Fiction byClaudette St. Onge © 2001-3, all rights reserved
ROSE PETALS
There were two bridal shops in town. One was a lot more expensive than the other and had a much larger selection of gowns for the bride, the bridesmaids, and for the flower girl. Auntie had taken Maryanne’s measurements and phoned them in to the shop. Now she went with Auntie to see if the flower girl gown fit or needed any alterations.
The shop was located in the “better part of town”, as Auntie would say. After she had parked her Continental near the entrance, they both shook their skirts and petticoats to fluff them up. Auntie took Maryanne’s hand and the two of them walked in the entrance of the shop. Maryanne’s eyes widened as she saw so many different types of gowns and petticoats on display! Most of the petticoats were much longer than the ones she was used to wearing. And everything was so pretty!
Auntie looked down at her and smiled at her wide-eyed expression. Soon a pretty lady came over to them and asked if she could help them.
“We’re here to see about the flower girl gown for the Pendergast’s wedding”, Auntie said.
“Oh, yes,” said the woman. Follow me, please.” She led them over to a couch where Auntie could sit to view Maryanne’s gown after she had changed and came out onto a raised circular modeling stage. “Please wait here a moment while I let the owner know you’re here.”
After a minute or so, another pretty but somewhat older lady came over to them and introduced herself to them. “I’m Mrs. Graham. Are you the pretty little girl that’s going to be the flower girl at the Pendergast’s wedding?”
“Yes,” answered Maryanne, “and this is my Aunt Corinne Beliveau.”
“Well, Mrs. Pendergast’s has already picked out the gown,” said Mrs. Graham, “and I’m sure it’ll look just darling on such a pretty girl like you. Why don’t you come with me and we’ll get one of the girls to help you try it on in a dressing room and then you can come out onto the modeling stage so your Auntie can see it.”
“Yes, Mrs. Graham,” said Maryanne, and she took Mrs. Graham’s hand and was led off to the dressing rooms. She looked back at Auntie. She was still sitting on the couch and was smiling at her. Gosh, I’m glad Auntie turned me into a girl, she thought.
Inside the dressing room, Maryanne took off her dress and bouffant slip. Then the lady that was with her helped her to put on the long poufy white petticoat she would wear. Next came the pretty gown. The lady slipped it over Maryanne’s head and it settled down over her petticoat. Maryanne thought they were the prettiest things she had ever worn! The petticoat was made out of shiny white taffeta with a netting of tulle under it, and then a soft cotton underskirt so her legs wouldn’t feel scratchy. It had three overlapping layers of scalloped lace at the hem of it. The gown was white and it had a lot of lace on it. All down the skirt were pink flower patterns. Both the petticoat and the gown came all the way down to about an inch or two above the floor. It zipped up her back and was tight, but not too much. A pink sash went around her waist with a big pretty bow in back. Then the lady knelt down and put some white stockings on her that came up to her knees with an elastic top and some shiny white flats on her feet.
“Now, honey,” said the lady, “come over here and see how pretty you look.” She took Maryanne’s hand and led her to a full-length mirror. The dress made a lovely swishing noise as she walked over to the mirror. When she saw herself, her heart skipped a beat! She never knew she could look so pretty! A flowered band went over the top of her head instead of a hat.
Then the two of them went out to the modeling stage. The lady reminded her to lift the front of her gown and petticoat up a little as she stepped up onto the platform to let Auntie see her.
Auntie looked up at her, tears beginning to fill her eyes. “Oh… …sweetheart,” she said, “you look so darling…even prettier than when you wore your special dress to the bridge party. You’re the closest thing to an angel I’ve ever seen.”
Maryanne looked down at the skirt of the gown, twisting back and forth a little so her gown swished around a bit. “Auntie, isn’t it beautiful?” she asked, a big smile on her face.
“Oh, yes, Maryanne,” said Auntie. “And we’ll fix your hair nice, too.” By now, Auntie had left her seat on the couch and was standing close to the modeling stage. She couldn’t take her eyes off her little niece. But she thought of how her sister would be coming home soon from New York, and that Maryanne would be going back to live with her. The prospect of losing Maryanne tugged at her heart. Perhaps she had made her too pretty!
After Maryanne was back in her dress and they left the bridal shop, Auntie started the car to drive back home. She looked over at Maryanne with a loving smile, but her thoughts were very troubled. As soon as her sister came home, she was going to lose Maryanne. The idea of living alone again made her heart feel like lead. But it was more than being alone. She wouldn’t have Maryanne anymore; a sweet little girl that she had come to love. She wondered if Marie would put Maryanne back in jeans and tee shirts; turn Maryanne back into Timmy again. It would be such a tragic waste, especially since Maryanne had become so happy being a girl. She tried to put the thoughts out of her head for now, but all evening long her mind kept drifting back to them.
