the materials he used on his portion of the projects. It was agreed that the news of the contest was not to make the local or area newspapers. It actually provided goodwill all around as two different families underinsured for water damage. Come Sunday afternoon the Brigg’s family was the winner of the shopping spree.

The Ace people contributed another $1,000 to the shopping spree and gave another thousand dollars and asked Cove Center’s Ace Lumber and Hardware to match their gift.

Come to the end of the day Sunday night, I, Darla, was exhausted. Once I got home Jodi invited me to come and eat a dinner she had prepared for me. I was half awake as I walk in, and less so when I moved the plate and set my head down. Jodi began to massage my neck and shoulders. I was back sitting up when I turned and pulled her around. I stood and began to kiss her. She tried to say something, but we were soon mutually caught up in our kissing one another.

It was three o’clock in the morning; I woke up in her bed and made my way up to my apartment…

To be continued…