Angel, A New Beginning free porn video

This story is a sequel to one of my first stories here on Fictionmania, Angel was a sad medallion story about the misuse of the Medallion of Zulo. In the earlier story, Angel was changed into an infant, forcing her husband Ray to move on with his life raising Angel as his daughter. While it isn't 100% necessary to read Angel, it is short enough to get you into the characters and provide you with a background for this story. While the first one was somewhat rushed, I feel this story more than makes up for the earlier quickness. Enjoy ? Anon Allsop ----------------------------------------------- Angel, A New Beginning By Anon Allsop The small car came to a stop as the passenger window rolled halfway down. "You need a lift?" I bent over and looked at the driver for a full five seconds before opening up the door and stepping in. It was raining pretty steadily now and it didn't look like it would let up any time soon, so I figured what the heck. "Thanks, I was getting a bit soggy walking out there." I looked over my shoulder to see if anyone else saw me climb into the car, no one else was around, just me and the guy. That's when I heard a tiny sound behind me causing me to look over my shoulder: it was a very young infant in a car seat. The man noticed me looking at the child and smiled. "Do you like babies?" I shrugged my shoulders. "Sure, they're ok." "We're heading to Nordstrom, Connecticut, ever hear of it?" he asked trying to make small talk. I shook my head. "I've been all over the East Coast, but never there." I looked back toward the little one strapped into the seat. "Boy or girl?" "Girl," he said without looking. We drove on for a few miles. "Your daughter's cute." He smiled. "Yeah... uh... she looks like her mother." I watched him take a quick glance in the mirror at her, then back to the road. I fidgeted in the silence, then spoke to break the uneasiness that I was feeling. "You still married?" I asked He looked a bit sad but quickly shook it off. "Yeah, but she left me suddenly." I knew he wanted me to just let it drop. Again we drove on for a few miles, I cleared my throat and asked, "She been gone long?" He didn't even bat an eye. "You're wife... she been gone long?" "She's been gone about a week now... she won't return." He eyed me for a moment and continued. "What's your story?" I didn't say anything, I just looked at the rain streaming against the window. "Why are you out thumbing a ride in this storm... trouble at home?" I felt very uneasy, thoughts of horror swept through my mind as I sat quietly by this stranger. My mind raced with awful imaginings from, murderer to kidnapper. I looked at him intently then quickly away. "Who was he?" I wondered. "Did I just step into the car of a murderer? Where was his wife? Why did she leave so suddenly? Did he kill her?" All these thoughts and more, burned a streaking path through my mind as I mulled his question to me over. "What should I say? Should I tell the truth?" I felt my palms beginning to perspire. I could feel him staring at me, and then he spoke again. "Are you okay?" I felt my emotions beginning to well up into my eyes. "Shit!" I thought as panic began to build, causing my breathing to rise and fall rapidly. I leaned my head back into the seat, gasping for breath like a fish. I felt the car suddenly pull to the roadside and stop! "Calm down... breathe... that's it..." I looked his way and slowly raised a trembling hand to my forehead to wipe the perspiration that had beaded there. "Slow down, you're ok," he spoke soothingly. I looked forward, beating out a tempo, the wipers continued on their relentless rhythm. "Panic attack?" he asked. I nodded my answer slowly. He turned the car into a rest area. "Thought it was, I have a sister who gets them." I felt my jaw slowly move. "I'm okay." I don't think he believed me so I added, "Really." He smiled and pulled into a parking place. "You need to use the restroom?" I slowly shook my head in the negative. "Well... smells to me like someone already has." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder toward the baby. He jumped out into the rain and threw the back door open. I watched him changing the little girl; he talked and kissed her as he began to dress her back up. He didn't seem like any of those things that I had thought about earlier, maybe he was okay after all. He smiled at me and held up the little baby. "So, if you don't mind me asking, what is your story?" He hoisted her back into the little car seat and buckled her in. "You running from trouble?" I swallowed hard as he quickly stepped back out and closed the door. I could tell as soon as he got back in he wouldn't leave it alone because he buckled up and turned his head to face me. I looked down and toward the window as the rain created little downward trails, a steady pounding grew against the roof of the car from the ever increasing downpour. I sat very sullen. "Some." He waited for me to add to it, the silence was intense. "You could just say that I've had a falling out with my foster parents and I'm trying to put it all behind me." He studied me for a moment. "They're going to be looking for you then," was all that he said. I shrugged off my response. "I'm not sure I need the exposure of whomever's going to be looking for you," the man answered. "Are you hiding?" I sighed, hanging my head. "... I'm a runaway! Now you know... so, if you want, just take me to the Police and drop me off! They'll take me back to those bastards and I'll run away again!" I folded my arms defiantly and looked back out the rain soaked window. "Somebody's mood is just like this weather!" he smiled. "I can drop you off wherever you want me to, but I'm still on my way to Nordstrom, with or without you." I realized that this guy wasn't out to make my life hell, so I sat up and smiled causing him to smile also. "That's better." He pointed to a diaper bag and asked me to pull out a bottle for the baby. I lifted it out and let some of the contents spill onto my arm as I checked the temperature. "Been around kids much?" he asked, noticing what I had done. I held the mildly warm bottle and twisted in the seat, my intention was just to hand the bottle to the kid but when I saw that she couldn't hold it herself, I held it for her. The man grinned at me as he waited for my answer. I continued as the child drank. "Some... my foster family had a baby. Little babies aren't so bad, at least they can't punch and hurt you." He raised his eyebrows at my comment. "You're running from your foster family, because of them beating you?" His voice sounded as though he had genuine concern. I studied him for a moment before answering. "I have a bit of a problem, nothing too dangerous to anyone else... just me." I hoped he wouldn't press the issue, I was wrong. "A problem you say, like what kind of problem?" he asked. His kindness and genuine concern were making me uneasy. I wasn't sure that I wanted a total stranger to know what kind of things went on inside my head. "Please, Mister, I don't want to walk in this weather, let's leave this conversation alone for awhile. I won't do anything to hurt anyone, I am only hurting myself with my problem." I was afraid I had already said too much. He pulled the car to a stop along the rain soaked highway, my first thought was that he was going to ask me to get out. "It isn't drugs is it?" His voice remained steady and kind. "No, it isn't drugs," I replied trying to not give him any more information. He watched me for what seemed like a minute and when I reached up for the door handle, he removed his foot from the brake and began to drive again. "I understand the need to keep secrets, if you want to discuss it, I'll be ready with an open mind." We continued to drive on in the rain for a few hours, only stopping for gas, restroom breaks and to change the little one. Around noon, we stopped to eat lunch, when I implied that I didn't