An Anomoly: 4

 

The doctor's prognosis left Stevie with a lot to process. Now, he has to figure
out how he's going to live his life. Thank you all for your amazing support and
kind words. I am so happy that so many of you are enjoying the story.
This has been a very tough week here.

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Author's Note: Thank you again for the comments and reviews. If you find yourself liking
this story, please consider leaving me a review? I read every review! ~Clara.
 
This version of An Anomoly: 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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Chapter 4
 

The next morning, when Katie came down, she expected to find a broken Stevie, but instead, she found Olivia, fully dressed and seated at the table with her Cheerios and berries, two yogurt and berry parfaits on the counter, both with a little cup of granola on the side, and a well put together Stevie at the counter in a pair of casual shorts and a sleeveless tee shirt leaning against the counter, feeding Alice from a bottle.

"Hi, mommy," Olivia greeted her.

"Hi, big girl," Katie smiled then kissed her. "You look pretty this morning."

"Thank you."

She moved to the counter and looked at Stevie. "Good morning."

"Morning," Stevie said quietly. "Guess who slept in my bed last night."

Katie smiled. "I know. She heard you crying and she was worried about you. You didn't mind, did you?"

Stevie shook his head. "No. It was nice."

Katie nodded. "So... are you ok?"

Stevie laughed a little. "No. Not at all. I just had to stop crying."

"Honey, I'm so sorry..."

"I know, Katie, it's just... how can I possibly be this weird? You know? I mean... I always knew I was different, but this?" He shook his head. "This is too much."

"I know, Stevie, but we need to talk about it."

"No, we don't. After you and Derrick leave, I'm taking the girls down to the park by the lake for a couple of hours. We're going to feed the ducks and Livy's going to go on the swings and the slide. Then we'll go in the pool for a bit and we'll figure out dinner for everyone. Tonight, we'll bathe the girls and watch some TV and go to bed, but we are NOT talking about this."

"Stevie, honey..."

"No."

"Good morning!" Derrick burst into the kitchen, happy as could be. "I got my next week's schedule yesterday and guess who has Sunday off!"

"Oh, that's great!" Katie said, very happy to hear the news.

"So, YOU," he pointed at Stevie, "don't have to cook, because I am going to get some nice, thick steaks and grill them up with some baked potatoes and some summer squash. How does that sound?"

"Great," Stevie smiled.

"So," he clapped his hands, "how did things go at the doctors?"

"Fine," Stevie lied, a fake smile on his lips. "I'm fine."

"Really?" He didn't mean to sound as shocked as it came out. He glanced at Katie who shook her head 'no,' but didn't say anything. He returned his attention to Stevie. "So... no problems at all? All your bloodwork was good? Blood pressure? Cholesterol? All good?"

Stevie smiled and moved Alice to his shoulder. "All fine."

Katie shook her head again, but again offered no information.

"Well... great, I guess. Ummm... hey... ummm... I need to run this morning, so..." confused by the mixed messages he was receiving, he picked up his yogurt parfait, "I'll take this with me, ok?" He kissed his wife's cheek and whispered, "Call me." She nodded.

Then he looked at Stevie and could see he was upset. "Hey, Stevie... come here." Stevie stepped closer and Derrick wrapped him in a tight hug. "You know we all love you, right?"

A bit shocked and still holding the baby, Stevie nodded. "Yeah... yeah... I know. Thanks."

Derrick then very gently kissed his cheek. This time it wasn't a mistake. He wasn't distracted by anything and he wasn't thinking about sports. He was looking straight at Stevie and thinking about him. Then he put his big hand on Stevie's little cheek, right where he'd just kissed him. "Never forget that, Stevie. We love you. We ALL love you. Katie... the girls... and me. We ALL love you and we're all here for you."

If he'd spoken, Stevie's voice would probably have cracked with emotion, so he just drew his lips tight and nodded.

"Ok," Derrick said, still confused and still worried. "I gotta run." He kissed both of his daughters, grabbed his yogurt and a spoon and hustled out the door.

"See," Katie said, while eating her yogurt, "no matter what happens, you have us, Stevie, and all four of us love you, don't we, Livy?"

"Yup," the child smiled. "I love you, Auntie Stevie."

"I love you, too, Livy." Stevie smiled through watery eyes.

"It must have been nice to wake up with her arm around you this morning." Katie said.

"Well," Stevie smiled at his niece, "when I woke up, she was kind of burrowed into the blankets and nestled into MY arms, but yes... it was nice. Very nice. Very nice, in fact."

"Well, she was very worried about you." Katie finished her yogurt and put her glass in the sink. "Oh, look at the time. I have to run. I pumped earlier. It's in the little fridge in the nursery if you need it."

"Ok," Stevie nodded.

Katie grabbed her briefcase, pocketbook and keys, kissed the girls, then kissed Stevie and asked, "You're going to be ok today, right?"

He nodded. "I'm fine."

"Ok," she said, warily. "We still need to discuss things..."

"No, we don't. Go to work."

"Yes, we do, Stevie. Jane said that if you don't make a decision, then your body is going to make one for you..."

Stevie had started talking over his sister as soon as she said the name 'Jane.' "Say goodbye to mommy, Livy. Let's get ready to go to the park. Ok? Bye mommy. Bye bye. Have a good day at work, mommy. Bye bye."

Katie wasn't at all happy with this attitude. She would need to talk to Derrick about it to see if he could help and also look into a councilor of some kind for Stevie. She understood that this wasn't easy for him, but he had to understand that he couldn't just ignore it, right? She shook her head in frustration as she climbed into her minivan and started it up.

It wasn't long later that Stevie and Olivia were walking down the street with Alice in very expensive all-terrain stroller. They took some old buns that Stevie found in the bread box to feed to the ducks, something that Olivia claimed to have never done before and something which seemed to excite her tremendously.

It turned out that the ducks found it exciting, too. Stevie made sure that the pieces of bun that he gave to Olivia to feed the ducks were small enough that the buns lasted a good long while, so they enjoyed the ducks and the lake's shoreline for well over an hour before heading to the playground.

On the playground, Stevie pushed Olivia on the swings for a while before a thirty-something mother with a girl about Olivia's age showed up and put her child on the swing next to Livy.

"Hi," the woman smiled at Stevie. "I'm Pat."

"Hi," Stevie smiled, feeling the same nervousness he always felt when he met someone new. "Stevie. Your daughter is very pretty."

"Oh, thank you. Yours, too."

"She's my niece."

"Oh, thank goodness," the woman laughed. "Oh, I'm sorry... I mean... you just look so young to have a child, especially one this old. Oh, and look, you have a baby with you, too. Awww... she's gorgeous."

"Thank you."

