Found Family: Chapter 4 by Clara Copyright© 2025 Clara Schumann Mary's cousin Connor came over to watch ball with the boys, but in coming over, Connor finds out some things about himself and Connie emerged from her prison!

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Author's Note: Another chapter has duly arrived and we find the Connor and Heather are squabbling. Will Connor find a way out of this mess? Then, please dear reader, march forth and see! Make sure you all are staying healthy too! And, If you feel so inclined, please let me know how this story is going? ~Clara.

Image Credit: https://perchance.org/beautiful-people
 
 
Chapter 4
“Family isn’t always blood. It’s the people in your life who want you in theirs. The ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile, and who love you no matter what.”  ~ Maya Angelou
 
 
“Look, Connie,” Julia said quietly, after hearing the entirety of the story about Connor’s friends’ legal concerns and the role that her boss, Connor’s step-sister, Heather, played in all of it, “there’s not a ton I can do, because, as you know, I’m not privy to everything that happens in the office, but if I hear anything that I can ethically tell you, I promise, I will pass it along to you.”

“Thanks, Julia,” Connie smiled, his teeth dazzlingly white, framed in the bright red color of his lipstick. “That means a lot to me.”

She checked the time on her phone. “Oh, geez, we’ve been here for almost two hours. Which means that neither of us has entered a keystroke in two hours. I doubt that Heather will check the record, but we should probably get back to work soon.”

Connie nodded. “Ok. Hey… Julia…” Connie struggled to figure out what he wanted to say but only came up with “…thanks.”

Julie smiled. “You don’t need to thank me, Connie. I know you’ve been through a lot over the years and I… well… I should have thought more about that. I’m sorry I didn’t. I guess that I never thought about it until we got talking about clothes the other day. Since then, I’ve been thinking a lot about you. If I can help at all, I will.”
 

 
It was three days later that Connor’s phone chimed. It was sitting to the left of his keyboard as he worked. Typically, Connor would not answer a call during the workday, but the caller ID read ‘Heather,’ so he pushed the ‘accept’ button.

“Hello?” He said.

“You’ve been looking for me, I understand,” his half-sister’s voice said testily.

“I have…” Connor said. Heather cut him off before he could continue.

“If this is about the summonses I sent to your little buddies, then there is nothing to discuss. I will run my business as I see fit. You are my billing clerk. That is all. You have no say in how I run my practice. Understood?”

Connor sighed. Heather could be very difficult. Engaging in an argument was never productive. “I understand that,” he finally was able to interject, “but could we possibly just sit down and have a discussion about all of this?”

“A discussion?” Heather chuckled. “Why? This impacts you in no way.”

“That’s not true,” Connor said. “I was approached by Capeways Concepts’ attorney, and he may be calling me to testify at the hearing.”

“You?” She sounded genuinely surprised. “Why would he call you?”

“Because it was a photo of me on Bill and Joe’s phones that began all of this nonsense. Somehow, I became part of all this craziness without doing a thing.”

“Nothing except getting all dolled up and looking like a girl,” Heather pointed out. “You’re not blameless in all of this, Connie.” She paused a moment. Connor considered stating that his actions were in no way meant to provoke anyone and wouldn’t have provoked anyone who wasn’t an asshole and a pig like Alan Crenshaw, but he knew that would end up with Heather hanging up on him. “Alright,” Heather finally said. “Come by at four. We’ll talk.”

The line went dead before he could say anything.
 

 
“Bill is really concerned about all this court stuff,” Amy said to Mary as they spoke over the phone, each munching on the salads that they’d made themselves for lunch. “He says that he doesn’t have a ton of faith in this Wexler guy, and that he absolutely will not allow Connie to testify.”

“He may not have a choice,” Mary said. “If Wexler says that Connie has to appear, then Connie has to appear. Joe doesn’t want to have him involved either, but I keep telling him that he may not have any say in the matter. Yeah, there are a lot of good companies around, but how many are on The Cape and have as much growth potential as this one? I’d hate to see him have to leave.”

“I feel the same. I mean, I love living here so close to you guys and Connie and Toni. I don’t want to leave just so Bill can find a job.”

“I agree,” Mary said and heaved a very heavy sigh. “I guess we’ll just have to hope for the best.”

“I guess.”
 

