Synopsis:

Audra's parents take their new little girl home to meet the family.

Audra: A New Life

by Joanne Foxcourt

Part 2 - Going Home

Story:

All the usual copyright and "viewing if you're legal" rules apply. There is no sex in this story, the character is far too young, but there is implied violence. It is a work of fiction and all the characters are fictional, any similarities to the living are chance.

Chapter 7: Home.

The morning after Dr. Coulson had seen her, Audra's parents came by. "Hi sweetheart," Marianne said, "how are you feeling this morning?"

"I'm okay mommy. I saw."

"You saw, sweetie?" Marianne asked.

"I saw down there. It's true isn't it?"

"It is, sweetie. I'm so sorry."

Audra looked at her father. She could see the pain in his eyes and in his face as he looked back at her. At that moment, she was absolutely sure that Dr. Coulson was right.

"Oh daddy, I'm so sorry!" Audra cried.

James rushed over to her. "Why are you sorry angel?"

"I blamed you, daddy. I thought that you didn't want Aaron, that you made me a girl because Aaron wasn't much of a boy."

James felt the tears trickle down his face hearing that. "Audra, I love you. I loved you as Aaron and I love you as Audra. This was the hardest decision I have ever made. You never disappointed me as my son, you made me proud. You will make me proud as my daughter. What is on the outside matters very little."

"I prayed."

"You prayed?" Marianne asked, surprised.

"I asked God to make me become a boy again. I even promised to be good, to do my homework, and be nice to my sister. It didn't work, did it?"

Marianne held her, "No sweetheart, it didn't, but God will still love you like we do."

***

"Hiya cupcake! I have news!" Marie, the day nurse, chirped as she entered Audra's room. Marie had picked 'cupcake' as her pet name for Audra since Angie had stolen 'angel' before she had a chance. There was almost a competition between the nurses on the floor over who got what pet name for Audra.

"News?"

"You betcha, great news it is. You get to go home today!"

"Home? Today?" Audra suddenly panicked.

"What's the matter? Isn't that good?"

"It is. It isn't."

Marie laughed, "Well, what is it cupcake?"

"All my friends, everyone, they'll know."

"Know what?"

"That I'm a boy pretending to be a girl."

"Audra, sweetie, you aren't pretending, you are a girl. You are a beautiful, friendly, girl. Every doctor and nurse in this hospital loves you to death. Anybody who rejects you is refusing to allow sunshine into their lives."

Audra blushed at the compliment. "I'm scared."

"We know, cupcake. Angie and I are going to help your mother get you ready. You have nothing to fear, trust me. Has Dr. Sharpe been by to see you?"

Audra nodded.

"Did she tell you about the things you need to do?"

"Do I really have to wear a dress?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so. It's not that bad though, I promise. Millions of women wear them every day and we haven't died from shame over it! Did she tell you about the stents?"

Audra blushed and nodded.

"It's important cupcake. I know it can be embarrassing, but you need to look after yourself that way. You have to be brave. You are brave, right?"

"I'll be brave, Marie."

"I know you will, Audra, you are the bravest person I have ever met."

***

"Susie!"

"Yes, mom?" Susie answered.

"Time to go and bring Audra home from the hospital."

"Isn't daddy going?"

"No, he and Ken are preparing Audra's room with the final touches and planning a special dinner."

"They're cooking?" Susie asked with surprise.

Marianne laughed, "No, we're going out. Audra doesn't know yet."

"Is that a good idea? I mean, she is just getting out of the hospital and she's not used to being a girl yet."

"I asked your father that same question. Audra loves that restaurant and your father has spoken to the owner. He wants her to feel special tonight and he thinks that going to her favorite place will help."

***

"Time to get ready Audra, your mom and sister will be here soon."

"Angie, you came!"

"Of course, angel, I have to see my favorite girl off to home don't I?"

Audra smiled and gave Angie a hug.

"Okay angel, we need to get you cleaned up a bit. Your mom is bringing some clothes, but you, my dear, are in dire need of a shower. The bandages came off yesterday, so there is no reason you can't clean yourself."

Audra giggled at Angie. "Okay, okay, I'll shower."

"Hey, and use the shampoo and conditioner in there!" Angie called at Audra's retreating form.

"What are those?" Audra giggled at her as she scurried into the shower.

As Audra showered, Angie gathered up the many cards and gifts the child had received over the weeks she had spent in the hospital. It was obvious that Audra was very well loved by those around her and it was just as obvious to Angie that Audra prayed every night trying to become a boy again.

As Angie finished cleaning up, Audra's mother and sister came into the room with Marie. "Hi Mari, Audra is showering, but she should be out soon."

Marianne smiled at the nurse; she knew that Angie and Marie had been rocks for Audra. She had already sent letters with high praise to the hospital administration for the care and concern that these two had shown her daughter. Just then, Audra stepped out from the bathroom, her towel wrapped around her waist like a boy.

"Mommy!"

"Audra, sweetie, Susie and I are here to take you home."

"I know mommy, I'm glad to be going home. I'll miss Angie and Marie though."

Marianne laughed, "I'm sure they'll miss you too. We brought some clothes, though I guess you won't be happy with them."

"I already know that I have to wear a dress."

Susie nudged Audra, "Hey sis, you know that your towel is supposed to be higher, huh?"

"Susie!" Marianne admonished, but Angie shook her head at her. Angie obviously felt that this exchange could be beneficial.

"What do you mean Susie?" Audra asked.

"Well, you're a girl now, and girls tuck their towels under their armpits so that boys can't see their chest."

"But my chest doesn't look any different."

"That's because you're still young. When you get older, it'll look like mommy's and all the boys will want to see it."

"So?"

"Silly goose, you don't want ALL the boys to see it!"

"Oh!" Audra exclaimed as she tugged the towel over her chest.

The adults in the room looked at each other and smiled. They were all thinking that this was a breakthrough in helping to get Audra to think like a girl.

Marianne cleared her throat. "It's time to get ready, Audra." She held out a pair of simple cotton panties for Audra to step into. Audra dropped her towel and Marianne saw, for the first time, the work that had been done on Audra. Obviously everything was still healing, but Marianne could see that the surgeon had done superb work, that Audra would be indistinguishable from other girls.

Audra sighed as she stepped in to the first item of girl's clothing she had ever worn. She had to admit, they were comfortable, though it looked strange not to see the tiny bulge in the front she usually made. "What is this puffy thing in my underwear?"

"It's a pad sweetie. You're still healing and you might bleed a bit for a while. The pad will catch that and keep you from ruining your clothing." Marianne replied.

