I am now to be in Patricia's wedding party and we're now in preparation for the wedding. We all were dressing in sundresses to go to rehearsal, when Patricia and her Mom approach me with a box. Patricia says, “Melanie, I would like to see how these breasts forms look and feel for you. If everything is good I would like you to begin wearing them now so you will be use to them by the Wedding.

I hoped it would be Patricia’s Mom helping me, instead Patricia asks me to lean back onto a bed as she uses a round form to center where the the breast forms should be on me and then glues them on me. She smiles as she sees that my own breasts were puffy and responsive. “Does this mean Melanie is definitely here to stay?”

I say, “You think it’s crazy don’t you?”

“Not really, I can understand a boy getting caught up in being a girl or at least liking girl’s stuff. You seem to be beyond that and understand more of what it means to be a woman.”

I smile, “Thank you, yes, I hope I do.”

After Patricia and I make sure my new breasts adhere to the skin and are comfortable and with no seams showing; it is time to get dressed. Patricia says the sundress I'm wearing is mine to keep. When I teared as I try to say thanks, Patti says, “That is all the appreciation I need… You know Melanie, from here on you and I are friends forever. You are sharing my big day. I appreciate you opening your world to me.” She gave me a light kiss on the cheek.

Rehearsal goes well as the Maid of Honor asks me to remember well what I'm doing in the wedding. “You can’t depend upon the groomsmen; even though it is simple. Being in heels, you need to be the one in control.”

We finished rehearsal and go to the rehearsal dinner. Patricia’s family is extra warm and accepting of me. Grandma Stivers takes me by the hand, “I am very impressed by you. When I heard Richard is your brother I was not sure Patricia made a wise decision. I am glad to be wrong.”

“Thank you, and though Richard’s not my #1 sibling, he’s still my brother. I prefer to keep him out of my thoughts this weekend. That even means not so good comments.” Grandma understood and is all right with my request.

After the families left, Patricia takes her wedding party to a side room reserved for her. We each are given one drink to last the remaining time that night. Each of us women in her bridal party received a pretty necklace, earrings and bracelet. I thought it was nice costume jewelry. Adrian, Pat’s Maid of Honor, informs me Mr. and Mrs. Cummings were well enough off that the jewelry and travel of the bridal party are being paid for my them. She smiles, “They are fortunate that Patricia likes silver more than gold.”

Patti asks me, “Melanie, tomorrow starts bright and early for me. I told Adrian, I’d ask if you could stay with me tonight and be a help to her and me tomorrow morning. Most of all I want you to stay immersed in the bridal party with me.”

I need to borrow a night gown and something to wear to the salon, but I agree.

I had not imagined it meant sleeping on the floor in Patti’s room. Sleeping on a mattress on the floor is no problem. Sharing the room and her bathroom with Patti is not a problem as such. I just had not expected it. Patti is too excited to sleep much so we talked until 2:00 a.m. finally she falls asleep as we talked. I would tell you how beautiful she is but, no.

Patti and I checked and double checked her clothes and things for her wedding night as well as her luggage for her honeymoon. She will be in Jamaica three days on her abbreviated honeymoon. A longer time away had been already scheduled for after her graduation.

As we are ready to go for our appointments at the salon, I tell Patricia, “I am glad you asked me to be part of the wedding. I just don’t understand why you would?

Patricia turned to me, “Besides willing to help me, being the right size and attractive; yes. I thought if you were wondering about being a woman, I thought this would be a great experience. I knew your Mom and sister and I was betting on you being like them. Now I hope your Mom and sister are like you.” Patricia took a tissue and dabs a tear from the corner of my eye.

Terri would be my beautician and stylist for the morning. After shampooing my hair, conditioning and a good rinse, she commences to load my hair with extensions. I received a message from Trudy and told her where I was. I suggest she stop and see me after Patti says it is alright.

After what seemed to be a few minutes, Terri is working my hair cutting, shaping and setting it into curlers. My feet are put into the goop for a pedicure while I am under the dryer. I complained about my feet but I’m told, 85% of women do not like their feet. Adrian jokes many of the other 15% are lying.

