---

No longer bad
now someone good
at last I'm valued like I always hope they would
no longer wrong
now something right
my mom and dad woke up and fine'ly saw the light

Now I'm the one
I hoped they'd see
And now I'm free to be the someone that is me
no longer dark
they've seen the light
my life at last is fine'ly getting to be bright

Oh please don't go and wake me
now I'm the one they love so dear
Yes...it's true that I'm dreaming
To awaken from this bliss is what I truely fear

Well, who'd have dreamed
Well, bless my heart
Who'd have conceived
Well, who indeed?
And who'd have known that I would be whom I believed
It's just a dream. For goodness sake
We'll wait and see
A few hours more and then I'll go ahead and wake
There's something there but nothing more
Maybe it won't return to the way it was before
Oh it will be exactly like it was before

---

The loud buzz of the alarm pierced the heart of the sleeping girl and the dream vanished in an instant. Andy turned over and looked at the time. 7am.

"What?...oh..." He reached over and switched it off. Sitting up he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He absentmindedly went to smooth his hair and felt the rough edges of the crewcut that he now wore. He bit his tongue and shook his head before getting up and walking to the bathroom. The whole room reeked of pine cleaner; not a trace or hint of jasmine or honeysuckle remained. He reached into the shower stall and turned on the hot water before stripping. Tossing the white cotton underwear unceremoniously into the hamper, he climbed into the shower.

"Andy, Dean is on the phone, honey. He wants to know if you're coming over this morning to help them clean the garage." Connie yelled from downstairs. As Andy turned the water off he heard another voice.

"Dean...put your dad on the phone...yes." There was a brief silent pause and then Andy heard his father speak again.

"Look, Pete...I think it best if the boys don't see each other for a while...Yes I know. but Dr. Anderson thinks it best if they have a...time-out." Another pause.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, Pete. Look...you do what you see fit...I still think you're wrong. No...they're not girls...we went over this already. You're treating this like they're twins. Well, Pete they're not identical, you know? Fine...Well...we'll see...Sunday? Let me think about it. Yeah, love you too. Bye!"

"Andrew...please." His mother pled.

"No...The doctor said"

"The doctor is wrong, Andrew and you know it. You don't want to buck the medical authority. Well, that's why God invented second opinions." Connie was angry and Andy slumped against the shower wall as tears filled his eyes. The water grew cooler and cooler until he heard his mother's voice once again fifteen minutes later.

"Andy...would you come down here...your dad and I want to talk with you." Her voice was loud but not angry or nearly as urgent as he expected. He toweled off and walked into the bedroom. He threw on some underwear along with some sweatpants and a tee.

"Wha....what did you want to te...tttellll me." He stammered as he walked into the kitchen. Andrew was sitting at the table looking out the window. Connie smiled and walked over to him. She pulled him into a hug and smiled.

"We've decided to get you an appointment with Dr. Callahan. Okay? Would you like that?" Andy couldn't believe his ears. He looked over at his dad, who just smiled at him and nodded. Andy looked at his mother and he pulled him into another hug and kissed his head.

"Oh, honey..." She shook her head, a sad frown on her face, feeling the roughness of his crewcut on her lips.

"One thing good about hair...it grows back." She smiled and nodded at him again.

"Go upstairs and get your socks and shoes on, okay. We've got a garage to clean." She smiled at him and shooed him out of the kitchen. Andrew looked at her and half-smiled.

"One thing I am so thankful for...actually two." She looked at him, puzzled.

"First, I am so glad that God gave me a wise woman for a wife." He pause and she replied,

"And?" She tilted her head.

"He made me wise enough to listen to her!"

He laughed softly before taking a sip of his coffee. Sitting on the table lay Connie's Bible, which was open to a page she had shown him only minutes before. She had used a yellow highlighter to mark the passage she wanted him to read. And underlined in pen as well, it read, Colossians 3:21 -

Parents, don't come down too hard on your children or you'll crush their spirits.

Connie grabbed a cup out of the dish rack and poured herself some coffee before kissing Andrew on the cheek.

"Have I told you lately how much I love you?"

"I believe yes you have...but I'd love to hear it again." He smiled before she leaned over and kissed him, this time on the lips.

"I love you," he said as their lips parted. "Oh so much. I want to be the one to call to set up the appointment...it's the least I can do for..." He paused in thought, absentmindedly stroking the brush of his own short hair.

"I owe him...her...what do we call our child?" He said as his eyes filled with tears once again.

"I believe her name is Anne Marie."

There's something more, oh goodness me
But what it is I guess it just remains to see
Our girl at last will be the girl that she will be!

Next: Desperately Seeking Identity

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based on Something There
words and music by
Alan Menken and Howard Ashman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ysRm_C56UM