Symmetry
By Kathryn Nelson
Copyright (c) 2002, Kathryn Nelson
[email protected]
As I sat at the vanity, staring at my reflection, I still
couldn't believe I let them talk me into doing this. I knew
the vision in the mirror was that of me, but it was an
image that I was not at all familiar with. I wasn't what
you would call a great beauty, however I did think I was
pretty. Behind me, my mother and grandmother were talking
to each other while I remained oblivious to their
conversation.
"He looks so cute and I think he likes the look too," my
mother said. "Let's give him a couple of minutes to soak in
all in before he goes."
Mom was wrong of course. I needed a couple of hours before
I thought I would be ready to move. Unfortunately, I had an
appointment to get to and while physically I could go,
mentally, I was a wreck. During those next few minutes, I
had the time to go over the last 12 hours again in my mind.
It all started last night right after dinner. The phone
rang and Mom answered it. It was for my Aunt Beth, my
mother's sister, but she wasn't home. In fact Beth was away
for the weekend with her latest date. I stopped calling
them boyfriends a while ago when I discovered that Aunt
Beth went out with different men all the time. It didn't
pay for me to get friendly with any of them or even learn
their names because she would have a new one by next week.
You see, Aunt Beth was young, beautiful and quite the
little flirt, as Grandma would always say. She was also a
real clotheshorse and spent all her time either out with
men or in the stores shopping for clothes. She only bought
from the upper scale stores because her looks were her
number one priority. I'm not sure I ever saw her wear the
same outfit twice, but then again, I don't really pay much
attention to those things. I know grandma always yelled at
her for spending all her money on her looks, but at least
she was doing it right.
Oh yeah, my name is Mike Collins and I'm 14 years old. I
live in my grandmother's house with my mother and aunt. Mom
and I have lived here for a couple of years now since my
Dad passed away. Aunt Beth who is several years younger
than mom has never been married and has always lived with
grandma. We live in Lakeside, which was pretty much a
summer resort community just outside the city. My
grandparents bought this house as their retirement home
just a year before Grandpa died.
Grandma owns the flower shop on Main Street. She bought it
as something to do to keep her busy in her retirement days
and she has become a shrewd businesswoman. Mom started
working with her when we moved here. Dad didn't leave her
much money so she sold the house and moved in with grandma.
It turns out that grandma doesn't pay her much so I imagine
we will be living here a long time. My aunt works in an
office close to the city. She and grandma don't get along
well enough to work together which suits my aunt just fine.
So, about that phone call for my aunt, apparently she had
agreed to be a bridesmaid for her friend Marie that she
works with. Marie had called to remind Beth that the
dresses were in and she should meet up with her and the
other members of the bridal party the next afternoon at the
bridal salon. Mom thought that Beth was away for the entire
weekend but checked with grandma first. Grandma, I found
out, was livid. She had met once already with Marie to
discuss providing all the floral arrangements for the
church and the reception. She was counting on the job of
doing the wedding and didn't want to lose it. A job of that
size could easily make up for a slow month.
Grandma got on the phone and took the information about the
time and place for the fitting. She assured Marie that Beth
would make it. She gave Marie her word that it would be
done. Mom spent the next hour on the phone trying to track
her sister down. She didn't know the name of the man Beth
was with and she had no idea where they went. She called
most of Beth's friends and co-workers but came up empty
handed. Grandma tried herself to call some people but she
had no luck either.
I think it was when I walked into the kitchen to get a
drink that my fate was sealed. Grandma and mom where in a
heated debate about how irresponsible Beth was, when I
pushed my way past them to open the fridge. They both
glanced at me and I think it was grandma who first began
looking at me like she was sizing me up for a full
inspection. No words were spoken, but I had the sneaking
suspicion that she was up to something and her gazing at me
was giving me the creeps, like I had done something
terribly wrong.
I quickly grabbed a soda can and walked as fast as I could
back to the solitude of my room. I sat down in front of my
computer and tried to concentrate on some new material I
got that day. It was Friday and I had just finished taking
a 2-week summer school course at the local community
college on computers for middle school kids. I love playing
all types of computer games and mom thought it would be a
good skill to learn how to do programming. I really liked
the course and wanted to try to make something myself but I
need lots of new software for my computer to do it. This
game creation program was over $100 and my mom said I would
have to work around the house and do extra time at the
flower shop to work it off before she would buy it for me.
Mom knew I hadn't made any friends since we moved to
Lakeside. I was happier before because dad and I did a lot
of activities together. I'm small and skinny for my age and
never was into any sports. Since we've been here, I pretty
much kept to myself in my room with the computer as my only
source of entertainment. Grandma doesn't even have cable or
a satellite dish so there's not much to watch on TV here.
The kids at school are very different and it's been hard
for me to relate to any of them. I was reading about some
computer graphics techniques when mom knocked on my door.
"Mikey, grandma and I would like to speak with you", she
said in a rather calming tone.
They walked into my room together and I felt like I was
being doubled teamed. Without saying why, grandma asked me
to stand up and slowly turn around. A lesson I learned very
early in my life was when grandma gives a command, you
don't stop and question her, you just blindly obey. I stood
up quickly and started to turn while my eyes were glued to
her staring me up and down. She ordered me to turn again,
slower this time and I of course did as she said.
"He'll do just fine", grandma said to mom. "We'll start
first thing in the morning." And without another word, she
left. I just looked at mom with this big question on my
face of 'what was that all about?' Mom told me to 'sit
tight' and she went down the hall to grandma's bedroom.
I could hear some loud talking, mostly from grandma but I
couldn't exactly get the gist of the conversation. I knew
it had to be about me, so I walked to the room myself and
stood in the doorway. As soon as they saw me, they stopped
talking and both looked at me.
"Honey, we need you to do a big favor for us," mom began.
"No, he will do this," grandma interrupted with an accent
on the 'will' part.
What followed could be best described as a good cop, bad
cop scenario. Mom was talking with her almost pleading tone
and grandma with her sweeping authority over us. I was
still trying to piece together what going on when mom put
her hand on my shoulder and led me into the living room and
had me sit on the couch.
She began her story with how fortunate we are to have
grandma and how generous she had been these last few years
by taking us in and providing well for us. I just nodded my
head and was hoping she would get to the point a bit
quicker when grandma entered the room and mom began to
falter a bit in her speech.
"Please mom, just tell me what you want me to do," I said
in frustration.
"We need you to fill in for your Aunt Beth tomorrow," mom
began slowly. "She has an appointment for a fitting for her
friend Marie's wedding."
"A fitting? Fitting for what?" I asked.