 
“I must say, Ms Miller,” Michelle Fry, the office manager at the medical office of Dr. James Williamson, said, looking at Connor’s resume, “your work experience is fairly limited, but you have been using the same billing software that we use here, so that’s a plus. Also, the office manager at your previous position gave you a very positive recommendation. So, I just need to check your references and chat with your previous employer, and you’ll be hearing from me in a day or two. How does that sound?”

“Ummm…” Connor thought for a moment. “Look, Ms Fry, Attorney Bentley isn’t my ‘previous’ employer. She’s my current employer and, well, to be honest, she’s also my sister, so I don’t want her to find out that I’m looking for a new job by getting a phone call from you. And also, after I tell her, she’s going to be pretty peeved about it. So… I’m not sure she’s going to give me a very good recommendation.”

Ms Fry nodded. “I understand, but I do need to contact her at some point just as a matter of procedure. I hope you understand, Ms Miller.”

Connor nodded slowly. “I do. I am meeting with Heather about other things this afternoon. I’ll tell her, but… I don’t know how good a recommendation she may give me. I promise you, though… I do my job really well, I’m never late to start my work, and in the time I’ve worked for my sister, I have only taken one full day off and that was because I needed to see a dentist because of a bad toothache.”

Ms Fry nodded. “Understood.” She stood and offered a hand to shake. “I’ll be in touch, Ms Miller.”

Connor stood but did not immediately accept her hand. “Ummm… just to be very clear, Ms Fry… I am a man. I have begun presenting as a woman pretty recently, but I am a man.”

Ms Fry nodded again and gave out a bit of snicker. “I’m sorry that I laughed, Ms… Mr Miller, it’s just… well… I saw that your name was male and there are a few other things on your resume that indicate that you were brought up male, but, please pardon me for being so blunt, there is absolutely nothing masculine in your appearance. So, I just assumed you’d rather use feminine pronouns. I apologize if I was wrong.”

“Oh, no, no,” Connor said. “I’m fine with whatever pronouns you’d like to use. I just didn’t want there to be any confusion.”

Ms Fry nodded again. “Ok. As long as no one is offended, then no harm done, right? Connor, if your hired, then your day-to-day work can be done remotely from your home. So, you’d only come into the office for an occasional meeting or something unexpected. As long as you are doing your job well, you can present any way you’d prefer. I do appreciate your frankness, but your personal life is absolutely NONE of my business, nor the business of anyone else who works here. Ok?”

Finally, Connor took her hand and shook it. “Ok. Thank you, Ms Fry.”
 

 
 “Hey, hey, hey,” Don said as he reviewed Toni’s figures on their report. “You didn’t add in the slope levels here. Do you have them on your tablet?”

Toni shook her head, frustrated with herself. This was not like her. She always submitted very concise reports. “Sorry.” She scrolled thru her notes. “Yeah. Here they are.”

“No need to be sorry,” Don said, sympathetically. “You obviously have a lot on your mind. Anything you want to talk about?”

‘No,” Toni said, but then immediately started talking. “It’s just… well… Connie sent me a text awhile ago that has me a little… wound up, I guess.”

Don looked concerned. In all the time that he and Toni had been working together, she’d never once complained about Connie. “I hope everything is ok with you two.”

“Oh, it’s fine between us,” Toni laughed nervously. “Nothing like that. It’s just… well… he’s going to see his sister this afternoon to kinda have it out with her and I’m… I’m just concerned, I guess. Connie’s never really confronted anyone about anything. He just sort of… I don’t know… rolls with things, I guess. He takes things as they come and never gets upset. This is a different kind of meeting for him and… I’m just worried, I guess.”

Don nodded. “I get it.” He thought for a moment, then checked his watch. “Hey, you want to head back towards the office? We can finish this up there and that way you can be closer to Connie in case he needs your help.”

Toni sighed. “That’d be great, Don. Thanks.”
 

 
“Honestly, Ms Fry,” Julia said through the phone to the office manager at Dr Williamson’s office, “I cannot give you a higher recommendation for Connie and if you call any of these four people, they will confirm what I’ve told you. My boss is probably going to be spiteful and say bad things, but Connie is the best. Honestly. I wouldn’t have called you again if he wasn’t.”

“Hmmm,” Ms Fry mused. “This is a bit unusual, I must say, Julia, especially since these names you’ve passed along are not employers, but friends, but… I am very impressed that you would take the initiative to call me back and have this discussion. Can you tell me why you chose to call me?”