She also realized something else…something about herself. The loneliness of not having Maryanne about her would leave her with nothing to do but go back to the shallow empty life of the country club, the soirees and cocktail lounges she really didn’t care about any longer. She had never realized before just how big a part of her life Maryanne had become. And the idea of losing her now was almost unbearable.
There was one other thought that came to her, a question that she had never really considered before. Had she been wrong to make her nephew become her niece? Had she done it for no other reason than her preference for girls over boys? She mulled it over in her mind for about a half a minute. Nonsense! Women and girls were definitely better than men and boys. She believed it implicitly. Having her nephew become her niece was the best thing she could have ever done for him. And now he was happy as her niece. The question vanished from her mind. She had done the right thing. And that was that!
Two days later Corinne and Maryanne went to the church for the wedding rehearsal. It wasn’t a dress rehearsal, but Corinne had put Maryanne in a pretty dress, and the bride and bridesmaids met her for the first time. They all made a ‘big-to-do’ over her, telling her how pretty she was, with some of them giving her a hug and kissing her cheek. Maryanne smiled and giggled, her eyes twinkling at the attention of such pretty women.
On the wedding day Auntie woke her extra early so she could take a bubble bath before they left to go to Mrs. Pendergast’s estate. Mrs. Graham had brought all the gowns to the estate, and she would stay there to help everything go smoothly. Once there, they would all change into their gowns and then go to the church in limousines.
Before Maryanne took her bubble bath, she and Auntie sat at the kitchen table, Auntie having a cup of coffee and Maryanne some orange juice and toast. Naturally, the closer the time for the wedding came, the more excited Maryanne seemed to get. But there was one thing that spoiled the day a little: they hadn’t heard from Mommy for the past two days, and Maryanne had hoped she would be there. But Auntie said that maybe she would be there if she had been able to catch a train on time. That might be the reason why she hadn’t called last night. Maryanne really wanted Mommy to see what a pretty girl she was now.
“Don’t give up hope, Maryanne,” Auntie said. “Mommy might have been too busy catching a train to be able to call you.”
“I hope so Auntie,” replied Maryanne. “I wish I had known that she wanted me to be a girl so much before she left.”
“But sweetheart,” said Corinne, “you didn’t want to be a girl then. Did you? Mommy told me that she had asked you a couple of times if you’d like to be a little girl, and you always said no.”
“Yes,” she replied a little sadly. “But that was before I found out how much fun and how nice it is to be a girl. You were right, Auntie. Being a girl is a lot better than being a boy. Now I wish Mommy had made me become a girl like you did. I didn’t know how much she wanted me to be a girl, or how nice it would be. Do you think she’ll let me stay a girl, Auntie?”
“Oh, I think so Maryanne,” said Auntie, “especially when she sees how pretty and happy you are now...,” then added, “…at least for a few years, sweetheart.”
“What do you mean, Auntie?” she asked. “Why can’t I stay a girl forever? I don’t want to become a boy again. I like being a girl and that’s the way I want to stay.”
“I know honey,” said Corinne. “But in a few years your body is going to start changing, and you’ll begin getting some of the features of a boy changing into a man. But maybe a doctor could help you to stay a girl. That’s up to Mommy, dear. She’ll be the one to decide. But I know she’ll want to do whatever makes you both happiest.”
“Auntie, I don’t think I’ll ever be as happy as I am now if I have to be a boy again,” said Maryanne.
“And Mommy will understand that too, Maryanne,” replied Corinne. “So she’ll probably do whatever is necessary to have you stay as a girl. Don’t worry about it now, dear. Both Mommy and Auntie want whatever is going to make you happy. We both love you so much, Maryanne.”
“I love you and Mommy, too,” said Maryanne. “It’s funny though. When I first came to stay with you, I thought you were mean to be turning me into a girl. But now I’m happy that you did.”
“Well,” said Corinne, “Mommy is going to be very happy when she actually sees what a pretty girl she has now. I bet she’ll be hugging and kissing you all day long when she gets here.”
Maryanne giggled and said, “I like it when ladies and big girls do that to me, Auntie. All the bridesmaids were doing it to me at the rehearsal.”
Corinne grinned at her and then reached across the table and held her hand. “That’s because you’re such a cute girl, Maryanne. And I hope you always will be, darling.”
