Quarantine: Troubled Waters free porn video

"Umm... perhaps you should come in," Mary muttered, uncertainly, as she tried to get her bearings. She'd just been informed that, apparently, her sister and her sister's husband had died and she was having a hard time thinking clearly. "Just give us a moment to get ready for you, please. I'm not comfortable with anyone entering the house at the moment, but... just give us a few minutes, please." She turned to her daughters and said, "Put on masks. This gentleman needs to come in to talk to Jordie. Umm... Franny, grab one of the plastic table cloths in the pantry - the ones we use on the picnic table in the summer. Spread it on the kitchen table. We'll throw it out when he leaves." She was following the girls to the kitchen when she realized that Jordan was still waiting by the door. She turned and walked back to him and wrapped him in a hug. "I'm so sorry, baby. Are you going to be ok to talk to this man?" He shrugged. "I think so. He meant that they died, right? My mother and father. They're dead?" "I think so, baby. Right now, though, you know as much as I do. Let's talk to this man and see what happened, ok?" He nodded. "Auntie... why aren't I crying about this?" "It will come, baby, I'm sure. You're probably in shock, right now. God knows, I am. Come on. Let's get things ready and we'll talk to Mr Leary and we'll see what happened. Then we'll talk about how we feel. Ok?" "Ok." Within a few minutes, James Leary, Esquire, was sitting at the kitchen table, opening his briefcase and looking solemn. "I am very sorry for your loss," he said, his look taking in everyone. Frances was to his left, holding Mary's hand. Mary, across from him, held Jordan's hand, also across from him, and he, in turn, held Robbie's hand and she sat to his right. "Of course, I assumed that you had been notified by Doctors Without Borders, or the State Department, but the world is so topsy turvy right now... anyway, I hope that I wasn't too indelicate in telling you. I am truly sorry if I was." "We understand, Mr Leary," Mary spoke. As her eyes became more red- rimmed, so did the eyes of her stepdaughters. They never felt particularly close to Mary's sister and her husband, but they could see the pain building in Mary and that made them emotional as well. "Can you tell us how they passed?" "Oh," he fished a paper out of his briefcase, "this is what I received." He waved the paper. "See, I was dealing with their interests in this country while they were away, so my name was the first they found. They told me that the State Department would notify the family, though, and since you are the only family..." "How did they pass?" Mary interrupted. "Of course," he muttered, then read, 'Mr Leary. We are contacting you today as the business agent of two of our doctors. It is our unfortunate duty to notify you of the death of Dr Margaret Alden on April 27, 2021 and the subsequent passing of her husband, Dr William Alden, on April 28. Both doctors succumbed to the COVID-19 virus which they contracted while working to save the lives of the people of the world. Our organization will contact the family of Doctors Alden through the State Department of The United States. You can contact us through our offices in Geneva...' "Well, it goes on to give me some email addresses and phone numbers, but since the estate is pretty straight forward, I didn't really need to do much other than talk to the probate office." Mary wiped a tear from her face. "Do you know how long they were sick, or if they suffered, or about getting their bodies back for burial..." He held up a hand as a gently signal to stop. "No, m'am, I do not know anything about their illness beyond what is in the letter, but I did inquire about their remains." He paused and swallowed. "Unfortunately, due to the current fear of contamination, their bodies have already been cremated and..." Mary turned to Jordan and hugged him tightly as she let out a guttural scream of despair. Then she shook with tears. "I am very sorry," the lawyer said as gently as he could. Then he organized his paperwork as he tried not to look at the heartbroken people around him. "Oh, Jordie, honey, I'm so, so sorry," she wailed. He did his best to empathize with his favorite person in the world. He patted her back and squeezed her tightly. "I'm sorry, too, auntie. I'm sorry." Realizing she was confusing Jordie, who had a hard time navigating the world of emotions in the best of times, she slowly untangled herself from their hug and kissed his cheek. "We'll get through this, baby." He nodded, uncertain of what other response was appropriate. Frances touched her stepmother's arm. "Are you ok, mom?" Mary hugged her. "No, honey, I am not, but... let's get through this." "How about you, Jordie?" Robbie asked. "Are you ok?" He shrugged. "I don't know. I feel... I'm not really sure how I feel, but... I know I'm sad. I just don't know how to feel anything except that." Robbie hugged him and kissed his cheek. "You're ok, Jordie. Everyone processes these thing differently. When daddy died, I just felt empty for weeks." He raised his head. "That's what I feel. I feel... empty." "Well," Mr Leary said, as he cleared his throat and shuffled some papers around, "I just need to confirm a few details." He checked Jordan's social security number and birthdate, which he did check twice due to his skepticism that jordan could possibly be twenty years old. Then he explained, "The terms of the estate are rather simple, since Jordan is already past the age of maturity." He looked at the small boy with auburn hair in the cute little dress with the dinosaurs and said, "As you know, your parents recently sold the house in Winchester and that money has been deposited in the Alden Family Trust..." "Trust?" Mary asked. The lawyer kept his head down and looked up over his glasses. "Yes, ma'm. The doctors put the majority of their wealth into a trust to avoid taxes and be sure that there was money left behind for their... son." The last word seemed to be tinged