"Oh."

Marianne held up a simple cotton dress. It was light blue with very little lace or trim around it. She wanted to find a simple dress, one that wasn't overly feminine, and this one seemed as basic as it could get.

Audra stared at the dress for a few seconds. This was a big step, wearing it was like a final admission that she had become a girl. Remembering her promise to Marie, Audra bravely raised her arms so that her mother could lower the dress over her. Tugging the dress into place, Marianne told Audra to hop onto the bed. From there, she placed some white ankle socks on her feet and buckled on a pair of black shoes. "Let's tie your hair back into a ponytail and then we'll be all set." Marianne told her as she combed Audra's hair back and tied it high on her head with a light blue scrunchie.

"Goodness, angel, you're a living doll!" Angie exclaimed.

"That she is." Marie agreed, "Shall we unveil the new Audra for the mirror?"

Reluctantly Audra climbed down from the bed and allowed herself to be led to the mirror. Seeing her reflection for the first time, Audra gasped in surprise. Before her was a girl, a cute girl, definitely a girl. She fainted.

***

Audra groaned as she woke up. She opened her eyes to see the worried look of three adult faces above her. "What happened?" Audra asked.

"You fainted, angel." Angie replied.

"I fainted?"

Marianne laughed, "Yes, sweetie, you did. I think the shock of seeing how pretty you really are did it. Are you okay now?"

Audra studied herself in the mirror for a few seconds. The girl in the reflection was pretty. She had long, light brown hair, clear blue eyes, and a tiny button nose. In her simple blue dress, ankle socks, and black Mary Janes, the girl in the mirror was a picture of youthful innocence. "I'm okay, mommy, I was just surprised."

"Well, sweetie, if you're feeling better, we should be going home. Daddy has a surprise for you and then we're going to go out for your favorite food!" Marianne said.

Audra gulped, "Out for food? But everyone will know."

"Know? Yes, they will know that Daddy and I have the two prettiest daughters in the whole city."

"You have nothing to fear Audra, just smile at people and they will fall in love with you right away. You have no reason to feel shame or concern." Angie told her as well.

Marie pushed a wheelchair into the room. "Hospital regulations, one free exit ride to a customer!" Audra climbed on to the chair and Marie began wheeling her down the hallway to the nursing station, everyone else trailing.

At the nursing station, a crowd of nurses and doctors had already gathered. Angie knelt in front of the wheelchair, "Angel, in the time you have been here you have made a real impression on all of us. Your bravery and sunny smile have brightened our days and nights. We are all happy that you are going home and sad that you are leaving us. To mark this special day, all of us have a gift for you." With that, Angie brought out a gold necklace with an angel charm. "The eyes of the angel are made of amethyst which brings courage to the wearer. On the back is an inscription. Do you want me to read it?"

Audra nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

"It says: For our Angel of Grace Hospital."

Audra felt the tears leak from her eyes as Angie clasped the necklace around her neck while everyone at the nursing station clapped. "Thank you, Angie and everyone. You have all been so nice to me and I will miss you."

Marie touched her head from behind the wheelchair. "You'll be back to visit, cupcake, so we'll see you again."

Audra held the angel on the necklace as Marie wheeled her out to the car.

***

"Okay Ken, they're on their way. Is everything ready?" James asked.

"You bet, Dad." Ken replied as he surveyed the changes they had made to Audra's bedroom. They wanted to be very careful not to overdo the feminine, but they also wanted to mute the masculine a bit. The walls were repainted a baby blue, the original bed was replaced by a four-poster bed done in white and covered in baby blue comforter with light pink trim. A make-up table, though without any make-up yet, was placed in one of the corners and a stand-up mirror was placed near the door. All of the new stuffed animals that had been sent to the house instead of the hospital were placed on the bed. The boy's clothing was removed and replaced with girl's clothing. Heeding the warning from Sheila Coulson, James had made sure that Audra's baseball posters, toys, and other mementos of Audra's past were kept intact and in the room.

The doorbell rang. "Go get that Ken, it's your grandparents." James had given the house staff time off, with pay, since Audra had been kidnapped. The staff would be returning tomorrow, tonight was for family.

Ken trotted down to the front door and opened it. "Grandma and Grandpa Jones! I didn't expect you!" Ken smiled with pleasure. He seldom saw his maternal grandparents since they lived quite a distance away, but he guessed that he should have expected them to be here for Audra's homecoming.

Grandma Jones gave him a hug and kiss as she entered. "How's my lad doing?" She asked.

"I'm doing fine, Grandma," he replied as he shook hands with his grandfather.

"You're looking good and fit Ken, how's the summer been?" Grandpa Jones asked.

"Stressful, Grandpa, very stressful since Audra was hurt."

"You blame yourself, don't you?"

"Sometimes I do. I'm her big brother, I was his big brother and I should have looked after Aaron. Because I failed to do that, Aaron has become Audra."

"Ken, you're too hard on yourself. You couldn't have prevented this. You're a good man, Ken, don't let yourself forget it. Just look after Audra like you do Susie, she'll need that from you."

"I know Grandpa; my mind tells me that, my heart often tells me different. I'll be watching over Audra, I won't make that mistake again."

Grandma Jones gave him another hug as the doorbell rang again. Ken opened the door for Grandma and Grandpa Wilson. "Lucy and Frank, it's so good to see you again!" Grandma Wilson exclaimed. That was followed by general greetings with hugs and handshakes all around as James came downstairs.

***

For the drive home, Marianne had placed the two girls in the back seat which gave Susie a chance to provide more 'wisdom' to her new sister. "Okay Audra, time for another lesson in girlhood." Susie told her.

"Another lesson?" Audra asked.

"Well, two actually and the first is getting in and out of a car in a dress."

"Huh? What's so special about that?"

"You are a goose! You can't just climb into a car in a dress; you'll flash everyone around you. You have to sit on the edge of the seat and then swivel your legs in."

Audra looked abashed, "Oh. I didn't know."

"S'okay sis, that's why it's a lesson," Susie told her. "The second is that you have to sit with your legs together. Girls don't sit like they need to scratch."

Audra giggled.

Marianne smiled to herself. Obviously Susie was going to be a big help getting Audra acclimatized to being a girl. The two were always pretty close, especially for a brother and sister, but this will probably bring them even closer together.

***

Ken was on window watch when his mother's car came down the driveway. "They're coming!" He shouted as he rushed out the door to meet them. He waved at Audra in the car and she waved back at him, smiling. As the car came to a stop, he ran up and opened the car door for her.