have any money, he bought me lunch. He was a really nice guy, the kind I wished I would have had for a father. We ate in silence as I again held the bottle for the baby, it was the least I could do to thank him for lunch. Besides, I didn't mind, I like babies. He watched me like a concerned Lion for his cub, my every move was scrutinized. After a while we became more and more comfortable and by the time we were ready to go, our conversations became more free. It was funny that after driving with each other for so long that we would just now get around to asking each other our names, he got to the question first. As we climbed back into the car he turned and asked. "What's your name, kid?" I wasn't sure I wanted him to know but in the light of our lunch conversation I figured I owed him that much. "Alex...the last name really isn't important." It really wasn't, I didn't have any family to speak of. "Look...Alex, we're going to be in this car for about 4 more hours, if you're headed with me, we have to start opening up. I really don't care what kind of skeletons you have hidden, but as long as you're with me, it doesn't really matter." I watched him speak without turning his head from his driving. "Now that you know my name, I guess I should be asking you what's yours?" I figured since he knew mine, I would ask him for his, it was only fair. "Ray, Ray Young. Pleased to meet you." He held his hand out toward me. I took it and we shook. He continued. "How old are you?" "I'm 16...why?" He just shrugged his shoulders as if my age meant nothing to him. "Just thought I'd ask." He sounded genuine enough so I left it at that. Every once in awhile he would glance over his shoulder at the baby in an effort to see how she is doing. "So...what's your little girl's name?" I asked. "Angel." Short and to the point, spoken as he eased down an express ramp and continued to drive, keeping up with the flow of traffic. "That's a pretty name, don't see many girls named that." I watched his eyes as a moment of uneasiness passed over them. He swallowed hard, and tried to steer the conversation away from his daughter...she, I determined, was his skeleton to hide. "Tell me, Alex, what are your plans once I arrive in Nordstrom? Do you have anywhere you can go?" He glanced once my way and smiled. "I hadn't really thought about it much...I just wanted to get as far away as I could...from the bastard who kept beating me." I replied as truthfully as I could. He glanced over his left shoulder and then into his rear view mirror and changed lanes to pass a slower car. "Well I was wondering, since you get along so well with Angel, if you wouldn't mind helping me out for a while...I'll pay you. With me starting a new job, I'll need a babysitter for Angel. Someone who knows her...whom I think I can trust." I thought about it and shrugged my shoulders. "Sure, why not. It's not like I have anything better to do?" My answer seemed to lift a huge weight off of his shoulders, because he seemed very pleased that I could help. He looked at the speedometer, and then at me. "You can live with us, and if anyone asks, we'll just tell everyone that you're my nephew." That was it, he turned to face the road again. I smiled at him, then looked back attentively at Angel, I was happy. This man had just given me something that I had really never had before, a home. I looked outside as the rain began again, streaming haphazardly down the window. I settled back into the seat and closed my eyes. *** I felt the car slow to a stop and suddenly popped my eyes open, craning my head around I saw that we had just paused at a traffic light in a small town. He cleared his throat and spoke. "We're here, this is Nordstrom." I sat up and looked after Angel. "Might as well start now," I thought. "She's wet. I'll need to change her." He nodded and pulled into a gas station where I could help the infant out of her soiled diaper. I changed her as quickly as I could and we began to drive on. "Are we close to your home?" I asked. "Not far." He turned down a small side street and into an addition. The houses were small but had many trees, but it was dark out so I couldn't see anything beyond his headlights. "It's a pretty old addition, we're up here on the left." The quiet of the car was interrupted by the clicking of his turn signal. We pulled to a stop as a light drizzle was falling, I picked up Angel and headed into the shelter of their porch. Ray grabbed the diaper bag and followed us up, sorting out the key that would let us inside. Giving the handle a turn he pushed the door open, as it swung I stepped inside with the baby. "Not bad," I nodded. "Alex, welcome to our little home, make yourself comfortable." He set the diaper bag down and headed back outside. I took a moment to survey the house, it wasn't anything special, just a decent little house. It had all the normal things that you would come to expect in a home, a kitchen, living room, bathroom, Master bedroom and a smaller bedroom. I noticed that a crib was already set up in the corner for Angel so I laid her gently down, trying not to awaken her. Between the two of us, we cleaned the car out and began to empty the boxes from Ray's little rental trailer. After about an hour we were done, which was none too soon as Angel began to stir. "You go on and take care of Angel, I can finish putting this away." I quickly turned and sought out the crying child. I changed her again and warmed up another bottle, sitting myself down in a rocker I gave the bottle to Angel as Ray continued to put things away. I wished that I could help him as it was getting late and he still had a few hours of unpacking left. I put the little one on my shoulder and began to pat her back as I rocked. "Why don't you just put away what you have to, we can both work on it tomorrow?" He paused, looking at me. "That's not a bad idea, I'll look for the sheets so I can make the beds. It's been quite a long time since I've gotten much sleep, we've been making this trip back and forth, the past 3 days. Each day, I fixed the house a little bit more." He glanced around and smiled. "At least we won't have to do that anymore." He began to move boxes to the side as he looked for the box with the sheets in them. "Here it is!" He pulled out the sheet set and threw it to the side. He stood and grinned at me while I gave her the bottle. "Angel, my wife, would love to be doing what you're doing right now." I returned his smile but felt a bit guilty knowing that his wife was gone and I was doing something that she should have been doing. "Your wife's name was Angel too?" I watched him nod. "Not very many girls are named after their mothers." He inhaled deeply. "Well, with this one, let's just say it's a bit different situation." He smiled weakly and continued to unfold the sheets. We quickly made up the crib and put Angel down for the evening, I hoped she would sleep all night as I was very tired and I wanted to sleep right away. Ray made up the big bed and I stood in the darkened nursery rubbing Angel's back, marveling at just how tiny she was. She couldn't have been more that two or three weeks old. Her light blonde hair created tiny ringlets of curls around her ears, she was so adorable that I knew she would grow into a very beautiful woman. Ray whispered from the hallway that everything was ready and we should really go to bed, I tip-toed out of her room and followed him into the living room. He directed my attention toward the couch. "You can bunk there until I can come up with a proper bed for you." I thanked him as he headed back to the nursery. He gently leaned over and kissed his small daughter, and headed to bed. I stretched out on the couch and turned off the lamp, laying there in the dark I wondered just why Angel left this seemingly wonderful man? Ray's every action around that little girl, was of love and parental honor. It was too bad that his wife left him and the little girl, alone and in a