The three of us were up talking in Susan Law’s room, and when we sat on the floor Debra moved to put her legs and arms around me so I was nestled in her hug. Susan said, “Did you know that Deb was taken with you from the first time we went shopping?” She has my attention as I too had really liked Debra from the beginning.

Debra said, “My desire was to become friends and get acquainted with each other. But I wanted Susan to help us to get together. And I don’t want you to be jealous that Susan and I will continue as best friends.”

I was not only surprised to hear that, but that she and Susan were back to being best friends, not lovers was something I hoped for. Something in my memory said my love of girls went back earlier in my life. While the thoughts, feelings, and memories were telling me to slow down. What was now new and very present, were the feelings of my maturing body.

I now needed to get back to Ayala to help me sort things out. I was now wanting to get back to my faerie mother Ayala. She had said, ‘In time I would remember only one identity and my memory would be of that person. While I didn’t want to lose Aaron, I wanted Erin’s past life to essentially be my life. Memories of both were distracting.’

Micayla had already arrived at the point her past and present were essentially Micayla. She told me something I didn’t know about her. There was a friend she met through Ersa that she liked. She said, “I tend to be attracted to older guys who are more mature. He and I like fashion though not all the same. I like how to fit he feels to my touch, while he loves my eyes and that I’m soft and bring out his gentle qualities.”

“Mostly, what I’m wanting to communicate to you is your experience will be unique to you. Like how you said, ‘You just felt comfortable and loved in Debra’s arms. But you weren’t sure why you felt that about her and not Susan. And your attraction to Jeff was fading like a once close friendship.”

One of my joys was now when our younger cousins would come over. Young Tiffany, who was barely four, would pull my hand and we went down to our finished basement. She’d go to the closet that had our dolls neatly stored away. She handed me Stardust; she took Teaka; and had brought out Tulip another doll that was very girly.

Each of the dolls had decorative skirts that matched our dolls. Some time ago my mother had extended Stardust’s skirt so I could still fit it around me. Once we were ready she called out, “Ready!” That’s when her brother Toby came trotting down, he’s close to six. He not only played with Tulip but put on her tulip-like skirt. We’d play down there and our moms would bring down our lunch. We ate at the kids' table.

After lunch, it was cute as Aunt Mae put play makeup on her children. She had done Toby first and as she began Tiffany; my mom said, “Sit up Star and she made me up like a little girl. I was amazed by how much fun I was having. We played old board games like Chutes and Ladders, and Candyland. It was like I was getting a chance to be a little girl once more.

The next day Mom woke me early. She and I went walking in the field behind us and we arrived at the Faery Pond. We had on old sneakers and walked over to the island and waited for the faeries to find us. Mom kept looking for something or someone more and then Princess Ayala was soon there.

My Mom stepped behind me and hugged me and then said to Princess Ayala, “I think she is ready; I am sure she is Erin and would like to be so forever.”

I turned around and hugged her, “Thank you, Mommy.”

With that, I turned and decided to bow on one knee to Princess Ayala. But with a wave of her hand and a spoken fae word, there was a bed of flower petals behind me. I laid down upon it, and Ayala spoke again and I saw an array of pastel lights shower down upon me, as her arm moved back and forth over me. She spoke and waved her scepter over me once again with that a red glow rode over my body. There was an essence that I breathed in and it filled my lungs and then my whole being.

I briefly fell asleep, and when I awakened I knew I was different, but with the exception of a tingling sensation, I could not tell there was any difference. It was funny with me at full size; Jeni was helping me to get up on my feet. With a whisper barely audible to my hearing, she said, “Now you too can bear our child or another child in your ‘being’ world.”

Princess Ayala said, “Another time I will take you deeper into your world with us. But that cannot be shared with anyone from your other life.” When Jeni and I had come into the union I knew there was more but Jeni would only say later. I now wondered how much more there was that I did not yet know. I knew not if it was all spiritual or if it included a physical world how near or far or elaborate it was.

One indication of the difference was when I saw the faerie, Jordy. I knew he had been in a fight. His right wings and been weakened and were now fused together enabling him to fly, though not very well. I could smell fear permeating him. I flew to him, not realizing I changed size. I passed a hand between his wings. Jordy felt even more vulnerable until I rested my two hands where each wing connected to his body. Not only did I heal the wings, but stayed my hands there until the strength and ability matched what it should be. I also healed a memory as I saw a shadow over his spirit disappear.

Soon I was back next to my Mom and full size. Her eyes were not able to fully see what I had done for Jordy. On the way home she did comment, “I know you helped that one faerie, was it a fever or upset stomach. I didn’t understand why something that small needed special care.”

