Goodnight Grace

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He looked down at his sleeping daughter, Grace, amazed at the peace glowing softy on her face.

Disclaimer: This is fiction. All the characters and events portrayed here are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely accidental and unintentional As always my thanks goes out to Holly for helping proof and generally make this readable. Another big thanks goes to Paula who for some reason puts up me and my insane ranting about story ideas, Thanks Love! Any errors, or mistakes are mine alone so with that in mind, enjoy!

Goodnight Grace

By

Grover

Robert softly opened the bedroom door. He looked down at his sleeping daughter, Grace, amazed at the peace glowing softy on her face. They’d both been though so much in the last year; his divorce from Patricia’s; their being ostracized by their church; the turmoil at Grace’s school. But all of this had begun a few short years before, when his daughter had been his son Mark.

Neither he nor his wife Patricia had known what to think when Mark had dropped his bomb on them. What had impressed Robert was the impassioned plea his son had made asking to see a doctor specializing in gender ‘difficulties.’

A part of him had felt guilty because of all the long hours he’d spent at work, and he’d wondered if Mark’s problems were due to his not spending enough time at home. At least that job did ensure that if Mark needed medical attention he would be able to afford it.

Patricia had taken Mark’s request much harder, saying he was only going though a phase and seeking attention. Robert hadn’t believed that at all, although he’d wondered about her sometimes. Well, He did think from time to time that he and Mark were nothing more than trophies and tools for her status seeking socialite ambitions. Certainly his position at the local plant and past sports prowess helped her with that, but Mark had never been the athletic type even though he’d always been an smart kid.

In the end, Patricia had agreed, believing the psychologist would only confirmed her amateur diagnosis. While he’d been mildly surprised at the Doctor’s analysis, Patricia had been out right shocked. She’d been more concerned what her friends would think, than with their child’s well being.

It was the Doctor revealing the trials and heartaches those like Mark go though in life that convinced him that Mark should receive treatment. Just the statistics regarding suicide was enough to give him ulcers. Patricia reluctantly went along.

At first, treatment consisted only of visits to the doctor, but later progressed to hormone blockers when they became convinced Mark was a transsexual and might need transition.

Robert marveled he had grown closer to his daughter then he ever had his son. He was saddened it had taken something like this to awaken him to needs of his family, and it grieved him that in many ways it’d been too late.

Patricia had always been more active in their church than he, and when word got out about Mark, things got bad. He’d always known she cared more about what others thought than was healthy, but things really didn’t start going down hill until Mark started presenting as Grace.

Mark had known from the beginning that his mom was having problems with all that was going on. When she began her transition, she took the name Grace from her maternal grandmother, in a attempt to reach her mother. Like Robert had said before, a smart kid.

He guessed he shouldn’t been surprised when members of the church congregation began objecting to Grace’s transition, or when Patricia began to cave in to their peer pressure, it’d been his own research, and witnessing how much happier his child was now that made him certain it was the right thing for Grace to continue.

The entire mess dissolved into chaos when Patricia sued for divorce and custody of their only child. Grace had changed schools when she began her transition, but word had gotten out anyway. That had been, to say the least, a stressful experience for them.

The divorce had been as nasty and unpleasant as such things tend to be, but poor Grace had been caught in the middle of it all, even more so than children usually are in such affairs.

In the end, the courts had awarded him sole custody after Patricia had stated in rather impolite terms her intention of stopping Grace’s transition and treatment. Thankfully, his attorney had maneuvered for the right judge, and the testimony of not one, but three experts in gender related medical problems and issues had done the job.

There’d been just so much pain for the two of them, but at last the legal battles were over. Tomorrow both he and his daughter would begin their move to a new home and future.

Putting aside his wool gathering and looking at his sleeping child, he knew it had all been worth it. He carefully shut her door, not wanting to disturb the peace and sweet dreams she’d found in sleep, whispering tenderly to her, “Goodnight Grace.”

The End

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Comments

Nice, But...

...might benefit from being a bit less skeletal and less purely narrative in structure.

Judiciously inserting one or two brief scenes with dialog might really make it come alive.

By the way, if you're making a reference to Burns and Allen, the line would be "Goodnight, Gracie." Although, that would kind of spoil the mood of the piece.

I think so too.

laika's picture

It's wonderful; but seems to be rushed. If it were another writer, one whose works I was
unfamiliar with, I would deem it superb. But ......... well maybe I'm greedy. There are certain things you're really good at that seem absent here; as if you wanted to get this out onto the main page in a timely manner. But it sure describes the situation well. Two types of parents dealing with a t.g child. The dad
listening to Grace's needs. The mom so sure the professionals would concur with her
preconceptions, indignant & scandalized when they didn't...
~~~hugs, Laika

New for me.

This is new direction for me and so I'm exploring a little. I felt it needed something else but wasn't quiet sure what and where to put it. Let me think on this some more. This is why I love BCTS because I can get wonderful feedback. I did feel it was 'okay' but lacked the 'heart' I was seeking. This was inspired by a picture I saw of a parent checking on their sleeping child and a part wondered what a parent of TG child might be thinking. Thanks to everyone who commented!!! Yay!!!
hugs!
grover

Don't feel afraid to *flesh* it out

You have the core of a fine story here. Nice experiment for you.

A little dialog here and there would do wonders for it. My silly Glacier Girl -- I will get back and finish GG2 I promise -- was far better after I added a few lines of dialoge every so often as needed.

I like how the man was the tolerant one here, not the woman, a bit of a twist on convention.

Liked your dog story, even my cats said the bitch was okay but would have prefered maybe a Siamese or Tabby in the heroine's role.

Nice as it is but it could be the basis of a bigger story.

John in Wauwatosa

John in Wauwatosa

Sentimental journey

Thanks, Grover.
I *do* hate sentimental monologues so....
No, wait.. I *love* them! Thanks! I enjoyed 'Goodnight' both as a story and a smile.
Michelle

what she said

kristina l s's picture

they said, um... This was nice as is though I did keep trying to picture the scenes in between so to speak. Just a few little snippets here and there would make a huge difference. Grace at the moment is only a background blur, a gentle and thoughtful one, but still out of focus. The wife/mother can stay a lonely shadow but Grace I think needs a pinch more time in the light.
Sorry if this sounds negative, it's not meant that way. You have a lovely gentle touch Grover

Kristina

Grover, I Read This Story At Stardust And

I am glad that you posted it here. Me, I am very much like that Dad, i would support the child and help her to become the woman she is inside.
Ever thought about expanding the story?

May Your Light Forever Shine

    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine

Grace

I loved it, it is a great short story. To me it needs no expansion, I can see the dad looking at his daughter and just having that go through his mind. WELL DONE!!

It's just right

IMHO it's just right. I can visualise the whole scenario and have no problem with the length, content or lack of dialogue.

It's the thoughts of one man as he tenderly looks at his child and recalls the events that led to that day. It makes a pleasant change in the story world for the father to be the one to accept the transgendered child. It can happen.

Well done

Susie

I think

It's just right, I think it's fine alone as a short short story or even could be used as a prologue for a larger one if you wanted ^^ In the end it's beautiful and I loved it, thank you ^^

 

    I just got to be me :D

 

I know who I am, I am me, and I like me ^^
Transgender, Gamer, Little, Princess, Therian and proud :D

It is nice to see a father

It is nice to see a father that isn't the asshole :)

Very interesting story and I feel for everyone who has family members like that mother. Beeing nothing but a tool for social climbing, a pet to be exhibited is a cruel fate.

Good story, thank you for writing,

Beyogi