Maryanne let go of Auntie’s hand, got up and walked over to her, and began hugging her.
“I’m glad I’m a girl, Auntie,” she said. “I’m real happy now.”
Corinne hugged her and said, “So am I honey. But don’t say ‘real happy’. Say ‘really happy’.”
“Oh Auntie!” said Maryanne with a giggle. “You’re always telling me what to do.” Then she hugged Auntie again. “And I love it when you do that.”
After Maryanne took her bubble bath, Auntie helped her to get dressed. When they finished Maryanne was wearing a pretty yellow dress with a little white collar with rounded corners at her throat, ‘a secretary collar’ Auntie called it. It had white trim on the short puffed sleeves, and she was wearing one of her prettiest white petticoats under it. Her panties were pink and had white lace around the leg openings. She wore her white shoes with the strap on them, but Auntie told her she might be changing them into white flats at Mrs. Pendergast’s home and she changed into the flower girl gown.
Auntie fixed her makeup, putting some mascara on her lashes, and just a little color to her cheeks along with some pink lipstick. She tied her hair up into a bun at the back of her head and circled the base of it with a narrow gold band that had rhinestones on it. But she kept the bangs on her forehead.
“Wait here, dear,” said Corinne. “I have something else for you to wear.” She left the bedroom and after a couple of minutes came back in with a little black cube of a box and another box that was longer and flatter. A week earlier, Auntie had pierced her earlobes, and given her some tiny gold studs to wear. When Maryanne opened the little box there was a pair of little diamond studs for her ears.
“”Oh, Auntie!” she exclaimed. “They’re so pretty!”
Corinne opened the other box and inside was a necklace made up of little diamonds. Maryanne’s eyes lit up when she saw it. “Oh, Auntie!” she said again, and reached inside to pick it up.
“Here, honey. Let me put it on you,” said Corinne. She fastened the clasp behind Maryanne’s neck. “Now see how nice it looks on you, dear.”
Maryanne turned around and looked in the mirror behind her dressing table, turning her head to the left and right so she could see her ear studs, too.
While Maryanne had been taking her bubble bath, Corinne had dressed up for the wedding. Instead of a sheath dress, she was wearing a pretty shiny dark gold dress that had white flowers with green leaves on it. Black petticoats under it made it very poufy. Maryanne noticed them now.
“Auntie!” she said. “You’re wearing naughty petticoats.”
Corinne smiled at her and said, “Well, you never know. Auntie might see some handsome gentleman there that she likes.”
“I still don’t understand why black petticoats and red ones are naughty,” said Maryanne. “Red seems like a happy color to me. But black isn’t any color at all. But they do look nice on you, Auntie. And your dress is very pretty. What do they call the way you have your hair, Auntie?”
“A French Twist, honey. Do you like it?”
“Yes, Auntie. It makes you look like one of the rich ladies in magazine pictures.”
Corinne began laughing and covered her mouth with her fingers. She shook her head. “Sweetheart, you don’t miss a trick.”
“What do you mean?” asked Maryanne.
“Never mind, dear,” she said, still laughing a little. “Now let's go over to Mrs. Pendergast’s home and get you into your gown for the wedding.”
The Pendergast’s house was a beehive of activity when they arrived. People seemed to be everywhere and were going in and out of rooms all the time. Mrs. Pendergast was happy to see them arrive a little early and asked Corinne if she’d like some coffee. She told Maryanne she could have some fruit juice if she wanted it. But Auntie said they had already had a little breakfast.
“And how is the prettiest little girl I know today?” she asked, bending down to Maryanne with a nice smile.
“I’m fine, Mrs. Pendergast, “and excited, too.”
“Well then,” said Mrs. Pendergast, “let’s get you dressed for the wedding. Come with me upstairs please.” They followed her up a wide curving staircase and down a hallway to a bedroom where her petticoat and gown were laid out on the bed.
Mrs. Pendergast picked up a phone and punched a button on the set. It would ring down in the kitchen where Mrs. Graham was having coffee. On the second ring someone answered it and she said to tell Mrs. Graham that they were upstairs getting Maryanne dressed.
“Why don’t you begin to take off your dress and slip, dear,” said Mrs. Pendergast’s. “She’ll be up here to help get you into your gown in a minute. And I have some other things to do, so I’ll see you a little later.”
Auntie began to unbutton the back of Maryanne’s dress. Soon the door opened and Mrs. Graham came in. By then Maryanne was in the pretty petticoat. “Ready for the ‘big day’ sweetheart?” asked Mrs. Graham. She checked the fit of the petticoat.