Julia sighed. “Well, to tell you the truth… I feel like Connie deserves a break. See… I’ve been Ms Bentley’s receptionist for quite some time, and I remember when Connie first came to work here. He was kind of a lost soul and just wanted to do great job for his sister, and… to be very honest…I took advantage of him. I passed more and more work off on him until… well… let’s just say that I feel pretty bad about how I treated him until recently.”

“So, you’re trying to make amends?”

“I… I’m trying to do the right thing. I feel like… like… like if I don’t help Connie out, then my boss will sabotage any chance he has of ever getting a good job somewhere else. So… yeah… that’s why I called.”

There was a long silence.

Then:

“I think I understand,” Ms Fry said. “I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I’ll call Mr Miller back and have another chat with him. Maybe I’ll feel comfortable enough to make a decision without talking to your boss.”

“That would be great.”

“No promises, but… maybe.”
 

 
Connor pulled his fashionable little jacket a little tighter as he walked across the parking lot next to Heather’s law office. It had been a very warm autumn thus far, but the temps had started falling as the last week of October began. It wasn’t just the chill, though; it was his nerves making him shiver just a bit. He’d never really had an argument with Heather before. He may have tried to make a point about something here and there, but on the whole, he’d usually just let her have her way.

Julia met him at the door. “You ready?” She asked.

“I think so,” Connor replied nervously.

She took his jacket. “You look great,” she said, taking in his outfit, a pale orange, soft looking dress with sleeves that puffed out at the shoulders and met long, buttoned cuffs a bit above his wrists. The bodice was blousy and open at the throat, showing enough skin to hint that there may be small, pert breasts beneath. The dress had a pretty, narrow, black belt at the waist and a very wide, also blousy skirt that fell just below his knees. He wore high heeled riding boots that were never designed to enter a stirrup but was the height of fall fashion.

“Thanks,” he replied.

Julia hung up the jacket, then turned and hugged her friend. “Good luck,” she whispered.

He chuckled. “Thank you. I need some.”

Julia moved to her desk and pressed a button on her phone.

“Yes?” Heather’s voice came through the speaker.

“Your four o’clock is here,” Julia said.

“Send him in.”

They walked to the office door. “Take a deep breath.” Julia said.

Connor did and then let it out.

“Ready?”

Connor nodded.

Julia opened the door, and Connor entered the office, his heart beating hard in his chest.
 

 
“This is ridiculous,” Bill said to Joe. He had been filling out questionnaires sent to them both from the firm’s lawyer for more than an hour and had had enough. “I was very polite when I asked Crenshaw to come out into the lobby so I could speak to him privately. HE had been the rude jerk, and HE was the one who raised his voice, drawing attention.”

“I know. And he was the leader of that group of jerks who attacked Phil when they got here,” Joe agreed.

“And yet, we are the ones spending our days filling out these stupid questionnaires.”

Joe nodded. “Such is life.”

Bill stopped shuffling the papers and pushed everything away from himself on the desk. “Joe… this lawyer… Wexler… he seems bound and determined to call Connie into the hearing as a witness of some kind.”

“Yeah,” Joe said, also ceasing his questionnaire activity. “He does. I think he might even do it just to put Heather into a compromising position, pso she’ll have to bow out of the case.”

There were a few moments of silence before Bill spoke again. “I don’t want hm involved, Joe. I don’t want Connie called. He didn’t do anything and… Joe, Connie has been a quiet, private person his entire life. I feel like this would be kind of like outing him, you know?”

Joe nodded. “I know exactly, Bill, but… I mean… it’s not going to be a full-blown trial and everyone there will already be aware of how Connie presents. If Wexler demands it… what can we do?”

“We can say ‘no,’ Joe. We can put our feet down and just not allow it.”

“Yeah,” Joe said quietly, “but… I really don’t want to lose my job, Bill. I like it here and I like the future this company offers.”

More silence.

“So…” Bill said, “you’d throw Connie under the bus to keep your job?”

“I didn’t say that,” Joe said insistently. “Look, Bill… none of this is fair, but… well… let’s just hope that it doesn’t come to that. Ok?”

“And if it does?”

“Let’s just hope it doesn’t. Can we leave it at that for now?”
 

 
“You can sit,” Heather said without looking up, but indicating several chairs and a loveseat in her office as she continued to review the paperwork in front of her.

Connor sighed, then sat in the chair closest to the desk.

“What can I do for you?” She asked, still not looking up.

“You can stop pretending to be too busy to talk to me and look at me,” Connor said, his heart beating so hard that he would not have been surprised if Heather could see his heart pumping through his dress.

