No sooner had Annabelle gotten her motorcycle put away inside the stables. The rain started to come down. Annabelle grabs her duffle bag and heads inside the house. Dawn had started on making lunch for the two of them. She was warming up some sliced chicken breast, chopped mushrooms, sugar peas and string carrots with herbs and spices in a frying pan. The fry bread she made the other day was warm from just a few seconds in the microwave.

“I’m in the kitchen.” Dawn had heard the front door open.

“Okay.” Annabelle comes walking in. She had gotten wet from running in the rain. It wasn’t easy in three inch heels.

“Mm! Something smells nice in here.” Annabelle loved the smell coming from whatever Dawn was cooking.

“Thanks. Have a seat at the table.” Dawn grabs two plates and put a slice of fry bread on each plate and then the chicken.

She carries the plates into the dining room and walks back into the kitchen.

“You don’t mind sweet ice tea do you?” Dawn leans her head out of the kitchen.

“No ma’am. I don’t mind.” Annabelle liked sweet ice tea.

Dawn comes carrying two glasses of ice tea with her back to the table. She hands one glass to Annabelle.

“Thank you.”

“Your welcome.” Dawn sits down across from Annabelle.

“How much female attire do you have?”

“Not much. I have some jeans, blouses and a few t-shirts. I have all the proper undergarments, but no nightgown or anything. I didn’t want my foster mother to find it or the other boys I shared a room with.” Annabelle takes a bite of her lunch. She had folded it like a taco and was eating it that way.

“Well, I think I have a few articles of clothing that might fit you and there’s a thrift store across the street from the store. We can get you some clothes to wear from there till you can do some shopping. Do you have any other boots other then what you are currently wearing?”

“Yes ma’am. I have work boots and a pair of tennis shoes.” Annabelle had brought women’s boots and tennis shoes when she was buying things for the Halloween party.

“What name is your motorcycle register in?” Dawn was wondering if she needed to take Christian to have her name changed.

“It’s register under Annabelle Lee. I knew a lady at Department of Motor Vehicles and she got me a new driver’s license with my name and social security number on it under Annabelle Lee. She even changed my gender as female in their system. The insurance on the motorcycle is under Annabelle Lee as well.”

“Why did she do that?” Dawn was curious.

“She’s a T-girl as well and knows how much of a hassle it can be with the system.” Annabelle takes another bite of her lunch and sip of her tea.

When lunch is done, Annabelle hand washes the dirt dishes and dries them.

“You know, you didn’t need to do that. I have a dish washer.” Dawn had an amused look on her face.

“Come on, I’ll show you your new bedroom.” Dawn escorts Annabelle to her bedroom.

“The bathroom is at the end of the hallway. Your bedroom window faces the backyard. The house was rewired three years ago, so you have an ethernet port in here if you have a laptop or you can use the wifi. If you don’t mind me asking Annabella, how are you getting your hormones?” Dawn knew from reading that people transitioning had to take hormone replacement therapy.

“Well, I know I shouldn’t be doing this, but I have been buying them from a supplier on the Dark web. It was the only way I could get them. I didn’t trust the drug dealers in my neighborhood and once they got you as a client they could get you hooked on other drugs.” Annabelle wonders what Dawn will say.

“I’m not here to judge your actions Annabelle. Look, why don’t we set an appointment with a doctor so that they can check you out and make sure nothing bad has happen since you have been taking the black-market hormones except what you have been wanting to happen. Okay?”

“Okay. I’ll see a doctor. Dawn” Annabelle knew Dawn was right. She was risking her life, but it was the only way she could get the hormones to keep herself from progressing any further as a boy.

The rest of the evening goes by quietly. Annabelle had changed out of the clothes she arrived in and slipped on a pair of shorts and a baby blue T-Shirt that said, “Relax We’re All Crazy IT’s A Competition” in white letters on the front of it.

“That’s an interesting shirt.” Dawn liked it.

“I thought so. It was in a discount bin at Big Lots.”

“So, what cooking experience do you have?” Dawn looks at Annabelle.

“I know how to boil water and make instant macaroni and cheese. That’s it’s for my cooking experience, besides nuking everything.”
Annabelle had admitted she didn’t much cooking experience.

“Well, you’re going to help me make dinner tonight young lady. So, come on and I’ll show you how to make fry bread and deer stew.” Dawn takes Annabelle to kitchen with her.

“Deer Stew? Is it anything like beef stew?” Annabelle was confused.

Dawn just giggles at the confused look on Annabelle’s face.

“Yes, we are just substituting beef chunks for deer meat. Have you ever had deer meat before?”

“No ma’am. I have never had deer or any other animal other then cow.” Annabelle figures she was going to experience a lot living with Dawn.

“By the time, I get done teaching you how to cook. You’ll be able to cook for yourself and your family.” Dawn hands Annabelle an apron to wear while she is cooking.

Dawn shows Annabelle how to make fry bread and how to make deer stew. While the stew is cooking, they go out onto the back porch so
Annabelle could see how big the property was.

“It’s nice out here.” Annabelle takes a deep breath and holds it in some and release it.

“It’s different. I grew up in the city, so country life is something new to me. However, I do enjoy it. I have a small garden, so most of our food come from the garden I planted.” Dawn was looking towards her garden noticing how big it has gotten.

“Dawn, how do you feel about the gays, lesbian and transgender?” Annabelle was curious.

“To be honest, I don’t care. We all were put here for a reason. It used to be customary for people who were two souls like yourself to become shamans in most Cherokee and other Native American tribes.”

Annabelle looks at Dawn and wonder about her.

Dawn notices Annabelle looking at her “what?”

“Nothing” Annabelle turns and heads back into the kitchen to check on the stew.