Vanilla Sky...Part 9.

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Vanilla Sky…Part 9.

*Before…

I’m kind of perplexed watching it until in like twenty minutes the fire’s out and the water’s starting to touch my toes.

“Wow…what?”

“Bay of Fundy tides Sam, fastest and highest tides in the world.” Shane says smiling.

“Okay…that was very, very cool.” I’m actually sill impressed with it still and still stealing glances at the water as we walk back to the vehicles and the guys drive us all home. Music’s on, heater on, friends and just…I want to live now…I want my life so badly now.

*And Now…

We got home or Shane and the guys dropped us all off and I get my things and…and okay we hug the guys and some of the girls that we’ve, well I’ve made friends with and I’m on the happy edge of that whole girly kind of squee feeling and crying because I’m happy.

God I’m happier than I think I’ve ever been in my life.

Dad’s up when I make my way into the house with my things after saying goodnight to the girls.

I can smell hot cider filling the air in the house from the kitchen and I peek my head inside.

“Hi daddy.”

“Hey Princess, so how was the beach?”

“Muddy and mucky but it was so much fun.”

“I’m glad want to tell me?”

“All of it?”

“All of it even the boy parts.”

I blush.

He grins. “So there are boy parts?”

“I don’t know but yeah…there was a few sort of moments.”

“Good I want to hear about them.”

“You do?”

He comes over and he kisses my on my forehead. “Honey I missed so much of your life and so did you and I don’t care if you’re like a lot of other girls and found out that you like boys or that you like girls it doesn’t matter honey as long as you’re safe and happy. I want to be connected to your life y’know.”

I latch onto him with this really big hug and he walks me into the kitchen and he pours out vanilla hot cider. It’s apple cider heated up on the stove with a cinnamon stick bit and a vanilla bean or piece of one of those too and here’s the thing that makes it just so…

Dad spoons out some vanilla ice cream into two tall coffee mugs and pours the boiling cider over it and it melts and cools and acts like a sort of creamer too. It’s like this apple and vanilla spice kind of latte thing.

That and some graham crackers right out of the packet and I’m sitting with Dad in the kitchen telling him all about the beach and building a fire and the mall and Katelyn and the girls and things not mattering with them and the beach again and Dwayne being really nice to me too and…and Shane.

Okay I leave Shane until last because I’m kind of scared.

“But he’s so sweet Dad and he’s cute and I never thought that I’d think that a guy’d be cute but he is and wow…he has these amazing eyes.”

And Dad’s awesome because he does listen and he doesn’t mind my teenaged ramble and stuff and he even takes me down to the basement where we find some jelly jars and we put my sea shells in them and I take them to my room and set them up.

……………….The best thing about working on a farm and stuff is that you’re really working on a farm. It has been actually keeping me busy most of the week and free from stressing about school.

And hormones…Oh I really had no idea that when I was getting started on them that I was going to feel so sick…I was good for a while then it’s all of a sudden oops you’re pregnant and he’s some morning sickness like feelings.

It’s settled off now that my body is normalizing into my new self which is good and well better than good since I swear my brain feels better.

I honestly thought I’d be tons more emotional though but I don’t strongly react that way to stuff on a chemical level I guess.

But I can see them working…yeah it’s just little things like my skin looking better and different and my hair’s getting thicker, not longer yet not really. But there is also the fact that I have things that I never had before. The right vitamins and I can be myself and I’m using my things, girl things that I never had before like the right shampoo and conditioners and lotion and face creams and all those things that my Step-dad would have thrown an absolute shit fit over.

It’s so different here, so different from home since there’s some things where you are doing stuff because it’s stuff that the girls do and then there’s stuff that the guys do.

Like doing the wood, we have wood that we’re doing up for some of the places on the farm and stuff and the guys all deal with the logs and the big chunks but once it’s like firewood sized it’s kind of all of us doing it.

The guys still do the gross or heavy lifting jobs and stuff but I’ve shoveled manure too and I have a pair of really cute rubber boots for it too they’re sort of like those green rubber boots you see the guys wear but mine are literally made for girls and the whole outside surface of them has that look like reflective tape.

They’re pretty.

And apparently kind of the thing to wear in bad weather here or working on the vineyard and the farm.

And despite the food, I’m working that hard and biking whenever I need something from the gas-station sort of general store down the way I’ve lost six pounds. It actually looks like more since I think I put on muscle too.

Not in a bad way though…just after being locked up in the Kooky house I didn’t really have much muscle tone at all so its work muscle and not like work out muscle.

Oh and two days ago I got new boobs…Liz my step mom had them ordered and measured for me so I’m done with the 26’s and now I’m a 34 B and with it came some new bras to fit and stuff and we donated my other breast forms to the breast cancer society.

They fit so much better and I look so much better and we might have put a dent in Daddy’s credit card again with them and the bra and a few other things like corsets but it was so worth it.