The woman seemed eager to chat. "So... why aren't you in school?"

Stevie hated that question, so he fibbed - it was none of her business anyway. "I am doing some online classes for college this semester."

"Really? So early? Well, good for you. Through VHS or a college?"

Stevie stared at her. "I'm sorry?"

"Oh. Sorry. I'm a teacher at a high school - well, I was before Elise was born - and I have had students take classes through VHS... you know... Virtual High School?"

Stevie shook his head. He had no idea what she was talking about nor how to respond.

"Are the classes through a college, then?"

"Oh... yes... yes," he nodded. "They're through Bunker Hill Community College."

He only chose that school because he'd passed it about a year ago and knew it's name. The only other college he could think of was Harvard and that seemed too ostentatious.

"Very nice," the woman smiled. "And what would you like to be when you grow up?"

'When I grow up...' there was a term that irked Stevie. He'd never 'grow up' at all. He was grown, end of story. He'd asked the doctor about that specifically and she stated that substantial growth was probably out of the the equation at this point. Still, the woman was just being kind and asking a simple question. He should respond.

"I'm not sure. I have considered teaching. I liked school. Maybe I'd like teaching, too."

"Well, speaking from experience," the woman smiled, "I think you'd find it very rewarding. AND when you have children, your schedule is easier to work around. It's kind of a perfect job for a mommy. I will be going back into the classroom when Elise starts kindergarten."

That sent a wave of confusion and a little fear over Stevie. 'A mommy.' God... that was actually a possibility, wasn't it? "Oh... I don't think I'll ever have kids of my own."

She laughed. "You say that now, but I said the same thing when I was your age. But a pretty girl like you... in a year or two, you're going to start dating and someday... someday not too far down the road... you're going to be sitting across the table from a cute guy and all of a sudden, out of the blue, you're going to start thinking about how cute your babies would be. That's how it happened to me. I never even considered being a mommy and then, about three weeks after meeting my husband... POW... all I could think about was being a mommy. Silly, I know, but it happens. Our wombs are powerful things."

'Womb.' There was a big word to consider. 'Womb.' He had a 'womb,' didn't he? Not just a uterus... a womb. An almost magical concept. Something that gave life. A womb. God. A womb.

As if on cue to rouse him from his thoughts, a huge clap of thunder sounded and both Stevie and his new companion looked at the sky and realized that, while they'd been chatting, dark clouds had rolled in.

Pat looked at her phone. "Oh, my... I have a severe thunderstorm warning. We should get the kids home. Do you live far?"

"About six blocks," Stevie answered as the first fat rain drops started to fall.

"I'm right across the street," the woman said, pointing to a very nice house. "Stay with us until the storm passes." She stopped he daughter's swing. "Come on, Elise, we have to hurry. It's staring to rain."

Stevie was in the process of getting Olivia off of her swing, too. "Oh, that's ok. We'll run home."

Another bang of thunder crashed and caused both little girls to shout in fear.

"No you won't!" Pat said with authority. "Not with two little ones in tow. Come on. Argh, here it comes. We'll be soaked by the time we get to my place."

Seeing few options, Stevie threw Alice's diaper bag over his shoulder, positioned the stroller on the walkway, took Olivia's hand and ran as fast as he could behind his new friend and her daughter, across the street and into an open garage door. It was a bonafide downpour by the time they were under cover.

"I'm all wet, Auntie," Olivia said, laughing heartily about it.

"I know, Livy, but it's only water. You'll dry off, soon." Stevie kissed his older niece, but was more concerned with his younger who'd been upset by the running and the rain, and was shrieking to let the world know about her discomfort. "Oh, come on," Stevie cooed, lifting her from the stroller and bouncing her. "You're ok, Alice, sweetheart. You're ok. You're ok."

The older woman smiled at Stevie's maternal behavior. "See, you have 'mommy' in your DNA."

He just smiled in response. She was right, but he wished that she wasn't.

"I'm wet, mommy," Pat's little girl said.

"Alright, Elise. You take your new friend up to your room and get some dry clothes for both of you. I left the clothes I took out of the dryer this morning on your bed. You can each wear one of those dresses, ok? Leave your wet things in the upstairs bathroom. I'll be up to get them in a few minutes, then I'll put them in the dryer." She opened the door and Elise took Livy by the hand and they both scampered through.

"Oh, that's ok..." Stevie started to protest, but Pat would hear none of it.

"Don't be silly. It'll only take twenty minutes or so to dry their dresses." She waved off Stevie's concerns as she grabbed Alice's diaper bag and motioned for Stevie to follow her into the house. "Come on in and relax until the storm passes."

It was a lovely house. Similar to Derrick and Katie's house in the choice of modern furniture and paint colors.

"Why don't you take care of the baby while I get out of these drenched things and I'll find something for you to put on," his hostess said, headed to the stairway.

"Oh, no, I'll be fine," Stevie said, but he was pretty sure that Pat wasn't paying attention.

His attention was drawn back to Alice's roars of discomfort, though. So, he opened her diaper bag, spread a changing pad on the floor and took off the dress and onesie that were soaked from the outside and the diaper that was soaked from the inside, wiped, dried and powdered her, put on a dry diaper and and a dry onesie and pulled out a bottle of Katie's breast milk, wrapped Alice in a warm, dry towel, then sat crossed legged on the changing mat and began to fed the baby.

"That's better, isn't it, sweetie," he cooed to her. "Shhhhhhhhhh. Hush little baby, don't say a word. Mommy's going to buy you a
mockingbird..."

Pat came down the stairs and saw the young, teenaged girl sitting on the floor, her own clothes and hair dripping wet, singing, rocking, caring so well for the infant and her heart melted. What a perfect sight! What a sweet girl. She took it in for a good long moment before continuing on and interrupting the scene.

"She's settled down now," Stevie smiled up at her.

"You have a way with her. She senses that you love her. That's very sweet."

Stevie hoped that was true. He certainly did care a great deal for his nieces.

"Let me take her so you can get out of those wet things," Pat said, gently and skillfully taking the baby from Stevie, not interfering with her feeding at all.

Stevie surrendered her and stood, putting away all of the diapering accoutrements. "That's ok. I'll just sit on a kitchen chair. I'll be dry in no time."

"And you'll be sick before you get dry," Pat said with a sound of incredulity. She had the kind of voice that came from years of teaching, too, and seemed to broach no challenges to its authority. "I'm sorry, but I won't hear of it. I found you something that should fit you fine. It's right there on the back of that chair. You can get changed in the downstairs bathroom, down the hall on the right."

Stevie looked at Pat, a woman at least several inches taller than him and with substantial curves, and doubted that anything of hers would fit him, but Pat seemed determined, and besides, it was only for a half an hour or so. So he picked up the pile of pale yellow material on the back of the chair and shook it out to reveal it to be a dress. Of course, it would be a dress.