with just a hint of contempt. Jordan didn't seem to notice, but Mary and the girls certainly did. Mary nodded and the lawyer continued. "The trust does, however own the family house on Martha's Vineyard..." "We..." Jordan interrupted, "... we never owned a house on Martha's Vineyard." Again, the lawyer looked up over the top of his glasses. "In fact - you do. They bought the house in September of nineteen ninety nine. It appears that it has been exclusively a rental property since twenty-o- five. Jordan looked at his aunt. "Have you ever been to that house?" Mary shook her head. "I never heard of it." "I assure you, you own the house in the town of Oak Bluffs and the value of the property is currently estimated to be six million dollars." Everyone at the table gasped. "Six MILLION?" Frances asked. "A house is worth six million dollars? How is that even possible!?" The lawyer shrugged. "Must be a nice place. According to the rental records, both President Clinton and President Obama have stayed there. It appears to only be rented for a few weeks every year, but at a very high rate." "Whoa!" Robbie muttered. "There is also the doctors' investments in various companies. Those are currently valued at twelve point six million dollars." Another gasp. "That's a lot of money," Robbie muttered, again. "Jordie, it looks like you're a rich person." "We've always been the poor relatives," Frances said, "but now you probably won't even want to be seen with us." "Yeah," Robbie nodded. "You can live anywhere in the world that you want." Jordan felt a chill run down his spine at that remark. "There is more," the lawyer said to get things back on track. When he had their attention, he said, "So, as of today, Jordan, you are the sole member of the board of directors of The Alden Family Trust. I would recommend that you find someone else to serve on the board with you, because, as I said, the value of property owned by the trust is six million dollars, the current value of the stocks and securities, which have recently suffered a bit of a loss due to the COVID-19 related drop in stock market values, but, as I stated, they are valued at twelve point six million dollars and the cash assets in the trust are values at eighty one million dollars, bringing the value of your assets, Jordan, to approximately one hundred million dollars." "Holy God," Mary muttered as her head shook slowly in disbelief. Jordan stared blankly at the lawyer. Nothing he was saying was making any sense to him. "My parents are dead?" He asked. "Yes." The lawyer replied. "And you want to give me their money?" "Well... yes... but... it's YOUR money, now Jordan. By the way, all of the paperwork indicates that the heir is their SON, Jordan. I assume that, when I write all of this up, I should change the wording to read DAUGHTER, correct?" "Why?" Jordan asked, looking at the lawyer's tie. "Well... because..." the lawyer sputtered. "You are... transitioning... aren't you?" "Transitioning?" Jordan's gaze remained steadfast. Attorney Leary looked at each face in the room. No one quite knew what to say. What the hell was with these people? Was this kid a boy or a girl? We're they trying to scam him? "You are Jordan Alden?" "Yes." "And your parents were Margaret and James Alden of Winchester, Massachusetts?" "Yes." The silence of the other family members in the room was frustrating the attorney. What the hell? Didn't they see how weird this was? "I mean," he tried to clarify, although he could not for the life of him figure out why he needed to, "you are currently female, or in the process of becoming female, correct?" Jordan looked around. "No. I mean... I'm dressing like this because... I like it. That's all." "Oh..." the lawyer seemed even more confused. "You see, Mr Leary," Mary said, "Jordan came here with, shall we say, just the clothes on his back, and his dressing like this is just... more convenient at the moment." Leary looked at the young woman before him. This wasn't just a case of borrowing clothes to get by, but that wasn't the issue at hand. "I see. So, regarding the trust...." "I don't want it," Jordan said suddenly. The lawyer looked up, startled. "I beg your pardon?" "I don't want their money," Jordan said, firmly. "But..." the lawyer was flummoxed. "Jordie," Mary could see her nephew's body tensing, his jaw clinching, the stress building. When he was young, Jordan had been prone to violent tantrums when he couldn't understand a given situation. They always began with this kind of tightening. He was shutting down. All of his progress of the last few months was about to be wiped out if she couldn't calm him down. "Jordie, the money is already yours. Your parents built this fortune up over the course of their lives so that you would be taken care of. They did all of this for you, because they loved you so much..." "LOVED ME!?" Jordan said with more force than either of the girls had ever seen him exhibit. "If they loved me, then why did they run away from me the first chance they had? The day after I left for college, they announced that they were selling our house. They just wanted to get away from me." "No, baby. They wanted to do some good in a part of the world that needed their help." "I NEEDED THEIR HELP! I NEEDED THEM, BUT THEY LEFT ME! THEY LEFT ME! THEY LEFT ME!" He stood moved away from the table. "THEY NEVER LOVED ME! THEY HATED ME! THEY HATED ME SO MUCH THAT ALL THEY WANTED TO DO WAS LEAVE ME BEHIND! THEY DIED JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'D NEVER SEE ME AGAIN!!!" He ran out of the kitchen and up the stairs. "Jordie!" Mary yelled, but Robbie stood up before her mother did. "You stay here, mom. I'll go talk to him." She said and she disappeared before Mary could stop her. Mary looked at Frances. "I should go after her. He might need me." "Robbie can handle him, mom," Frances assured her. "Just let them be for a little bit." Mary took a breath, then looked at the lawyer. "I... I apologize, Mr Leary. This is, obviously, not how Jordan usually behaves. It's just been a lot to