And today…

Today I start in the office.

Like Dad promised.

Liz meets me in the office and I wanted to make a good impression so I’m wearing a nice blouse and a skirt that goes good with it and flats but I’m dressed like I would be for a normal office job.

I feel.

God I love the way this feels really. Heck I’m even wearing nylons and just a little make up and I smile a little shyly when I come into the office and Liz is making coffee there and she stops and she looks at me.

“Wow Samantha you look amazing.”

“I do?”

“Absolutely, every inch the professional young lady.”

“Really?”

“Definitely, hang on I want to go get changed too.”

“What? No you don’t have to.”

“I want to, besides what good is it that I have the clothes but I actually don’t wear them on the days that I’m in the office?”

“Uhm…okay?”

“You finish making the coffee and I’ll be right back.”

She leaves and I make the coffee and I take a box of tissues and I slip to the kitchen and get a little dish with lemon Mr. Clean and I just sort of dust a little. It actually needs it and stuff and it’s tweaking my girl cleaning gene. I just get the really worst of the dust but I’m coming back here after supper.

Liz comes down and I’m in a bit of a stunned shock. She’s in a pair of slacks and some nice shoes and a bronze satin blouse and just combining that with her natural Amerindian great looks and her long hair she’s both professional and she’s totally striking too.

“Wow, you look great.”

“Thank you I was going for business casual.” She sniff’s the air. “You cleaned?”

“Yeah it was a little dusty. You don’t mind right?”

“Mind…you cleaning. Wow Atlanta must be a really strange place.”

“Mom and my step dad would have thrown a fit if I cleaned and looked like I enjoyed it.”

“You like cleaning?”

“No but I love when it’s done and everything looks really cool and fresh or pretty.”

“I’m so making you our office manager when we get you trained.”

“There’s not enough of us for me to manage.”

“No silly, like keep everything here ship-shape and stuff like that between everything else your dad and I do this kind of gets left over as side projects.”

“Seriously?”

“Sure am if you want too.”

I take a big breath. “Yes, yes definitely.”

“Okay let’s get started.”

It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever really started to learn how to do. I’m not bad at math and stuff and I’m really good at typing but doing stuff with actual business programs and stuff that is actually like real things for our family business it’s a lot to take in and there’s also this huge pile of real involved in all of this.

We’re just getting into the filing and sorting kind of stuff when Liz says. “Okay I’m starved let’s go get some lunch. Go grab your purse.”

“My purse?”

“We’re doing an office day we should do an office lunch, come on I’m taking you to town for lunch.”

“Uhm…okay.”

I get my purse and Liz drives us into town and we stop at this nice little place called The Cattail café and it’s small but has a nice patio in the back and a decent little view of the water and there’s a waiter that gets us a table and I’m nervous.

Liz smiles at me and she shows me what to do with my coat and my purse and the waiter comes back. “What can I get you ladies?’

Ladies….wow…that felt really good.

And not just the recognition or maybe not getting recognized but this is…I’m out on a girls lunch just like those women I’d watch doing the same for so long and now it’s me.

I get the soup of the day and a small garden salad and Liz gets the same and the canapé small tray for us too and she orders two glasses of sparkling cider.

I look at her when it comes and she passes me one and I take it. “You’re too young for a champagne lunch Sam so it’s this and ginger ale for now.” She smiles and she does the chink glasses and toast thing. “To your first day.”

We clink glasses and I blush and I take a little breath and look her in the eyes. “Thanks Mom, thanks for all of this.”

I called her mom and I really, really meant it.

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Comments

I have to be honest...

thliwent's picture

This story is so sweet it's like sucking on giant pixy stix.

Only wish I could get a response like this from my own family.

I figured...

thliwent's picture

I figured that was more towards the point of these chapters, leaving a place of terror and hate for one of love and acceptance. The future looks bright, where it looked very bleak before!

More love and light and laughs, all around.

my girl cleaning gene

thats a good one. I know bunches of people that missed that one.
great chapter, thanks

Lots of people missed that Gene.

But Samantha has it in Spades as it to her such a girl thing and she actually likes it.
*Hugs and Howls.*

Bailey Summers

I was wondering

Where this story got off to. Thanks for the update it is good to catch up with friends you haven't heard from in a while.

Your Misbehaving Faerie
Huggles.

With those with open eyes the world reads like a book

celtgirl_0.gif

There's a lot in the works, but comments generate priority.

If a story gets a lot of attention it gets more of my time baring my contest works. It's why a lot of my stories are simmering away o my back burners. I am trying to bring up some more chapters of things though.

Love your analogy though.
*Great Big Angel Hugs*

Bailey Summers

I've had 10 minutes online if that...

thliwent's picture

I've had maybe 10 minutes online a day through leeched wireless for the last 3 months, so I've basically taken your stories and downloaded them to thumbdrives while doing something else.

