From alt.sex.stories.tg Tue May  7 00:25:52 1996
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~From: LabRat@i-link.net (Karen Mitchell)
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~Subject: Story - October.txt
~Date: Thu, 02 May 1996 21:55:31 -0500
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I did not write this and you must be 18 or over to read it as it may
contain a great deal of adult explicit sexuality.  If this is
offensive do not read - delete file.  For those of us who enjoy ....
enjoy!  Please do not ask for files by e-mail - I can barely keep up
with what I have now.

OCTOBER

By Bobbi Cloud

    Here in the north, the weather can, at times, be rather
unpredictable when the seasonal changes approach. Mother Nature can
play nasty tricks on those who are not quite prepared for one of her
surprises. But sometimes things work out for the best.

**********************************************************************


    "...and we can expect a high around seventy with plenty of sun. A
weak cool front could move in some time after midnight...", the radio
told me.
    This is it, I thought to myself. I'm finally going to get out on
the road for awhile. I had always loved taking road trips but my
business and other sundry responsibilities had kept me from doing so
for well over a year. I was on vacation. The first in a long time and
I had hoped that I would be able to do it today. It looked as though
the weather was going to cooperate.
    After a couple cups of coffee and a leisurely bath. I went to my
room to select my clothing for the day. I thought briefly about a
skirt and a blouse, but then decided that I didn't want to take time
to put on my make up. Today I would wear drab. I picked out a pair of
walking shorts and a polo shirt, threw on a pair of athletic socks and
tennis shoes, and headed out the door.
    The weatherman was right. It was a perfect day. I fired up the
engine and was on my way. I had no particular destination, but as I
drove through town I noticed several people out raking leaves. It
reminded me that the fall colors would be at thier peak a hundred
miles or so to the south. At least now I had an idea of what direction
I'd be heading.

**********************************************************************


    Two and a half hours later I turned east to catch the river. There
was a park there that I'd visited before. I liked it because it was
rarely used. It amazed me that the area residents didn't use it.
Granted, there weren't any fancy picnic areas and some of the
undergrowth was rather thick, but it was on the bluffs overlooking the
river and was beautiful. I turned off onto the dirt county road that
lead to the park and ten minutes later I was there.
    The fall foliage was magnificent! All the reds, oranges and
yellows were vibrant. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the sun felt
warm and soothing. A slight autumn nip kept it from getting too warm
and I remember thinking that I should have brought a sweater or a
jacket.
    I found my spot under an ancient oak tree. I'd used this spot many
times before but the squirrels that made thier homes in that tree made
it clear that my presemce was not requested, thank you very much!! I
couldn't help but chuckle at the severe scolding I was receiving from
them. Then I laughed out loud when the cacaphony of chattering
reminded me of a crotchety old woman. I sat there in the sun admiring
the splashes of fantastic hues thinking amusing and totally frivolous
thoughts. It was good to get away.

**********************************************************************


    I hadn't kept track of time. I even had dozed for awhile naturally
drunk on the beauty of just being. It must have been an hour and a
half later when I was snapped back to reality by the realization that
the temperature had dropped quite a bit. "I'd better head out", I
thought.
    As I walked back to my car I noticed a bank of angry black clouds
to the west. By the time I reached my car the entire sky was a
swirling mass of deep gray. The winds had picked up considerably and
the temperature had dropped at least twenty degrees. It had turned
cold and I wasn't dressed for it. The wind whipped the chilly air
around my bare arms and legs raising goose bumps the size of mountains
and caused the loose legs of my shorts to flap wildly.
    There are two occasions that can cause identical feelings. One is
when you see the red flashing lights in your rear view mirror and you
know they're for you. The other is when you turn the key in your
ignition and nothing happens. I had that feeling and there weren't any
cops around. There's this male thing that causes us to look under the
hood when our cars won't work. It's built in. It must be in
testosterone. I haven't the foggiest idea what the hell I was looking
for. I know about as much about fixing cars as I do about brain
surgery but there I was with that hood up staring at this mass of
metal, tubes and wires as if I could hypnotize the engine into
running.
    By the time I decided that I'd better start walking the
temperature had dropped below forty five degrees, the rain had started
and the wind velocity had increased even further. I reached the dirt
road soaked to the skin and frozen to the bone. Mud caked to my shoes
making my feet feel like lead. I was shivering like a Chihuahua in a
room full of pit bulls.