Audra, conscious of the lesson her older sister had just given her, swiveled her legs out of the car and allowed Ken to help her stand. As soon as she stood, Ken swept her into a big bear hug and he whispered in her ear, "Welcome home, brat, I've missed you terribly."

Audra leaned back in her brother's arms and noticed the trickle of tears in his eyes. Carefully, she wiped them away with her hands and kissed him on the cheek. "I missed you too, bro."

Ken carried her into the house, his arms around her protectively, to be greeted by "Surprise!" Her father and grandparents rushed to greet her. Within seconds, she was being surrounded and smothered with affection from everyone.

Grandpa Jones picked her up, "My you look just like your Grandma did when she was your age, as cute as a button and as pretty as a butterfly."

Audra giggled as his whiskers tickled her face. "I love you Grandpa, I'm so glad you're here."

"Me too, sweetheart. Your Grandma and I wouldn't have missed this for the world."

James swept his new daughter from her grandfather, "Are you ready for your surprise, slugger?"

"Born ready, Daddy." Audra laughed.

James carried his daughter up to her room. "Ken and I worked overtime on this, so we both hope you like it."

Ken flung open the door with a flourish. "Tada!"

James set Audra down so she could walk into her new room. She walked to the center of the room and turned slowly, her face was unreadable as everyone held their breath awaiting her reaction. Suddenly, Audra burst out crying and ran over to her father, "Oh Daddy, I was so afraid!"

Surprised, James picked her up, "Afraid? Afraid of what?"

"That everything I had would be gone!"

"Oh no, sweetheart, we couldn't do that to you. You're Audra now, but you are also Aaron and it wouldn't be right to take that away. We wanted the room to reflect who you are now. Do you like it?"

"I love it Daddy, thank you."

Chapter 8: Release.

Audra's favorite restaurant was Franco's, a Tex-Mex restaurant that specialized in the hot and spicy. Audra was a bit addicted to spicy foods and loved to badger her father into dinner there. With all of the people coming out to celebrate Audra's first night at home, they had to take several vehicles and Audra rode with Grandma and Grandpa Jones since she saw them so infrequently.

"How are you feeling, Audra?" Grandpa Jones asked.

"I'm okay, Grandpa."

"Just okay?"

"It's hard, Grandpa, nothing is the same anymore."

"I understand sweetheart, but it won't be that bad."

"I hope so Grandpa. What will my friends think?"

"If they're real friends, they'll accept you as you are. If they don't, then they weren't real friends and you're better off without them. A real friend is one that you can count on when the chips are down."

"I guess the chips are down."

Grandma Jones smiled back at Audra, "I think you're wrong, sweetheart. It feels that way now, but you are beautiful, you have a wonderfully warm personality, and you have a caring family. Your Daddy told me that the doctors and nurses just loved you."

Audra fingered the angel on her necklace. "I guess so Grandma, I haven't seen Mike yet."

Susie, who was riding with them, poked Audra, "Being a girl is a lot of fun. You'll see! Shopping, clothes, makeup, sleepovers, boys, it's the best!"

"Boys?!?" Audra looked shocked.

"What's wrong with boys?" Susie asked.

"I can't date boys."

"Why not? You're a girl now."

"I can't! I just can't!" Audra tried to explain almost frantically.

Grandma Jones interrupted, "It's too soon anyways. Don't fret Audra; you don't have to date boys if you don't want to."

Audra looked relieved.

***

"Wilson, party of 9." James told the Maitre d'.

"Right this way Sir, Mister Franco has reserved a special place for you tonight." He responded as he led the party to a festively decorated table. The Maitre d' looked at Audra, "You must be the guest of honor tonight, I was told to watch for a beautiful girl such as yourself. Please, sit here at the place of honor." He pulled out her chair.

Audra blushed as she sat, but her mind was whirling. What did they know? Did Mister Franco know? He must. What will he think? Audra thanked the Maitre d' for his courtesy.

"Ah, such a delightfully polite child. It was my pleasure." He smiled at her.

"Mister Wilson! Welcome, welcome back to Franco's!" Came the booming voice of Mr. Franco, the owner. "You must introduce me to this fine group of people!"

James laughed, "Henry, you know them all!"

"But, I don't know this delightful looking lass! She is a treasure, no?" He said as he turned to Audra.

James smiled, "Allow me to introduce my daughter, Audra."

Mr. Franco gently kissed her hand. "My dear Audra, you grace my establishment with your beauty. Be welcome here."

Audra giggled as she blushed. "Mister Franco, you already know me!"

"My dear child, I do know you and I don't all at the same time, but I will learn in time. I'm so pleased to meet the new you and I want you to know that you are still my favorite customer. One who shares, with me, the love of spice will always be a treasure in my heart."

"Thank you Mister Franco, I'm glad to be back." Audra told him with another blush.

Mr. Franco smiled at her and turned to the waiter, "This is my treat. Whatever they wish, bring it to them, for tonight is a celebration of life!"

James tried to protest.

"Ah, no my friend, I too have missed Audra and her enjoyment of my food. Let this be my gift to her for her courage and her beauty. That she is here for her recovery and her homecoming is special to me."

James acquiesced, "How can I deny such eloquence!"

"Hush, you'll make me blush! I'm but a simple cook."

James laughed.

***

The food was wonderful. Audra ordered her usual chili and taco platter, extra spicy and began to dig in as she always did. Susie nudged her. "Huh?" Audra asked, surprised.

Susie whispered, "You're eating like a boy."

"So?"

"Girls take smaller bites; eating like a starving dog doesn't look ladylike."

"Oh."

"And don't say 'huh', polite ladies say 'yes'."

"This is getting complicated!" Audra grumped at her sister, but she slowed down all the same.

Marianne smiled as she overheard the most recent exchange, realizing that she would have to coach Susie in how to reinforce the feminine traits without being too pushy about it. So far Susie was doing a really good job, but Audra was off-balance and she would push back at some point. The encouragement would have to be more subtle.

***

As adults had a tendency to do, they began to forget about the children at the table as conversation drifted to other topics. It was inevitable, perhaps, that somebody would bring up the state of the kidnappers. Audra stopped eating at that point, trying to hear what her father had to say.

"One of the kidnappers was wounded during the rescue," James was explaining, "so he was taken to the hospital. They brought the others in to question them and they had started to get some information when one of the rookies let it slip that their wounded partner had died on the way to the hospital."

"Good." Ken grunted.

