“Good morning, Dr Phillips,” the young receptionist said as the distinguished looking fifty-year-old woman entered the office.

“Good morning, Melanie,” Dr Phillips replied, smiling politely as she let herself into her office, where she took a deep breath before preparing her files for the day.

Beverly Phillips had begun her life as Beverly Howard on the 19th of April 1968, the second of three children, all of whom were high-flyers. Her brother was one of the most respected general practitioners in Bristol, while her sister had worked as a surgeon at one of London's most prestigious hospitals since 2005. Beverly herself had graduated from medical school in 1992 with a degree in psychology. Throughout her undergraduate studies, one field of psychological medicine had fascinated Beverly more than any other- that of gender identity.

While Beverly had no first-hand experience of the distress gender dysphoria could cause, she had spoken to more than enough people to understand that it could cause real problems to those suffering from it. It was a medical fact that some people were unable to live their lives as the gender to which they were assigned at birth, and Beverly felt an obligation to use her skills and experience to help those people live the lives they were destined to live. Beverly had also seen enough transphobia and bigotry to know that there were many people who needed her help, and that everybody she helped would have individual needs she'd likely never see in another person.

The first client she met on that Monday morning would certainly prove that point.

“Hello!” The long-haired young woman said in her thick Manchester accent as she entered the office.

“Hello Natalie, please take a seat,” Beverly replied. Natalie was one of Beverly’s more intriguing clients, and certainly proof that not all transgendered people were on the same journey. While it was true that genetically, Natalie was fully male, and while she was sat before her dressed in a tight, low-cut top and a knee-length black skirt, unlike the majority of Beverly’s patients, Natalie wasn’t uncomfortable living life as a man. Natalie simply much preferred to live life as a woman, except for those days when she didn't.

“Do you have any classes today?” Beverly asked.

“Only in the afternoon,” Natalie replied.

“Have you had any further issues from what we discussed last week?” Beverly asked, smiling sympathetically as her client nodded.

“A couple,” Natalie sighed. “Won’t lie, I’m not finding it easy, but this’ll still be nothing compared to if I- well, you know.” Beverly nodded again as she remembered Natalie’s stated ambition to be the UK’s first non-cisgender member of parliament- a job that exposed everyone to extreme public scrutiny even if they weren’t transgender. Beverly had been concerned when Natalie had first stated her ambition to her, as even though she was a supremely intelligent person, she was still only 26 years old- and, as her counselling sessions had shown, was still discovering who she truly was.

“Have you spoken to Zoe about this?” Beverly asked, smiling as Natalie grinned at the mention of her wife.

“Well- yeah, but it’s not like there’s anything she can do, it’s not like she can come to uni with me,” Natalie sighed.

“You’d be surprised by how problems can seem like less of an issue if you share them,” Beverly advised. “Even if all they can do is listen- like I’m doing.”

“…Don’t you want my custom anymore or something?” Natalie asked with a chuckle, which Beverly shared.

“You know very well what I mean,” Beverly said, smiling at the northern woman’s teasing.

“Yeah, I know, I know,” Natalie chuckled. “Ahh… I dunno. Maybe I’m just finding it harder than I expected, I was told that the second year of uni would be a big step up from the first year, and that's definitely been the case. I'm not proud to admit this, but- but I'm almost kinda dreading the third year."

“University isn’t meant to be easy, even for someone of your intelligence,” Beverly reminded the younger woman. “Though admittedly, that does usually refer only to the workload, rather than other factors.”

“Yep,” Natalie sighed.

“Are you still in contact with the Student Union and the university’s LGBT society?” Beverly asked.

“When I can,” Natalie replied. “With it getting late in the school year, the workload…”

“I definitely understand there,” Beverly chuckled. “Are you still enjoying your course, though?”

“Oh- definitely,” Natalie replied. “It’s a topic I’m interested in and very passionate about, that hasn’t changed, even if some of the other students aren’t quite as progressive as they should be. And before you say anything about different opinions and different viewpoints, denying me the right to be who I want isn’t an ‘opinion’. It’s bigotry. End of story.”

