20 Life Goes On

Over the weekend, I had a phone conversation with Chloe.

“ How did it all go down on Friday? I assume that I was the talk of the office?”

‘When the article came out, HR issued an email to all the staff, with a copy of it, along with a statement of company policy, reminding everyone that bullying and discrimination would not be tolerated, not just when directed at you Dani, but equally applying to any member of staff. Most of the morning, people were huddled in groups talking, but whenever I approached they tended to break up, obviously I am being seen as part of the deception and too closely linked to you.”

“Will it be sensible to come in on Monday or do people need a bit more time to get their heads around it all?” I asked warily.

“ It calmed down a bit in the afternoon and people just got on with their work. You’re going to have to come in sometime, Monday should be as good as any other time.”

“ How about you Chloe, are you still ok with it all, I wouldn’t want you to be too embarrassed by being seen with me?”

“ I had a good chat with mum and she told me just to get on with things, you have done nothing wrong, and she likes you and what you have done for me, and she thinks that you make a lovely girl. If people want to talk about me and suggest that I must be a bit gay myself to put up with it, I will just smile and think of my times with Harry.”

“ That’s my girl ! See you Monday. I will call you from outside the offices, just to make sure that nothing has changed, I don’t want any unpleasant scenes.”

Carol and I invited Helen round for Sunday lunch. I wanted to know how the company grapevine, particularly senior staff, had reacted.

“First thing, there were a flurry of emails and calls asking for clarification of the policy and in particular, what penalties would be applied to anyone breaking the anti-discrimination policies. I just reminded them that policies were already in place for racial and gender discrimination and the the zero-tolerance policy would apply in the same way. I was surprised that later on I had several enquiries from people wanting to ‘come out of the closet’ and seeking reassurance that their careers would not be harmed. It looks as if, whether you like it or not, you are a flag-bearer for the LGBT community in the organisation.”

“ So do you think Helen that it will do no harm to the standing of Cunninghams in the industry?”

“ Far from it, two or three other major players, including your friends at Makepeace, have already stated that their policies are going to be upgraded too. Anyhow, don’t worry, things will soon sort themselves out. How about you two, are you personally comfortable that you are now ‘out’.”

‘It’s a strange coincidence but in a way it lifts a cloud from us, our relationship is a lot stronger now.”

When Helen had left, Carol sat me down to have ‘a serious conversation’.
.
“ You told Helen that our relationship is a lot stronger now, but it going to get even stronger, I’m pregnant, we are expecting a baby in 6 months time. I have been meaning to tell you for a while, but with everything that has happened it never seemed to be the right moment.”

“ That’s brilliant, but you should have told me sooner. How we will sort all this out will have to be determined, but I couldn’t be happier. Have you told your Mum and Dad and do they know about me?”

“ They know all about you, and have been asking to meet you. They are a bit confused, but as long as I am happy, they are happy too.”

“Let’s go and see them now. We’ll see how they react to meeting me and then decide whether to tell them about the baby or leave it for another time.”

It was a strange first meeting, her Mum and Dad didn’t know at first how to treat me, but the longer we sat talking and having tea with them, the more they just accepted me as a close friend
and future partner for Carol. They were delighted, if a bit confused, when we told them about the baby, obviously wondering if I was still capable of fathering a child, but we assured them that it was all a perfectly natural and usual process and that the baby would really be Carol’s and mine.

By the time we left, they had been convinced that Carol and I were happy together, and were looking forward to a future with each other and with our family Even though it is not unusual for couples to have children now without getting married we had decided that it was something that we wanted to do, and Carol and her mum were soon deep in wedding planning.

When we were back in the flat I phoned Mum to tell her the news about the baby and she was as excited and pleased as Carol’s parents had been.

“ That is wonderful, i have got fed up waiting for Elizabeth to have a child, you have beaten her to it, I am so happy for you both. Charles has told me about the article in the news sheet, I hope that it hasn’t upset you too much.”