drop on him all at once and he's a very sensitive young man..." "With all due respect, ma'm," Leary interrupted, "that kid needs help. The clothes, the make-up, the spoilt-brat attitude... he needs some professional help pretty damned quickly. I think it would be ill advised at this time to allow him access to..." Mary's rage grew quicker than she could ever had imagined it could. She rose quickly, stared at the lawyer, then raised her right hand high above her head before slamming it down on the tabletop and shutting off the lawyer's words. "How dare you." She growled. "Ma'm, as I said, with all due..." "You get the fuck out of my house NOW before I throw you out myself." The man sat back in his chair and looked at the two women across from him. He smirked, just a little before he spoke. "Umm... I think it would be best to resolve these matters as quickly as possible..." "OUT!" Mary screamed and pointed at the door. "Ma'm... there is the matter of a hundred, million dollars to resolve." "And we will resolve it when my nephew has processed the fact that his parents have died, Mr. Leary. Now, GET OUT OF MY HOUSE, NOW!" The man stood and gathered his papers, leaving a folder on the table. He stuffed his papers into his briefcase, but pulled out another of his business cards and placed it on top of the folder he'd left behind. He smiled a fake, ugly smile and said, "Call me when you're ready to talk through these things." He turned and walked down the hall and out the front door. As soon as the front door closed, Mary collapsed into her seat, crossed her arms on the table in front of her and buried her face into her arms as she wailed and cried. "Oh, Maggie! Oh, Maggie! Maggie how could you leave us like this?" Frances sat next to her and tried to figure out how to offer any solace. When she couldn't think of anything to do, she laid her head on her stepmother's back, hugged her and cried right along with her. XXX "Jordie?" Robbie tapped on his door. "Jordie? Can I come in?" She could hear something banging firmly into the wall. She knocked again. "Jordie? Please. Can I come in?" When there was still no answer, she turned the knob, surprised to find the door unlocked. "Jordie?" She opened the door slowly, then entered. Jordan was in the room, sitting at the foot of the bed, his eyes focused on the gloomy evening outside and his right foot was swinging back and forth, banging into the the wall with his toes and the bedpost with his heel on each stroke. Robbie sat next to him. She didn't speak for a few moments. Then she took his hand in hers. She kissed his palm, then used her second hand to hold his hand tightly with both of hers. Eventually she said, "Are you going to be ok?" He shrugged. "We love you, Jordie. We're here to help you, through all this." Jordan let out a huge breath. "I want... to hit something. I want to scream. I want... I want to hurt myself. I... don't know what to do, Robbie. I'm so... mad, right now and I should be sad. I should be crying. What's wrong with me? I'm such a freak." Robbie just nodded and listened. "They had no right to do this. They had no right to leave me. To die on me. They had no right." She continued holding his hand, but laid her head on his shoulder. "They didn't love me, Robbie. They never loved me. I'm so mad at them, right now, though... I just want to hurt something... anything... me." "Don't," Robbie whispered. "It won't help. It'll only hurt more." He began to shake. He shook so hard that Robbie thought he may be having a seizure. She raised her head and looked at him. His pulled his hand from hers, and suddenly, both clenched tightly. His jaw was stressed with emotion. His eyes were closed and every muscle in his body clenched tightly as his shaking head turned toward the ceiling and he let out a huge, primal roar of hurt and pain. "Jordie?" Robbie was very frightened for him, but not of him. The roar must have lasted ten seconds or more before he had to breathe, again. The shaking continued, but now all of his hurt and pain and anger turned into tears and sobs and gasps. "Oh, Jordie," Robbie said as she pulled his head towards her breasts and held him, tightly. "Oh," he wailed and wailed. "Oh." "We love you, Jordie," Robbie said, over and over and over. "We love you, Jordie. We love you." XXX The next morning, Mary looked into Robbie's room. The bed was unmade. She knew where her stepdaughter was, though. She'd been holding a distraught Jordan the night before and had refused to leave or even let go of him. Mary walked down the hall and looked into Jordan's room. They were both on the bed, Robbie laying behind Jordan, her arm around him. Then Mary noticed another form sitting at the foot of the bed. Frances was sitting on the floor, her head against the mattress. "Hi," Frances whispered. "Hi," Mary said back. "Have you been in here all night?" Frances shook her head. "I sat by your doorway until you were asleep. Then I came here. They've only been asleep a little while. It took a long time for Jordie to cry himself out." Mary nodded. "Why don't you go to bed? I'll sit with them." Frances shook her head. "I'm fine, here." Mary entered and looked at the bed. She bent and kissed both Jordan and Robbie on the forehead. Then she walked to the end of the bed and sat on the floor beside Frances. She gave her a sad smile, then her jaw shook and her smile disappeared as she wept again. She took Frances' hand in hers and, through her tears she whispered, "I love all so much." It was past nine that morning before Robbie rolled to the side and opened her eyes, surprised to find her sister and stepmother sitting on the floor beside the bed. "Morning, honey," Mary gave a sad smile. "Morning, mom," she whispered back. She glanced at her sleeping cousin. "Jordie's still asleep?" "No," he mumbled. "I'm awake. I just don't want to move." After a pause, he mumbled, "Can you guys, please go away and leave me alone for, like... ever?" Mary looked at Robbie and bobbed her head indicating that it was ok for the girl to get out of