A year had passed since Derrick's rather eventful birthday party.

Heather was stretched out on the sofa, enjoying a delightful glass of very expensive Merlot, when the security guard at the gate house called to inform her that there was a visitor requesting entry.

Realizing who it was, Heather ran to the front door to greet her daughter Ariel. They embraced lovingly.

“Ariel, I'm happy to see you. This is a surprise though. Why didn’t you call to let me know you were coming?”

“Mom, it was kind of last minute. As you know, I’ve spent the last year training to work with nuclear power plants. The Navy has transferred me to a boat in Rota, Spain. They gave me two weeks furlough before I have to report aboard. I thought that I would visit friends and family."

“Would you like something to drink? This Merlot is really delicious.” Heather held up her glass.

Ariel smiled at her mother. “No thanks, my tastes are more pedestrian, I’ll take a beer if you have one.”

Heather got up and went out to the kitchen. “Sure, thing dear, would you like it in a glass or just from the can?

“A glass will be fine, thanks. Then in a mischievous mannered added, “I save crushing beer cans on my forehead for nights out with my shipmates.”

Heather playfully punched her daughter in the shoulder as she handed the glass to her and asked, “Seriously, honey. What’s up?”

“You know it’s Derrick’s birthday.” Ariel began slowly.

“Yes, so what of it?” Heather shrugged. Just the thought of Derrick still left a bad taste in her mouth.

“He's still my godfather, I just wanted to wish him a happy birthday.”

Heather sighed, “Well, did you?”

Ariel nodded. “I stopped by his house and had a nice long talk with Aunt Nancy. I only had time to say hello to my godfather. He had to get to his job.”

Heather was intrigued, “What is that jerk working at now?”

Ariel smiled, not sure how to break the news to her mother. “Mom you aren’t going to believe this, I didn’t at first. Brace yourself. He’s a changed man. During the day, he stays at home and does domestic chores. In other words, he is Nancy’s maid and she rules him with an iron hand. In the evenings, he's a cocktail waitress at a bar down by the docks in San Pedro.”

Heather sat bolt upright in her chair, “You did say cocktail waitress!”

“Yes, there have been a number of changes for him over the last year. First off, Aunt Nancy made him legally change his name to Desiree.”

Heather's eyebrows conveyed her surprise at that kind of development. “Well that must have been humiliating for him.”

“Maybe. But the new name was the least of his changes. He walked in when Nancy and I were talking. I didn’t recognize him. He is now a knockout blonde with hair extensions that hang past his shoulders. I never thought of him as a blonde but with his blue eyes it really works.”

Heather inched closer to the edge of her chair wanting to hear more.

“Mom, that isn’t the half of it. As I said, he is a changed man. Nancy has had him on massive doses of female hormones since his last birthday.”

“Oh, my lord why?”

“Nancy told me it is was the only way she could be assured he didn’t start rutting again. According to her, it's working; his manly pride is now just a limp noddle. Remember all those muscles he was so proud of? Well, they softened and dissolved under an unrelenting flood of estrogen, now he is soft and supple. And then there is his chest."

Heather's upper lip curled as she said, “What about it? He always had a chiseled chest. That was his pride and joy.”

Ariel sniggered, “It still is his pride and joy, only now for a much different reason. Brace yourself, mom. Nancy thought Desiree should have a figure appropriate for his new name. She demanded if he was going to continue to live with her, he would do so as a woman and had to get breast implants.”

Heather laughed, “He always was a breast man. How large are they?”

Ariel held her hands about a foot out from her chest. “I don’t know his cup size. But think of Pamela Anderson. Mom, when he walked in, I was in shock, I stood there with my mouth hanging open. He was wearing heavy, over the top, makeup. According to Nancy, he does that so no one he knows will recognize him. In my opinion, with his massive boobs, no red-blooded man would get that far up with his eyes.

"He was dressed as a saucy wench. The bodice just barely concealed his nipples. He was walking in 5-inch stilettos. He was strolling in them better than I could do. It was rather impressive.

"Nancy told me she was proud of the way he handled them. She told me that he complained about them at first. So, to teach him a lesson, she dressed him up as a drag queen, stuffed a tampon up his ass, and drove him to the start of a gay pride parade where she dumped him off. She picked him up five miles later. He walked the entire route. She says that he learned his lesson because he has never whined again."

