My gravely ill father had put his foot down (Part 7), telling my grandma that if she and Uncle Grisha insisted on bringing his degenerate daughter along then he didn't need them visiting him either. Grandma had called his bluff, letting him sit out Wednesday (Part 8) without a single visitor, and I spent that whole day happily playing with- I mean by myself at home. Doing a couple of cleaning projects I'd been meaning to get to, then watching the Mets game (9-2, we slaughtered 'em!), and then an old Meg Ryan romantic comedy with a pretty heartwarming ending. A peaceful, productive day ....... But all good things must come to an end, and come Thursday it was time to venture back into that hospital room again.

Where to my utter astonishment Papa was pleasant to me from the moment I arrived. Talking to me and everything! Wow, Grandma's little boycott must've really done the trick! But all was not as it seemed...

Site Security begins to uncover Supervisor Hirsch's schemes, but the proposed action means that Marion must leave her apartment and stay with Belle. When she arrives, she gets a shock.

Old Mrs. Pirelli was yelling at me from her backyard, "Joy! Come down from there! Yer gonna break ya neck!"

"Only if I fall. How you doing Mrs. P.?"

"What?!" she hollared, squinting into the harsh sun, "What're ya doin' up on the roof?"

"Cleaning out the rain gutters."

"That's a man's job! Let yer bruthah do that!" she cried.

This was the woman whose Nativity scene had been blown up by my sister and her idiot headbanger friends. She hadn't spoken to Joy since. Now not only was she speaking to me, she seemed inordinantly concerned for my safety. She warbled hysterically, "No Joy, leave that for Teddy to do! You've gonna get hurt!"

"Hey, I can do any job he can! Haven't you heard?" Maybe the sun had gotten to my brain, or maybe I was just irritated at this old busy-body telling me what a girl could and couldn't do, but suddenly I was performing a jerky go-go dance and singing loudly, "The sisterrrrs are doin' it for themselves! Standin' on our own two feet, and ringin' our own bells!"

"For God's sake, STOP THAT!" she shrieked, alarmed at my dancing so close to the roof's edge. That crazy Joy Farranino was being crazy again...

"Road Runner, if he catches you you're through.” Road Runner Theme - Barbara Cameron

I'm getting pretty good at this, I thought as I applied mascara from the new tube I had bought with a deft, unflinching hand. The lip liner I'd put on before my lipstick made my lips appear a critical millimeter or so plumper at the places where they seemed to need it ....... In a way this wasn't unlike those portraits I had painted for my whole family for Christmas a few years back. Each had its own unique set of criteria, which it would reveal to you as you worked on it; and sometimes you needed to fudge the truth a bit. Like softening the features (just enough, it still had to look like her...) on that one I did for my Aunt Livia, who was a dead ringer for Anthony Quinn...

There was no telling what Papa would think of my efforts this morning. As unforgiveable as Joy's crimes were to him, it was likely that no matter what I wore or did or said he'd continue to see me as having snake's eyes, horns and a tail. This mission of mine to fix his relationship with my sister by pretending to be her had a real Don Quixote feel to it. Everything I'd seen so far told me it was doomed to fail. But nonetheless I'd polished up my armor + was sallying forth once again...

With a revised uniform, Marion tries out her skills on a new Deck. She also begins to find out more about Belle.

Marion starts her new job in the facility and makes a big impression, although not quite the one she intended.

Your wife really loves you and wants all the best for you." I started crying. Joan ran over to hug me asking what was wrong. I said, "I am so happy, I am not sure what has gotten into me! I have changed so much. My mind is all different. I think only feminine thoughts. I love being in a corset, dresses, high heels and doing my makeup. Will I ever be able to be a man again?"