"...It is so nice having the two of you here. I had almost forgot what it was like having a little girl to look after. You know Sue, that I am very happy right now. Two of my best friends in the world live in my house, and one of those friends even brought her sister. Thank you, Susan Marie Kelly, you are a wonder..."
 

 

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We all got in our cars, after agreeing we would meet at IHOP* (*Author's note: The IHOP restaurants back then had a red barn look to them.) When we got there, we waited for everyone to group together, and then we went in. The hostess asked how many, and Mr. Marks said six. She asked us if we wanted two booths, or a couple of tables put together. Mr. Marks said the tables, and he even said please. The hostess was about Mrs. Granger's age, maybe a little younger, and she had a sparkling smile. The waitress' name was Sue, and she said she was still in high school, and had a pony tail that bounced when she walked, and a very nice sparkling smile. She did say she was a senior and would graduate in June. She brought us our water, and left the menus, and said she would be right back. When she came back, she took our orders, and brought our drinks.

When our orders came, we just relaxed and ate. I took small bites, and dabbed the corners of my mouth. Mr. Marks was looking at me, and smiling.

"Sue, what did your mother mean, when she said you ruined everything?"

"I don't know, Mr. Marks. All I know is she was very angry because she lost both me and my sister."

"Did she ever tell you that maybe you might inherit something. Like maybe money, or anything like that?"

"No, sir."

"I will have to check into that, and see. It might not be anything, and she was just angry at you for her misguided judgement. But I will see what I can find."

We finished our meals, and Mr. Marks paid the bill. We went out to the cars, and after hugs all around, we left for our houses. I had no doubt that Cindy would be over, after she got home, but the ride home was in silence. Nobody knew exactly what to say.

When we got home, there was a sheriff's car waiting for us. A deputy sheriff got out and brought Angela over to us. He tried giving her to mom, but she told him to give her to me. I held her up and gave her a big hug. Hopefully she won't remember any of this. The deputy got Angela's things, and we all went in the house, after the deputies said good luck, and left. When we got inside the house, and Angela was looking around. She looked up at me and asked where mommy was. I told her that mommy wouldn't be living with us anymore because she was naughty. That was the best I could do because of her age. She understood naughty, and she gave one of those big sighs toddlers give, because they have seen us do it numbers of times.

I asked her if she was hungry, and she said yes. I took her in the kitchen and opened the fridge. She saw an apple on one of the shelves on the door, and asked if she could have that. I said yes, and I asked mom (that's what I am calling Bobbie's mother now), to get the phone books, so Angela could sit at the table like a big girl, and eat her apple. I peeled the apple, and then cut it in small pieces for her. It was easier that way for her to eat it. Between bites, she would look at the piece of apple in her hand, turn it around this way and that way, and then take another bite. I wish I had an eight millimeter movie camera. But we didn't. Angela ate four small pieces of her apple, and then wanted down from the table. I helped her down, after wiping her hands with a kitchen towel, and she ran in the living room. I followed her, after asking mom if she would put the rest of the apple away.

When I got to the living room, she was sitting right in front of the television. I told her that there was nothing good on right now, but why don't we go upstairs, and put her things away. Until we got a toddler bed for her, she was sleeping with me. So we went up to our room, and I put her things in my dresser and closet. The nicest things about toddlers is, they get tired quickly. Of course though, they may only play in their room, but they do go to sleep.

Angela had a lot of children's books that mother always read to her. That was just to get her to go to sleep. So I gave her one of her teddy bears. When Angela was asleep, and I was either at Bobbie's or Cindy's, mother would sit and have her beer and a cigarette. When I was home though, she would always have a cup of coffee and a cigarette. The only reason I knew she was drinking beer when I was gone, is because I found beer in the fridge, and the empty cans in the trash. One day when I was just out in the back yard, after taking the trash out, I saw empty beer cans in the trash in the kitchen, after I came back in.

So I gave her one of her teddy bears., and she hugged it, then told the teddy bear that I was going to read them a story. I took one of the books, and sat on the bed and read it to her. She was asleep before I finished the book. She looked like a little angel lying there, sound asleep. I gave her a kiss on her forehead, and left to go downstairs. I looked back at her to make sure she was asleep. She was, and hugging her teddy bear. I smiled to myself, and went downstairs, leaving the bedroom door open.

"Is she sleeping?"

"Yes Bobbie. She was really tired. But just wait though, tomorrow she will running all around the house." We both giggled, and then I poured myself a glass of orange juice. "Bobbie, I'm worried a little about her when I'm not here. She might not understand why I have to go to school."

"She's two years old Sue, she really understands a lot for being a toddler. And she can talk too, like she was born talking."

"Our birth mother decided that it was better to teach her correct grammar. I hope now she can be a child."

"You both are still children too, you know," mom said sitting down at the kitchen table. "You don't need to grow up too soon. Being a child and learning about life as the years go by, is how we learn. If we grow up too fast, and too soon, then we really don't learn anything, because life just goes by in a whirl. Don't you worry about Angela dear, she will be fine while you are in school."

"Thanks mom," I said, giving her a hug. The hug was interrupted by the phone ringing.

"Hello?" Mom said into the phone. "Yes, this is Mrs. Granger. Oh? Does she have to testify? I see, alright she will be there." She hung up, and looked right at me. "Sue, that was the district attorney downtown. He said your mother is being prosecuted for trying to attack a minor, namely, you. He said she could get as much as ten years in prison if she is convicted. Would you, or can you, be brave enough to testify in court, against her?"

"Yes mom, I would be. She needs a lot of help, and if this is the only way she can get it, then that is what I want for her. When she tried to get to me after court was over, I was afraid. But, if she can get the help she needs, then that is what I want for her and I will be brave enough to testify."