I just got back online today :D

I have only 2 authors here on RSS feeds, because I need to know of their updates as soon as possible.

You and Penny Lane.

In the last 2 weeks I think I've re-read the entirety of X-why me, Don't blame me I'm a martian, FTL, Jem, Masks, What a good boy and am in the middle currently of re-reading Bridges, and AOH. (tip: I read about 1k words per minute) ((the 2 weeks before that I re-read the entirety of whately canon)) (((save page as..., what a wonderful phrase, it means more reading, on those disconnected days...)))

Basically, if you write it, I read it, I just haven't been able to comment on 'em as of late.

I'm just trying to let you know that no matter which of your stories you're working on, I'm here, waiting to read them. (btw, more encrypted, jem, masks or vanilla, please? :p )

"Vanilla Sky" and "Charlie"

Are great trans-teen stories and really make me feel good. What a right and proper thing that a teen has his or her parent teaching and coaching adult social gender behavior. Parents actually caring about and raising their kids. It's foreign to my childhood and others here's even worse childhoods.

Both dads are excellent. In my somewhat warped experience, I've seldom encountered such good men. OTOH, maybe some of the men who seemed indifferent or just acted superior were actually better husbands and fathers away from work. My dad was the opposite of these good fathers; to other adults he was always playing the charming host, the good friend, the proper, concerned and helpful neighbor (who wasn't around much). To me, my brother and sister, he didn't care much or often, was bossy, aloof, or couldn't be bothered with us, except when we were visible to others he knew. In that case we all had to be well dressed and well behaved and go to church, etc., while he didn't go to church himself and cursed a blue streak, ranting and raving about other drivers screw-ups while driving us somewhere.

Hugs and Bright Blessings,
Renee

I like writing good dad's and men since I had a great one.

I miss him like crazy and I always will he was one of those guys and would have willing adopted so many here I think. He was family first even if he had to be the only dad some of my friends had.

Twenty years he's been gone and when we talk about him somebody still tears up.
Kinda like I am right now.

*Huge Hugs Renee*
Love ya girl:)

Bailey Summers

Both of my brothers...

Andrea Lena's picture

...are such great men; as fathers and husbands and all around great guys. There are a lot of them out there; some of us just had the misfortune of knowing ones who weren't. Thank you!

  

To be alive is to be vulnerable. Madeleine L'Engle
Love, Andrea Lena

I have nothing to say

... apart from that I enjoy this story -- as I enjoy all of your stories, Bailey. <3 :)

Okay, so it might be unseemly to express such gratitude through ascii emoticons, but hey, I don't have any constructive criticism (I'm not much of a writer) and I fully believe author's should be completely free to direct a story however they want...

So... I am but a humble reader and I hope you have as good a time writing your stories as I do reading them! Oh, and a good weekend, too. :D

xx
Amy

I still Really, Really appreciate the support Amy:)

It's comments in general that really help a lot of us that write here. we re-read stories and for me it always helps me get a boost to write more.
*Great Big Hugs*

Bailey Summers

I finally got a chance to read this.....

D. Eden's picture

And you've held up to your usual high standards Bailey. As an added bonus, I've actually managed to read this story without completely losing it every five minutes. Yes, I've still had more than my share of emotional moments - if only we all could have had a father like Sam's daddy! - but I haven't had to walk away from this one to calm down yet.

I'm really looking forward to seeing where you go with this story after such a good start.

Oh! I almost forgot - the slightly skewed perspective of a US citizen being introduced to the slight differences north of the border have really added to the story. I remember my first trip to Canada and the feeling of everything being not quite right, familiar but different in an intriguing way. The Tim Bits is a cute example - Sam looking in the box and realizing that they are Donut Holes. It's those little touches which add so much realism to your stories. I really enjoy how you include those little touches.

Dallas

D. Eden

Dum Vivimus, Vivamus

As a Canuck Dallas it was opposite for me.

I went from here to the United states a lot way back when and I noticed the differences in another way like when you hit a certain point ketchup gets replaced by hotsauce on restaurant tables.

I might add some of my fave USA things through Sam in this for some character flavor.

Glad you're enjoying this one:)
*Great Big Hugs*

Bailey Summers

The plant flowers

Jamie Lee's picture

Cleaning is something that has to be done even though it might not be enjoyable. The problem comes in getting motivated to preform the work.

Sam saw a need and decided to get it done; it looks better once completed. Now she's lunching with her mom as though it was a regular office girls lunch.

When she lived down south, the plant never was watered, just had insecticide applied. It wasn't nurtured with love, just hatred and condemnation. They even tried to kill the plant by pulling it out of the ground, but the major roots remained.

And now, the plant is being watered. It's being nurtured with love and kindness. The main roots have produced a new plant and because it's being treated better, it's flowering. And it continues to grow.

How further along would Sam be if she had received the needed love and support by the previous adults?

Others have feelings too.