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A Christmas Sampler a Christmas Anthology by Andrea DiMaggio Cindy's Story Finale'

Cindy walked down the aisle of the supermarket. It was fairly crowded for a Tuesday afternoon; Soccer Moms trying to get weekly provisions while the kids were still in school. She passed a stroller at the end of the aisle, nearly running into the baby’s mother as she stared at the smiling infant. She excused herself and quickly walked to the small ladies room. Locking the door, she stood at the sink and looked at herself in the mirror.

Bartell Drug Store, Tacoma, Washington...

“How are you today?” The pharmacist smiled as she looked back at the order bins.

“Hi, Ginnie...Okay…still fighting what everybody else is, I suppose.” She forced a smile as the girl retrieved a bag with her meds.

“Hey…this is me…what’s really going on?” The girl said quietly as she leaned closer to the counter. Cindy shrugged.

“Haven’t heard yet, huh?”

She had heard. The look on her face told the girl everything she needed to know.

“I’m trying to be content in all circumstances, but it’s really hard, you know?”

“Gosh, Cindy, how do you do it?” The girl arched her right eyebrow and tilted her head; almost like Diane Sawyer…the only thing missing was the sympathetic head shake.

“I guess….no…I know it’s my faith.” She frowned and tears came to her eyes; she felt like she was letting God down by being human and disappointed.

“You know it’s okay to cry…doesn’t it say somewhere that “Jesus wept?” Ginnie was as close to a friend as one’s pharmacy clerk can get. She actually showed more sympathy than Cindy’s own sister, who continued to lecture her on that “foolishness,” as her sister put it. That Nan didn’t accept her gender identification added to the tension between her and Cindy, which was compounded by the fact that apart from her sister and her doctors and the adoption agency, no one knew.

“You should just find yourself a nice girl and get married and forget all that foolishness.”

Nan wasn’t so far from the truth. The fact remained that while Cindy had not even begun a belated real life test, it didn’t change the fact that Cindy still remained attracted to women; her orientation was settled at birth even if her gender was still in a state of unwanted flux. So to try to adopt in the midst of her personal segue was problematic at best.

“Did you think about what we discussed at Bible Study?” Cindy looked at the girl and smiled. There was something oddly appealing about Ginnie. The thought of dating the girl was tempting; she certainly was a nice woman even if she was a bit…eccentric. She made Abby from NCIS seem positively conservative; a bit quirky and only ‘mostly’ odd as Miracle Max might say.

“Jimmy is having the party on Saturday instead of Sunday since they’re planning on watching the Seahawks game Sunday night. You are welcome to come, okay?”

“I don’t know…” Her eyes teared up once again.

“For what it’s worth, dear…I think you’d make an absolutely great Mom!” Ginnie finished the transaction and stepped around the counter.

“C’mere…let me hug you…I need a hug.” She pulled Cindy in for a tight embrace and kissed her on the cheek.

“Saturday at six…bring something to drink if you like, okay?” Cindy nodded once and quickly left the store. The girl waited until the door closed behind her friend before allowing herself the luxury of her own tears.

The Mayfield family home, Tacoma, Washington...that Saturday...

“Hey…glad you could make it.” Ginnie hugged Cindy and led her to the big family room where the party was being held.

“Happy Birthday, hon.” She felt Ginnie’s grip on her arm moving her through the guests to greet her parents.

“I’m really thankful for the invitation,” she smiled as Ginnie’s Mom and Dad stepped closer.

“We’re glad you could make it,” her mother said with a smile.

“I’m going to get something from the kitchen; come on, okay?” Ginnie said, grabbing Cindy’s arm once again, walking quickly out of the room

“I have so much to be thankful for, but I think the thing I’m most grateful for is your friendship. You’ve been so kind and encouraging to me….” Cindy felt her face getting warm, and her nostrils flared.

“Oh, gosh…here I go again.” She was almost apologetic as her eyes began to fill with tears.

“I don’t know what’s going on…I’m in a pretty good mood…I gave the whole adoption thing to God in prayer, and yet here I am…crying…I’m so sorry…you don’t deserve this…on your birthday especially.

“Especially on my birthday…” The girl was a bit eccentric, as I noted, but Cindy wasn’t at all prepared for what happened next.

“Happy Birthday to me…” She giggled before pulling Cindy in for a kiss. Not a sisterly kiss…not a kiss from a churchmate or a trusted friend or acquaintance, but an honest to goodness real live romantic on the lips kiss. The girl was still giggling even as their mouths met, and the sensation sent a shock through Cindy; almost like shuddering after a chill.

“Nooo….I can’t….” She protested even as she gave into the younger girl’s advance.

“Pretty please…it’s my birthday…” She continued to laugh, but the tone grew softer and more serious, like the kind of laugh that calms the worst of fears.

“Ohhhh.” The woman began to sob. Ginnie pulled her into an even tighter embrace as she whispered in her ear,

“It’s okay…I know…” Cindy’s eyes grew wide in surprise even as the sobbing continued.

“And I love you just the same…always have…ever since I first met you…you know? You and my brother used to hang around and play PS2 all the time when I was a kid….”

“But….”

“And I love you even more…now…just the way you are…or will be…it’s okay.” She smiled and laughed again, this time even softer and with a bit more of a breathiness to it.

“You and me…okay?”

"Yehhhhes"

Christmas eve…the following year…the Mayfield-Nelson home...

They embraced…two oddly matched dears so greatly in love. Wife to wife to quote someone somewhere. Cindy looked at Ginnie with loving eyes, grateful beyond anything she could have imagined. In the end, the appeal wasn’t so much about giving birth, although in another world in another time maybe that might have been possible. But being a mother was something that she was born for… designed for, in fact. She looked over at the attractive woman beside her; beautiful in being ‘great with child,’ as they say. And both women were glowing.