"Umm..." Stevie tried to get out of wearing it. "I'm not really the kind of person who wears dresses..."

"Really?" Pat said. "That surprises me. You seem so... I don't know... maternal, maybe... with your nieces. I mean, you had both of them dressed so prettily in such nice dresses. I thought you'd like it. I'm sorry that you don't, but it's all I have that'll fit you, I'm afraid. It's only here because my husband's sister left it here last summer when she stayed with us. She was about your age, then. Please, just wear it for now so you don't get sick. Think of it as... as a robe or something like that. Please. I'll make us some tea and we can relax while my Elise and your Livy get to know each other... look... it's still raining cats and dogs out there and, to be very honest, I am desperate for a conversation with someone over the age of five, so... I know I look like an old fart to you, but I'm only thirty one. Please... I can't stand the thought of you sitting around, getting a chill in those wet things."

"Ok," Stevie gave in. "I'll be right back."

"Use as many towels as you need!" Pat called down the hall behind him. "You should try to dry your hair a bit, too."

When he'd removed his shorts and tank top, Stevie was actually surprised by how wet they were. He twisted his top over the sink and wrung out a good amount of water. Luckily, his panties seemed pretty dry.

The yellow dress had no zipper or buttons. It just pulled on like a shirt. When it settled over him, he looked in the mirror and saw that the sweetheart neckline had just a little bit of lace, probably to add some modesty to a girl who had a more developed bust than he did. The sleeves were just tiny puff-balls at the tops of his narrow arms, making them look even more tiny than before, and the little bit of elastic at the waistline created the impression of hips before the very wide, loose skirt fell to his knees. The dress couldn't have been simpler and could not have been more simply feminine than it was.

He sighed, thinking back to the game he'd played in front of a mirror at his old house just a few days ago. This wasn't a game though. This was all very real. As far as Pat was concerned, he was a girl. And who knows... maybe she was right.

When he exited the lavatory, he was very nervous, but Pat, who was standing just down the hall where a sliding door had been opened to reveal the washer and dryer, was dropping the wet clothing into the dryer.

"See, you look lovely," she smiled. "How does it feel?"

"Fine, I guess," Stevie said, smiling a little. "A little weird, but not bad."

Pat looked serious for a moment, then grimaced a bit. "Oh, honey, you really should be wearing a bra at your age. I know they're uncomfortable at first, but your poking right through that dress."

Stevie looked down and saw that she was right. His nipples were actually visibly poking through the thin material that comprised the top of the dress. "Oh, shit," he muttered. "Oh, sorry," he said looking at Pat.

"Your mom never warned you about going out without a bra?" Pat asked, again with that incredulous sound in her voice.

"My mom's dead," Stevie said with less tact than he'd intended. "I lived with my Grandma and took care her until she died a few weeks ago. Now I live with my sister and my brother-in-law."

"Oh, honey..." Pat stood straight up and looked at Stevie with nothing but pity. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to be harsh. I... here... give me those things and I'll put them in the laundry. I think I might have a camisole you can wear under that dress."

Stevie handed over his wet things. Pat looked at the tag on the tank top and dropped it in, then looked at the tag on the shorts and stopped. "Uh oh. These can't go into the dryer." She showed the tag to Stevie. "See? 'Air dry only.' I'm afraid you're wearing that dress home, but don't worry. Sheri won't be looking for it. I'm sure she's out grown it by now and it looks adorable on you - I know that's not what you want to hear, but it's true."

She started the dryer and said, "Go have a seat in the living room. I'll run back upstairs and I'll be down in two shakes. Then we'll have some tea."

Moments later she reappeared with a shining, delicate, spaghetti strapped, nylon, beige camisole. "Here we go. This should calm down your girls," she smiled. Stevie stood and turned to go to the bathroom, but Pat said, "Turn your back to me and I'll help you take your dress off."

He turned away from her and his dress was off in seconds. Pat lowered the camisole over his arms from behind for him, which probably was pretty helpful, then his dress was back on a few seconds later. Pat had been a very helpful friend, in deed.

While she heated the water for tea, Pat and Stevie chatted. Pat told Stevie about being a teacher at the local technical high school and taking a break to raise Elsie and how she planned to return the next year when Elise started kindergarten. Stevie told Pat about leaving school to help his grandmother but went to great lengths to avoid ever mentioning his age or sex.

"That's just terrible," Pat said as she brought the tea to Stevie. "A young thing like you having to leave school to take care of her grandmother."

Stevie shrugged and checked the window. The rain was still coming down in torrents. It was still early, though.

Soon, Pat suggested that she make grilled cheese sandwiches and soup for the girls and them for lunch. "Elise doesn't care for tomato soup, which I know is the traditional accompaniment to a grilled cheese sandwich. Would chicken and stars be ok with you and Livy?"

"Sure," Stevie agreed.

The girls, both of whom descended the stairs dressed as princesses, with tiaras and brightly colored costume skirts over the dresses that they'd changed into, seemed to be having a great time together.

"Do you like how I look, Auntie Stevie?" Olivia asked, a big smile on her face.

"I do," Stevie said with exaggerated enthusiasm. "You look so beautiful. So do you, Elise. I love your dresses."

"I like your dress, too, Auntie Stevie," Olivia smiled, then hugged him. "I told you you'd look pretty in a dress."

"Well, I hate to say I told you so," Pat laughed as she guided Olivia to the table, "but... I told you so. You need to get used to wearing dresses, Stevie. You're a very pretty girl."

"Thanks," he smiled, but felt as if the universe was crashing down on him. He really didn't want to think about being a boy or a girl or a goat or a monkey or anything else right now. He just wanted to exist without thinking about it - like everyone else did.

Stevie watched Olivia interact with Elise during lunch. It was clear that she loved having someone else her own age to play with. That was nice.

He kept checking out the window, but the rain was still falling as hard as it had been. Finally, after he'd finished his lunch, he went looking for his phone and found it in a pocket of Alice's diaper bag. His intent was to complete setting up the Uber account he'd started the other day so that he could get the girls and himself home at some point.

"Can we go play some more?" Elise asked her mother.

"Of course," Pat said.

"For just a little while," Stevie said. "We have to leave soon. We have dinner to make."

"Awwwwwww," Olive whined as she followed her new best friend up the stairs.

"You make dinner, too?" Pat asked.

Stevie shrugged. "I'm kinda like an au pair, I guess. I like helping out, though."

"You're like a complete 'mommy package,' aren't you?"

He laughed, looking at his phone. "Hey, I'm kind of stuck on this. Do you know how to set this up?"

