Alex: 4 Final

 

As the week continues, then comes to an end and Allie's life goes on, decisions must be made.
How will Allie's life be lived? How honest will Allie be with the rest of the world?

---

 
Author's Note:Thank you to everyone who went on this journey with Allie and me. I hope you enjoyed it.
Thank you for all of the comments and emails as well. They really do mean the world to me.
Stay well, everyone. I hope to be back quicker next time. ~Clara.
 
This version of Alex: 4 has been updated with many corrections towards spelling and grammar.~Sephrena.
 
Image Credit: Image created through the use of ai at https://perchance.org/beautiful-people .~Sephrena.

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Part 4 Final
 

Dennis sat on a chair near the hot tube, a towel draped over his shoulders, covering his upper body, while Jill and Mel got a few more minutes of soaking and relaxation in before climbing out of the jacuzzi. When his phone rang, the tiled walls of the empty pool/hot tube area seemed to amplify it considerable. His ringtone was an old-time phone and the abruptness and volume of it made all three of them jump a little. He picked up the phone and saw that the caller was his buyer, Janet Meyer. Dennis sighed, suspecting why she was calling.

"Do you mind if I take this call here?" he asked the women. "I'm a little damp to go into the hall."

"Go right ahead," Mel said.

He hit the 'accept' button and tried to sound up beat. "Hi, Jan. How are holding up?.... Uh huh.... Uh huh.... I see.... No, no, no, Jan, believe me, I understand completely. Now, obviously, this isn't how any of us wanted this week to go, but both Alice and I understand that your family needs you, but are you sure that you're ready to make this decision. You're under a lot of stress right now..... No, I get it.... Ok, but listen - We are not letting you leave without a little help. We've discussed this and we want to give you a nice severance package to help out with all your expenses. So, call Rhonda in payroll and talk to her. She'll give you the details.... No, Jan, it's the least we can do. You've been through hell and we're here to help in anyway we can.... That's ok, Jan. Now, don't lose my number. Call if you need anything, Jan. And I mean ANYTHING. Ok. Stay well and stay in touch, Jan.... Bye bye."

By that time, the women were climbing out of the hot tub and joining Dennis in the deck chairs. They could see that Dennis was a little stressed.

"Bad news?" Jill asked.

He thought about that question and he bounced his head around a little. "A bump in the road for me," he said, "a tragedy for an employee."

The women nodded, already knowing the story.

"Jan was darned good at her job. She did sixty hours of work in twenty five hours every single week. My stores were always fully stocked, she'd bounce product around if it sold better in store B than it did in store J, nothing ever went to waste. She knows our lines backwards and forwards - AND - I could trust her. She may be hard to replace."

"'MAY BE hard to replace?'" Jill said. "She sounds like a wiz at her job."

"Yeah," Dennis nodded, "she is, but that's one of the things about running a business. You have to constantly remind yourself that people's lives come first and losing a great employee is a part of running a business. Now, I have to find someone else who knows the business, loves the business and understands the importance of keeping the supply chain moving."

"Hmmm hmmm," Melody cleared her throat. "At the risk of sounding too forward, might you ever consider someone like Alex for a job like that?"

Dennis let out a long breath. "I might, Mel, but I don't want to make any promises without talking to her in depth about the position."

"I understand," Mel nodded.

"So, before...all those questions... was that your coy way of looking into Allie's background?" Jill asked.

Dennis shrugged. "And I was curious. I like you both and Alice seems smitten with Allie... I just wanted to get to know you a bit. I think of you two as friends - almost like family, which never happens to me this quickly - but working with friends and family can be tricky. Now, I'm going to give this some thought. I will be speaking to Allie at some point, but please don't bring any of this up to her until I do. Ok?"

"Ok," both women agreed.
 

~^~
 

"I'm going to text Denny and tell him to go ahead and have dinner," Alice said as they headed back north. "After that Turkey dinner, I'm not sure I'll eat the rest of the week."

"Ok," Alex nodded, looking out at the frozen lake. "I should tell Mel and Jill, too."

As Alex fished in his new purse for his phone, Alice said, "Oops. No need. All three of them are together right now. Denny told them. He says to meet them in the bar when we get back. The bar - not the lounge. See, that's the difference between my husband and me. I set up elegant environments for romantic get together. He wants us to meet where he can wear jeans."

After a bit of searching, Alex pulled his phone out his purse and said, "Jill and Mel will prefer the bar, too. Mel especially. She's all about jeans, tee shirts and flannel shirts - unless she can wear gym clothes. Those are her favorites."

Alice clucked her tongue in disappointment. "Such a beautiful girl. She needs to display that, more. Maybe you'll rub off on her."

Alex laughed as he looked at his phone. He opened an email and muttered, "Ooh, those came out well."

"What's that, dear?"

"Oh." He smiled at Alice. "I got the proofs for the graphics for the end-caps and free standing displays for your stores. Do you want to see them?"

"Allie - the stores are entirely Denny's world. I haven't been involved in anything store related other than 'the boss' wife' for twenty years. But yes...I would love to see the graphics."

Alice had been looking at ads for alcoholic beverages her entire life. They were all the same, although there had been different trends through the years. Ditzy girls with big boobs gave way to stubble faced athletes, gave way to talking, animated animals, etc. There wasn't a lot she hadn't seen, but she was prepared to be supportive.

When she saw the graphics, though, she loved them. The graphics were on an antique map of Massachusetts with thumbnail photos of the local wineries, and the wineries or breweries names over the towns in which they were located, above images of bottles of the wine or beer that would be featured in the stores. Across the top of the graphics, in eighteenth century script, we're the words, 'Cole Liquor, a family run business, supports Massachusetts wineries and breweries. A centuries old tradition of family vintners and brewers. Try the taste of The Bay State.' The graphics were entirely different than anything else she'd ever seen in a liquor store and would create a small area within the store that would look like a niche boutique.

The displays were unusual, attractive, inviting and perfect for communicating to the customer that, in this area, you will find quality beverages created by your neighbors and in your communities.

"Allie... these are gorgeous," she said, enthusiastically. "Has Denny seen these?"

"No," Alex laughed. "He made it clear - well, you both made it clear - that he didn't want to see anything until after his vacation."

Alice shook her head. "I'm going to tell him I saw these, Allie, and I guarantee he'll want to see them tomorrow."

Alex took his phone back and looked at the images, again. Very proud of the work he'd done. Actually, he'd love to show those to Dennis sooner, rather than later. The faster the product was in the stores, the faster everyone would be making money.