"Well, not so good, as it turned out. When the others heard this, they apparently made some sort of grinding motion with their teeth and then collapsed. Apparently, they all had cyanide capsules inside a fake tooth and committed suicide. All the police were able to determine is that these were part of some fundraising cell of a terrorist group."

Audra felt a profound sense of relief wash through her at this information. She had been harboring a hidden sense of fear that the kidnappers would come looking to hurt even more, maybe even kill her. Tears of relief began to course down her cheeks.

"It appears that this was the first time they had tried this..." James was explaining before he noticed the look on Audra's face, "What's the matter, slugger?"

"I'm safe?" Audra asked tentatively.

James got up from the table and picked her up into his arms, holding her. "You're safe, sweetheart; they will never hurt you again."

Audra clung to her father, crying the strong tears from release of her terror at the kidnappers. James gently stroked her back as her body shuddered at the strength of her release.

Chapter 9: First Night Home.

Marianne brought Audra up to her newly decorated room. "Okay sweetie, we have to get you ready for bed. First, I want you to take a nice, hot, bubble bath."

"A bath? I never take baths!" Audra told her.

"Trust me sweetie, baths are the most wonderful things for relaxing." Marianne replied as she readied the tub in Audra's bathroom. "I think you need to relax a bit and the bubbles will take away your tension."

"Okay mommy, I'll try it."

"Good girl. Let's get you undressed and then I'll get everything else ready."

As Audra soaked in the tub, she quickly realized that her mother was quite correct; the bath was really relaxing and she even began to drift off. Her mother's voice woke her from her reverie.

"Okay prune, time to prepare for bed! First, you have to take these pills."

"What are the pills, mommy?"

"These will help you become a healthy young woman. You have to take some in the morning and at night. It's really important sweetie, if you don't take them, you could become ill."

"Okay mommy, then what?"

"Your stents, sweetheart, but I'll give you some privacy for that."

"Those hurt, mommy."

"I know, but it's necessary, sweetheart. You did promise Nurse Marie that you would brave didn't you?"

"Yes, mommy."

Marianne gave Audra some privacy so that she could look after herself. She could hear Audra crying quietly with the difficulty of the task. Poor child, she thought, this can't be easy for her. Marianne bustled about the room, taking a new nightgown from the closet and preparing a new pair of panties with a pad for Audra. Marianne smiled thinking that Audra would be pleasantly surprised at how comfy the nighty would be.

Audra came out of the bathroom, her eyes were still a little red from crying, but she had obviously made some effort to hide her discomfort and she had wrapped the towel so that it covered her chest. Marianne gave her a hug and a kiss, "I see you remembered about the towel. I'm proud of you, Audra. Let's get you dressed and then you can say goodnight to everyone."

Marianne held out the fresh pair of panties, these ones in a light shade of blue, for Audra to step into. Once Audra had pulled them up, having dropped the towel, Marianne held up the light blue nighty for her. "Arms up, sweetie!"

Audra hesitated at the nighty, "Can't I wear pajamas?"

"Sorry sweetie, but the doctors are concerned that more restrictive clothing would cause you harm. You're still healing you know. I think you'll be surprised at how comfy a nightgown is, though, and you may never want to wear pajamas again."

"I'll try, mommy." Audra replied as she raised her arms for her mother. Marianne slipped the nightgown over Audra who shivered slightly at the cool, slippery feel of the silk. "This feels nice, mommy!" Audra exclaimed, surprised in spite of herself.

Marianne laughed, "There are some pleasures in being a girl, sweetheart! The smooth, delicate feel of the clothing is just one of them. Okay sweetie, let's go downstairs and say goodnight."

***

Audra lay awake in the dark of her room after everyone had said their goodnights and kissed her. While her homecoming had been surprisingly pleasant, she was having difficulty getting comfortable in the role that had been thrust upon her. Silently, she crawled from the bed and knelt down in an attitude of prayer.

"Please God; if you can hear me, this is Aaron. I know I have asked you this a lot, but I can't help it. I feel so afraid and I can't deal with this. I don't know how to be a girl; can't you make me a boy again?" Audra prayed, her tears sliding down her cheeks. "I promise that I will do anything you ask. Please make me a boy again. Please?"

Audra climbed back into bed again and softly cried herself to sleep.

***

James sat bolt upright in his bed. Audra's screams of sheer terror pierced his soul and bolted out of bed to her room. Inside, he was greeted with the sight of Audra sitting ramrod straight, tears streaming down her face as she screamed her voice raw. James grabbed her and held her. "I'm here sweetheart, I'm here. It was just a bad dream. You're okay." He murmured into her ear.

Audra clung to him crying as the rest of the family gathered at the doorway of her room. "Oh Daddy! They came for me. They were going to hurt me even more. I was so scared, it was dark and all I heard was the voices that told me I would have to pay."

James continued to stroke her hair. "They can't hurt you anymore, sweetheart. You're safe with Daddy, I promise."

Marianne shooed everyone away from the door and plugged in a nightlight for Audra. Then she took Audra from James' arms and hugged her. "I plugged in a light for you, baby, to chase away the darkness. Mommy and Daddy are here now and we'll watch over you. Sleep now, baby, and the light will protect you."

Audra lied back down, her sobs subsiding in the comforting warmth of her parents. As they watched over her, she drifted back into sleep. Both parents kissed her tenderly on the forehead as they got up to go back to sleep.

"I'm worried James," Marianne told her husband. "She has a lot of scars."

"Me too, I'll talk to Sheila in the morning."

***

Audra dreamed again, but it was nicer this time. In this dream, she was a beautiful young woman and she floated through the light on gossamer wings. As she rose, she beheld wondrous gates of pearl. Before the gates stood a man with a long, flowing beard and a kindly visage dressed in shimmering robes of white.

"Welcome daughter, what seek you within?" He asked of her.

"I seek peace, Sir." The dream Audra replied.

"Peace, my daughter?"

"I'm torn, Sir, I live between two worlds."

"Oh daughter, your time is not yet. You stand between two worlds, that of men and that of women, but the time will come when you will embrace one of these worlds. Before then, you will face many trials and you will become stronger for them, do not let these trials discourage you. Then, after these trials, you will discover your inner self and you will blossom for the world."

"What am I to be?"

"You are Aaron. You are Audra. You are to be you; and that is truly both and more."

"Thank you, Sir. I will return then."

"Go with our love, daughter."

Audra woke up.

Chapter 10: Shopping.

"Your friend is out of the hospital, Mike." June Davidson told her son as she hung up the phone.

"Aaron is out? That's so cool, I've missed him. So has the team." Mike responded.