“Well, you know I’m not as left-wing as you,” Beverly said with a smile. “I doubt even Jeremy Corbyn is as left-wing as you, Natalie, but I definitely agree with you about the rights of the individual. But we’re not here to debate politics, we’re here to talk about you. And as much as you’re having some difficulties at your course, it’s very obvious that you’re still enjoying it. The way your eyes lit up when you talked about it just now just confirms that. All I can say is that in a way, politics isn't unlike psychology- a lot of it involves talking."

"Well- you're not wrong," Natalie chuckled.

"The difference being that psychologists always try to use talking in a constructive way," Beverly teased, smirking as her client rolled her eyes. "Talk more, Natalie. You'll be surprised just how much it WILL help."

As she continued her meeting with the young woman, Beverly found herself empathising with the young northern woman. Growing up, Beverly had had a stereotypical view of men who wore women’s clothing, but Natalie was one of many young women who had shattered that stereotype. Beverly just wished the whole world could know what an intelligent, eloquent young woman Natalie was- and how irrelevant her genetics or anatomy were when compared to that intelligence.

Eventually, the pair’s hour was up, and Beverly smiled as she shook the young woman’s hand. Once Natalie had left the office, she sat down to preview her next file. As she scanned the information on the page, Beverly couldn’t help but smile.

Growing up, it had never occurred to Beverly that gender could be a fluid thing. She was a woman, had been born a woman and would die a woman having lived every second of her life as a woman. To her, that was an unquestionable, immutable fact. However, to many young women, such a thought was not just unthinkable, at times it proved to be utterly intolerable. The next client Beverly would meet would be just one of those people.

“Hi,” the young man said in his distinctive Welsh accent as he entered the office.

“Hello Ian,” Beverly replied with a smile. “Please take a seat.”

“Thanks,” Ian said, straightening his loose boys’ jeans as he sat down.

Ian wasn’t the first client Beverly had who had been born female but lived their life as a man, though they were in the minority of her clients. As she had always done, Beverly had offered to refer Ian to a male counsellor in case he'd feel more comfortable with him than with her, but Ian had preferred to remain with her for many reasons- not least of which the number of mutual acquaintances they had.

“Are you at university later today?” Beverly asked.

“Yeah, lecture first thing this afternoon,” Ian replied, making Beverly smile- her first two patients couldn’t be more different if they tried, and yet they still had more in common than even they would likely admit. “Got a, umm, different meeting before then, though.” Beverly’s smile changed into one of sympathy as she remembered the stress the young man had endured over the previous few months.

Unlike Natalie, Ian’s coming out had not been smooth and he had not had the full support of his family, especially not his parents. All throughout his life, Ian’s parents had given him obligations- a standard he was expected to meet regardless of how he felt, which had caused him immense amounts of stress. Beverly was convinced that this alone would’ve caused a detrimental effect on the young man’s health, even if he wasn’t born into the wrong gender. As a parent, Beverly could understand why Ian’s parents would want only the best for him, but she also knew from firsthand experience that young people must always be allowed to find their own way in life; whether this is following a different career path to the one their parents would have preferred, or dating someone their parents didn’t approve of- or even living life as a gender other to the one they were born as.

Ian's utter rejection of his parents had caused his father to sue him, ostensibly for the return of the money he had spent on 'Kayleigh-Ann's’ dancing and acting lessons, but Beverly knew, or at the very least strongly suspected that it was a knee-jerk reaction to Ian being transgendered. Either way, it was another source of stress that Beverly knew the young man didn’t need- and in Beverly’s subjective opinion, proof that some people simply should not be parents. However, Beverly was not there to judge Ian’s parents- that would be unprofessional, after all. Beverly was there to provide the young man with professional support and counselling, and that’s what she intended to do.

“With your solicitor?” Beverly asked, smiling sympathetically as the young man nodded. “Will your father be there?”

“No, it’s just me and Ross today,” Ian replied with a sigh. “He’s still obsessed with this counter-suit, even though we’re no closer to getting rid of the first lawsuit- the one against me, I mean.”

“I see,” Beverly said. “And you still just…?”

“I still just want the whole thing to go away,” Ian sighed. “Though I know it’s never going to be that easy, heh.”

“Perhaps not,” Beverly conceded.

“Especially when the only other option is selling out,” Ian said. “Signing up with Joshua Benedict…”

“Remind me again, why do you see it as ‘selling out’?” Beverly asked.