"Good girl. They will send us a subpoena and that will tell us the date, time, and what courtroom. You do know that her attorney is going to ask you a lot of embarrassing questions about why you are dressed like a girl, because he will make a big issue out of you being a male. But he won't say physically, he will just make it sound like you're doing this because there is something wrong with you. That is what defense attorneys do, they try to put the blame on the witness, because their job is to defend their client as best as they can. So I am telling you now, that he will try to make it seem that there is something wrong with you. All you have to do, is tell what happened when you were in her care, and what she did to prevent you from being you.

"Now, you are a girl, both physically and mentally. And there is no way you can act like a guy, even if you wanted to. We have known that since you started school, and Bobbie is one of your best friends. When Bobbie told us that she was letting you wear her clothes, while you were here, we didn't say anything, except we were kind of concerned that maybe this was just a passing phase. We have seen through the years since though, that this is who you are, and you haven't acted like a boy in any way that I have seen. But this attorney that your mother has, will try to say these things. We are using the same reports we used in children's court, to present eveidence against your mother. This will be necessary so the judge and jury, if there is one, will see that your mother really has no case.

"I go through these hearing about twice a month, but right now I don't have any foster children, because you have been considered part of our family for years. I know I asked you this before, but would you like to be my daughter, and Bobbie's sister?"

"More than anything in the world."

"Good girl. Now, I will do all I can do get you to be a permanent part of this family, and I will have Mr. Marks file something on that order. You know that you are very lucky, young lady, that we found out the truth before you got any older. Not that you would be affected by testosterone, because it is naturally very low. But you would have problems with being looked at and treated as a boy with breasts. So I for one, am very glad we got this taken care of. Now, like I said though, your mother's attorney is going to try very hard to make it look like you wanted all of this and got us to go along with it. But, Mr. Marks has copies of the evidence we presented to Judge Reynolds. We will call the same doctors to testify, and we will ask the court to appoint a physician to give you a complete examination, including x-rays and blood work. This way, your mother's attorney has to accept the fact that you are a natural, anatomical female."

"What is anatomical mean?"

"It means that you have the insides as all the rest of the females on the planet. Anatomical refers to anatomy, and your anatomy is female. Let me say it differently. Anatomy is your body inside and out."

"Oh. Oh, alright, now I understand."

"I knew you would. We have a lot to teach you about things that you were forbidden to learn. There is one thing you never have to worry about though. You never have to worry if you are a girl or a boy, because you have always been a girl, and now since your birth defect has been removed, you can enjoy the rest of your life as the girl you are.

"Thank you, mom, you're the best," I said, as I started to cry.

Mother came over and held me to comfort me, and I saw Bobbie looking sad because I was crying. Why was I crying, because all of this has finally come to an end of whether or not I am a boy or a girl, that's why. But my birth mother doesn't to be able to handle the truth. Is she just mean, or does she have a real problem accepting reality? Well whatever it is, I hope she goes to a hospital to get the help she needs. I mean, I really love my mother, but she needs a lot of help in understanding that I was never her son. Why did she force me to live as a boy all those years? Well, I am not goiong to think about that now. I need to clear my head. I went and looked in on Angela, and saw she was playing quietly in our room.

"Angie dear, do you need a change?"

"Yeth."

"Come on, sweetie, let's get you into something dry." She got up on the bed, and laid down. I took off her wet diaper and washed her up. Then I put baby oil and powder there so she wouldn't get a rash. I put the clean diaper on, and got her in to her little flowered corduroys and flowered white top. I put clean socks on her and her shoes. I then put the soiled diaper in the diaper pail, and took Angela downstairs with me. She was holding onto her teddy bear. I set her down on the floor in the living room, and turned on the television. There was really nothing good on, so I looked around all four of the channels we got, to see what was on that Angela could watch. There was a Shirley Temple movie coming on at eight, but for right now nothing good was on, even for her. I told her I would be right back, and I went in our room, and got one of her books.

"Angie, sweetie, would like me to read to you?"

"Yeth."

"This is the one about the three little pigs, and the big bad wolf...'

"Like mommy?"

"Uhm no, sweetie, not like mommy."

"Oh."

The book started with once upon a time, and related the story of the three pigs and their problems with the big bad wolf. When I was finished with the book, Angela was sleeping on the couch so peacefully, I didn't want to disturb her. I went in the kitchen and told mom and Bobbie to come and see, and they just smiled at the cute little angel sleeping on the couch. We went back in the kitchen.

"She looks like a little angel. It is so nice having the two of you here. I had almost forgot what it was like having a little girl to look after. You know Sue, that I am very happy right now. Two of my best friends in the world live in my house, and one of those friends even brought her sister. Thank you, Susan Marie Kelly, you are a wonder." I looked at Bobbie and she looked at me, and we just smiled.

"Thank you, mom." Just then the doorbell rang, and mom went to answer it. Cindy came in and sat down at the table.

"Sue, Angela looks like a little angel lying there sleeping. I talked to daddy before I came over, and he said tomorrow he is going to look for anything that you might inherit. He said though that he thought that your mother was just being angry at you, because you crashed her world down around her, as he put it. But I agree with daddy too, that it wasn't fair to you and Angela the way your mother was treating you. Sue, are you happy now?"

"Well, yes, kinda. I am still saddened that mother wouldn't listen to the doctor when I was born, and that she refused to accept that I am a female, even after it was proven in court. I am not sure that prison would be best for her though. I think she belongs in a hospital where she can get the help she needs. Of course, if a headshrinker does talk to her, she may go to prison anyway. I just wish she would have listened."

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To Be Continued...