“Look, Connie, I am busy… very busy, and I don’t have time to…” she finally looked up and saw her half-brother dressed as he was, with age appropriate, very fashionable clothes and makeup. “Huh…” was her only remark.

“What does that mean?” Connor asked

“Just ‘huh,’” Heather remarked as she continued to look.

When nothing else was being said, Connor began speaking. “Look, Heather, I’m not trying to overstep my boundaries as an employee, but why…”

“You look like mom,” Heather interrupted.

“What?” Connor was caught off guard.

Heather reached into a drawer, searched for a moment, then produced a photo of her father and their mother on their honeymoon, over forty years earlier. She showed Connor the photo. “You look like mom,” she restated. “I didn’t see it before, but you do.”

Connor looked at the photo, a photo he’d never seen before. There was an uncanny similarity between the woman in the picture and the way he, Connor, currently presented himself. “I’ve never seen this picture before.”

“Of course not,” Heather said, returning the photo to the drawer. “You wouldn’t expect mom to have photos of her ex sitting around her home, would you.” Any kindness she may have shown before was gone then and her voice was cold and hard and dismissive once again. “So… what is it you’re so eager to say?”

Connor shook his head and looked at her as he regrouped his thoughts. Heather’s sudden change of attitude and tone was difficult for him to navigate.

“If you just wanted to show me today’s costume, I’ve seen it. So, you can leave,” she spat as she returned her attention to her paperwork.

Connor took a deep breath, opened his purse and pulled out a letter, laying it out neatly on top of the paperwork on heather

“What’s this?”

“It’s my resignation letter.”

Heather opened it and gave it a glance. She laughed quietly. “You’re quitting? How do you plan to survive? Where do you intend to live?”

“I have another job,” he said firmly. He had decided to resign regardless of whether or not he got the job at the doctor’s office, but Ms Fry had called just before he’d arrived and said she’d decided to take a chance on him and he could start there as soon as he was able to leave his current job. “And I intend to continue living right where I live now.”

Heather snickered again. “I pay the rent there.”

“From my share of mom’s estate,” he said firmly. “That’s my money not yours.”

“It’s not yours until you’re twenty-five. That was agreement when you signed the agreement.”

“I was seventeen. I’m twenty-two now. I’m sure that I could talk to another lawyer who could get me access to that money if I needed it, but the truth is that I am not planning on challenging you on that matter right now. I can wait a few more years.”

“My name is on the lease.”

“I’m planning to talk to the landlady this evening, Heather. I’m sure she’ll understand.”

“Not if I get involved.”

“But you won’t.”

“Oh? Why won’t I?”

Connor sighed. “Because you and I are brother and sister and we love each other. Neither of us would do something like that to the other.”

“Connor,” Heather sat straighter, “the administration of mom’s will is business for me – not something personal. Now, if I decide that I want to continue to lease that apartment as a business item, then I can. That’s business.”

He shook his head. “Throwing your brother out of his apartment because your ego is bruised is business? Come on, Heather. You wouldn’t do that.”

“We’ll see,” Heather shrugged. “What else?”

Connor shifted just a bit and gathered his strength. “I’d like to talk about why you choose to take a case that targets my friends.”

“No. I won’t discuss that.”

“Why? You turn down cases all the time. Why would you take this one?”

Heather let out an exasperated grunt. “Ok. Just this once, I will tell you why – and this is not a discussion. I took the case for two reasons. Number one, I think that Mr Crenshaw’s employment and that of his colleagues was terminated illegally. They responded viscerally to a situation they found uncomfortable, and the company’s Human Resources Department did not try to mediate but rather terminated. That is not the proper way to end someone’s employment. Number two, there is a lot of money in play here, Connor, and if I get these men their jobs back, or if I am able to get them ample compensation, there is a very healthy payday for me. Now, that may sound a bit mercenary to you, Connor, but I am running a business here, and I need to bring in money.”

She paused just a moment before continuing.

“I will accept your resignation as effective immediately.” She looked at him. “You may go.”

Connor was shaking his head. “You’re unbelievable, you know that? Money. You’d throw my friends, and possibly me under the bus for money? Heather, I have been doing the billing and making deposits for this firm for years. You have plenty of money. You could retire today and have a nice nest-egg to live off for years. I am…” he struggled for words “… disappointed, I guess.”

