Once back at Sam’s place I set about making a bit of dinner. As we ate, I went over with Sam what had occurred with Sarah so that Sam would know if any questions arose. Since tomorrow was going to be my last full day with Sam we also discussed what the future might bring. Sam was very adamant that I come back as Barbara. He said that it had been the most uplifting time that he had had in years.

A summer spent with the girls at a fashion and sewing camp gives a boy a chance to discover his authentic self in a supportive environment.

I was sitting on a bench in the schoolyard with my friends Jenny and Patti watching a bunch of boys aggressively kicking a soccer ball into the wall.

“School will be out in two weeks and I am not looking forward to summer.”

Jenny touched my hand and looked concerned. “What’s the problem?”

We verified that everyone’s clothes were ready, the sole exception being that Victoria’s wedding dress currently looked like Mona’s.

We confirmed with the catering staff that our Thanksgiving dinner for 119 was going to be ready at 3.

We confirmed Jeremy was ready as best man. He and Arturo were going to arrive early; the hall would already be set up then, and Arturo could just take a seat, but Jeremy needed to be ready to be part of the procession.

Chapter 13 — “The Frozen Gate”

The wind had gone still.

The loudspeaker in the Mess Hall. “Malachite, please report to the Colonel at 09.00.”

“No peace for the wicked, it seems.” Malachite said with a smile to a group of her sisters who were sharing breakfast together.

Dressed in a clean uniform, the Colour Sergeant was ushered into the Colonel’s office at precisely 09:00.

The Colonel, waved the senior NCO to a chair, avoiding the formalities.

“I have a little job for you.” she said.

Malachite sat up a bit straighter.

CHAPTER 9
We shared breakfast the next morning, as our guests had brought their own makings with them in the way of bacon and sausages. Greg was far more serious at the table than he had been in the pub.

“You have a couple of problems, Ellie, in terms of individual colleagues. It is the advantage of the stranger that people may talk more freely by him”

CHAPTER 26
What to say about the weekend? It was a weekend in Wales, in Spring, so it rained. Fortunately, there were women already on site who knew how to put up what they called a ‘Canadienne’ ridge tent. When I say that they knew, they still watched as we put our pair up in different but equally wrong ways, laughed, and only then showed us the right way., but thanks to them we actually stayed dry. At least inside our tents.

When they returned to the cottage, Faye said,
“Please bear with me. For almost all my life, I was not allowed to make even the smallest decisions. What I wore was chosen for me. I was never allowed to wear jeans or trainers. I had to wear a white shirt and tie even at weekends.