And he needed to make some money.
 

~^~
 

Dennis, Mel and Jill were all in the bar and, as predicted, in jeans and flannel shirts. There was a classic rock/country rock band in the bar and they were sounding good!

"I'm traveling down that lonesome road," Dennis sang along, rather loudly, with the band. "Feels like I'm dragging a heavy load. Yeah, I've tried to turn my head away. Feel 'bout the same most everyday..."

"You don't know this song!?" he asked Mel and Jill.

Both shook their heads.

"We're enjoying it through you, though," Mel laughed.

"Oh, I love this song," he laughed and went back to singing.

The women laughed and egged him on. Clapping for him and shouting for him.

When the song ended they all faced the band and applauded. Dennis put two fingers into his mouth and whistled as loud as the band had just been, causing both woman to laugh even harder.

Mel turned to grab her beer mug, but she stopped dead at the sight of her husband entering the bar in yet another new outfit. "Oh, shit," she muttered just loud enough for Jill to look in the same direction.

"You ok?" Jill asked.

"Ok?" Mel said, not turning away for Alex. "Jill, I will never get used to seeing Alex dressed up and looking beautiful, but I will never get tired of it, either. Just look at him."

Alex was standing alone as Alice spoke to a waiter. He was looking around the bar, trying to locate his wife and sister, but not seeing them. His hair and makeup looked beautiful, of course, but the dress...

God, the dress.

She suspected that the three quarter length sleeved top was separate from the dress, but it seemed to thin down his arms beautifully. The dress itself was a black, kind of retro styled swing dress with a very wide skirt that belled out in a very 1950s kind of way. It had tiny little, white polka dots everywhere, a halter top with a black velvet strap that ran from just in front of each arm pit to up behind his neck and a black belt around the waist that joined itself in a large black bow that sat on his left hip. He also held a small, black patent leather clutch purse that was perfectly paired with the pointy toed, black patent leather pumps that had three inch stiletto heels.

Jill shook her head at both how pretty her brother looked and how smitten her friend was with her husband's new look. "Look at that," she teased, "the daughter my mother always wanted." she waved and caught Alex's attention. He gave a polite nod of his head to indicate that he'd seen her, then, when Alice was ready to move on, he led her towards the standing table where Denny, Mel and Jill were all waiting.

"Look at the hem of his dress," Jill whispered to Mel.

Mel looked and gasped. "No. He's not really wearing a petticoat, is he?"

"It sure looks like it."

"God, I need to change my panties before I soak through them," she said, making a joke.

"Ok, stud," Jill said, patting Mel's arm and speaking in a fake southern accent, "calm down before you get a hard-on. Your filly will be ready for breeding when you bring her to bed tonight."

"We're back!" Alice announced.

"How was your day?" Dennis asked as he kissed her cheek and hugged her.

"Oh, we had a wonderful day, didn't we, Allie, dear. We both bought several beautiful dresses and none of them cost all that much, did they, Allie?"

Alex smiled and did his hair-adjustment-thing with his head. "We spent plenty of money."

Alice tsk-ed and waved off the comment. "How about you three? Did you conquer the mountain."

"We gave it a go," Dennis laughed. "We quit early today, though. We were all a little tired and achy."

The waitress to whom Alice had spoken showed up with two glasses of her favorite brandy, one for her, one for Alex, and then walked away.

"You look beautiful," Mel whispered to Alex. "Maybe a little over dressed for a bar, but really pretty. I love your dress."

"Thanks," Alex smiled and sipped the brandy. "I like it, too."

Mel couldn't help herself. "And do you like your pretty petticoats, too?"

Alex sipped and nodded. "I love my pretty petticoats, thank you. And my heels, too. I feel so tall."

"Well, don't grow up too quickly," Mel teased. "I just got my little girl. I don't want to lose her too quickly." she kissed his cheek.

"How did you even learn to walk in heals that high?" Jill asked.

"By walking in them, I guess," Alex chuckled. "I was unsteady for a bit, but after walking in them for ten minutes or so, I was fine."

Just then, Chuck Berry's classic guitar lick began and the singer started in with, "Way down in Louisiana, close to New Orleans."

"Yes!" Shouted a slightly tipsy Dennis.

Out of nowhere, a good looking guy appeared and shouted above the music so Jill could hear. "Do you want to dance?"

"Sure!" Jill said, happily accompanying him to the dance floor.

Dennis looked at Mel and said, "Come on! Grab your wife! Let's all dance!"

"Oh, Denny, no..." Alice said, but Dennis ignored her protests and pulled her to the floor.

"Come on, baby," Mel said, taking Allie's hand.

"Mel, I'm not dressed for this," Alex protested.

"A swing dress and petticoat!? Allie, you're dressed perfectly for this. Come on!"
 

~^~
 

That night, at bed time, Alex was still in his bra and petticoats when Mel actually carried him to bed. With Alex on his back, Mel climbed on top of her little husband and kissed him on the neck and breasts and shoulders as she groped him through the thick petticoats.

"I can barely find you through all these layers," she teased. "You're not getting smaller down there on me, are you?"

He smiled. "I hope not. I feel like I'm getting bigger by the second."

That made Mel giggle. "You know, except for my wedding gown, I haven't worn a petticoat since I was three years old. I couldn't believe it when I saw you walk into the bar in a petticoat."

"You weren't upset, were you?"

"No, baby, I wasn't upset. I wanted to take you right then and there." she stopped for a moment and grabbed a small bottle from the night stand.

"What's that?" Alex asked.

"It's a little lubricant, baby. I bought it in the drug store down stairs." she squirted some into her hand and spread it on her fingers. Then, careful not to soil them, she reached under his petticoats and ran her fingers up the inside of his inner thigh. "Spread your legs, my sweet girl. I want to make you a woman."
 

~^~
 

"I heard from Janet today," Dennis said as Alice climbed into bed beside him.

"Oh? How is the poor thing doing?"

"She says she's doing ok, but I think she's still numb. I'm a little afraid that all of the emotion is going to hit her all at once when she gets to the calling hours."

"I know. I hope she's strong enough to get through this."

"She also quit."

"You mean she gave her notice, right? Her contract requires a one month notification and she signed an agreement to train her replacement before she leaves."

"Yes, that's what her contract calls for, but unfortunately her life requires her to move to Florida immediately and start taking care of her grandchildren. I wasn't going to complicate her life any more than it already was."

"No... of course not."

"I told Rhonda in payroll to give her double the usual severance package to make things easier for her."