“Well, too bad,” she scoffed. “Connor, you only have yourself to blame for ALL of this. If YOU hadn’t dressed up for some kind of game, none of this would have happened. If YOU and your little friends weren’t passing around cutesy little photos of you dressed up like some kind of a little fairy, then your friends wouldn’t be in this mess. If the government has their way, all of this trans-nonsense will be illegal in a few months. Maybe then you’ll realize how stupid playing this game of yours really is!” She’d gotten very worked up and her doughy, pale face had gone red.

“Game!?” Connor snapped, his voice raised for maybe the first time in his life. “Exactly what game am I playing, Heather?”

“Your dress-up game, Connor. Your ‘oh look how pretty I am now’ game, Connor. The game that you seem to be enjoying so much since one of those two girls you’ve been waaaaaay to close to since you were a child decided to put you in a dress.”

Connor turned to the door, crossed and opened it just a little. He had intended to leave but then changed his mind.

When he spoke his voice was controlled, but quivering a bit.

“You’re right Heather… the girls put me in a dress and did my hair and makeup. Not for the reasons that you think though. My clothes were ruined, and I had no others, but… but… but… Heather… when Mary showed me how I looked in the mirror, I didn’t see myself dressed in a costume, or wearing someone else’s clothes. Heather, I don’t expect you to understand this, but… for the very first time in my life… I saw… me. The real me. The me I should have been but was too cowardly to go looking for. The me that I’d dreamed of being without ever realizing it. Me, Heather. For the very first time… just… me. Can you understand that?”

She smirked, almost laughing at him. “No. No, I don’t.” She stood and walked around her desk. “Connor, when you wake up in the morning, you’re a boy. When you go to sleep at night, you’re a boy, too. Nothing’s going to change that, Connor. Nothing. I’m a woman, Connor. I was born a woman, and I will die a woman. Nothing will change that, and I am perfectly happy with that.”

Connor nodded. “Well… congratulations,” he said. “Aren’t you lucky that you’ve had an easy ride to this point. That, no matter what else goes wrong, you can at least be happy about that. I am so glad that when you were nine, eleven, thirteen years old, you were able to grow up in exactly the way that you expected. The way that your friends did. That’s wonderful for you.”

Heather almost spoke, but he continued in such a measured and controlled manner that she held her tongue.

“That wasn’t my experience, Heather. When I was little, I had no interest in what the boys were doing. I didn’t want to climb trees. I didn’t want to throw a ball well. I tried, but I really didn’t want to. I wanted to learn what Mary and Amy were learning. I wanted to learn how to be something – someone - like them. Imagine what it is like for a child – a child, Heather – a child with no real understanding of the world – having to watch his friends grow up to become something he could never be. And I’m not just talking about Mary and Amy. I’m talking about Bill and Joe, too. Heather, by the time I was in fourth grade I knew that I’d never be big and strong and sturdy. And I was ok with that. I never wanted that. What I wanted was to be like my best friends. Like Mary and Amy. I wanted to be like a girl, Heather. I still can’t even put int words what I wanted to be, but I wanted to be me, just more like a girl, too. So that people would stop making fun of me and just accept me. I used to pray every night that God would perform a miracle of some kind and that I would wake up to find that I’d become more like a girl. At least enough like a girl so that everyone would just leave me alone and let me be happy being me. Do you have any idea how painful that is for someone to suffer through all that?”

“Do have any idea how ridiculous that all sounds, Connor?” Heather asked using the most dismissive tone.

Connor shook his head, defeated. “You know, Heather… I’ve always loved and respected my big sister. I knew that you would never love me, but I did hope that we’d at least find a way to mend the fences between us, but…” He shrugged. “I guess you don’t have any interest in that, though.” He shrugged again. “So… goodbye, Heather. I hope you find some happiness.” He turned to leave.

Heather said behind him. “I’m very happy, Connor, thank you very much.”

He opened the door but stopped before stepping through. “I’m afraid that you actually think that you really are happy,” Connor said, looking her in the eye. “And if that’s true, then that makes me even sadder.” He left the office and closed the door behind him.
 

 
The Heritage Museum and Gardens is a stunning collection of classic cars in a purpose-built building that is surrounded by acres of a beautiful and vibrant assortment of plants. By late October, though, those plants had faded and passed.