“Because- because it’s what my mum wants,” Ian replied, his voice dropping to an ashamed mumble, before letting out a long, pained sigh. “Though it would solve a lot of my problems, especially when it comes to money…”

“I can’t tell you to simply ignore your feelings concerning your mother,” Beverly said. “The stress you feel is real, it is valid, and you do not deserve to be this anxious. However, as you’ve demonstrated several times, even in these sessions, your life is yours to live.”

“So are- are you telling me to sell out?” Ian asked.

“I’m saying that if you choose to sign with Joshua Benedict, it will be your decision, and not your mother’s,” Beverly replied. “Ian, decisive action has worked well for you in the past. It was decisive action that caused you to be sat here, in this office, with testosterone flowing through your veins and, well, having 'got something off your chest'.”

“Well- I guess,” Ian sighed. “Though that was more of a spur of the moment thing, heh.”

“Spur of the moment decisions rarely have lifelong consequences,” Beverly retorted. “Unless what you were doing was something wrong, which you and I both know not to be the case. Ian, I’m never going to tell you what you should do with your life. You are a man. It is your life, not mine, not your girlfriend’s and certainly not your parents’. Any decision you make will equally be yours, such as your recent decision to look towards having a hysterectomy.”

“The sooner I get THAT out of the way, the better,” Ian said. “And not just because of the recovery time, heh.”

“Of course,” Beverly said softly as she mused on how the young man's desire for the surgery was borne not from a desire to follow a set path toward fully transitioning, but to follow his own path- to be his own, independent person, just as all children must eventually be.

Beverly relaxed back in her chair as she filed away her notes from her meeting with Ian. As concerned as she was for the young man’s welfare, she had to remind herself that as a professional, her role was to support, to empathise, not sympathise. However, as a parent, she couldn’t help but feel a little bit sorry, not just for Ian, but for the many other young men and women under her care. In her job, Beverly counselled people of all ages, but most of her clients were under the age of thirty- young enough to be her children, a fact she was very much aware of.

Beverly’s third client of the day fell into that age bracket, though as she was reminded when the client walked through the door, they were their own unique, individual person- which was the one thing all of her clients had in common.

“Good morning, James,” Beverly said as the long-haired young man entered the room. “Are you okay with ‘James’, or would you prefer that I call you ‘Sophie’ today?”

“N- no, ‘James’ will be fine,” the young man sighed as he sat down and stared at his loose jeans and men’s walking boots. “I’m seeing my parents later and- well, yeah.”

“I see,” Beverly said with a nod. Like her first client of the day, James- or as they were more often known, ‘Sophie’- was gender-fluid, though ‘Sophie’s beginnings had been very different to the Manchester native’s. Unlike Natalie, whose desire to be female had been with her throughout her whole life, 'James' had only recently discovered that aspect of himself- though as Beverly reminded herself, it didn't make 'Sophie' any less valid than Natalie or any of her other clients.

“I’m not back at work until Thursday, so I have the time to, well, relax…” James mumbled. “Do you have any more, umm, material for me?” Beverly smiled at the young man’s question- he was a journalist and a writer by profession, and while Beverly had published countless academic papers, she'd never had an actual paper book published. When she’d heard about the book that James was writing, she’d eagerly agreed to help him with it, a first-hand perspective on gender identity issues. However, the meeting they were having was not to discuss James's book, but to discuss James himself.

“A little,” Beverly replied. “I’ve not had any further consent for any more interviews, though.”

“Ah, I thought that was a long shot anyway,” James said with a shrug.

“So anyway,” Beverly said, “how have things been recently?”

“The same as always,” James sighed. “Work is- well, work.” Beverly nodded as James filled her in about his- or rather, Sophie’s work as a flight attendant. The airline they worked for- the same one Natalie had previously worked for- had a reputation for being LGBT-friendly after hiring two transgendered stewardesses in 2012, and Beverly had gained many of their employees as clients following the opening of the airline’s London hub in 2015. However, the more Beverly learned about life working for the airline, the more she realised that the airline's reputation wasn't entirely grounded in reality- a story she’d heard from countless clients about countless workplaces. Very often, her clients' dreams of living their lives in their new gender had been brought crashing down by the reality that they still needed to earn a living, and had to work around people who might not be accepting of their colleague's new 'situation'. However, Beverly felt reassured that in the UK at least, gender identity was a protected characteristic, meaning that legally, no employer could discriminate against an employee on the grounds that they were transgendered. For James (and Sophie), however, the situation wasn’t as straightforward- not that it was for any of Beverly's other clients- as James's book would likely put him firmly in the crosshairs of his management, just as his first book, an expose of life working for the airline, had nearly done.