"That was very generous of you, Denny." Alice rolled towards him and kissed him. "You're a very nice guy, you know that?"

He shook his head. "Jan did great work for us. It was the least I could do."

"No, the least you could do would have been to hold her to her contract and make her life miserable. You chose to do the right thing instead. That's what makes you a nice guy."

He cradled her in his arm and let her snuggle in. "I do need to find another buyer, though. One as meticulous and creative as Jan would be great, where do I find someone like that."

"Well..." Alice propped herself up on her elbow and looked at Dennis. "Have you given any thought to Allie? She's smart as a whip and very creative. I saw the graphics for her displays, Denny, and they are really original."

"Really?" He looked at her askance. "Why did you see them before I did?"

"You told her 'no work while on vacation,' remember? I saw them on her phone when she got them."

He nodded. "In fact, I have been mulling over the idea of talking to Allie about the job. She'd have a lot to learn, of course, but her wife and sister sure seem confident that she could do anything."

"I bet they're right, Denny. I really like this girl. I think you should at least consider her."

He nodded and thought. "I will. I'll talk to her about it later in the week. After I've had a minute or two to sober up from tonight. Oy - I don't think I've had that much to drink since I was in college. And the girls drank me under the table."

"The girls are kids, Denny. They're twenty five or twenty six years old. They SHOULD be able to drink you under the table."

"Are you saying I'm passed my prime? An old man?"

Alice kissed him softly and passionately on the lips and rubbed his chest as she looked deeply, passionately into his eyes. "Yes."

If they had not been in the Presidential Suite, the sound of their laughter and their love making would have kept everyone on the floor awake for the next two hours.
 

~^~
 

"YOU TOLD HER!?!?" Jill said, shocked, as they were about to leave the hotel room. "WHY WOULD YOU HAVE TOLD HER? HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO FACE DENNIS IF HE KNOWS WE'VE BEEN LYING TO HIM!?!?"

"She won't tell him," Alex said with more calm than Jill expected.

"How do you know that?" Mel asked. "If she does tell him, that really puts us on the spot."

"She won't," Alex said with finality. "I asked her not to and she won't."

"Why wouldn't she?" Jill insisted.

"Because I asked her and she's my friend." He said this last sentence with a great deal of emphasis on the word friend. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get some breakfast." he walked out the door.

Jill looked at Melody and shook her head. "I'm going to kill him, I swear it."

"Maybe he's right. Alice does seem very fond of him."

Jill sighed. "I think I liked him better when he used to do what we told him. I guess those days are gone."

Mel smiled. "You think so? That wouldn't be such a bad thing."
 

~^~
 

"Oh, this is Heaven!" Alice moaned as the masseuse worked the muscles in her back. "Tell me you don't love this, Allie."

"I do love it," Alex replied as he laid face down on the massage table. "I just can't afford it."

"Roll over, please," the masseuse said to Alice.

She rolled onto her back and looked at the sheeted body of her friend on the next table. "We need to talk about your future, Allie."

"My future?" Alex was also instructed to roll over, which he did while holding tightly to the sheet to keep his chest well hidden. "You mean you want to see a fortune-teller?" That might actually have been fun.

"No, dear. We need to form a REAL plan for your future. A one year goal... a two year goal... etc. Success doesn't just happen, you know."

"Oh, I don't know," Alex chuckled. "A week ago I would never have guessed I'd be here with you, doing this. Sometimes things DO just happen."

Alice gave Alex the little chuckle that his joke deserved, then said, "Tell me, Allie... do you want to be... well off... later in life?"

"Well, of course. I'd like to be sure that we have enough to be able to retire and travel a bit. That kind of thing. I'm not looking to be super rich or anything, but yeah... I'd like to be comfortable."

"Then you can't just sail through life without a rudder, Allie. You need to set goals and figure out what you need to do to achieve them. Now, granted, Denny and I had a bit of a head start because Denny took over my father's two liquor stores, but he built that into the chain of stores he has today. And he did that by looking down the road, figuring out what he wanted and how to get it. If he didn't achieve it with Plan A, then we'd make a Plan B, C, D and on and on until he achieved what he wanted. You need to do the same."

"All set, ladies," the senior masseuse said. "I hope you enjoyed your time with us, today."

"Oh, more than you can imagine," Alice said. "I will be sure to leave a healthy tip on the bill. Thank you both so much."

They returned to the changing stalls, which were side by side, and as they changed, Alice kept her conversation going. "Let's start with your body, Allie. Are you happy as it is?"

He was struggling with a body shaper at that moment and admitted, "To be very honest, I'd kind of like to lose some weight, but..."

"But what?"

"Well, gym memberships are expensive and I lose my motivation when I'm doing it alone at home, so..."

"Soooo..." Alice interrupted, "... you'll come and exercise with me. I have a personal trainer that comes to my home every weekday at six forty-five-a.m. You can come and join us."

"But, Alice..."

"No 'but Alice' nonsense. You can get your lazy bones out of bed at six and be at my place easily by six-forty-five."

"But I have to work..."

"Not that early. Allie, you gave me a goal, I gave you a path to achieve it. Unless there's any reason you'd rather not achieve it."

Alex continued to dress, but didn't say much. He was pulling his extra flesh into his bra cups when suddenly, the door swung open and Alice was standing there. "You're afraid of losing your boobs, aren't you?"

"Whaaaa?"

She was smiling, standing there in a dress that was hanging unbuttoned and open from her shoulders. "Admit it, Allie. You're at least a little afraid that, if you lose weight, you'll loose your breasts, aren't you?"

He shrugged. "A little, I guess. I mean, I know it's stupid for a guy and all, but I kind of love looking nice and I'm afraid that if I don't have breasts, then I'll just look like a guy in a dress."

"Oh, don't be silly," she giggled. "What's the worst that could happen? You end up flat chested, right? Well, guess what, Allie - lots of women are flat chested. Including me."

"Well, yes, of course... you have a flat chest. I'd guess that your flat chest is probably a C cup, or so," Alex said, taking his dress off the hanger in the changing room. "You've got a beautiful figure, Alice."

"It's a thirty-four-D, thank you very much," Alice beamed, "but it used to be a thirty-four double A. I got implants when I was thirty one."

"You're kidding," Alex said, looking closely at her chest.

"Not at all. Everyone told me that I'd end up with bigger breasts after I had children, but I didn't. Three children and I was still as flat as a pancake. I wore padded bras and used inserts, but I was still just as flat as a nine year old boy when I got out of the shower. And I hated it."

