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The next few days were very hectic. Thankfully, Terri was there to organize everything.
Mom wanted Carla to be in her wedding party, so Carla and I went to Mrs. Lincoln's store to tailor her bridesmaid dress. I also enjoyed introducing her to Cindy, Mel, and of course, Mrs. Lincoln.
Mrs. Lincoln told us that the dress would be ready in an hour. Having some time to kill, we went to lunch together, and we went to the diner downtown near the courthouse.
"I can't get over how well everyone in your family has accepted me," I stated.
"What amazes me is that your own family won't even acknowledge you," replied Carla. "Sam spoke highly of you, even before he was dating your Mom. When he told us that they were dating and then engaged, we figured that if you're transgender didn't matter to him, then why should any of us object?"
"Thanks."
"However, Sam's admiration for you just bought you the initial introduction to the family. After that, it was up to you, and the way you've handled yourself won us all over. Yes, we know you're transgender; however, it's not your real identity with us. You made a great impression with my parents by considering them your grandparents."
I was speechless. It was so lovely to know that people were willing to give you a chance.
After lunch, we picked up the dress and headed back to my house. Terri was directing what could best be called 'organized confusion. The caterers were there, and they were setting up the tents in the backyard.
The rest of the day involved the usual pre-wedding chaos. We had a short practice and then dinner.
Later that evening, Mom, Carla, Terri, and I were sitting in the kitchen talking. Carla joined us in drinking tea, and Sam disapproved of her drinking tea and said that it only proved that she was probably adopted!
Mom was a nervous wreck, and we were doing our best to calm her down. It was slightly ironic to be the one consoling my Mom, as she was the one usually calming me down!
Mom wouldn't say it, but I knew she was upset that no one from our side of the family had accepted the invitation to the wedding. We both knew that it wasn't just a distance issue; instead, their absence was due to their ignorance. I'd written them off long ago, but Mom still had feelings for some of them. I felt a bit helpless, as there was nothing I could do about it.
To be honest, I couldn't understand their hostility to Mom. Yes, she had made mistakes when she was younger, but she had more than made up for them. She had become a successful businesswoman. She'd raised me as a single mother, and I'd turned out pretty well. I don't believe that the way Mom raised me had anything to do with my being transgender. The more I studied it, the more I felt it was a biological cause. If they weren't willing to open their eyes and see what a wonderful person Mom was, then they could all go to hell.
I said goodnight and let Carla and Terri work on her. I knew they'd calm her down.
Saturday was a lovely day. The weather was perfect; sunny, warm, and not humid. The wedding was due to take place around noon. Mom and Sam had planned the ceremony to be short, and neither wanted a long, drawn-out ritual. I think we were all pleased that they'd made that decision.
I was delighted with the way I looked in my dress. It was light yellow, simple but elegant. I enjoyed how the dress showed off my boobs a little. They did get help from the pads, but I still thought I looked pretty good! I wore the white lingerie that Mrs. Lincoln bought me.
Mom looked radiant. She'd calmed down somewhat and now was just slightly nervous. I felt so good for her, and she truly deserved all the happiness she could have from this moment.
The wedding itself went off without a hitch. Sam and Mom looked great. Once Mom saw so many of our friends there, I think she forgot about our lack of relatives there. As planned, the wedding ceremony was elegant in its simplicity. The minister gave a short sermon, and then there was a simple exchange of vows. Then we officially became a family.
The reception was also a great time. The guest list was huge, and I think everyone who showed up had a great time. The mayor of the town even showed up!
Most of my friends were there with their families. Laura joked that she'd like a ceremony like that when we got married. Cat and Matt were there, and I knew Matt enjoyed meeting so many law enforcement community members. Caroline and Paul also showed up.
Kristen and Alex showed up with Mike and Tracey. The guys looked terrific, and they'd been working out all summer, and it showed. I swear that Mike was two inches taller!
Jenny and Coach Chambers showed up as a couple. The coach insisted that I call her Lori now. There is always something weird about calling your ex-teachers and coaches by their first names, and it takes a long time to get used to it!
Of course, Nancy Bell came. She even had a date, and he was a doctor over at the hospital. They made a lovely couple! I still had questions for her, but I knew that this wasn't the time or place.
Mrs. Lincoln was simply elegant! She was like royalty at the reception. Grandpa Warren recognized her from her movies and the theater and was enamored with her. Mrs. Lincoln thoroughly enjoyed herself and looked so casual and relaxed, talking with him.