bed. Robbie turned, kissed Jordan's cheek and whispered, "I'll go make you some toast and tea if you want." "Thanks, but I don't want it," Jordan didn't even open his eyes. Robbie slid gracefully from the covers and stood, straightening the wrinkled dress she'd slept in. "Go help yourself sister, please," Mary said to Frances. "Ok," Frances took Robbie's hand and stood. When the girls had left the room, Mary sat on the bed, her back towards the back of Jordan's legs. She rubbed his side and sighed. What was the right thing to say? There was no way of knowing. So she just started talking. "Are you going to be ok?" "I don't think so." There was nothing dramatic about his voice. He was just answering the question. "That's fair." Mary agreed. "I don't think I'll be ok either." She checked her own emotions. This was about Jordan. "Why, auntie?" "Why, what, baby? Why did they die?" "No. Why did you love them?" "Oh, baby... that's... that's quite a question. I mean, your mom was my sister. I loved her because she was my sister. We grew up together. We shared everything thing growing up. She was family and you love your family." He shrugged, still laying with his back to her. "I don't know. I don't think she really loved me. I know she didn't like Uncle Bill... of Franny or Robbie. She used to say that he only married you so the girl's would have a babysitter." This wasn't news to Mary. Her sister had said these exact words to her face on more than one occasion - including her wedding day. In fact, on the day of Mary's husband's funeral, her sister, after having a couple of glasses of wine, looked at Frances and Robbie across the room and said to Mary, 'Well, I guess you're stuck with those two, now.' It broke her heart that her sister would say something like that, but that was how she was. "I know..." Mary said calmly, "but I forgave her for that, Jordie. Bill was... well... the opposite of your mom and dad. They were all business, always planning for the future, always needing to be the smartest people in the room... I always said that Bill was six foot three inches of life. He enjoyed every second he lived. We weren't rich, but we never went without and he treated me, and your grandmother and your great grandmother like queens. He loved your parents, too. He always hoped that they'd learn to like him, but... some things aren't meant to be." It was quiet for over a minute. Mary rubbed his hip through the bed clothes and his dress and both mulled over things. "I've been thinking about this all night, auntie, and... I don't think I loved them." "Jordie, please... don't say that." "But listen, auntie - I know that everyone thinks I'm weird and unfeeling, and I guess I kind of am, but I know what love is." Mary let the pause linger before asking, "How do you know that, baby?" "Because I love you." A lump caught in her throat. "When I think about you - or Franny or Robbie - I feel... different. Like... I belong with you guys. When mom told me to come here for the quarantine, I was almost afraid to come." That seemed like an odd follow up to his previous statements, so Mary needed to ask, "Why would that scare you, Jordie?" He breathed a few times before saying, "Because... I was afraid that if I was near you guys for too long... you'd find out what a freak I am and you wouldn't love me back." "Oh, Jordie..." it was all she could do to keep herself together. "We'll always love you." He shrugged. "Anyway... That's why I don't want the money." "Because you don't think you loved your parents enough?" "No..." he had to catch his breath because, suddenly, he was sobbing. "I want to live here." "What?" Mary was thoroughly baffled, now. "Jordie, you can stay here forever if you want." "But, last night, when Robbie heard how much money they left me, she said I could live anywhere I wanted. I don't want to live anywhere else. I want to live here. Forever." Now, he cried desperately into his pillow. Mary reached for him, knowing he'd pull away, but he didn't. Instead, he rolled toward her and buried his head in her lap. She tried to sooth him with ssh-ing sounds as she patted his auburn hair. "Then stay here forever, baby. Nothing would make us happier." Slowly, his sobs slowed and his breathing returned to normal. "Thank you," he choked out. After a few minutes, Mary said, "But, Jordie... you really should take the money. It is yours and, I know that they weren't the most touchy- feely parents, but this is their way of taking care of you." He shook his head. "I can't. I told that man that I didn't want it." "Don't worry, baby. I'll call the lawyer I use. She'll help us. Once you get the money, you can do whatever you want with it. Invest it. Pay off your college debt. Ignore it. Donate it to charity... whatever you want, but I don't want that Mr Leary to make a nickel off of it. I don't like him." "Me neither," Jordan agreed. "Come on, baby. Let's get you out of bed. You take a nice long shower, then we'll have something to eat and figure everything out. Ok?" "Ok," he said as he pulled himself into a seated position beside her. "And, baby... no matter what happens... from now until the end of the earth... you and Robbie and Franny and I are a family. Do you understand that. We will always be together. Forever." XXX They had bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches on kaiser rolls for 'brunch' that morning. They all chatted about the weather, the pandemic, the chances of returning to school in the fall, the possibilities of normalcy returning to any aspect of life in the near future... anything but the death of Jordan's parents. When they were done, Jordan said he was going to go to his sewing room, but Mary insisted that he needed to take the day off and relax. "I've cancelled all my clients for the day," she explained. "Let's just give ourselves the next twenty hours or so to take a breath." "It's really warm out, today," Frances said. "I think I'll take a nice, long walk. Anyone want to come?" "I can't, honey," Mary stood to clear the table. "I need to call Sue