Author's apology. I'm sorry for the very long delay in finishing this story, I thought that I had posted the complete story and didn't think to check, remaining chapters will be posted this week. Ahaz.

Chapter 22.

We walked in silence the short distance to Alhana's house, I was a bit preoccupied and Wishes didn't seem inclined to disturb me although I noticed her casting glances my way from time to time.

I don't know why but I was feeling on edge this evening. We had spent a lovely day at Eden, great sex afterwards. I should have been feeling on top of the world but instead I was feeling, well I'm not sure what I was feeling but I didn't feel quite right.

Dinner felt a little bit awkward as well, her brother Agrian was visiting and I'm not sure if it was me he had taken a dislike to me or our relationship. When we arrived everything seemed fine, I was introduced to Agrian and although he seemed a little distant he was pleasant enough.

We sat at the table and Alhana brought out a huge liver and onion casserole in a rich gravy. It was delicious but I kept finding the looks that Agrian gave Wishes and I annoying. He didn't say anything untoward but I could tell that he wasn't happy, and after a while I was catching glances from Wishes that made me wonder if she was having second thoughts in the light of her twin brother's disapproval. All through dinner I had the strangest urge to snap at them both, which was most unlike me!

Eventually I excused myself from the table and went to the loo to calm down before I gave the judgemental moron a piece of my mind or said something to hurt my lover. I sat on the toilet for a while just trying to relax and clear my mind.

Feeling a little better I left the loo to return to the dining room, I was in the hallway about to open the dining room door when I overheard Agrian talking.

"She's lovely 'Chez, really sweet. And you look like you've just won the lottery."

I heard Wishes laugh.

"Yeah she is, Oh Ag' I feel so happy it should be illegal."

I heard him chuckle before he said.

"Well you make sure you look after the girl."

I had to step further back into the hall and lean against the wall for a moment.

How in hell had I misjudged Wishes' brother so badly! I was convinced he had taken an instant dislike to me.

"Are you okay love?" I heard Wishes ask from nearby.

I opened my eyes and looked at Wishes' concerned face. Giving her a wane smile I shrugged my shoulders slightly.

"I'm just feeling a bit weird tonight." I said, I suddenly felt very tired, I know we had walked quite a distance around Eden today but for some reason my body felt heavy, leaden.

Wishes smiled and gave me a quick kiss.

"Do you usually get like this when you're due?" She asked me, "Carrie always gets a case of the grumps but I usually just feel a little bit bloated."

I looked at her blankly for a moment then things fell into place, I remembered days when Maddie would get irritated by the slightest thing I did. We had never actually discussed the reasons behind it, men didn't talk about "Women's problems" back then, but I was aware that those days always preceded her monthly visitor.

I hugged Wishes and gave my best effort at a smile.

"I don't remember honey, but I would guess that's a yes."

Reaching into her bag Wishes handed me a thick pastel pink envelope.

"Here better use one of these just in case you start soon."

Taking the package I gave Wishes a quick kiss.

"Thanks hun, I'll be right out, okay?"

"Okay babe, see you in a minute." Wishes said and squeezing my arm she walked back to the living room.

I looked down at the envelope in my hands and the evening kind of made a bit more sense to me now. My more assertive lovemaking, the strange edgy feeling, the irritation at apparently imagined slights and my current lassitude. I was building up to my first period for the new me. Retreating to the bathroom I opened the packet and removed a sanitary towel that looked like it was far smaller than the ones that Maddie used to keep in the bathroom cabinet. It only took a moment for me to fit it into my panties then after washing my hands again I walked back to the living room.

I made the effort to present a cheerful face to Wishes' family with probably limited results. Thankfully Wishes rescued me after a half an hour when she announced we had to make a move. Saying our goodbyes we left to walk home.

Again the walk was in silence, I was trying to get used to a whole new set of feelings that had suddenly been dumped on me. The strange part was that although this was all very new to me as Graham there was a faint echo in the back of my mind of Linda going through this month after month. Wishes seemed to be content to walk along holding my hand and giving me space to work out what was happening to me.

There was no lovemaking tonight when we went to bed, we cuddled for a time and for some reason I don't quite understand I found myself crying my eyes out. My love held me tightly to her chest until I fell asleep.

I awoke in the middle of the night needing a pee, going to the bathroom I found a spot of blood on the towel. On Wishes advice I had worn a pair of panties to bed for the first time since we had been together. In the bathroom cabinet I found Wishes' pads and changed the one that I had worn to bed, I made of a note of the packet so that I could get some more in the morning.

Washing my hands I left the bathroom and crept downstairs. Putting the kettle down I sat with the laptop on the kitchen table and using the internet I found an advice page for teenage girls about menstruation.