**********************************************************************


    I don't remember how or when I got to the main highway. I was
pretty out of it by then. I remember it was dark and I vaguely
remember climbing into that warm car with the voice. I was sure that
it was an angel except that I didn't think that angels drove cars. In
fact, the only coherent thought I remember having was that God must
have modernized because this angel was driving a Porsche. I'd have
laughed at that thought, but my laugh wasn't working too well at that
point. I passed out.

**********************************************************************


    As my mind slowly crept back to the edge of awareness the first
fragment of reality was that soft hand stroking my head. The second
was that I could hardly move and that I felt like I was on fire! A
feeble attempt at thrashing did little to free me of the weight on my
body and then, that voice again.
    "Take it easy, Robert", the voice said. I recognized it as the
angel. I moaned.
    "Robert, can you hear me?" the angel asked.
    "Wah ih ho ha? Um bur up!" my mouth managed to say. I opened my
eyes. It took them a few seconds for them to focus. Even then it
wasn't too good. Everything had a soft edge around it including the
face that came into my field of view.
    "Are you with me?" it asked. It was a nice face.
    "Ah hink ho." My tongue felt like peanut butter stuck to the roof
of my mouth. I realized my head was pounding. And, Jesus, it was hot!!
"Um hoo ha."
    "That's good." the face said. "You weren't in very good shape when
I found you. My name is Nancy. I'm a nurse."
    My ability to focus was coming back to me. I still wasn't thinking
completely straight but that was coming too. I looked at the face
again. It was a very nice face. It was a beautiful face. It had wide
set impish green eyes, a smallish nose, big beautiful smiling lips
that parted to reveal straight gleaming white teeth. The chin was
divided by a slight cleft. The skin was a lovely peachy color. It all
was framed by stunning straight dark hair with incredible auburn
highlights.
    "Em ah ih hahpihah? Wah keh ah hock?" My mouth was definitely not
working right.
    "No. You're not in the hospital. I brought you to my home. You
can't talk very well because it looks as if you fell and bit your
tongue. It's pretty swollen right now. Do you think you could drink
some water?"
    "Yeh. Um hah." She pulled back some of the weight that was holding
me down, put her hand behind my head and helped me to sit up a little.
As she held the glass to my lips I wanted to have all that ice water
in me right then, but my tongue would not cooperate. I could only take
small sips. Even that was pure heaven. I don't think I'd ever been
that thirsty.
    "I think I can take some of those covers of you now. Would you
like that?"
    "Yeh, pea. Wah yo ehm?"
    "Nancy. Nancy Peale. I almost hit you out on the highway. I was
going to take you to the hospital, but I could hardly see to drive
here as it was. You were suffering from hypothermia. You've been out
for quite a while. I brought you here to get you warm. Are you feeling
better?"
    "Ah hink ho. Mah heh huh a mah hung ih um."
    "I'm sorry. Did you say that your head hurts and your tongue is
numb?'
    I felt like a fool talking the way I was. I like to think of
myself as a reasonably articulate human being. I certainly wasn't
being one now. "Yeh. Ih a pay ih uh buh."
    Her laughter filled my ears. It was one of those infectious
musical laughs. A laugh from the soul. "Well, your sense of humor is
intact. I guess I don't need to worry about you so much anymore." Her
eyes sparkled. "Would you like to try sitting up?"
    She helped me to sit up. My head still pounded but getting those
hot blankets off me was sheer pleasure. The air in the room was
pleasantly cool. I realized that I was bathed in sweat. As I swung my
legs over the edge of the bed something else hit me.
    I don't know why I expected to be wearing the clothes that I had
left my house in. Perhaps it was because I was still a little groggy,
but I certainly wasn't wearing those clothes. Instead, I was wearing a
pink flowered flannel night gown and long gray leg warmers. I didn't
say anything. Oddly, neither did she.
    "Can I get you anything, Robert?
    I shook my head. "Ahm okeh. Caw me Bob. Okeh? Amih! Ah wih ah kooh
ahk."
    She laughed once again trying not to. " Okay. Bob it is. I'm
sorry. I shouldn't laugh. I know it's hard, but you know something? I
can understand you pretty well. And you're funny."
    I managed a smile. It's said that men often fall in love with
thier nurses when they're in the hospital. This was no hospital, but I
think I was falling in love with my nurse anyway. Anybody who saves my
life and thinks I'm funny has my vote.