Mom looked over at grandma and then looked back to me.
"Your Aunt Beth was asked to be a bridesmaid and we need
you to go in her place to have her dress properly fitted."
My mouth just hung open. I couldn't even begin to find the
words to respond to such a wild idea. Why was I the one
selected to do this task? Before I could speak, grandma
took a step closer and explained about the lost income if I
didn't do this. She said it was my duty to help the family
and I shouldn't make a fuss over a small favor. Small
favor? This was a monstrous favor to ask of a fourteen-
year-old boy. Pose as his aunt and try on dresses?
"Wait a minute, won't they all know I'm not Aunt Beth?" I
asked.
"You don't need to be Beth," mom responded. "You are the
exact height as her and with a few adjustments, your figure
can be the same also. You see, we just need someone about
the same size to go in her place just this once, have the
dress altered and that's it. You're the only one here that
can do it since grandma and I are much taller and heavier.
Please dear, it should only take about an hour. The only
ones to see you in the dress will be Marie and the other
bridesmaids. If you do this for me, I promise you I will
buy you that computer stuff you want."
"But I'm a boy mom, I can't go in and try on a dress! Those
women will laugh at me, it's too embarrassing."
"No one will laugh at you dear. Grandma and I will make
sure of that. Please, do this for us".
I looked over at grandma and saw that determined look on
her face. I felt I had no choice in the matter. They would
both make my life miserable if I didn't do what they asked.
I decided to do it and took a shot at getting something
more out of it.
"If I do this for you, will you also buy me a new graphics
card?"
"Let's see how well you do honey, and then we'll discuss
it."
Mom had no idea what this was going to cost her so she put
me on hold pending my 'performance'. I guess I had to think
of it as acting since I was to play a role that was not
normally me. I saw grandma smile for the first time in a
while and she went inside to phone Marie back.
Later, grandma came in and announced to us it was done and
that we would start first thing in the morning. I asked mom
what she meant by that and she said I was going to have the
necessary adjustments done to have Beth's figure. I though
about that for a bit and tried to decide what that meant. I
attempted to picture Beth in my head and how I was so
different. I know women have breasts and that meant I would
need them too. That would probably be accomplished with
some padding. I would also have to hide what was between my
legs, but they can't just remove that, could they? I went
to bed that night feeling pretty nervous about what awaited
me in the morning.
***
Mom woke me up at 8am. I hadn't slept very well that night
and I was a bit grumpy getting up. She fed me breakfast,
pushed me into the bathroom and had me remove my pajamas.
She looked me over from head to toe and then took out her
electric shaver. I asked what that was for and she told me
that girls my age should have smooth hairless legs. She
lowered the toilet seat cover and had me sit down while she
started to do my legs. After doing part of one leg she
handed me the shaver and told me to finish the rest myself.
I never used a razor before since I had virtually no hair
anywhere but mom said I needed to remove the fuzz from my
legs.
When I turned the shaver off, mom came back in and
inspected the job I did. She took the shaver from me and
touched up a few areas. She started the shower and had me
get in. I was given some new soap, which was much creamier
than my usual and felt much softer on my skin. Mom also
gave me a different shampoo and told me to wash my hair
twice. It made my hair smell like strawberries and after I
finished the second rinse, she handed me a bottle of
conditioner. She had me use a lot of it and asked me to let
it sit for five minutes before rinsing it out. This gave me
more time to think about what was else was to happen that
morning. I guess they just wanted my hair to be extra
clean.
Mom handed me a towel as I stepped out of the shower and
while I dried off, she put another towel around my hair and
arranged it so it would stay in place like a turban. When I
was done drying off, she took my towel and handed me some
underwear. As I stepped into them I realized they were not
mine. These were beige with some lace around the edges and
no hole in the front for me to use the toilet like all my
briefs had.
"Why can't I wear my regular underwear?" I asked.
"Look, you're going to have to stop questioning me on
everything we do today. Do you want to go there looking
like a boy in a dress or a normal teenage girl? These
clothes are necessary to give you the shape of your aunt
and if you're going to fight me every step of the way,
we'll never make it there on time."
She then went into the talk again about helping grandma and
that I already agreed to do this and it was too late to
turn back now. I tried to keep my mouth shut as she handed
me a robe and led me into Aunt Beth's room.
She sat me down on the bed and began looking through the
chest of drawers. Grandma came in and immediately removed
the towel from my head and started to use a blow dryer. My
hair had gotten very long and I couldn't remember the last
time I had it cut. She used a rounded brush, spending a lot
of time fluffing and styling. When it was dry, my hair was
fuller than ever before. She took a comb and parted it down
the middle and tied both sides up. I could see the twin
ponytails in the mirror across the room and I looked like I
was 8 years old. As she approached me again with two hair
ribbons, I spoke up.
"Grandma, you're making me look like a little girl! I won't
go out like this."
She was getting angry when mom agreed with me and removed
the hair ties. She combed at all forward and had me just
push the hair away from my face over each ear. My hair
wasn't trained that way and it kept falling back into my
face. Mom looked around and found a white headband and
arranged that on my head. I complained about the headband,
which only made both mom and grandma angry. Mom removed the
headband and put my hair in a single ponytail like I
usually wore it except she left out the center part and put
the tie much higher on my head than normal. I saw the tail
flop around the back of my head in a high arch and decided
I could live with that. Grandma then took a white scrunchie
and twisted it around the hair tie three times to make it
tight and gave me her victory look.
Mom asked me take off the robe and handed me another pair
of underwear that were white and larger than the pair I
already had on. She motioned me to put them on and I
started to remove the pair I had when she stopped me and
said to put these over the others. I gave her that
questioning look of not knowing why I needed two pairs when
she explained that this was a special control top shaper.
She pointed to the diamond shaped panel in the front and
said it would help with my figure. They were very tight to
put into place and when they were up, I felt it molding my
waistline. She looked intently between my legs and pulled
the waistband out to reach inside. I stepped back and asked
her what she was doing. She said she needed to flatten the
front because I was showing, so I stuck my hand in and
pushed myself down between my legs. If you looked hard
enough, you could still see a lump between my legs, but it
was the best I could do. It was uncomfortable at first but
both women looked and gave their nod of approval.
Mom had me turn around and then went down the hall to get
something. She returned with some pillowcases and folded
them flat. She opened the waistband and stuffed one on each
side and spent a few minutes arranging them between the two
layers I had on. When she was done, I had wider hips and a
bigger behind. I saw grandma looked pleased but I was
beginning to feel like a stuffed animal.