new city. My thoughts dwelled on the subject until sleep finally claimed me. *** Sleep came fitfully for me as usual, I felt myself falling into a pit of blackness that had become my life. Faces that I had known, flashed before me mocking the person that I desperately wanted to be, each laughing at the creature that stood before them. The fog that held my dream also held in the feelings that I recalled, those very ones that caused me to be the scourge of the families that I had known. I felt myself crying from the laughter, the emotional strain too much to bear. Suddenly thrust out of the ever-swirling fog was the face of my foster father, spitting his evil venomous words at me. "Freaking queer! Fag! Sissy!" I heard him shout again and again. I held my hands over my ears in a vain attempt to shut out his shouting, each refrain louder than the last. Suddenly, like a shaft of light out of the inky darkness, within my dream, I heard a voice, calm and controlled. "Angel, don't be afraid, I'll take care of you." When I turned I was looking at Ray, he smiled and stood there holding the baby, who was blowing bubbles from her tiny mouth. I felt the blanket that had been covering me slide off onto the floor. As it did, I woke up and calmly picked it up and pushed it to the end of the couch. I ran my hands through my hair and slowly stood, stretching away the sleep still in my system. I scratched my head and staggered into the kitchen where I filled a glass with cold water and sipped at it, allowing the cool contents of the glass to sooth my dry throat. Slowly I made my way to the nursery where I checked the infant in my care; she was sleeping soundly. I gently pulled the covers up onto her tiny shoulders, smiling as I wondered if she would ever realize how lucky she really was. I gently stroked her soft cheek as I watched her sleep, the soft ringlets of hair moving with the rhythm of her gentle breathing. Whether it was my touch, or her knowing I was in the room, Angel opened her eyes and began to kick her feet wildly as a slow smile spread across her chubby face. I couldn't resist the smile from enveloping me as well, I gently lifted the baby from the crib and carried her to the changing table. The soft glow from her night light was all the light we needed to quickly change her tiny bottom and 'talk' to each other as only she and I could. I gathered her up and walked back into the kitchen where I pulled out her bottle to warm up, her bright and intelligent eyes gleamed and sparkled from the diffused light that entered into the windows. I pulled a pan from the cupboard and filled it with enough water to warm her bottle, then sat it on the stove to heat. As I moved about the kitchen I kissed the top of her head and smiled as her fine hair tickled at my nose. After a few minutes, I tested the bottle and was satisfied that it would be safe for her to drink. We returned to the living room where I took a seat in the recliner and watched her hungrily gulp down the milk that was offered to her in the bottle. Her tiny fingers wrapped around my thumb as I held the bottle for her, while her other played with one blonde lock of her fine hair. I smiled and kissed the top of her little head as she continued to drink, I knew that I was falling for this little girl, she would soon have my heart wrapped around her little finger, and I really didn't care. I truly wished that I could share one thing with this young charge of mine, and that would be, to be...female. If I were only her mother, then I could have the best of both worlds, my fantasy world, and real life. I bent down to rub my nose against hers. "I wish I was your real Mommy," I whispered to her. I felt my eyes welling with tears and blinked them away. "If I would only have been born like you, then maybe my life wouldn't have been so bad." My trembling voice cracked with the emotion that was welling up inside of me. "I would give up everything to be like you...Angel." A lone tear fell from my cheek and landed on her soft sleeper outfit. "Instead...of...this." I wiped my tears away on her blanket. "Oh well, at least I have you." I smiled at Angel and kissed her little hand; the smell of baby lotion and powder brought only good memories to my mind. "Let's you and I pretend that I'm your Mommy, when we're alone, we will be mother and daughter. No one else needs to know." I pulled her close and softly cried into her tiny shoulder. We sat like that until almost 3:00 am, then I carried her back into the nursery and placed her into the crib where I covered her back up. A gentle stroke of her hair and I left for the couch where I quickly fell back into a more restful sleep. *** I rolled over and opened my eyes at a brightly lit room, because the sun was streaming across the couch and shining against the wall. I sat up and went in to check on Angel, but she was sound asleep. I knew that Ray most likely would had to have given her a bottle sometime during the early morning as I was never awakened by her crying. I felt a pang of sadness that I wasn't the one to have taken care of Angel. I walked into the kitchen and began a pot of coffee for our breakfast. I started searching out a skillet for eggs, once I got the bacon going, I quickly went into the bedroom to ask Ray how many eggs he wanted me to fix, his bed was empty. I turned and headed back to the kitchen where I noticed a note laying on the table. Picking it up I began to read. "Alex, I was called in to work early, so I decided to let you sleep. I'll stop at the store and get some things for Angel and some supper for us, I'll be back around 7:00. Angel has already been changed and given a bottle so she should sleep for awhile. We can unpack when I get home. Thanks, Ray." I just shrugged my shoulders and went back to making breakfast. One real benefit was that while I was still alone with Angel, I could help Ray put away some of the boxes of clothing and odds and ends that he put off until this morning. The first box I picked up was completely full of baby clothes. I carried them into the nursery and put them away. The next box was of what appeared to be his wife's old stuff, I carried that into the bedroom and set it down. I quickly looked around the room and opened the box, I couldn't help myself from running my hands inside its silky contents. I relished the texture of the silks and fine materials, again my mind wandered to my one sided conversation with Angel late last night. As I marveled at the sleek feel of the silky garments, something within the box scratched me and I caught hold of it and pulled it out. I lifted a small baggie out of the box. Inside was a dull looking necklace attached to a long chain. I opened the bag and pulled it out by the chain. I smiled and turned toward the mirror while I slid it over my head, I imagined myself as a girl wearing the necklace. Unable to resist the desire to encase myself in this woman's silky finery I cautiously looked over my shoulder at the door. I knew better, but being this close to beautiful feminine clothing without anyone to stop me, I couldn't fight the urge. It wouldn't look right with the shirt I had on, so I pulled that off and grabbed out one of the blouses I had found with a low neck. Quickly I threw it over my shoulders and began to button it up, I couldn't fight my need. That was the true reason I kept getting beat at my old foster home, I liked wearing female clothes and they hated me for it. My foster father caught me with his daughter's clothes on one morning that he passed her bedroom, after that, my life was hell. As soon as the cloth touched the necklace I felt a sharp tingle that quickly shot down my arms and legs causing me to jump. In a panic I jerked away from the garment and threw it down on the floor, thinking that it was a spider that may have bitten me. I kicked the blouse with my toes and I didn't see anything crawl from it, I quickly scanned the floor to see where it had scurried. I