"So..." Alex looked at Alice's rather proud assets and then looked back at her face. "... those aren't yours."

"Oh, they're mine, my dear. Bought and paid for, but I wasn't born with them. If you want a pair of your own, then I can give you my doctor's name."

Alex stared at his bra cups for a moment. "My own breasts?"

Alice nodded. "Do you think Mel would like that?"

He considered that. "I don't know. It's a big step. I'd need to talk to her about it, first."

Alice's smile widened. "I don't hear a 'no' in there. Allie... if that's one of your goals, then set your sites on that and start figuring out how to attain it. You see what I mean?"

"I do," Allie smiled. "Thank you. Alice... you inspire me."

"That's what I like to hear."
 

~^~
 

Wednesday and Thursday were a blur of shopping, wine and liquor testing, education in cheese and caviar selections, and above all, more and more drills in deportment, mannerisms and discussions of Alex's plans for the future.

Then, Friday evening, while they were all sipping an after dinner drink in the lounge, while over looking the illuminate, snow covered fields and slopes outside the resort, Dennis suddenly said, "Umm, Allie... would you mind accompanying me on a little walk?"

Just a bit surprised, but aware that their vacation was coming to an end, and perhaps Dennis may be ready to discuss a little business, he agreed readily.

Dennis offered a hand to help Alex stand. He was wearing a racing green, three quarter sleeve, knee length, wrap dress with a satin underdress and a transparent, green lace, chiffon over dress that gave the garment a slightly formal, wonderfully feminine look.

In a rather, gentlemanly fashion, Dennis offered Alex an arm and they headed out of the lounge.

"Is everything ok, there?" Melody asked Alice as she watched them leave.

"I hope so," Alice said with a little smile. "I'm not sure, but I think Denny may be making Allie an offer that she shouldn't refuse."
 

~^~
 

"Let's sit here for a moment," Dennis suggested as they came to an oversized couch in the hallway, overlooking the lobby, one floor below.

"Ok," Alex said, smoothing his lovely dress beneath him as he sat and then crossing his legs at the knees and he sat, listening attentively.

Dennis sat at about halfway across the couch, leaving about the space of one person in between them. He smiled at Alex, but looked a bit uncomfortable before he spoke. He forced an uncomfortable smile and said, "Allie... it's... umm... it's been an enlightening week."

Damn. Alice must have told him. Alex felt a rush of fear pass over him. He couldn't lose this account. "Look, Dennis..."

Dennis held up his hand. "Allie... a week ago, when I first met you, I have to say... you didn't make a great first impression. In fact, my first impression was of a very insecure young woman who could barely look me in the eye."

"I understand," Alex said embarrassed. "Dennis... I was kind of in a crisis mode last week..."

"I know," he interrupted. "Please, just let me get to my point. After our brunch and conversation, I realized that you were a passionate young woman who knew her product line inside and out. Not only that, I decided that you were someone I would like to have involved in my business. That's not a decision I make everyday."

"Thank you for that, Dennis," Alex said, maintaining the poise and demeanor that Alice had been teaching him all week, but it felt like Dennis was leading to a brush off of some kind. He couldn't let that happen. "Umm... I feel like... maybe... you're having second thoughts about our arrangement. If you could just take a look at my lay outs for the displays..."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Dennis laughed. "I am having second thoughts, Alex, but not about that. I'll get to my point... My chief buyer/stock inspector... basically, my 'Girl Friday,' Jan - her name is Jan - had to leave my operation this week due to a family tragedy. Well... I guess I've already told you that story... Understandably, she had to leave quickly, but her departure has really left me with a conundrum. I need someone to take over that role for me, and after a lot of thought and conversations with you, your wife, your sister and, to be very honest, my wife... well, I have been thinking that you might be the right person to replace Jan. Now, I know you have your own business, but you can continue to represent the local crafts-people if you'd like, but what I require is this..."

Dennis spent the next fifteen minutes or so discussing the
responsibilities of Janice Meyer's previous position, all of which made perfect sense to Alex. He knew a lot about the liquor store business and this all seemed like an ideal position for him.

"As far as your hours are concerned, you work as many hours a week as you need to work in order to get everything done and ensure that the stores are well stocked, our inventory remains current and that we follow the trends as needed. Most of our established sales people will be contacting you directly through a company cell phone. You would have office space in our offices, but since COVID, we've become accustomed to having people working from home, too. As long as you're checking in on a daily basis and the job is getting done, I don't care where your primary office is."

Alex stared in stunned silence for a moment, causing Dennis to speak again.

"Health insurance would kick in in thirty days... five weeks paid vacation a year with more time added after five years... and, of course a very healthy salary with bonuses as earned." he pulled out a little note pad and wrote something on it, then handed it to Alex. "This would be your salary for the first two years and we will discuss salaries and raises on a yearly basis from then on. What do you think?"

Alex looked at the piece of paper and his jaw actually dropped. It wasn't a fortune, but it was a lot more money than he'd ever made before and that was where he'd be starting. How could he say no to this?

"Dennis... I am so flattered that you'd even consider me for this and, believe me, I want to say yes, but... I just want to be sure that you understand that, even though I know a lot about this business, this is a new aspect of it for me and if I take it, I'm going to need some training and guidance."

Dennis smiled. "See, that's why I think you'd be a great fit in this slot, Allie. You're always honest and forthcoming. Of course, I'd be training you and, once you get to know each store manager, you'll find that they are all great people and they'll stay on top of everything as well. They'll keep you informed of what they need. We're a good team, Allie. You'll enjoy being a part of it."

Alex paled a bit and didn't hear much after 'honest and forthcoming.'

"Dennis... I... I want to take this offer... truly, I do, but... I need to be 'honest and forthcoming' about something before I do. And after I tell you this... you may not be as impressed with me as you seem to be."

Dennis looked confused. "Ok, Allie. What do you need to tell me?"

Alex took a deep breath and thought carefully about how to say what he needed to say. "See, the reason that I was 'a very insecure young woman who could barely look me in the eye,' was because I... I wasn't a woman."

Dennis looked at Allie for a moment as he digested that. "Soooo... you WEREN'T a woman?... what were you, then?"

"I was a man, Dennis. A man who'd gained a lot of weight and didn't fit into his pre-lockdown clothes, so I had to wear some of my sister's from when she was heavier. I had hoped that I'd come across as a man, but I guess I didn't and when you assumed I was a woman... I didn't see a way out of it."