Jane sighed a bit, looking at her son and thinking that it was probably about time he learned the truth about what happened. "You know, Mike; there is something you need to know about what happened to Aaron and why you weren't allowed to visit."

"What do you mean, Mom? He was rescued okay wasn't he?"

"He was, but he was hurt very badly. The people who kidnapped him did a very evil thing to him, so evil that the doctors at the hospital were left with no real choice. They had to make Aaron into a girl."

"A girl?!? How could they make Aaron into a girl?" Mike looked shocked to the core.

"These evil men took something away from Aaron, I'm sure you can guess what it was." Unconsciously, Mike crossed his legs looking very uncomfortable, as June went on, "Aaron is now Audra. She is having some difficulty adjusting."

"She?"

"She." June repeated firmly, "Audra is a girl whether she wanted it or not. She had no control over it, she was in a coma and they had to act fast."

"She..." Mike muttered to himself. "Why couldn't I have visited?"

"Audra needed some time to adjust, to try and come to terms with what had happened. Being reminded of a lot of what she had lost would have hurt her too much."

"Oh." Mike replied as he slipped into thought.

"Why don't you go over and visit her later? I'm sure she would like to see you."

"Huh?" Mike asked, pulled from his reverie. "Oh, sure Mom, I will."

***

Audra climbed out of bed, strangely at peace with herself after her last dream. Feeling a little chilled in the predawn air of her bedroom, she wandered over to her closet looking for a robe and slippers. Opening the door of the closet, she discovered that her male clothing had been replaced by the feminine.

Audra examined some of the skirts and dresses she found. There wasn't a lot, but what were there were fairly simple, basic colors, nothing too feminine. Audra didn't know whether to be relieved or miffed at that. Experimentally, she took down a white dress, with small ruffles around the arms and the base, and held it to her body in front of the mirror.

As her eyes lost focus from her thoughts, she realized that she had forgotten that she was wearing a dress last night. At first, she was conscious of it, but it had been so comfortable and light, that it had passed through her thoughts. Looking at this new dress in front of her, she concluded that it would look nice on her.

Still a bit chilled from the air, she hung the dress back up and looked for a robe. She found two, one in white and one in pink. Torn for a minute, a small part of her suddenly decided to try the pink, so she put it on. Digging around in the closet, she found a pair of cute, pink, bunny slippers that seemed to go with the robe, so she put them on as well. As she went to leave her room, she again caught sight of the cute girl, looking cozy in her pink robe and bunny slippers. She looked at the girl and then addressed her. "I don't know if I want you around yet, but you haven't been so bad. My dream said you were a part of me, so I guess we should be friends." Audra smiled at the girl in the mirror.

As she walked down the stairs, she could hear the bustle of the cook in the kitchen. Suddenly shy, Audra stopped on the stairs looking like a deer caught in headlights. Just then, the door to the dining room opened and Ken walked out. "Hey, brat! Just in time for breakfast." He smiled.

"Uh..." Audra extemporized.

"What's the matter, kid?"

"I don't know; I just got nervous all of a sudden."

"Oh, come on, you look great. What is it with women these days, expecting to wake up looking like they just had six hours of makeup work done on them?"

Audra giggled. "Thanks, Ken." She smiled, though she knew her brother had deliberately misinterpreted her nervousness.

Ken extravagantly opened the door to the dining room. "Ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to present, Miss America!" He announced. Audra blushed as her grandparents and parents clapped appreciatively. She swatted Ken on the way by and he just laughed at her as he tousled her hair.

Alison Kent, the family cook, popped out of the kitchen. "Good morning Audra, what would you like for breakfast?" She asked.

"Can I have my usual?" Audra asked.

"It's 'may I' dear." Marianne corrected absently.

Alison smiled at the child. "Certainly, sweetie." She said.

As Audra took her place at the table, her mother raised an eyebrow at her. "What made you choose the pink robe, Audra?"

Audra blushed, "I don't know Mommy, and it just seemed like a good idea."

"It was, sweetheart; I was just curious. I'm quite proud of you."

Audra didn't understand why her parents seemed so pleased about the pink robe, it was just a robe. Still, if a pink robe made them happy, then Audra didn't have any issue with it she was thinking as she absently swallowed the pills her mother placed in front of her.

"Do you want to go shopping today, Audra?" Marianne asked.

"What for Mommy?"

"Well, we need to get some more clothing for you and I thought you might like to get some new books and maybe some video games for your computer."

"Don't I have enough clothing?" Audra wasn't a big fan of clothing shopping.

"Sweetheart, a girl never has enough clothing." Grandma Jones laughed.

"Okay Mommy, can I get some pants and shorts?"

"Yes dear, though you can't wear them for a few weeks while you finish healing." Marianne replied. Audra looked disappointed.

***

"Hurry up, slowpoke! The stores are waiting for us!" Susie called into Audra's room.

"I don't know what to wear!" Audra practically wailed.

Susie popped into the room. "Need help?" She asked.

"Please!" Audra practically begged.

"Okay, first girl lesson for today," began Susie. "We're going clothes shopping and that means trying on a lot of clothes, so you want to make it easy to change in and out of your street clothing. With me so far?"

Audra nodded, "I guess so."

"Since you can't wear pants yet, your best bet is a skirt and a blouse with a buttoned top. That way you don't have to yank things over your head. Let's see what you've got..." Susie began poking in the relatively bare closet. "I don't know Sis, you need some variety here. Hmm. This looks promising," Susie commented as she stepped out of the closet holding up a jean skirt and a white, short sleeved, blouse.

"Umm..." Audra hesitated.

"Look Audra, you don't have a lot of clothes and the doctors said you had to wear skirts for a few weeks. This'll be comfortable and it'll look nice."

Audra sighed and took the clothing from Susie. "Okay, look the other way while I put them on."

"You haven't got anything I haven't seen before, you know."

"Doesn't matter." Audra replied as Susie shrugged and turned her back. Audra quickly donned the skirt and then blouse, but she began to fumble with the buttons. "Why are these backwards?" Audra complained as she finally got them done up.

"Why is what backwards?"

"The buttons, they're on the wrong side."

"Silly goose, girl's shirts have buttons on the other side." Susie told her as she turned around to help. "Oh, you should have put the blouse on before the skirt; it's easier to tuck in that way."

"Now you tell me!"

"Hey, I can't think of everything. Just undo the skirt and tuck everything in. Once you do up the skirt, lift the hem and pull your blouse down from the inside. That will make it tight and less sloppy looking."

"I'm never going to remember all of this." Audra grumbled.