turned toward the mirror and studied my reflection, something was certainly not right. I watched as my eyes slowly began to lighten, they went from brown to a sky blue, what was happening? I could feel my heart racing as I continued to watch the subtle changes happening to them. My eyes glanced toward my forehead as the few wispy hairs that hung down gradually became lighter and lighter, then longer! I grabbed onto the dresser as I felt my knees grow weaker. "Wh... what's happening to me?" I trembled, speaking only in a whisper. My eyes were suddenly drawn toward my exposed chest, the small pink dime sized nipples I had, were slowly expanding outward and turning a dusky brown color! I leaned toward the mirror and watched them slowly began to swell and hang from my chest as gravity slowly took over! More and more they descended until there could be no mistake, I was growing breasts! The hair on my legs began to disappear quickly, and was replaced by the silky smooth feel of a woman's skin! I ran my slender hand along my arm, wondering just what I had done to cause this change to happen! I studied my hand before my eyes, it had become slim and graceful with long feminine fingers. I looked back down and saw the necklace gently resting between my newly grown breasts. After the initial shock, I began to smile with a giddy anticipation of what was to come next. It was as if I was suddenly living all of my fantasies rolled into one very brief moment of time. I began to look over my body and the changes that had been dealt over the past twenty minutes. I scooted to the edge of the bed and hung my head, hair fell onto my lap, cascading and shimmering into a golden blonde pool of silky hair. A quick search confirmed my suspicions, gone was the usual cumbersome equipment that I had known all of my life, I was now very female between my legs! My unfettered breasts swung free as I approached the mirror, slowly as if I was creeping in on some ferocious wild beast. "What's happened? This...this is impossible!" I said to myself as my voice had come to match my body, very feminine and sexy. I gracefully turned my head from side to side and watched the golden tresses slide across my back and shoulder. Again, I looked toward the little medal that hung from my long and slender neck. "Did you do this to me?" I ran a long nail over the winged cherub that was embossed on its surface. I couldn't believe what was happening to me while the transformation continued; while my face became more and more lovely, the blonde hair slowly grew from my head until it almost touched my thin waist. I was gorgeous! For once in my life I really felt happy, because this wonderful accident was an answer to my prayer! Slowly peeling out of my boxers, I began to search through Angel's clothes for items to wear. I felt a bit out of place doing so, but for the first time, I somehow knew that the clothes that I would wear, could actually fit my body in the way they were intended. I smiled as I slid a very sexy panty up my legs and let it rest on my now shapely hips. A matching bra followed as I found myself becoming aroused in my excitement. The silky white material was beautiful against the golden tanned color of my skin. I looked back into the mirror, I could see some subtle changes still working across my body. My eyes had changed from their normal boring look, to one that would captivate and hold any male under their gaze. The lashes were long and dark, curling upward ever so gently. My lips had even gone through a change of their own, the thin boyish lips that I was accustomed were gradually replaced with lush and full lips that looked to be very kiss- able indeed. I pulled a blouse out and quickly slipped it over my head, the neckline was low enough to show off a hint cleavage in a extremely sexy way, but not so low that it looked slutty. A small tremor of excitement raced through my body as I spied the little necklace that was nestled in the deep expanse of my new breasts. I began to dig into another box and found a pair of low hip hugging jeans in a sexy light blue denim, which I slowly began to pull them up my now silky legs. Finally, fully able to realize a fantasy of mine, wearing female clothes and actually having them fit the way they were meant to be. I looked back into the mirror and smiled, the grin slowly spreading across the most gorgeous face I had ever seen. Walking back into the living room, I sought out a box of shoes, I pulled out sandals and put them on my dainty feet. Finally, for the first time in my life I felt complete, I was rendered beautiful, and female. I felt that God had finally answered my prayer, and released me into the life that I was destined to have. I sat down on the recliner and leaned back into the chair with a enormous and giddy smile dancing across my face. I wondered if the girl I had become was somehow locked into me, which the little charm finally released. "Who was she?" I wondered to myself as I let my fingers slowly trace the opening of my shirt down across my lovely breasts. I leaned my head back allowing the hair to fall loosely onto my arm, as I began to flip it back over my shoulder, my eyes caught sight of a photo sitting on a little table. It was of Ray, standing next to a female who appeared to look exactly like me. "Oh...oh my God!" I thought. It had to be Angel, I had somehow been changed into Angel...his wife! Suddenly a wash of anguish came like a tidal wave over me, I realized that if Angel had left Ray, there was no way in hell that he would let me stay like this! I wasn't even sure that I could change back, even if I could. I looked at the photo again, he had his arm gently around my... her waist, holding her protectively. I could almost feel his hand there right now, but that would be impossible knowing that I had never taken a picture with him. I was torn between knowing that I couldn't stay like this and wanting desperately to remain in this form, forever. I stood up, then walked to a mirror hanging in the living room, slowly drinking in the reflection of a beautiful woman looking back at me. "Well, at least I know what the real Angel looked like." My soft feminine voice sounded strange to my ears. My eyes fell on the little medallion. "I'll bet you're what caused this change to me." I walked back into the bedroom and sought out the baggie that had held the medallion, gently, I removed it and dropped it back inside the clear plastic bag. I slowly began to brush my lovely hair and relished the feeling of not just wearing women's clothes, but actually having them fit me properly. The wonderful feeling of being encased in this feminine form was like a glorious song being played over and over, I never wanted it to stop. Slowly, I drew a delicately manicured finger down my gentle sloping breast into my deep cleavage. "Ray would never let me remain this way. Anyway, what would happen when the real Angel saw me, that could be very uncomfortable for her to see an exact twin." I heard the little one began to stir and walked back into the nursery to pick her up. I bent down and drew her up to my shoulder and walked her to the changing table. There I placed her down and quickly changed her diaper. She smiled and kicked her dainty little feet in excitement. I bent down low and rubbed my nose upon hers. "How's little Angel this morning?" I kissed her soft cheek and she pulled at the golden hair that brushed her tiny hand. I smiled and realized that this was an answer to my prayer, now I could actually live the life of a beautiful woman every day of the year. If only I could talk Ray into letting me stay this way forever or at least as long as I was in his house. But how would I know if I could ever regain my original body back? I had no real way of knowing whether I would remain this way forever. That thought permeated through my head. "Would that be at all bad?" I smiled at the thought of looking like this little infant's mother, then