“ Far from it, it is actually a big relief in a way, I’m told that it hasn’t gone down too badly at the office, but I’ll find out tomorrow when I go in. Has Charles also told you about the job offers he has made to me? They are really exciting and should set us up financially for life and they have come at the right time for Carol and I. We will try to get down there sometime next week to talk about it all properly, but I thought that you should know right away about the baby.”

“ Ok see, you then, now put Carol on, I want to have a good long woman-to-woman chat with her.”

Monday morning, I was walking down Cheapside to the office and saw a crowd outside the entrance to Cunningham’s and approached a policeman who was watching what was happening.

“ What’s going on officer?”

“ There are two groups there, one lot protesting about the employment at senior level of a transgender woman, and the other lot supporting the company and calling for equal opportunities for all. They are all waiting for her to arrive for work.”

Rather than face the crowds and feed the antagonism of each group for the other I decided to phone up to Chloe.

“ Chloe, there are people outside the main entrance waiting for me to arrive, can you go to the back fire escape door and open it to let me in please.”

I was quickly let in and we made our way up to the office, where I went in to see Sir Charles.

“Sorry about the rat-pack out front, I managed to avoid them on the way in.”

“ Somebody is down there now telling them that you won’t be in until this has all died down, don’t worry, they will all go and find something else to make a scene about. Just get on with your work and forget about them.”

Our office was a lot busier than normal, people popping in any any pretext just to get a look at me, although they had been working alongside me for a year or so, more out of curiosity rather than anything else, However by lunchtime the freak-show was over and things returned to normal with people were treating me like they had been doing, although I was getting looked over for any flaws by the women, and even getting some admiring looks, particularly at my breasts, by the men.

Over the next few days, apart from a few jokey comments, which didn’t offend me, I was virtually ignored by most people and allowed to get on with my jobs.

Carol and I went down to see Mum on the Saturday, mainly to take about the baby, but also to keep her up to date with my going public.

“I am so happy for you both, and am really looking forward to my first grandchild, he or she is going to be spoiled rotten. Have you decided yet what you are going to do about raising the child? Are you going to be a conventional ‘Mother and Father ‘ couple or a ‘two mummies’ family?”

“ There is no rush to decide that, we have another 6 months before the birth, and plenty time after that before the baby recognises the difference. A lot could happen in the next 18 months or so, we are just playing it by ear for the moment. Besides, there is the wedding to arrange and go through first.”

“The same question arises there too. Will you marry as ‘Husband and Wife’ or as ‘Wife and Wife’ ?”

“That is a difficult one, legally I am now considered to be Danielle and female. I can’t keep changing back-and-forth to suit what I am doing.”

I was expecting the protestors and campaigners to be out in force again on the Monday morning, which is when they had been told I would be returning to work, but was pleasantly surprised that when i arrived there was nobody there. The weather was bad, cold, wet, and windy which helped a lot, along with the fact that there had been a major anti-government protest over the weekend which diverted people away from my situation. It seemed that the major public interest in me had gone and I would be left to carry on with my life.

There were a few minor comments in the financial sections of the daily newspapers about Cunninghams new policies, but they were more interested in that than in me as a person, so I had escaped the eagle-eyes of the more salacious press.

Carol and I had made two decisions, three if you include buying matching diamond and sapphire engagement rings.

We were organising our wedding as a low-key affair, family and close friends only, as we would be getting married as a same-sex couple and the more people that were invited would just mean a higher risk of a scene of some sort, particularly when tongues were loosened after a few drinks .

We also decided that when “baby” arrived, the birth certificate would not include the father’ details, as I was still legally female, and it would be too complicated to change back for the registration. I had been told that the name could always be added later if we needed to.

The plans were thrown into confusion when we were on a visit with mum to Charter Abbey.

“ Charles and I have decided that we have re-kindled our love for each other and that we will be getting wed too. If it will not take the gloss away from your big day, we would like to make it a double ceremony.” Mum announced with a really smug smile.