I think that pedicures are to die for, along with most other things about being a woman. I think knowing how it is as a boy helps me to appreciate being a girl more. Trudy shows up and after I introduce her to Patricia; Patricia introduces her as my girlfriend to the wedding party. So much for wondering what others might say.

Patricia is amused to see Trudy's face light up, “I hope you don’t mind, but how did a lesbian from another school come to date a boy dressing as a girl?”

Trudy giggled, “I hadn't considered I was a lesbian until after I got Mel into wearing girl’s clothes for Halloween. I hadn’t even told Melanie, but it was at one of our Halloween parties that I realized I was falling in love with her. I acted upset when she was disciplined into continuing to dress and live as Melanie. I was more uncomfortable with me being a lesbian than Mel being Melanie.”

“She just impresses me, the more Mel lives as Melanie, I knew she was a girl and that I loved her.”

You could see something dawn upon Patricia; “You know, you’re invited to the wedding and reception, don’t you Trudy?” The surprise registered on Trudy’s face, caused Patricia to apologize. “I am sorry; it dawned on me that I forgot to tell Melanie to invite you.”

Trudy quickly says, “Thank you, I am actually dying to see her in this beautiful gown she has been talking about. Seeing that Melanie had to mature to fill it out peaks my interest all the more.”

The beautician is brushing out my hair as she takes out the curlers. “Wow, Melanie, you look even more beautiful with longer hair. I hope you can take care of your hair so the extensions stay until the prom or you will need to do this again.”

Trudy got me a sweet tea that we share before my makeup is to begin.

It is 1:00 p.m. and the wedding is at 6:00 p.m. I thought we had plenty of time. But Patricia want pictures up at Washington Rock, in front of her home as well as the pictures at the church. It would end up being good practice for me in touching up my makeup and hair as well as keeping my composure and moving around properly.

All of us in the bride’s party we finished before Patti and we enjoy watching the finishing touches put on Patricia. I loved the feel of the petticoats and the gown as I put it on. The satin red gowns were luxurious, though all that is pale in comparison to Patricia and her bridal gown.

It's cool at Washington Rock, but the air s clear and it makes for some beautiful pictures. It is interesting to lift a gown, walk in high heels over cobble stones and uneven ground; all the time not daring to fall less one wrecks their gown.

Once we’re at Patti’s we were given parasols and satin purses drawn closed as a woman’s bag from the 1800s. None of this is lost on me as I appreciate everything. I didn’t appreciate the photographer’s strong lights which heated me up in my gown. We weren’t always wanted for pictures, but we had to stay close as we were used to fetch this relative and that groomsman as well as spreading out Patti’s beautiful gown and train.

I'm asked to amuse the young children of Patti’s aunts and uncles. I painted the nails of two young girls and put on a light touch of lipstick. A young boy, eight year old Jonathan, asks the same and began to cry when I told him I couldn’t. Grandma Stivers asks the boy not to cry later if he is teased. She gives me permission to put polish on Jonathan’s fingernails. His mother came to get him by the time his nails were dry. “Jonathan did you get your way again. I’m sorry I hope you don’t think it is bad of him.”

“He’s precious, I am just glad Grandma gave me permission to help him. He looks quite sharp like that,” I told her. “Yes, I agree,” she responded.

Finally the bridal party is ready to process into the sanctuary for the wedding. Being the youngest and last of the bridesmaids I'm the first two walk down the aisle. Steve, a groomsmen and my escort meets me half way down the aisle and swept me off my feet as he carried me the remaining distance to the front of the church. Either Steven did the prank on own, or Jaci’s stare put the fear of God into the remaining groomsmen as none of them repeated that. As Trudy said later the picture of me being swept off my feet was destined to be in the Bridal book forever.