After a half hour of dressing, putting the flower band on her head, and primping her hair, both Mrs. Graham and Auntie agreed they couldn’t make her any prettier than she already was. She was all set for the wedding.
Maryanne looked at herself in the full-length mirror. She loved the way she looked and smiled at herself. Auntie stood behind her and smiled, too. Then she bent down and whispered into her ear, “Isn’t it a lot more fun being a pretty girl than a boy, sweetheart?”
Maryanne turned around and hugged Auntie. “Oh, yes. It’s a lot more fun than I ever thought it would be, Auntie.”
They went downstairs to the front parlor where the bridesmaids were all checking themselves in mirrors and talking excitedly among themselves. Everyone looked so pretty! For a while Auntie and Maryanne sat down on a love seat to wait for the limousines that would take them to the church. But every now and then a bridesmaid would come over and tell Maryanne how pretty she was and bend down to give her a hug and kiss her cheek.
In the meantime, Auntie kept reminding her of what she was supposed to do at the wedding. But they had gone over it very well at the rehearsal, and Maryanne knew by heart what to do.
“You didn’t have much to eat this morning, dear,” said Auntie. “Does your tummy feel alright?”
“Yes, Auntie,” she replied. “I feel wonderful!”
Actually, it was Corinne that felt a little nervous. She wanted so much for everything to go right. It would be such a wonderful time for Maryanne, and would be a lovely memory for her darling little niece.
Then she thought of Marie coming back home, and she hoped so much that she would continue to keep Maryanne as she was now, and not turn her back into a boy. It would probably crush Maryanne to have to become a boy again now that she was so happy as a girl. But then she thought of how her sister had wanted to dress her little boy like a girl herself. So at least for a while, she was pretty sure Maryanne would remain Maryanne.
But again she had heart pangs about Maryanne leaving her to return to her mother’s house. How could she ever be happy without Maryanne? But for now she decided to face that question when it came. Today was Maryanne’s day, and she didn’t want to appear gloomy and spoil it for her. She loved her little niece so much! She almost felt that Maryanne was more her little girl than her mother’s.
Soon her thoughts were interrupted by the announcement that the limousines had arrived to take them all to the church. At the last minute the bride appeared. Maryanne thought she looked like something out of a fairy tale book. She carried the long train of her gown doubled up in the crook of her arm so it wouldn’t get dirty or caught on anything. Her big pretty gown reached the floor, and she had to keep the front of it lifted up a little so she wouldn’t trip on it. At the church she would be slowly marching down the aisle with small ‘hesitation steps’, so she wouldn’t trip on it then.
At the same time, Auntie pointed out to Maryanne how the bride kept the front of her gown up a little, and reminded her that she would have to do the same when walking, except when she slowly walked with small steps down the aisle herself.
“I know, Auntie,” she said. “Don’t worry. I won’t embarrass you.” She remembered Auntie threatening her if she embarrassed her when they went to visit Mrs. Cabot. That seemed like a long time ago, when she still wasn’t sure she liked being a girl. Now she wondered how she could have ever felt that way!
Soon they all left to get into the limousines and began the drive to the church, which was only a couple of miles away. Auntie didn’t go in the same car as her. She drove her Continental to the church. But some of the bridesmaids were in the limousine with her, and they all chatted away during the ride.
When they got to the church some parking spaces were reserved for them near the front. But there were a great many other cars parked as close as they could get. It was definitely the biggest and most socially important wedding that had taken place in town in years.
Mrs. Graham was already there and she began to organize them into position on the sidewalk. Instead of the bride and her uncle going first, Maryanne would walk a little ahead of them, sprinkling rose petals on the aisle from a little shallow basket. Before they had left, she had put on a pretty little pair of white lace gloves.
Finally they started up towards the entrance to the church. They could hear organ music being played, which they knew would change into the wedding march as soon as they entered.
The bride and her uncle arrived and soon Mrs. Graham had them all arranged in order on the walk and steps leading to the entrance. Maryanne was first, and she lifted the front of her pretty gown a little so she wouldn’t trip on it as she climbed the steps. Mrs. Graham stepped inside the church and signaled the organist to begin the march. As soon as they heard the music, the wedding party began to enter the church, all of them moving slowly forward in the ‘hesitation step’. Two little boys walked a little distance behind the bride, holding up the end of the gown’s train.