Dennis considered that, his eyes darting around as he thought. "So... all this week...?"

"I know, I wanted to say something, but..."

Dennis stood, looking confused for a few moments, then looking resolved. "Just wait here. Do not move."

He jogged away, leaving Alex feeling very uncertain as to what was about to happen. Was the job still on the table? Was he going to call the police of something? This wasn't illegal, was it? Dressing like a woman? No, it couldn't be. Why did things always go bad when he tried to do the right thing?

His mind was still reeling when Dennis came back hauling a very rushed Alice behind him.

"What is going on, Denny?" Alice asked, flustered. Then she looked at Alex and said, "Allie.. what's wrong? You look pale."

Alex looked confused, but tried to remain outwardly composed, as he'd been taught. "I'm not sure what's happening... I was just..."

"She was just telling me some very interesting things about herself," Dennis said, sounding testy.

Alice looked at Dennis, then at Allie, then back. "Such as."

"Go ahead," Dennis said. "Tell her. After taking advantage of my wife's good nature all week, I think you owe her an explanation."

Alex was about to speak, but Alice beat him to it. "Oh!" she laughed as if this was the silliest thing imaginable. "Is this about Allie being a man?"

Dennis gave his wife a double and then a triple take. "What?"

"It is isn't it?" she said shaking her head and laughing some more. "Did you seriously think that I spent all that time with her and I didn't know?"

"I... I..." Dennis sputtered.

"Honestly, Denny, Allie told me on that very first day we met. We came in for drinks and she told me she had recently decided to live as a woman." It was a little white lie, but it made a point.

"You... wait... how could... how come you didn't tell me?"

"Tell you what? You told me that you thought Allie was a talented salesperson who just needed some help to find herself. That's all that mattered. I didn't know that we were going to be spending the whole week with them. I'm thrilled that we did, though, and look at the progress she's made. God, if I was ever asked if I saw someone learn how to tap their inner talents, then I would have to reply that I have because I saw what happened to Allie Anderson one wintery week at Mount Washington. And besides, look at how you reacted. Right now, I'm trying to figure out why she told you in the truth the first place. She didn't have to."

Dennis looked at Alex. "If... then..." He sighed and regrouped. "Why did you tell me?"

"Because it was the right thing to do." Alex's answer was steady and concise. "You offered me a job. That's a lot different than having me set up a few displays in your stores. I wouldn't take the job unless I was honest with you.

"Huh." Dennis looked at his wife. "Ok... I get it... I'm the asshole here, aren't I?"

"Not at all," Alex said, calmly. "I wasn't honest with you before. Actually, you took it very well. Now, if you don't feel comfortable with me taking that job, then I understand entirely. I just hope we can all still be friends."

"Alright, now, wait..." Dennis said, sitting back on the couch and thinking. "Ok, now... first, let me make it clear that I was not being judgmental about your choice to live as a woman. I'm fine with that. I just misunderstood things. I thought that you had taken advantage of my wife's good nature and that's why I was upset. So, your choice to present yourself this way does not impact my offer."

Alex nodded, content that he'd done the right thing while Dennis settled himself and considered his next words.

"So, my offer still stands and, I hate to put undo pressure on anyone, but I will need an answer by the time we leave tomorrow morning. I know that's a bit of a stressful thing to demand, but if you decide not to take the position, I need to find someone who will by midweek."

Alex nodded and looked at Alice, who raised her eyebrows, hopeful that Allie would accept the position.

Dennis looked at his wife and added, "I think it goes without saying that, whatever your decision is, it will not impact our personal relationships with you, your sister or your wife. We'll all remain friends, no matter what."

"They're over here," Mel called over her shoulder as she appeared in the upper lobby and waved for Jill to join her.

"Would you like a little time to discuss this with Mel before you give me an answer?" Dennis asked as Alex's family approached.

Alex's little smile remained steady. "I don't think that will be necessary."

"I'm sorry," Mel said as she approached the couch. "I hope we're not interrupting, but you were all gone so long that we were worried."

"Would you like us to give you some more time?" Jill asked. Neither woman was sure of what was going on, but they were concerned that Alex's cat may be out of the bag and Dennis might be upset.

"I think that's up to Allie," Dennis said, leaning back a bit to give Alex some room.

"I don't think you need to leave," Alex said, that same enigmatic smile on his face. He looked at his wife and explained. "Dennis has made a very generous offer for me to work for Cole Liquors in a position that seems perfect for me. It would give me the freedom of flexible hours and working from home or their offices, the opportunity to meet a lot of professionals in the industry and provide us with financial stability far beyond any that we've had up until now."

"Wow," Jill muttered, a bit surprised after all of their concerns.

Mel took a second to process everything. She looked at Alice for confirmation that what she's just heard was true, and Alice nodded to confirm that everything was as Alex had explained.

"So...? What do you think, Allie?" Mel asked.

Alex turned back to Dennis and said, "Dennis, I am very honored to have received this offer and I am very happy and grateful to accept this position." he extended his hand, which Dennis accepted and shook.

"That's great, Allie," Dennis smiled. "Tell you what, Monday is going to be a busy day for me, first day back and all, so why don't you come see me at my offices on Tuesday at ten and we'll get you started. We'll get your paperwork all signed and begin your training."

"Better yet," Alice said, happily, "on Monday, you and I will get together to get everything you'll need for your new job. We'll take a tour of where all the stores are located and maybe stop at a few of my favorite shops in Boston along the way." she heard Mel and Jill chuckle just a little at that, so she shook her head and said in a confidential tone, "Cotton panties," she made a disgusted face and acted as if a horrified shiver ran down her spine. "She can do better."

Dennis stood and offered Alex a hand. He accepted the hand as a courtesy, but he rose with the practiced elegance that Alice had instilled in him.

Dennis looked at him and shook his head. Then he smiled at everyone else and said, "I can't believe you've changed so much in a week." Then he looked at Jill and Melody said, "I bet it's an even bigger change for you two, since you knew her before she... well, you know what I mean."

Mel and Jill looked at each other, then at Alex who nodded.

"Soooooo... everyone knows?" Jill asked.

"Everyone knows," Dennis smiled.

"And you're fine with it?" Mel asked.

"It's none of my concern, as long as it doesn't interfere with her work," Dennis shrugged. "I think the real question is are YOU fine with it?"

Mel laughed loudly. "Me!? Denny, I am thrilled! I have always loved Allie, but the changes in clothes lately have been wonderful. She looks so much better, now - and by that, I mean that she looks SO much better than ME! Putting the clothes aside, the things that Allie has learned from Alice are amazing! It's like she's a whole new person! Self confident... Determined.... And now a job she's happy about!? Things are far beyond 'fine' with me, Denny."

