Jimmy’s world is changing fast now that Bree sees her child as Juliette. The day after the big reveal is a wild ride for Julie, and she is not in control. Unsure about where things are going, she is overwhelmed and worried. Mom trying to make up for lost time and Rachel trying to be a good best friend are a force Julie can't slow down. The day's adventures bring her clothes shopping, two photo shoots, and to a Girl Scout meeting. Is it too much for Julie to handle, or meeting her every dream? Could it be both? New questions, nervous moments, and a few truths that can’t stay hidden forever all happen in one day. A day that Juliette will never forget.

“Mommie, I’m home,” Rachel announced, opening the door. “Julie and her Mommie are here too.”

Marilyn took off like a bat out of hell for Rachel’s room and grabbed the class pictures off Rachel’s bed. After hiding them in her own bedroom, she came downstairs much more slowly than she had gone up.

‘That was close. If Juliette saw those photos, she might get the wrong idea.’

When Marilyn walked into the room, Juliette, Rachel, Jessica, and Bree were already inside.

“Mommie, can you take my best friend Julie to and from Girl Scouts?” Rachel asked.

“Does Mrs. Kane know she’ll be coming?”

“Yes, we stopped at the costume shop to ask permission.”

Marilyn nodded, while mentally deciding, ‘That discussion will definitely have to wait until after Scouts.’ “By the way, I don’t think I’ve been introduced to Juliette’s mother.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Bree Bowen.”

“And I’m Marilyn.”

Bree held out the photos. “Here are Rachel’s Santa pictures. And if you have a computer, we can see the raw proofs from Rachel and Juliette’s photo shoot.”

“Photo shoot? Where did you all go today?”

Rachel counted on her fingers. “Consignment shop, costume shop, dance shop, Girl Scout shop, Pizza Hut, Santa, Macy’s, and the photo place.”

Mrs. Vickers raised her eyebrows. “That’s it? And how much did you get, Princess?”

“Nothing. We weren't shopping for me.”

Marilyn held up the Santa photo. “This wasn’t something?”

“Mommie, you’re making a big deal out of nothing.”

“How about the gift you had in your hand when you walked in, Princess?”

“That was from Mrs. Claus after the photo shoot.”

Marilyn turned to Julie. “And how much did you get?”

Julie blushed beet red. “W-way too many things. They were all needed, but…”

“If you’ll excuse me,” Bree said, heading back out to the car, “I’ll dig my daughter’s new uniform out of the car.”

“While you do that, I'll grab the computer.”

Rachel dragged Julie away to talk softly in her room.

Downstairs, the two adults were looking through the raw photo proofs when Jessica walked past and glanced at the screen. “Who’s that cute toddler?”

“That's your sister,” Marilyn mentioned.

“I don't remember seeing that photo before.”

“It was only taken an hour or so ago.”

“What!” Jessica stared at the screen. Her eyes told her she was looking at a toddler, not her older sister. “I’ll be back.”

Jessica ran upstairs to her sister's room.

“…Daddie told me I had to take counseling,” she heard Julie say.

“Knock Knock.”

Rachel glared at her sister for interrupting, “Yes, dork.”

“Oh, Sis, I could get so much mileage out of that picture of you as a toddler, but it’s really convincing. Come look. I actually thought it was a baby.”

Shrugging, Rachel and Julie followed Jessica back downstairs to where their mothers were looking at the laptop.

“Mommie, I’m back with the models. Go back to the baby pictures.”

The adults were looking at photos of the two girls dressed as elves, but Marilyn looked at Rachel, trying to judge how willing her daughter had been in all of this.

“Can I see myself as a toddler?” Rachel asked.

Marilyn shrugged and clicked back through the photos

“That’s very convincing,” Rachel said when the toddler picture appeared. “I wasn’t sure about the outfits. My twin sister and I were definitely surprised when we realized what we were being asked to wear.”

“Twin sister?” Marilyn asked.

“Mrs. Claus, the photographer, thought Julie and I were twin sisters. No one actually got around to correcting her, Mommie.”

“I don’t mind being your sister, Rachel.”

“I couldn’t hope for a better twin, Julie.”

“There you go,” Marilyn said, looking between the screen and the two ten-year-old girls beside her. “Two toddlers sitting nicely on a rocking chair in front of Christmas trees.”

“How’s that done?” Jessica asked, leaning closer.

Juliette giggled, “Mrs. Claus shrank us down with this magic wand she had.”

“Wand?”

Rachel looked at her sister, who had spent this Christmas season trying to figure out if Santa Claus is real, "Mrs. Claus had this magical snowflake wand that lit up when she used her Christmas magic on us."

“Really?”

Rachel couldn’t leave her sister like this. She lightly swatted her sister. “Silly, gullible sis. The chair is huge, and the trees are even bigger. But, there really was a wand that lit up.”

The photo on the screen changed to Rachel in the Christmas Belle costume.

“How many outfits did you wear, Princess?”

“Four in total. There’s one more, Mommie.”

“All identical to Juliette’s?”

“No. Julie didn’t wear a Belle costume.”

