Previously:

“Come now, Daughters of Eve, for now is the time of your leaving.” Lesley looked up to see that her mother and the knight had boarded the caravel. She waved and blew a kiss to her. The knight waved before shouting with his hand cupped at his mouth.

Jill looked at Lesley, whose eyes had filled with tears, both for the sad commonality of grief he shared with the woman and the realization that everything they would undoubtedly have assumed had been a dream was true; as real as anything ever could be. It was only then she noticed two things. First, that she was crying out loud; loud enough to have woken the sleeping woman. And second? She was holding both Lesley’s and Mrs. Macready’s hands.

Moments later...

"Whaaaa..what?" Mrs. Macready looked up and saw Jill standing next to the chair, holding Lesley's hand. She noticed at once that Jill was holding her hand, and that
in their clasped hands was the telegram.

"What? Why? Let go...let go." She pulled her hand away and the paper fell to the floor. Jill reached to pick it up and Mrs. Macready snapped at her.

"Leave it alone. You had no business."

"I'm sorry," Jill said meekly. "It had fallen to the floor and blew on the hearth. I was afraid a cinder or a spark might set it aflame."

"Well..yes.. thank you.

"We saw you were crying," Lesley said as he put his hand on her arm. She pulled her arm back quickly and stood up.

"Tish, tosh...the smoke from the fire got in my eyes," she said as she straightened her skirt.

"Mrs. Macready. I'm sorry but I read the telegram...I'm so sorry about your son." Jill said softly while tugging on the woman's sweater.

"That's...it's...never mind...everything is alright." People can often lie or fib when they're angry or scared, but almost as often cannot hide when they are very sad, no matter how they try.

"It's okay...you can cry, Mrs. Macready. I promise not to tell anyone. I cried for a whole week after my mum died." Lesley said softly as the tears welled in his own eyes. He realized at that moment just who Aslan had sent him back to help, and the only way he knew how was to try to understand. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a hankie and went to hand it to her. She looked down at him and shook her head and walked quickly out of the room.

"It's okay, Les...you tried." Jill said softly and pulled the boy closer for a hug as he burst into tears.

Two days later...

Over the course of several days, Jill and Lesley had played almost every board game they found, and they were bored. The rain had finally let up and they had planned on a hike when Mrs. Macready walked into the library.

"I haven't been able to find that football. I'm sorry." She hadn't said anything about the other night, but every day she had greeted the children with red eyes and a puffy face.

"I've looked in just about every nook and cranny...every cupboard and every closet."

"That's it...I think I know where the football is..."

"How could you know...I've been the caretaker and helper to the professor for many years. Before we..." She paused at the pronoun and gasped."

"That's just it...I think I know because I talked with someone..." Lesley felt he knew who the knight was, but he held his tongue for a moment before continuing.

"When we went into Narnia I met my mother."

"You and the rest of the children...Narnia indeed. A fairy tale. Your mother is dead." She hadn't meant it to be cruel, but it was. Lesley bristled at the words, but Jill grabbed his arm and pointed to Mrs. Macready, who had begun to cry.

"That's okay...I understand...I miss my mum awful, and I bet you miss your boy?" She looked at him and put her hand to her face before nodding.

"That's what I wanted to tell you. He told me to tell you...it's in the closet in the long hallway."

"Who told you?" She managed to gasp between sobs.

"The knight...he told me. I think he knows you." She shook her head no and went to turn away. Jill walked around and put her hands out and grabbed both of Mars. Macready's hands before saying.

"He was handsome...and he had the kindest, most gentle look about him that I've ever seen. He had a smile that would take your breath away. And I felt it too...It was like he knew somebody back here...do you think he knew you?"

Mrs. Macready remained speechless and nodded; the tears dripped off her nose and chin and onto the floor. She shrugged and took in a breath before grabbing Lesley by the hand. She walked out of the library with Lesley close behind. Jill followed the two as they walked up the stairs and down the long hallway in the living area.

"Let me see...let me see."

Her sobbing had nearly subsided; she sounded almost happy and sad and scared at the same time. Perhaps you've felt that way when you get news that is bad. You feel sad and frightened but the memories of the one you lost make you feel happy as well.

