At last ‘A life’
By Julie D Cole
Chapter 74 Family Dinner

Julie and I left mum and dad and went to prepare for dinner. I thought it was a simple matter of changing our clothes and freshening up a little bit but then I realized we had to try on different outfits that we’d brought along and hung in the closet.

I tried on two of Julies along the way and a skirt and top that Kate had put in her bag of goodies.

I didn’t feel right in the pink and green one that I’d brought, and Julie suggested I save the little black dress she’d brought until tomorrow evening. So I settled for Kate’s cream skirt with a very nice fuscia colored top.

The skirt was fitted and I liked it because it was to the knee and showed how shapely my legs were. Mmm not much chance for Chris to enjoy dressing like this in boring trousers and shirts.

What a great feeling that was to try different outfits and try to find one to fit the mood of the evening.

Julie wasn’t so adventurous because she said she didn’t want to always upstage me. I smiled and hit her playfully. She selected some black evening trousers and a silky blue top that really suited her.

It made her appear taller and elegant and she was wearing higher heels than she normally wears. She said it was so that she could look down on me. Really we were about the same height.

When we arrived in the bar dad he complemented us. He was already waiting with a champagne bucket and four glasses and he’d arranged for a small table with the barman so we could sit away from the other pre-dinner guests.

Then mum entered.

She looked absolutely wonderful. It was a long time since we’d seen her dressed to go out so we were only used to seeing her in day clothes.

A tear came to my eye as dad put his arm around her waist and kissed her. Could they come back together again and be happy? I was determined to help them as much as I could.
Julie insisted to take some photos of both of them and then got the waiter to shoot the four of us drinking champagne.

He was happy to fuss around Julie who has a skill at appearing helpless and I watched and admired her techniques as she managed to get some canapés and he was back and forth ensuring we were all comfortable.

He found us a nice quiet table and recommended some special items from the menu. He was fussing all the time as she fluttered her eyelids and winked at me. ‘This is how to get special attention.’

We had a really nice dinner together and time was flying. We chatted about mum and dad’s memories of good times together before and after they were married.

But no mention of Judith or Darren Harper. They were also laughing about some of their experiences when they took Julie and I on vacation and I recalled some of them but they were not so funny for me.

The trouble was that all I could think about was how I had been there as Chris and I wished I could go back again to re-live them as Chrissy.

I’d been too quiet and shy and I’m sure that Julie and would have had a lot more fun together.

We got a little bit tipsy as the evening progressed probably due the champagne and then the free glass of wine as we sat down followed by the bottle of wine that followed with dinner.

So Mum was starting to slur her speech.

She couldn’t get the words out properly so we were all laughing. Then she stood up and shook her head a little bit to focus on us and managed to speak whilst rocking a little bit.

‘I want to make a toast to my dear sister, my greatest friend and the most beautiful woman you could wish to meet and to our wonderful times together and the special memories. But especially to the very special gift she left behind. A toast to her gorgeous daughter Chrissy who has always been the apple of my eye and who is now like a butterfly who has suddenly appeared from its chrysalis.So to Judy and to my new sweet daughter who has brought her back to life for me these last two weeks.’

I didn’t know what to say as they all pointed their glasses to me. Dad said ‘Come on Chrissy this is a toast to you and to Judith a truly wonderful girl who would have loved you to bits.’

With tear filled eyes I joined the toast and then we hugged each other as never before. I felt like I was fully accepted as Chrissy and now if I wanted to cry and show my emotions then there was nothing to worry about.

I did want to cry but only because I was so happy.

But at that moment I had to sit down because a strange feeling came over me. I felt a little bit dizzy and then I was tingling with a really nice shivering sensation passing down my spine and through my legs to my knees.

It was such a nice feeling that I didn’t want it to stop.

I felt a tingling in my finger tips and I thought OMG maybe this is a blood pressure problem and maybe I’m having a heart attack or soething.

My head felt light but the tingling sensation in my legs was still there and I didn’t want it to stop. Each second felt like a minute and thoughts about the last 2 weeks strange experience flashed through my mind.

I closed my eyes for a moment and could picture Gran smiling at me and then in her hospital bed. I wondered how she was recovering and if she could manage without mum.

She’d changed a lot towards Julie and I after she saw me as Chrissy and I needed to go back to see her again after the weekend.

I thought about Jessica and some of the cruel things she’d said to me and then how she gave me a ring to wear and then how nice she’d been when I asked if Sally could stay with her this weekend.