I knew there were things I needn’t try to explain. I was thankful to have a short time with Jeni before we left to come home.

We were walking across the pond when I noticed a reflection and I quickly looked up to see the person with the fairest complexion I had ever seen. But when I looked around she had disappeared before I could see her. I looked down and she was there again. I touched my hand to my cheek and so did she. Mother said, “Yes, your appearance has changed. You look more like a fair skinned version of Ann, though you are still petite. Your hair is a soft strawberry blonde and your eyes are crystal blue.”

“But Mother how am I going to explain the change?”

“If someone really needs to know to tell them you dyed your hair and are trying a new look.” She said, “You’re a girl and girls do it all the time. On the other hand, maybe their memory is now of you like this. Aren’t you eager to find out?”

“It’s beautiful mother.”

Mother interrupted me, “You’re not an ‘it’? You are a beautiful person. But being beautiful can be like a two edge sword. It can be as challenging as it can be helpful. Mother Ayala said, ‘You have a strength that belies your petite frame.’ Men who need you as a healer or in time as a surgeon may have trouble believing you can to help them.”

“It will be up to you to grow and mature into the person you’re going to be from here on.”

It was nice that school was over and that I had the summer ahead of me. It would be needed time to learn about being me. But there was also Caroline’s wedding that was soon coming.

Caroline invited me to her home the last weekend of June, with her wedding to be on July 10th. Hanna her Maid of Honor and Crystal another bridesmaid would be there.

Heather and Jeff were upset when they heard that Debra took me on a date. It took time to realize I was growing up and no longer responsible for pleasing everyone. Jeff would move on and Heather and I would later draw close and become special friends.

My first kiss on my date with Debra was like kissing warm honey. I sniffed at her hair and took in her essence. It may or may not be a forever relationship, but I knew we were seriously in love for now. Debra was a junior becoming a senior in high school so we would have the coming year to grow together.

The weekend had come to be with Caroline for the weekend. It started with Caroline and her mother picking me up for my final fitting. Mrs. Rhodes thanked me again for helping with her daughter’s wedding. Seeing my gown, she said, “I was sure, we were going to have to make adjustments in the wedding plans. There was no likelihood we would find someone as petite as her friend on short notice.”

“Then we were horrified to hear you were the one to save the judge’s granddaughter. That you aren’t in a cast or disfigured is a major miracle. Our loss would have been minor compared to your death or injury.” Mrs. Rhodes hugs me and emotions overcame her.

Caroline pulled me into the changing room and over to where I was supposed to try my gown on again. I was quickly down to my bra and panty. This time I am even to lose my bra and put on a corset. I will not have to squeeze my waist as much as the corset will help to pronounce my hips some more. The seamstress sees my bosom has grown and remarks. If I didn’t know better I’d have guessed you had surgery to make your babies noticeably bigger.”

The Maid of Honor (MoH) mumbled under her breath, “How does one know, she didn’t?”

I spoke up, “She didn’t see any bruising or surgery marks where they would have been inserted.” The seamstress smiled, “That’s right but I’m surprised you know that.”

I matter of factly said, “I intend to be a doctor when I grow up.”

Hanna the MoH said. “Does that mean you know why I am not feeling 100%?”

I said, “We’ll be lucky if no fewer than three of us will be experiencing our monthly visitor this weekend. …On the other side, it will be good to have them done before the wedding. That way we will be able to fully enjoy the wedding.”

I was hoping that I wouldn’t have to stay for the weekend with them. But I knew Caroline wanted me to become friends with all of her bridal party. I usually like children but not Caroline’s nephew Brock. He’s to be the ring bearer. I expected his sister Carmen the flower girl and she was nice. But I didn’t think Brock was needed; he definitely wasn’t fitting in.

I was tempted to give him a case of diarrhea but thought better of it.

I was bending over to help his sister Carmen when he tried to kick me in the rear. He was surprised when I was quick enough to catch his foot and pushed it higher. “Momma, she caused me to fall and hurt myself.”

I said, “Tell your mother that you were in the act of trying to kick me, while I was helping your sister.”

His mother said, “That’s enough, I am sending you over to Curt’s house to be with the men.”

Friday evening, Mr. Rhodes was cooking barbecue for us but complained he wasn’t feeling good. I didn’t want to be any hero or doomsday person but I knew there was more to his problem. “Mrs. Rhodes, is there someone here who’s a doctor or nursey and could look after Mr. Rhodes?”

Tamara a niece was there and was a nurse, training to become a physician’s assistant. Mr. Rhodes allowed her to check him once the food was done, but he didn’t like her advice to go to the emergency room right away. “Uncle Paul, it is better you go now. I am fairly sure this won’t wait until after the wedding.” When I stood with Tamara, Caroline became scared enough to encourage her father to cooperate.