Heather shook her head and smiled. "I can't picture Derrick with breasts at all, let alone something like what you’re describing."

Ariel nodded in agreement. “I had to ask Nancy why she went so large and Mother, she laughed so hard her eyes watered. She finally answered by quoting an old axiom, ‘For waitresses, the bigger the tits, the bigger the tips.’ She told me Desiree is bringing home on almost $1,000 a week.”

Heather couldn’t contain her glee, “It serves the bastard right! He destroyed my marriage and ruined my life.”

“Mother, please watch the language," Ariel scolded.

Heather frowned. “Sorry dear, does that word bother you?”

Ariel smiled at her mother's expression. “No mom. I was just thinking bitch might be more appropriate.”

@ @ @ @

Heather really did not want to, but the subject of conversation had to become serious.

“Have you seen your mother?”

Ariel nodded, frowning somewhat herself. “Yes, my first stop was Ellen’s place of business.”

Heather noted that Ariel called her mother by name. That happened occasionally now. Ariel still loved her mother, but Ellen had lost a great deal of her daughter's respect and also from her employees when it came out that Ellen had been sleeping around on Heather. It showed how well-liked Heather had become when she was working there.

She told herself that she really should not care, but there was still a part of her that did. “How is she doing?”

“Emotionally, she is a mess since the divorce.” Ariel looked sad as she thought back to her mother's appearance.

Heather shrugged. “I’m sorry. But her turning up positive with HIV was the last straw. I had no choice.” The fact that Ellen's philandering had almost infected her husband turned wife was what had cost Ellen the most in the eyes of the people who knew her.

“Mom did you have to take her to the cleaners in the divorce settlement?”

“When she made the claim that my feminization was all my idea, I had no choice but to go for the throat. I got the house. She got the mortgage. I got the cars and she got to keep controlling interest in her company."

She smiled at the memory. "Her haughty attitude really pissed off the judge. He awarded me twice the alimony I was asking for. I'm set for life.”

Ariel looked at Heather reproachfully. “Mom, wasn’t selling your shares in the company to Nancy just a tad vicious?”

Heather shrugged again. This time because she really did not care. “Maybe. But Ellen still has controlling interest.”

Ariel nodded. She really did not understand the reasoning of her two mothers most of the time. This was one of them. “Yes, but just barely. Every day at work, there is a power struggle between the two of them.

"When you left, about half of the employees quit and went to work elsewhere. They just did not want to work for someone who had betrayed their friend. Ellen had a hard time overcoming their defections and it almost closed her down. She had to work 12-hour days just to get things profitable again.

“She also told me her social life is a disaster. I guess that she has bounced from one abusive relationship to the next. She told me that she even ended up in the emergency room once. She still loves you and wants to get back together. She asked me to tell you that she wants you to call her so you can talk.”

Now Heather felt completely indifferent. She shook her head as she said, “When you talk to her again, you can tell her for me, that is never going to happen.”

Ariel held her hands up as if she were fending Heather off. She had had this kind of conversation with Heather before and did not want to make her angry again.

“Alright, no pressure from me. I'm not taking sides. How is your social life these days?”

Heather suddenly took a great deal of interest in her hands.

“I've tried dating. Thought I had found a man I could grow old with. But when I revealed my past, that I was once a man, he set a land speed record getting out.”

Ariel moved closer to her mother, wanting to hug her. "I'm curious, Mom. You're an attractive, mature woman. Have you at least tried sex with a man?”

“Ariel, that is a rather personal question.” Heather took several minutes to decide how to proceed. Finally, she confessed, “To answer your question, that is a firm NO! I have looked but have not touched.

"I still haven't committed fully to the female sexual orientation, I can find a man handsome, just not sexually attractive. My sexual inclinations are still toward women. If I developed a strong relationship with a guy, I might be able to do the wifely things required. But it is not something I would look forward too."

Suddenly, Ariel was sorry she had ever broached the subject.

“Mom, this is too much information. All you need to say is you’re a lesbian. I am cool with that.”

She turned toward her mother and took her hands in her own.

