Operation Rescue - The New Co-Ed; Chapter 7 free porn video

Operation Rescue: The New Co-Ed Chapter 7 - Vacation Part 2 A young man gets in trouble and loses his scholarship. It looks like his dream of college to escape a poor future is doomed - until he sees an ad recruiting 'surrogates'. The first part of Tommi's vacation was a disaster. Can he and Katie salvage anything from the remaining time off? [email protected] ********************************************************************** For what seemed like the thousandth time, Katie glanced at Tommi seated in the passenger seat, as they drove through the night. While Katie felt exhausted, she'd decided against letting Tommi drive; the confrontation with her mother and with Liz had left Tommi an emotional wreck. Katie didn't think Tommi was in any shape to drive, especially in the near-blizzard that surrounded them. For the first twenty minutes of their drive, Tommi had alternated between outright bawling and subdued sobbing. She'd been quiet since then, and at first, Katie thought that Tommi had fallen asleep. Katie had _hoped_ that Tommi had gone to sleep. Instead, she'd become zombie-like, sitting silently, expressionless, and unmoving. "How much further?" Katie decided to break the uncomfortable silence. Tommi turned toward her, and for a second, her eyes seemed vacant, uncomprehending. She blinked, and like a switch, she snapped out of whatever funk she'd been in. "Uh, what?" "How much farther to the Virginia border?" Katie repeated. "Um, I think about twenty or thirty miles." Katie shook her head, trying to clear the cobwebs from her fatigued mind. "I think we should stop somewhere soon." "Um," Tommi started hesitantly, "can't we keep going? I want to get as _far_ from ... there ... as I can." "I understand," Katie replied, trying to sound reassuring. "But it won't do us any good to keep driving and have an accident. I'm exhausted, and in your state, I'm _not_ going to let you drive." "But..." "No 'buts'," Katie said emphatically. "We went through that when we left, remember? We're both tired, it's after midnight, and it's starting to snow again. We're stopping." Tommi sighed, then nodded slowly. "Okay. Can you turn up the heat?" Katie shook her head. "Nope. I get sleepy when I'm driving at night and I'm too warm. To stay awake, I need it cool." Tommi made a show of zipping up her jacket. "Cool, I can understand, but this is colder than Alaska!" Katie didn't bother answering. As the snow flurries came down faster, she was keeping all her focus on the road. By the time they finally crossed the bridge into Virginia, the flurries had become a miniature blizzard; the twenty-four miles had taken over an hour. Katie pulled the car into the parking lot of the first national chain motel that she saw. A few minutes later, the two girls set down their suitcases in the warmth of their room. Tommi flopped on her bed, emotionally and physically drained. "I think I'll wait to take a shower in the morning." Katie slipped off her coat. "Not me. Nothing personal against your mom, but I _hate_ the smell of smoke, and right now, I feel like I've been in a chimney all day! I _have_ to take a shower." She strode eagerly toward the bathroom, disrobing and leaving a trail of clothes as she walked. "You know," Tommi said thoughtfully as she lay on the bed, "I grew up with Ma smoking, and was used to living in a house with the smoke smell, but since I've been at college, I got used to _not_ smelling smoke. I probably reek, too. I think I changed my mind. Don't take too long in the shower!" "Sara is a wonderful little sister," Katie called, nearly shouting to be heard above the rushing water of the shower. "I wish I had a sister like her." "Yeah, she's a good kid," Tommi agreed. "And she deserves a lot better," she added softly. "What's that?" Katie called back. "Nothing," Tommi responded quickly. She hadn't intended for Katie to hear, even a mumble, and she felt suddenly sorry about what she'd said. It wasn't right to speak ill of her family, she thought. Then again, they'd been mean. Vicious, she corrected herself. Liz and Ma had been vicious in their attitude toward Tommi. She began to question herself - what could she have done to make it better? How could she have helped them accept her? She missed Sara - already. They hadn't been gone for more than a few hours, and Tommi _really_ missed Sara. Her younger sister had been so sweet and loving and caring - the kind of family that Tommi didn't have, not any more. But Liz and Ma hated her. They obviously thought that she'd betrayed them - and his dad - and had made no secret of their feelings. Tommi's eyes misted, and then the tears started flowing. "Are you okay?" Katie asked, wrapped in a towel as she stood by the bathroom door. The question startled Tommi. "Huh?" she asked as she wiped her eyes. "I said, are you okay?" Katie asked again, a look of concern on her face. Tommi thought for a moment, then shook her head sadly, tears slowly rolling down her cheeks. "I don't know." Katie sat down on the end of the bed. "I wish I knew what to say," she said, her voice soft and sad. "I ... just don't know how to help you." She'd seen how rough of a night Tommi had had. Tommi tried to laugh. "First time you've been at a loss for words." The joke fell flat. Tommi wiped at her tears again. "Why do they hate me so much?" she wailed. "What did _I_ do