Steve at 6’ 3” thought he was god’s gift to women; and I admit he's cute and apart from that prank, very nice. I'm surprised that it is Jaci and not me who got wobbly during the ceremony. Fortunately I saw her and stepped to her side and told her to step forward and to step back after she got her composure. Jaci thanked me after the ceremony and confessed she had not liked me earlier, having thought I was just pretending or something. “Would you mind if I gave you a kiss?”

“I’m sorry but my girlfriend is here, I’d rather not. But if you want to dance together later that would be fine. I expect I will dance with some others, maybe we can dance then,” I said. I felt for Trudy as I rode around with the wedding party. I enjoy wearing the gown and feeling so beautiful.

While I enjoy being part of the wedding party, it did not mean much until I had time with Trudy. It was kind of nice to dance with Steve and to know I excited him. I felt myself get excited; it caused me to wonder. Mom had told me that I would likely experience different feelings as I continue as Melanie. I am glad she did as sometimes I felt like I was going crazy. Because of Mom and Aunt Marti I knew, I needed to give myself time and space to grown and know who I am.

Things became electric when Trudy and I are together and I had no more obligations. Trudy spoke explicitly about what she would like to do to me in my gown. She's very amused as she felt my body heat up. It is midnight when I finally slip out of the gown. Shortly after 1:00 a.m. Trudy gave me a ride home.

One might expect that the Prom and my prom gown might be anti-climatic after that. On the contrary, it becomes all the more special. It is three weeks later and while my breasts have grown only little in size they matured and become more sensitive. Dr. Kylie credits my mindset and the growing reality that I'm more Melanie than anyone expected.

Suzy and Sheri are both a half year older than when I first became their Aunt and my love for them has become immense. Aunt Marti says, “It is so precious how they look up to you as a role model. You have a way with my daughters and I am so pleased.”

Suzy saw pictures of me from Patti’s wedding, which her Dad’s brother also saw. “I think you are very beautiful Unt Melwanie. I don’t thwnk yous a sissy wike Uncle Bilwie says.”

I give her a hug, “Suzy, do you and Sheri love me?” She shakes her head and gives me a hug. “That is what is important to me.”

She said, “I told Uncle Bilwie that he’s not strong enough or nice enough to be a girl.” Tears came to my eye as I became speechless.

Aunt Marti hugs me from behind, “Billy was upset that his brother Ron is so accepting of you. He has since called me to apologize. He says, the girls and others got him to thinking. It will take time to know if he’s sincere.”

After the girls go to bed, Aunt Marti and I visit. She talks to me about staying out with Trudy the weekend of my prom. “I need to ask she said; ‘If you are going to make out with you as a guy. Trudy and you will need protection.”

“Besides Trudy wanting me as Melanie; I don’t think I could without Dr. Kylie giving me something to help me.”

With the girls asleep Marti has me shower and try on my prom dress one more time.

“Do you see what I see Melanie,” Marti asks? I looked and I knew something was different. Hard as I tried I did not figure it out until Marti tells me. “Your hips are filling out; your waist is so girl. I thought you would be beautiful, maybe even more so without the breast enhancements.” Finally Aunt Marti asks, “Speak in your regular voice.”

I asked, “What do you want me to say?”

Aunt Marti hugs me again, “Do you agree with me that you are now Melanie. There isn’t even a hint of the boy you use to be.”

I did not realize all this until morning that I'm to see Dr. Kylie for my next appointment. I went to the appointment tired and a bit defensive that I would have to prove who I am once again.

Dr. Kylie caught me by surprise. “I think,” Dr. Kylie says, “I would like you to finish one or two years of college growing as a transgendered girl.” Mom had not been in with me during my exam but is there as Dr. Kylie and I talk. “Mrs. Greene and Melanie, you both need to understand there is a lot more growing to do. Most of it will be mentally and emotionally, though your maturing body will continue to develop and change. While it is still possible that you will change your mind and want to go back to being Melvin, but I think it is not at all likely.”

“You should understand, you will not likely come across even another TG girl quite like you. I am told others might seek you out. You can be encouraging and supportive, but I warn you against being the reason anyone else would want to change.”

To conclude with one more Chapter…

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