"Mom, I love you and I want you to be happy. I know that you are lonely and you miss what you had with my mother," she said, looking Heather in the eye. "I have a friend that I think you would enjoy meeting and I know that she would love to get to know you."

Heather tried to pull back as she shook her head, "I don't think that would be a good idea dear. I’m not into blind dates."

Ariel held on firmly and would not let go of Heather's hands though, essentially trapping her in place. That forced the two of them to continue facing each other.

"Mom, please do this," Ariel said earnestly. "I want you to be happy and just sitting around this house is not good for you. Since you quit working at the agency, I know that you haven’t gotten out much. At least meet Linda for a drink and talk to her."

Heather could see that her daughter was not going to let this go. Even if she agreed and did not follow through, Ariel would be after her. Even if she was on her boat in Spain.

"Alright," Heather said with a sigh. "I'll meet her and talk to her. But I won't promise anything other than that." She gave her daughter a stern look to show that she meant it.

"Okay," Ariel said, smiling. "I can't ask for anything more than that. Now, I've already talked to her and she will meet you for a drink at that place you are always talking about. Jake's. That's your favorite, isn't it?”

Heather considered for a moment and nodded. "Jake's is a good place. It's usually quiet and they don't have a problem with me."

In the months between the time Heather had decided to divorce Ellen and Ellen had finally moved out of the house, Heather had spent a fair amount of time at the neighborhood restaurant. At first, it had been a way to be alone and still have people around her. People who did not try to use you. Jake or his wife were always working behind the bar. Like any good bartenders it didn’t take them long to worm her story out of her. So, they were both aware of Heather's past. They had made it their business to protect Heather from the individuals who might bother her. Over time, the small tavern had become a haven where she could go to feel liked, if not loved. She had come to think of Jake Harkness and his wife as good friends.”

Ariel bounced to her feet, pulling Heather up as well.

"You've got to get ready!" she said excitedly. "She will be there in less than two hours, so you need to get changed!"

Heather realized that she had been manipulated and that Ariel was not giving her any time to reconsider to be able to back out of this meeting. She did not want to think of it as a date.

"But--but. I need more time to get ready," she said, trying to slow Ariel down.

"Mom, you aren't fooling me at all," she said with a smile. "That's why I arranged it this way. I also remember how long you actually spend in the bathroom when you are getting ready to go out.

Ariel shook her head at her mother with a mock sad look on her face. "It shouldn’t take you more than hour to do everything a woman needs to do. If that were to become public knowledge, you make every other woman in the world look bad. Everyone knows that we take our time to build up suspense for our dates."

"Now get going, young lady!" Ariel said with a laugh as she pushed her mother in the direction of the stairs.

Seeing as she had been figuratively painted into a corner, Heather did as she was told and went to her rooms to get ready to meet her daughter's friend. She was ready to leave in the predicted hour and went back down to her daughter.

Because Jake's was designed to be a casual establishment, Heather had opted for a high-waisted dress in order to enhance the length of her legs and make her look somewhat taller than she really was. It was cut open a bit in the front to show her throat and chest. But it was designed not to display her breasts at all because that kind of dress made her uncomfortable.

Ariel was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs and watched Heather descend.

"You look nice, Mom," she said. Heather might have started out as her father, but there was very little to give that fact away. Perhaps her shoulders were wider than average or how she moved at times might be different. But only someone who was aware of Heather's past would even notice this. To everyone else, Heather was your everyday average woman. Maybe even a bit more attractive than the average woman her age.

"Thank you, dear," Heather said, trying to act like a matronly mother. "I chose these low heels in case I needed to leave the restaurant in a hurry." She was still worried about the reception she might receive from Ariel's friend and how the meeting might go.

"Don't worry so much!" her daughter scolded. "Linda is a decent person and I think the two of you will like each other. She really wanted her mother and her friend to happy. If they became friends with each other, that would wonderful.

After Heather had picked up her purse, Ariel escorted her out to the car she was renting for her stay in town. The drive to the restaurant was quick and Ariel explained that she would come back for Heather when she was ready. Her mother could just relax and not have to worry about transportation.

Ariel dropped her mother off at the entrance to the restaurant and quickly described what Linda looked like. She was supposed to be waiting at the bar for Heather.