Lewis." Frances nodded, recognizing the family lawyer's name. "I'll go!" Robbie bubbled. "I need some fresh air. Jordie?" Before he could back out of the walk, Mary said, "That's what you need this morning, Jordie. A nice walk. Look at the three of you looking just perfect in those dresses. Go on and show the world how beautiful you are." "Yeah, come on, Jordie," Robbie pleaded. "I want the world to see us in your dresses and, to be honest, I need an hour or so outside before I burst. Please... come with us." He smiled at the silly way she was pretending to beg. "Ok. I guess I could use some air, too." "Yay!" Robbie cheered. "Take your masks with you," Mary said as they got up from the table. "If you meet up with anyone, those masks go on IMMEDIATELY! Understood?" "Yes, ma'm," the sisters and their cousin said in unison as they headed for the door. XXX "Jesus, Mary and Joseph," Susan Lewis said at the other end of the phone. "Mare, I don't know anything about handling an estate of that value. I do think that that Attorney Leary was right, though. The first thing to do is to get everything into a family trust, then we can investigate options from there." "Just so I understand," Mary was taking copious notes, "why do you call it a 'family' trust?" "Well, it is typical for families to set up trusts that protect the source of their wealth. Usually, the board of directors of that trust would consist of members of the family, plus an attorney, or maybe an accountant. These people manage the funds and have access to them as well, so choose people you trust." "So, could the board of directors be just you and Jordie?" "Well... yes... but there should be other family members as well. If anything were to happen to Jordan..." "We could deal with that in a will, right? We wouldn't HAVE to be on the board." "Look, Mare, let me consult with a few people and maybe we could talk out in your yard after dinner tonight, but I would STRONGLY suggest that at least you be a part of the board. No matter how smart he is, a twenty year old is still just a child. One or two bad decisions and - poof - a hundred million dollars down the drain. I've read about it happening before, mostly to lottery winners, but it can happen to your nephew, too." "Alright, we'll discuss it. What time is good for you?" "Seven?" "Ok, Sue. See you at seven." "Mare, for the ten thousandth time. It's always 'Susan.'" "Ok. I'm sorry. I just think it's funny." Mary giggled at her lifelong friend. Yeah, well, you wouldn't find it very funny if you were a lawyer named 'Sue.' See you tonight." XXX "Why are you walking behind us?" Robbie asked, looking behind her at her cousin. He seemed lost in thought as he walked an uncomfortable two or three steps behind them. "Come on, Jordie," Frances encouraged. "Walk here, between us. There's almost no traffic on this road. We can all walk side by side." Jordan moved forward and took his place between his cousins. Both of them wore dresses he had made. Both were from the same pattern, but with notable differences. Frances' was a pretty, soft grey with tiny white dots softening the look of the fabric. Her dress had elbow length sleeves and a six button collar that she left mostly open to display her lovely cleavage. Robbie's dress fit the same as her sister's, but was a pale pink and had what appeared to be branches of blooming dogwood trees displayed across the surface. The narrow, brown branches and brilliant white blooms were pretty and playful on the knee length dress. Her sleeves were very short and her collar was 'T' shaped, giving her a more modest display. Jordan had also sewn his own dress, but it was very different. Made of a green-and-white-checked cloth, it had a bib style top that was tailored with front and side darts to show off a young woman's developing bust, which, thanks to the bra Frances had provided, he now sported. Two inch straps went over his shoulders, hiding his bra straps. The skirt of the dress had a modest bell to it that was decorated with a six inch ruffle of the same material at its base. The dress rested a good three inches above his knees, giving him a very youthful look. Despite the short zipper in the rear of the dress' top, the front, center of the bodice was decorated with four, oversized, wooden buttons that, somehow, seemed to add an even more adorable look of youthful virginity to the wearer. All three of them looked like they'd been plucked from a Vermont Trading Post catalog in their country style, homemade, but beautifully made, dresses. "It just occurred to me," Frances grinned. "This is your first time out in the world in a dress. How does it feel?" Jordan thought about it for the first time. "Fine I guess. I mean, it looks right on me, doesn't it?" "It looks adorable on you, Jordie," France's giggled. "Is that why you were walking behind us?" Robbie asked. "What do you mean?" He asked. "Well, I mean - were you hiding back there so no one would see you?" He shook his head, "No. I was just thinking." Frances took his right hand in her left, pulled it to her lips and she kissed it. "Do you want to talk about anything?" He shook his head. Robbie took hold of his left hand and repeated the soft kissing process that Frances had just performed. "We know what it's like, you know. Our dad has only been gone for a little while. I still expect to see him when I come down stairs in the morning. Our first mom died when we were little, too, and we miss her everyday, still. You can tell us how you feel, if you want." The walked a few steps before Jordan finally said, "I'm really confused." "Why, Jordie?" Frances asked. As they walked forward, holding each other's hands at their slides, they all just looked forward at the slowly greening world around them. They walked and talked and listened. "I don't know how to feel about any of this. I feel kind of... empty... about my parents. Not really sad. Kind of mad, I guess, but mostly... just empty." "I get that," Robbie acknowledged. "Like what happens now, right? I felt that way when our first mom