The museum, however, has twenty-six beautiful classic cars, all of which have been restored to their original glory. Ever since they were old enough to become members of The Heritage Foundation, Connor and his friends had happily paid their yearly dues so they could stop by and see the flowers and cars whenever they desired. Connor loved the flowers when they were in bloom, but his favorite car was a 1930 Duesenberg  Model J Durham Tourister. It had a bright lemon-yellow chassis with pastel green fenders, dark green leather seats and a canvas convertible top.

It was a breathtaking car.

Besides giving members access to the gardens and the cars, one of the biggest perks of membership was the foundation’s yearly Halloween party and Connor and his friends never missed the event.

Partner costumes were always the theme, and awards were given out for the best costumes. They never vied for the awards, there were very wealthy members who wore very expensive costumes and walked away with the awards, but they loved to get dressed up and enjoy the spectacle. That year, Bill and Amy came as Hawkeye and The Black Widow. Joe and Mary came as Batman and Batgirl, Toni and Connor came as Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan.

Toni wore a 1920’s style tuxedo with her hair combed back in a very masculine fashion, looking every bit the fashionable 1920’s fashion plate.

Connor wore a sleeveless, low cut, loose fitting dress with a peach colored, silk underdress and a stunningly shear, intricately beaded overdress with a very art-nouveau look to it, high heeled, black sandals and an equally intricately beaded headband that featured a medallion shaped centerpiece with three small lavaliers hanging from it and three tasteful little leafs jutting out of the top. Aside from his un-bobbed hair, he was every bit the fashionable, rich woman of The Jazz Age.

“Well, look at you!” Mary said as Connor arrived at their table. “You make an adorable flapper.”

Connor smiled. “I’m not sure Daisy Buchanan was technically a flapper…”:

“Who?” Mary asked.

“Daisy Buchanan,” Connor said. “You know… the girl that Jay Gatsby was obsessed with.”

“Oh!” Amy said, realizing who Connor meant. “Carrie Mulligan in that Leonardo DiCaprio movie, right?”

Connor smiled. “That’s her, alright.”

“Oh, then you look perfect,” Mary said, unable to keep herself from touching up Connor’s hair, just a little bit as the three of them began chatting.

“First time in a tux?” Bill asked Toni.

“Strangely enough, no,” Toni laughed. “I played a man in a production of ‘By Jeeves’ when I was in high school, and of course – prom. I find them very comfortable, actually.”

“Me too,” Joe agreed. “If regular suits were as comfortable as a tux, I would wear one every day.”

“Why not just wear a tux everyday?” Bill teased.

“Because I’d make you and everyone else look bad, if I did.”

They laughed.

“Hey girls,” Bill called to the table, “we’re going to the bar. Do you want something?”

“Ooh,” Amy answered for all of them. “They had a great cranberry martini last year. If they have that, we’ll all have one of those.”

Bill nodded, buttoned his suit jacket, then winked. “Three martinis – shaken, not stirred.”

Amy chuckled. “As soon as he gets near a tux, he starts acting like James Bond.”

“Joe does too,” Mary smiled.

“Toni is just happy she’s able to wear trousers. She hates dresses.”

“And you love them,” Mary said, her eyes twinkling. “So, everything works out.” She looked around before continuing. “At least, I hope everything works out. Are you guys still happy with this arrangement?”

Now it was Connor’s turn to smile. “Better than I ever could have imagined. Toni seems content and I’ve never been happier. I adore looking pretty and I have not had to correct anyone when referring to me by the wrong gender in almost a month.”

Amy got a bit serious. “Your gender? So… from here on out you’re a female?”

“Not necessarily,” Connor shrugged. “I am what I am, I guess, but I no longer have to tell people that I’m a guy when they call me ‘Miss.’ You’d be surprised what a burden that conversation can be when it occurs six or eight times a day.” He adjusted the silk opera gloves that covered his arms from fingers to biceps. “For now… I’m just going to be me. I’m done worrying about it. If that’s not good enough for someone else… not my problem.”

“Good for you!” Mary smiled.

Amy looked around to be sure that the guys were still at the bar. “Speaking of problems: did you hear that a date was set for the guys to go to court?”

“No,” Connor suddenly sounded concerned.

“November twenty-third,” Amy said. “Right before Thanksgiving.”

“Don’t tell the guys we told you,” Mary whispered. “They don’t want you to know.”

Connor shook his head. “I bet Toni knew already. You know, I don’t need to be protected by everyone. If I can help, I want to help.”

Amy laughed. “You don’t need protecting? Connie, you’ve always been protected. Bill has looked at you as his little sister our entire lives.”

Connor scoffed a little.

