Gerold vs. the Good Old Boys

9/ Rewards

By Jo Dora Webster

Cover Art by Melanie E.

What rewards will Grace and Glory gain
upon Glory's complete recovery?

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9/ Rewards

I woke up in the recovery room, tended by Nurse Janine. My head was bandaged as well as my bust. My hips and tummy felt sore. I had made it through once again but this time it was for my Facial Feminization and body contouring surgeries. I had been overjoyed that I had finally been cleared for the surgical package after finally being cured of the seizures. I bide my time and I was a good patient, hoping and praying to be released from recovery and into a room where I know that Grace would be waiting for me.

We had agreed upon matching white bride's dresses for the wedding. Once we had them picked out, we found that the alterations had been expedited and the dresses had been paid out of layaway and delivered to our new home together in Denver. Later I had found out that our mystery benefactor was none other than Dr Bell the CEO of the Jaime's Hope Foundation (JHF).

During my month long reprieve from the hospital gathering strength for this surgery, We had stumbled on by accident the venue for our wedding since we had taken to watching Maranatha Church's services on Facebook live while I was recovering from the seizure cure in the hospital. We had started going to a GLBT Welcoming Church with an affiliation to the United Methodists. Maranatha Church was originally founded with the founding of Denver. Built in 1900 the sanctuary was awesomely beautiful. Newly attached to it was a Kitchen, Gym / Banquet Hall and Classroom wing built in 2000.

We joined the church and became regular church attenders and supporters and Grace and I had found a family of choice in the ladies with whom we attended our bible study class. Dr Erika Johansen, who we found out was also a Presbyterian minister agreed to officiate at our wedding

I woke from day dreaming about our wedding looking into Grace's eyes. I must have dosed off on the gurney ride from recovery to my room.

"Wakey, Wakey!" said Grace with a smile.

"How did I do, Grace?", I asked.

"The doctor said that you are going to be beautiful, just like a bride should be. They want to transfer you from the gurney to the bed. Do you feel up to helping?"

"Sure!", Grace got out of the way and the hospital staff helped me scoot over from the gurney to the bed. Once that was accomplished, Nurse Janine was busy checking vitals and making sure that I was fully medicated. They had set up an on demand pain medication for me to get over the rough part between my healing and the surgical pain medications wearing off.

"What is the latest on the wedding, Grace? I've been daydreaming on what we have gotten done so far this past month."

"I've signed contracts with the caterer who is doing our reception. I made sure that the menu we specified was correct on them before i signed and it was correct."

"What about the wedding cake?"

"The one we agreed upon has been ordered and i signed the contract for that as well."

"I'm glad that's done. We already had the venue contracts signed for the church and banquet facility after the Georgia Governor assured us that she had signed a proclamation declaring our wedding day a state holiday for this year."

"How could she not? A large part of state government would be traveling to our wedding from Georgia. It's good to have friends in high places ever since all of the Good Ol' Boys have been booted from office and most are in prison. The Georgia Governor will be in attendance as well. We just got her RSVP for our wedding. She's agreed to walk us down the aisle and give us away.", Grace explained.

"Wonderful news. I'm glad that she got her office and was reaffirmed in the special election as Governor as a result of the huge hole caused by the fall-out from my article. She's awesome!", I replied.

"We are so lucky having Janine accept as your maid of honor and Reyna accepting as my matron of honor. We've agreed on a day to get them and the ladies from our bible study class who are going to be bride's maids fitted for their dresses. I'm sorry that you will be missing out but we need to get the dresses ordered so we can have the alterations done and ready for the re-fitting."

"I knew that i was going to miss out on some of the wedding preparations being laid up in the hospital and at home but I wanted to look my best for the wedding to be a future wife with whom you can be proud to be seen."

"I'm always proud of you, Glory. I love you"

"I love you too."

With this pause in our conversation Nurse Janine reminded Grace that I needed to get some rest. Grace departed and I quietly fell asleep.

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With all of the wedding week activities, such as the bachelorette party and the rehearsal with dinner, celebrated successfully as planned, all was in readiness for our wedding. Grace had arranged for a florist to decorate the Sanctuary with red roses to compliment the red bride's maid's dresses that would be worn. Photographer and Videographer would capture the blessed event. The cake, caterers and attendees were in place. All was in readiness for the arrival of the brides.

Promenading in line before us came the maid and matron of honor followed by all the bride's maids. Each looking beautiful in their red dresses. Next the congregation hushed as the bridal march played on the organ. With Grace and I on each arm of the Governor, the three of us flowed down the aisle. Finally before the alter we faced each other as we handed off our bouquets of red roses."

Reverend Erika Johansen began speaking,"Dearly beloved...."

The ceremony continued as we heard and treasured each word until we finally came to the end.

"...With these rings and vows I pronounce you two women married. You may kiss your wife."

We kissed passionately and something changed in that moment that I will treasure always. Tears of joy escaped as I felt such an exhilarating joy than I had ever experienced before. A life long dream had come true. I had married Grace!

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We shared our joy with or friends at the reception where there were speeches and dances and hi-jinks as we each removed the other's garters and tossed them to the crowd of waiting men. We each tossed our bouquets to a crowd of waiting women. Finally it was all over and we could escape on our honeymoon.

A helicopter waited to whisk us away to a paradise. In fact the copter whisked us away instead to the secret facility of the Jaime's Hope Foundation. I was to have my GRS completed as well as my womb, ovaries and Fallopian tubes implanted. As soon as we reached the facility, I was whisked off to be made ready for surgery. We had planned to keep so busy during the reception so that no one noticed that not a bite of food was touched on my plate during the wedding dinner so i could be ready for my surgery.

Grace was allowed to come see me prior to me going into surgery, flushed with excitement.

"Glory, I've just heard the news. You have won the Pulitzer Prize! Congratulations Sweetheart. Looks like we have an acceptance banquet to attend in our future."

"Wonderful news to take with me into surgery. Grace, I'll see you on the other side. I love you."

"I love you, too. Come back to me Glory!"

The anesthesiologist came in and put me asleep and i was taken off to surgery

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I came out of the surgery with flying colors. I recovered at home after being released from Jaime's Hope Foundation.
Two weeks passed and I had my first period. When my gynecologist checked me out, she declared me a fully functioning woman. Grace and I celebrated that day and I finally felt completely whole and congruent.

I now had everything in life that I wanted. The woman that i had been my crush for most of my life was now my wife. The success that I had achieved in my career had been recognized and celebrated by being awarded the Pulitzer prize. I owed it all to that day that seemed so long ago when I crumpled in pain with my arresting development.

The End of the beginning of my new life.