died. Abandoned, I think." Jordan relayed his fears that he never really loved his parents, but Frances assured him that someday he'd realized that he loved them, just in his own way. Then he repeated what he'd said the night before. "I don't want their money," he said with a great deal of force. "Jordie," Frances tried to be subtle, "you have to take it. It's yours. If you don't want to spend it, then just leave it for your children. That much money could benefit your children, grandchildren, great grandchildren... heck, it could benefit your great grandchildren's great grandchildren." "I'll never have children," he said, matter of factly. "Of course you're will," Robbie giggled. "Someday you'll meet the right girl or the right guy and you'll start a family. You'll see." "No. I don't think so." He still only looked forward. "Well, why not?" Robbie half laughed. "I mean, neither Franny or I are dating anyone, but we both assume we'll meet a nice guy someday and it'll all come together." "That's right," Frances agreed, "and the same thing can happen to you." Jordan shook his head. "No. I'm not gay, you know. I mean, when I... well... when I fantasize... it's about girls. I'm not attracted to men. "Ok. Then find a nice girl." Franny squeezed his hand. "What girl would want a guy who looks like me? Even before I started dressing the part, I still looked more like a girl than a guy. I just used to fight it, then." "So, you're going to continue to dress as a woman? Forever?" Robbie was careful not to sound judgmental. He shrugged. "Why not. I look better and... I know this makes me sound like a pervert, but... I really like it. I like it a lot more than dressing like a guy." It occurred to Frances that they'd known Jordan for about a decade now and in that time he hadn't said half as many words to them as he had in the last couple of days. She felt closer to him than ever. "Why do you like it better?" "Well... number one, I look right. I don't look like a little boy in men's clothes - or a little girl in boys clothes. Number two, I like how they feel. Not just that they're softer, but the bright colors and the flowers and things... they all make me feel... better." "Those are good reasons, I guess," Robbie shrugged. "I mean, if you actually needed reasons, which you don't. I can wear pants if I chose, so you should be able to wear dresses if you want to." "And makeup and earrings and anything else you want to wear," Frances agreed. "And besides all that," Jordan said, then took a breath before continuing, "I feel more like you guys when I look pretty. Like I can be a part of your group." "Jordie!" Frances sounded surprised, "We always asked you to join us before you were a girl... well, you know what mean. We always wanted you to be a part of our group." "I know, but... I felt like an outsider. Now... I feel more... like you." "And you like that?" Robbie smiled. "Yeah," Jordan nodded. As they passed an elementary school, abandoned for the time being due to the pandemic closures, they meandered into the playground area and each sat on a swing. The swayed a little, enjoying the spring air, but didn't try to build any momentum up. "I never really thought about it until now," Robbie said, "but I think I could enjoy dating a guy who liked to look pretty and wear pretty clothes. That would actually be pretty cool." When Jordan looked a bit uncomfortable at this topic, Robbie laughed nervously, "Oh, I didn't mean that we should date or anything, I just meant... it'd be pretty cool to have a guy who understood what it's like to want to be pretty and appreciated the feel of a soft nightie or a silk panty. I guess my point is, I bet there are other girls who feel the same way. Maybe you'll find one, someday." "I'm not holding my breath," Jordan smiled, "but... that would be nice." "So..." Robbie was being coy. "In the long run... what do think you'll do?" "About what?" Jordan swayed from side to side. "About being a girl." "I'm not a girl." "I know, but... are you always going to... present... as a girl?" "Probably," Jordan shrugged. "Then, will you... eventually... become one?" "A girl? No. I told you, I'm not gay." "Jordie," Frances laughed at that. "There are lots of girls who are attracted to girls, you know?" "I know, but... what are you getting at?" Robbie cleared her throat. "Jordie... right now, you're still small and feminine, but... at some point, that's probably going to change. You may not grow, but your features will start to get more... manly. If you want to stay... girlish... you might have to do something about that." "Something like what?" Robbie shrugged. "I don't know, Jordie. Something like... hormones... or blockers... or... breast implants... whatever... I don't know, but... you should think about it while you still look young." Jordan thought about that for several minutes before asking, "Are they worth it?" Robbie and Frances exchanged glances. Finally, Frances asked, "Are what worth it?" "Boobs," he said, matter of factly. The girls stayed in stunned silence for at least ten seconds before they both burst into laughter. "Well," Frances said between chortles, "I never really thought about it. Let me ask you this - Is your penis worth it?" "That's not the same thing." Jordan found the question very odd. "A penis is comparable to a vagina. Essentially, we both have them. But breasts... breasts are something that only women have." "No, no, no," Robbie pointed out. "Men have breasts." "Wrong," Jordan said. "Men have nipples and so do women, but only women have breasts." "What about fat men?" Robbie giggled. "Those are fat deposits. Come on, just answer my question. Are breasts worth it?" "Ok, look," Frances stood up and pushed her hair back. "When I was a little girl, more than anything, I wanted to look like a woman. So, that meant that I had to grow breasts. I knew that they'd come eventually, but it seemed to take forever. When they finally did come in, I felt... awkward and ugly and freakish for at least a couple of years, but then... one day... I looked in the