I could picture Kate with her father Darren Harper and the expression on dads face when I met him in Manchester.

I thought about James and the feeling I’d had when he danced with me. Then the fear when his girlfriend through water over me and called me a bitch. Everything was like a rewind being played fast forward. I laughed at the thought of the angry wicked witch who probably was still controlling James life.

Julie held my hand and squeezed it and I opened my eyes. The tingling stopped and I was sad when it did. I had so enjoyed it.

What a range of experiences I’d had over the last 2 weeks. Mostly highs with some lows and yet I’d come through it all and I felt really happy. I think the new job and my relationship with Kate had made me comfortable and a lot more confident and I wondered if she’d known about me in advance and engineered the whole thing.

But too many things had happened to be co-incidences. I would have been happy to believe that she had arranged all this but then I thought it wasn’t possible that she knew about my history or my latent femininity.

As I’d gotten to know her I wanted her to be a friend as well as a boss. I wanted to be as beautiful as she is. I really liked her a lot. I wished I’d known her in my teens and I wished we’d have been girlfriends.

Julie squeezed again. ‘Chrissy come back what’s wrong with you? Are you still with us?’

I said I was sorry but I was so happy that I was floating. Maybe this was my one chance in life to change everything and forget my past life as Chris and relax and be happy.

After all my family had come back together and we were having such a nice time together. I felt I was a sister to Julie and not her boring brother who couldn’t relate to her.

She’d never have hugged me and I’d never have dreamed of telling her anything about my life.

I wanted to keep close to each of them and support them as they were supporting me. I wanted mum and dad to get together again and for Julie to be married and yet I still wanted her to be with me as sisters at home to enjoy what we’d missed.

How could anybody have had more support than I’d and why? I’d not done anything to deserve it except to try to be a new and friendlier person. But that had come naturally and I’d found Kate and Sally and had a better relationship with the girls at work.

It made me feel as if this was meant to be.

I managed to get dad to fill our glasses with the last of the wine and I stood up nervously to make a toast to them. It felt like I had the whole room listening as I looked around because it was quiet. I tried to make my voice as soft as possible.

‘To my family who I love to pieces. Who have supported me and cared for me and brought me to this point of my life. I want you to know that you’ve made me happier today than I’ve ever been and just how much I love you.’

Julie smiled and I suspected she was going to make a joke but I wanted to be serious for a moment so I stopped her and then carried on.

‘Please no Jules, I’m not being mushy and sentimental. I like this new life that you’ve helped bring to me and I will value forever the support and encouragement I’ve had. Without each of you I wouldn’t be standing here like this and without each of you in my life I wouldn’t want to carry on. ’

‘Mum smiled up at me and her lips were quivering like mine. ‘I think I know what I want to do from here onwards so please stay faithful to me. Help me to be the daughter and sister that you can be proud of but particularly that Aunt Judith, or mum Judith, would have been proud of. ‘

As we finished the toast it felt like the whole dining room were watching and if this was an American movie they’d all have been clapping by now and a band would have appeared in the background. But it was real life and here I was hugging my family. It was a magic moment.

Then the friendly waiter who Julie had twisted around her finger all evening touched my arm and passed me a single red rose with a note so we stopped. I opened the envelope and read the card.

‘To Chrissy. Will you spend the rest of your life with me because I love you so much Have a great weekend.’

I asked the waiter who sent it to me and he replied ‘It arrived this afternoon so your mum and dad asked me to bring it to you after dinner.’

‘Oh, thanks, it’s a nice surprise but no signature’

‘Well that’s the gift but I also have a message. There is a lady in reception who says it’s urgent that she speaks to you.’

I picked up my bag and walked to the doorway with Julie at my side.

‘Kate.What are you doing here. Oh have you sent this rose to me?’

No Chrissy I didn’t, I don’t know what it is. I’m sorry to disturb you all but I had to come and find you.I didn’t want to just call.’

‘What’s wrong?’

‘Chrissy I’ve just come from Leeds General Infirmary. There’s been an car accident.

Jessica and two friends were involved that is why the police contacted me. I was just leaving work’

‘Oh Kate I’m so sorry is Jessica OK.’

‘She is hurt but not too badly. But Chrissy there’s more. It’s not just about Jessica. Sally and Mary Jo were with her and it was a bad accident. Sally was crying out for you so I drove here as fast as I could.’

‘Oh my God no.’

To be continued……