to _them_?" Katie shook her head. "I don't know," she said. All those years of school, of learning about psychology and counseling and all that other stuff -it all seemed so useless now that she really needed it. "They kept comparing me to dad," Tommi bawled. "They keep acting like I'm supposed to be exactly like him! They _never_ let me be me!" Katie scooted over beside Tommi and pulled her close. Tommi's head leaned against Katie's shoulder, and Katie wrapped her arms around the sobbing girl. "I _hate_ him!" Tommi sobbed. "Even when he's dead, he mocks me! I _hate_ him!" "Shhh," Katie cooed as her hand stroked Tommi's hair soothingly. "It'll be okay. They aren't here now. I'm here for you." Tommi tried to nod, but failed as sobs wracked her body. "I never realized it before, but they've _always_ hated me! When I was the only boy, Liz and Ma were jealous of Dad trying to spend time with me! Whenever I failed at something, it was always the three of them mocking me! Even Ma did it!" "It's okay, now," Katie said softly, over and over. "It's okay." Presently, Tommi's sobs lessened, and her breathing got slow and regular. Gently, Katie craned her neck to look at Tommi's face. As she suspected, Tommi's eyes were closed; she was finally asleep. Katie slowly eased Tommi onto the bed and pulled a blanket over her. Shaking her head, she tucked Tommi in, turned off the main lights, and tiptoed to the sink area to finish getting ready for bed. She pondered the past day and a half; Tommi had been right - her mother and Liz hadn't been just nasty; they'd been positively vicious and cruel. Why, though, was a mystery to Katie. Did they resent that Tommi had gotten away from the town and its mine? Did they expect to see her father, Ron Wilson, in Tommi, and then hate him for failing to measure up? She wondered if it was simply that Mrs. Wilson and Liz were just mean to their core, and took out their anger and frustrations on anyone nearby. If the last possibility were true, Katie thought to herself, she really felt sorry for Sara, stuck in that home having to catch all that resentment and anger day after day. Katie suspected that there was a _lot_ more behind the anger and viciousness than just the surrogacy. She knew she'd have to uncover this mystery - if only for Tommi's sake. ********** Tommi had her earbuds in so she could listen to her own music, without disturbing Katie's driving. It hadn't taken long for Tommi to realize that Katie didn't have much tolerance for distractions while she was driving. Tommi noticed that Katie had turned down the car's stereo; knowing that Katie had something to say, Tommi pulled out her earbuds. "You want to stop for a break and something to eat?" Katie asked. Tommi thought for a very brief moment. "Go ahead," she replied without enthusiasm. "I'm not very hungry." "Well, you've got to eat something," Katie rebutted. "You didn't have anything for breakfast." "I had a slice of toast," Tommi snapped back quickly, almost angrily. "Whoa," Katie cautioned quickly, "I wasn't criticizing you. I was just saying that you might want to eat something more than just some toast." Tommi realized how angry she'd sounded, and she dropped her head in embarrassment. "I'm sorry," she apologized quickly. Katie glanced quickly at Tommi, then returned her focus to the road. "I know you've had a very stressful couple of days," she said, trying to assuage Tommi's guilt at her angry outburst. "Just remember, I'm on your side, okay?" "'K," Tommi answered meekly. "I'm going to stop at the next town. A little stretch and a bite to eat will probably help you feel a lot better." "I suppose." Katie was starting to wonder if she shouldn't call Rachel. Tommi was in a serious funk. Usually, it was easy to get her to engage in conversation, but since last night's fiasco, she'd been very quiet and withdrawn. The "slice of toast" had really been a small bite from half a slice of bread, washed down with no more than a few sips of juice. Nor had Tommi gotten anything for a snack when they'd stopped to gas up the car. Katie also knew that she was getting tired of driving. They'd been on the road for almost five hours, and Tommi hadn't driven a mile. At first, Katie figured she'd let Tommi rest some more, but after their fuel stop, Tommi had declined her turn without much comment. "After we stop," Katie continued, "you'll need to drive some. I'm getting tired, and unless you want to spend another night in a motel, I need to take a break from driving." Katie was hoping to push Tommi to a more upbeat state of mind. "I guess," Tommi answered. Katie took a deep breath and pondered her options. Finally, she spoke up. "Okay," she started,sounding stern, "either you get your act together, or we're going back so you can have some long talks with Rachel." Before Tommi could object, Katie continued. "I _saw_ how rough it was for you these past couple of days. I was there, remember?" She sighed heavily. "Lord knows, if it had been _my_ family, I'd be pretty rattled, too." "But..." Tommi started to protest. "I saw how mean your mom and sister were. But I also saw how sweet and loving Sara was. Hang on to _that_! I know you can't forget the pain your mom and Liz caused you, but you _can_ focus on the love from Sara, can't you?" Tommi started to speak again, then she stopped and slowly closed her mouth. Katie could almost hear the mental gears grinding in