Watching her daughter drive away, Heather again wondered why she had let Ariel talk her into this. It seemed like Ariel had been a whirlwind, sweeping in the door, making small talk, and then convincing her to meet someone for a drink. She thought about how she could get away with going home and explaining how she had chickened out.

After a few moments, she shrugged and went in. Jake's was not a large place. When she had commented on adding more tables, Jake had confided that they liked it the way it was. He and his wife were semi-retired and the tavern was more like a hobby for them. If they enlarged the place, they would actually have to work. The way things were now, they were only needed a handful of people to help run the place while Jake and his wife watched everything from behind the bar.

The tavern was more like a bistro. Heather estimated that it could handle a total of maybe a hundred people at a time. There were a dozen tables on one side of the large room and the bar dominated the other side. To make the place family friendly, there was a short wall of plants to separate patrons who were just there for the food from those who stopped in for a drink.

After an incident where Jake had to very sternly tell a boor who had been insisting that she have a drink with him, Jake had told her that he and his wife had owned a martial arts school on the other side of the city. When competition became impossible, they had sold out to a large competitor and opened this place. Jake was not worried about dealing with anyone if it became necessary. He told her that his wife, Sherry, was just as capable.

Heather stood near the entrance, looking around for Linda. Her gaze settled on a woman seated partway down the bar who was looking back at her. She could tell that this was Linda as the woman slid to her feet. She was about average height for a woman, making the two of them a match. Heather had always been bothered by the fact that Ellen seemed to tower over him in heels when he had still been George. As Heather, wearing heels had only put them close to the same height.

The two of them stood looking at each other, obviously wondering about the other. Linda was average looking in Heather's eyes. Actually, for a housewife, she was attractive. Heather wondered what she looked like without makeup. They smiled tentatively at each other, neither sure of the reception they might receive.

Heather could not help but notice that Linda's smile seemed to make her whole face light up. After everything that she had been through, she had the courage to step forward. Stopping a couple of feet from Linda, she smiled welcomingly.

"Hi. I'm Heather. Are you Linda?"

The other woman visibly relaxed at her cordial greeting and returned her smile. "Yes, I'm Linda. It's nice to meet you." She held out her hand.

The ice was broken, but they still did not know what to say or do. Jake was behind the bar and could see the problem.

"Ladies? Why don't you go over to the table in the corner and I will bring you each something to drink, is wine alright?" He smiled as he pointed.

Heather acknowledged him with a smile and nod before looking back to Linda. Linda nodded her agreement and they moved over to where they would have some privacy. Jake was at the table as they took their seats, holding a tray with the promised glasses of wine. After setting their drinks in front of them, he returned to the bar. On the way, he placed RESERVED signs on the tables near to them to ensure that no one would intrude on their conversation.

Heather watched him go and commented, "Ariel must have called him and arranged this." She smiled fondly at the thought.

"Ariel is a really good person," Linda said.

"Yes, she is," Heather agreed with a nod. "But I have to be honest, I was scared to come in here tonight."

Linda frowned at her. "Why? I mean, I guess on some level, I can understand being afraid. I never thought of myself as somebody to be scared of. I admit that I wasn't sure if meeting you was a good idea either. Ariel is good at convincing people to do things."

Heather smiled at Linda's slight rambling.

"Ariel was always good at getting her own way," she said. "I remember having to apologize to one of her high school teachers when she talked him into changing an assignment." She shook her head at the memory. "How did you meet Ariel?"

Linda swallowed and she frowned slightly, showing that she needed to build up the nerve to tell Heather about herself.

"She and I were in Nuclear Training together and we worked on several class projects. We were just friends. I was married at the time. My husband and I were both in the Navy, the same as Ariel."

She paused for a moment, troubled at the recall.

"We'd only been married for a year when I discovered that my husband wasn't the person, I thought that he was. Maybe it was the stress of the job and the training, but he started abusing me. It started out as just words, then progressed to physical abuse he would hit me at times. It got so bad that he was terrorizing me whenever I was away from class.

"Ariel knew that something was going on, but she had to really work on me to get me to tell her. After he put me in the hospital, she finally convinced me to leave him and to file charges."