“What are you wearing?” Jessica asked, looking at Julie.

Rachel smirked. “Just wait, impatient sister.”

“A ballerina!” Jessica exclaimed when the next photos appeared. “Wait! Were you posed, or do you actually know those moves?”

Julie opened her mouth, but Rachel shook her head and gently pushed her best friend’s mouth closed.

“Keep watching my ballerina sister. You tell me if Juliette is a ballerina or if she was posed.”

Jessica watched the ballerina on the screen do a very shaky, slow-motion version of a pirouette. You couldn’t pose someone like that.

Marilyn paused the photos after the turn.

“Keep going, Mommie. There’s another one.”

Jessica continued watching the stop motion ballerina do another pirouette, this time almost perfect.

“Those were excellent. How long have you been learning, Juliette?”

Blushing, Julie said, “J-just over a month. D-daily lessons with a perfectionist instructor.”

“Daily!?!? You go to a ballet school every day?”

“No, sis,” Rachel said. “Julie was being taught by Sammie. Key word, was.”

“Sammie from your fifth-grade class? And why was?”

“Yes,” Rachel said.

Julie provided, “My parents want me to learn at a ballet studio. Not at my friend’s house, using my friend’s leotards.”

“Yes, my little ballerina.” Bree stepped behind her daughter and hugged her. “Your father is very adamant that you learn from a pro.”

“I guess Miss Anastasia will have a new primary student,” Julie stated.

“Primary!?!” Jessica exclaimed, shocked. “But you’re ten, not a preschooler!”

Rachel snapped, “Juliette Elizabeth Bowen! Stop putting yourself down!”

“Julie, you’re better than a primary student. I’d gladly be in class with you,” Jessica said, before grinning as she thought of the toddler photos. “Based on some of those pictures, though, you would look cute as a pre-primary ballerina.”

The photos switched to the Victorian outfits.

After the photos were finished, Jessica blurted out, “I want to do that.”

Bree smiled apologetically. “Sorry, Sweetie, but they’re closed until January.”

“We can do it in January?”

“I’m not even sure if the closet part of the photo studio exists outside the Christmas season.”

Jessica pouted. “Oh.”

“I’ll look into doing it next Christmas, Cupcake,” Marilyn told her youngest.

“Really?!?!”

Sure," Mommie Vickers grinned. "I'd love to see my baby back in diapers.”

“Yes!” Jessica exclaimed. Then the second part caught up with her. “Wait!”

Bree pointed out, “Rachel and Juliette only got to do it because I booked right after someone canceled.”

“Those were excellent, Bree. Tell me how much I owe you for Rachel’s share of the photo shoot.”

“Same as your share of the Santa photos. Zero dollars, Marilyn. Having Rachel along today to help shop for Juliette’s clothes was very helpful.”

“Bree Bowen!”

“Marilyn Vickers!”

Jessica stared at the two adults as they “fought.”

“At least let me pay for the photos I want.”

“I guess I can do that.”

Marilyn glanced at the clock. “Rachel…and Juliette, go upstairs and change into your Scout uniforms.” She paused and looked at Bree before stating, "Separately please.”

Julie was handed her uniform, with her blank green sash folded on top.

“Oh, no patches on the sash?” Marilyn asked.

“Mrs. Kane said it was okay for Julie to come today without them, Mommie.”

“The patches are in the car,” Bree mentioned.

“If you grab them, I'll sew them on before the next meeting, Bree.”

“Why, thank you, Marilyn.”

As the girls went upstairs, they heard Marilyn say, “I’d like to meet privately with you next week, Bree, without any kids.”

“That’s a great idea, since I want to talk to you too about some pictures your daughter took.”

“Thank you for the ride, Mrs. Vickers,” Juliette said as she got out of the car, her green skirt sticking out beneath Rachel’s old puffy pastel tie-dyed coat.

“You’re welcome. Rachel, you need to hang out with her more so her manners rub off on you.”

“Yes, Mommie,” Rachel said, rolling her eyes while shaking her head. “See you after the meeting.”

Bree Bowen sat comfortably in her living room and dialed a number into the phone. “Hello, Miss Anastasia.” …

“I got your number from Heather Berger.” …

“I’m interested in my daughter learning at your studio.” …

“Ballet.” …

“Juliette Bowen.” …

“Ten.” …

“I’m told just over one month. Samantha Berger has been teaching her almost daily in secret.” …

“Why in secret? How do I say this? Juliette was hiding from us.” …

“Juliette and Lily have a lot in common.” ..

“No, Juliette wishes she would suddenly become a girl.” …

“Oh, you’re aware of the term.” …

“Yes, Juliette is transgender.” …

“Excellent. It isn’t a problem.” …

“That’s a long story that can be told another day.”

“She swears her skill level is on par with the primary class.” …

“Jessica Vickers adamantly disagrees.” …

“Yes, Juliette and Jessica’s sister, Rachel, are very good friends.” …

“Let me get my calendar.” …

Bree jotted down the audition time for Saturday, the twenty-sixth.

“See you on Saturday.”