"Morning mom" Sarah announced her and Cassie's presence.

"Good morning... dears" She smiled a reassuring smile, hoping her slight hesitation wasn't noticed. She knew it would be a little awkward, a new experience for everyone, and will need getting used to.

"Morning auntie"

"You look lovely Cassie"

"Thank you" Cassie said, smiling nervously

Boy, was this new. For Anne and Cassie, and Sarah felt it too, but things became more relaxed and 'normal' after a little while chit-chatting over breakfast.

"You two girls can do the washing-up" said Anne, conscious to refer to Cassie in the correct manner to suit the situation.

"Sure, mom"

"I figured we could spend the morning in the garden, it's needing some tlc just now, but..." suggested Anne, but the plan hadn't reckoned on Cassie's emergence.

"Well, mom, Melanie already knows about Cassie, so she won't suspect anything if she sees us... but isn't she at work today anyway"

"Yes she is dear" "Yes, we'll be okay"

"I must say Cassie, nobody would take you for anything other than a rea... I mean a girl, you look lovely"

"Thank you auntie, I'm glad you think so" smiled Cassie

"Mom, Cassie will need shoes, you and she are the same size" Sarah pointed out

"We are? Okay... well I think I have a pair of ankle boots that will go nicely with that skirt, let me go get them"

"Thanks mom"

So the three spent time in the garden, pottering about and doing odds and ends. The only people that they saw were an old couple who didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary, and a young woman with her child, who similarly showed no sign of spotting anything unusual.

"Told you nobody would notice, mom" said Sarah

The rest of the day passed pretty quietly, doing odd jobs around the house, and making time for afternoon tea, which was nice.

Come evening time, as the three were sat in front of the telly, Anne asked Cassie...

"We'll have to think about what we're going to do, dear" "You're going home on Saturday, do you want me to mention anything of this to your mom, I'm sure I could put it to her in a way she'd understand"

Cassie thought a moment "I don't know... I don't think so, I think I'd rather just keep this between us... for now" "If that's okay?"

"Sure dear, it's your decision" "Maybe for the best, we don't want to rush into anything, I mean it might just be a phase?"

"I don't think it is" replied Cassie "It feels too real to be"

The three thought about things individually as they didn't watch the telly

"The telly's rubbish" said Sarah, "Never anything decent on"

"Well, I've got an idea, tell me if you like it or not?" said Anne

"What?" replied Cassie and Sarah together

"Well... tomorrow's Friday, and it's pay day for me. So, I was thinking, if you two wanted, we could go shopping, treat ourselves to something nice... and maybe Cassie, get you some things of your own, if you liked"

"Ooohh... sounds good mom!" Sarah sounded excited

"That sounds good, if it's okay with you" said Cassie

"Sure thing then, it's a plan"

"We can keep your new clothes here, for when you visit" observed Anne

That night Cassie borrowed a different nightie from Sarah, a blue one with sweethearts on the front "You are a sweetheart" remarked Sarah.

Cassie slept well that night.

*****

Friday morning came. And Cassie came downstairs in her nightie for breakfast.

"Morning auntie"

"Morning dear... go give your cousin a shout, will you"

"Sarah! Get your backside out of your bed!" Cassie shouted from the hallway.

Sarah emerged 10 minutes later, her hair looking like it had been styled through a hedge backwards.

The threesome had porridge for breakfast, with syrup on top.

"Are you going shopping as Calum or Cassie?" Sarah enquired "People might think it looked odd if you went as Calum, looking at girls stuff"

"I can go as Cassie, I really do look like a girl don't I, nobody's going to point or anything?" Cassie seeked reassurance.

"Of course, you look great Cassie, nobody will think anything other than just us girls shopping, perfectly normal"

"Good... thank you" said Cassie, feeling better about things.

"Will you do my hair for me, Sarah?"