"Well," Alice chimed in, sliding her arm around Dennis', "why don't we all cap off this wonderful night - the last of our wonderful trip - with some nice champagne! We can toast our friendship and Allie's new job!"

Everyone agreed, but Alex held up a hand. "I will be in in a few minutes. I just have something I have to do first."

"Is everything ok, baby?" Mel asked, concerned. Alex suddenly didn't look as happy as he should.

"Everything is great, Mel." he smiled, but it wasn't a sincere smile. It was a smile to make Mel feel better and she knew it. "I just need to run upstairs for a minute. I'll be down in ten minutes... fifteen tops."

"Ok." Mel smiled. She kissed his cheek. "Congratulations, sweetie. I'm very happy for you."

"Thanks."

As the others headed into the lounge, Alex made his way back to their room. He pulled out his tablet and sighed. He looked at the clock. 8:55pm. They were probably still awake. He sent a text.

'HI. ARE YOU AWAKE?'

'YES. JUST WATCHING AN OLD MOVIE. WHY?' came the reply.

'I'M GOING TO CALL. OK?'

'Ok'

He took a deep breath and called up their contact information. Then, instead of hitting the button for making a phone call, he hit the 'FaceTime' button, turned the tablet away from himself and waited. It only took a few rings for the call to be answered.

"Hi, Alex. How are you?" His mother's voice came through. There was also the sound of a television in the background.

"I'm good, mom. I just wanted to share some good news with you."

"Oh!? Well, that's exciting to hear. What's the news, and why can't I see you in the camera?"

"I'll get to that," he said, sounding nervous. "I... I just wanted to let you know that I just got hired by Cole Liquors to be the chief buyer for the whole chain."

"Alex, that's wonderful!" His mother said into the phone. Then into the room in which she was seated, she said, "Bill! Bill! Alex is on the phone and he's going to be a buyer for Cole Liquor. Isn't that great?"

"Yeah," Alex's father's unimpressed voice could be heard in the phone's speaker.

"It's a great opportunity, mom. Really handsome salary and a lot of responsibilities..."

"Well, that's wonderful to hear, Alex," his mother interrupted. "It'll be nice to be bringing in some real money for a change, won't it?"

"Yeah, I guess, but... I've done pretty well for myself up to this point..."

"Yes, you have. You have that beautiful wife of yours and that nice house... and of course, it'll be nice to be making a similar amount of money to your wife and sister, won't it? I mean, Jill's been making over a hundred thousand dollars a year, for years."

"Yeah... I suppose." he was trying hard not to be baited into feeling bad about himself by his mother.

He would have said more about the job, but his mother's attention was returned to the TV screen for a moment. "Bill... what did they just say? Did they just say that Sean Penn killed the wrong man? Where's Kevin Bacon been through all of this? Don't the State Police know what's going on?" she returned he attention to the phone. "This movie drives me nuts, Alex. If I've ever seen the ending, I can't remember it."

"What movie is that, mom?"

"Oh, I don't know the name of it. It's the one in Boston... Sean Penn's daughter is killed... they think Tim Robbins did it and Kevin Bacon is a State Cop... you know the one I mean."

"Yeah, I guess," Alex said, hurt and taken aback that his good news was being usurped by an old movie on TV.

"Hey, mom," Alex said, clearing his throat, "the reason I called is..."

"Your new job, I know, Alex. You told me."

"No, mom, there's more I wanted to tell you."

"Ok," she said, still sounding distracted. "What is it?"

Alex turned the phone towards himself so that his face, hair and the lace covered top of his green dress were visible in the camera. "Mom... I’ve made some changes in my life, besides the job, and I just wanted to let you and dad know."

"What kind of changes?" she asked, not yet looking at the screen. "Wait! You’re not getting a divor..."

She never got to the ‘S’ sound at the end of the word. She stared at the screen for a few moments before she spoke. "I’m sorry... umm... where is Alex? Why are you in my son’s hotel room?"

"It’s me, mom," Alex said as calmly as possible. "As I have been saying, I have made some changes and..."

"Alex? What the hell is going on there? Stop playing around and put your sister on the phone."

"She’s downstairs, mom. As I was saying..."

"Is this some kind of joke, then? What the hell are you playing at, Alex!?"

All of his training with Alice was going out the window. She wasn’t listening and he couldn’t get her to stop reacting.

"What going on?" Alex heard his father say from off camera.

"It’s Alex, Bill. Look at him!"

The picture blurred as his mother turned her laptop abruptly towards his father. His father, who was seated in his ancient reclining chair, looked at the picture on the screen at their end and asked, "Who’s that?"

"THAT is you son!" his mother shouted.

"What!?" His father said, slamming the footrest of the chair closed. "Alex? What the hell is going on?"

"Hi, dad. As I was trying to tell mom, I have decided..."

"Decided to what? Decided to your dick off? What is wrong with you, Alex!? Jesus, you have always been like this. Selfish - that’s what you are Alex, only thinking of yourself."

"Look, dad... mom... I just called because I wanted to share with you that I am happy, Mel is happy and I have a new job that I think is going to be a great fit for me. That’s all."

"THIS is what makes you happy?" his mother spat. "Dressing up like something you’re not and swishing around in a party dress? THAT makes you happy?"

"I’m not ‘swishing’ around at all, mom, and..."

"Alright! Enough! Enough! ENOUGH!’ his father pronounced, slamming a hand on the table where his mother had been sitting. "I don’t know what kind of a game you’re playing, Alex, but your mother and I aren’t interesting in being a part of it."

Alex’s veneer of poise and coolness was being stripped away by the second. He was hurt and angry and didn’t expect things to have gone nearly this badly. "I’m not playing any kind of..."

"I told you at Thanksgiving," his father interrupted, "that he looked like a fairy with all that hair."

"Yeah, but, Bill, he didn’t look like THAT!"

"But he didn’t look like much of a man, did he?"

"Oh, lord," his mother sighed at both of them, "this is because we always let you hang around with your sister and her friends, isn’t it? We should have made you play sports."

"I told you, Ellen," his father said, ignoring their son on the screen, "he was too little and we should have pushed him harder. You can’t coddle a boy and expect him to ever become a real man. This is what you get when you’re too soft on a boy: a little pansy who wears dresses."