He handed the phone to Pat. She fiddle with it for a moment, then handed it back. Just enter your debit or credit card and you're done, but you won't need that today. I'll drive you home."

"That's really too much to ask..."

"No, it's not and besides..." she sighed. "... look, Elise doesn't have a lot of kids her age to play with and," she looked up towards the stairs, "... this is kind of unusual... Elise is usually kind of standoffish, but she seems to get along really well with Olivia. And to tell you the truth... I've enjoyed talking with you, too... so... to cut to the chase... I'd really like it if we could get the girls together sometimes. What do you think?"

"Oh... sure," Stevie said, feeling on the spot. "Livy seems to be having fun, too. So, I guess that would be nice."

Pat seemed to breath a bit easier. "Great. Thank you, Stevie."

The rain was still falling when Pat's car pulled into Katie and Derrick's driveway. Stevie pushed a button on an app that Derrick had installed on his phone and the garage door opened. Pat pulled into the garage just so Stevie and the girls could be unloaded in a dry spot.

"So, I'll text you about Monday, then?" Pat said.

"Sounds great," Stevie smiled. "Remember, we have a nice pool here, too, if Elise would enjoy that."

"I'm sure she would, but I'd feel more comfortable if I spoke your sister before we invaded her house."

Stevie laughed. "Ok, I gave you her number. You can call anytime..." he said as he started to lift the stroller out of the back of Pat's minivan, but suddenly a stabbing pain cut into his abdomen and he let out a big groan as he grabbed the location of the pain, just below his belly.

"Are you ok?" Pat came running around the back of the vehicle.

"I'm fine," he said, but he had a hard time standing straight again. "This happens every now and then."

"Stevie, you need to see a doctor."

"I have. I saw one this week."

"And what did they say?"

"There's nothing wrong with me. She said that I needed to make a decision about something, but... I'll be fine."

Pat shook her head. "Honey... you are not fine."

"I will be."

"Stevie, if you are having monthly cramps that double you over, something is very wrong."

"No, it's not that," Stevie smiled and stood straighter. "See. I'm ok, now."

The older woman looked concerned. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Stevie smiled. "I'm good. It never lasts more than a second or two." He breathed easily for a moment. "Thank you for the ride. I really appreciate it."

"Maybe we should stay with you until your sister gets home," Pat was very concerned. "You look a little pale."

"Honestly, it's nothing," Stevie assured her. He took a few deep breathes and stood straight once again. "See? I'm fine."

Reluctantly, Pat left Stevie, who she still thought of as a teen girl, and his two nieces and drove home, but she made it clear that she'd be checking in with Stevie's sister later to be sure he was alright and that she was aware of his cramping issues.

Derrick was on his way home when he got a text from Katie. 'I'M GOING TO SEND YOU A PICTURE BECAUSE I DON'T WANT YOU TO REACT AT ALL WHEN YOU COME INTO THE HOUSE. OK?'

He took a second to use voice to text to respond. 'OK, I GUESS. SEND ME THE PIC AND I'LL TELL YOU IF I'M GOING TO REACT WHEN I GET HOME.'

A few seconds later, Katie sent him a picture of Stevie wearing a yellow dress while working in the kitchen.

'OK. I WON'T REACT, BUT WHY ARE YOU CONTINUING TO DRESS STEVIE UP AS A GIRL IF YOU'RE NOT LOOKING FOR A REACTION?'

'I DIDN'T DO IT. THIS CAME FROM SOMEONE ELSE. I TRIED TO CALL YOU EARLIER, BUT YOUR PHONE WAS OFF. WE HAVE A LOT TO TALK ABOUT TONIGHT, BUT JUST DON'T MAKE A BIG DEAL OUT OF THIS. OK?'

Derrick shook his head. 'OK. I'LL BE HOME IN TEN MINUTES.'

As Stevie placed a big bowl of spaghetti and meatballs on the table in front of Derrick, apparently for him to serve, he said, "I'm sorry, but I didn't really have time to make a 'homemade' meal. We were at the park when the storm began and we ended up meeting a mom with a daughter who is the same age as Livy. We ended up staying with them until mid afternoon because Livy made a good friend."

"Really?" Katie smiled and rubbed her daughter's back. "What's your new friend's name?"

"Elise," Olivia said, happily accepting a plate of pasta from her father. "She has a whole bunch of princess costumes and she let me wear some."

"Wow!" Derrick joined in as he passed out the food. "I bet you looked pretty."

"She certainly did," Stevie smiled at Olivia.

"So does Auntie Stevie," Olivia said, smiling broadly. "Don't you think she looks pretty in a dress mommy?"

Katie looked from her daughter to her brother to her husband and back to her daughter again. "I think that Auntie Stevie always looks very nice, Livy, so... yes, I do think Auntie Stevie looks very... nice."

Derrick leaned towards Stevie and handed him a plate of pasta and said, "I think you look very pretty, Stevie." When he received a kick to his left shin under the table, he let out an 'ouch!' and looked at his wife. "What!? Look... I have no idea what the hell is going on here..."

"Language!" Katie said calmly, but firmly.

It didn't stop Derrick, though. "... but come on... Stevie, I don't know quite what's going on, but if you want my opinion, I think you look very pretty like this." He glanced at his wife, then back at Stevie. "May I ask you a question?"

Stevie shook some grated cheese on his spaghetti and nodded.

Derrick glanced at his wife again, then took a second to phrase his question in a way that would possibly keep his daughter from understanding him. "Are you... considering... changing... and pursuing life like this?"

Stevie looked at Katie and then back at Derrick. "You guys haven't talked about what the doctor said?"

Katie shook her head. "We haven't had the chance."

Stevie rolled his eyes, then rolled some spaghetti onto his fork.

"What am I missing?" Derrick asked.

"After the girls are in bed," Katie said.

"Ok," Derrick shrugged.

"Alright...," Stevie sighed, "but I do need to tell you that you're probably going to get a call from a woman named Pat pretty soon and..." he sighed again and shook his head, "she thinks I'm a girl. She's the one who gave me this dress."

"She's Elise's mommy," Olivia contributed through the tomato sauce on her face.

"Oh," Katie nodded, as if this all made sense.

Stevie leaned over and wiped his niece's face. "Anyway..." he continued, "she'd like to get Livy and Elise together, but she'd like to talk to you before she makes plans."

Derrick made a gesture with his hands that indicated that this was a perfectly logical request. "That seems fine. Whatever you want to do is fine with us, Stevie. We trust you."

"Well, thank you, but..." Stevie looked at his plate, "... like everyone else, she thinks I'm a kid. So she wants you guys to give your permission. I gave her your cell numbers."

