Mrs. Deters and I made layers of noodles, sauce with the ground sausage, and the ricotta cheese which we did over and again, and finally the last layer of lasagna noodles with just a light basting. The lasagna was in the oven on time for us to eat a little after six. I made a salad with a little coaching by Mrs. Deters using a vinaigrette dressing. She had a radio on in the kitchen and we found ourselves singing together. In the last twenty minutes, I was able to wash up, lose the apron and relax a little with Harrison.

Each time I was around him, I found myself a little more comfortable to be with him.

We ate dinner and Christiane ate well and enjoyed her meal which she and Harrison said, wasn’t always the case.

The closer we got to seven-thirty when my mother might be coming, I worried about Christiane getting ready for bed. She was getting nervous, so I asked if there was something she needed help with.

“I could use a shower, but I’m not willing to ask that of you or your mother.”

I wasn’t sure my mother would understand my helping her with her personal hygiene. I helped her with the beginning of her shower anyway. It hurt to see how cancer and her treatments had taken a toll on her. I felt bad that I was learning about being a woman through her pain. However, it was easy to tell the shower topped off a good day. She was in her nightgown and robe before my mother arrived a little before eight o’clock.

Riding home Mom commented, “It sounds like you were burning the candle at both ends, young lady. Did you enjoy all you did with Mrs. Deters or were you forcing yourself to be nice?”

“Momma, it’s nice helping her. It was like she’s helping me to be the girl that I want to be. We even told Harrison if we stop seeing each other I will still go to see her.”

“I hope you don’t mind us talking like mother and daughter. But the more I was around Harrison I felt like a giddy girl. I knew he got excited by the way he saw me. I like being with him and I even kissed him as my boyfriend. I don’t think I got excited as a boy, but I do have feelings for him.”

My mother’s look at me is with a smile that I didn’t expect. She stopped in our driveway. “Please don’t get out yet Danica. I am not sure how to say this, but I am very happy you can talk about this with me. I hope you can agree with me that this sounds like an affirmation that you are the girl you say you are.”

“But Mom, neither Harrison nor I am the normal boyfriend/girlfriend. I will stay a girl for the remainder of the school year, but that will be enough for me. I don’t need these funny feelings. I’ll just stuff them down until I get my head back to normal. I will have done what Melanie was asking of me.”

Mom said, “If that is normal for you. I will support you in what you do, but your doctor says there are signs this is you. Even Melanie says you are more relaxed as Danica. Like before you seem to be more natural in girl mode.”

“Mommy that is what Melanie wants to believe.”

Mom leans over hugs me, “Let us go into the house. I am sure I have one very tired daughter and she has a long day again tomorrow.”

I didn’t know with my being over at Harrison’s my brother took advantage of it to have Megan over. He had Mom make Chinese pepper steak; it’s one of her specialties. Megan and Brien were happy to have the TV room to themselves. Though I suspect the TV was more or less background noise.

I poked my head into our bedroom to confirm my thought; Brien had moved into our brother’s room. I decided to leave them alone for now. It was too early to go to bed, no matter how tired I was. Instead, I decided to take off my makeup and get ready for bed. I used my lavender body wash. It was like I could smell the lasagna and cookies washed off of me.

Once out and fairly dry, I wrapped the big bath towel around me and was making sure my makeup all off and starting to cleanse and moisturize my skin. I had opened the bathroom door to freshen the air and went back to attend to my skin. That was when I heard Megan’s voice behind me. “I would make sure that towel stays on until you get to your room. You are impressively girly.

“Your mother said you were over Harrison’s house all day. How were things?” As I began to jump with her voice, I was fortunate to grab the top of the towel. She said, with a giggle, “Your breastforms serve you well.

I wanted to go over to hug and greet her but decided to wait. “Yes. It was a bummer of a disappointment not to go to the game. But I had fun helping his Mom as well as having some time with Harrison. I guess I need to thank you, girls, for getting me to relax by acting like a girl now.”

I was done there and ready to go back to my room. I grabbed Megan’s hand and took her with me. I knew she was surprised I had her come into the room. She didn’t know but my Mom had purchased a changing screen. I grabbed a pair of baby doll pajamas and slipped behind the screen.