**********************************************************************


    The next several hours saw my tongue return to a more operable
condition. Coherent speech became easier. I slept a lot and it seemed
as if Nancy never left my side. She helped me to change out of the
flannel night gown into a cotton babydoll nightie and a pair of cotton
panties. Again, I thought it strange that she didn't seem to think
what she was giving me to wear was out of the ordinary. I thought of
saying something about it, but decided to leave well enough alone.

*********************************************************************

    I stunk. I could imagine that I was overwhelming to her. I felt
well enough to get up but I didn't want to put Nancy out any more than
I already had. I felt it was time to get up and find out about getting
my car back in running order and get home to take a shower. I got out
of bed. Nancy was nowhere around. Standing up was strange. I felt weak
and a little bit dizzy and had to sit back down on the edge of the
bed.
    From behind me a lilting voice said, "Well, look who's up!"
    I turned around. Her smile lit up the room. I'd seen it in my
dreams.
    "Yeah. I'm feeling a lot better. I need to find out about my
car.", I said. "Where are my clothes?"
    "I'm afraid I have some bad news for you.", she said. "Your shirt
and shorts were covered with blood from your tongue. Your shoes and
socks were saturated with mud. The only thing I could salvage were
your panties."
    My jaw dropped. In my stupor, I'd forgotten that I'd worn panties.
That was the norm for me these days. I owned only two pairs of male
underwear. Those were for my trips to the spa and anywhere else where
I'd be disrobing in front of others. My face felt suddenly hot with
embarassment. I didn't say a word. As I hung my head I thought, "She
thinks I'm gay. Here I am, alone with one of the most beatiful women I
have ever met and she thinks I'm gay."
    "Hey. Hey! Don't be embarassed. I've seen a lot of men in my line
of work who do the same thing. I love it! That's why I didn't think
you'd mind wearing my nighties."
    I looked at her in disbelief.
    "I'll bet that's not all you like to wear. Is it?"
    Words still escaped me. I shook my head.
    She came around the bed and sat down next to me and took my hand.
"It wasn't just your panties, you know. I couldn't help but notice
that you shave your body. It's nice. I like it."
    I looked up into those beautiful green eyes and saw sincerity
there. "Yes. I do. I have for a long time." I wanted to stop talking
about it, but her eyes compelled me to continue. I told her all about
how I'd been cross dressing since I was a kid. I told her about how
I'd been caught by my father when I was seventeen and kicked out of
the house. I told her about my attempts at trying to reestablish a
relationship with my parents and that though my mother was somewhat
sympathetic, my father made it clear that they wanted nothing more to
do with "thier faggot son". I spilled my guts. And I cried. I cried
like I have never cried before. All the time she held me silently,
rocked me, stroked my head and cried with me.
    When my tears finally subsided I felt new. I'd been holding it
back for years and it all came out at one time.
    When she finally spoke her words were filled with such compassion.
"That must have been so hard for you. Was there no one you could turn
to?"
    "My Aunt Jenny was very special to me. I told her about it right
after my father had kicked me out. She was understanding and
supportive, though she said that she didn't dare openly cross my
father." I told her that Aunt Jenny had bought me a skirt and a blouse
for my eighteenth birthday and was killed in a car accident two days
later.
    My Aunt Jenny was my fathers younger sister. There was a fifteen
year difference in thier ages. Aunt Jenny had always been a bit of a
rebel and was considered the black sheep of the family. At least until
my secret was discovered. She had always been good to me. When I told
her about what I liked to do, she told me that she always knew there
was something a little bit different about me. That was why I was her
favorite nephew. She felt that we were kindred spirits.
    She had owned her own business and had been quite successful. When
she died and her will was read, everything she owned had been left to
me. It did nothing to improve my relationship with my family. They
contested the will, but in the end I still wound up with everything,
which included her house and a sizeable amount of money.
    I was amazed at what I told Nancy. She was, for all intents and
purposes, a total stranger and yet I'd shared my most intimate secrets
with her. I don't think I could have stopped myself if I'd tried. Her
compassion compelled me.

