It's the FINAL FLASHBACK chapter.

Chapter 21 January 9th, 2024

Grace set her lunch tray down across from Angie and glanced behind her. Kylie and Mitch were still in line.

Angie didn’t look up. She slid a folded paper note across the table. Grace slipped it into her pocket.

“Thanks,” Grace said, forcing herself to take a bite.

“Yeah, no problem. You can pay me later. Everything’s set for tonight.” Angie lowered her voice. “Ava said we can both stay there. They’ll help us find jobs and all that shit.”

Authors Note: Get buckled in for a big chapter, and just a word of caution, this chapter deals with personal injury. Also if you're interested in reading more of my writing you can check out this essay I just posted on my substack. Thanks again for reading along and I adore the feedback!

Chapter 19 October 20th 2026

Chapter 16 October 9th, 2025

Whit was shaving every morning, something he’d never done in his life. Wednesday after work he did something he’d been thinking of doing for years. He stopped at the Salvation Army store to shop for women’s clothes. The place was dead but he still was constantly looking over his shoulder. He found a top that was new with tags. “I think I can get away with wearing this,” he said as he took it out of the bag to show Lucy. It was a soft knit long sleeve sweater in deep red with a wider neck then a men’s sweater would have.

Chapter 15, September 30th, 2025

Whit unloaded the last of the dishes from the dishwasher while Lucy sat at the kitchen table with a calculator working on the budget. He glanced at his watch, it was 8:13. He slipped into the computer room and shut the door behind him. This room was meant to be a nursery, then a child’s bedroom, but plans changed, now it was his room. Whit opened up his closet and looked at the far end where he’d hung his small collection of feminine clothing. He took a deep breath and took off his clothes.

Chapter 4

Sophie Brooks pushed her cart up to the line and checked her watch. She was in her shapeless kitchen uniform and still had her ID lanyard around her neck. There were a couple people in line in front of her. The red head in the punk jacket directly in front of her turned, made eye contact and smiled.

Oh God, I know her. Sophie smiled, nodded and quickly looked down.

Oh my God, that’s Rose.

Author's Note: I turn my attention from the happy neon world of Derby City, back to the cold barren fields of Mud Creek. People are a sum of their experiences. Lucy has had some bad ones. I didn't make this up, this really happened.

Chapter 13 December 25th 1994

Lucy was awake in her bed staring at the ceiling. Her radio alarm clock, a Christmas present from last year, glowed on her nightstand. It was 4:30 AM.

Authors Note: Hi, it's me again. I'm very aware this book probably doesn't really fit in here. I found Big Closet through Maddy Bell's Gaby stories long ago. I recently created a chapbook from the first 8 chapters and would like to get it out in the world somehow. I've always thought self publishing and zines are cool. If you have any ideas where I could send one let me know. This chapter is pretty intense, stuff happens. As always thanks for reading and I hope that 2026 is our year!

Chapter 12 September 26, 2025

Author's Note: Hi, thanks for reading my story. Now that Christmas is over I can return to these darker chapters. This is a flashback, 11 years ago. Hopefully illustrating how much Whit and Lucy have been through. On a personal note I had a wonderful Christmas. My wife bought me a jewelry box with a little spinning ballerina, something I've always wanted. I had my second HRT appointment and found despite my conservative plan I'm getting very close to female levels. Still, fully coming out seems impossible.

Chapter 8 September 18th 2025

Whit’s phone buzzed at 9:02AM

Grace: I’ll be at class tonight, if you’re free after the class I think we should talk.

It had been a week since he heard from Grace. He thought he dodged a bullet, that she'd just forget his little admission in the Rural King parking lot. Everyday he lingered at her mailbox just a bit too long wondering if she’d come back to class or ignore the creepy old man.

Chapter 6. Lucy Wal-Mart September 12th

Lucy’s feet hurt, it hadn’t been a good day. First Anthony had a really bad day. His dementia was worse, he kept trying to leave and go to work. The more she tried to correct him the more argumentative he became. Then to make matters worse he shit himself.

Chapter 4 September 10th 2025

Grace pushed the big shopping cart thing and searched for the specific jar of pickles that had been eluding her for far too long. It wasn’t so much that the job of “personal shopper” at Wal-Mart was hard, it was just very dull. It did have it’s advantages, she could leave her earbud in and listen to music, and she didn’t have to talk to people.

She glanced left and two young guys whose t-shirts confessed their love of hunting and cage fighting were coming her way.

Chapter 2: Lucy Sep 8th

Lucy crouched beside the recliner and unlatched the valve on Anothony’s catheter bag. The plastic hissed softly as the urine emptied into the pitcher she kept for this. She checked the line, wiped the spout, and tugged at the edge of his disposable brief, clean, thank God. No mess today.

Darren “Whit” Whitlock punched in his code and walked into the mailroom. As usual he was greeted by the smell of cheap coffee. He rubbed his eyes and made a beeline for the breakroom where took his stained St. Louis Art Museum mug from the shelf and filled it from the ancient stainless steel coffee pot.

Marley stood alone, leaning against her bike and watched Stacey struggle over the crest of the hill and roll to a stop a few feet from her. The exhausted girl slumped over the bars to catch her breath. “Sorry this was way too hard of a ride for someone who hasn’t rode before,” Marley said.

“Now you tell me!” Stacey said looking up, then laughed and said “Thanks for waiting on me.”

Stacey and Brita rolled into the parking lot of Campus Cycles a few minutes early and immediately felt like they were on another planet. There were three distinct groups gathered in the parking lot, A tight group of athletic riders in skintight lycra stood around with sleek high tech bicycles that looked more like something from the future. A second group of riders mostly on similar bikes but with less uniformity in clothing style and body shape formed a second group, and a third group appeared to be composed of more women in far more casual clothing and bikes more like hers.

Marley and her friends had staked out a regular spot in the student center and met there like clockwork every Thursday between classes. It was a secluded corner on the third floor with comfy couches near a piano that would often be played by students. "So can I talk you guys into coming to ride with me tonight," Marley asked, speaking slightly loud over the music student playing piano.