That was all for Alex. He disconnected the call and sat there for a good fifteen seconds regaining his composure before he used the tips of his fingers to dab a few unbidden tears from his eyelids. He stood, took a deep, cleansing breath and headed out the door and back down to the lounge.

As he arrived, he saw Jill standing to the side of the lobby in a heated phone conversation. He walked over to her and took the phone from her hand. "Good night, mother," he said, flatly. "Call me again when you’re willing to have a civil conversation." he hung up the phone and shut it off before handing it back to his sister. "I’m sorry they ruined your evening. It went a lot worse than I expected. Sorry."

Jill hugged her small, feminine brother and kissed the side of his head. "Screw them, Allie. Either they’ll come around or they won’t, but we will always have each other."

Alex hugged her back. "I love you, Jill. I know I never say that, but I do. I really love you."

"I know, Allie. And you know I love you, too." The hug ended and Jill took his hand, kissing it before she said, "Come on. Let’s go in. Everyone’s waiting for you."

"There she is!" Dennis said, holding up a champagne flute. "Everyone grab a glass."

When everyone had a glass in their hand, Dennis said, "A toast – To Allie. May your new life be wonderful and may your new career be a source of happiness in that new life."

"Hear! Hear!" They all said as they clinked glasses and took a sip.

"Mmm," Alice said as she tasted the expensive drink. "I’d like to propose a toast, too. To new families." she held up her glass and so did everyone else. "It’s funny how, at the beginning of this week, none of us could have ever expected that by the end of the week, we’d all find new friends and family. Now, I’m being very sincere when I say that Denny and I have started thinking of all three of you as our daughters..."

"Obviously," Mel teased, "Allie is mommy’s favorite."

Everyone laughed at that.

Alice continued as she giggled, "...as I was saying, we think of the three of you with great affection and we sincerely hope that our relationships will continue forever. Cheers, everyone."

"Cheers," they all joined in.

They all clinked glasses again and they sipped until someone came up with the next toast... and the next... and the next...
 

~^~
 
 
EPILOGUE
 

"Anyone home?" Jill called into the house, knowing full well that her sister-in-law was not only home, but expecting her.

"In the kitchen!" Melody called back in reply.

"Hey!" Jill smiled as she entered the kitchen. "Where’s Allie?"

Mel smiled as she pulled a head of lettuce out of the refrigerator and set about ripping off leaves to drop in her colander to be rinsed. "Where she always is on Tuesday afternoons – with Alice at yoga class."

Jill laughed. "How could I have forgotten? In the last eight months, Allie has become obsessed with exercise and losing weight."

"Huh... sounds like she’s taking after her big sister," Mel teased.

"Says the Phys Ed teacher," Jill laughed. "Now that I’m thin, I kind of like it. I like the way I feel and I like the way my clothes fit."

"I imagine Allie feels the same way."

Mel finished rinsing the lettuce for the evening’s salads. She looked at Jill and said, "Your mother called me again today. Just as I was leaving school."

Jill nodded. "She called me, too." Jill turned and leaned against the counter. "She’s coming up for to visit her friend from high school and she wants to see us all."

Melody nodded. "I told her that would be lovely, PROVIDED she accepts Allie as she is."

Jill sighed. "I was going to tell her the same, but before I could, she told me that she wanted us all to go to dinner at a nice restaurant, but that Allie wasn’t to be wearing ‘Any of his foolish, sissy clothes.’ Either she was to dress like a ‘man’ or she wasn’t invited."

"So... you going to meet with her?"

"Are you crazy?" Jill scoffed and shook her head. "I told her not to call me again until she was willing to accept both of her children as we are. Then I hung up on her." she thought about that for a moment, then said, "It really does break my heart that I can’t be in a loving relationship with my parents, but... oh, well... it is what it is. They’re being unreasonable and I am not going to give in to their stupidity."

Mel nodded. "They’re not even calling Allie anymore. They didn’t even acknowledge her birthday."

Jill shrugged. "Maybe, down the road, things will change."

"Maybe."

They heard the door open in the other room and the women stopped talking. A moment later, Alex walked into the kitchen wearing a pair of clean, white sneakers, a pair of high waisted, calf length, floral decorated yoga pants and a loose, dusty-rose colored exercise shirt. Despite having come from the gym, Alex’s makeup was flawless and her hair was in a ponytail formed by pulling it through the hole in the back of baseball cap the same color as the shirt.

"Hi," she said as he entered the room and placed her gym bag by the foot of the stairs. She kissed her wife’s lips and his sister’s cheek. "What were you two talking about."

"You, of course," Jill smiled. "You look great, Allie. How much have you lost?"

"That’s not very polite, is it?" Allie replied, with a grin. "I’m not entirely sure, actually. I’m down to a size eight, though."

"That’s wonderful," Jill said, truly impressed.

"Good class?" Mel asked.

"They’re all good," Alex smiled. "I feel so good after I’m done."

"That’s great, babe. And tomorrow morning you’re doing a workout with Alice and her trainer, right?" she handed everyone something to put on the table.

"I’m doing a shorter session than usual. I need to get to the office pretty early tomorrow. Dennis wants me to meet a new salesperson – you know how he is. So, brunch at eleven with Dennis and the new guy."

They all pulled out their chairs and sat. "You know, this is probably only the third or fourth time I’ve seen you in pants since we went to New Hampshire. I’m not used to it," Jill teased.

"Well, you’re never going to have a chance to get used to it, either," Alex laughed. "I’m not that kind of a girl, anymore."

Jill raised her eyebrows. "Speaking of ‘the girls...’ How is your chest healing?"

"I can answer that," Mel said. "‘The Girls’ are healing beautifully. Really beautifully. They look sooooo nice, Jill. Ahh... I wish you could see how pretty she looks now in her lingerie! There’s no substitute for the real thing."

Alex smiled at her wife, then blushed a bit at her sister.

"You like them, though, right?" Jill asked Alex.

"Like them? Jilly, I don’t know how I lived without them all these years. I adore them."

Jill couldn’t help but laugh at Alex’s exuberance. "So, you’ve got the ‘up above’ looking pretty and girly, what about the ‘down below?’ Is that staying ‘as is,’ or is it being considered for renovations, too."

"Honest to God, the things you talk about at the dinner table..." Alex said, sounding shocked. "Well, since you asked... no. It is staying in its original form. No alterations, there."

"Nope, no alterations there, for sure!" Mel joked. "I don’t mind the additions, but l want to keep the subtractions to a minimum."