Susie laughed at her as she fished out a pair of sandals from the closet. "Here, put these shoes on, they go okay. Then I'll braid your hair so it keeps out of the way."

Audra sat down and put on the sandals. They aren't too different from my old sandals, she thought as Susie started brushing her hair and twisting it into a braid.

After a few minutes of hair tugging, Susie announced, "I'm done! Let's have a look in the mirror."

Audra looked at herself in the mirror. Again, the cute girl was back and looking ready to go out. She let her eyes travel from her head to her toes, feeling the strange stiffness of the French braid that Susie had given her.

"You need nail polish, your toes are boring." Susie decided.

"It can wait." Audra replied, not really anxious for that idea to bear fruit.

"I guess so. Ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be."

"Not 'born ready' this time?" Susie asked, a bit surprised that Audra hadn't used her favorite expression.

"Not for this."

***

"You both look great!" Marianne complimented her daughters as they came downstairs. "Are you ready for some power shopping?" The girls nodded. "Okay, then out to the car."

Marianne herded the girls to the car, pleased that Audra remembered the instructions about getting in to a vehicle in a dress or skirt. She's learning, Marianne thought, as she climbed behind the wheel after ensuring the two were buckled in safely.

The drive to the mall was uneventful, but Audra became more and more nervous as they got closer. Despite the dinner last night, Audra wasn't really used to being in public as a girl and she was deathly afraid that somebody would call her out as a boy.

Marianne spotted her nervousness, "Come along sweetie, you haven't anything to fear with me here."

"Okay mommy." Audra responded as she reluctantly climbed from the car.

"Where to first?" Sheila asked.

"I think we need to do this from the skin out," Marianne replied. "So, let's do Aleda's Lingerie first." She led the two girls inside, holding on to Audra's hand comfortingly.

Entering the store, Audra was struck by the definite feminine state of the place. Sure there was the odd boy, dragged inside by his mother, but this was definitely a place intended for women and men were intruders.

A young woman walked up to the trio. "Marianne! What brings you into see us today?"

"Hi Danielle, I need to get some things for my daughter, Audra."

"Audra?"

"Audra, say 'hi' to Danielle. Danielle works here and she is going to help us today."

"Hi Danielle," Audra said.

"Hi Audra, aren't you a pretty girl." Danielle smiled. She looked at Marianne with a question in her eyes.

"Susie, why don't you take Audra and have a look around? I want to give Danielle a 'grocery list' of things to find for me."

Susie grabbed Audra's hand and dragged her off to the swimsuit section.

As the girls departed, Danielle looked at Marianne. "What's going on Mari?"

Marianne sighed, "It's a long story..." She proceeded to tell Danielle what had happened to Aaron and why he was here now.

By the time Marianne had finished, Danielle had tears in her eyes. "My God, the poor child," she stated.

Marianne nodded. "We're here so that we can get Audra a whole new wardrobe. I'm starting with the skin out, so I came to my favorite store."

"Any idea what she would like?" Danielle asked.

"Knowing Audra, the plainer the better, however, I think I want to add some truly feminine items, age appropriate of course, to the collection. I most definitely want her wearing a training bra. She's starting to develop from the medication, though she hasn't noticed yet, and she'll need them. They'll also help to remind her that she's a girl."

"Well, let's get her measured," Danielle nodded in agreement.

Marianne waved the girls to the change room area. "Okay Audra, we need you to take off your skirt and blouse for some measurements."

"Here? In front of other people?" Audra looked panicked.

"It's okay Audra, only women can come back here and they will be polite." Marianne replied.

Shaking, Audra removed the skirt and blouse, hoping that they wouldn't ask her to remove her underwear--no, panties--at the same time.

Danielle quickly did some measurements and then told Audra to wait for a minute before she put everything back on. A minute later, with Audra getting more nervous, Danielle came back with a white training bra. "Okay Audra, let's try this on for fit."

"A bra?" Audra asked, surprised.

"It's a training bra sweetheart. In case you haven't noticed, you're actually starting to develop in the chest a little," Marianne told her.

Audra blushed, "I am? How?"

"You're a big girl now and your medication is helping that along a bit." Marianne told her.

Danielle slipped the bra onto Audra and adjusted the straps and the chest band. "How does that feel?"

"Weird," Audra replied.

"You'll get used to it," Danielle told her. "You'll appreciate it a bit later when you really start to fill out, trust me. Okay, you can get dressed and I'll round up a selection of other items. Keep the bra on dear."

Audra nodded as she started dressing again. She remembered Susie's advice and put the blouse on first. After doing up the skirt, she tugged the blouse down and straightened it out. Marianne smiled at seeing the way Audra dressed; the girl really is learning, she thought.

Audra caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and stopped. With the new bra, her chest suddenly seemed so much more girl-like than before. Audra frowned at the reflection, not sure that she liked this new situation or the bra for that matter. Audra was very conscious of the bra and the way its straps tightened around her in odd, unfamiliar, places.

***

"Okay, let's get some general clothing." Marianne announced after the first set of packages were stowed into the car. She led the girls to a shop that provided general, daily clothing.

Grabbing a cart, Marianne, started browsing her way through the various racks. Every now and then, she would pick up an item and hold it against Audra. After collecting what seemed like a billion articles of clothing, Marianne led Audra to the change rooms. "Okay sweetie, let's try these one."

"All of these?!?" Audra asked incredulously.

"All of them," Marianne nodded affirmatively. "So shake a leg. Take this in first." Marianne held up a pink jumper and shirt set.

Audra looked at the proffered clothing askew. "They're pink," she noted.

"So?"

"Umm... I don't know, I guess." Audra replied as she trudged off to the booth. Inside, she took off her outer clothing and quickly donned the set. She was surprised to find that they fit quite comfortable. If only they weren't pink, Audra thought.

"Come out so I can see you, Audra." Marianne told her. Audra grudgingly came out of the booth. "Oh, that looks pretty and it seems to fit you well," Marianne commented.

"They look so nice, Audra." Susie commented.

"I guess." Audra shrugged.

"Okay, try this on and bring that set back out," Marianne instructed, holding out a pair of light blue capris pants and a white top.

Audra changed again and came back out with the last set of clothing and handed them to Marianne. "These pants are too short," Audra noted.

Susie laughed, "That's the way they're supposed to be, you goose!"

"Oh," Audra said looking embarrassed.

"Don't tease your sister, Susie, she didn't know." Marianne instructed, holding out more clothes for Audra.