Walking down the hallway she stopped almost in the middle, in between two doors that faced one another. She looked first to her left, and nodded.

"This should be it...this is where we...where Angus and I lived until we took the cottage on the grounds." She turned and looked at the door to her right. Pulling out a key from her sweater pocket, she opened the door wide. The dimly lit hallway did little to reveal the contents of the closet, so she began pulling things out and placing them next to Lesley on the hallway floor.

A box of tin soldiers and old stuffed animals and blocks lay at his feet, but it was quickly covered by yet another box and then a brown leather suitcase. It bore a tag fastened to the handle that read,

Miss Agnes Day, c/o Clairidge's Hotel, London, UK

He noted stickers on the side of the case, once brilliantly colored but now faded with time and disuse. London...Paris...Rome...Moscow...Cairo...Hong Kong. Whoever Agnes Day was, she had traveled quite a bit, Jill thought.

"Ah...look here...just where he said it would be." Mrs. Macready said before turning around and facing the children once again. Tears were in her eyes as she held a football in her hands.

"Just where he said it would be...." She sobbed. Lesley grabbed her sweater sleeve and pulled her down softly to his face.

"It was your son...the knight was your son, wasn't he?"

"Yeees." She sobbed as the boy did the only thing he knew that would help the one he had been sent to rescue. He kissed her once on each cheek, softly and politely with as much respect as he knew how before crying as she pulled him into her arms.

Two weeks later...

"My mum is going to work as a nurse at one of the temporary hospitals...outside of London...where they take care of the pilots. I can stay with her, so I'll be joining her at the end of the week...I'm sorry, Les...you've been such a brick and all with Mrs. Macready, and I'm going miss you." Jill pulled the boy close and kissed his cheek. Almost any other boy might have pulled away, but as you know, Lesley was no ordinary boy. He began to cry softly, but sucked it up and stepped back.

"I wanted to thank you for being my friend. It's made things better." He finished but his face seemed to indicate there was something else to talk about.

"Okay, Patterson...give it up." Jill laughed.

"I've got a secret...well..it's not a secret to you, I expect. Not after our trip to you know where." He cupped his hand and whispered.

"You mean about..." Jill's face turned red. This was 1943, of course. Little boys didn't feel that way, you might have thought. Good families don't raise their children that way.

"When I was little...I think I was four....I remember watching mummy get ready for church. She wore a pretty dress...long and mostly white with big pink and red flowers. She was the prettiest thing I ever saw." He sighed and shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't think I said it, but I wanted to be just like her." He bit his lip and shook his head. Jill was a good girl and listened, nodding and "hmming" as he continued. By good, I don't mean how she acted, although she was good most of the time like we all are. She was good in her heart; kind and caring...perhaps more that anyone ever could be to a boy who wanted to be just like his mum.

"I don't expect we'll see each other again. I wondered..." His face turned red and he started to cry again.

"Just a sec...let me see. It'll be like a game...a guessing game." She didn't mean to tease and it only upset him just a bit. She walked into her room and over to the armoire that stood against the wall opposite her bed. She reached in and pulled out a very ordinary looking dress. It was blue and had long sleeves and a white collar. She handed it to Lesley and smiled.

"It's not all that pretty, but I can't wear it anymore. Maybe you know a little girl who might like it?"

It might have been plain and ordinary to her but to Lesley it was the prettiest dress he had ever seen save for his mother's dress that fateful day. A few minutes later two very proper british girls sat at a table in the middle of the room, having high tea with the queen. Jill wasn't really one for ceremony or dressing up, but this was a special occasion after all; she had just gained a new best girlfriend, after all.

"What's going on here," a voice called from the doorway. The girls turned to see Mrs. Macready standing at the doorway looking very cross. Jill immediately stood up and apologized.

"I'm sorry, we were only playing dress up...just a silly game." She looked at Lesley and smiled. Lesley took one look at Mrs. Macready. Her face turned bright red as she burst into tears.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry...I'm sorry." She cried as she ran past the woman and down the hall to her own room.

"No..." The woman said with a sigh...."I'm sorry."

A while later....