They all laughed at that and dug in to the salads. A few minutes of munching passed before Alex said, "Umm... next weekend... I think I’m going to drive down to see mom and dad."

Both women stopped and looked at him.

"OUR mom and dad?" Jill asked. "The ones that both Mel and I told to buzz off earlier today because they won’t accept you as you now are? That mom and dad?"

Alex nodded. "I’ve been thinking about it, and... what if something were to happen, and... God forbid, we lost them. I don’t want this chasm between us to last forever."

"Ok, then," Mel looked at Jill, "we’ll go with you."

Jill nodded.

"No... I think it needs to be just me and them," Alex said, pensively. "They’ll be tough at first, but either they’ll accept me, or I’ll drive back home knowing I tried."

Mel made a thoughtful smirk. "I can’t say I think this is a good idea, Allie. I’d rather you didn’t drive that far by yourself."

Alex smiled. "I appreciate that, Mel, but I really think I need to do this myself."
 

~^~
 

It was hot in Maryland. A lot hotter than it had been in Massachusetts when Alex had left. Of course, the sun wasn’t even up then, but the air in Maryland was a lot more saturated with summer humidity than the air back home.

It was nearly eleven as he pulled into the driveway of his parents’ retirement home in the ‘over fifty-five’ community. She’d only been there once before, to help them move, and she wasn’t sure what to expect when she knocked on the door.

"Yes?" her father said as he pulled the interior door wide.

Alex stood dumbfounded. She’d spent the entire five hour drive practicing what to say, but now that her father stood there, not recognizing her, she felt like a child again. A child who was afraid to upset their parents.

"Can I help you?" His father asked, a bit impatient, aggravated by the mute, but attractive woman at his door.

"Umm... yes... I was..." Alex took a deep breath to gather his thoughts and said, "Hi, dad."

Her father’s eyes narrowed as he took in the sight of this attractive, well turned out woman on his front stoop. "Alex?" he asked, not at all sure who this person was, but it wasn’t Jill, so it had to be Alex.

Alex nodded. "Yes, it’s me, dad. Can I come in?"

"Who is it, Bill?" Alex’s mother’s voice came from the interior of the small home.

"It’s Alex," he called back. He still stared at his son with confusion.

"Dad, I drove over five hours to come see you. Can I come in?" Alex asked, feeling awkward, just standing on the stoop.

"It’s who?" Alex’s mother suddenly appeared in the doorway, filling Alex with a mix of joy and dread.

"Alex?" she asked, just as confused as her husband.

"Yes, mom, it’s me. Can I come in?"

Alex’s parents looked at each other for a moment and a silent message passed between them. Alex saw this a knew that, now that they saw her, this was all going to work out, just fine. Her mother nodded at her father and and then her mother’s hand reached for the storm door handle. Alex heard a click and reached for the handle knowing she’d just unlocked it, but...

...it wouldn’t turn.

She had locked it.

Her mother stepped back and the interior door began closing.

"Mom?"

"No, Alex," she said, shaking her head. "No. You can’t just show up at OUR HOUSE and just expect us to accept... THIS. NO."

"Mom... dad..." Alex tried to reason with the increasingly narrowing opening.

Her father had the last words, though. "Cut your hair, clean that crap off your face and come back looking like a man, Alex, and THEN you can come into this house."

The door closed.

Alex’s first thought was to knock again, but she stopped before her knuckles reached the wood. No. That wasn’t what she wanted them to see. Not a weak little sissy who needed her mommy. No. That wasn’t going to happen. Instead, she stood at the door and spoke in a moderate volume, hoping they’d hear.

"Alright. I tried and I will try again... someday... but... I love you both. I just wanted you to know that." she took a few breaths to steady herself before she walked down the stairs and back to her car. She backed out of driveway and headed back towards the highway. While stopped at a red light, she sent a text to Jill and Mel. ‘HEADED HOME. THEY WON’T EVEN LET ME IN. SHOULD BE HOME IN FIVE OR SIX HOURS. LOVE YOU.’

A few moments later, Mel replied. ‘I’M SORRY, BABE. PLEASE BE SAFE.’

That was followed by a text from Jill. ‘SCREW THEM ALLIE. WE LOVE YOU.’

She smiled. ‘I KNOW. BE HOME SOON. LOVE YOU BOTH TOO.’

She pulled onto the highway, listening to a Taylor Swift song. That was followed by a Lady Gaga song and as that was starting to fade out, her phone rang and the radio’s screen told her it was Alice. She accepted the call.

"Hi, princess," she said. "I hear you’re having a bad day."

"I guess it could have gone worse," Alex said as she drove on. "No one hit anyone else, so... like I said, things could have gone worse."

"Oh, sweetheart... I’m so sorry," Alice said in the most comforting voice she could muster.

"It’ll be fine," Alex sighed. "It’s just... you know..." her voice cracked with emotion, just a little. "... no one wants their parents to hate them. I just wanted to... you know... let them know that I’m still me and that I love them and, I guess I hoped that they might still love me."

"Oh, Allie, Allie, Allie..." Alice said, "I wish I could just hug you right now. Baby, you know that Denny and I both love you like a daughter. My own daughters think of you as a sister, and Mel and Jill both adore you. Baby, you have so many people who love you... focus on that. Ok?"

That made Alex feel a lot better. "Thank you, Alice. That means an awful lot to me."

"It’s the truth, sweetheart. Now, I want you to promise to drive carefully and when you get home, Denny and I will be there with Jill and Mel to give you more hugs than you can imagine. Ok?"

"Ok," Alex chuckled at Alice’s uplifting tone.

"Ok, now tell me you love me and that you’ll be careful."

Alex laughed. "Ok, mother," she teased. "I love you and Dennis and Jill, and of course, Mel, and I will take care of myself, I’ll be careful and I will be home as soon as I can."

"That’s my girl. I’ll let you get back to concentrating on the road. Love you."

"Love you, too." she said and the call ended.

The radio returned to playing music. This time it was an old song by Destiny’s Child and Alex sang along.

‘Thought I couldn't breathe without you
I'm inhaling
You thought I couldn't see without you
Perfect vision
You thought I couldn't last without you
But I'm lastin'
You thought that I would die without you
But I'm livin'’

Then, as Alex drove on and she thought about how her life had changed, how her career had improved and how much better everyday was with things as they were, she smiled and sang a little louder.

‘I'm a survivor
I'm not gon' give up
I'm not gon' stop, oh
I'm gon' work harder
I'm the survivor
I'm gonna make it
I will survive
Keep on survivin'...’

THE END