a thought occurred to me. "How's... how's my little Angel?" I loved the sound of that coming from my soft lips. "My little Angel." I picked up the little girl and carried her into the kitchen. "Come on, Angel, I'll fix up a bottle for you" And so began a day that I would cherish for my entire life. All throughout that day and well into the afternoon I played 'Mommy' to the tiny baby. By evening, though, I began to wonder what I would tell Ray. I wasn't sure if it really was the small medallion that had caused these changes to me but I had hoped that it was, at least that would explain what had happened. I had fallen so easily into the role of a woman that it almost startled me, as the day progressed I became to act more and more comfortable that it became second nature. I didn't care about the old Alex that had stumbled onto the medallion during the morning, this was as an answer to a prayer! I wanted to stay like this forever, I didn't look at it like being trapped, I felt it was more like a genuine release from the shell that I had been stuck into for the past 16 years, well, at least the last four anyway. I sat there cuddling with Angel and kissing her small face as she slept cradled in my slender arms, she was beginning to stir and I was becoming concerned. I knew that Ray had mentioned that he was going to stop by the store and purchase some items for Angel after work, I just hoped that formula was one of them. I pulled my sexy long legs under me and smiled as Angel held onto my little finger trying to pull it into her mouth to suckle. I checked the clock again. "Daddy will be home in about an hour or so, I sure hope we can wait until then." I tried to put a pacifier into her mouth but she made a face and spit it out, it fell past her ear and bounced onto the couch. "I don't blame you at all honey, I wouldn't want that plastic thing in my mouth either." I picked her up and walked back and forth in the living room. "I sure hope your daddy doesn't want me to go back to being Alex," I said as I rocked her in my arms. "I want to stay with you and remain like this forever!" I smiled as she kept nuzzling my rounded bosom, knowing full well what she was after. I looked at the clock and shook my head at the little bundle in my arms and smiled. "Where can your Daddy be?" She frowned, starting to sob softly. "I know... I know... you're getting hungry," I whispered, kissing her tenderly. I kept rocking the little girl while watching the clock as I waited for her father to come home. "I wonder what he's going to say when he sees his former wife holding their little daughter." I frowned as her cries became louder. "Come on Ray, get back with the formula," I pleaded, quickening my pacing in the living room, again glancing at the clock. "It's almost 8:00, and you need to eat." I sighed to the whimpering infant in my arms. My stomach was all twisted up. I wanted to help her, but struggled with what I knew she needed and not being able to help her at all. Again I slowly began to pace back and forth from the living room into the hallway, after turning around at the end of the hall I noticed a box of clothes, there laying inside the box was a brand new maternity bra, still with the tags. "I wonder," I said as I bent down and picked it up. It was still pristine white and apparent that it had never been worn, still dangling the maker's size and labels. "Your mommy must have bought it before she ran out on Daddy." I carried the bra into the bedroom where I had placed the little medallion inside the baggie. Looking from one item to the other, I thought. "I wonder if this could work?" I placed Angel down on the center of the bed and gently lifted the medallion out of the package. I placed both the bra and the medallion on the dresser. Slowly I unbuttoned the blouse I was wearing and cut the tags from the new bra. I slipped my shoulders into the straps and let my pert young breasts I had grown accustomed to, fall into the larger cups. "Well here goes," I reached out and grabbed the chain letting the small charm swing free. I closed my eyes and said a silent prayer asking the Lord to grant me one more desperate wish, this time for the baby. I opened my eyes and allowed the small medallion to gently lay along my sloping breast and touch the cup of the bra. I could feel a soft tingle dance across my chest. I quickly placed the medal back into the baggie for the protection of both of us. Looking down, I hoped and prayed that my breast was the only thing changed, but as they say, desperate times call for desperate measures. I prayed that my hunch was right. I waited, knowing that the crying infant needed milk and right now, at this point, I didn't care how she got it. I just knew that it was the one thing that I could try, besides, if her Mother was here right now she would have probably just breast fed her long ago. I wanted to help, and this was the only way I knew of doing it. I watched my chest as the loose fitting cups began to fill with my own growing breasts, as each bosom slowly began to stretch and become uncomfortable with the additional milk that Angel desperately needed. I slipped the blouse I had been wearing back on and unhooked the small tab that held the small bra flap covering my slowly engorging breast. Gently I picked up the crying infant and moved her to my swollen teat. The child quickly began to nuzzle me and it only took a moment before she latched on and began to suckle. I have read stories where the individual who breastfed an infant acted as it was such a pleasurable experience to nurse. This was miles beyond that! It hurt, and the little one was frantically pulling on me, almost bringing tears to my eyes. For a moment, I contemplated what I had just gotten myself into, but then, I would probably have done this anyway, knowing our predicament. It wasn't without a great deal of pain that I held the nursing infant, then the two of us returned to the living room and sat down in the big recliner. I pulled an afghan down to cover the contented child and help me with my chilly arms as she nursed vigorously. I winced, then talked softly to the little child working feverishly on my sore nipples. The only sounds either made at that special moment, was the soft sucking and swallowing of the infant and the creaking of the chair we both were in. I felt her relax her hold on my breast, and begin to get heavy. I knew she was falling asleep, full and content. I quietly lifted her to my shoulder and began to pat her back like I had seen so many mothers do, she chirped out her burp and rubbed her tiny face against my shoulder. I smiled and began to hum a soft song as we started to rock gently in the big chair, I found myself drifting off to sleep as well. ****** Deep within my dreams, I heard keys jingling and being inserted into the door, slowly the handle was being turned. I realized then that it wasn't a dream and in reality, Ray was finally returning home. The predicament that I was in never even crossed my mind, when the door swung open and Ray walked in holding two bags. I could hear him setting the groceries down in the kitchen, then with a sleigh-bell like sound, dropped his keys onto the counter. "It's just me!" he yelled out. I could hear him come around the corner as I began to get my wits about me. Suddenly I felt panic as I realized that he would see me dressed and looking like his wife! What would he think when he saw me? I panicked, trying to get up from the chair. "Hey Alex, I hope you don't mind Chinese, I stopped at a litt..." He froze, short of the living room. "Angel? My God, but... but how?" he said as he looked from me to his tiny daughter. He slowly walked closer and looked down at the sleeping child, then back up into my face. "Alex?" He spoke softly as he realized who I was, the surprise evident in his voice. "I'm sorry, I found a necklace in a box... I think it did this to me." I raised the sleeping child to my shoulder and pulled my shirt closed. He kept staring at me with his startled expression as he backed into the couch and sat down. "I knew I should have thrown that damn thing away before it hurt someone else!" He frowned and looked at the floor. I knelt down still holding Angel. "It wasn't any fault of yours." I looked down with embarrassment. "It was all my own doing." He gave me a quizzical look. "I should have told you before, I'm sorry that I kept this from you." I looked at the sleeping girl in my arms. "Let me put her in bed, then I can explain." I stood slowly and started off toward the nursery with Ray following close behind. Carefully I laid her down, pulling her blanket up around her tiny shoulders. Before I realized what I was doing, I had bent down and kissed her soft rosy cheek. When I looked up, he was leaning against the door, light reflecting upon a single tear rolling down his cheek and with a trembling finger, he wiped it away. "She would have given her very soul to be able to do what you just did." I looked back at Angel. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean..." "Don't be." He sighed as he wiped his eyes again with the back of his thumb. He stepped back and allowed me to pass first, almost making me feel like his gallant act was what any man would do for a woman. We both slowly walked to the kitchen and began to silently put away his groceries, all the while he kept watching me. I tried to reach up to the top of the cupboard to place a can of formula, then realized that now I was much too short to reach that high. I suddenly felt him move in behind me, taking it from my hand and place it on the shelf. His other hand had balanced against my waist for gentle support. I looked down at his large hand on my hip. "Sorry Angel... uh... Alex, I didn't mean..." His face flushed from embarrassment. "It's okay," I stammered, then turned around quickly to face him. That wasn't much better, my sudden movement caused him to lose his balance and fall forward only to catch himself by grabbing out at the counter top. I looked down, each of his arms were bracing themselves against the counter, with me trapped in the middle. He paused for only a moment, then quickly backed away, trying to maintain his composure. "God, I'm such a klutz," he mumbled. "No you're not, it was an accident." I had to admit that I enjoyed it in some warped weird way. He shook his head and began to fill up the coffee pot with water. "So, how'd it happen?" he asked. I had a weird feeling that he knew and yet, was hiding something from me. I leaned back against the counter and replayed the whole afternoon to him, from the moment I found the medallion to when I used it against the new maternity bra. "So you used it within the last three or so hours?" I nodded my reply. "Well, then, you're stuck like that, probably until sometime in the wee hours of the morning." I looked at the floor toward my tiny feet. "I wouldn't look at it as being stuck." There, finally I was truthful to both him and myself. He had been scooping coffee into the filter, then paused to look at me. "What's that supposed to mean, you like looking that way?" He sat the scoop down on the counter and pushed it away from the edge. "Are you saying that you 'LIKE' looking like Angel?" I really didn't know how to say it, but I knew for the first time in my life I actually liked what I was, only the fear of what his reply would be scared me. Tears began to flow. "I... this... this is why I kept getting beaten at my foster home." He had just finished pouring water into the coffee maker and sat the pot back in to catch the coffee. "You were beaten because of wanting to dress like a woman?" "I'm sorry!" I cried. "I know you must hate me for what I've done!" I felt myself wanting to take a step away from him, more of a reflex through years of conditioning that my former foster family had dealt me. Somehow I stayed my ground, thinking that maybe, just maybe, Ray would be different. Instead of attacking me as I had been programmed to assume, he just slightly shook his head and laughed. "What... for wearing a woman's clothes? Not hardly." He smiled and pointed toward the nursery. "She changed me into a woman with that same damn necklace. I know exactly where you're coming from... only, with me... I never wanted to do it again." He pulled down two cups and set them alongside the coffee maker. "With you..." "I've always wanted to be like this," I interrupted, feeling a bit more confident, wiping my tears and allowing myself to smile. I took the cup as he began to pour coffee into it and cleared my throat. "I wouldn't mind staying... like this... if you don't..." I forced a smile, afraid of the answer I was so sure that I was about to hear. He took a sip of his own cup and smiled. "It could have its benefits..." I gave him a surprised look trying to guess what was on his mind. I watched his expression slowly change from amusement to a sudden realization to what I had been thinking. "Oh... no... No... you have it all wrong." He held his hand out in front of him as if warding off a charging lion. "I would have no interest in sex with you, but you... you would give me an alibi, and provide the real Angel with a mother." "The real Angel?" I opened my eyes wide with surprise. "Then the baby...?" "That's right, she's my wife... Angel." He frowned and looked down at the floor. "I guess there's a story behind all of this." I drew a circle in the air between us. "If you want to discuss it, I'll listen." He looked at me and pursed his lips in thought. Shrugging his shoulders he took a sip from his cup and begin to explain. "Angel wanted me to know how it feels to be a woman, she turned me into one without me even consenting. We went out, danced with some guys at a bar, then when we were finally home, she and I were sitting around talking about kids. I don't really remember why, but she used that damn medallion on me much in the same way you did to yourself. Before I knew it, my breasts were so full of milk that I couldn't stand it." He sighed, again sipping his coffee. "If you would have used the one I had on then, my guess is that you wouldn't have become Angel, but rather the woman I had been. At least, that's how I think that thing works." "Then she went and did the thing that I'll regret for the rest of my life." He looked toward the darkened window, reflecting the lighting from the kitchen. I waited as he continued. "She went and made herself into a baby, a newborn." "Can you change her back?" I asked. "Oh sure, she'll look every bit as beautiful as you are now, only problem is, when her intelligence was compressed into that tiny brain, much of what she knew and remembered was pushed from her mind. Simple things like muscle control, bodily functions, all gone. Angel was basically a vegetable." Tears begin welling in the corners of his eyes. "But, she's just a baby... she'll grow," I tried to reassure him. "That's true, but I'll have to wait until I'm an old man to enjoy her again, by that time..." He sighed. "You're afraid that she won't love you anymore?" I asked. His nod said it all. "I thought about putting one of my shirts in a plastic bag and sealing it, using it later when she was my age again..." "Why don't you?" I interjected. He just smiled and again turned his attention toward the window. "That seems simple enough to me," I continued. He sighed deeply. "I'm afraid that after twenty-five years of raising her like a daughter, I don't think I could ever become romantically involved with her again." His eyes were again, welling with tears as he spoke. I looked away. He smiled weakly, took a sip of his coffee and gave me the once over. "Well, at least you'll be able to get your wish." I gave him a surprised look. "You mean, you're going to let me stay this way?" "Why not?" He shrugged. "It'll help so I won't have to make up excuses to where Angel went." He smiled. I stood there watching him, suddenly feeling strangely