"Ok," Katie said. "Maybe it would make sense for me to meet with her at some point so she feels comfortable about our arrangement."

"One more question," Derrick said, then looked at his wife and warned, "and I do not want to get another kick. I understand that you look kind of young and a bit girlish with your hair and all, but you said your were with this woman most of the day. So... why not explain that you are a guy?"

"Because I'm not," Stevie said flatly.

"Later, please, Stevie," Katie said, but Derrick just looked confused.

"I'm not a guy, I'm not a girl, I'm not a man, I'm not a woman... it's hard to explain what you are when you only know what you aren't." Stevie said without emotion while spinning spaghetti onto his fork.

"Oh, lord," Katie closed her eyes and lowered her head.

Derrick nodded and paused to think for a moment. "Stevie... after the girls go to bed... I'd really like to talk to both you AND Katie, please."

Stevie shook his head. "No. I think I'm done talking about it today."

Derrick cleared his throat. "Stevie... I want to be supportive and I want to help you in anyway that I can, but..."

Katie reached across and touched her husband's hand and looked from him to their daughter who was paying way too much attention to what was happening.

He nodded and looked a bit more peeved than Stevie had ever seen him look. "After the children are in bed, the three adults will be assembling in the living room and I will be brought up to date on what is going on so that I can help. End of story."

Just then, Katie's phone rang. She looked at the name on the screen. "Patricia Whitman. Is that her?" She asked Stevie and he nodded. Katie pressed the green button and her voice suddenly sounded much more upbeat. "Hello? Oh, Hi! Yes, my sister was just telling me all about her time with you today..."

A couple of hours later, the girls bathed and in bed and the dishes done, Stevie sat pensive and quiet in the living room as Katie completed her summary of Dr Jane O'Leary's diagnosis. Derrick was looking at a site on his iPad that Katie had forwarded to him and he nodded as he thought. He closed the tablet and stood, his hands in his pockets and paced for a few moments before crossing the room to sit in the couch beside Stevie. At first, he just sat there, then he put his arm around Stevie and pulled him in tight. Derrick's forehead rested on Stevie's temple and the bigger man closed his eyes and hugged him tighter.

When he released his brother-in-law, Derrick sniffled and when his eyes opened, they were red rimmed and watery. "Jesus," he muttered. He shook his head a few times to clear it, then, being Derrick, he took a practical approach to the matter. "So..." he sniffled again and pinched the end of his nose, "do you know what you want to do?"

Stevie stared at the floor for a long, long moment before shaking his head.

Derrick nodded. "So, this woman... Pat?... she said that you had abdominal pains when she left you today."

Stevie just shrugged.

"Pat thinks that Stevie is having some menstrual issues, and it's possible that he actually is," Katie explained. "Jane warned that a decision needed to be made soon or his body would make a decision for him."

"Don't talk about me like I'm not here," Stevie said in an irritated voice.

"Then don't just sit there acting like a zombie and join the conversation!" Katie snapped back.

"Alright!" Derrick held up both hands, one palm to each sibling. "Calm. Please. We need to keep calm."

Derrick stood and paced some more. He looked out the window and thought for a moment or two, then turned back to the others. "Stevie... please don't ignore me. I need you to answer this question."

Stevie looked up at his brother-in-law.

"What do YOU want to do?"

He got no response - not because Stevie was being belligerent, but because he had no idea how to respond.

Katie sighed and shook her head, but Derrick seemed to understand Stevie's hesitance. "I know that's a hard question, but... Look, Stevie, you're a great guy. You're smart, and gentle and sensitive and loving, but... geez, this is going to sound so sexist, but... those aren't really traits I associate with a guy. When I look at you, I don't really see... a guy. I see a girl. A smart, gentle, sensitive, loving girl. I'm not saying that to be an asshole, Stevie, I'm saying it because... well, I said you're a great guy, but you're an incredible girl, Stevie. You really are. Now, having said that, I'll never say it again unless you choose to become a girl. I just thought you should know how I see you."

Stevie sniffled. "Did you ever think of me as a guy?"

Derrick shrugged. "I don't know, Stevie. I really haven't known you all that well until this week and... Stevie, you're almost like another mother to my girls. It's hard to see you as a guy when I see you that way. I'm sorry." He was silent for a moment, then said, "You are very pretty, though, Stevie."

"Ok, that's enough," Katie said, standing, obviously unhappy.

"Why? What'd I say?" Derrick was very confused.

"You just told my brother he's pretty, Derrick!" Katie scolded.

"Kate... you just told me that he has a uterus. I'm just trying to say the right thing. Besides that, how could you not have noticed that everyday that he's been here, he's gotten more and more feminine - and that's partially your doing! And now, you're mad at me!?"

Katie put both of her hands on her forehead and let out a noise that started as a groan and ended as a scream of frustration. "Alright, YES, he has a uterus, but he has a penis, too and he's still my little brother, Derrick, and YES I gave him the swimsuit and the coverup, but that was just so he could be in the pool with the girls and me and it wasn't supposed to... he wasn't supposed to... Jesus Christ, this is all so..." she shook with frustration. "Derrick, what the fuck is going on!? I'm going out of my mind and you're acting like this is the natural thing in the world! Christ Almighty, you've even kissed him a few times recently! One minute I'm thinking of him as my brother, the next I'm thinking of him as my sister... now, I don't know what to think any more." She was convulsing, breaking down and collapsing into tears.

Derrick hugged his wife. "Calm down, honey, calm down. This isn't going to help anything."

"Oh, God. This is all my fault," she wept. "I should have seen this. How could I have let this happen?"

"No," Stevie said in a tiny, sad voice from the couch. "It's all my fault."

Derrick reached down and took Stevie's small hand in his big hand. "Stevie... this is no one's fault. It's just how things are."

Katie pushed herself off of her husband and wiped her face. "That's right, honey. It's no one's fault. I'm sorry I said all of that." She took a deep breath. "Oh, God, I'm such a jerk."

Stevie just shook his head and lowered his head to look at the carpeted floor, focusing on nothing.

Katie looked at her husband. "Can I have a few minutes with Stevie, honey?"

"Sure," he said. He kissed his wife, then touched Stevie's cheek and headed for the stairs, but he stopped when Stevie called to him.

"Derrick."

"Yes?"

"Thank you for saying I'm pretty. That was nice of you."

Derrick smiled. "I'm just telling the truth, Stevie." He went up the stairs.

Katie sat on the couch next to her baby brother and the two just looked at each other for a good long moment without a sound. Eventually, she raised her hand and ran her fingers through his thick, dark hair, then pulled his head towards hers and leaned forward at the same time until their foreheads were touching.

"I'm so sorry, baby," she whispered.

"It's ok."

"I just don't know how to help you."