I thought my waist was tight until mom came with a pair of
pantyhose. She rolled them up into balls and slipped them
over my toes and covered my feet. She then talked me
through unrolling them up each leg, a little at a time, to
not rip or stretch them out. When they were all the way up,
I had another tight band around my waist with a very smooth
front. My skinny white legs now looked like I had a nice
even tan and as my thighs rubbed together, I felt a shiver
from the silky smoothness of the pantyhose.
Mom asked me to hold my arms straight out in front of me as
she guided a white brassiere through them and secured the
hooks around me back. She pulled it down till it started to
tug at my shoulders and then straightened out the straps. I
wondered if it was really necessary since I have a
completely flat chest when grandma handed me a rounded
object. It felt like Jello wiggling in my hand and when I
turned it over, it had a nipple on it. She said it was a
breast form and showed me how to slip it into the cup of
the bra. It felt cold against my skin at first, but it
seemed to warm up on its own. She gave me a second one and
I slipped it in the other side just like the first one.
When grandma walked out of the room, I asked mom why we had
forms and she told me about when grandma was in the
hospital a few years back. She had cancer and they removed
both her breasts. Grandma uses breast forms now to give the
appearance of breasts and these were her old pair. The ones
she uses now are more lifelike and she likes them better. I
never knew this and looked at myself sideways in the mirror
to get the full effect of my new figure. My chest sure felt
real to me, as I had to lean back more to compensate for
the extra weight on my front. Doing this only made my
breasts stick out more and they jiggled around as I walked.
Mom asked me if I preferred to wear a dress or a skirt. The
image of me in full female wardrobe shook me a bit and I
asked her why I couldn't just wear shorts or pants. She
explained that I still had a small bulge in front and that
it might show through. I started to think about the girls
in school and what they usually wore. When they weren't in
jeans, they almost always wore a skirt. Then, I thought
about the type of dresses that the younger girls wore, like
the pink satin type that I use to see them wear at birthday
parties.
Mom began to get impatient and told me to decide or she
would do it for me. I chose a skirt. Mom walked into Aunt
Beth's closet, which is one of the largest in the house. It
was filled to capacity with clothes on both sides. All of
them were very colorful and some still had the original
tags attached. Mom started taking out skirts and showing
them to me. Mostly they were in bright colors like pinks
and fuchsia and all had very flowery designs. I said no to
all her choices and saw that she was getting impatient
again. We settled on a dark solid one that she laid out on
the bed.
She went into the dresser and took out a white slip with a
scalloped lace trim. I thought about another tight thing
around my waist and asked her if could do without it. She
said yes, but I would then need a lined skirt. So, back
into closet she went and searched through for more skirts.
We decided on an A-line type that she said was a good
choice because it would be easy to walk in with the side
slits. The skirt was knee length in black with a large
flower print on the lower half. She went to the other side
of the closet and got out a white top. I put it on first
and noticed it had ribbing all over and a high neck with
pads sewn in which made my shoulders look much broader. I
saw that the sleeves only came a few inches past my elbow
and told mom that there was a problem. The sleeves were too
short. Mom laughed and told me they are three-quarter
sleeves and are supposed to be like that.
I stepped into the skirt and started to zip it in the
front. Mom saw that and turned it around and said most
skirts button in the back. I struggled a bit with the
zipper and button and mom asked me if I needed help but I
managed to get it closed. She stuck her hands under my
skirt and I pulled back thinking she was tickling me. What
she did though was pull on the bottom of the shirt and
explained how she was straightening it out. My breasts were
really sticking out now that everything was pulled tight on
top.
Mom went back into the closet and asked if I wanted to wear
heels since I'm short. I told her I would pass and she gave
me a pair of black flats with a small wooden heel. I
slipped them on and they were a bit tight. She said that's
the way women's shoes normally fit and to just get use to
it. I figured I could manage for a couple of hours.
My stomach started to grumble and I asked what time it was.
Mom went through the jewelry box and got out a small watch
on a thin gold stretch band. I put it on my left wrist and
saw that it was afternoon already. She gave me 3 thin gold
bracelets and told me to put them on my right wrist. They
made a distinctive jingling sound that made me think of a
cowbell announcing to the world, here's a female coming
through! She said that girls my age usually wore earrings
but I immediately said no. All she had were ones for
pierced ears anyway and I felt relieved.
Mom announced that I was all dressed and we walked into the
kitchen. My shoes made a distinctive tapping noise on the
floor as I walked in broadcasting to all that I had
arrived. Grandma turned around and looked right at me.
"Michael, you look beautiful", she said.
Grandma actually hugged me for first time in years. I felt
like I just entered into the woman's only club and I had
been made an honorary member.
After we finished lunch, I started to help clear as always
but grandma stopped me and said she didn't want me to dirty
my clothes. I realized that this is what it took to get out
doing my chores; wear nice clothes. I went into the hall
and saw my full reflection in the large mirror. I spent a
good deal of time looking at myself and playing with my
skirt when mom pulled me back into Beth's room. She had me
sit at the vanity facing her, away from the mirror.
"Most girls your age wear a little makeup and it will help
make you look less of a boy," she commented.
She applied foundation to hide some of my acne but
continued to blend it into my entire face. She brushed my
eyebrows and trimmed what she called some stray hairs. As
she did this, grandma made some suggestions and she added
some color to my eyelids and brushed some mascara on to my
eyelashes. Then, using a wide brush, she swept some color
onto my cheeks. Last, she used a tiny applicator and added
some lip color.
Mom and grandma declared me ready at which point mom turned
me around to look at myself in the vanity mirror. My first
instinct was to look behind me to see who was there because
I didn't recognize the reflection I saw staring back at me.
I moved my head left and right and smiled. Mom had done it.
I looked like a girl, older than 14 maybe even 17 or 18
years old. I was euphoric, it was like a whole other person
had been molded from me and she was pretty.
I was still trying to get use to my image when I felt a
hand on my shoulder. Mom told me it was time to go and I
replied, "Go where?"
"To the bridal store", she reminded me and I suddenly
froze. I wasn't ready to leave the house and especially not
be seen by other people. Mom sensed I was frightened and
gently guided me into her car.
I spent most of the ride with my eyes and head down,
playing with the hem of my skirt. Mom told me again about
being a boy in a dress versus a girl and to try to be
positive and friendly. She told me to always sit with my
knees together and ankles crossed, hands folded on my lap
and to stop fidgeting. She said she should introduce me as
Michelle since Mike was no longer appropriate. I thought
about what she said but still didn't look up until she
turned the engine off.