Tommi's mind. "I guess you're right," Tommi finally admitted softly. "I guess I should try to think about what little good _did_ come of it." She wiped away a small tear. "You know, I've _never_ been close to Sara, not like this visit. We never got along, not until now." Katie nodded. "Atta girl." Tears suddenly started flowing from Tommi's eyes. "I really did lose everything! My friends, my family, my ... you know." Tommi shook her head and wiped at her cheeks again. "All because of a stupid one-night stand! Stupid, stupid, stupid!" "You didn't lose _everything_," Katie reminded Tommi. "You've got a lot of new friends back at school, and you've gained a sister." "But I can't ever go home again!" Tommi cried in anguish. "Even when this is all over, I can _never_ go back." She shook her head, her gaze dropping as her eyes closed. "All Ma or Liz have to do is tell someone what I did, and ...." She didn't need to say more. Katie winced inwardly. She'd seen how 'redneck' Tommi's hometown really was, with all the stereotypically intolerant attitudes. If some of Tommi's old high-school friends learned what she was doing - Katie shuddered inwardly at the thought. Tommi really could never go home again, even after her surrogacy. Tommi's life would truly be in danger in her home town. "I bet," Katie said, trying to break what was rapidly returning to a depressing conversation, "after you meet mom and dad, you'll feel like you have a new home town and extended family." ********** "Wake up! We're home!" Katie called to Tommi, who was sleeping on her reclined seat since they'd switched drivers a couple of hours earlier. Slowly, Tommi stirred from her slumber. "Huh?" she asked as she tried to rouse herself. "We're home." Katie repeated. Tommi stretched, then looked out the windows, trying to orient herself. "What time is it?" she asked through a yawn. "About eleven thirty," Katie replied. Tommi finished her yawn. "How long have I been asleep? I ... remember heavy traffic - was it in Jacksonville?" Katie nodded as she turned off the ignition. "Yeah. That wreck on the interstate cost us almost two hours. It's a lot later than I hoped. Let's go see if my folks are still up." She needn't have worried. A crack of light formed beneath the garage door, widening as the door raised silently. It seemed as if the girls were expected - which, of course, they were. Tommi watched the door opening with a sense of dread. She'd already had one very bad experience, and she was quite understandably nervous. As the door lifted higher, she saw the shadows, then the wheels, then the bodies of two cars parked neatly inside the garage. Her eyes widened as she noted the cars - a nice red sports convertible and a silver Lexus. Apparently, Katie's family was, in comparison to Tommi's poor family, loaded. And the surprises didn't stop. Walking from the far end of the garage, from the door into the house, were two middle-aged people - Katie's parents. Katie's dad had his arm around his wife's shoulder as they slowly ambled toward the still-opening garage door. As soon as the door stopped moving, they rushed out to greet the two girls, both faces beaming with happiness. Katie was immediately embraced by her mom, and kissed on her cheek. "I'm so glad you're home, sweetie," her mom told her enthusiastically. "We were starting to get worried." Katie's dad waited his turn, then gave his daughter a hug. "Thank you for calling, Pumpkin, so we'd know how things were going." He kissed her on the forehead. To Tommi's surprise, Katie didn't seem to mind, even a corny nickname from her father; if anything, it was normal to be greeted like this by her parents. Tommi felt a pang of loneliness; his family would _never_ display affection in such a manner. Katie's mom turned to Tommi. "You must be Tommi Sue," she said, her voice warm and friendly. Before Tommi could react, she found herself wrapped in a warm hug. "I'm Veronica Snyder. We're _so_ glad you decided to come." Katie's mom let Tommi out of the embrace. "You can call me Ronnie, if you'd like." "Uh, I mostly go by just Tommi," Tommi stammered through her confusion at the reception she was getting. After all, Katie's parents were strangers to her. Katie's dad stepped to Tommi and took her hand. "Glad you could come home with my little Pumpkin," he said with genuine friendliness. "I worry so much when she drives alone." From the corner of her eye, Tommi saw Katie make a nodding gesture, a sign to her dad, perhaps. Then Tommi found herself surprised by a cautious but warm hug from Tommi's dad. "I'm Roger Snyder," he offered as he dropped the quick embrace. "But Katie said you might like to think of me as 'Dad'." Tommi's eyes started watering, then the tears started streaming down her cheeks. Ronnie glanced nervously at Roger, then at Katie, then back to Tommi. "I'm sorry ..." she started. Tommi shook her head to cut her off. "No," she said firmly, "it's ... " she shook her head, uncertain of what to say. "My family ... my dad and Ma ... would never ..." She stopped, wiping at the tears. "I ... just feel ... overwhelmed." She saw the looks of concern on the parents' faces. "No, I've never had anyone welcome me like ..." She stopped, turning away and wiping at her eyes, embarrassed by her display. Ronnie wrapped her arm around Tommi's shoulder. "I'm sorry if we embarrassed you. We just want you to feel welcome." Tommi suppressed