"I know. I don't know what to do, either."

They sat there, forehead to forehead, looking into each other's eyes for another long moment before Katie whispered, "I'm a little jealous of you, you know."

Stevie scoffed. "Why? Why would anyone be jealous of me?"

"Because you look so much like mom."

"I do?" Stevie found that oddly comforting.

"Yeah." She smiled at him. "You do. A lot."

"Why would that make you jealous?"

"Because to me, mom was the most beautiful person in the world... except for you. Whatever you decide to do, Stevie, you'll always be mom's baby and that means you'll always be my baby, too. My baby brother... or my baby sister... it doesn't matter, you'll always be my baby."

That brought a sad smile to Stevie's face. "Thank you, Katie. I love you. I sorry I brought all of this into your house."

"I love you, too, honey. And this is our house. Your house. Let's figure this out. Together."

And then they talked. And talked. And talked. Well into the night.

Saturday was a hectic day. Stevie was up early with the girls. Katie was late to come down, but she was up early and on the phone with Dr Jane O'Leary, asking lots of questions about Stevie's condition and reading page after page of information on website after website. Derrick was out in the yard early, mowing and raking so that it was neat as a pin, and up to his high standards, so he could get going early and meet up with his buddies to go to Fenway Park to enjoy as much time in Red Sox Heaven as possible.

"Honey, I'm leaving!" Derrick yelled up the stairs at eleven o'clock that morning.

"Ok," Katie called as she hurried down the stairs to kiss him goodbye. "Enjoy yourself, honey. Don't drink too much. Remember how beer hits you when you're sitting in the sun, ok?"

"Yes, mother," he smiled and kissed her. Then he whispered, "Are you and Stevie going to be ok?"

"I think so," Kate whispered back. "We talked a lot last night."

"You're sure it's ok if I go, then?"

"What? You want me to say that you should stay home and then have you sulking around the house all weekend? I don't think so."

Derrick chuckled and kissed her cheek. "Seriously, babe... I'll stay home if you want me to."

She gave his butt a swat. "Go on. Get out of here. If anyone deserves a day at the ball park, it's you."

He smiled like a little boy. "Thanks, babe. Love you."

"Love you, too."

He trotted over to where Stevie and Olivia were seated on the floor with Alice seated between them being entertained by her sister and her uncle.

"Give daddy a kiss goodbye," Derrick said to Olivia, who jumped up and raised her arms to be lifted.

"Bye, daddy!" She said after planting a big kiss on his cheek. "Your cheek is prickly."

Derrick laughed and lifted her high in the air and spun her around. "You be a good girl for your mommy and Auntie Stevie, ok?"

"Ok, daddy," she giggled.

"That's my girl." He put her down, then kissed his fingers and touched Alice's head. "Bye, Angel," she smiled.

Then he smiled at Stevie and knelt on one knee next to him. "You ok, today?"

"No," Stevie admitted, "but I'm better than yesterday."

"Well, that's a step in the right direction," he said and winked. Then he leaned forward and kissed Stevie's cheek. "One step at a time, Stevie. Ok? One step at a time." He stood and headed out the door.

"Come see," Stevie said to Katie. "Alice is sitting up on her own."

"Is she!?" Katie came over, happy to see her child developing. "Oh, my goodness! Look at what a big girl she's becoming."

"I taught her, mommy," Olivia smiled. Stevie had been encouraging Livy to model the proper way to sit up for the baby.

"Well, no wonder she learned to sit up so well," Katie smiled and kissed her oldest child.

"Oops!" Stevie said, as he caught Alice tipping out of her seated position, but then fighting herself back upright a second later with a big, droolly smile and a giggle. "What a smart baby you are."

Katie looked at her little brother and realized that he was wearing a fairly plain, white, buttoned shirt that he'd paired with a dark purple, knee length skirt. Interesting. This seemed an affirmation of some sort.

"You look nice today," she smiled at him. "I think I wore that skirt when I went to New York City to see 'Wicked' with my Theater Class in my sophomore year of high school. It's pretty. It looks nice on you."

"Thanks," he smiled a little embarrassed. "I thought I should try one and see how it feels." He shrugged and looked shy. "Ummm...could you..." he thought better of his request. "... never mind."

"No... what?" Katie prodded. "What were you going to say?"

He shrugged. "I was just wondering if... maybe... after lunch... could you maybe show me how to do... some makeup? Not really fancy, or anything... I just mean... simple... you know? Like... everyday? So, maybe if I try this... female thing... I could maybe look more natural... and maybe a little older."

Katie was smiling fondly at his discomfort. "Of course, Stevie. I'd be happy to. It'll be fun."

Once Alice was settled down for a nap, Katie sat Stevie down in a chair in front of the elaborate vanity in her master suite and began his first makeup tutorial. Katie explained every step. How to chose colors, how to apply them, how to blend them, etc., and she had Stevie repeat each instruction and practice each step as well.

"Can I ask you something?" Stevie asked as his sister fussed with his face.

"Of course."

He sighed. "What's it like to be a girl?"

Katie smiled a bit and shrugged. "I'm not sure how to answer that, Stevie. I've never been anything but a girl - or a woman. I mean... what's it like to be a guy?"

Stevie pondered that for a second or two. "I'm not sure really I know. I'm not sure I've ever really been a guy."

Katie gave him an understanding look. "Well... I liked being a girl and I love being a woman. I like being the one who cares for the family - which you do very well, already, too. I love being a mom. I'm not sure men can love their kids the way a woman can. Derrick adores me and the girls, but... it's different. There's a little distance there and there always will be. I love being with Derrick... you know... as a woman. It's a wonderful feeling to become one with someone you love. I don't think that's the same for a man either. I mean... how could it be?"

"What about periods and mood swings and all that?" Stevie asked. "Isn't all that awful?"

That made Katie chuckle. "Spoken like a true man. Sure, periods are an inconvenience, but, Stevie, something like fifty two percent of the earth's population is female and of that, some percentage is of childbearing age and that means that a few million people are menstruating every single day. Obviously, you get used to it after a few months and then it's just part of life. Then you just don't think about it all that much. It's a minor inconvenience every twenty eight days, that's all. I guarantee that if you chose to be a woman, you'd be used to it in a few months, just like the rest of the women in the world."

"I wish I didn't have to choose."

"I know, sweetheart. It's all so unfair, but it's just the way things are."

"If I could choose whether to be a boy or girl," Olivia said, watching her mother blend the colors on Stevie's face, "I'd still want to be a girl."

"Why's that. Honey?" Katie asked.

"Because boys are stinky and no fun. Girls are pretty and like pretty things. They're much better than boys. Besides, they can be mommy's and feed baby's. Daddy's can't do that."