She got out of the car and when she saw I didn't move, she
came around and opened my door. She whispered for me to
swing both legs out together and step out. I gathered up
all my courage and made my move into the store as I held my
mother's hand tightly.
A woman who worked at the store greeted us inside and
escorted us to a private room in the back. There, a young
woman introduced herself as Marie and also her mother
standing beside her.
"Hello, I'm Dorothy, Beth's sister, nice to meet you both,"
mom said. "And this is..."
I suddenly gathered up all my courage, stretched out my
hand and cut her off. "Hi, I'm Shelley, I'm happy I could
help out."
There was dead silence as Marie and her mother both stared
up and down at me. This seemed like the crucial moment and
I was waiting for the axe to fall when Marie turned to Mom.
"Your mother was right, she is very close to Beth's size,
and I think this will work out fine."
Phew, I made it over that hurdle, I had the correct figure
and she referred to me as female. Just then, a young woman
came out of a doorway labeled 'fitting room'. She had a
long beautiful lilac gown that made her look like she was
floating on air as she moved through the room. It had a
large bow on the back and as she turned around to face us,
I panicked.
"That dress is completely open on the top. She's not
wearing a bra and you can see half her breasts", I
whispered to mom.
The dress was cut to be off both shoulders and it left
everything exposed. Mom was concerned too as the woman was
introduced to us as Marie's sister Angie, the maid of
honor. A woman who did the alterations then led Angie to a
platform in the corner. She stood there as the woman began
doing her adjustments.
I was on the verge of tears when another woman came in from
the same doorway. She also wore a long gown in lilac but
the top went up to her neck and covered the shoulders. Mom
told me not to worry, she was probably a bridesmaid and the
maid of honor dress was cut differently from that of the
others. Marie introduced us to Megan as one of the four
bridesmaids. I realized mom was right about the dress and I
felt extremely relieved.
As the others began to talk about the dresses, I felt mom
let go of my hand and start to back away. I asked her where
she was going and she said she had an errand to run and
would be back within an hour. I looked at her as if to
plead to not leave me alone, but she just motioned me to
stay as she walked out. I felt very frightened to be left
in a room with people I didn't know and worse, dressed as a
girl. I think Marie sensed my fear and came over to me. She
grabbed my hand and led me back into the fitting room.
There were two more women inside. I was introduced to Holly
who was in jeans and Annie who was in the process of
undressing with just a tee shirt and panties on. Another
store employee with "Karyn" on her nametag came in with a
clear plastic bag containing another bridesmaids dress. She
helped Annie put it on, zipped her up the back and then
turned to me.
"You must be Beth," she said.
"No, I'm Shelley... but, yes I'm Beth. I mean I'm filling
in for Beth," I said, confusing her a bit.
She told me I should hang my clothes over there and pointed
to a few empty hangers hooked on the wall. Holly started
talking to me as we both began to undress. She asked me if
I was ever in a wedding before and I said no, I was just
filling in for my aunt. She told me about several she had
been a part of and Annie also told us stories of past
weddings. They both joked about having to wear hideous
gowns and then spoke about the guys they were matched up
with. The details got to be a lot more intimate than I
expected two women to discuss. Holly's tales of her
exploits were rather graphic but most fascinating to
someone with my level of inexperience. I never realized how
concerned women were over the size of a man's penis. Well,
at least these two were. I began to think of my own just
then and was glad that it was still small and carefully
tucked away, out of sight.
Annie was called inside to get fitted next while Holly and
I continued to chat as she was dressed. She asked me where
I worked and I told her I was still in school. She assumed
I was in college, which started her off again on her former
school days and conquests over many men. Her stories were
funny and provided me with a lot of insight as to what I
was in store for in the future. I had taken my skirt and
top off and I noticed the other women had their shoes off,
so I left mine against the wall. Standing there in just the
bra and pantyhose, I was feeling a bit too exposed, but
Holly's stories kept me from thinking about it.
Marie came back in and I told her that the dresses looked
beautiful and that everyone looked so lovely and other
things I remember my mother saying to other woman as
complements in the past. Karyn brought in another dress,
looked at me and said, "This one's for you dear."
She held it open as I stepped into it. There were many
layers of fabric inside the skirt, which danced against my
body and felt like thousand of tiny fingers massaging me.
Karyn straightened it out along my sides and pulled down on
the hem as it fell to the floor. I felt a chill run through
my entire body as she raised the zipper all the way up my
back. It was a feeling I was not to forget. Holly told me I
looked beautiful and with my looks, I would soon be invited
to more weddings. The thought crossed my mind quickly but
was then dismissed, as this was a one shot deal for me.
Karyn told us both to go inside for the adjustments. I
mimicked Holly and we both held the skirts of our dresses
up on each side to keep them from dragging on the floor.
Once inside, Holly went first as I waited my turn and
looked around at all of us in our matching dresses. The
conversation was very lively as I listened to more tales of
weddings past and how they hoped this one would be much
different.
The moment came when it was my turn and I carefully stepped
up to the platform. I was told to put on the white shoes
that were on the floor there. They had a narrow heel that
was at least 3 inches high and I was just hoping I wouldn't
fall down as I slowly slipped into them. They were loose
fitting and I had to concentrate on keeping my balance in
them. At least I didn't have to walk anywhere. I found if I
put more weight on my toes and less on the heel of my foot,
I could do fine.
I was facing the 3-sided mirror and saw a full-length view
myself in a dress for the first time. I liked what I saw
and broke out in a wide smile. Then, as the woman was
looking over the fit, she started to touch me on my top. I
thought she was checking if my breasts were real and I got
nervous again. She gave me a little smile and then kneeled
down at my feet. As the woman used pins around the hem, I
saw a flash of light. As I was told to turn, there were
more flashes and as I looked out into the room, I saw my
mother with one of those disposable cameras. She was taking
pictures of me in the dress and I would have ripped it out
of her hand if it were not for the high heels on my feet.
It made me mad that she wanted to record this event but I
figured I would grab the camera later and toss it before
she had a chance to develop the pictures.
Just as I was done and stepping out of the shoes, Marie
came in wearing a magnificent white gown. It was
breathtaking and for a quick moment, I wanted to try that
dress on too. She looked like an angel and held herself
with such grace. The other girls gathered around her and I
decided to do the same. Mom proceeded to take more pictures
of me, me and the other bridesmaids, the entire group and
even one of just Marie and me. She probably used up all the
film on these shots.
I was a little sad when the others started to head back
into the other room to change. I was having such a good
time and didn't want it to end. Eventually, I changed too
and said goodbye to the others. Marie was still in her gown
as I walked back in. Apparently her mother was not happy
with the fit and was arguing a bit with the woman doing the
fitting. I said goodbye to her and she thanked me for being
a great substitute bridesmaid. She said I got a little
taste of what it was like and would be a pro for my next
one. Little did she know that this was it for me.