Lesley lay on his bed face down under the covers crying into his pillow. The dress lay crumpled and abandoned on the floor next to the bed. A knock came at the door.

"Go away...please." Not a demand but a sad request.

"It's me...Jill. Come on...Friends..right? Let me in."

"Come in...it's not locked." He sat up to see Jill walk into the room, closely followed by Mrs. Macready. She had a very contrite look on her face and she held the suitcase from the closet she had found.

"I'm sorry...I only meant to tease. Please forgive me." Mrs. Macready walked to the foot of the bed and placed the case on it.

"Pax?"

"Very well." Lesley tried to sound like an adult but it came out more like the little kid he was.

"This is for you." Jill said. Mrs. Macready thinks you'll like what you find inside."

He sat closer to the case and Mrs. Macready unlatched it. He expected to find a scout's uniform or maybe some old issues of Adventure or Boy's Own Fun. His eyes widened in amazement as he saw the contents.

"I think these might fit you." Mrs. Macready said with a soft laugh. Angus loved the color yellow...I hope you do, too." She pointed to the case, which held several drsses and skirts and blouses, all for a girl of about ten or eleven." She smiled and sighed.

"Angus was a special boy...oh he played roughhouse with his mates and football and running and adventures. But he had a sweet soft side, something no one else but I knew." She sighed again and Lesley sighed in echo. He had just found out he wasn't alone...that he wasn't a freak or a monster.

"What happened?" Jill asked.

"Well...boys grow up, don't they? And nations go to war...and boys...." She sad down on the bed and buried her face in her hands" A look of hopeful recognition crossed Lesley's face, which was mirrored immediately by the broad smile on Jill's face.

"I think I know what the Lion wanted me to do...what he sent me back for." Lesley was crying, but his tears were joyful and anticipated great things.

"May I....may I be your little girl?" He sobbed. Mrs. Macready turned and looked at him. The moment of truth... a turning point for both as she sighed once again before smiling at him....at her.

"Oh yes...yes." She said as she pulled the little girl close to her and wept.

A few days later...

"Well, I guess this is it." Lesley said as Jill stood on the platform waiting for the train.

"I'll never forget you." She said as she hugged Lesley tight.

"I'm so happy for you." Jill said as she looked back at Mrs. Macready, who waited patiently by the horse cart.

"She says the Professor knows somebody who knows somebody. By this time next week, all the papers will be signed and I'll be her kid. And she'll be my mum."

"You know what?" Jill asked. It wasn't a riddle, but it was just as fascinating and wonderful as any riddle you've ever heard.

"What?"

"I think the Lion knew all along that the best place for you to be was right here." She smiled and Lesley smiled back.

"Just one thing, though." Jill looked over at Mrs. Macready and back at Lesley.

"Who is Agnes Day?" Jill asked as she recalled the name tag on the suit case.

"Well, when Angus was little, he was sitting in church with his mum and they opened the hymnal while they were waiting for church to start. He had opened it to Agnus Dei...you know...lamb of god. Well he looks up at her and says, 'Look mummy..they spelled my name wrong.' So when they got the suitcase, she thought it would be nice to remember that moment. So when he dressed up, his name was Agnes Day." The two of them started to laugh but their fun was interrupted by the train whistle as the carriages pulled to a stop.

"Write me. We'll be best for friends forever okay, Jill?"

"Okay, Lesley Macready! Best friends forever and and a Day." She laughed and stepped into the carriage.

A moment later Lesley was alone on the platform. The girl, for that is what she was she was, wore a yellow blouse and a nice tweed skirt. Her hair was covered with a pretty brown beret and she wore the sweetest smile on her face. She stepped down off the platform and walked over and hopped onto the cart. Her new mother turned and smiled back at her and turned back to gie the horse. As Lesley looked forward, she could have sworn the horse winked.

Epilogue

It's been said that no one remembers the second person to so something for the 'first time.' In 1951, two years before Christine Jorgensen became the 'first' transsexual, Roberta Cowell became the first British citizen to undergo gender reassignment surgery; performed by Dr. Howard Gillies. Nine years later, on the eve of her twenty-sixth birthday, Lesley Day Macready became the next in the long list of men and women before and after her to undergo what we now call gender confirmation surgery.