“It’s true, Connie,” Mary assured him. “Joe, too. Those guys couldn’t be more protective of you if you really were their baby sister.”

Connor looked to the bar where Toni, Joe and Bill were collecting their orders. “Really?”

Mary took his hands in hers. “Connie… we’ve always been friends, but we’ve also always been family. We all have moms and aunts and uncles and all, but the six of us have always been brothers and sisters. We all love each other in a way that most people will never know. If Joe and Bill and even Toni feel the need to be ‘the men’ and protect us, then that’s great. But Connie… you have always been the baby sister of our family. Even if you’ve only just started dressing the part.”

“She’s right, Connie,” Amy agreed. “Let them be your big brothers and let Toni be your man. That’s how things are meant to be.”

“One cranberry martini for you,” Joe said, placing a glass in front of Amy. As he did the same in front of Mary and Connor he said, “and one for you, and one for you.”

‘You all look beautiful,” Toni said to Mary, Amy and included Connor.

“Well, thank you, Mr Gatsby,” Mary said.

Toni laughed. “Am I Gatsby or am I Tom Buchanan? That was never made clear to me. I was just told to wear a tux.”

“Whose Tom Buchanan?” Mary asked.

“Geez honey, read a book, or at least pay attention to a movie, would ya?” Joe laughed.

“Oh, ha-ha,” Mary said, a tad irritated. “Connie said she was Gatsby’s lover. I assumed that Toni was Gatsby then.”

“Fair enough,” Joe laughed and held up his bottle of Coors in a toast to his wife.

Bill had been staring at Connor throughout this whole exchange. Connor could feel the stare but had avoided looking back. Finally, he made eye contact while the others kept talking.

“What?”

“Nothing,” Bill smiled. “You just look… I don’t know… amazing, I guess is the right word. It’s kinda unbelievable that this beautiful woman is my little pal, Connie. That’s all.”

“Do you find that weird?”

Bill chuckled. “Not at all, Connie. I’m happy that you’re happy. You are happy, right?”

Connor smiled. “Yeah, Bill. I’m happy.”

“How does it feel?” Bill asked.

“What?” Connor looked around. “Presenting as a woman?”

“No,” Bill laughed at the idea that Connor thought he was asking such a philosophical question. “That dress, I mean. It’s got all those beads and… stuff… all over it. Isn’t it heavy? Are the beads lumpy to sit on?”

Now it was Connor’s turn to chuckle. “No, Bill. It’s not heavy. It’s actually very… airy. Very soft and light and really silky. There’s a silk slip under the dress that makes it feel even more amazing. It’s pretty awesome.”

“Is there something you aren’t telling me?” Amy interrupted, having become aware of this sidebar a few moments earlier.

“What do you mean?” Bill asked.

“I mean, why are you suddenly interested in how women’s clothing feels? Are you interested in trying on some yourself?” She wasn’t angry, in fact her tone was a bit playful.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Bill laughed. “I was just wondering since… you know… this is all kinda new to Connie and I was just… curious.”

“Hmmm…” she smirked at both her husband and Connor. “You never asked me how my clothes felt.”

“You would have no point of reference.”

“What?” Amy was taken aback. “I do wear slips, you know William. I also wear dresses and even makeup, earrings and heels.”

“Yeah, but you’ve always worn them, so you have no point of reference.” He could see that Amy was not following him, so he clarified. “Look… Connie grew up wearing the same kind of clothes that I did. Rough, boys’ clothes. Jeans, trousers, dress pants, rough shirts, tighty-whities… you know… clothes that are built for endurance, not comfort. You grew up wearing pretty clothes. Soft jeans. Short-shorts. Silk. Nylon. Everything was designed to be soft and pretty. There is no way that you can experience clothes the same way that Connie is experiencing them now.” He turned his attention back to their friend. “So… how does it feel?”

Connie smiled at both Bill and Amy. He was amused by both of them. They both were so playful when they went after each other like that. It was one of the ways they showed each other how much they loved one and other. “Well… it’s still kinda new to me, of course, but it feels kinda wonderful, really. I love how soft and light and gently everything moves on me, how pretty it makes me feel, how natural I feel when I look pretty in them. This dress in particular makes me feel beautiful and special and even more special than usual. Kind of like I would imagine a bride would feel.”

Bill nodded and looked at his wife. “See. Would you have given me an answer that good?”

Amy wiped a little tear from her eye and leaned over to hug Conner. “You are special, Connie. Very special.”
 