Heather had started out just listening to her story and nodding, but her eyes were brimming with tears at the end. Linda's face had tears streaming down her cheeks. Heather had thought that her life had been difficult, but here was someone who had lived with something much worse.

"I'm sorry," Heather said, trying to keep from breaking down all the way. She reached out to hold Linda's hands.

Linda smiled weakly. "Thank you. My physical injuries have healed, my emotional ones not so much. I'm seeing a therapist now for the PTSD he caused. The Navy had to discharge me with a disability because of it. He is still in the brig, thank God.”

Linda took a deep breath and stared off into space for several long seconds before confessing, “The only thing that will probably be a long-term problem is that I have will probably always have an issue with men. I can be near them and deal with them in public, as long as they do not get too close. In all likelihood, I will probably never be able to be intimate with a man again."

Heather nodded. She could see why Ariel had thought that the two of them might get along. Of course, Ariel couldn't know how things would ultimately turn out.

Regardless of Linda's life experiences, that was no reason to expect that she would accepting of what Heather had been forced to become. "I don't know what Ariel told you about me," Heather began and waited on a response from Linda.

Linda nodded. "She told me that she has an interesting family. I know that she has two women she calls mother, that you are divorced."

Heather could tell by her tone of voice that she was relating things in a matter-of-fact manner, but she had no way of gauging if Linda would have an issue with her own history.

"Did she tell you anything about her father?" she asked casually.

"I did ask her about that, but she only said that her father was still a part of her life and he was a very special person. Nothing beyond that."

There were a few moments of silence as Heather digested Linda's statement. What did she say next? What would Linda's reaction be if she knew the truth? Then she realized that the decision was easy to make. If she did not tell Linda the truth now, she would find out later anyway and she would lose a friend. It was better to destroy the bridge now than to burn it behind her later.

"What would you say, if I told you I am Heathers father?”

Linda turned ashen, “What? I thought you were her mother! This makes no sense to me.”

“It’s a complicated story. Her biological mother was too busy running her business to be bothered with being the devoted mother. So, I picked up the slack. She was my child and what she needed most was a loving parent in her life. Circumstances dictated that I played the part of her mother. It turned out I have feminine maternal instincts. Despite the fact I was biologically a man, I was more a mother to her than her biological woman.

“Let me explain. I had to see a therapist at one time myself," Heather said. "Back when Ariel was born, I had some things happen to me that seriously affected me both physically and mentally."

At Linda's nod, she began telling about how she had started life as George, a DNA test would still identify Heather as a genetic male. Over time, the shell that was George had slowly been molded into the person sitting here now.

She stopped multiple times over the couple of hours she needed to relate her story to gauge Linda's reaction. She only saw Linda's encouraging nods. She did not display any of the disgust Heather feared and she just kept going.

She finally wound down and said, "So here I am. A woman who used to be a man, but I really did not want to be what I am. I admit over time that I have come to appreciate looking and acting like a woman. If you were to offer me a chance to go back to living as a man, I don’t think I would take it.

“My wife had an affair and contracted something incurable. She had already stopped sleeping with me, so she did not pass it on to me. It turns out that she was about to divorce me when she was diagnosed."

Heather sat back and took a swallow of her wine. She was prepared for Linda to bring this debacle to a close and say that she needed to leave.

Instead of standing and leaving, Linda leaned forward on the table, her arms folded under her breasts and said, "We're a fine pair." She grinned. "I'm a woman who cannot stand to be near men and you're a reluctant woman who prefers women over men.

All Heather could do was nod sadly.

Linda continued her analysis by saying, "You need a woman who is not bothered by your past and I guess I need a guy who will not cause me to have a panic attack when I look at him." She paused to watch Heather's cautious, but relieved nod. "Based upon what you have already told me, you’re just what I am looking for. A hybrid. A woman's chassis on a man's innards."

Linda was not acting as if she were repulsed and Heather felt herself relaxing. She smiled and said, "Would you like to order dinner and get to know each other even better?"

@ @ @ @

Heather put the finishing touches on her makeup and gave herself another critical scan. She hadn't been overly concerned about her appearance since the divorce, but the past couple of months after having met Linda had changed her attitude about that. She'd noticed that Linda had stepped up her game, so to speak, and she was looking very nice lately. So Heather was determined to look good as well.

