When Samantha wants to help Jenna, she finds out her friend is the victim of a three hundred year old family curse...and a whole lot more.

Samantha poured three cups and handed one to Jenna. “Maybe it's none of my business, but I really don’t want you to close the shop and leave. Tabitha loves going there and so do most of the other kids in the neighborhood. It’s a fun, safe place and I don't care what that flier says or if those pictures are real. I really want you to stay and I'd still like to help if you’ll let me.”

Jenna sipped her coffee and then sat it down, looking first to Endora and then back to Samantha. Thank you…thank both of you, but there really isn’t anything you can do. It’s not something you can fix or change or make go away. It’s who you are. All you can do is live and accept it…even if the rest of the world can’t.”

Seeing that neither Samantha nor Endora was getting the picture, she painted it a little clearer. “I’m a male to female transsexual and so are the girls.”

Endora leaned forward. “I’m sorry dear you are a trained what?”

Samantha, who in her brief time living as a mortal had caught enough talk shows to be familiar with the term and the poor unfortunate souls who suffered from this condition.

“No Mother, she said transgender. It means she was born a girl but trapped in a boy's body.”

Samantha immediately turned to Jenna to be sure she hadn't overstepped or gotten the definition wrong The knowing smile Jenna gave her told her she had done neither.

“As far back as I can remember, I've always known I was a girl even if my body or no one else agreed. Fortunately for me, my parents eventually accepted me. Others like Cathleen and Becky… haven't been so lucky.”

Samantha's heart went out to her friend who endured a pain and struggle that no witch or warlock could ever imagine. With magic, they could change their appearance as easily as mortals change clothes, but mortals afflicted with this condition were prisoners within their own bodies and often invisible or unaccepted by the outside world.

Jenna noticed Endora discreetly looking her over. “I’m postoperative. It means I've had gender reassignment surgery, been on hormones for years, have been living as Jenna for over ten years and married to the most wonderful, loving and accepting man for over five years.”

Endora shook her head in amazement. “Well…you certainly look like any other mortal woman to me.”

When Jenna gave her a confused look at the word “mortal”, Samantha jumped in for damage control by changing the subject ever so slightly.”

“So you said Becky and Cathleen are transgender as well but not as fortunate?”

Jenna looked toward the open sliding door that her two “nieces” had escaped only minutes ago. “Yes…they are transsexual but they haven’t had any gender changing surgeries yet and unfortunately like many of my gender challenged brothers and sisters, their families weren’t supportive. Both have been abused and homeless. Cathleen's parents had her institutionalized until she was 18 and Becky tried to commit suicide when she was 20.”

Even Endora was touched by the heartbreaking stories of these tortured souls, but puzzled by the odd behavior of Jenna’s two friends. “Forgive my dear, but I notice Becky and Cathleen seem well …a little different. They call you Aunt Jenna and we'll…act and dress like children whenever I’ve seen them. Is this some symptom of this trans thingy you have or…are they just disturbed?”

“Mother!” Samantha scolded her for the callous remark.

“It’s alright Samantha, really it is.” Jenna quickly calmed her as Endora threw up her hands as if to say, ‘What did I do?’

“It’s a valid question and yes, I guess you could say it's a symptom or well… part of the pain and loss you feel in being transgender.”

Seeing neither Endora nor Samantha was truly grasping the concept she explained a bit more in depth. “When I was four or five I knew in my heart I was a little girl but I also knew I looked like a little boy and I had to act and dress and behave like a little boy, so that little girl within me never got to learn and play and be recognized and loved. When I started transitioning at eighteen, I had to learn to live as a young woman without ever living as a little girl. It’s almost like building a house from the second story up. It was difficult, but I was able to make some peace with all I never got to do and embraced what I could do. With those like Cathleen and Becky however, that little girl in them is a stubborn Irish one and she refused to grow up until she got the childhood she deserved.”

Samantha was starting to get the picture, “So…dressing as they do and playing is sort of a way to let that little girl out to at least have a small piece of the life she was denied?”

Jenna sipped her coffee and nodded, “Yes…it’s just them being who they really are without their bodies getting in the way and yes they can function as adults when they have to, but they are only alive and happy when their girls and I've always treated them that way ever since the first day we met in the chatroom.”

“Chatroom?”. Endora raised an eyebrow

“It’s a safe place where others like us can go and talk, share resources, and give moral support. I met Becky and Cathleen there and we started talking regularly. Six months later, Rick and I met them in person and well…they've been living with us ever since and being their true selves as much as possible.”

Samantha’s eyes misted. Oh Jenna, you and Rick are so wonderful for doing that. I can't imagine how much joy you've given them.”

Jenna smiled warmly, “I think they've given us more than we've ever been able to give them. Another side effect or symptom of being a transgender woman is not being able to bear children. When they came into our life, it helped fill a hole in our hearts that I thought would always be a bottomless pit.”

Jenna's gaze drifted toward the patio doors as she sighed wistfully. “I just wish I could make their bodies match their heart and souls.”

Samantha offered her a sympathetic hug, her own heart breaking both for Jenna’s pain at being unable to grant the girl's wish and her own pain at knowing she had the magic to grant it but couldn’t because she had sworn to live as a mortal,even if she had fallen off the wagon a few times