I looked at Carol and she winked at me and turned to Mum. “ I’m so happy for you, you deserve each other after everything you have been through in later life. I have one condition though, you are not allowed to be outshine me with your dress selection, or with a more dazzling appearance.”

“ I could never do that darling, it is to be your big day, Charles and I have both had our fancy weddings many years ago, we will just be the supporting act for you.”

At that, it was time for a big group hug, although Charles was not as enthusiastic about that as us girls, who were much more used to such things. He was more enthusiastic about celebrating by opening up a couple of bottles of vintage Veuve Cliquot Champagne, one Rosé brut and one traditional Brut, which he had already put into ice buckets to chill.

We all agreed that the ceremonies would be held at the Abbey, in about three months time, if we could get the registrars agreed, which would hopefully be before Carol ‘showed’ too much.

For the next few weeks, Charles and I were sidelined as the womenfolk busied themselves with the wedding planning. Life at Cunninghams continued as normal, although Charles was now involving me more in company strategy and financial matters with a view to slowly taking over some of his responsibilities. As well as the financial support from Charles, my own personal investments had grown considerably, and although the weddings were to be for a small intimate group only, money and cost was not an issue and no expense was spared.

We had agreed on the wedding parties which was difficult with the limited group of people that would be attending.

Carol and I would be married first with Liz as my supporter in the ‘best man’ role, and Helen as Carol’s Maid of honour. Carol’s Dad was to walk her down the aisle.

Then it was to be a bit of musical chairs as I took over to ‘give away’ my Mum, with Liz as her Maid of Honour and David, who had flown over from New York, as Charles’ best man.

We found out that the law did not allow us to have the legal registration carried out at the Abbey, as it was not licensed for weddings, and could not be without it becoming a regular venue open to others. Nor could it be held in the local church as they did not recognise same-sex partnerships, so we arranged to go to the local registry office, just the four of us, acting as each others witnesses, before going back to get ready for the social ceremony.

Charles and Sarah had arranged for a wedding gazebo to be built in the garden at the Abbey, decorated in white silk swags and flower garlands and with the registrar joining us to repeat the formal vows in front of our guests. It was only a small intimate gathering, Charles and Mum, Carol and me, David and his wife Emily, Liz, Helen, Chloe and Harry, Gareth and Fiona, Sheila mum’s friend and colleague, mum’s sister Joan and brother Jack, and a handful of close business colleagues of us all.

Carol was gorgeous in a traditional white wedding dress and veil, I was less conventional in an ivory silk skirt suit, there was no way I would want to compete, it was probably a bigger event for Carol than me, something like most girls she had been thinking about for many years. Liz, as my ‘best man’ was striking in a lilac fitted lace trimmed dress that was to double up as her Maid of Honour outfit for Mum. After exchanging our vows and making our commitments we walked to the back of the gathering to be replaced by Mum and Charles.

Liz and I joined Mum to walk her down the aisle where Charles and David were nervously waiting.
The whole event was repeated for them, but this time the registrar added ‘ I now pronounce you husband and wife’.

The caterers had been setting up the Abbey’s main dining room for our receptions while the ceremonies were being conducted and the photographs taken in the gardens and by the lake.

Organising the seating and the after-dinner speeches was was complicated and unconventional as some of us had dual roles, me as the groom to Carol and ‘father of the bride’ to Mum, Liz as my ‘best man’ and ‘Maid of Honour to Mum. However as it was only a small gathering we kept it as informal and relaxed as possible , and it all went off without any hitches.

Eventually the party broke up, the guests who were not staying overnight all left for home, and Carol and I retired to our suite.

I had a few moments to myself while Carol changed out of her wedding dress and sat there thinking about how my life had changed in the last year or so.

I had gone from being a lonely boy in a small flat, to being a vibrant popular woman,married to a woman I loved and respected with a child on the way, looking forward to a happy life together in a mansion on a country estate, with a successful career, and some very good friends. Life could not be better, I just wondered what the future would hold.

THE END