"No, they can't, sweetie," Katie smiled. "You are right about that."

She looked at her little brother, who was looking more and more like her little sister everyday. "You know, there's no shame in wanting to be a woman, Stevie. Your body needs your help. No matter what you decide, you can't make a wrong decision."

"If... and I'm only saying 'if'... if I were to chose to be a woman... would you think any less of me? You know... because I was a guy before?"

"Oh, honey... how can you ask that? I'd never think that."

"And Derrick?" Stevie asked.

"Honey... I am really surprised by how sweet Derrick has been towards you. I think he's genuinely concerned about you and wants what's best for you. He really didn't know you as his brother-in-law, you know, but... I think that, now... he kind of thinks of you as his little sister - or maybe even as another daughter. So, whatever you decide, boy or girl, Derrick will be your staunchest supporter and most fervent defender. I promise you that."

Stevie nodded. He'd been very surprised by how welcoming Derrick had been from the get go. Until the day he'd arrived at this house, Stevie didn't think Derrick even knew who he was.

"There," Katie said, with a smile. "Look in the mirror. What do you think? You look pretty, right?"

Stevie looked in the vanity mirror and his reflection was still recognizably him, but... then again... it wasn't. The face that looked back wasn't ever a 'Steven,' that was for sure. The light, casual makeup made him look... well, he wouldn't say beautiful, because that was such a grownup word and the face in the reflection didn't really look grown up. She looked young. She looked... cute. That was the word. She looked cute. Very cute. That cute girl in your sophomore English class that you might have a little crush on. That was the face that looked back at him. Still just a bit tomboyish, but... becoming girly, too. Not yet womanly... just girly.

That kind of summed up Stevie too, when he thought about it. Boyish, but becoming girly.

"Don't you like it?" Katie asked, interrupting his thoughts.

"Huh? Oh... no... I mean... yes, Katie. I do like it. I'm just... it's all so new to me."

"I know, honey," she kissed the top of his head. "I know. I think you look great, though. Tell you what - Derrick is gone all day, so when Alice wakes up, we're all going to take a quick trip to the mall. We'll have dinner in the food court - we can't have anything fancy with the girls with us - and we'll get you a couple of bras. Dr O'Leary was right. You really do need one."

Stevie snickered. "Pat said that, too."

"Well, let's take care of that tonight so that when she comes over tomorrow to talk to me she doesn't think I'm an woman who neglects the needs of her kid sister." She kissed Stevie's head again. "Let's go water the plants."

The three of them, Katie, Olivia and Stevie tended the outside flower beds and watered the flowers. They prettied up the yard that Derrick had mowed so well and when Alice woke, she was changed and fed and they all went to the local mall, which had a combination of the usual mall stores and some very high-end places. Stevie was surprised when Katie led them not into one of the huge anchor stores, but rather into a very expensive store with a very fancy lingerie department.

"May I help you ladies?" A lingerie saleswoman asked as they entered the department.

"Yes," Katie smiled. "My little sister needs to be fitted for a bra. She's never worn one before and I'm not sure what she should be wearing."

"Oh, of course," the saleswoman smiled. "Come with me." She led them through the department towards a fitting area in the back.

"Will I have to show her my chest?" Stevie whispered to his sister.

"Yes, but don't worry. She's seen a million developing girls and your chest looks no different than any other girl's," Katie whispered back.

"If you'd step in here, young lady," the saleswoman said to Stevie, as she indicated a small changing room, but he balked and looked at Katie.

"Oh, ummm, if you wouldn't mind," Katie smiled, "I think that Stevie would feel more comfortable if I stayed with her."

The saleswoman looked at Katie and the two children and didn't look too thrilled, but she rallied. "Oh, of course. Please step in here." She indicated a different, much larger room which could easily fit all of them.

"Take off your top, dear," the saleswoman instructed. Stevie complied, reluctantly. The saleswoman smiled sympathetically. "No reason to be shy, dear. Believe me, I've helped many late bloomers - many who bloomed much later than you. Just let me take a couple of measurements."

She worked quickly and efficiently, using her cloth tape measure, and within a moment or two, she excused herself to retrieve some items.

"Not so bad, was it?" Katie asked.

"I was never self conscious about it until we went to the doctor's," Stevie explained. "Everyone there seemed so interested in my breasts... it's was just so embarrassing."

Katie nodded. "I know, but they all knew you were a boy. This lady doesn't. Don't worry."

"Here we go," the saleswoman nearly sang as she reentered. "Now... you may not believe it, but you are nearly a full 'A' cup, so that's what we'll try, but some brands run smaller than others, so I'm going to suggest that we try some of those smaller running brands. Now, I've brought in some with a little bit of padding - not a lot, dear, don't panic - and you can see how she looks with a little shape, too."

Immediately upon the first bra touching his breasts, Stevie felt a relief he didn't know he needed. The incredibly soft material in the bra's cups soothed his slightly sore nipples like he never expected material could. It was a true revelation!

"How does that feel, dear?" The woman asked.

"Amazing," Stevie replied honestly.

The saleswoman smiled and looked at Katie. "Let me guess - A tomboy who all of a sudden is discovering she's a girl. Am I right?"

Katie smiled in return. "She's suddenly discovered she's a girl, yes. That's comfortable, Stevie?"

"Very," Stevie smiled. "I can't believe how good it makes my... well..."

"Your nipples," dear," the saleswoman said with just the slightest indication of impatience. "They're called nipples."

Stevie blushed. "Yes. I can't believe how good it makes my... nipples... feel." That word just seemed weird to say in front of others.

"Put your top back on and look in the mirror," the saleswoman instructed. "See... this bra has almost no padding, but as you can see, it still gives her a slightly more grownup shape."

'Grownup!' There was a word that Stevie liked a lot. He wanted to be perceived as being more grownup.

The saleswoman continued, "See, she has enough shape now to break the line of her top as it hangs here in front, as long as she's wearing a bra, but I could show you a bra with just the tiniest bit of padding that will break that line more significantly without making her look like Dolly Parton. It'll just enhance her bust a bit and add just a touch of presence. I promise, she won't suddenly look like she developed over night. It's a very natural look."

Katie looked at Stevie. "What do you think, Hon? Do you want to try something a little bit more grownup?"

Stevie nodded and smiled, in spite of himself. "Yes, please. I think I'd like to try that."

The saleswoman smiled and had him remove his top again. Then she removed the first bra and eased the second onto him. "So, this bra will gather up what assets she has and push them forward while also adding a little extra. And listen, sweetie, as you get older, you'll learn that there's nothing wrong with adding a little extra to enhance the beauty of the package. Men are visual creatures. They react to what they're looking act. There, now doesn't that look beautiful on her?"