“Are you still having problems with your manager?” Beverly asked.

“Not as much as I was,” James sighed. “I’m still being put on fewer flights than I was before, though I don’t mind that as much, ‘cause it gives me time to work on my book, but, well…”

“It gives you less of an opportunity to be ‘Sophie’?” Beverly asked.

“More like ‘less of a reason’,” James replied with a sad sigh. “I mean, here I am, plain old James, right?”

“By your own choice,” Beverly reminded the young man. “As regards visiting your parents, remember that I have offered to support you to come out to your parents before, and that offer will never not be on the table.”

“Even if I decide to abandon ‘Sophie’ forever?” James asked.

“Are you considering that, though?” Beverly asked.

“…No,” James replied with another long sigh. “I can’t get rid of ‘Sophie’ any more than I can, I dunno, cut off a leg.” Beverly smiled and nodded as the young man continued to speak, expressing his frustrations with his parents, detailing his worries about his future as 'Sophie' and- at Beverly's urging- recounting tales of the fun he had had with his friends- or rather, the fun that 'Sophie' had had.

As she always did, Beverly ate her lunch at her desk while reviewing her files for the clients she’d be seeing in the afternoon. The morning’s meetings hadn’t been anything too strenuous, but had still required all of Beverly’s skill and experience, even though she had known all three people for a long time and had a loose connection to all of them even in a non-professional way. Beverly smiled as she thought of the community that many of her clients had formed, a self-styled ‘Fellowship’ built on friendship and mutual support. However, as much as they helped each other (and other clients Beverly herself didn’t professionally support), like most families, they had their fallings-out, and sometimes needed more help than even Beverly could provide.

Beverly’s first client after lunch was proof of this, and the fact that no matter how rich or successful you were, you were just as vulnerable to mental health issues as anyone else. This particular client, though to the average person on the street seemed like the woman who had it all.

“Hello, Stephanie!” Beverly said with a wide, genuine smile as the famous singer entered her office, looking as beautiful as always. For over four years, Stephanie had been a member of out of Heaven, one of the UK’s most famous girl bands, even though for the first nineteen years of her life, ‘Stephanie’ had been known as ‘Stephen’.

While Stephanie had quickly earned fame and fortune, it had brought with it intense scrutiny from the press and the general public, with any perceived 'slip' in her femininity being pounced on by the tabloid press and thousands of trolls on social media- all people who forgot, willingly or otherwise, that Stephanie was a human being with all the needs and vulnerabilities that entailed. The stress of leading a public life had even caused Stephanie to spend time in a psychiatric hospital, where she had received help, but she still required ongoing help- help that Beverly was only too happy to provide.

“Hi,” Stephanie replied with a smile as she sat down and adjusted her knee-high boots. “Glad it’s finally warming up out there, heh!”

“Are you still feeling the cold a little, then?” Beverly asked.

“Meh, maybe a bit,” the famous singer replied. “Though it’s not like I’ve been going out much lately, heh.”

“Of course,” Beverly said softly as she remembered the recent fuss that had been made in the tabloids of the revelation that Stephanie was in a relationship with one of her bandmates, and had been for some time.

“How are things between you and Kayla?” Beverly asked.

“Great,” Stephanie replied with a shrug.

“It’s just that you mentioned you weren’t going out much,” Beverly continued, “which you said you were looking forward to following going public about your relationship.”

“Well- yeah…” Stephanie sighed. “But, you know, everywhere we go together, we kinda attract a crowd, heh.”

“I don’t doubt it,” Beverly said with a smile. “But you did know that was likely, didn’t you?”

“Oh, everyone knew it was likely!” Stephanie replied with a snort of laughter, earning a sympathetic smile from her counsellor. “But I am much happier now that things are finally out in the open, no more secrets- heh, no more lies!” Beverly smiled as Stephanie quoted the title of her group’s most famous song.