a sob. "I've ... never felt more welcome ... in my life," she said through tears. "You ladies go on inside," Roger interjected. "I'll bring in your bags." ********** Tommi sat on the sofa, her senses reeling from the emotional overload. On the coffee table sat a tray with sandwiches and iced tea; Ronnie had anticipated that the girls might be hungry and thirsty. With a start, Tommi realized that Ronnie had probably prepared them only minutes before they arrived. As she chewed a bite of sandwich, Tommi glanced around and took in her new surroundings. First was Katie's mom; Ronnie was about fifty, only a few years older than Tommi's mother, and about the same height - five foot six or seven. There, the similarities ended. Tommi realized that, in comparison, her own mom was a slob. Even in her night gown and robe, Ronnie looked ... elegant. Her short red hair was neatly done, even as she was ready for bed, and with no traces of premature graying, unlike Ma Wilson. Her robe was neat, and from the way it hung on her, Tommi could tell that Ronnie kept herself trim and fit. The most amazing thing, Tommi realized, was the way Ronnie's green Irish eyes sparkled with life and joy. Her smile was contagious. She seemed - no, Tommi corrected herself - she _was_ happy, full of joy. Katie's dad Roger was also a surprise to Tommi. He was shorter than Tommi's dad had been - perhaps five foot eleven - and not nearly as physically imposing, but he carried himself with a quiet dignity and confidence that Tommi had never seen in her own dad. Roger, like his wife, had a smile that seemed carved permanently into his features, and his blue eyes sparkled with life. Tommi realized that her dad got respect through being physically intimidating; Roger, on the other hand, seemed to be a man that people would respect because he appeared so honest and friendly and confident without an air of self-importance. Tommi felt pangs of envy that Katie was lucky enough to have such parents. "And when Katie called us last night and told us about your visit home," Ronnie was still talking, though Tommi had missed a little of the conversation, "we insisted that you both come early, and that we could adjust our plans." Tommi forced herself to swallow the food in her mouth. "Thank you, Mrs. Snyder," she began. "Oh, pooh!" Ronnie chided, and even that was friendly, "Call me Ronnie." Tommi nodded. "I'll try. It's hard, though. For all my life, I always addressed adults formally." "Well, you can relax around here," Roger explained. "Besides, as you go through college, you'll be dealing more and more with adults on a peer-level, so you'll need to change your habits." He smiled. "It's part of growing up, learning that adults are peers, rather than authority features not to be questioned." Tommi listened to Roger with surprise. She'd never had an adult talk to her like this, especially her own parents. He had just given her some wise counsel on the meaning of growing up, given as if Tommi was his own daughter. "Roger," Ronnie interrupted, "stop it. I'm sure the girls are too tired to listen to your philosophical ramblings." She smiled at Tommi. "When he gets on his wise, old dad kick, he can talk for hours and hours." There was mirth in her voice and a twinkle in her eyes. "Oh, hush, Ronnie," Roger replied, equally light-heartedly. "I was only making an observation." Everything that Tommi had experienced growing up was counter to this loving good-natured exchange; she couldn't remember her Ma and Dad _ever_ joking with each other. The entire situation was disorienting to Tommi. Katie's parents, until an hour ago, total strangers, were warmer and more welcoming to Tommi than her own family. Tommi had grown up in a cramped, messy, house that by comparison to Katie's home was a ramshackle hut. It struck her that Katie lived in a _home_, but her family lived in a _house_. The difference was the people and the attitudes and love and warmth present within the walls. Katie's home had it; Tommi's didn't. "Mom, Dad," Katie interrupted, "we've had a very long couple of days, so if you can hold off, I think Tommi and I would like to just get some sleep." She winked to Tommi. "You'll have us for several days, so you can talk more starting tomorrow," Katie glanced at her dad, "and you'll have time to share as much of your 'fatherly wisdom' as Tommi can stand." Ronnie glanced at her husband with an "I told you so" grin. "Whenever you're ready for bed, I'll show you to your rooms. Roger already put your things there for you. " ********** Tommi lay in bed in the guest room, staring at the ceiling. Her head was awhirl; in less than two hours, she'd been treated like part of a family that she'd never even dreamed could be reality. She envied Katie. Katie had a mother and father that loved her unconditionally, that weren't critical of her, that were happy and friendly - everything that Tommi's family _wasn't_. Even the home was a stark contrast to her life. The Snyder's home was almost showcase neat, and tastefully decorated without being ostentatious. Even the guest bedroom where Tommi lay was tasteful and neat, with a definite "homey" touch, and it had its own private bath. Back home, the entire family shared one tiny bathroom. It wasn't that they couldn't have added a bathroom, but Ma and Dad never considered it a priority. A private bathroom seemed unreal, almost as unreal as the