Megan sat on my bed facing me. I asked her, “How was her day?” But I ended up telling about baking cookies and making the lasagna with Mrs. Deters. When Megan asked if I spent time with Harrison. I simply said, “Of course, I enjoy being with Mrs. Deters but I went to spend time with Harrison. Some interruptions were helpful so things didn’t go too far. He’s already sure he wants me as it prom date, but we both think it is good to know each other better than we had.”

Brien called into the room making sure Megan was there. I told him to wait we’re having a girl talk. Megan giggled and she called out. “Yes, we’re having fun. Give us fifteen minutes and I think we’ll both be out.”

I had stepped out around the screen and sat on the bed next to Megan. “I am glad you will be with us at the game.” Melanie agreed to work tomorrow so she could have the day off today.

Megan uses her finger to glide over my eyebrows. She commented on how nice they were shaped. I giggled, “I agreed with Melanie I should have them shaped as long as I was dressing as a girl until the end of the school year.”

Megan said, “Look how pretty your legs are and how comfortable you are as Danica. Do you really think it will be easy to go back to being Tim after this?”

I said, “It might not be easy, but it’s a lot of work for a boy being a girl. I think I will have had my fill of it by the time school is out.”

I was up at six excited about going to the New York Yankee-Cardinal game. Megan had loaned me a red and white baseball shirt for girls and Mom had laid out a skater shirt to wear with it. I wore two panties as she suggested to make sure everything stayed in place. The small socks and my new cross-trainers completed my look. I put my hair into a ponytail as Harrison said he would get me a baseball cap.

Brien was down to breakfast after me, but for once we were excited to be doing something together. It was cute as Dad offered us both some money, but actually gave me twenty dollars more, saying, “You’re more likely to buy things.”

Dad was driving us into the City to catch a subway to the stadium. He and Mom would stay in the city until our game was over and we were back and would meet up with them. On our way into the city, Harrison told us that Melanie had sold her tickets to Susan and Jacob Thomas. They’re to meet us in the ballpark as our seats are all together.

Megan asked if I took care of the seams of my breastforms as she unbuttons the top of my baseball shirt. They were taken care of, but I felt nervous about showing my breasts even a little. Mom checked me and laughed as I was still modestly attired. It was when we got to the stadium that Megan undid yet another button. Brien grumbled saying, “You’ve mentioned to me before how nice Megan looks relax.”

We were plenty early as the Yankees were out warming up and some players were coming around signing autographs. I had seen Aaron Judge loosening up throwing and catching but he was now running along the back of the outfield with two other players. I called to him, “Aaron Judge, Aaron Judge!” When he stopped and turned our way. I said, “Our boyfriends want us to get your autographs. We’d like selfies with you.” He and his friends came over. The security guard wanted us to lean over and get our pictures. Aaron said, “These are some of the prettiest girls we’ll see today. Let them on the field for a moment.” Sure enough, we were allowed on the field. Susan, Megan, and I posed between Aaron and Aaron Hicks. Even a TV camera came over to get our picture. Harrison and Brien both told that they were high school players.

I got the signatures of Aaron Judge, Aaron Hicks, and Clint Frazier. Megan and I were able to get a picture of us kissing Aaron’s cheeks from both sides. I was graced by him with a hug. Then he said, “Thanks for asking nicely and not being pushy.” And I felt a kiss on my cheek.”

I couldn’t help but hug him again and said, “Thanks, you’re really neat.” When I got to the railing. Harrison picked me up and swung me back over to the seats. And there was a roar from some fans. Megan says, “You gave them a little bit of a show.” I quickly pushed my skirt down but knew it was too late. Again I find myself doing something Timothy never thought he had to worry about.

Harrison had given me some money that Megan and I took to find the souvenir shop. Susan came as well and I found myself enthralled with how pretty she was. She saw me staring and asked what I was doing.

I whispered, “I don’t want to be rude and shouldn’t because I’m someone else’s date.” I became speechless in trying to say what I wanted.

She seemingly knew and said, “I think that's nice of you. We’ll be friends for a long time.”

She helped me pick out a Yankee baseball cap. Paying for it, I said, “I should have bought this first. Maybe Aaron would have signed it for me.”

The cashier in good New York fashion said, “Yeah and maybe he would kiss you and have taken you to dinner after the ballgame.”

Sue said, “Well we already kissed him and we got a picture with him. Maybe you could arrange dinner for us.”