Hearing the wedding march begin, everyone in the church rose and turned slightly to watch the procession come down the aisle. Maryanne began to drop a few rose petals from her basket every time she took a step. Women standing in the pews smiled broadly at her and leaned towards others to whisper how cute she was. Maryanne smiled nice and felt wonderful as she moved down the aisle, the long petticoat under her pretty gown whispering.
When she was a little ahead of the front pew, she moved a little to the side of it and remained standing. As the bride came along side of her, she paused and Maryanne curtseyed, and then took her floral bouquet. Then Maryanne waited till the bride and the rest of the wedding party had passed by her or took seats in the pews. Then she sat down holding the bride’s bouquet.
A section of the railing was opened and the minister stood there waiting for them with a pleasant smile. The maid-of-honor stayed behind the bride and raised helped her raise her veil up off her face, and then remained standing a little behind and to the side of her. The rest of the bridesmaids took seats in the front pews.
The marriage ceremony didn’t last as long as Maryanne had thought it would, and after a half hour or so, she soon found herself handing the bouquet back to the bride and going back down the aisle. Suddenly a camera flashed along side the aisle close to her. She looked over and there was Mommy! She had lowered the camera and Maryanne could see she had a loving smile on her face. She blew a kiss towards Maryanne!
Outside on the sidewalk, they all milled around a little, waiting for the bride to throw her bouquet! Before getting into the limousine, the bride paused and threw her bouquet backwards up behind her towards the crowd of bridesmaids in back of her. Maryanne didn’t bother to try and catch it. She had turned around to see if Mommy had come out of the church yet.
Then she saw her coming down the church steps. She had a big smile and looked so pretty. She was wearing a nice dark blue dress with pastel blue petticoats. She came down to where Maryanne was standing and gave her a big hug.
“Oh, sweetheart!” she exclaimed. She lowered her voice a bit and said, “You look so wonderful! Exactly like the pretty little girl I’ve always wanted.”
Maryanne hugged her and then looked up at her and said, “Isn’t it nice, Mommy! Everyone looks so pretty today. I’m glad you could see how pretty Auntie has made me.”
Just then Corinne came up to them, smiling broadly. She leaned down and kissed Maryanne’s cheek. “You did everything perfectly, honey! Auntie is so proud of you.” Then she turned to her sister and said, “Well! What do think of your little girl? Isn’t she pretty and wasn’t she just darling today?”
“Corinne,” said Marie, “you’ve turned her into such a wonderful little girl. It almost seems too much to believe. I couldn’t be happier!” Mommy gave her ‘daughter’ another hug and kissed her cheek. They had stepped off to the side of the crowd a little and lowered their voices a bit so they could talk privately.
“Marie,” said Corinne, “after the reception is over and we get back to my house, we have to have a serious talk. I hope you don’t mind. But it is important.”
“Of course,” replied Marie. “In fact there’s so much I want to discuss with you. By the way, the business in New York was a lot more profitable than I thought it would be. Wait till I tell you about it!”
Marie had taken a cab from the train station, so the three of them got into Corinne’s Continental and drove to the Pendergast’s estate for the reception, Maryanne sitting between them.
The reception was held in one end the ballroom in the mansion. Maryanne had never seen the ballroom before, and it was so big she was astonished. After everyone had taken their seats at one of the three long tables, the band came in and began to set up at the far end of the ballroom. Everyone smiled at Maryanne and told her how pretty she looked.
Usually only members of the wedding party sat at the pricipal table, but there was room at the end for Maryanne, Mommy and Auntie. They sat on either side of her, and Mommy couldn’t take her eyes off her. She was the now pretty girl Marie had always wanted! Neither Corinne nor Marie paid much attention to the appetizers and sumptuous meal set before them. They were talking about Marie’s trip to New York.
Later, after the meal was cleared away and the band began to play, the bride and her husband danced first, and then her uncle danced with her. Eventually most of the guests began to join in. But Marie, Maryanne and Corinne remained seated and began talking while Maryanne danced with one of the younger ushers. She was glad Auntie had taught her how to waltz.
Meanwhile Marie and Corinne kept talking. They had left the table and were sitting by themselves in a couple of chairs near the corner.
“Corinne,” began Marie, “I simply can’t believe how pretty a little girl you’ve made her. Oh! If only I had realized how pretty she could be all dressed up as a girl. And she really seems happy! Did you have a hard time getting her to be a girl?”
“Not at all,” replied Corinne. “After a few days had gone by she began to accept it, and eventually I could see that she was starting to enjoy it. Isn’t she a lovely little girl now?”
“Oh, yes! She’s absolutely perfect!” answered Marie. “And I want to keep her that way. It’s the answer to my prayers.”