Stevie was still trying to digest everything the saleswoman had said. 'Adding something extra?' He certainly had lots of extra parts, no matter what sex he was imitating and, let's face it, he was imitating one sex or another at any given moment.

Katie, though was looking at Stevie and her eyes were glistening because with this bra on, she could not deny that this person was not her little brother. This person was her little sister. No brother could look this adorable in his first bra. His perky little breasts were real and the sweet, delicate lace of the bra looked so girlish as they framed them.

"What?" Stevie asked her.

"Nothing..." she smiled, but a tear rolled down her cheek. "I just wish mom was here to see you. You look so grownup and beautiful, Stevie."

"Mom?" Stevie's eyes were wide with surprise at that remark.

"Oh, honey, when we get home, look at the picture of her on my dresser. You look just like her in high school. She'd be so proud of you."

Stevie looked at himself in the mirror. He knew that picture. He did look a bit like his mother in it, but...

"Why would mom be proud of me just because I look like her?" He asked, confused.

"Honey," Katie put her arm around him and looked at his reflection, "mom would just be proud of who you've become. Of how you cared for Grandma so well when she needed you. How you care for Livy and Alice and Derrick and me. Stevie... you are a wonderful person and mom would be so, so, so proud of you. The fact that you look like her would just make her so happy."

"Really?"

Stevie... I remember the day you were born. Mom always adored you. You know that."

He shook his head. "I barely remember mom." He laid his head on his sister's shoulder. "Grandma raised me more than mom."

Katie nodded. "Yeah, I suppose that's true. I never really thought about it, but you're right. She did love you, though, Stevie. And she'd still love you. I wish she could see what a great person you've become."

Stevie sniffled. "Thank you, Katie."

"I really hate to interrupt," the saleswoman said, "but I do have other customers to deal with. If you wouldn't mind trying on your top again, dear, and seeing if you like this look, then we can figure out what you'd like to purchase."

"Oh, of course," Katie nodded and picked up the top that Stevie had worn and helped him to put it back on. "I like it, Stevie," she said. "You definitely look more... womanly. Less... girlish."

That was enough for Stevie, but just to be sure, he turned to Olivia. "What do you think, Livy?"

The girl smiled. "You look nice."

"Ok. I guess I like this, then," Stevie confirmed, nervously. It was kind of a big step for him - his first bra and it was an enhancing bra.

"Can we get three more of this brand, please?" Katie asked the saleswoman. "At least one plain enough to wear under a tee shirt, please."

"Of course," the saleswoman smiled. "Should I remove the tags so she can wear that one home?"

Stevie looked at Katie and nodded.

Katie looked at the saleswoman and said, "Yes, please."

Soon, they were headed out the door, with Stevie feeling, oddly, both self conscious and quite pretty in his new bra, presenting a new look to the world.

They were nearly to the food court when Katie stopped in front of an Old Navy story. She looked at a mannequin in the window wearing a pretty sundress and thought for a moment. Yes, she'd already spent more than she'd intended, but boy it would be nice to get Stevie something new to make him feel special. She sensed that he really needed something like that. Besides, she had a lot of coupons on her phone and Old Navy was priced well... Oh, what the heck.

"Let's go in here for a few minutes," she said with a broad smile.

Stevie, along with Olivia's help, guided the stroller into the store and followed Katie into the 'Juniors' department.

Assuming that she was shopping for herself, Stevie mostly ignored the clothing Katie was looking at and instead focused on discussing pretty colors and patterns with Olivia and Alice.

Finally, Katie pulled out a pretty, beige dress with big, bright pink flowers on it and said, "Ok, girls, let's go to the dressing rooms."

When they reached the back of the store, Katie handed the dress to Stevie and said, "Try this on and then step out so I can see it. There's a zipper in the back. If you need help with it, I'll pull it up for you."

"Me?" Stevie looked at the very pretty, but very, very girlish dress and asked, "Why did you pick that for me?"

"Stevie," Katie said with a great deal of love and patience in her voice, "I know this is hard for you, but you keep on just sticking your toes in the water. Honey, you are my wonderful, wonderful brother, but you can tell by looking in the mirror that nature is turning you into my wonderful, wonderful sister."

Stevie took a glance around to see if anyone else could have heard that. No one else was nearby.

"I'm just trying to help, honey. Really. Just try it on and see if you like how it looks. If you don't like it, we'll just put it back and go have lunch. If you do like it, then we'll buy it and... you can wear it tomorrow when Derrick is doing all the cooking. Your friend Pat is coming over, so you can just relax in your pretty, new dress and be a lady of leisure for the day. Ok?"

Stevie was very conflicted. The more he thought about the possibility of become a woman - a real, honest to goodness, functioning woman - the more it intrigued him, but the more it scared him, too. He'd never particularly WANTED to be a man, but he'd never particularly NOT WANTED to be a man either. Except for that one little role play fantasy a few days ago, he'd never thought of the clothes he wore as male or female clothes. They were just... clothes. Hand-me-downs, in a way. He was just getting by with what he had handy.

This was different. It was another BIG step.

"Did you have to pick one with such bright flowers on it?" He asked Katie.

"I think it's pretty."

"Well, I do too, but it's just..."

"Just what? Too girly? Stevie, please relax and go with this, ok? First of all, just like the bra and panties you are wearing, there are no dresses that aren't 'girly.' That's what they are meant to be. Secondly..." she took a breath and looked around to make sure she could speak privately. "I don't want to sound mean and we talked about this last night, too... You have a girl's body, Stevie. Little breasts, little hips, soft skin, no facial hair, very little body hair..."

"You're forgetting," he interrupted, "that I still have a penis and that still makes me a man."

"No, baby," she smiled. "A penis might have made you a boy, and that's what fooled us, but you don't have anything that goes with it, Stevie. No testicles, no musculature... nothing, honey. What you do have is the same plumbing that I have, sweetie. And that plumbing is shaping you the same way that it shaped me."

He glanced at his reflection in the mirror. His always soft facial features looking back, but this time those features were slightly more emphasized be the use of makeup. His hair, thick and dark and long, that he was always kind of proud of, betrayed him now and made him look so very female. Then his breasts caught his sight. The way they now were more visible in the way that his top, which had hung loosely from his shoulders, now hung loosely from his modest, new attributes.

Sure, the person in the mirror wore a skirt, a tank top and sneakers and made some meaningless attempts to look androgynous, but those attempts just succeeded in making the girl in the mirror cuter and more girlish. That was unquestionably a girl in the mirror. He'd been denying it, but his reflection was staring back at him and saying, "Try on that pretty dress."

He looked at Kate and nodded, then took the dress into the changing room.
 
 
To Be Continued...