I was looking through the credit card bills for the last month. Neither my wife nor I are hurting for money, both having successful careers that we have been able to walk away from in the last few years.

Due to being high profile in the community we both are expected to attend quite a few social and charitable functions every month. Mackenzie is more tolerant of these affairs than I am. Often I conveniently find something that has to be done at home, an excuse to avoid going to them.

“I’ll need to get a new passport when we get to London”.

Lisa and I were walking around Stephen’s Green in Dublin. It was cold and dry, a pleasant enough day for the time of year.

“Why’s that? Can you not get it while you’re here?”

“No, I would need to get the local police to sign the application. In London I have more options. I’ll start working on it tomorrow; I’ll need to get some other documents first.”

Ending of Book One

Christmas day, it was just Willow and her grandmother who walked to the church, arm in arm with their breath steaming. Willow played to a church full of joyful villagers, singing the carols as she played them. Afterwards, there was a lot of hugging, kissing and love being spread around. Willow was happy that she was fully accepted by the villagers, but more so by her grandmother’s joy at being with her.

CHAPTER 80
We had other issues to think about just then, as Ish was navigating the sudden complications of primary school. There had been the usual sequence of birthday parties throughout his time in what I still thought of as ‘infants’ school’, but now he was in what my memories called ‘junior school' things were changing, as boys did their traditional dance of realising that girls were not only different, but actually distasteful which is not exactly the best process for continuing our species. His size and balance were both a little above the average, the latter no doubt helped by his emerging love of climbing, and that meant he avoided the old school horror of being ‘last pick’ for games, and THE local game for Perth was ‘footy’

The Interview (6)
by
Angharad.

©2025 SammyC

Chapter 12: A New Awakening

I sat quietly beside my mother beneath the soft, silvery glow of the moonlight, cocooned in her warm and reassuring embrace. The serene night air of the Elven kingdom was infused with the sweet scent of blooming night jasmine, whispering softly through the ancient trees and gradually easing the tight knot of tension coiling within me. For a fleeting moment, a sense of peace felt tangible again, like a gentle lullaby wrapping around my troubled heart.

A Walk On the Beach with Mom
Copyright 2025 by Heather Rose Brown

The ocean holds many secrets. Unfortunately, it doesn't hold many answers. At least, not the kinds of answers a gender questioning kid might be looking for. But sometimes, if you're lucky, you can find something on the shores of that ocean more precious than you might have hoped to discover.

Halloween was fast approaching and we still did not have suitable costumes for the three parties we had been invited to. Ginger had tried all the costume rental places in town, several costumes that might work for her but absolutely nothing that would fit me and go along with her costume.

I offered to stay at home this year, Halloween not my favorite holiday, the parties so lame and boring. Unfortunately Ginger did not see it that way.

Chapter 22

Willow couldn’t help herself. She just had to laugh.

“I’ll say the same thing that the Head said when he suggested we add ‘Danse Macabre’ in May. That man!!! He’s not a person one would tell that he’s wrong, so we’ll just have to go with the flow. It will be a powerful concert, though. I’ll have to go to the Cathedral to rehearse before the show. I could perfect it here on our organ, but there are more options on theirs.”

“That will be all right. I think that he just likes hearing you play.”