The invaders came the first time bearing gifts, we all thought that they were just traders but a year later they arrived in force with rifles and cannon and attacked us in great numbers. We didn't stand a chance and retreated deeper and deeper into the Great Forest where we would be safe for a time.

Christmas has arrived, the anniversary of briony and Daphne's first meeting. Just a brief chapter describing some items of progress in their lives and a brief cameo of Daphne's family history.

The Welsh Mountain Ram 32.

Briony... Betrayed wife and mother.
Sion... Her eight-year-old son.
Ellairy... Her nine-month--old daughter.
Arfon... Brionys’ abusive and unfaithful husband.
Dave Cadwalloder... Welsh bachelor hill-farmer.
Jenny and Lassie... Daves’ sheepdog bitches.
Laddie... Daves’ sheepdog.
Jessica and Pansy... Daves’ sows.

After the transformation

“I’m a girl now, mom. What do we do?”

“Well, there’s one thing I wont do hon. I wont be forcing you into skirts and heels.”

“You.... wont?”

“God, no. I cant even imagine how traumatic this has been. The last thing you need is me making things worse by throwing you into the deep end of girlhood. You can be a tomboy as long as you need to.”

“Thanks. Maybe I’ll try some skirts too, and see how I feel.”

“Sounds good. Lets go shopping.”

 © 2012, by Susan J. Charles. All rights reserved
Edited by Holly H. Hart

Covered Bridges-3.

Chapter 3

The good thing about being a woman is crying. I lived a lot of my life before becoming me holding everything back because when you were that kid that was me in school and you cried everything was ten times worse.

Last night sucked.

I was hurting and alone and bawled myself to sleep and feel better for doing it, for getting the shit out of my system. And it took me a lot of years to get to where I can cry without feeling guilty about it.

Damien's wife can't cope with his cross dressing. She gives him an ultimatum, either the clothes go or she does. Damien's not prepared to give up on their marriage yet, so persuades her to accept a compromise, a different route that might work out better for both of them.

When Poppy's grandfather dies, her father inherits his childhood home in Happy Springs, New Hampshire. He decides to take his three daughters from England on their first trip to the land of his birth to fix up the house as a potential summer home and give Poppy a break from some problems she's been having. He says it's an old house that just needs a little work to restore it back to its full glory. It's going to be fun fixing it up. Poppy isn't so sure...

CHAPTER 2
The evening finished with my pudding, of course, which brought giggles and snorts. Each bowl bore two pear halves, round side up, filled with the raspberry and ice cream mix, and perched on top of each upturned bit of roundness was half a grape, the whole slathered in chocolate sauce. I feigned puzzlement at the laughter.