generosity and friendliness Ronnie and Roger had shown her. For the first time in her life, Tommi realized just _how_ poor they'd been back home. Often, or so went the stereotype, poverty was compensated by caring, close family. Not so for her, Tommi realized. Her poverty had been a brutish sort of existence, without material goods _or_ love. All Tom had ever had were his parents' expectations of him, expectations that he - now she - couldn't live up to, and the resultant scorn and anger. It was just the way it was - and Tommi had never known anything different. Dorm life hadn't exposed Tommi to the harsh reality of what she'd experienced. The dorm was sort of communal, without family, without a large degree of privacy. Even the bed in which she lay seemed alien, foreign to her. Katie had proudly told her how her dad Roger had hand-crafted the bed and dresser in his workshop because he loved to work with wood in his spare time. He'd made the furniture for his daughter, too, as a way of showing his love for her. Even after Ronnie and Katie bragged about the special bed for Tommi, Roger had been modest. How utterly different from Tommi's dad, or Ma, or Liz, for that matter! Tommi knew that her dad _could_ have made things around the house, but he didn't; he was always out with his working buddies. And if any of his family did something, they always seemed to go out of their way to make sure _everyone_ knew of their accomplishments. Tommi felt her eyes tearing again as she tried to comprehend the family love all around her. It didn't seem fair. Her own flesh and blood, her own kin, had turned their back on her, but Katie's family had accepted her, just as Katie had predicted. Everything around her sharply punctuated the bitter reality that she'd faced and escaped at home. Tommi was truly alone; her family had rejected her. Tears flowed more freely, and soon she was sobbing lightly. Presently, she heard the door creak open. "Are you okay, dear?" It was Ronnie. "Uh huh," Tommi answered weakly. She figured that Ronnie was just checking up on her. Ronnie slipped into the room, closing the door softly behind her, a ghostly shadow gliding through the dim light to the bedside. "I heard you crying," she said, stating the obvious. "Are you okay?" She sat down carefully on the edge of the bed. "I'm not sure," Tommi whispered through her tears. "Katie told me all about your visit home," Ronnie said. "I can understand if you're hurting inside." Tommi nodded, sniffling from all the tears. "Yeah," she answered simply. Ronnie reached across Tommi toward the nightstand, retrieved a tissue, and handed it to Tommi. "Here." Tommi blew her nose, then took another tissue from Ronnie and dabbed at her eyes. "Thank you," she said as Ronnie took the tissues from her. "I can't begin to imagine what it was like." "It's not fair," Tommi protested weakly. "I didn't do anything to them! But they ... they hate me!" "Maybe," Ronnie answered gravely. "And maybe not. Maybe they're just confused and don't know how to deal with you." "It's not just the change," Tommi replied quickly. "I remember ... all those years, all the yelling and criticism and ... anger." She sniffled again, and used the tissue that Ronnie offered. "Katie is so lucky," Tommi changed the subject. "I hope she knows how lucky she is." "You wouldn't say that if you'd known her as a teenager," Ronnie laughed. "She was pretty ... difficult ... when she was a teenager. In fact," she confided in a lower whisper, "there was a time her father and I wanted to find a convent boarding school for her." "But ... " Tommi shook her head in confusion. "I don't understand." "Every family has difficult moments. When Katie was being so rebellious and angry, we had our share of arguments and yelling. But we still loved her, and we made sure she knew that, too." Tommi felt tears welling up again. "I wish I had a mom like you." Ronnie bent over and gave Tommi a hug. "Well, since Katie considers you a sister that she never had, in a way, I guess I can be like your second mom." Tommi started at Ronnie's words. "What?" "Didn't she ever tell you?" Ronnie seemed surprised. "She talks about you all the time, and she's told me many times that you're the little sister she always wished she had." Tommi was more confused. "I don't get it. You've never met me, and yet you treat me like I'm family. You haven't pried into my life, or why I'm doing ... what I'm doing, or anything, but..." "Shhh," Ronnie said soothingly. "If my little girl says you're like a sister, that's good enough for me. We trust her judgment." She smiled, a warm smile that Tommi could barely see but could almost feel in the darkness. "Now, you girls had a long day driving, and you need some sleep. Close your eyes and rest." Ronnie's reassuring words, and her soothing melodic tone, were almost hypnotic to Tommi. "But...," Tommi started to lift her head, to speak in protest, "it's all so ... overwhelming. So ... confusing." "Hush," Ronnie repeated, reaching out to gently brush the hair from Tommi's eyes and soothingly stroke her cheek. "Rest now." Tommi felt a soothing calm entering her as she eased her head back onto the pillow. "I'm ... a bit scared," she confessed in a hushed whisper, "that this is all a dream, and I'm going to wake up back home with Ma and Liz yelling at me." "Would you like me to sit with you for a few minutes?" Tommi tried to nod, but her