She hoped that her efforts ere appreciated. The two of them had started out meeting for dinner once a week, but that had quickly become twice a week after only their second date. Ariel had been thrilled when she had been told that her mother and her best friend were dating.
@ @ @ @

The masculine instincts that Heather had thought were dead and buried had reemerged like the Phoenix bird and she had decided to actively woo and seduce Linda. The sexual tension between them was growing as well and she had decided that it was time to take things to the next level. So far all they had done was neck like teenagers.

Linda’s reaction to their smooching told her that she didn't think that Linda would be averse to going further, at least she hoped not. She finally ruled herself presentable and borderline seductive. She was wearing her sexiest lingerie, in case things went that far. All that was left was to put herself out there and see what Linda's reaction was.

The clock on her bedside table told her that she had an hour before she was meeting Linda at Jake's. The restaurant had become their favorite meeting spot, while they had enjoyed each other's company at other nightspots as well. She headed out to her car, grabbing her purse in passing. She was in a hurry as she left the main gate of the complex, so she did not notice her ex-wife's sedan that was parked along the street. Nor the fact that it pulled into traffic when she was down the block.

As she parked in Jake's smallish parking lot, she could see that Linda had already arrived, so she locked the car and hurried into the building. Linda was seated at the bar, chatting with Sherry and smiling. Linda cut a beautiful figure in a white blouse, royal blue skirt, and black three-inch heels. When she turned to look at the door and saw Heather, her face lit up with a smile.

Heather hoped that Linda's reaction meant that her appearance was acceptable. She returned Linda's smile and stepped over to the bar. The two women hugged and Heather gave Sherry a smile when they separated.

"If you ladies want to go over to your table, I'll bring your regular drinks over," Sherry said, interrupting Heather and Linda as they lovingly gazed into each other’s eyes.

They nodded to Sherry in agreement, looking to where she pointed. She was directing them to a table in the corner with a reservation sign on it. They walked over, followed by Sherry with their iced teas.

Heather felt like she could not stop smiling. Even though it had only been a few days since they had seen each other, it seemed like much longer. It's amazing how someone could become so important to you in a short period of time. Just looking at her and knowing what she wanted to be doing with Linda made Heather feel like she was vibrating.

She leaned over the table to get closer to Linda and said, "It's really good to see you."

Linda's smile was just as wide and she replied, "I feel the same way. I couldn't think of anything other than seeing you today."

Hearing Linda's admission made Heather feel the way she had when she had been George and Ellen had seduced him into going back to her apartment. But Linda and Ellen were totally different. Looking at Linda through the lens of experience, there were none of the warning signs with Linda that Heather could now identify with Ellen.

Linda was always interested in what she thought and never pushed her own attitudes and opinions onto her. They did not always agree on things, but there was mutual respect between them. Heather had sensed on more than one occasion that Linda was more concerned about Heather's desires and happiness than her own. It was awkward at time when Heather felt the same way about Linda.

They chatted about how they had spent the day as they both leaned toward each other over the table. Their hands touched often as they talked. Heather's belly felt tight and her skin seemed to have electric sparks running across it. Her nervousness translated itself into causing her leg to bounce up and down. She hadn't felt like this in all of the other times they had gotten together.

When Sherry came over to see if they wanted to order some dinner, Heather looked over to Linda and said, "Do you want to order something?"

Linda lifted an eyebrow as she returned Heather's gaze and replied, "I don't need anything right away." While she did not continue, it looked like she might have more to say.

Sherry had had years of experience at identifying flirtation and sexual innuendoes, so she knew that they would not be ordering anything more. She smiled slightly and said," If you decide you want something, give me a wave." She leaned down to Heather slightly and continued, "If you decide to leave instead, don't worry about your drinks, they're on the house." She winked at them both as she turned and walked away.

Heather and Linda looked at each other and were almost in sync as they asked each other, "Do you want to get out of here?"

In Heather’s mind she heard, ‘Let's skip dinner and head straight to dessert.’

They could see that they were thinking the same thing. Heather was halfway sure that she imagined that there was a spark between their hands when they walked to the door of the restaurant.

