Thus far: Three women, centuries old and practitioners of Draihoidel, the old arts, have come along side a girl in desperate need of understanding and encouragement. Each has taken the form of a mortal who will influence three mortals close to the girl. The fourth member of the group, the girl’s brother, and a practitioner of the old arts for only a few days, has made the choice to identify with his sister; the boy who would be a girl, by becoming a transgender teen, of sorts. The girls have been reunited with their mother, and forgiveness is the order of the day all around. Two others are receiving strength and encouragement, including one who would demonstrate a new-found courage in helping the girl.

“Hey, Dan, Paddy McCarthy is here.” Connie van Zyle, the department secretary said over his intercom.

“Send him….send her in,” Dan corrected himself.

“You wanted to see me, Mr. Lambert?” Paddy said as she walked into Dan’s office.

“Yes…have a seat,”” he said pointing to the chair on the opposite side of the desk where he sat.

“You planning on attending the assembly?” He asked.

“I’m not so sure…I can’t handle all the teasing…” Her voice trailed off. She was glad she finally had an ally in her brother/sister, but the unmerciful harassment was almost too much for her.

“I want you to know something…something only one other person knows. I’m going to be at the assembly, partly because Mrs. Calabrese is laid up and won’t be able to make it. But I’m going there for another reason.” He smiled nervously and took a deep breath.

“I had a long talk with my wife last night…hardest conversation I ever had. Ever have one of those?” Paddy thought about the talk she and Mike had only a few days before.

“Been married nearly fifteen years; she’s the best thing that ever happened to me.” He held up the wedding photo that sat next to his phone, always a reminder of God’s grace in the form of his loving wife. He was half-kneeling next to her wheelchair kissing her lightly on the cheek.

“It’s no use ever keeping secrets, Paddy. It doesn’t really work all that well, and it usually makes things worse.” Paddy had not secrets that he was aware of, so Mr. Lambert must be talking about someone else.

“I’ll be at the assembly, and my wife Trudy will be there with me for support.” His eyes misted up, some for what he had to say to Paddy, but mostly out of gratitude for the love of his wife.

“I’m tg, a crossdresser, but maybe even more than that…and she still loves me, Paddy, can you believe that?” He looked away, trying not to be too embarrassed; wanting so much to encourage the girl in front of him.

“I’m going to need all the support I can get, Paddy, and I think you of all people will know what I’m talking about. Please consider attending? Don't worry if you can't...I'll be alright.” Dan didn’t want to manipulate or use Paddy in any way, so he left it up to her to decide.

The assembly started about ten minutes late; owing more to logistics. The school, for the most part, received an early dismissal, apart from some extra-curricular activities. There were no home games, save a girl's field hockey game that had already started. The remainder of the schedule was away, which was actually helpful because many of the guys that typically harassed the tg students were off fighting other battles. After all the early buses left, apart from the odd club, the school was empty save for about thirty teens. All of the transgender attendees were boys; in a school only a little over 400, the odds were small there were any girls in the school wishing sexual reassignment, and if there were, they didn't attend.

Out of the thirty, about fifteen were girls who were supporting their tg friends, who numbered about seven, including Paddy and Michelle. The remaining eight teens consisted of four curious boys and four hecklers. Mrs. Grabowski ushered the hecklers out of the auditorium, but one asked permission to remain after apologizing.

Michelle sat nervously between Paddy and Chelsea, who was looking nervously across at Paddy. She was determined to support Paddy in this, even though it was breaking her heart. She did a fairly good job holding back the tears even as Paddy sat rapt listening to the few speakers from the TG Support Group. Orla, as Fay, sat by her side and rubber her arm, saying

"You know it's for the best, since it's what she wants, sweetie..." Fay leaned closer and said softly,

"You're her best friend, honey....that'll never change unless you want it to." Chelsea looked at Fay, wondering why she would say that, since it had become important to her, probably the biggest sacrifice she'd ever make, to let Paddy go. She had told Fay that much.

There were only three speakers besides Fiona. A married cross dresser spoke first, explaining that the transgender "spectrum" was not just transitioning, or pre-operative, but included cross dressers and girls who had chosen to live as women but without the surgery. Rather than go into data or information, the speakers all spoke about feelings and learning to deal with rejection, what to do to reach out for support, more relationship issues than anything else.

After Fiona spoke briefly about her experience (duplicated entirely from the experience of a then nineteen-year old cross dresser from Cleveland) she handed it off to two brothers in their mid twenties who were post-operative women, who discussed their transition in light of the acceptance they had received from their family. It was a process, not arrived at quickly, with only some of their family reaching out and understanding and loving them.

A final unscheduled speaker walked slowly onto the platform, her pace slow and nervous, but she was determined to speak, if only for her own benefit, but ultimately for the benefit of a teen who had felt unsupported and misunderstood. She was pretty, in her thirties it appeared, and she was dressed modestly owing to the importance of the presentation. She walked up to the mike, her blue shirt set off by the maroon curtains behind the lectern.