head felt strangely heavy. "Please," she answered. Ronnie's hand gently stroking her cheek and Ronnie's soothing words quickly worked their magic. Within minutes, Tommi drifted off to sleep, and unlike previous nights, it was the sort of peaceful sleep that she hadn't experienced since the start of the trip. ********** "Aren't you going to ask about ... everything?" Tommi blurted. "I mean, doesn't it seem ... weird?" Ronnie glanced at her husband, then at Katie, before smiling back to Tommi. The four were seated around the table having lunch, and the topics of conversation had been everything _but_ Tommi's changes and upcoming procedure. "Of course we're curious, dear," Ronnie answered with her usual smile, "but we figured if you didn't want to talk about it, it would be rude to pry." Tommi glanced around the table, then shook her head, chuckling. "It _is_ kind of like an elephant in the room." Roger seemed surprised. "Well, not really," he replied, surprising Tommi. "If Katie hadn't told us, I wouldn't have known. After all, you _are_ a charming and attractive young lady." Tommi blushed. "I don't know about _that_ part," she said modestly. "Do you want to talk about the procedure, I mean?" Ronnie put the question on the table. Tommi seemed surprised that even at this point, after the subject had been raised, they were still polite enough to let her decide if the conversation should proceed. "I'm getting comfortable with the whole thing," she answered. "I mean, at first I was pretty embarrassed, but it's kind of becoming, I don't know, kind of natural." "As I understand it," Roger began, "you'll be a surrogate mother to carry the baby of some girl who is pregnant but doesn't want the baby?" "Pretty much. The whole idea of the foundation is to help prevent abortions," Tommi explained. Ronnie looked surprised. "Maybe I'm a bit behind technology, but it seems surprising that they can transplant a baby into a new host mother." Tommi smiled. "And more." She looked down at her own body, seeing her blossoming breasts and feminine figure, then back at Ronnie. "Just look at me." Ronnie shook her head. "It's hard to believe you were a ... " "A guy," Tommi finished her sentence. "Yup." Roger raised an eyebrow. "How ... complete ... is the surgery? I would assume that you have all the parts you need to carry and deliver a baby? And ..." He glanced for a brief second at Tommi's chest, then stopped speaking and looked back up, embarrassed both at his glance and the subject. Tommi almost laughed aloud. "My _breasts_ are side-effects." Tommi took a sip of iced tea. "How did you get started doing this?" Ronnie inquired. Tommi did laugh aloud this time. "I lost my scholarship after I got into a little trouble." "Oh," Roger seemed surprised. "With the dean's daughter." Roger's eyes widened, as did Ronnie's. "Ooohhhh. I see." "Yeah," Tommi echoed. "In my defense, she was the aggressor. I thought we'd have a nice simple first date, but she had other ideas, I guess. I tried to explain, but unfortunately, the dean wouldn't listen, and I lost my scholarship. It was either join this program or go back home and work in the mines." Ronnie winced. "Doesn't sound like you had much choice." Tommi shook her head. "Not really. I _can't_ go back. Not to work in the mine. And there really aren't any other jobs back home, either." For a brief moment, Tommi felt all the pain trying to come back to overwhelm her. She fought it back. "I saw an ad for adoption facilitators that looked like it paid well, so I checked into it." "That sounds pretty ... innocuous," Ronnie replied. "Sort of like a clerk doing paperwork." Tommi laughed. "That's what I thought, too. Until I met with Rachel - the center director." "Wouldn't it be easier to just find women volunteers?" Roger asked the logical question. Tommi nodded. "Yeah, they prefer women. But sometimes, if they don't get enough women volunteers, they'll take men - if those men pass all the tests." Roger nodded thoughtfully. "I suppose they would be concerned about your health, especially your mental health. It sounds like a big step." "What's involved in the procedures?" Ronnie asked as if talking about planting a garden. Tommi was shocked at how casually the conversation was going. She didn't sense any condemnation or judgment from the Snyders; just honest curiosity. It was refreshing to Tommi. "Well, they start with a tissue sample, turn that into stem cells, and then grow the needed internal parts in a lab. They have to do some genetic manipulation - I'm XY male, but my new parts are XX female. When all the cloned organs are ready, they surgically implant them. Since they're made from my own cells, there's no chance of rejection. It's like my body has always had them." "Oh, so they're fully functional?" Ronnie asked. Tommi's blush gave away the answer. "I suppose that makes sense," Ronnie continued. "You'd need proper hormone levels to support the pregnancy." Her eyes widened. "And that would explain your ... um?" She glanced at Tommi's chest too. Tommi smiled. "Yeah." Roger nodded in understanding. "How long until you get the transplant? The baby, I mean? Or have you had it already?" "No," Tommi answered quickly. "I'm scheduled for the transfer about two weeks after we start school." "Is this ... um ... permanent?" Ronnie asked slowly. "Are you a girl forever now?" Tommi shook her head. "No, it's just for the