I looked around. Yep, the house was pretty clean. The table was set. Dinner would be ready shortly. Do I serve wine? No, I'd best not. Tonight would be difficult enough. Though some extra relaxation... No, I think clear heads are best.

My wife knew we were having a special evening tonight. Today was the thirtieth anniversary of our first date. Our older kid was off at college, and junior was at his friend's for the weekend. She'd had a peaceful week, for which I was glad. We were both looking forward to the weekend. I just hoped my decision to reveal my secret didn't ruin everything. I'd rather keep it forever, than have the worst happen.

I heard her car in the driveway. Best stop running over things again and again. I did a quick look around. Yeah, I think it'll do.

"Hi, Love." she called out, as she came in the back door.

"Hi. Missed you." I said, walking up to grab some of her bags. "Dinner'll be ready in about ten minutes, honey."

"Smells good. What'd you come make this time?"

I laughed. She knew I wasn't much of a chef. "I actually experimented this time. It's sorta a stir fry." I went on to describe how I'd chopped up the chicken and seared it on all sides, before putting it aside. Then, I heated a bit of olive oil in a skillet, added some crushed garlic and let that simmer a bit before adding a bit of ginger. When the garlic started to brown, I’d added chopped onion and cooked the mixture, until the onion began to turn translucent. At which point, I added some soy sauce. Next, I’d put in the sugar snap peas and the chicken to stir and, in the case of the chicken, finish cooking. I’d just added the water chestnut before she’d walked in the door.

"Whatever you did there, it smells divine. I don’t know what I did to deserve a husband like you!"

I hugged her, because I needed to, and because I didn’t want her to see the stress that list line had caused. "We’d best get cleaned up, honey. It’s best hot."

"I’ll be right back. Would you mind fixing me a glass of wine?"

"Okay." Well, one glass won’t cause a problem. It’s not as if I suggested it.

Dinner went well. I guess I’d lucked out on the spicing ratios. I knew I’d never get to be anywhere near the cook she was, but maybe that was a good thing. We cleaned the table together.

"It’s nice to have a quiet weekend without kids underfoot, for a change." She said. "Oh, you managed to do the whole meal in a single pan."

"Not quite. I just rinsed the dirty stuff and put it in the dishwasher."

"Well, at least you didn’t get every pot in the kitchen dirty, like you accuse me of doing."

I laughed. "But, your results are soooo good. I do my share of the work cleaning up after one of those meals!"

She joined my laughter. We chatted about a lot of things, as we finished cleaning up and putting the leftovers away.

"I’m glad there’s enough left for me to take it for lunch one day next week."

"Once I’d thawed the chicken, I figured I’d best cook it all."

"Yes, I don’t like to re-freeze meat."

With that, we finished the clean up.

"Shall we watch something?" she asked me.

"Actually, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about, honey. Do you mind?"

"Not at all."

We went, and sat in the living room.

"So, what’s the mystery?"

"Honey, I love you more than anything in the world. But, I’ve kept a secret from you for most of the time we’ve been married."

She looked at me suddenly, with a worried expression.

"I’ve a medical condition; I guess you could call it."

Her expression changed, but it was more concerned than anything else "You’re not going to die are you?"

"No, nothing like that. It’s more medical and mental. The stress of hiding it from you and others has been eating at me for years. And that I had a secret at all, from you, was also hard."

"So, you’re going to tell me now?"

"Yes. I’m going to try. I tried once, before our eldest was born, but circumstances conspired, and I just couldn’t. Julie, this doesn’t change who I am. Sorry, I’m avoiding it again, but you deserve to know. I’m" I took a deep breath. "I’m a transsexual."

"I know."

------

Where does it go from here? Only time will tell.