“I would like to thank the school for giving me this opportunity to speak. Some of you already know me, having sat across from me in my office,” she said softly. She was accompanied on stage by a very attractive woman who looked up at her with pride from her vantage point from her wheelchair.

"I would also like to thank a student I've know for a while, whose courage and understanding also helped me make the decision to speak today." She paused and choked back a sob.

“Some know me as Mr. Lambert, or Dan…but today, with my wife beside me, you may call me Diane.” She half smiled and turned to face Trudy, who had tears in her eyes. To be sure, she was anxious for her husband, but what couldn’t they face, such was the confidence in their love.

A hush filled the auditorium. Diane had cleared it with the administration; she had not wanted to detract from the presentation, but felt if the teens knew someone they trusted was like them, it might help them with their own struggles. Paddy looked up at her…him…it was entirely confusing and marvelous at the same time, and felt better at that moment than at any other time in her life apart from her talk with Michelle and her mother’s return.

In total, the "testimony" phase of the assembly lasted about forty minutes. It was followed by a question and answer period that lasted only ten minutes, owing more to the embarrassment of the teens. However, after the presentation ended, the teens hung around for over an hour just talking with the support members.
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Michelle was anxious for several reasons. She was finding out that her own fears and anxiety over her feelings about herself had fueled her panic and succeeding harassment of her own sister. She was sure she wasn't all-girl as some might say, but she had discovered in the process she wasn't all-boy either. As uncomfortable as she felt being dressed as a girl from the embarrassment, she also found that when she wasn't thinking about what others were thinking, she actually started to relax. That ease disappeared quickly as she felt a tap on her left shoulder as she stood listening to Paddy talking with Diane Lambert.

"Mike...." A voice came from behind and interrupted her peace with just the mention of her name, being that it was said by her best friend Jimmy Dolan. Recognizing the voice, Michelle reverted to her male self and became unnerved by his best friend's presence; that is until Jimmy said...

"Mikey...hey...don't sweat it..." He smiled at Mike and continued. "I don't fucking understand this...what the fuck...but you're my best friend...since like when we was in pre-school...." He smiled an awkward smile before saying,

"I'll talk to Tony and Jack...I think it's about time we decided to be human for a change...I got your back, bro"

He turned to walk away before asking,

"You...n' me...we cool? I mean...I don't...I..."

"Yeah...we're cool...and just so you know..." Mike softened his voice, but smiled in a silly grin, wanting to ease his friend's questions and doubts, understandable, but still needing an answer. Michelle looked over at the girls who had come in support, and said softly,

"I still like girls...yes?"

"Cool...I'll talk to Tony and Jack...it’ll be okay. And Mike...Tell your brother I'm sorry."

Chelsea stood next to Paddy, waiting for her to finish talking with the presenters. After Diane hugged her, Paddy smiled and said thank you. She turned to face Chelsea, nervous and sad. She was going to be going on a journey that likely didn't include her best friend. As great a day as it was for her, Paddy couldn't help herself and burst into tears. Chelsea hugged her and patted her back, wanting so much to never let go. And Paddy hated it, but she feared the same thing.

Fay walked up to the two of them and whispered in Chelsea's ear,

"She'll never know if you don't tell her." In a rare moment, Orla stepped out of character for a few seconds. She kissed Chelsea on the cheek in a decidedly un-Fay-like manner and said softly, her voice returning to its natural brogue,

"Go ahead, sweetheart, tell the girl...it'll be alright...I promise." Orla never promised anything she wasn't absolutely sure of...until now. But she strongly felt something, so she said it anyway.

"Tell her and see what she says...you'll never lose her as a friend either way."
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“Paddy…it’s okay…it’s going to be alright.” Chelsea was crying almost as hard as Paddy, but she continued.

“You’re my best friend…nothing will ever change that.” She said, rubbing Paddy’s back.

“You….you…since we were little. Wanted to be together.”

Paddy wept, but it wasn’t just for Chelsea. “Ever since we were little…’we’re going to get married in a big church with all of our friends.” Paddy remembered how Chelsea lined up all her dolls and stuffed animals as guests. She had a huge stuffed giraffe who “presided” over the wedding.

“It’s what I’ve always wanted…” Paddy’s voice trailed off, and Chelsea was going to say something until it struck her exactly what Paddy had just said.

“What you’ve always wanted? You mean what you wanted, right? You don’t mean…” Chelsea paused, not believing what she had just heard.

“Does it have to end, Chels? I wasn’t sure what I needed or wanted when we were little; I’m still not entirely sure who I am…but I’ve always wanted that wedding. I just didn’t know I wanted wear the wedding dress too.”

She was sobbing so hard Chelsea had to lead her to a seat. She looked at Paddy with the same loving eyes that beheld him for the first time when they were little. She certainly had not stopped loving Paddy now that he was a she.

“Oh Paddy…honey…no…no…” She stroked her hair and kissed her cheeks. Their lips met only briefly before the realization of where they still were sunk in.

Standing behind them, almost as a witness to a solemn ceremony, they heard the following.

“Like I said…” Orla once again reverted to her Fay-like Tri-state accent, “My mom always says, ‘Love will find a way.”

Next: Transitions All Around