“I can tell, you do seem a lot more relaxed than you were a few weeks ago,” Beverly said. “Have you and Kayla made any future plans- I mean, have you planned any trips away, any holidays as a couple, that sort of thing?”

“We might be going to America later this year,” Stephanie replied. “But summer will be busy, what with AngelCon being in London in July, won’t give us a lot of time to ourselves.”

“It is important that you make the time,” Beverly advised.

“Yes, yes, I know,” Stephanie sighed. “Kinda hard when you’re public property, heh.”

“That just makes it all the more important,” Beverly said.

“…I know,” Stephanie conceded. “And I am really looking forward to going away somewhere with Kayla, somewhere where no one knows who we are, but it doesn’t matter anymore if they do.”

“Couldn’t have put it better myself,” Beverly said, earning a giggle from her young client. “I’m glad to hear things are going better, you do look a lot less stressed out even than you were last week.”

“I definitely feel better,” Stephanie said . “And, umm, I- I’ve thought a bit more about what we discussed last time.”

“About SRS?” Beverly asked softly, smiling as Stephanie nodded.

Many of Beverly’s clients had one long-term goal in mind when they started seeing her to help with their transition- to have the operation that would re-shape their genitalia to resemble that of the gender with which they identified. And much like Beverly herself had done in the past, those clients soon realised it was not a quick or straightforward process, even if they were well off enough to have the operation privately instead of on the NHS. They needed to demonstrate a commitment to living 100% of their life as the gender they identified with, as well as having done so for at least two years and had to have been on hormone replacement therapy for most, if not all of that time. And even then, when all of those criteria had been met, the operation could only go ahead if the person’s counsellor- in this case, Beverly- agreed that they were psychologically sound.

When she had been studying gender identity at university, it had initially baffled Beverly as to why someone would feel the need to go to such drastic lengths to alter their body, especially as it always meant that they would be sterile following the operation. This had at first caused Beverly to be reluctant to recommend her clients for the surgery, but when she saw the positive mental effects it could have, she finally began to understand why for some people, the surgery was essential. And while Stephanie’s journey had undoubtedly been a bumpy one, Beverly honestly believed that the young woman could benefit from having the operation- but that it would have to be her decision to go in for it.

“Have you made a decision yet?” Beverly asked.

“Not yet,” Stephanie sighed. “This- this is a lot to take in, a lot to think about, the operation, the recovery, the aftercare… I mean, everyone I’ve spoken too said it worked out so well for them, but I- I need to know that it would be right for ME.”

“Good,” Beverly said with a supportive smile. “It’s good that you’re thinking like this, it shows that you understand all the main issues concerning the operation.”

“Yeah, but I’m still no closer to a decision,” Stephanie sighed. “I mean, it’s not like I NEED the operation, right? Like, I’m living and working full-time as a woman, in the public eye, and I’m doing alright, aren’t I? But at the same time, you know, I kinda, like, feel incomplete…”

“These are things we’ve talked about before, many times,” Beverly reminded her young client.

“…Sorry,” Stephanie mumbled.

“No, it’s okay,” Beverly said. “This is your time, after all, and if we need to discuss this again to help you, then that’s what we’ll do. It won't hurt to repeat the same conversations over and over- quite the opposite, in fact, it can help to reinforce a decision in your mind.”

“Well- okay, I guess,” Stephanie sighed.

“It would also benefit you to put it aside for a few weeks,” Beverly advised. “Just- not think about it. You’ve had a lot of changes in your life recently, a lot of turmoil, it would do you good to slow things down a little, hence why I recommended a holiday.”

“Well- I guess,” Stephanie sighed. “Kinda hard to get comfortable in a ‘new normal’ when you know it’s probably going to change again in a few weeks anyway.”

“But that’s no reason why you should knacker yourself out trying to keep up with the rest of the world,” Beverly said. “Especially with your workload.”

“…Are you going to tell me to take a holiday again?” Stephanie asked, making her counsellor smirk. “Are you a doctor or a travel agent?”

“In this job, you need to be a little bit of everything,” Beverly replied with a knowing smile.