We stayed at the house when Mr. and Mrs. Rhodes went with Tamara and her mother to the nearby hospital. They kept Mr. Rhodes at the hospital and if he was stable come the morning would have stents put into two very blocked heart arteries.

It did mean the salon trip in the morning was canceled, but come the afternoon they had three massage therapists come to the house. With a whirlpool near the pool and six massage tables set in a circle so we could face each other the afternoon and evening went amazingly well.

With Mr. Rhodes in the hospital, we were able to move around in the nude or short robes. The only males present were one baby and Jake their dog.

This was no longer out of my element, but it was new as I was maturing and allowed earlier than expected to join with older girls in a time like this.

It was moving to surround Carole and for her bridal party to see her tension melt away with the joyful tears celebrating her Dad now becoming well.

It was not until after midnight that I and found out that Deidre, was Caroline’s older brother now sister. Her Adam’s apple was diminished by surgery but still very noticeable until I finished looking at it. I needed to make sure it was something Deidre wanted as her husband was gay and might have preferred the flaw.

Caroline turned to me, “I’m glad Deidre being part of the wedding party doesn’t upset you.”

I said, “It’s like she says, her spirit has always been female. It is just nice to see that she’s now comfortable being herself.”

Sunday night we went out late for Caroline’s girls’ night out. While I didn’t drink, I was surprised to be taken to see the Billy Bob Boys perform. The other women were joking about how Caroline’s Curt would measure up to these guys. Caroline retorted, “He’ll only be performing for me, and I am well pleased with how he measures up.”

I was surprised how my breasts and lower region were aroused by the men, especially one Tony Q (quite) Public.

Things like Caroline’s wedding, the difference in Erin’s life as opposed to Aaron’s and in my junior year in high school; I became a candy-striper at the hospital. It both confirmed my love of medicine and gave me a head-start in things I needed to learn.

I was able to be there when Jeni gave birth to our first daughter. It was the next spring when Jeni made me pregnant and later that summer when I gave birth to Merth. I had stayed with the other faeries most weekends and all during the summer even after I had given birth. First nursing and then introducing Merth to nectar in a bottle helped me to mature as a mom but always made it hard when I came back to my regular world.

Merth at 12

Princess Ayala had been made Queen of our fae community and Merth was allowed to regularly be at her side. When she was seven she was made named Princess Merth by Ayala.

My being Mom meant Merth would be gifted as well and as I had become a doctor and Merth was a grown-up teenage faerie. I had a double profession of healing people with earth science as well as my normal M.D. practice of medicine. I didn’t change the world only our community and part of the surrounding counties.

It helped to reduce cancer and heart failure rate around us. Marpe who I had met long ago by this time said, “Erin, I believe this is why Princess Ayala was driven to raise you up as a faerie.”

Now Queen Ayala said, “Isy, I am so proud of how you are doing, especially as Erin. I hear you are back with Debra and hoping to marry. I need for you to know any child coming from your seed or your egg will be a faerie as well as a being. Are you comfortable raising someone like yourself? She or he would likely have another gift to grow into.

“If it is Debra you would marry I would allow you to enlighten her about you being a fae. I would bless and open her mind to receive the news. I had sought that with your father, but he was not receptive.”

“Oh thank you, dearest Mom. I was nervous about marrying her and asking you to allow me to tell her.”

“It is so hard to have colleagues who don’t accept problems with the environment and the ill health they cause. I didn’t want Debra as my wife, is we could not share mutually. That news will be very helpful as I go on.”

Queen Ayala said, “Come fifteen years from now you two will need to move so others won’t be aware of the slow progression of aging for Debra and you. She will be blessed to twice the age as normal.”

“Then come to the end of her life; I would like you to return and live with your family here.”

“Thank you, Queen Ayala, I look forward to that time as well as all of my days here.”

Aaron, Erin TeraNova, Isy
Christine – mother
Ann, Joselyn – Sisters
Jeff Law – Aaron’s best friend; Erin’s boyfriend
Heather Young
Donna Law – his mother
Susan Law Jeff’s bigger sister and friend Debra Burns
Princess Ayala
Marie, Jeni - Faeries
Shiloh, Jordi
Marpe
Grandmother Nora
4X Great Grandmother Bear
Great Grandma’s Journal – Nature’s remedies
Steward and two goons
Henry Drew
Teddy Bruno and his friend Bob
Caroline Rhodes
Hanna – MoH Crystal - Bridesmaid
Scotty – groomsman at Caroline’s wedding
Patricia
Monica
Drew/Darcie Palmer
Bradley
Ersa and her grandfather Judge McDonald