warm. "Besides, somebody will have to take care of the baby," he replied softly, pushing a stray tear from the corner of his eye. I looked toward the infant's bedroom and nodded. "That's true, it would help explain her," trying to ignore his obvious pain. He walked over next to me, placing his cup on the counter. "Could you do that for her?" I nodded my reply as he leaned against the counter and vacantly stared in the direction of the nursery. "I can't believe you used that thing on yourself so you could feed her, pretty selfless if you ask me." "It was the only thing I could think of at the time." I was suddenly feeling like a trembling child again. He turned toward me slowly and studied my face, or rather Angel's face. No words were spoken between the two of us. He looked on for almost two full minutes, before timidly taking his trembling hand up and let his fingers slowly pull through my long blonde hair, causing me to inhale deeply. It felt as though my knees would buckle. "Sorry about that." He quickly pulled his hand away, as he realized what he was doing. "It's just been so long." He looked away embarrassed; I knew that my nearness was having an effect on him, the swell in his jeans showed me that fact. I saw him trying to hide it from my view as he tried to change the subject. He quietly walked into the living room. "I'm going to have to talk to you like I would have spoken to Angel, you know that, don't you?" "That's fine... I don't mind. I imagine it would be hard not doing it anyway." I followed him into the room. "What about the baby... uh, your wife?" He sighed and walked to her bedroom door. "I'll just tell everyone that she's our daughter." I looked around him at the sleeping infant. "It should be easy enough to convince people." I knew he was right, it wouldn't be all too hard to let them think that she was our child. "I don't know how I'm going to explain this to our families though," he continued quietly. "When did you last see them?" I wondered aloud. "Four maybe five months ago, why?" He leaned against the doorway facing me. I also leaned against the opposite doorway. "She looks like a tiny baby, maybe you could just tell them that I was hiding it?" He nodded slowly. "That might work," He grinned. "Most of my family knew she wanted a baby, they all felt bad knowing we had been trying without any luck." He turned his head back to me slowly. "You know you'll need to keep breastfeeding her, for the duration if we try to pull this off." I couldn't help my grin. "I don't mind." He grew quiet and stood there studying me, again saying nothing. Turning, I looked back at the sleeping girl. "What about birth certificates and items like that?" I felt him move behind me to look over my shoulder, his body close to mine. "She'll need a birth certificate since she can't use her old one anymore." "We'll just tell them that she was born at home," he said, the vibrations of his voice dancing within my ears causing a tingle to race along my spine. "She only looks about a week old, any test would prove that she's got your genes, literally." I felt him inhale deeply. "God you even smell like her." I felt myself smile. "I... I don't think we should call her 'Angel' though." He spoke softly so he wouldn't wake her. "That name is already taken." "By whom?" I responded, then felt like a stereotypical blonde for doing so. Then it was my turn to try and change the subject quickly. "But what should we call her?" I asked quietly. "How about Alexandria? Then we could call her Alex and use your old name?" Ray wondered out loud. "No, please don't use that name on her," I replied angrily. Then I said softly. "Whatever you pick is fine with me. After all, she is your child, you have a greater right to choose a name for her." "Why? If you have to play the wife for however long, you need to be a part of this as well." He folded his arms across his chest and looked at the nursery door. "What's my middle name?" I asked, then realized what I had just said. "I mean, what was Angel's middle name?" He gently rubbed my shoulder and spoke. "You're going to have to quit thinking like that. YOU are Angel now, SHE isn't anymore." He paused and looked away, I could tell that he was missing her terribly. "From this point forward, Alex doesn't exist. Angel is married to me." I tried to hide a slow smile. "And that baby in there is OUR daughter." His face showed the seriousness of the whole situation. "Okay," I said in a small voice. "How about naming her, Abigail?" That suggestion was met with a short laugh. "Her cousin was named Abigail, Angel hated that cousin." He rubbed his square chin. "We'll have to give her a name that fits her." "What about, Cassandra? We could call her Casey for short." He wrinkled his nose and laughed. "Okay, I give up!" I said throwing my slender hands into the air. He laughed again and shook his head. "Angel used to do that same gesture, when she grew frustrated with me." His eyes locked on to mine. "I guess I'll probably never really get over losing her." "You didn't lose her," I calmly pointed toward the nursery. "She's in there." An uncomfortable silence shrouded the both of us, I finally broke through its thin veneer. "How about Melody?" He just looked at me. I smiled. "I guess not." I slowly moved to the couch and he followed. "What about the name, Brandi?" He paused and slowly smiled. "I like that, and I think she would too. It's feminine and pretty." I touched him lightly on the arm. "I like that name." His eyes darted to my hand, which I quickly pulled away. He patted the arm of the chair, still looking at where I touched him on the arm. "I guess then, since we're both in agreement, Brandi it is!" ****** The days slowly merged into weeks, then months. Ray, baby Brandi and I settled into our roles quite easily. He had let his family know that we had a baby and named her Brandi. They were surprised that we kept it hidden so well, but they understood, because of all the problems the 'real' Angel was having trying to conceive. It was pretty easy for us to get a birth certificate for Brandi, especially when they could tell that I was still breastfeeding our little daughter. I fell into the role of doting mother so quickly that it scared both of us. My parents...er, Angel's parents visited us almost as soon as they found out. Thankfully, they didn't stay with us and we were able to keep our sleeping arrangements hidden. In that entire time, Ray not once ever made advances on me. I never did anything to encourage him either, we each had a role in the family and stuck to it pretty well. The only time we ever showed affection toward each other was while we were attending functions within the neighborhood or his job. Any other time, it was business as usual. ****** It had almost been a year when I walked Brandi down to the mail box. We opened it up and with me holding her, she pulled out the mail with her chubby little fingers. "Mom...mom...mom, mom, mom." She fired out the word in rapid succession, making me smile. The small stack of envelopes went straight to her mouth. "No, no honey, those aren't good for baby!" I gently tugged it from her. She pouted and when I smiled she quickly turned away and threw her arms around my neck, still facing away, trying to 'pretend' to be mad. I walked back into the house and laid the letters on the table, put Brandi down and began to fix our lunch. Brandi was now pulling herself up to the kitchen chairs, her unsteady legs getting stronger and stronger with each passing day. I glanced back over my shoulder at her and was awarded with a toothy smile...well, as toothy as an 11 month old can get. She was so excited at her accomplishment that she caused me to smile. I crouched low so she could move toward me. As she stumbled, fell and walked, into my arms I squeezed her tightly. "How's Mommy's little girl?" I kissed her soft cheek. "Such a big girl!" I smiled as I put her into the highchair. I carried a small