Another woman said, “Button up and move along please.” Megan had her phone camera there and stuck our picture for the women to see.

It was a fairly crowded game as there was a fair size representation of Cardinal red, in the sea of Yankee pinstripes. Aaron Judge didn’t disappoint the Yankee fans as he hit a three-run homer his second time up. Most of the game I wasn’t watching as closely as I might. I found Harrison’s hugs distracting as well as my talking with Megan and Susan.

Come the sixth inning Melanie text me, “We saw Harrison kissing you on the TV. The three guys and cute dates warranted comments from the announcers.” Megan seeing my message. “That was at the beginning of the inning when the camera was here taking our picture.”

I asked, “Is that why he gave me a hug and kiss when I wasn’t expecting it.” Sue commented, “If you had come up for air, maybe you would have seen the TV camera.”

It was the ninth inning and the game was tied. Two runners were on base and there were two outs. Aaron Judge was up he hit the ball hard between two outfielders. Harrison, Jacob, and Brien all yell “We won!”

I’m up in Harrison’s arms, and I feel my buns cradled by Harrison as he continues to hold me. He whispers, “Thanks for sharing the day with me. I’m even more thankful for how nice you’ve been to Mom. I couldn’t have dreamed I could find someone so special.”

Brien broke the moment by repeatedly prodding us, “Hey we should get going.” It was early evening when we finally met up with our family and we're back in New Jersey before we stopped to eat. This time we were four women going to the women’s room to freshen up.

I used a stall as I hadn’t gone while at the stadium. Mom was waiting for me by the sinks asking, “So how was your day?”

Megan remarked, “She did really well. She’s becoming quite the girl.”

A woman who was in there at the same time, finally asked, “Is there a reason you two are concerned for this young lady?”

My Mom said, “Thanks for asking. It was the first time I allowed her to go to a baseball game with her boyfriend. I was worried about how she would do. It might have been a case of a mother not ready to let go of her daughter.”

The woman said, “She is fortunate if she has both a boyfriend and parents who love her.” With that, the woman finished visiting and left.

Brien pulled me aside, he said, “Danica, aren’t you getting a little too close to Harrison?” He quickly walked away.

Another day, when I went to pick up my gown, I look around the store and found a beautiful set of delicates that included a silk pair of panties, a precious bra, and a simple white lace camisole.

Melanie was happy for me as I often accompanied her to visit and take care of Mrs. Deters. Her Aunt was well enough to go out for an hour or two. Sometimes we went to the parks for sun and fresh air. This week we took her shopping. She was wanting to treat us at first. That was until Melanie and I argued whether the dress she likes or the outfit I picked was best for Aunt Christiane. Finally, we were able to get Aunt Chris to try each of them on.

Once out of the changing room Melanie and I helped her with makeup and styling her hair. Aunt Chris finally gasped as she figured out what we were really doing. “You girls have got me looking better than I have for over a year. You don’t know what this means for my spirit.” She had tried on Melanie’s dress and I agreed. She really did look very nice in it.

She wanted to change the bright pastel blue skirt for a drab gray skirt and exchange the blouse for two sizes bigger. She agreed that she would try on what I selected. Thankfully, she and the saleswoman agreed for her to try on what I selected.

She agreed that the skirt-blouse combo was very attractive to her. She put the dress back on as Melanie told her she and her mother bought it for her. Once she brought out the skirt and blouse, I went and bought them for her from me and my family.

Once back at her house we needed to sit and share some ice tea. Christiane said, “I must say, it was nice to be out with two super girls. It makes a woman feel young and alive. …Melanie that is not a big surprise coming from you, but I’m eternally grateful. You, Danica, are quite a different story. Each time I see you, you become more and more the girl I see before me.”

I must have looked very bewildered, because she said, “What I mean is and I hope I don’t offend you. You started out to do this only for Harrison’s prom and to please me. But you are becoming the precious girl you intended to portray. …Ooo I’m not sure I’m saying it right.”

Melanie moved next to me and hugging me, she said, “Yes, you said it well. Danica truly has become a girl. She’ll have a lot of trouble in trying to be Tim.”

I felt all happy and gooey inside that I began to tear up. Melanie and Aunt Chris gave me a big hug and let me cry for a moment...”

To be continue…