"Sure"

"You two girls better go get yourselves dressed and ready, we're going soon" advised Anne

"Sure mom" "Come on Cassie"

The two got dressed. Both of them picking jeans to wear, Sarah teamed them with a red stripy t-shirt, and Cassie with a white top and blue cardigan.

"Blue really suits you" Sarah admired

"Blue for the girls" joked Cassie.

*****

The threesome arrived at the mall, it wasn't too busy yet, which was good "I hate it when it's too busy" said Sarah.

They entered the mall and had a wander around at first, to see what shops had things on offer. They picked one store with a sale on, and after a rummage through a rack of tops, Sarah pulled one out...

"Here Cassie, this one'd look good on you" she held the striped top up to Cassie who'd come over. "Perfect" "Mom... can we get this for Cassie please?" Anne checked the price ticket and agreed, and made the purchase.

The three passed a lingerie shop, and Sarah commented... "We need to get you some undies, Cassie" and Cassie nodded, trying to conceal her slight embarrassment.

"Don't be embarrassed, all perfectly normal!" said Sarah

They came out of the shop with two multipacks of panties, one with whites and pinks, the other with whites and blues.

"Onwards and upwards" said Anne "Are you wanting to get something for yourself, dear?" she asked Sarah

"Nah, this is Cassie's adventure" she smiled "Oh look... we can get you jeans out of there..."

They went in the jeanswear shop, and after a look around for a while, and much chatter, they selected the first pair they'd seen. A pair of regular jeans, but with a butterfly motif on the back pocket "Cute!" as Sarah observed.

"Fancy a drink and a sit down for a little?" said Anne. The two girls agreed and they went for a soda each and Anne had a coffee.

"So what have we still to get, we've not got much yet have we?" enquired Anne

Sarah and Cassie thought "I'm not sure" said Cassie. She didn't want to ask for anything else, as she didn't want Anne to spend too much on her, 'I don't want to take advantage, certainly not'.

Sarah answered too "Well we can go back to the lingerie shop, you'll need socks" "And... oh... there's so much we could get you!"

"Easy now tiger" said Anne

"I know, mom, but it's soo much fun, and she's starting from having nothing of her own"

Anne was going to comment 'I'm not made of money!', but she thought against saying it, she didn't want to inhibit the fun. Anyway, she knew Cassie wasn't, and wouldn't, go overboard.

"You'll need you own pyjamas, or a nightie?" asked Sarah of Cassie

"Nighties are more comfy I think"

"Well we'll get you one then" confirmed Sarah

The three finished their drinks and left for more shopping.

They stopped in the lingerie shop they were in earlier, and they got several pairs of socks. From the same shop they bought a new nightie, it was lilac with a teddy bear on the front. "Cute! I have one just like it!" remarked Sarah.

Their next stop was another shop, where they looked at some skirts. Cassie had one she kept coming back to, it was a knee-length pleated skirt.

"I'm really drawn to this one you know" said Cassie "I agree, it's really nice... mom..."

Next stop saw them acquire another t-shirt, and a sweater that looked cute when Cassie held it up to herself.

A detour via a costume jewelry shop, got them a bracelet, that the three agree'd was really pretty, and it was on offer too... bargain!

"We 'have' to get your ears pierced!" said Sarah excitedly, but Cassie pulled her up short... "I have to go home remember, I think my parents would notice that..." "Oh yeah... sorry"

The spent the next while looking at a huge variety of things, oh to be able to get whatever they wanted... oh to be rich! But sadly they weren't, so they had to reign-in their ambitions. They winded up in the dress section of a department store.

"Would madam care for a dress? Go on... I bet you'd look lovely in a dress" Sarah teased Cassie

"Well, I guess, if that's okay" she looked at Anne. "Within reason" Anne said

They had a good look through the rails of dresses, holding lots of them up to each other, and adding each one to either the 'potential' the 'maybe' or the 'no way' categories. They finally settled on a summery maxi length dress in a yellow print, which all three agreed was the nicest one there.