bottle of juice over to her and sat it down, she picked it up and began to suck down the cool contents. "Is that yummy?" I brushed her golden hair from her forehead, and sat a tiny Vanilla Wafer in front of her. Almost immediately she began to slobber all over it and had it crushed beyond recognition, still, she cherished her cookie or, at least what had survived the attack. I walked back into the kitchen and carried back our lunch. "Here you go punkin," I said as I sat the little sandwich wedges down in front of her, each cut into very small bite sized pieces. As we ate, I took the time to glance through the mail. Nested in the middle was a letter from Ray's parents who lived on the coast, in Northern Oregon. I took a nail and gently tore open the white envelope. I heard a noise in the living room as Ray walked in from the garage. I smiled as he jostled Brandi's hair. "What you got there?" "Me or Brandi?" I asked, then seeing that she was offering her father a bite of her deformed sandwich. "Oh..." I laughed as he pretended to eat her sandwich and part of her arm, making her break out into a fit of hearty giggles. "Look Ray, it's a letter from your parents!" I held it up to him, he slowly took it and leaned against the counter to read. "Did you read this?" I shook my head no in reply. "They're coming here to visit, because they want to see their little Granddaughter." I smiled and passed Brandi her bottle again. "That's great! Brandi should get to know her Grandparents." I took my index finger and gently touched Brandi's nose causing her to try and grab my finger. "But, they want to stay here! In our house!" I gave him a quick look. "Yeah, that's right, where they going to sleep?" "We don't really have the room, Ray." I began to worry. "Where WILL they sleep?" "We'll figure something out," he said thinking hard. "Maybe we could convert the garage into a room?" I drummed my fingers against the table, the nails tapping, sounding like a trotting horse. "That might work, I know it's been done before. I could help you when Brandi is sleeping." I looked from her to him. "How long before they're coming here?" He looked at the letter. "Next month, the 12th. Looks like they'll only be staying a week though." He read further. "Uh-oh." "What is it?" I paused as I fought with Brandi's little hands, trying to keep them out of her applesauce. "While they're here, they want to do some house hunting." I had been trying to wipe the applesauce from Brandi's face when she pulled the washcloth from my grasp and was using it as a hat. I looked up at Ray who was watching our little battle, and smiling. "She's got more on her, than in her stomach!" I giggled, as she began to try and wipe her own face. Then looking back toward Ray. "It would be nice for you to have your parents a bit closer, wouldn't it?" "Yeah, it would, I really miss them." He stepped around to the other side of Brandi and tried to distract her so I could finish cleaning her up. "Their moving closer would probably save us money on our phone bill." I nodded as I took our dishes into the kitchen. Ray picked Brandi up and carried her off to change her. "I'll hurry up and start cleaning out the garage as soon as I'm done here, we have to get this project underway pretty soon if we'll have that room ready for them by the 12th." I followed the sound of his voice back to the nursery, leaning against the door I smiled at them. Ray was blowing against Brandi's stomach causing her to squeal and kick in laughter. I found myself giggling over their antics. He looked up and smiled. "What you laughing at?" I only grinned wider. "You don't watch it and you'll be next," he kidded, then looked back at the little bundle of wiggling energy laying on the dressing table. "Isn't that right, Brandi, she doesn't watch her laughing at me and Mommy will be next." I suddenly realized then, he had referred to me as her Mommy, I couldn't ever remember him doing so before! I felt my throat tighten, joyous tears welling in my eyes. I slowly walked into the living room and stood looking out a window. I heard him walk up behind me. "Well she's all ready, put down for her nap." He waited, when I didn't look back at him he slowly came around. "What's wrong? Are you crying?" I couldn't speak, I just laughed through my tears. He smiled and pulled me close, holding me near. "Are you okay?" His hand pulled the stray hairs from my face. "Was it something that I said?" Again I only laughed, tears still streaming down my cheeks. I tried to wipe them away but he pushed mine aside, holding my face between his large, strong hands. "What is it? What's so funny?" I took a deep breath and again burst into silly laughter. He frowned and tapped his foot against the floor. I sighed, giggling and shook my head. "I don't know why I'm laughing, I'm just so happy." His hand had slipped to my waist, holding me tightly. "I guess I would rather have you crying because you're happy than because you're sad." I gave him a hug and whispered into his ear. "Thank you for what you said in there... it means a lot to me." He leaned away, staring blankly. "I said something, what did I say?" He had a little boy smile crossing his face as he spoke. "You called me Brandi's Mommy, that was something that I had hoped to hear for quite a long time." He used his thumb to wipe a trickling tear away. "You deserve it, she couldn't have asked for a better mother." I looked down at his kind words and blushed, he lifted my head back up. "I mean that... sincerely." My heart leapt, I felt like singing for joy. Over this past year, I couldn't help seeing what Angel had seen in him. It was odd to me, but, I felt I was falling in love. ****** We finished the room a day before his parents pulled into our driveway, Ray and I met them as soon as the car pulled to a stop. Ray hugged them both, until his father noticed me standing there. "Hey Angel, come on over here and let me give you a big hug too!" I walked into his great bear-like arms as he squeezed the life from me. I felt myself being pulled from the ground, feet dangling about three inches above the cement. "Put her down before you crush her," his mother scolded her husband, I mouthed her a thank-you. "Okay now, where've you hidden her?" The big man sat me down and rubbed his huge hands together smiling. "Where's my granddaughter?" I turned toward Ray's mother and smiled, leaning close. "Is he safe?" She chuckled. "I'm not sure, Brandi's all he's talked about since we left Oregon." We giggled as he tip-toed toward the house, as if he would wake her from way out here. We all followed Ray into the house, quietly. At the door he gently pushed it open and whispered. "Mom, Dad, meet your granddaughter Brandi." His mother whispered. "Awww... she's precious." The big graying man smiled and patted Ray on the back. "Good thing for you, she looks like her mother." I giggled softly. His mom reached into a bag and pulled out a stuffed bear, laying it beside Brandi in the crib. "I made it myself, with lots of love." I leaned across the edge of the crib and peered down at the bear. "It's beautiful," I whispered to Ray's mother. "You have quite a talent." "I'm glad you think so, I have something for you too!" Her tone was quite low and she said it with a hint of laughter in her voice. I whispered to Ray, "We probably should help them unload the car before Brandi wakes up." He nodded in agreement as we all quietly left the nursery. Back outside, we unloaded their car and moved all of the items to their 'new room'. I smiled, feeling proud at what we accomplished in such a short time, together, as a family. His father looked appreciatively around the room. "You did all this yourself? Just for us?" Ray looked at me and smiled. "I had help, otherwise it may never have gotten done." "We needed the extra space that this room would provide, you just prompted us to move a bit quicker to create our guest bedroom," I added. His parents turned toward me,