Beverly let out a quiet sigh of relief as Stephanie left her office- not out frustration at the young woman, but out of relief that the working day would soon be at an end. Beverly had only one further face to face appointment, and while on paper, it was one of her more challenging cases, secretly, it was an appointment Beverly was looking forward to more than any of her other appointments that day.

“Hello, Janet!” Beverly said as the tall, middle-aged transwoman entered her office.

“Hi Beverly!” Janet replied with a smile as she sat down, elegantly smoothing her suit’s smart pencil skirt. “Long day, then?”

”It’s been a Monday,” Beverly replied, eliciting a giggle from the other woman. “I’m sure you can appreciate that!”

“Oh- definitely,” Janet replied. “Been busy all day with our Dutch counterparts, having only just put the situation in France to bed, heh.”

“I see,” Beverly said. “But you are still enjoying the work, right?”

“As much as ever,” Janet replied with a smile. “I know it doesn’t sound like it, but it’s much less hectic than the supermarket, and I know that everyone at my workplace is- well, accepting…”

“Yes,” Beverly said with a sympathetic nod.

Beverly’s first four clients had something in common with each other that Janet didn’t- that they were all young, and in some cases had started transitioning from a young age. Stephanie was a beautiful young woman; Ian was undoubtedly a handsome young man and both Natalie and Sophie easily passed as young women. For Janet, however, this wasn't entirely the case.

As ashamed as she was by the thought, when Beverly began counselling transgendered people, she had a preconception, a prejudice even, of the people she’d be dealing with. She'd seen old TV shows of comedians like Les Dawson or Kenny Everett dressing in drag and had secretly worried that all of her clients would fall into that same boat. As time went by, though, Beverly found herself dealing with many young people who effortlessly slotted into their new gender, but moreover, she realised that whether or not a person ‘passed’ was irrelevant- it was who that person was on the inside the counted, and they were all equally deserving of her help, and to live their life however they needed to.

Beverly felt a particular need to help Janet, and not just because of their similar age, or because they were both parents, but because shortly after she had come out, Janet had tried to take her own life- something that Beverly had also had to deal with more than once from her more vulnerable clients. It served as a stark reminder of how destructive it could be when people were denied the right to merely be who they truly were on the inside.

“How are your girls doing?” Beverly asked, smiling as a happy expression spread across the other woman’s face.

“They’re both great,” Janet replied with a grin. “Ellie’s working really hard at uni, Lindsay’s sent off all of her UCAS applications, she’s put down a London university as her first choice but, well, nothing’s guaranteed, heh.”

“They’re both keeping busy, then!” Beverly chuckled.

“We all are!” Janet retorted with a grin.

“In between having a full-time job and being a full-time mum,” Beverly asked, “are you finding time for yourself?”

“…Where I can,” Janet confessed. “Though it’s not always easy- though you should know that, heh!”

“Indeed I do,” Beverly said with a smile as her eyes briefly flitted back to her desk, and to the two photographs on the desk.

The first photograph on her desk was of a 12-year-old brown-haired girl with blue eyes, who was wearing a basic secondary school uniform. The other picture was of the same girl, only she was no longer a girl, but rather a fully grown 20-year-old woman on her wedding day. Beverly had taken both photographs, and every time she saw them on her desk, she couldn’t but smile proudly at the woman that her daughter had become.

Sarah had always been intelligent, even from when she was very young, but what made Beverly proudest was how loving and accepting she was. From a young age, Sarah had known about Beverly’s job and what it entailed, and she had been fascinated by it. Beverly had even secretly hoped that Sarah might follow in her footsteps one day, though she hadn’t been disappointed when Sarah chose to pursue fashion design as a career instead, as her passion for fashion was obvious and she worked as hard to achieve her dream as Beverly had to achieve hers. Beverly had also felt a sense of pride at Sarah’s choice of a spouse, as in the photo of her on her wedding day, she wasn’t the only woman wearing a wedding dress- though she was the only one who had been born female.