surrogacy. Then I can change back. They'll re-grow my ... regular parts, and I'll have a second surgery." "Oh, I see." "But some of the changes won't reverse. My general female form, you know - my hips are a bit rounder, my breasts ... grew. Without male hormones, I've lost quite a bit of muscle." Tommi sounded a bit sad as she explained the changes. "I'll have to work out a lot to get my muscles back, and surgery will fix my ... shape." Ronnie got a sad look in her eyes. "I wish they'd have been able to do that ... years ago." Roger quickly put his hand on his wife's; Tommi realized that he knew exactly what his wife was thinking, and that she needed some comfort. Ronnie looked at Roger, the two communicating silently through their expressions, then she turned back toward Tommi. "We wanted a larger family," she explained softly. "But my second pregnancy was ... bad. The embryo implanted in the tubes. I _knew_ something was wrong. It didn't feel right." She shook her head sadly. "When it started to go wrong, I almost didn't make it. They had to operate, and I lost the baby and my ovaries and tubes." She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. Katie's mouth hung open in shock. Tommi realized that Katie had never known why she was an only child. Ronnie put her hands on Tommi's. "What you're doing is a miracle." Even now, as tears ran down her face, she tried to smile. Tommi nodded mutely, not knowing what to say. Somehow, she'd become a catalyst for Ronnie and Roger to reveal to their daughter something that had been hidden for years. Tommi wondered how Katie was going to react. Would she resent that her mother had shared a deep painful secret with Tommi? Would this revelation somehow affect their friendship? Tommi felt a sudden chill of fear. ********** Roger gave Katie a warm fatherly hug and kissed her forehead. "You drive carefully," he admonished. Katie nodded, smiling sadly. "I will. You know I always do." She turned to her mother. "Love you, mom," she said simply. "I love you both." Ronnie wrapped her arms around Katie. "You girls come back for Spring Break, okay?" Katie stole a quick glance at Tommi. "We'll see." She let her mother kiss her. Roger turned to Tommi and held out his hand, expecting a handshake. Instead, Tommi threw her arms around him and gave him an enthusiastic hug. She repeated the hug with Ronnie. "Thank you," she said before she got in the car. "This was just what I needed." Ronnie smiled. "Remember, you're welcome here any time." As Ronnie and Roger stood in the driveway, smiling and waving, Katie backed into the street, then the pair slowly drove away. As the car turned the corner, half a block from the house, Tommi could see Katie's parents, still standing, watching, and waving. "You were right," Tommi said as she settled into her seat. "That was just what I needed." Katie nodded. "Told you they'd love you," "Is everything cool between us?" Tommi asked, concerned about the tone of Katie's response. "I mean, when your mom told me about her ... problem ..." Katie shrugged. "One thing I learned from my parents is that everyone has - or should have - a private space. Things they don't or won't or _shouldn't_ share." She sighed. "I've known since I can remember that there was something that she didn't want to talk about. Lots of little clues - she always seemed sad whenever someone had a new baby. She always left the room and let Dad explain whenever I said I wanted a little brother or sister. Things like that. I learned to not ask." "I was afraid you might feel ... I don't know. Like I was taking your place or something." "I'd be lying if I said it didn't bother me a little," Katie confessed. "But I know Mom needed to get that off her chest, so to speak. Maybe it was a bunch of things coming together that let her talk. But your being there, with what you're doing, helped a lot." Tommi wasn't sure where the conversation was going, but she also knew that she and Katie needed to get things between them clear. "I didn't know that you told her that I was like a little sister," Tommi continued cautiously. Katie smiled, a first for the discussion. "Yeah. And she seemed pretty happy. Ecstatic, even." She thought for a moment. "That might be part of the trigger. Your experience might be, to Mom, a miracle, something that would have helped her. It's probably be too late for Mom, but it can help others avoid the pain she suffered." She shrugged again. "Mom and Dad are the most giving, caring people I've ever known. They always think of others before themselves." "Yeah, I kind of got that impression," Tommi agreed. "I always knew my folks were pretty pro-life; I never understood why. Now I know." "If I'm like your little sister, can I borrow that teal sweater?" Tommi teased. "Keep your mitts off my stuff, or you'll find out how much pain having a big sister can be!" Katie laughed. ********** "Sounds like you had an interesting trip," Rachel observed. It was three days before the start of the spring semester. She leaned back in her chair, holding a notepad in her hand as she looked over what she'd written. "You enjoyed Florida?" Tommi nodded. "Funny - I feel like I've got a family there, who treat me like I'm their own daughter and accept me as I am." "I see. And how does Katie feel about that?" Tommi smiled. "We talked a _lot_ about it on the way back. I think she's cool about it. She even told them