 
“You look lovely,” Toni said, as Connor looked at himself in the full-length mirror that morning.

“I don’t know… It’s a nice dress, but… do I look like a woman in it, or a guy in a dress?”

Toni chuckled. “Babe, you have never looked like a guy in a dress. Since that Sunday that the pressure cooker exploded and you put on one of Mary’s old dresses, you have never looked anything like a guy in a dress.”

Connor smiled. “Thanks.” He sighed. “I just need to look… perfect… you know?”

Toni nodded. “Look, Connie… you don’t have to go to this thing today. It’s not a trial. Bill and Joe aren’t in danger of going to jail or anything. They’re not even in danger of losing their jobs. That’s something that may come later. It’s a hearing. That’s all. No jury. Just a judge and some lawyers.”

Connor nodded as he bent and picked up his long, wool coat. “I know, but we need to be there to support them. If they lose, then Crenshaw goes back to work with them, and they say they’ll have to find new jobs. They don’t want that… and I don’t want that… and I don’t want to be the cause of that.”

“Oh, Connie,” Toni stepped forward and hugged him. “No matter what happens, you are not the cause of any of this. You know that, right?”

Connor shrugged. “I feel like I am.”
 

 
“You ready?” Mary asked Joe.

He adjusted his tie in the mirror by the door. “How do I look?”

She smiled. “Like the most handsome man in the world.”

He smiled back. “Then I guess I’m ready.”

She laughed and kissed his cheek. “It’s going to be ok, Joe. I’m sure of it.”

“I wish I had your confidence,” he said with a sad smile. “It will be what it will be, I guess.”

She hugged him tightly. “Whatever happens, we’ll be ok.”

He nodded. “We will, babe. We will.”
 

 
“We have to get going, hon,” Bill said, tapping on the bathroom door.

The door swung open and Amy stepped out. She was forcing a smile, but her eyes were red-rimmed. “Ok. I’m ready.”

“Hey,” Bill said, looking very serious, “if worst comes to worst, I just find another job, ok?”

She nodded.

“We’re gonna be fine, Amy. I promise.”

“I know, Joe, I just…” she thought for a moment, then let put a frustrated grunt. “This is ridiculous! The same jerk that made high school intolerable at times is now making our life miserable! He has no right to do this, Bill!” Her temper was never this volatile. Bill was concerned.

“Try to relax, Amy…”

“Relax!? Bill, we could lose everything. I like my life. I like my friends. It shouldn’t all be jeopardized by that dweeb.”

“Dweeb?” Bill laughed, trying to lighten the mood. “Amy, honey, I know you’re upset, but there’s absolutely no reason to start throwing the ‘D’ word around.”

She shook her head, looked at him as if he were clueless, pushed past him, and that’s when he realized her eyes were teary.

“Come on, Amy,” Bill pleaded. “This really isn’t the time for this.”

He heard her slam the door to her closet. He shook his head. This was not Amy-like behavior. Usually, she was easy going, but she’d been like this for a few weeks now. Swinging hot and cold. Sweet, then angry.

He glanced into the bathroom and realized that the blinds were still closed, so he stepped in to open them. That’s when he noticed the open cardboard box in the wastebasket and the small plastic wand beside it. The small wand had a little window on it and the window had a ‘+’ sign clearly displayed in it.

Bill bent and picked up the wand and stared at it in disbelief.

“I thought we had to go?” Amy said impatiently from the doorway.

Bill turned, the biggest smile he’d ever had on his face. “Are we… are we… expecting?”

Amy couldn’t help it. She was scared and upset and very hormonal, but she just adored Bill and his smile was so huge that it made her smile. “Yeah.” She nodded. “We’re expecting.” She almost whispered it. “Great timing, huh?”

“Oh, my God!” He shouted. “This is amazing! This is huge! This is UNBELIEVABLE!”

He went to hug her.

“Bill! Bill!” She shouted, backing away. “Put that back in the trash. I peed on that!”

“In the trash!? Hell, this is the first thing going in the baby book!”

“Oh no it’s not!” Amy laughed.

“Oh yes, it is!” Bill smiled pulling her into a tight hug. He kissed her hard and made a loud smacking sound when he parted from her cheek. He took her hand and headed towards the door. “If it’s a boy his name will be Arlo and if it’s a girl her name will be Winnifred.”

“You’re insane!”

“Kids will do that to you.”
 
 
To Be Continued...