Cindy and her husband and Cliff and Mel also came. Mel said that she liked the ceremony but that her wedding would be more formal. Cliff cringed at hearing that! She told me that they'd set a date and it would be next June. Then she surprised me by asking me to be a part of her wedding party! Of course, I said yes. I mean, how many bridesmaids can say that they've punched the groom in the nose?
Brett and Terri were becoming very friendly. They danced all afternoon and into the evening.
Cat and I thought they made a great couple! Cat was pleased that her Mom was becoming interested in romance again.
"The trip to New York was the trick. She said that Tony's interest in her was a wake-up call and that she could still feel romantic," Cat remarked. There was a massive smile on her face. "I'm so happy for her!"
I also danced with everyone that day. Thanks to my friends, I have improved my dancing skills. At least, I no longer made a fool out of myself. Laura didn't mind me dancing with other people, as long as I saved the slow ones for her! In addition to my friends from school, I danced with several adults. Tom Bell was one of my favorite dance partners, as was Grandpa Warren. Brett also danced with me, but the very best was with Dad!
Mom and Sam looked so happy. After all, Mom had been through so much; it was great that she finally had a man who loved her. There was a slight change in plans due to their work schedules. They weren't going on their honeymoon until the fall. They'd decided to take a week off in October and drive through New England. They'd already picked out the bed & breakfasts where they would stay.
The reception ran late into the night. Since Sam and Mom had invited all the neighbors and half the police department were there as guests, there were no complaints about the noise!
As the party died down, I had a chance to talk with Grandma Warren. Laura and I sat down next to her during one of our breaks from dancing.
"Well, it was certainly a lovely wedding. We were starting to worry that Sam never would settle down," stated Grandma Warren.
"Why is that?" I asked.
"He was always so much into his work, and he never seemed to have the time to date."
"I'm glad he found the time!"
So am I, dear. I'm glad that you are part of our family," she announced. "I'd love to have you come down for a visit sometime, and we'd love to show you around the city."
"That sounds great." I paused for a second. "I want to thank you for so readily accepting me into your family."
"Oh, Erika, it's our pleasure. Besides, I like the idea of having a granddaughter that I can go shopping with!" she answered with a laugh.
We then hugged. So, this was what it was like to have a family that cared about you! I felt a bit emotional thinking about not having had this for most of my life.
The last of the guests left around one. Sam told the caterers that they could come back to clean up in the morning if they wanted to. They gladly accepted.
I slept over at Cat's that night, so Mom and Sam could have the house to themselves. We did agree to meet for brunch late. It was a wonderful day!
Brunch was also our farewell meal, as Sam's family was leaving afterward for the trek back to Philly. Even though I'd just met them, I'd miss them. They insisted that we come down for Thanksgiving, and, much to my delight, Mom and Sam accepted!
Carla and Brett told me all sorts of stories about Sam, and he returned the favor and told a few whoppers about them.
Mom was still glowing from the wedding, and she kept looking at her ring with a massive smile on her face.
Cat, Laura, and I also talked about our trip to the Jersey shore. We were leaving on Wednesday and would be staying until the following week. We had to move the trip due to scheduling conflicts with Matt's parents over the house.
"You know, this Wednesday is an important date for you, Erika," announced Cat.
I thought about it for a moment. "I give up; what is it?" I asked.
"It's your first anniversary as Erika."
She was right! I felt like a fool for forgetting. It had been a year ago that I'd first heard of the scholarship competition, and my entire life had changed.
It had been a change for the better.
After brunch, we said goodbye to the Warren clan. I'd miss them. But it was so cool to suddenly have a family, especially one that loved and accepted me!
The trip to the Jersey shore was great! Matt wasn't exaggerating about the house; it was lovely. We were within walking distance of the beach. While it wasn't the Pacific, it was still pretty cool.
Laura and I went for long walks along the beach almost every day. I particularly loved the evening walks. We did catch some looks, as we made no effort to hide our love for each other. But the worst thing that happened was that some guy called us a couple of "fuckin' dykes". Laura wanted to correct him and tell him that we hadn't gone that far yet. I joked that we could point out that I was still technically a guy. Laura made a big yuk face.
"You may have a penis, but you are NOT a guy. I don't date guys!" she whispered to me, and then we kissed.
As usual, she was right. I was no longer a guy. I was delighted being a girl. I wasn't exactly looking forward to the surgery. Oh, I wanted to get it, and I wanted my body to match my mind, but I was sick of hospitals!
We also spent time with all the others. I enjoyed the company of my friends. It saddened me a bit to think that we'd soon be scattered all across the State.