‘Nick’ had been Sarah’s first boyfriend, and Beverly had no doubt that ‘Nikki’ would be the only person Sarah would ever truly love. Beverly had been wary of ‘Nick’ at first, as every mother would be of the first boy her daughter brought home, but the more she got to know ‘Nick’, the more she began to trust him- especially when he shared with her his- or rather, her deepest secret. Even though she couldn’t officially counsel ‘Nikki’ throughout her transition (due to her relationship with Sarah), Beverly had nonetheless helped to guide and support the girl as she blossomed into a beautiful young woman, a woman Beverly was only too happy to call her daughter-in-law. She saw it as oddly appropriate, given her job, that her daughter would fall in love with a transgendered person, but she knew that Sarah couldn't have asked for a better soul mate.

“Have I told you that Lindsay, Ellie and a couple of their friends have put themselves on the waiting list for Krystie Fullerton’s ballet class?” Janet asked. “The adult class, the one on Wednesdays, so they’ve even tried to persuade me to go along!”

“Are you thinking about it?” Beverly asked, earning a derisive snort of laughter from the other woman.

“What, me prancing around in a pair of pink tights and a leotard?” Janet scoffed.

“Sarah and Nikki used to go to that class,” Beverly stated calmly. “They said most of the women there just wore regular exercise clothing. And you have been talking about how you’ve been going to the gym more frequently, and how you’re feeling a lot more comfortable with the other women in their locker room.”

“Well- I guess,” Janet said. “But it wouldn’t feel right interloping in what is, well, the girls’ thing. Fact of the matter is that I hardly qualify as a ‘girl’ anymore. Heh, and I never did, either…”

“Just because you were never a girl, it doesn’t mean you can’t be a woman,” Beverly reminded her client, who smiled appreciatively. “And while we’re on the topic of the gym, have you been continuing with your exercises ahead of your operation?”

“Yep,” Janet replied. “I won’t lie, I am getting more than a little nervous about it!”

“That’s perfectly understandable,” Beverly reassured her client. “As would be second thoughts, if you’re having any?”

“…Maybe a few,” Janet sighed. “I mean, I’ve lived for 45 years without a vagina, and I am living successfully as a woman even without one, but I- I just don’t think I’ll ever feel right in myself if I don’t have it done, you know?”

“Yes,” Beverly replied.

“Ugh, I- I’m sorry,” Janet chuckled. “You must get sick of hearing the same story over and over again?”

“I might do if it was the same story over and over again,” Beverly replied, “but everyone’s story is different, Janet, yours included. And I am looking forward to listening to many, many more stories as well.”

The meeting ended just over 45 minutes later, and Janet left Beverly to type up her notes and pack away her files for the day. As Beverly did, though, she kept an eye on the clock, as she had one final appointment for the day. As the clock ticked over to 3:55pm, Beverly dialled a number on her office speakerphone and relaxed back into her chair with a wide smile on her face.

“Hi Beverly,” the unmistakable voice of Jamie-Lee Burke spoke from the speakerphone.

“Hi Jamie,” Beverly replied. “This is, as I'm sure you already know, your monthly telephone appointment. How’s everything been since we last spoke?”

“It’s been great!” The famous model replied. “We were a bit busy at the start of the month, what with Stuart’s birthday and all, but honestly, we couldn’t be happier. Did I tell you last time that Olivia started ballet lessons at Krystie’s school?” Like another member of the ‘family’ I was just talking to, Beverly thought to herself with a smile.

“I think you told me she was going to,” Beverly replied. “Is she enjoying it?”

“It’s the highlight of her week!” Jamie replied with a giggle. “Seriously, though, she’s loving it and I’m loving it more and more with every day that goes past- by ‘it’ I of course mean ‘motherhood’.”

“Good,” Beverly said. “From everything I’ve observed, it definitely suits you, just as much as being a woman suits you.” Beverly had known Jamie longer than virtually all of her other clients, having been one of the first clients she'd signed upon moving to London in 2011, and she had grown to like Jamie not just as a person, but as a genuine friend. Beverly had even officiated at Jamie's wedding to a young man named Stuart- who, having been born as a girl named 'Claire', was also one of Beverly's oldest clients. Beverly had no doubt that the two were perfect for each other, and that both made ideal parents for their infant daughter as well.

“What do you have planned this week?” Beverly asked.

“Not much,” Jamie replied. “Filming a promotional video on Wednesday, but that’s about it. Well, other than being a full-time mum, heh!”