“Well,” began Corinne, “I think she’d be crushed if you told her she had to be a boy again. She knows now how much fun it is being a girl, and she tries her best to behave as much like a girl as she can. I did my best to give her proper little lessons on being a nice girl.
“Marie, I can’t wait till we get back home. There’s something I have to tell you right now,” said Corinne with a serious look on her face.
“What is it?” Marie asked her sister.
“Marie,” she began, “I can’t give her up now. I’ve come to love her so very much. Please, Marie… Sell your house and move into mine so we can all be together. I have plenty of room, and you can bring some of your furniture with you as well. The rest of it we can store in my attic, or you can sell it to a dealer. Please, Marie. Tell me we can both have her together. It would break my heart to lose her now.” She looked down with tears beginning to course down her cheeks.
“Oh, Corinne!” said Marie. She placed her arm around Corinne’s shoulders “Please… Don’t get upset dear. I wouldn’t dream of separating you from her now. In fact I was thinking of proposing the same idea myself. But I wasn’t sure what you’d think of it.”
“Oh, thank God!” said Corinne. “I don’t know what I’d do if I ever lost her now.” She sat up and kissed her sister’s cheek as the two of them hugged each other. She dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief.
“By the way,” asked Marie, “what did she think of your big house?”
Corinne made a little laugh as she recovered herself. “She said it looked like the houses they have in haunted house pictures. But she likes it now. I took her antique shopping with me and she bought me a darling little paperweight for me.”
“Was she always dressed as a girl wherever you went?” asked Marie.
“Yes,” replied her sister. “Once I got her in dresses I kept her that way. She really does make such a sweet little girl. As I said before, I couldn’t wait to show her off to my friends. And she acted like a perfect little lady. Only a couple of them know that she used to be a boy.”
“Really? Who are they?” asked Marie.
“Well, Jane Beverly, the woman that owns the women and girls store in town,” she answered, “and Mrs. Cabot, also. Jane was a little shocked when I told her, but she came around to the idea and helped me to pick out some really pretty dresses and things for her. Mrs. Cabot thought she was so cute and well behaved that she thought I was right to dress her as a girl; especially since she seemed to enjoy being a girl so much.”
“Well I’ll be!” said Marie. “Mrs. Cabot, and the Pedergasts! You’ve really been introducing her to high society!”
“Marie,” said Corinne, “I was so happy with how she looked and acted that I couldn’t wait to show her off. And when we went to the bridge party at Mrs. Pendergast’s estate, she talked and played with the other little girls that were there. You know how they all like to show off their little girls. Well, I do, too. She looks like such a pretty little doll of a girl.”
“Corinne, when I saw the pictures of her you sent me, and then actually saw her as the flower girl at the wedding, I was overjoyed with how you made her into such a pretty little girl. And I’m so happy she wants to stay that way. As long as her happiness and ours coincide I don’t think we should change a thing.”
“Marie, when I saw her growing up as a boy, I always thought she would make such a pretty girl,” said Corinne. “And now she really is a girl for all intents and purposes. But I’m worried about what will happen when she starts going through puberty. I mentioned it to her and it upset her. So I told her about a doctor that I know that might be able to help her stay a girl and she felt better. But that decision is up to you. After all, she is your child even though I love her as if she was my own.”
“That’s a big step,” said Marie, “but it might be the thing to do if her happiness is at stake.”
“That’s what I thought, too,” said Corinne. “But we don’t have to decide on that for a while. In the meantime I just love her to pieces! I’m always hugging and kissing her. And she’s an affectionate little girl, too. She’s really everything a little girl should be. You should see how she plays with her dolls and smiles at new dresses and the pretty panties and bouffant slips I buy for her. She likes to pick out her own lingerie sometimes, and she always picks the prettiest things. And she’s been such a good little girl for me. She learned so quick how to talk and walk like a nice girl.”
“Corinne,” said Marie, “I never thought you’d feel like this about her. You never seemed like the loving affectionate type before. I thought you agreed to take care of her while I was gone as just a favor to me, and would really only be dressing her as a girl for the fun of it, as if it was a game you wanted to play with her.”
“So did I, Marie. But after a while I guess I started to love her. I never had any children of my own, and it was a new experience for me.”
“Look over at her now, Corinne. See how she’s smiling… dancing in her cute little gown. She really is gorgeous! And it’s all your doing. How can I ever thank you!”
“It’s too bad you yourself didn’t start dressing her as a girl when she was just a toddler,” said Corinne. “She would have looked so cute.”