Laura and I did manage one afternoon alone in the house. We'd just been to the beach and came in to shower and change. Without saying a word, Laura took me by the hand and led me into the shower.
As the water came down on us, she slowly removed the top of my bikini, and my breasts were now just about a B-cup. She began to kiss me and caress my breasts, and I returned the favor. I practiced what she'd taught me and gently kissed and licked her nipples.
She then stripped off the bottom of her suit and did the same for me. We got out of the shower and dried off, and she led me to her bed. There on the bed, she gave me my first lesson in pleasing a woman below the waist.
"Now, I know yours will look a little different since no two girls are alike, but this is what it will look like," she stated.
She guided my hand down and showed me her pleasure areas. I was amazed and fascinated by everything she showed me. Laura gave me a complete course in stimulating a woman's vagina. I couldn't wait until I got my own! Yes, I knew mine would be slightly different, but it would still be better than my maleness.
I did as she told me and gently rubbed the areas she pointed out. Judging by her reaction, I was doing a pretty good job. Once I got the hang of it, we began to kiss as I continued to touch her. I laughed at the thought that I had to change my gender to get this close to a girl!
When we finished, we cuddled and hugged each other.
"For your first time, that wasn't bad," announced Laura.
"Thank you. I have a great teacher!"
We both giggled.
"You know, after your operation, I'll show you some great techniques to pleasure yourself."
I laughed. "It's funny, but boys masturbate all the time, and they never think about girls doing it."
"That's stupid. Girls do it all the time, too!" announced Laura. She leaned over and kissed me.
We finally got up and got dressed, and went for a walk. We headed down to the beach. I loved watching the little Sanderlings run back and forth in front of the waves, and they were the cutest little birds.
"So, when are you leaving for school?" I asked.
"Labor Day weekend. My dad is renting a trailer to take my stuff down to my dorm room. Thankfully, I only had to stay in the dorms the first year. Are you staying at home?"
"Yes, even though the scholarship would pay for my dorm, I'd rather live at home. At least until after I have the operation."
"I just want to remind you that I want to go with you when you have it done."
"I know. I'm going to miss you."
"I'll miss you too," said Laura.
We walked awhile without saying anything. We just held hands as we walked along the beach. I thought about how hard the separation, would be and it took all my willpower to keep from crying.
Thankfully, we cheered up by the time we got back to the house. There was no sense in dragging everyone else down in our misery. I thought we gave excellent performances that evening. On the outside, we looked delighted, while on the inside, we were crying.
So that's the story of my first year as Erika. By the end of the Labor Day weekend, we were spread out all over the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
The last thing I want to talk about is one of my dinners with Nancy Bell. It was just the two of us, and I had some things to ask her about the scholarship.
"Okay, I understand the purpose of the contest, and I can see how it has changed Central High and Golden Hill for the better, but why did she set this up in the first place?" I asked.
"I asked my aunt that once, and she told me that the woman who set this up was always interested in promoting equality and understanding. But the event that made up her mind was a tragedy involving a mutual friend of theirs," replied Nancy.
"What happened?" I asked.
"You know that my aunt was in the theater in New York City. Well, she initially met the woman who set this all up at a social event. Aunt Sylvia said she was a major contributor to the arts. They hit it off immediately and soon were great friends. They had a wide range of friends, including many in the LGBT community. A transgender friend of theirs was beaten up pretty badly by a couple of neighborhood thugs. The person lay there for several hours until someone finally called the police. People walked by and refused to help. The police weren't much better; they mocked the victim and were slow in calling for an ambulance. Aunt Silva knew this because the person told her this before she died from her injuries. To top it all off, the police never even attempted to make an arrest. They commented that 'he had it coming by dressing up as a woman."
I sat there in silence.
"So she decided that she'd do something to change people's ideas about the transgender. She decided that she could sneak it into a scholarship program that was designed to promote gender understanding."
"So why Golden Hill?" I asked.
"It was the right size, it had a Liberal Arts college, and she also lived here. Her husband had been the president of Dewey. Her social status, combined with the influence of Aunt Sylvia, allowed the program to get started. She formed a committee to oversee the program and filled it with like-minded people."
"So, the real goal was to change everyone else?" I asked.
"You've got it! So far, we've made some good progress. Do you remember how I told you that we're considering expanding the program to other towns? Well, we have several towns that have contacted us, and they want to do something similar," announced Nancy.
I sat there for a while thinking about what she'd just told me. "I want to help!"
"I was hoping you'd say that," smiled Nancy.