They were only a few steps out of the restaurant, walking hand-in-hand, when Heather's path was blocked by a tall, thin woman, Ellen. Heather had not seen her ex-wife in months and she was shocked at Ellen's appearance.

It was obvious that her illness had not been kind. She had lost weight, leaving her gaunt and her skin almost gray in color. From what Ariel had told her, Heather knew that Ellen was taking the medication regimen prescribed for those dealing with HIV. Heather knew that the drugs only held the disease at arms' length for most patients. She could only wonder what Ellen would look like if the drugs were not helping her.

While Ellen's infidelity and callous disregard of the potential dangers of sexually transmitted diseases had made Heather rather indifferent to Ellen, seeing her in this condition almost moved her to pity. However, the experience of the divorce had destroyed any feelings she might have had for Ellen.

"George!" Ellen exclaimed. "I've been trying to talk to you for weeks! You won't answer your phone! Didn't Ariel tell you I wanted to talk to you?" Even as a near-invalid, Ellen still had a rather arrogant attitude.

Heather stopped before she ran into Ellen, putting her arm out so that Linda was held back.

"Yes, Ellen," she replied. "Ariel told me that you wanted to talk. She said that you wanted to get back together. That’s not going to happen. We were over a long time ago.”

Ellen sagged back at Heather's words, looking forlorn. "Please, Heather! I don't have anyone else."

"I'm sorry, Ellen. But being married to you was not good for me. I can't be in your life again." As much as it would have been easy to twist the figurative dagger in her ex-wife's heart, she could not do it. She had never been the type of person who could behave like that. She preferred to avoid a confrontation than fight about something.

The two women stepped around Ellen and walked over to Linda's car. They moved quickly and they were seated and about to pull out by the time Ellen had rallied her strength to try to chase them. She was only able to just reach the car before it was gone and she stood in the street behind them. She looked completely defeated as she looked after them with tears streaming down her cheeks.

Ellen stood in the middle of the fast lane oblivious to the danger she was in. Linda had turned the corner and Ellen was out of sight, so they did not hear the shriek of brakes and the shouting.

Their intimate evening never happened, the confrontation with Ellen had put a damper on that. Without that sexual tension, the two were able to have an honest conversation about their future.

It wasn’t till the next day, Heather found out Ellen had been hit by a drunk driver.

* * * * *

It was a quiet group that left the cemetery. The memorial service for Ellen had been fairly well attended. All of Ellen's current staff and most of her former employees had been there to pay their respects. Derrick had been unable to be there as he had gone into hospice a month earlier and he had been given even less time than Ellen had been. Nancy was there though. Heather did not spend much time dwelling on her presence. Nancy was there to either take pleasure at the demise of the woman who had broken up her marriage or to say goodbye to a business partner.

Heather's own feelings were confused. She had been married to Ellen for years, as both man and wife, and had loved her for all of those years. Ellen's behavior had destroyed that love and replaced it with a state of acknowledgement that Ellen was the mother of their daughter. Now that Ellen was gone, Heather did not know how she should feel.

Once they were home again, Ariel brought drinks out of the kitchen to where Heather and Linda sat together on the couch. Linda was leaning up against Heather, with Heather reaching around to hold her wife. They still had a couple of months left before Linda's pregnancy became uncomfortable, but both women enjoyed the feel of Linda's swelling belly.

Their encounter with Ellen earlier in the year had galvanized them both and it was only a few weeks later that Heather got down on one knee to propose to Linda. Linda had then done the same thing the following night. The wedding had been a small, intimate affair, only a month later. Heather selected Linda’s wedding dress, while Linda picked Heather’s. They had made a conscious decision to hold off on sex so both women wore white, but waiting had been hard at times.

From where she reclined against her wife, Linda looked back at Heather and said, “I've been talking to the doctors and I have some special medication upstairs. It was designed especially for you.”

Heather frowned in confusion. “What for? I’m not sick.”

Linda smiled patiently. “No dear, it’s time those magnificent breasts of yours were used for something other than fun. We are going to put them to work. You are going to be sharing the nursing duties with me!”

Linda and Heather had talked about motherhood and how Heather envied her wife for being able to bear their child. Linda moved around so that she could look at her wife. "We're a team, dear. If we start now, you’ll be producing enough milk to help feed our son by the time he arrives.”

FIN