that she thinks of me as a little sister she never had." Tommi's voice dropped to a near-whisper. "I know how she feels. For the first time, I felt like I have a little sister in Sara. And then I had to leave her there with Ma and Liz." She shook her head as her eyes misted. "Why? Why can't they accept me?" Rachel closed her eyes, shaking her head sadly. "I don't know." She sighed. "This happens a lot." She gazed evenly at Tommi. "We talked a _lot_ before your trip to try to help you not get your expectations up, and to think of what might happen and how you might cope. Did that help?" Tommi shook her head, her eyes almost closed. "Nope." "No?" Rachel seemed genuinely surprised. "I thought it might be bad." Tommi sighed. "It was _worse_. It couldn't have been more of a disaster." She looked at Rachel. "Please don't take this as a criticism of you, because I know you're trying to help, but I don't think there was _any way_ you could help me prepare for that ... disaster." "Thanks for not blaming me," Rachel replied gratefully. "I wanted to help, but sometimes it's hard." She thought for a moment. "What most caught you by surprise? What most upset you?" "I lost my family." Rachel flinched a tiny bit, then recomposed herself. She'd _tried_ to get Tommi to see that she might be rejected by family. Evidently, she'd failed. "If you ever really _had_ a family in the sense that you're thinking." Tommi looked confused. "I don't understand." She shook her head. "That sounds like a riddle, not an answer." Rachel leaned forward and dropped the pad on her desk. "You expect me to have an answer for you?" "Well, yeah," Tommi replied. "You usually do." Rachel shook her head. "Sometimes, I have an answer, but most of the time, my job is to help _you_ find your own answers." "I don't get it." Rachel sighed. "Some of your issues are generic; they apply to all clients, or all male clients. Those I can give answers to." "But ..." Rachel shook her head. "I don't know your family, apart from what you've told me. I don't know your friends. I can't give you exact answers all the time." Tommi looked genuinely distressed. "Then ... how do I solve these problems?" Rachel had a very slight hint of a smile. "Haven't you learned anything from rooming with a psychology major?" She saw Tommi's uncomprehending expression. "You have to find your own answers. Your problems, like with your family, are unique to you. All I can do is listen, and try to guide you down a path that will help you uncover the answers. But I can't provide them." Tommi sat, stunned. She'd come to rely on Rachel to help her. Now it sounded like Rachel couldn't help. "You look upset and confused," Rachel observed after a few moments. "Yeah," Tommi agreed. "Is this where I lay on the couch and you starting figuring out why I hate my mother?" Rachel laughed. "There is a significant school of thought in psychology that doesn't like the Freudian method. In my opinion, it takes too long, and about the only sure result is transferring lots of money from the patient to the psychologist. In your case, the problems with your mother might be from this year, or from something that happened when you were little, or any time in between. It might be your perception, or it might be simply the way she is." She shook her head. "I don't know the facts. I wasn't there." "So ... I have to figure this out?" Tommi sounded uneasy. "Or accept what is and worry about what will be." Tommi shook her head. "That doesn't sound very easy." "It isn't," Rachel agreed. "There are a few things you can think about, though." Tommi took the bait. "What are they?" "First, you were invited to Florida for Spring Break. It sounds like a nice getaway if you decide to go." The reminder of going to Katie's parents' home for Spring Break made Tommi smile. "It would be nice." "And you've got a loving little sister that you can call and text." "Yeah." Rachel continued. "I'm going to set you up with a personal peer - someone your age, who's gone through what you're going through. A personal mentor, if you will. That might help you some." "Okay," Tommi answered warily. "I'm not sure about that." "Trust me - it'll help you a lot." She leaned back in her chair. "And one more thing." "What's that?" Tommi asked curiously. Rachel smiled. "It's almost the big day. You're scheduled for your baby transfer in almost three weeks." Tommi felt a surge of mixed excitement and dread. This was what it was all about - everything she'd been through had led up to this - the baby, _her_ baby, would be given to her in a very short time. She suddenly wondered if she would be able to handle the event. It was as if Rachel could read her thoughts. "Don't worry. Women have been carrying babies and giving birth for countless millenia. You'll do fine," she said with a confident smile. "But there is one small thing..." Tommi's eyes widened and her countenance reflected sudden fear. "What ... what's that?" she asked tentatively. Rachel tried to frown, but didn't completely succeed. "You put on a few more pounds than you should have over the break. I want you to meet with our nutritionist and make sure you're on a strict healthy diet, and until the transfer, I want you in the gym three times a week." She smiled, to help appear that she was giving friendly advice and not nagging. "You want to be strong and healthy to carry the baby, right?" ********** to be continued