“Oh, she still looks cute,” said Marie. “I can’t get over how she looks! And I’m thrilled that she likes being a girl. Can I stay at your place tonight? I’d love to dress her up in the morning.”
Corinne laughed a little at her sister’s anxiousness. “Of course,” she replied. “I think she’d love having you dress her up. I told her that you always wanted to do it. It’ll make her happy to have you dress her.”
“I can hardly wait,” said Marie.
“Now tell me what happened in New York,” said Corinne. “Did you make a pile of money?”
“A lot more than I thought I would,” said Marie. “And I went shopping while I was there and bought some things for Maryanne. I hope they fit. I picked out some darling dresses and poufy slips for her. But I will have to make a trip back there two or three times a year from now on. They hired me as a consulting editor. Now I won’t have to live just on my alimony.”
“That’s wonderful, Marie. I’m so happy for you.”
“Oh, the money is always nice, but you’ve made me really happy turning Timmy into a pretty little girl. I always wanted to do it so much, but I was afraid I’d upset him if I did.”
“Well, you can spoil her rotten now if you want. He is now your little girl, and that’s the way she wants to stay,” said Corinne.
The two sisters kept talking for most of the afternoon, though they were occasionally interrupted by the relatives and friends of the bride.
Mrs. Pendergast came over and thanked Maryanne for being such a nice pretty little flower girl. Finally they left in the late afternoon and drove back to Corinne’s house.
Maryanne was so happy! She sat between her mother and Aunt on the couch in Corinne’s livingroom, squirming and twisting back and forth, looking up at their faces as they talked.
“Mommy,” she said, “come see my pretty bedroom.”
“Oh, yes,” said Corinne. “I tried to make it as pretty as I could for her. Go ahead with her and I’ll join you after a make a trip to the powder room. It’s been a long day.”
Maryanne took her mother’s hand and led her up the stairs and down the hallway to her bedroom. She opened the door and Marie stepped into it.
“Oh, sweetheart!” she said. “Isn’t this a pretty room! The nice ruffled curtains and your pretty bed and dressing table, and the wallpaper! It’s so pretty in here. Just what any pretty little girl would love.”
“I do love it, Mommy,” said Maryanne. “It makes me feel pretty every time I come in here. And look, Mommy. See all the pretty dresses and slips in my closet. Isn’t it all wonderful?”
“Oh, yes dear,” said Marie. “Auntie treated you very good while I was gone. Didn’t she?” They sat down on the bed together. Marie smiled as she watched Maryanne smooth her little dress behind her.
“Well, at first I was afraid of her, Mommy,” Maryanne began. “And I thought she was mean making me be a girl. But after a while, she seemed friendlier to me and we started doing a lot of things together, like shopping and visiting some of her friends. And she took me out to restaurants and to an antique dealer, too. And soon I had a whole closet full of pretty clothes from our shopping trips.
“I was so glad that you let my hair grow long because the lady at the salon was able to give me some bangs and a nice ponytail.”
“I can’t wait till I see you in a pretty dress and your hair in a ponytail tied up with a pretty ribbon, sweetheart,” said Marie. “But tell me… How long was it before you began to like being a girl?”
“Gosh, Mommy!” said her little girl. Then she covered her mouth. “Whoops! Auntie told me not to say that. She said nice little girls don’t say things like that or use slang. Anyway, I think I started to like it the very first day. But I was afraid that the other boys would call me a sissy, and it seemed so different that it kind of scared me a little. Pretty soon though I knew that it really made me feel so nice, Mommy! So I started to try and do everything Auntie told me to do. Now I want to be a girl forever!”
Marie smiled at her. She was so cute, and acted like such a little lady.
“Honey, let’s take off your beautiful gown so nothing happens to it. Then I’ll help you to get dressed and put your hair back in a ponytail.”
“Yes, Mommy,” she replied. “Auntie said I should do that, too.” She stood up and Marie helped her out of the gown and the big poufy slip that went with it. She hung it up in the closet and started looking at different dresses; trying to decide which one she should put on her.
“Maryanne, do you have any favorite dresses?” she asked.
“Yes, Mommy,” she answered. “I like the pink one with the white lace trim and sash. And I usually wear a white bouffant slip under it, too.”
“Oh, yes. Here it is,” said Marie. “And it does look darling! I can’t wait to see you in it.”
Pretty soon Maryanne was all dressed up and had her hair back in a ponytail. She still had on the makeup Auntie put on her when she went to the wedding. Marie just had to touch it up a bit. Then she looked down at her and smiled lovingly.