The three grabbed a sandwich each for lunch, and another drink.

After a while more looking around the shops, the three decided they'd gotten enough, at least for the time being, and headed back to the car. All three agreed a good time was had by all.

"We did well with our little haul, eh Cassie" grinned Sarah

"Yes we did!" smiled Cassie "I'm happy with what we got, thank you so much Anne"

"You're welcome dear"

The three headed back home, the two girls chasing each other to the front door.

In they all got... "If you want to take your things to your room Cassie"

"Yes auntie" "Sarah, wanna come help me put my things away?"

"Sure"

When the twosome had gotten downstairs afterwards, mom suggested they all go out for dinner. There was a new Italian restaurant not long opened and Anne had been wanting to see what it was like.

"My treat" she said

"And boy are you treating us today, mom!"

That evening the two girls headed back upstairs, for Cassie to try on her new things for size.

"Everything looks real good on you Cass, you're so lucky!"

"Shucks"

They headed back downstairs after that fun, to see what mom was up to. "Nothing much... there's nothing on the telly... as usual... anyone for scrabble?"

Over scrabble, they chatted, and conversation came to the fact Cassie had to go home tomorrow.

"Don't be sad dear" seeing Cassie's face, Sarah didn't look much happier

"Time sure flies when you're having fun" remarked Sarah

"I know it's been a discovery for you sweetheart, but you'll have to hide it from your parents, if you don't want them to know, which you said you didn't"

"I know, but it's going to be so difficult, it's like I've found myself this last week, I don't know what I'm going to do"

Sarah offered a re-assuring shoulder "You've always got us to come to"

"I know, but I can't get through here that often"

"Are you sure you don't want me to have a word with your mom, dear?"

"I'm sure... at least not yet" "Who knows, it might have just been a little phase after all!" Cassie didn't sound convinced, or convincing.

The rest of the evening they tried to have some more fun, but none of them could help thinking about the fact that tomorrow things will be different. Things will always be different. Anne and Sarah felt for Cassie and her predicament 'it can't be easy' they thought to themselves.

Nobody slept well that night.

*****

Saturday morning.

"Good morning... Ca... Calum?" Anne greeted Cassi... Calum as he entered the kitchen, looking kinda glum, but putting a brave face on it. Anne sympathized.

"Want to give Sarah a shout dear?" "She's a lazy so and so, honestly"

"Sarah! Get your backside out of your bed!" Cassie shouted from the hallway, for the last time this visit.

Sarah emerged five minutes later "G'morning" her hair surprisingly presentable!

Anne and Calum chuckled to themselves, it was hard not to.

Breakfast was a quiet affair.

After the dishes had been washed, Anne said to Calum "Want to go and pack your other... boys clothes, I left a small suitcase at the top of the stairs"

"Yeah, I guess, thanks"

Calum packed the one spare change of male clothing he had into the suitcase, Sarah joined him at the bedroom door.

"Maybe you could sneak a couple of things... if you hid them your mom and dad need never know"

Calum agreed, and folded up his new nightie and one of the multipack packs of panties, and placed them in the suitcase.

"At least I hope they won't find them" he said

Downstairs, in the hallway, they were heading to head out, and Sarah and Anne both gave Calum a hug.

"Promise you'll call, and that you'll come visit again soon" said Anne

"I promise"

"And you know you've always got us to talk to, if and when you need it"

"I know, thank you for everything, both of you"

The threesome headed for the car, and Calum put his suitcase in the trunk, and got in alongside Sarah in the rear. It was a quiet drive to the bus stop.

"Woah... we cut it close, here's your bus coming already, hurry up"

The three jumped out, and Calum grabbed his luggage, with it's precious cargo.

The three had one last quick hug. And Calum/Cassie boarded the bus.

Bye Auntie, bye Sarah.

**********

The end? What does the future hold? Will we see Calum/Cassie, Sarah, and Anne again? Who knows?