“And- if you’ll pardon my bluntness- have you had any further gynaecological problems?” Beverly asked in a sensitive voice. “And by that, I of course don’t just mean physical problems.” Beverly fidgeted in her chair as she waited for Jamie to answer- the questions were awkward to ask, but necessary. Even though Jamie was approaching the fifth anniversary of her gender confirmation surgery, it didn't mean that Beverly's help was no longer needed.

“…Everything’s fine,” Jamie eventually responded. “Really. It’s just, you know, day-to-day. And yes, before you ask, our sex life is also fine.”

“You know I would only ever ask in a professional capacity,” Beverly teased the young woman, who giggled appreciatively.

“Yes, yes, I know,” Jamie giggled. “Ahh… Have you got anything planned for tonight?”

“Just dinner with the family,” Beverly replied. “Might help Mike with his upcoming ‘thing’.”

“Ooh, yes!” Jamie giggled. “How are things coming along with that?”

“They’re going okay,” Beverly replied. “He’s a bit nervous, but that’s to be expected.”

“Well, if he needs any advice, I have a bit of experience in the matter!” Jamie said, earning a chuckle from her counsellor.

“I’ll pass that on,” Beverly said. “But that’s enough about me, you’re not paying for this call just so we can gossip. Is there anything you feel you particularly need to discuss this session?"

"Well... Maybe one or two things," Jamie replied as Beverly relaxed back into her chair.

Beverly had a satisfied smile on her face as she packed away her files and turned off the office lights. It had been a long day, as Mondays often are, but it had been a productive one. On her drive home, Beverly thought about all the people she had spoken to and hoped that they would all benefit from her advice. She also couldn’t help but smile as she pondered the ‘extended family’ that all the day’s clients belonged to- a family Beverly was proud to be a member of herself. Of course, not all of her clients were a member of this ‘family’, but Beverly knew that didn't mean they'd be forbidden from becoming members, should the opportunity arise, and she knew that Jamie’s old saying was true- that you could never have too many friends.

Beverly arrived home a short while later and let out a tired chuckle as she saw another familiar car waiting outside her house- the red 2017 Mini that belonged to her daughter. Sure enough, when she entered the house, she was greeted by the sound of loud music, the smell of dinner cooking, and the grinning faces of her daughter and her wife.

“Hi mum!” Sarah said as she and Nikki each greeted Beverly with a gentle hug.

“You two do still have your own home, don’t you?” Beverly asked, earning eye rolls from the 22-year-old women.

“Yes,” Sarah replied. “But everything’s all packed up getting ready for the move and, well, we thought we’d drop in to say hi.”

“Well- you know you’re both always welcome here anytime,” Beverly said with a motherly smile. “Especially if you’re making me dinner as well!”

“All of our kitchenware is packed away,” Nikki explained. “And we thought this way, at least you’d know that we were eating right!”

“Indeed,” Beverly said with a smile. “Did you have a good day at work and uni?”

“It was okay,” Nikki shrugged in reply. “Was in the office all day calling around studios and suppliers.”

“And uni was uni, heh,” Sarah chuckled. “Though I did get contacted by another fashion house today about a potential job in September.”

“Good,” Beverly said with a proud smile as she followed the young couple into her kitchen.

“How was your day?” Sarah asked. “Did you speak to anyone we know?”

“You know I can’t answer that,” Beverly replied with a smile. “All I will say is that yes, I had a very good day at work.”

“I do kinda envy you, in a way,” Nikki mused. “Getting to help people the way you do…”

“Well, we all help each other, in our own way,” Beverly said. “You help your young friends, and Alexa in America, right?”

“Well- yeah, I guess,” Nikki chuckled.

“And you help simply by being yourself,” Beverly said. “By showing that being transgendered isn’t a disadvantage, it can bring true happiness to both you and the people around you.”

“It definitely brought true happiness to me,” Sarah said as she linked her fingers with her wife’s in a special, secret way.

“Well- maybe…” Nikki mumbled. “God knows it’s not like I’ve never needed any help myself...”

“Well there’s no shame in admitting when you need help,” Beverly said. “Even if you’re not in a position to then pass that help on to someone else who needs it. Even if you only help one person, you’re making the world a better place.” Beverly smiled as Sarah and Nikki nodded at her wisdom, and as they sat down to eat, she mused on what the following day would bring, and how many people she'd have the privilege of helping...