Dottie’s Sleepover - A Jaci and Dottie Story

“Can I have a sleepover, Tante?”

Drea looked at Dottie and smiled. It had been a really stressful period for all of them, so it made her feel very happy to see Dottie thinking of good things again.

“Do the girls who would be coming have permission?” Drea said.

“Yes, Tante. They’ve ....been worried about me, and set this up.”

“So have I, sweetie. Okay, they can come.”

So later that afternoon, a group of giggling girls arrived, and Dottie introduced them to Drea. Joanne and Kylie, Yuko and Diana, Stef and Kara all said their respective hellos and then proceeded to turn the house into Sleepover Central.

Furniture was moved to make room for sleeping bags, snacks and drinks were placed strategically on the kitchen table, videos were put into the Blue Ray player, and blankets and pillows were put down on the floor. The girls changed into PJ’s, and put Dottie in the middle of them so they could keep her smiling all night long, and Dottie’s sister Jacki was also persuaded to be a part of the fun, even if she kept muttering about being a boy under her breath.

Someone pulled out a MP3 player and tunes were sung along to, including song by a Canadian group that was just starting out called Starlight Butterfly, which the girls decided was “pretty cool.”

Many topics of giggling conversation followed, between movies, tv, celebrities, fashions, parents, siblings, and school, there was a lot of subjects to cover before they got to the big one - Boys. Most of the girls were twelve or thirteen, meaning they were just on the cusp of the rollercoaster ride that is puberty, and boys were starting to figure into their minds were a greater frequency.

Dottie didnt partake of this part of the discussion but listened and smiled at her friends as they described every possible crush from boy band members to local boys who attended the boys school across the street from their girl’s school. Dottie herself felt rather confused about boys for a number of reasons, spending most of her twelve years on Earth as one being just one of those reasons.

Finally, after stories had been shared, movies watched, snacks eaten, and pillow fights had been held, the girls huddled into a pile and fell asleep with Dottie in the middle, and for once she slept without screaming, a rare feat for the child who had been through horror only a few short years before.

Drea had witnessed all of this, filmed some of it, and finally found a spot to curl up herself to try to sleep. She had never had a sleepover of her own, not transitioning until she was an adult, but watching her charge bask in the fun made any sacrifices she had made to get where she was well worth while.

Soon, there would be new challenges, but they could wait.

For tonight, there were only happy dreams, and a house full of love.

For all of them.