Eventually, after what seemed like ages but was really only about an hour, Audra finally finished trying on the pile of clothing her mother had found. Marianne had sorted the results into two groups: accepted and rejected. Audra noted that the pink jumper was in the accepted pile, but there were some shorts and pants in the collection, so she let it go. For some reason, the pink jumper bothered her and she couldn't really put a finger on why.

***

"Okay, fancier clothing for evenings out," Marianne announced as the next stop. "We'll have to hurry this one along a bit; I've arranged an appointment for us."

"An appointment?" Audra asked.

"She means the hair salon," Susie replied.

"Why?"

"She wants to spoil us. Trust me, you'll enjoy it." Susie asserted.

"Okay, I guess." Audra didn't seem too sure.

"Besides, maybe they'll do something about your boring toes." Susie laughed.

Audra looked even less sure about that as Marianne led them into another shop. This one was definitely for catering to the fancier events, with a variety of styles ranging from the princess-like gowns to the eye-popping, God I want sex, gowns.

"Mari, welcome back!" Lucille, the owner of Top Dress, called out.

"Lucille, I'm so glad you're here today!" Marianne replied as the two ladies hugged. Lucille and Marianne were old friends.

"I see you've brought your lovely daughters in today. Are you here for them?"

"Of course. Audra needs a whole wardrobe and Susie is due for some updates."

"Well, this will be fun," Lucille smiled. "Audra, my sweet, welcome to my store. You've changed since I last saw you, but you look adorable."

Audra blushed.

Lucille knelt down in front of Audra and took her hands. "Child, I know what happened; your mother and I have been friends for a long time. I want you to know that I admire you for your courage and that you are a beautiful girl. Today, I'm going to show you the truly gorgeous side of yourself and I want you to enjoy that. Will you help me?"

Audra looked surprised. "I'll try, Lucille."

"I know you will, my sweet, I know you will." Lucille said, straightening up. She looked at her assistant and said, "Tina, would you look after Missus Wilson and young Susie? I want to give Audra, here, my complete attention."

Marianne smiled happily, "Audra, do what Lucille tells you and have fun. Susie and I will be nearby if you need us. Thank you, Lucille." Marianne knew Audra would have fun with Lucille, she was always a bit of rebel and she and Aaron had gotten along very well before.

Lucille winked as she turned back to Audra, "Come, my sweet, let's party!" Audra laughed as she followed Lucille to the back. "Okay, first we have to measure you, so I need you to strip down to your panties. Is that a bra you're wearing?"

Audra blushed, "Uh huh. Mommy bought it for me today."

"Congratulations darling! That's wonderful. A girl's first bra is a big event, you know."

"It is?"

"Oh yes, a big event. Not quite the same as a wedding, but still a big event. Have you named them yet?"

"Named them?"

"Your breasts. I call mine 'Gumby' and 'Pokey' you see. 'Gumby,' because my toothless husband favors it, and 'Pokey,' because the other one seems to perk up at just the oddest times."

Audra laughed. It was the first time that she had really laughed since she had woken up in the hospital and it felt like a soothing balm over her soul. Hugging Lucille, Audra said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome! Breast naming is a rite of passage, you know, so you had better think about it," Lucille told her with mock seriousness. "Now shuck the clothes, my sweet, so I can measure you and turn you into a vision."

Audra got undressed, still giggling at Lucille's outrageous comments. As Lucille measured her, Audra realized that she was seeing a side of Lucille she hadn't seen before. Lucille had always been really nice to her, but when Audra was Aaron, there were things that Lucille would never say. Now it was different. Audra felt like she had suddenly entered a very exclusive club that had been previously denied to her.

"Okay, I have your measurements, you lucky girl. Wait here and I'll be back with the first creation for you to try on."

Audra nodded as Lucille bustled out into the store. Within minutes, Lucille was back with a dress that looked like it was made of silk and an odd collection of what looked like a bulky lace skirt. The dress was quite pretty, Audra had to admit, though she hadn't figured on ever wearing such an outfit herself. It was in pink satin with white lace detailing around the neck, cuffs, and hem and it was finished at the waist with a large bow done in white. "Umm... wow," Audra commented.

"It's a gown suitable for a princess, my sweet!" Lucille pronounced. "First, we have to put on the petticoats," Lucille continued, holding out the mass of lace.

"Petticoats?"

"They puff out the skirt and make it look more feminine and delicate. Trust me; you'll look divine with these and this dress." Lucille told her as she tied the petticoats around Audra's waist.

Lucille then helped Audra don the dress and zipped her up. After fussing with the bow and adjusting the drop of the skirt and petticoats, she led Audra over to the mirror.

Audra's jaw dropped. Facing her was truly a princess, despite the bare feet, done up in satin wonder. Audra was even mesmerized by the feel of the petticoats as they swirled around her legs. In spite of herself, she decided that she liked it.

"Like it?" Lucille asked, partly holding her breath to herself. This was the most feminine creation she had in the store and she had decided to baptize Audra with fire. If Audra hated it...

"I don't know what to say," Audra hesitated. "I do like it, but I don't know why."

"It's because you're a pretty girl and pretty girls like to see something special in themselves every now an then."

Just then Marianne and Susie walked in. "Oh my God, Audra, you look absolutely adorable!" Susie cried.

Audra blushed as Marianne laughed, "She's right, sweetie, and you look like a princess in that dress."

"But, we still have to do something about those toes," Susie decided.

***

Marianne and the girls carted the large collection of clothing to the car. They had bought several fancy dresses for Audra and Susie, and Marianne had even indulged herself with a new cocktail dress. Audra still found that a bit weird, being in the dressing room as her mother came in, and shrugged off her clothing without a thought, to try on the dress. Aaron had never seen his mother so undressed before and Audra, who was still Aaron in many ways, wasn't sure of what to make of it.

"Okay, let's get to the salon for our appointments!" Marianne announced. "After that, we'll get a bite to eat and then finish off at the shoe store."

As they entered the salon, Audra was almost overwhelmed by the sounds and smells that filled the air. She heard her mother say, "Wilson appointment."

"Three of you today," asked the lady behind the counter.

"Myself and my two daughters, for the works!" Marianne smiled.

"The works?" Audra asked Susie in a whisper.

"Hair, make-up, nails, the works." Susie told her.

Audra looked nervous again as a young lady came up and asked her to follow.

"It's okay, you go with her and enjoy. Trust me, sweetie, you'll have fun if you let yourself."

Audra nodded reluctantly, "Okay, mommy."

The girl looked at her kindly. "First time?" She asked as she led Audra to a back room.

Audra nodded again.