I was in a much better mood for the ride back home. Mom
said I was talking up a storm about the whole event. She
was glad that no one suspected I was a boy and I was happy
about that too. She told me it was a good learning
experience to see how woman act when they were together
without men around. I didn't tell her about the crude
remarks that Holly had made. I just said that the woman
talked about different things.
As we pulled into the driveway, I looked at my watch and
saw it was dinnertime already. Mom turned off the car and
looked over to me.
"I'm so proud of the way you handled yourself today. I was
worried that you would break under the pressure but you
came through just fine and I wanted to let you know how
much we all appreciate what you did for us."
"I was really scared at first," I told her. "But when I
realized that no one was laughing at me, I actually began
to enjoy it a bit. It was fun but I'm relieved it's over.
By the way, what's for dinner?"
As we exited the car, mom looked me over from head to toe
one last time.
"You know honey, you look so adorable in that outfit. It
would be a shame to change so soon. Why don't we get your
grandmother and the three of us go out to dinner?"
"MOTHER!" I screamed at the top of my lungs and was sure
the whole neighborhood heard me. She gave me that 'just
kidding' smile of hers as we walked into the house. Grandma
came out of the kitchen when she heard us come in. She
asked how it went and mom told her that I did just fine.
Grandma was relieved to know that she had not lost the
account and Mom made sure to give me the credit for it. I
excused myself from the conversation and told them I was
going to my room to change.
Mom grabbed by arm. "Wait up honey, I'll help you get
undressed."
I put my hand over hers. "That's alright mother, I'm a big
girl now and I can do it myself."
I gave her my best smile and walked towards my room. I
could see grandma's reaction and almost burst out laughing
from the look on her face.
I stopped in the bathroom since I hadn't gone all
afternoon. My feet were killing me from the tight shoes so
I kicked them off and lifted the toilet seat. I quickly
realized that I had a lot of clothes to drop before I could
relieve myself and standing up with a skirt was probably
not the best thing to do. I was fumbling with the button of
the skirt behind my back when I decided to just lift it up
to my waist. I shimmied out of the pantyhose and the waist
shaper when my hidden pillowcases fell to the floor. After
I lowered my panties, I sat down for some much needed
relief.
I attempted to walk back to my room without pulling
anything back up but with all that elastic around my legs,
it was too difficult. I caught a glimpse of myself in the
bathroom mirror and placed everything back for one last
look. I turned to see my profile and cupped the breast
forms with both hands, pushing them up and outward to get
the maximum effect. I imagined myself as the maid of honor
with large breasts hanging out so everyone had a full view.
God, I was so confused. I was terrified and excited at the
same time. Terrified that I went out dressed as a girl and
excited that I pulled it off.
I walked out of the bathroom and was just entering my
bedroom when I heard Mom's voice.
"Shelley...Shelley, can you come in here a minute?"
What was mom up to? Why is she still calling me Shelley? I
thought the game was over. I did my time, now I just wanted
to change and eat dinner. I stepped into the living room
and saw Mom and Grandma with another woman.
"Shelley, this is Mrs. Harris. She's staying next door this
summer in the Anderson's cottage."
"Nice to meet you Mrs. Harris," I said as I reached out to
shake her hand.
"Please, call me Liz," she replied. "Shelley, would you be
willing to baby-sit for me tonight? My friend cancelled out
on me at the last minute and my husband and I have dinner
reservations at the Inn. I wouldn't normally do this on
such short notice but it's our anniversary and we were
really looking forward to the night out."
I was speechless. I didn't want to continue being Shelley.
I wanted to go back to the solitude of my room. I looked
over to Mom and was motioning her to help me out of this. I
needed a good excuse but I couldn't come up with one so
fast.
"Your mom told me she would be home all night," Liz
continued, "and she said you never sat before but she's
just a minute away if you need help."
"You'll be fine honey," Mom chimed in. "There's no need for
you to spend the evening with your grandmother and me. We
weren't planning on doing anything but read. Why don't you
go with Mrs. Harris?"
"But Mom, I haven't even had dinner yet." I whined.
"That's no problem," Liz said. "I'm about to feed the girls
now and there's enough for you too."
I looked over at Mom one more time. She was not giving me
an out so I caved in and agreed to help.
"OK, I'll do it," I relented. "Let me get my shoes and I'll
be right with you."
"It might be a little cooler later. Let me get you a
sweater," Mom said.
She followed me to retrieve the flats I was wearing before
and then guided me into Aunt Beth's room. I sat at the
vanity as she lightly touched up my face and then handed me
a tube of pink lipstick. She told me to use that while she
got out a white button down sweater. I was a bit nervous as
I applied the waxy stuff to my own lips. I dabbed a little
at a time to not over do it. When she returned, she took
the lipstick from me and went over my lips again. She
looked at me from side to side and gave me the seal of
approval. She fluffed up my ponytail with a brush and after
re-adjusting the scrunchie, she handed me the sweater and
pushed me out of the room.
I said goodbye to Grandma and Mom as Liz and I headed out
the door. Liz called me her lifesaver and thanked me again
for doing this on such short notice. On the walk over to
the cottage, she told me she had two daughters. Sara was
four-years-old and Aimee was two.
We entered the small cottage and I saw a young girl sitting
on the living room floor playing with some dolls. I guessed
that she was Sara because the other one was smaller and in
the arms of her father, clutching him tightly and hiding
her face in his shoulder. Mr. Harris said hello but he
wasn't looking over to me at my eyes. His glance was
downward a few inches and I realized he was staring at my
chest. Liz introduced me to everyone but Aimee kept her
face hidden. I said hello back, blushed and turned to Sara
on the floor. I did my best to sit down with her without
exposing everything under my skirt. I had to tuck my leg
under me, which put extra pressure between my legs. I asked
her what her dolls' names were and she seemed happy that I
was there to play with her. Mr. Harris put Aimee down and
she came over to play too. After a few minutes, Liz called
us over to the table for dinner. Sara walked over right
away and I helped Aimee up. She clung to me so I picked her
up and carried her to her chair.
I started to help Liz serve the girls but she insisted I
sit and she would do it. The girls and I talked about their
summer and ate as Liz and her husband got ready to leave.