“Oh, sweetheart! You look like the pretty little girl that I’ve always wanted.” She leaned down and hugged Maryanne and gave her a big kiss on her cheek.
“I’m so glad you’re home and that you like me the way I am now, Mommy. I was afraid that when you came home you might turn me back into a boy.”
“Oh, no!” said Marie. “I want you to be my little girl from now on. Auntie has made you such a nice girl, and I want you to stay that way.”
“Auntie said that I might have to see a doctor to make me keep looking like a girl when I get older, Mommy.”
“Yes, honey. We talked a little about it. But that’s a long way off right now. Don’t worry, dear. We’ll do what we think will keep you happy.”
Maryanne hugged her around the waist. “I love you so much, Mommy. And Auntie, too.” Then Corinne came in and saw that Marie had already changed her clothes.
“Well, now!” said Corinne. “You look very nice, Maryanne. Doesn’t she look sweet, Marie?”
“Oh, yes! She’s just what I had always hoped she had been. My very own little girl.”
“Our little girl,” Corinne corrected her.
“Yes,” said Marie. “I haven’t forgotten our plans.”
“What plans, Mommy?” asked Maryanne.
“Honey,” began Marie, “Auntie and I have been thinking that I should sell my house and come live here with you and her instead. Would you like that?”
“That would be great, Mommy!” replied Maryanne. “Then I could have the two ladies I love better than anyone else in the whole world living with me.”
“And we both love you too, dear,” said Auntie as she bent down and hugged and kissed her little niece. “And now we’ll all live in the same house together.”
Later that night when Maryanne was in bed, Corinne and Marie were sitting in wingback chairs by the fire in the living room. Corinne had made two Martinis for them, and they were relaxing after such a wonderful day.
“You know, Marie,” said Corinne, “you and I both wanted to turn your little boy into a girl, but for different reasons at first. But now we want her to remain a girl for the same reason. It’s love. We both want her to remain as happy as she is now.”
“Corinne,” said Marie, “I’ve never heard you talk this way before. It seems like there’s been a big change to you, also.”
“Yes, I know,” said Corinne. “Having a happy little girl living with me made me realize that there’s so much more to life than trying to impress people at the country club. When I think of all those wasted years before she moved in with me…just kiding myself that it was all I wanted, and feeling so lonely deep inside.” She bent over and started to cry.
Marie quickly got up and went over to her sister, sitting on the arm of the chair and placing her arm around her shoulders.
“Oh, Sis! Please don’t cry. Everything’s all right now. And like Maryanne said, she’ll have the two of us loving her now.”
“Oh, yes! I do love her so much, Marie,” said Corinne. “I couldn’t bear to have her leave my life now. She’s such a sweet little thing I want to hold her close to me forever.”
“And I feel the same way, Sis,” said Marie. “Don’t worry. I’ll move in with you, and the three of us will be together.”
“Thank you so much, Marie. I know it’s a lot of trouble, but it’s the only way I can see how we’ll all be happy.”
Two weeks later the move was complete, and there was a ‘FOR SALE’ sign on Marie’s house. Because of the beautiful quiet location and the excellent maintenance Marie had seen the house had, she soon received a very handsome price for it. The first thing she did after the sale was over was to go shopping with Corinne and Maryanne to buy her little girl some nice Autumn dresses and other pretty things.
For the next few years, life seemed like one long continuous happy dream for all of them. They went everywhere together. And their daily life in Corinne’s house was filled with happiness. It didn’t seem possible to either of the two women, but to their delight Maryanne became even more of a girl in her habits and interests. Soon the house had other little girls coming into it. Maryanne had made friends with a number of other girls her age in the neighborhood, and some of the girls at Mrs. Pendergast's’s bridge party came with their mommies to visit her quite often, also.
In an all too short time, Maryanne had grown to the point where they had to start considering the need for a doctor and an operation. Both women were very frank with her, telling her she’d never be able to be a boy anymore if she had the operation. But instead of being afraid, Maryanne asked them how soon she could have it done.
Seven years went by, and one day Auntie hung a large picture up in the living room. It showed Maryanne in her Junior Prom gown. And she was still just as sweet and pretty when she became a young woman.
One winter night the three of them were sitting near the fireplace having
coffee. They had been talking about the different things they had done
together during the past years, and also making some plans for Spring’s
return. Suddenly Maryanne said, “I don’t care what we do from now on, because
I know we’ll all be happy as long as we’re together.”
And they were for a long, long time.
FINIS