mirror and... I was a woman. And I love it. So, yeah, to me... they're totally worth it." When she looked at her cousin, he was looking at her breasts. She looked at her sister who was giggling. "Do you like what you see?" Frances asked. Jordan raised his eyes to meet his cousin's. "I guess they're fine, but I think they're a little big for my body." Robbie burst into laughter while Frances feigned shock and insult. "FINE!? DID YOU JUST SAY FINE!?!?" Jordan nodded, uncertain if Frances was upset or being funny. She sighed and looked to her sister for support, but none was coming. "They're lovely, Jordie. They are perky and sexy and... and... arrgh... they're better than fine, ok?" "I'm sorry," Jordan said, finally certain that he'd insulted his cousin by mistake. Frances finally smiled and laughed. She bent and kissed Jordan's cheek. "It's fine, Jordie. I'm just teasing." She looked at Robbie. "So, Robbie... You're bigger than I am. Do you find that your breasts get in your way?" Robbie cupped each breast in a hand and bounced them up and down. "Not at all. I think they're great. I never go anywhere without them." Jordan looked from one woman to the other. "So... should I get some?" Both girls smiled and shook their heads. "Come on," Frances chuckled, "let's go home. We can talk about this another time." XXX "There's nothing really complicated about setting up a family trust," Susan Lewis said, as they all sat around the large picnic table that sat beneath the huge elm tree in the side yard. "My concerns are regarding the size of this estate. We need to make sure that these funds are well protected. That will require several other professionals - accountants, investment councilors, etcetera." "Who do you recommend?" Mary asked, while the girls sat and listened and Jordan looked at a crack in the surface of the picnic table. "Well," Susan continued, "I have a friend at Burnside and Whyte in Boston and I trust her, implicitly. Burnside and Whyte are one of the most respected firms in the country and they handle accounts similar in size to this one all the time. They have banking specialists, accountants, investment councilors, everything you'd need on staff. My recommendation would be that we start by setting up the trust immediately, transfer everything into Jordan's name, then, when you're comfortable with the state of the world, we can can work with them and, eventually, when you're comfortable, I'll step aside. How does that sound?" Mary exhaled a worried breath. She looked at her stepdaughters, each of whom shrugged, then she looked at her nephew. "Jordie? What do you think?" Jordan continued to stare at the crack. "Jordie?" "I don't want the money." Mary looked at Susan and shook her head. Susan looked down the table at the pretty, but sullen young person in the cute green and white checked dress. She took a second to pick her words, then said, "Look, Jordie... I know that we just met and that you?ve had an awful lot to take in in the last twenty four hours, but... this is not something you can just say ?no? to. The money is, in fact, already yours. All of this is just a formality. Once the money is in your name, you can do whatever you?d like with it." Jordan offered no indication that he?d heard her. Susan continued, "Give it away if you want, Jordan. Invest it if you want. Make a big pile of it and sleep on it if you want. Whatever you want to do is fine, but you need to step up right now and be a big girl. You need to be all grown up and take this first step." Jordan raised his eyes and looked at a bud on the branch of a tree, but said nothing. Susan looked at Mary. "Is she hearing me?" She asked, more out of confusion and concern than frustration. Mary nodded, then looked at Jordan. "Jordie, please answer Mrs Lewis." Jordan?s head didn?t move. "I?m tired." He stood and pulled his legs free of the bench as he turned for the house. "Jordie," both girls tried to get his attention and both touched his arms, but he didn?t respond beyond saying, "I?m tired," again. Susan looked at Mary, who held up both hands, gave out a frustrated grunt, then stood and hurried to get in front of her nephew. When she saw his face, she was even more concerned than before. His eyes were focused in the ground and he seemed to be running on autopilot as he lumbered towards the house. "Jordie, please, don?t shut down on me. I can?t do this for you, baby. I need you to be a grownup right now." He stopped, but didn?t say anything. "Can you hear me, Jordie?" He nodded. Can you tell me what you?re thinking?" He shrugged. "I?m not thinking anything. I?m just so tired." Mary nodded. "Can you tell me what you?re feeling, then?" It took a very long time for him to respond. "Auntie... I don?t want this. I don?t want to think about my parents. I don?t want to think about this money. I want... to start over. I want to be like Franny and Robbie. I want to be with you. I don?t like all of this change. I just want to be..." he stopped. "What, baby? What do you want to be?" His lip quivered and, slowly, he raised his gaze to meet hers. "I want to be happy, auntie. That?s all." "Does being with me and the girls make you happy?" He nodded. "Then stay with us, Jordie. That won?t change. I promise. But... for now... you need to get things started with this money so that you can do whatever you want with it - get rid of it if you want to, but we need get the money into a safe place and away from that awful man who was here last night. Ok?" "Ok," he nodded. Marry hugged him, then began to guide him back to the table. "You should at least keep enough so you can pay for college and maybe grad school, though." "I?m not going back to college." He said with great finality. Mary nodded. "Well, maybe taking a year off is for the best." "Not ever, auntie. I wasn?t happy there. I?m not going to ever live like that again." "Ok, baby," she kissed his head and wanted to cry for him. The poor child had suffered so much more than she?d ever thought. They sat again. "We?re ready, now," Mary said. Susan nodded and