After we were all done, I cleared the dishes and was
cleaning up when Liz came back in. She was wearing a little
black dress with a shawl draped over her shoulders, black
pantyhose and black leather heels. I complimented her on
the outfit and she thanked me, complimented me back and
told me not to clean up. She said she would take care of it
later and just have fun with the girls. Again, I found the
advantage of being dressed nice and not having to clean up.
Liz showed me the small bedroom that the girls were
sleeping in which contained a bed and a crib. She told me
when their bedtimes were and where their sleeping outfits
were kept. She decided to put Aimee in her one-piece
sleeper now to make it easier on me. She asked me if I ever
changed a diaper before and I said no. She had Aimee lay on
the bed and undressed her right in front of Sara and me.
Liz told me to take a clean diaper from the box next to the
crib and then talked me through undoing the tabs and
pulling the dirty one off. It was a little wet and had a
yellow stain on the inside but Liz took it, wrapped it up
and threw it in a pail. Sara was watching the whole time
and began to tell me how to put the new diaper on her
sister. Aimee fussed and told her "no, let Shelley do it."
I managed to get it on and Liz said I did well but I needed
to make it a little tighter. She gave me a pink sleeper
with a white duck pattern on it and I put Aimee's arms and
legs in and snapped it up the back.
Mr. Harris came in and told Liz it was time to leave. I
said I had it all under control and to just go out and have
a good time. They each kissed the girls goodbye and left.
The three of played with the dolls for another hour until
Aimee started to yawn. I saw it was her bedtime and picked
her up to bring her in her room. Sara told me to check her
diaper again in case she made poops. I really didn't want
to change a dirty diaper but a quick check found her clean.
I put her in the crib and read one of her books while she
rubbed her eyes and fell asleep.
When I went to look for Sara she was trying to open a small
bottle.
"Sara, what are you doing?" I asked.
"Mommy said she would do my nails today but she forgot, so
I'm gonna do them myself."
I helped her open the nail polish and watched as she very
carefully brushed each nail outward with a thick coat of
varnish. She was actually quite good at it but she had
trouble brushing with her left hand. I helped her do it and
must admit that my strokes were not as even as hers. After
hers dried, she insisted on doing mine. I figured it would
come off easily so I let her. When she finished we had
matching nails done up in a soft pink.
Sara and I played for another half hour until I made her
put her pajamas on. She did it all herself and even went to
the bathroom alone. When she came out, I finished reading
one of her books and before I got up, she gave me a big
hug. I told her I had fun playing with her but it was time
for bed. I turned the light out and went inside and sat in
front of the TV. They had cable and there were so many
choices to watch. I surfed through lots of channels but
still couldn't find much to watch. I settled on a movie I
had seen before. I must have been exhausted from my day's
activities because I don't remember seeing much of it
before I fell asleep.
The news was on when I woke up from the sound of the front
door opening. I was very groggy when Liz and her husband
entered the living room. Liz asked me how it went as she
checked in on her daughters. I said they were perfect
angels when I noticed Mr. Harris was staring at me again,
but this time his gaze was even further down. I realized I
was sitting in the chair with my legs propped up on a
footstool and my skirt was hiked up to mid thigh. I quickly
pulled down on the hem and stood up while he walked away to
his bedroom with a smirk on his face.
Liz thanked me again for coming and asked me what I was
doing on Monday. I thought about it for a moment. Everyone
would be at work and my summer course was over. I was
planning on learning to program games on my computer since
I would be alone in the house.
"Nothing much," I replied. "No real plans yet."
"Why don't you come with us to the lake then? I could use
some help with the girls and I'm sure they would love
having you join them."
I agreed to do it and she told me to meet them here at 9:00
Monday morning. Mr. Harris came out of his room and I
turned to leave. He walked up behind me and I got a little
scared with him so close. He dropped my sweater across my
shoulders and led me towards the door. I told him it was a
short walk and I could do it myself but both he and Liz
insisted he escort me to my house.
When we got to my front door, I opened it and thanked him.
He leaned forward toward me and I thought he was going to
kiss me. Instead, he reached out to my hand and placed some
paper in it. He said goodnight and that he would see me on
Monday.
I walked inside, closed the door and looked in my hand.
There was a ten and a twenty-dollar bill there! Holy cow! I
forgot that I would get paid for babysitting and I never
imagined I would make thirty dollars for playing a few
games and sleeping.
Mom came in from the living room when she heard me come in.
She asked me all kinds of questions about what I did and
how the family was. I gave her all the details of my
evening and showed her how much I made.
"I heard you tell Mr. Harris you would see him on Monday?"
Mom asked. "What was that about?"
"Liz asked me to go to the beach with her to help watch the
girls."
"Honey, you do realize she was asking Shelley to go, not
Mike."
Then it struck me. I must have still been a bit sleepy when
I agreed to go. It completely slipped my mind that I was
dressed as a girl and it was a girl that Liz wanted to go
with her.
"Oh my God mom, you're right. You have to make an excuse
for me. I can't do this."
"You got yourself into this one. I just wanted you to try
on a bridesmaid dress, I never expected you to consent to
wearing a skirt past today."
Mom was right, I brought this on myself and it was up to me
to fix it. She told me to get ready for bed and we would
discuss it in the morning. I finally removed all of Aunt
Beth's clothes and put on my own pajamas. It was a relief
to not have all that pressure around my waist and chest. I
fell asleep thinking about Shelley.
The next morning I told mom that I decided to keep my
commitment and go with them to the lake. Mom was a little
surprised but told me it was the right decision. We went
again into Beth's room as I was told I would need a
swimsuit to wear tomorrow. She went through the drawers and
pulled some things out.
"Do you want to wear a one or two piece suit?" she asked
holding up a very small bikini in hot pink.
"Very funny," I said. "Let's stick to the one piece suits."
I put my bra and forms back on and tried on several before
we agreed on what mom described as a black maillot suit
with multi-colored horizontal stripes. Mom was worried
about the straps from the bra showing through. She said
that if I moved around too much, one of them might slip off
and she explained that women never wear a bra under a
bathing suit. She was also concerned about the bulge
between my legs and informed me that we had to go out and
get a few things.
I turned to go back to my room and get dressed when mom
stopped me.
"I think it would easier to shop with Shelley, don't you
think?"
She didn't wait for a reply, she just took my hand and
walked into the closet and began looking for an outfit for
me. I looked through some of the dresses as I was thinking
about how that bridesmaid dress felt yesterday and wanted
something that gave me that floating feeling again. Mom saw
what I was looking at and made a suggestion. She gave me a
white short sleeve top that fit snug over my breasts then a
light blue dress with small flowers on it. She showed me
how it had spaghetti straps and an empire waist that made
it hang well down to my ankles. I didn't need pantyhose and
because the dress hung away from my body, I didn't need the
waist controller either. I was happy with her choice as she
handed me a pair of sandals with white straps and a high
wedge heel.
