She opened the closet door and a few seconds later and pulled out the dress I had been wearing when she caught me that Monday.  “Honey, this dress is yours.  It’s almost like mine…but it’s your size!”  She chuckled a bit before continuing.  “I’m afraid you were nearly swimming in my clothes honey…. I just hope this fits right. Now…let’s get you dressed! 

I reluctantly took off my shirt and pants, and paused, worried - this was all some kind of trick?  She laid the dress on her bed and walked back to the closet to retrieve a couple of bags and emptied them onto the bed as well.  “Ok now…let’s see…this is Friday so…”   She sorted through several pairs of panties in all sorts of colors.  “Ah…Friday…. see?”  She held them up for me to see, and right on the rear in bold embroidery, was the word “Friday.”  They were covered with rows of lace and, as I later discovered, were called rumba panties.   

“Well…here you go…put them on.”   

I looked at her and said, “Mom… would you mind, please?”  She giggled and turned her head away from me.  “I don’t know why I can’t watch you…after all, you are now my little girl.”   I took them from her, stripped off my underwear and put them on.  When they were pulled up, I told her it was OK.   

As I did, I heard her giggle and then felt a quick pat on my behind.  “Yup…Friday!”   I started to feel very awkward.  “OK now…it’s never too early to start getting used to it…put out your arms…”    She had a bra?  Before I knew it, she had it over my front, and tugged as she fastened it up in back.  “You are too young now, of course, but you’ll have to get used to these before too long and now is as good a time as any.  This is a training bra…slightly padded in the front since…well you know what I mean?  This will get you used to the feel of straps over your shoulders…”   

She looked at me critically, adjusted both straps and tugged all around the band until she seemed satisfied.  Without delay, she grabbed a large bag on her bed, and gently pulled out a long slip with layers of crisp nylon netting petticoat skirts and slipped it over my head.  I…well for some reason, I felt better.  I mean…standing in front of my own mom wearing panties and a bra was hard…but at least the slip sort of covered me up...

She took the dress and carefully unbuttoned it in the back, slipped it over my head, and turned me around again to fasten it up.  “You’ll eventually get the hang of these buttons, but for now, I’ll help you.  It is just like my dress,  but this one fits you a lot better than mine did.  Of course, mine has a zipper in back instead of these buttons but otherwise young lady…we can match!  

She had gotten me some shiny black Mary Jane shoes that…well I thought they were just the best things in the world, and cute white socks with lace around the tops.  So…there I was standing in front of Mother wearing a dress with layers of petticoat pushing out the skirt, a training bra, really cute black shoes and underwear that was…mine?  I felt scared!  I felt exhilarated!  I felt…different…

She had me walk a little, and turn slowly around so she could get a good look and check the fit.  After I turned all the way around and faced her again, she reached into yet another bag and slowly removed a large box.  When she opened it up, she gently removed a brown wig.  She looked at it, arranged it, and carefully put it over my head, tugging it all around and teasing it a bit with her fingers.  She went to her bathroom and got a brush, sat behind me again and shaped it.  “Oh my!  “You better have a  look at yourself Honey…” 

I walked over to the mirror.  When I saw my reflection …I looked…well I looked OK.  No!  I looked better than OK I think…not really pretty, but I didn’t look like a boy at all!  I just stared for the longest time.  Soon, Mom appeared behind me and put her hands gently on my shoulders.  “Honey…if I didn’t know better…”   

I remember thinking…that was what I was supposed to look like!  

Together, we walked down the hall, and down the stairs.  “Be careful now, you’re not used to not being able to see your feet…well, maybe you are?”  I giggled a little, but paid attention to what I was doing and held the handrail all the way down.  When we reached the bottom, I suddenly realized all the drapes were wide open!  That feeling of being exposed swept quickly over me again and I froze.  Mom stopped halfway to the kitchen and turned to see where I’d gone to.  “Well…are you coming?”  She glanced and saw I was staring at the front window.  “Honey…if anyone  saw you, they would never recognize it was you!   I certainly wouldn’t!  Remember what you saw in the mirror upstairs?  And if anyone does see you, you’re my niece that is visiting while David is away with relatives for Easter, OK?  Now come…we’ve got things to do in here.” 

I quickly walked (well…bolted!) to the kitchen, nearly passing her along the way.  “Whoa there, young lady…we don’t rush around like that.  A lady walks quietly…and gracefully…”  When we got to the kitchen, she smiled and continued, "Well most ladies do anyway.  I guess I’ll let you  get away with it this one time.” 

Good grief!  The kitchen window shade was up, and the curtain over the door window was open!   I froze, wanting to quickly leave the kitchen but remembering I would have to run toward the wide open window by the stairs and…it all seemed so terrible!  “Here is an apron you can use…come and let me tie it around you honey…”   

I looked away from the windows for a second, and saw her holding out her frilly pink apron.  I remained frozen, trying to make my feet move to her, but not having much luck.   She slowly walked over to me, stretched out the apron around my waist, and turned me around to tie it in back.  “You’ll have to get used to all this ….Please don’t worry though...you have to trust I would never put you in a situation where you would be embarrassed or in jeopardy…never!”

I mostly watched her as she fixed a sandwich and a couple of cold drinks.  As we went to sat down at the kitchen table, I instinctively went to pull out her chair for her.  “Honey…you’re a girl and a girl doesn’t pull out a chair for a lady…but thank you.  Now you go sit down.”   

As I pulled my chair out, I started to sit and she quickly stopped me.  “Now you’ve seen me sit before…what do you do?”  I stopped and thought.  Well…you sit?  Oh…no…that’s not right.  I stood by the chair, began lowering myself down, and at the same time, with both my hands, guided the back of my skirt over the chair seat and…”Good girl!” 

I felt really strange sitting with Mom, having lunch, wearing a dress…my dress?  But I really liked it?  And I liked when she said “Good girl!"  Strange I know, because I should have felt…well different than I did?  But she and I just talked.  Mostly I remember she wanted to know how I liked my new clothes.  She was quite curious about that and, looking back now I guess I can understand that!  After lunch, she asked me to clean the table off, and wash the dishes.  “You’ve got to put that apron to some use now, don’t you?”  And she giggled.    And remember…doctor’s orders! 

While I cleaned up everything, she sat and just watched and talked to me….quietly but not like she was whispering or anything.  At one point, she suggested I lower my own voice a bit since the kitchen window was open, and “you know who” was within earshot.   Then she whispered, “Snoopiest woman I ever knew, honey…a very nice lady, but she certainly seems to want to keep up with everyone’s business.  Anyway, remember, you’re my niece and anything you talk about should be…well, from my niece’s point of view.  Not David’s!”