"Oh, well, we'll have fun, believe me. You'll feel so relaxed. Now, first you have to take off your skirt, top, and shoes and put on this robe and slippers." The girl told her, holding up a pink robe and slippers.

Audra blushed as she shyly took off her clothing and donned the robe and slippers. "What's your name?" She asked the girl.

"Denise."

"Please to meet you Denise, I'm Aa... Audra" Audra stuck out her hand.

Denise laughed, shaking the proffered hand. "My, you're a polite young girl. Okay, Audra, let's get your hair washed."

Denise led Audra to the sinks and sat her in a chair in front of one. Leaning Audra back, she turned on the water and began rinsing her hair. Audra allowed her eyes to close, this was her favorite part of getting her hair cut before and it was still quite enjoyable. She felt herself slipping into a semi-dream state as Denise lathered and rinsed her hair several times.

"Okay sleepy-kitty, let's go over to the chair and get started." Denise told her as she handed Audra out of the chair and led over to the workstation. "Your mommy has already told me what she wanted, so we're going to do a little trim and then give you some light curls. Nothing too dramatic, I promise!"

Denise hummed quietly as she combed out Audra's hair and began snipping the ends. "You know sleepy-kitty, you need tostart using conditioner on your hair. It'll help with tangles and keep it nice and shiny." Denise kept up her instructional monologue as she worked on the trim.

"Okay, now we're going to roll your hair and then put on a perm solution to give you some curl. This is smelly, but you'll live." Denise told her as she started to roll Audra's hair in a larger set of curlers. Once all the hair was wound up in various places, Denise squirted the perm solution on.

Audra wrinkled her nose.

"Told you!" Denise said. Audra laughed.

"Okay, while that goes to work, let's start on your hands."

"My hands?"

"Yes your hands, sleepy-kitty, we're going to make them all pretty." Denise told her as she put Audra's hands into a soaking solution. After a bit, Denise took Audra's hands out of the solution and dried them off. Then she took a wooden stick with a beveled end and started pushing back the skin covering at the base of Audra's fingernails.

"Okay, we'll file them a bit to give them shape. You're young, so we don't want them too long. Shake this a bit for me," Denise said as she handed Audra a bottle of pale pink nail polish and then started filing.

"What's this?"

"Nail polish, it'll make your hands look pretty. I'm going to use it on your toes too; they're boring and they need it."

"That's what my sister said."

"Your sister is wise," Denise laughed. Denise finished the filing and took the bottle of polish from Audra. Opening it, she quickly painted each fingernail and then aimed a heat lamp over them. After about a minute, she turned off the lamp and applied a second coat, repeating the heat lamp process. Finally, Denise took a bottle of clear polish and applied an even coat over the pink. "Okay, that'll protect them."

Audra decided her fingers felt a bit funny, almost as if their tips were just a bit heavier than usual. She wiggled her hands in front of her face, feeling a little ambivalent about the process. In the mirror in front of her she could see herself, curlers and all, and she was beginning to feel overwhelmed by the whole situation.

As Audra was daydreaming, Denise worked on Audra's toes. By the time Audra snapped out of her daydreaming, Denise had finished and was spraying more stuff on her hair. Audra lifted her legs up and wiggled her toes. They look like girl toes, she said to herself, I'll never get used to this.

A few minutes later, Denise took out the curlers and led Audra back over to the sinks to wash out the solution. Back at the workstation, she brushed and blow dried Audra's hair, bringing out the new curls. "Close your eyes." Denise told Audra as she sprayed some hairspray onto the new hairstyle. "Okay, open them!" Denise told her, holding a mirror behind Audra's head.

"Wow," Audra told her. She studied herself in the mirror, realizing that she looked even more like a girl then before.

"Why thank you sleepy-kitty, that's quite a compliment!" Denise told her happily.

Audra decided not to explain the 'wow' that she had let slip. It wasn't so much that she liked the style; it was the effect that her new appearance had on her. Still, Denise appeared happy and Audra didn't want to spoil that.

As Denise led her back to the waiting area after changing, she saw that her mom and her sister were already done.

Susie's jaw dropped. "Wow, Audra, you look amazing!" Susie exclaimed as Audra blushed again.

"Your daughter was wonderful," Denise told Marianne. "She was polite and friendly, though a bit sleepy when I washed her hair."

"Audra has always been like that," Marianne laughed.

"Thank you, Denise," Audra said politely.

"You're welcome, sleepy-kitty, come again any time." Denise smiled.

"Come along girls, let's get a bite to eat," Marianne said as they left the salon.

***

The late afternoon lunch was uneventful and the women headed to the shoe store. "We need a variety of shoes, I think," Marianne commented as they entered. "You really don't have much, especially for dressier occasions, and we definitely need something to go with that new dress."

"Do you need any help, Madam?" A young man asked as he came up to the women.

"My youngest daughter, here, needs a new collection of shoes; she's outgrowing her old ones rapidly." Marianne told him with a straight face as Audra looked at Susie with a bit of surprise.

"I see. What sort of shoes are we looking for?"

"Everything from play to formal."

"Well, let's measure her foot and then we can see what is available." He said, directing Audra to a nearby chair. Sitting on the foot bench, he removed Audra's shoe and measured her foot, then he measured the other as well. Noting Audra's unspoken question, he told her that many people can have different sized feet and it was always best to measure both, just in case.

Marianne came back as he was standing up and she was holding a pair of pink satin pumps with a one inch heel. "Do you have any of these in her size?" She asked.

"I think so, I'll check," he replied, taking the shoe to the back room. A minute or so later, he came back with a box and opened it in front of Audra. He then placed the shoes on her feet and asked her to try walking in them.

Though the heel was low, it was the first time Audra had walked in anything raised and she was unsteady. "Balance on the balls your feet Audra," Susie told her.

"The balls of my feet?" Audra asked, wondering what the heck they were.

"It's the spot right before your toes begin, goose!" Susie laughed.

"Oh." Audra looked abashed as Marianne gave Susie a warning look.

"You'll get used to them, young miss," the salesman told her.

Audra took a few tentative steps around the store. "They make me feel like I'm going to tip over, mommy."

Marianne laughed, "Sweetheart, the gentleman is right, you'll get used to it. Why, these aren't even much of a heel, wait until you try three inches!" Audra looked suddenly frightened at the thought of a three inch heel.

Audra tried on many more pairs of shoes, including play shoes and dress shoes. Her mother purchased quite a number of them, including the first pair she tried on because they would go with the princess gown they had bought earlier.

It was a very tired crew of shoppers that made their way home.

Notes:

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