I sat on the bed to put on the sandals and then carefully
walked to the vanity where Mom was waiting. As she applied
my makeup and styled my hair like yesterday, she explained
that I needed to adjust my stride and balance to walk
correctly in the shoes. I practiced walking around the
house while mom got dressed and tripped a few times. I had
to add a sway to my hips and take shorter steps and I
eventually managed to move about without falling.
I had no idea where we were going and mom was deliberately
vague in her responses to all my questions. This made me a
bit nervous again as I began to fidget with my clothes. Mom
told me to relax and try to enjoy myself. We pulled into a
store called "Gotta Dance" that showed ballet and tap
outfits in the window. Mom led me inside and asked the
saleswoman for a dancers belt. The woman asked what size
and mom turned to me.
"You have a 27 inch waist, right?"
As I nodded yes, the woman gave me a puzzled look.
"This is for her? May I ask why she would need the belt?"
"He needs to hide his privates," mom replied.
The woman's look turned to one of shock. Mom just referred
to me as a 'he' which made me want to turn and run. She
sensed this and held my arm tight. The saleswoman nodded
her head slowly and told us to follow her. She searched
through some boxes and pulled out something that resembled
a small jock strap. She showed me the fitting room and told
me to try it on. I looked at it closely. It was skin
colored and made of elastic with several straps and a small
pouch. I kept turning over and around trying to figure out
how to put it on. After a minute or two I heard the woman
just outside the curtain.
"Do you need some assistance in there dear?" She asked but
didn't wait for a reply. She just came right in.
"Lift your dress honey, I'll help you. These things can be
tricky to maneuver. That's good. You're going to have to
drop those panties too."
I was so embarrassed. Here I was in a dance shop, in a
dress, exposing myself to a complete stranger. She arranged
the belt and had me step into it and moved it up to my
waist. She opened the pouch and told me to stick 'my little
thingy' inside. Then she moved the straps around tight,
which made me wince from the sudden pain. My little thingy
was squashed tightly against me and it really hurt.
"How's that feel?" she asked when she was done.
"It's kind of tight," I whined.
"Great, then it's a good fit. If it's not tight, it's not
doing its job. Pull your panties up and you'll see the
difference."
I did as she said and looked in the mirror. There was no
trace of my manhood left. I was as smooth as any girl. I
dropped my dress back down in place and smoothed the skirt.
The woman smiled and opened the curtain.
"Everything's fine." She told Mom, "she's going to wear it
home."
I was still sore as Mom paid and we went back to the car.
"Don't look at me like that," Mom said. "You're the one who
made plans to go to the lake. I'm just trying to help."
I knew she was right and the pain was subsiding as we
arrived at the mall. She took me into the Juniors
department at one of the large stores and started to look
around. Occasionally she would take something off the rack
and hold it up against me. I kept looking around to make
sure no one I knew from school was around. She was asking
my opinion on various outfits when I finally asked why we
were here. I would only be Shelley one more day and we
picked out my suit already. She said she was just having
fun shopping with her daughter and that maybe it could be
more than one day. I told her "no way" and pulled her out
of that area.
We walked to the women's side when she told me I would need
one more item. She went over to the racks of bras and
searched through the ones without straps. She took one in
white and one in beige and pulled me into the fitting room.
I removed my dress and she hung it on a hanger neatly. I
took out the breast forms as she unhooked my bra. After she
placed the new bra on me, she showed me that they had
special pouches for the forms to fit into. I tried both and
they seemed to fit the same. Mom decided on the beige one
since it would blend in better with my suit.
After she paid, she handed me the little bag and told me to
carry it. From the design, it was obvious what was inside.
Mom said she needed to look for some clothes for herself as
we walked into the casual section. I tried to act
interested but it took her forever. She was in and out of
the fitting room several times and took me with her each
time. I was her runner as she asked me to get articles in a
different size or color. By the time we were ready to pay,
she got only one pair of pants and one blouse. I was tired
from my first long day of shopping and was glad to be
headed home.
When we entered the house, mom stopped to show grandma her
outfit and insisted that I open my little bag and show her
my purchase. Grandma was all smiles and happy to see my new
bra when the front door opened and Aunt Beth walked in. The
conversation stopped as she looked over to as and stared as
me. She was about to say something when she did a double
take and began to laugh.
"Mikey, is that you? Why are you dressed like that... and
in my clothes no less?"
"He dressed like this to save your ass," Grandma scolded
her.
Grandma explained what had happened and how irresponsible
Beth was to not keep her appointment and to jeopardize the
order for flowers. She really let in to Beth while mom and
I stood by and watched. Beth apologized but grandma just
kept ripping into her. After grandma cooled down, Beth
looked me over again.
"I'm sorry Mike. Thank you for doing that for me" Beth
said. "You look awfully cute in my dress but there's one
thing I don't understand. If the fitting was yesterday, why
are you still dressed in my clothes?"
Mom explained about the new cottage residents and my
babysitting. She said I would be borrowing her bathing suit
tomorrow to help Liz at the beach.
"Fine, whatever you want. What's mine is yours little
nephew, or should I say niece."
"By the way, her name is Shelley," mom added.
"Cute." Beth replied as she went to her room.
That night, I put on my pajamas again and knocked on Aunt
Beth's bedroom door. I handed her back the clothes of hers
I had worn that day and turned to leave. She told me to
wait up and pulled out something from her dresser drawer.
"Shelley, why don't you wear this to bed tonight? It always
makes me feel nice."
She handed me a short white nightgown that felt smooth and
silky. She gave me kiss on the cheek and told me not to
forget to wash my face well to remove all the makeup. As I
turned to leave, she gave me a little tap on my rear and
told me to have sweet dreams.
Mom came in my room to say goodnight when she heard me
finish up in the bathroom.
"I see your aunt has begun dressing you now." She said,
looking at the nightgown. "It's OK, we all like to feel
sexy sometimes. See you in the morning."
***
Monday, Mom woke me up early because she wanted to help me
dress before leaving for work. The house is always chaotic
on workday mornings with three women sharing two bathrooms.
When I returned to my room after a quick breakfast, Mom had
laid out my clothes for the beach. I put on my belt and
tucked all my boy parts away. I wore my new bra, which held
the breast forms in well, and I put on Beth's bathing suit.