Reading the web page about the affects some women can experience during the menstrual cycle seemed to open a floodgate. I was overwhelmed for a moment as Linda's experiences with her periods from her first bleed at twelve through her teenage years and into adulthood burst upon me.

I think it took me about a half an hour to remember that I had put the kettle on to boil. Reheating the water and making my tea I sat back down at the keyboard. I could sense that as more of "Linda's" memories had come to me I had lost a little more of my identity as "Graham." I had very mixed feelings about this, I mean I had packed more love, more living into two weeks as Linda than I had in my last twenty years as Graham. But my sense of self was rooted in the personality that had developed over seventy odd years into the man known as Graham, I had changed so much in the last couple of weeks, and I don't mean just the physical changes, who would I be in six months time, or in twenty years time. There was not much I could do about it anyway, already when I read some of the things that I had written about Graham's life some of the details seem like a ghost of a memory.

I spent a couple of hours trying to write "Graham's" life story but I found it difficult to concentrate on the facts I wanted to get down on paper. Giving up in frustration I went back up to bed.

Even though my night had been disturbed I was still awake first in the morning. I felt in a surprisingly good mood this morning and I quickly freshened up in the bathroom before heading for the kitchen.

I made us both some coffee and toast for breakfast and put everything on a tray to take upstairs. At the last minute I decided I needed some flowers and nipped out the back door in my bare feet to cut a few flowers for Wishes. It would have been lovely and romantic to have red roses to take to her this morning but "Graham's" rose bushes had died off several years ago, instead they were some bright orange Californian Poppies that had self seeded from many years ago. Arranging the colourful flowers in a little bud vase I carried the tray up to the bedroom.

Wishes was still sleeping so placing the tray on the bedside cabinet I leant down and kissed her softly, Wishes stirred slightly then seemed to settle back down so I dotted tiny kisses all around her face until her eyes flickered open, her smile warmed my heart and moving back to her lips I kissed her with all the love I felt for this incredible woman.

"Mmm," Wishes murmured when I stood back up. "that's a lovely way to wake up."

Smiling I picked up the tray and looked down at her.

"Sit up love so that I can rest this on your lap."

When Wishes had pushed herself upright and put a pillow behind her back I placed the tray carefully on her lap then went around to my side of the bed.

As I settled in beside of her Wishes picked up the little vase and looked at the orange flowers.

"You brought me flowers, and breakfast in bed." Wishes leant over and gave me a quick kiss. "Thank you love, that's so sweet of you."
I could feel myself blushing.

"It's the least I could do after last night." I said with a nervous smile.

Wishes handed me my coffee and one of the plates of toast.

"It's OK love, I know that it was a bit confusing for you." She told me with a concerned look. "Did you get up last night, I think I woke up for a moment and you weren't there."

I nodded and grinned a little sheepishly.

"Yeah I went downstairs and looked up some information about periods on the internet, I don't know if it was going though the, ah, experience last night or what but I remembered a little more about things from before my memory went."

Wishes smile was warm as she reached an arm around me and hugged me as well as she could without spilling the tray.

"That's great love, so tell me about it."

"Well Its not really anything important I just remembered how I had been feeling at other times in my life when I had my period."

Wishes kissed the tip of my nose.

"It may not be important in itself babe but it's all progress isn't it love?"

I nodded happily and bit into my toast.

"So, are we still up for a trip to the sex shop or would you rather put it off for another day."

I'm afraid I blushed again.

"Yeah okay," I replied hesitantly, "I guess we could."

Wishes grinned at me.

"It isn't anything like you think you know?"

I looked puzzled for a moment before Wishes went on.

"You're thinking of some seedy shop with blacked out windows aren't you?"

More blushing as I nodded nervously.

"Don't worry babe, It's actually in a small lingerie store, not the sort of place you're going to find dirty old men." She grinned at me,
"You'll just have to settle for me perving on your body!"

We both laughed at that and my nerves dissipated, then I remembered something I had been meaning to ask Wishes.

"Um, love when do you start?" I asked her.

"Sorry?"

"When do you start your period."

Wishes looked thoughtful for just a moment then slumped back onto the bed, her smile vanished.

"Shit!" She groaned, "Mine's due in just under a week, You'll be finishing yours just as I start mine."

"Oh, I guess there's no rush to go shopping then."

"Yeah, nearly two weeks with no sex, that's a bummer."

I took the empty tray from Wishes and put it on my bedside cabinet then pulled her into a hug. Going for long periods without sex was something that I had been an expert at.

"Oh well baby, we can still kiss and cuddle as much as we want, but I think we should put off this little shopping trip, there's no sense in teasing ourselves is there."

Wishes giggled.

"I don't know a little teasing can be exciting."

Grinning at her expression I kissed her tenderly.

I finished my breakfast with a silly smile on my face before we got up for the day.

I spent the morning doing a little housework while Wishes checked over the bags she needed to take with her to the university on Monday.