passed the preliminary paperwork to the very frail looking child across from her. It didn?t seem possible that this was a twenty year old man. It looked like a broken little girl. "Jordan, I?ll work with you to make sure that you?re happy with how the money is used. You can help people, you know, Jordan. You can help people who are struggling. Help people with less opportunities than you - educate people. Whatever you want." Jordan took the pen, then stopped. "Help people with less opportunities than me? Educate people?" "Of course," Susan smiled. Jordan glanced at his cousins. "Can I help Robbie and Franny? Can I help to educate them?" Susan looked at Mary, who said, "You don?t have to do that, Jordie. Their father took care of their college..." "Yeah, but... can I, if I want to, give them money?" "Well," Susan confirmed, "of course you can." Jordan froze. "Let me think for a moment." He stared into space for a moment, then nodded and said, "I?ll only sign this if I can split half of everything equally with my aunt and cousins. The rest I?ll use for projects ? to help educate people, if that?s ok?" "No, Jordie," Robbie said as Frances shook her head. "This is yours to do with as you want, but we don?t need..." "Yes, you do. Since I got here, we?ve been struggling. If you guys had any savings, we wouldn?t have struggled to get by. You all need money and I want to split it with you. I want you to be rich. I want you to spend your summers on Martha?s Vineyard and be happy. I want you to help me give away my money other people. Please. I really can?t do this by myself. It?s too hard." Mary shook her head. "That?s very generous, baby, but..." Jordan put the pen down. "That?s my deal, auntie. Either we?re a family and we?re all in this together, or we?re not and I?m not signing anything." "Jordie, of course we?re a family, but this is yours..." "No, auntie, it?s not. I didn?t earn it. It?s not ?mine.? It?s either ?ours? or I?m not signing it." Mary looked around and finally decided that it would be best to just sign the papers and move on to the next stage and she?d make sure that this got straightened out later. "Ok, Jordie. We?re all in this together." "Mom!" Frances shouted loudly. Mary waved her off, though. "We?ll make it right, later," she whispered. Susan pulled the paperwork back, made a few notations, then pushed it back towards Jordan. "Ok. This will list all of you as board members, equal partners. Ok? We can talk to the people at Burnside and Whyte about setting up a charitable arm of the trust later. Is that agreeable?" Jordan nodded and signed, then passed it along to the others who signed as well. "Alright," Susan smiled. "I?ll file these tomorrow, notify Attorney Leary and I?ll let you know how we?ll proceed from there. Ok?" She stood. Mary stood and went shook Susan?s hand, but then remembered the current circumstances and pulled her hand back. "Thank you, Susan. You?ve been very helpful." "My pleasure, Mare. Roberta, Frances, it was lovely to see you, again." "You, too," both girls waved, a bit dazed by the proceedings. Robbie was a bit tweaked by the use of her real name. Susan then turned towards Jordan and sighed. "And you, Jordan. It was an experience meeting you, too." Having heard many euphemisms about his odd personality through the years, Jordan was a bit hurt by the lawyer?s words. He just nodded. "You?re a very special young lady, you know." Jordan looked up, surprised at praise after what he?d taken as an insult. "Faced with the prospect of getting a hundred million dollars, most people would just take the money and run. To hell with everyone else. But not you. You?re a very special girl, Jordie. Promise me something." She leaned forward and kissed the top of his head. "Don?t ever change." "Ok," Jordan muttered, trying to get a handle on the situation. "Ok," Susan smiled at him. Then she looked at Mary and said, "Walk me to my car?" "Of course," Mary was also a bit confused by Susan?s words, but walked with her. "That?s a very interesting girl you have there," Susan said. "That?s an understatement," Mary chuckled. "But... you do realize..." "That she?s not a girl? Yes, of course, I haven?t forgotten, but... she really is, Mary. She?s certainly not a man, and she?s not a woman. She is a child, emotionally, and that child is just as confused and struggling to understand things as any kid who lost her patents suddenly. Shes not a grown man. She?s a stunned twelve year old. You can see it in her eyes. She?s trying to make sense of the loss of her parents and trying to understand the relationships she?s lost due to their departure." "Yeah, well, that relationship turns out to be a much more complicated relationship than I could have ever guessed. You?re right, though, he is struggling. Hopefully, he?ll be able to think more clearly and make some rational decisions soon." "Well, in my opinion, having you and the girls as equal partners in the trust is actually a very good decision. I know it makes you uncomfortable to be dragged into the finances, but, trust me, it is the right thing." She adjusted her mask. "Oh, these masks drive me nuts. Listen, I?ll be in touch in a day or two, but, as a friend, I?d like you to keep an open mind about a few things. One - If Jordie decides to make you all gifts of this money, that?s not a bad thing. You can accept it and not touch it and still sign it back to him later. So don?t panic over that. Two - Remember that Jordan?s looking to you for guidance, but he needs your love and protection more than your opinion right now. So try not to get frustrated. And Three - I think it might be a really good idea to start adjusting your pronouns. I don?t see a ?he? or a ?him? anywhere in this yard. I look over there and I all I see are three very pretty girls. Two are beautiful, intelligent coeds and one is an adorable, troubled young teenaged girl. I think that all three of you should get used to the fact that, whoever Jordan was, he is gone. Jordie is here to stay." Mary looked across at the picnic table. Susan was right.