I made sure none of my straps were showing and went looking
for Mom to do my face. She was in the bathroom, so I peeked
into Beth's room and saw her sitting at her vanity wearing
only a full slip. She saw me in the doorway and invited me
in. I sat on her bed and watched her put on her makeup. She
was an expert at applying it and she did it rather quickly.
She used a lot more creams and brushes on her face than I
did but when she was done, it didn't look like she had much
on.
When she stood up, she motioned me to sit in her place but
I told her I was waiting for Mom. She had me sit there
anyway and helped me do my own makeup saying that my mom
never mastered the 'art of cosmetics' as she called it. I
reached for the foundation but she stopped me and said I
wouldn't need that for the beach. She gave me different
colors for my eyes and cheeks and helped brush it out
smooth. She lined my lips with a special pencil and handed
me a tube of lipstick and told me to color between the
lines while she went to put her dress.
Mom came in and was surprised that my face was already
done. She handed me one of her beach bags and said there
was a towel and sun cream in it. She wanted me to use the
cream so I wouldn't get sunburn. Beth came out of the
closet and handed me a black sheath beach cover-up with a
large flower pattern below the waist. She said it would
keep my shoulders from burning and mom agreed. As I lifted
it over my head and pulled down around me, I saw it came
just even with my knees. Beth also gave me a straw hat with
a curved brim. The hat had a large black ribbon around it
and she placed it on my head showing me which way it was to
be worn.
Mom looked at her watch and said she had to go. She told me
to call her at the store if I needed anything and then ran
out. Beth said she was late too. She grabbed her purse and
filled it with the contents of another. She took her
sunglasses and placed them on me saying I would need those
too. I looked in the vanity mirror and saw that they were
round and quite large for my face. Beth said I looked like
a movie star and that I would be the prettiest girl at the
lake. She checked her image in the mirror one last time and
patted a little powder on her shiny nose. As she turned to
me, she handed me the tube of lipstick and told me to put
it in my bag too. Then she gave me an air kiss on each
cheek saying that we mustn't ruin our makeup as she dashed
out the door.
I went into the closet one last time and saw the vast array
of shoes on the floor. I found a pair of black flip-flops
with a 3-inch sole and put them on. I started looking
through all the clothes in the closet. Like mom had done to
me the day before, I took some off the bar and held them in
front of me as I looked in the full-length mirror. Beth had
so many clothes, I almost lost track of time. When I saw
the clock in the bedroom, I quickly put everything back,
grabbed my beach bag and ran over to the cottage.
Liz was just packing little backpacks for the girls when I
arrived. Sara and Aimee were very happy to see me and ran
over to give me hugs. I kneeled down and hugged them both
together. I was looking around for Mr. Harris and asked Liz
where he was. She told me he was only here on weekends and
that he went back to the city to work. I was relieved that
I didn't have to deal with his stares and advances. We
walked to the private section of the lake that was close to
the house. I held Sara's hand while Liz pushed Aimee in the
stroller.
When we arrived at the lake, Liz and I unpacked while the
girls ran down to test the water. I noticed that Liz wasn't
wearing a bathing suit.
"Don't you like the water?" I questioned her.
"Yes, I do like it but I really can't go in today, it's my
time of the month."
I had no idea what that meant, 'time for what' I thought. I
must have had a curious expression because she leaned over
and whispered in my ear.
"I got my period."
I was even more confused now and I saw Liz was staring at
me as I took off my cover-up and walked down to the water's
edge towards the girls.
I spent the morning playing in the sand with the girls
while Liz sat in a shady section reading a book. She kept
watch over us at first but as the morning progressed, she
became more comfortable with me and concentrated more on
her reading.
After lunch, it got very cloudy and chilly. The girls were
getting cold and so was I. We went to put our cover-ups on
when Liz suggested we pack up and go to the park. We all
agreed and went back to the cottage to change. I told them
I would meet them in a few minutes when Sara asked if she
could change at my house. I quickly said that all her
clothes were here and that I would be back in a hurry. I
ran to the house and took my suit off. I didn't have any
idea what to put on but I figured the dress or skirt I wore
the last two days wouldn't be the right thing to wear to a
playground.
I ran around Beth's room looking in the dresser for a pair
of pants. The drawers were packed tight and it was
difficult to look through them. There were some clothes
hanging over a chair in the corner. These must have been
what she took over the prior weekend and I found a pair of
pants there. They had a white and purple pattern to them,
which were not what I had hoped for, but I had no time. It
took a minute to figure out how to put them on because the
zipper was on the side. When I got them zipped, I noticed
they were too short. They came to just below my knees and
there was a rip on either side of the bottom. I saw the
other leg had the same rip and I thought that maybe they
were supposed to be there. There was a very soft purple
sweater on the chair too and when I picked it up, it was in
two pieces. I put on one first that had no sleeves and was
tight across my chest and then the other which had long
sleeves and buttons. I tried to button it up but it was
very tight and besides, I found it very difficult to do
because the buttons were on the wrong side, so I chose to
just leave it open. I found her leather sandals on the
floor and strapped then on. They had a low heel and were
really comfortable after wearing such high ones.
I quickly tried to redo my hair but it was a mess. The wind
at the lake had wrecked havoc with it and I couldn't get it
to stay down properly. I found the white hair band and used
it to keep all the stray hairs in place.
When I returned to the cottage, the three of them were
outside waiting for me. Sara looked up at me and ran back
inside. I asked Liz what was wrong but she didn't know
either. She was about to go in after her, when Sara re-
appeared wearing a big smile. She now had her hair arranged
with a white headband very similar to mine as Liz and I
gave out a chuckle.
I picked up Aimee to put her in the stroller but she clung
to me tightly. We began the walk to the park and I carried
Aimee in one arm while Sara took hold of my other hand and
Liz pushed the empty stroller. It was short walk but after
the first block, Liz told Aimee to get in her stroller. She
didn't respond and looking down, I saw that she had already
fallen asleep. We sat at a bench near the playground and
Sara ran over to the slide. Liz reached over to me and she
very carefully put Aimee in her stroller without waking
her.
"Your sweater is so soft, no wonder Aimee wouldn't let go
of you," Liz said. "Is it cashmere?"
"Uh...I don't know."
"And those Capris look great with it," she added.
I looked down at my feet, moved my sandals around and
thanked her. She again gave me a puzzled look.
"Where did you get your shoes?" she asked me.
"Uh...I don't know," I said again. "My mother bought them
for me."
"Well I saw a pair just like them at a store a few weeks
ago and wanted to buy them, but they were almost $200. I
little too expensive for me."
I had no idea they cost that much, so I was very conscious
at that point not to damage them.
Later, when we were back at the cottage, Liz asked me if I
would continue t