**********************************************************************


    "Well, you can't go out in just a pair of panties." Nancy said
with a grin. "I've laid out some towels and a robe in the bathroom.
Why don't you go take a shower and I'll see what I can find for you to
wear for the time being."
    I tried to protest pointing out that she'd done enough already,
but she wouldn't hear of it.
    "Look. I don't wish to be rude, Bob, but you reek. Your clothes
are ruined and I'm not having you wear mine smelling like you do. We
have to go and get some new clothes for you before you can do anything
about your car. Off you go. Go ahead and shave your legs, too and
whatever else needs it. You've developed quite a case of stubble. My
razor's there on the counter. There are fresh blades in the medicine
chest and feel free to use my powder."
    I went to the bathroom very curious about what she had in mind for
me to wear. I was excited. I admit it. I was also amazed that this
woman actually liked the fact that I wore women's clothing and was
encouraging it.
    As the hot water ran over my body I let my mind wander. The events
of the past couple of days were a blur and I found myself wondering
how I could go about not having them end. I knew realistically that I
couldn't stay here with Nancy and I knew that my business couldn't
survive too long without me. I had to get back and yet I wanted
nothing more than to stay close to her.
    I finished shaving, turned the water off and wrapped myself in one
of the big soft towels she'd left for me. It felt good to be clean and
smooth. When I finished drying and powdering myself I slipped into the
fuzzy warm robe that had been put out with the towels.
    "I've laid some clothes out on the bed for you.", she yelled
through the door. "I think they'll fit you and I'm sure they'll be
warm enough. It's still a bit nippy outside. I'll fix us a bite to
eat."
    "Okay. Thanks." I replied suddenly realizing how ravenously hungry
I was.

**********************************************************************


    I was a little apprehensive as I walked into the kitchen. I'd gone
shopping and to a couple of gay bars dressed on numerous occasions,
but I'd never been around someone I knew. My apprehension was
short-lived.
    Nancy turned and exclaimed, "Wow! You look terrific!!
    I smiled and blushed a bit.
    "Don't give me that coy shit." she said with a big grin. "You love
it and you know it."
    "Yeah, I do." I admitted. "These are the type of clothes I like to
wear. How did you guess?" I asked.
    "I didn't really. I just thought they'd suit you and I was right."
she stated. "I kept them after I'd lost some weight. I just didn't
have the heart to throw them out and now I know why. I've got lots
more were those came from."
    Her last statement threw me a bit but I shrugged it off. I felt
good in the things she'd put out for me. They were my style and they
reminded me of the classic clothes the girls on the college campus had
been wearing. The wool walking shorts were a dark plaid. The sweater
was also wool in a deep gold that matched a stripe in the plaid of the
shorts. Under that I had on a classic white button down shirt and
under the shorts I wore a pair of black tights. She'd even put out a
pair of black flats that were a little snug, but otherwise fit me very
well.
    Nancy was also wearing cuffed wool walking shorts in a red and
green plaid, a red sweater over a white cotton turtleneck, white
tights and tan Bass Weejuns. She was a stunningly beautiful woman. She
was about five foot seven. My guess was that she weighed somewhere
around a hundred and ten. She was slender without being skinny. She
had a pert behind, small but firm breasts and an absolutely
outstanding pair of legs. This was a fine looking woman.
    I must have been staring, lost in absorbing the vision of her. She
turned, smiled and asked, "Do you like what you see?"
    "Sorry.", I said. "I didn't mean to stare. Yes I do. Very much.
You are a very beautiful woman, Nancy."
    She grinned. "Why thank you, sir!" she exclaimed in a whimsical
manner.
    "And that outfit your wearing..."
    "You like?"
    "Mmm-hmm. I've always loved that look."
    Her smile broadened. "Me too. I dress like this a lot. It's me. It
looks like it's you too. You look great. We look like a couple of
college coeds."
    " Well, you look good enough to eat."
    That warm sparkling laugh of hers filled my ears. " Is that a
promise or a threat?"
    "Sorry. I wasn't thinking."
    "No problem. I may take you up on it after we go shopping." She
was grinning but the look in her eyes told me she wasn't kidding. My
already stiff member got just a little bit stiffer.
    When we finished eating I put on the make up that she'd given me
after which she did my hair in a french braid. She gave me some ear
rings and a necklace to put on. I was still a little bit embarassed by
having her see me dressed as a girl, but it was slowly giving way to
an acceptable level of comfort. In fact I was beginning to enjoy
sharing it with her. I definitely was concerned about going out in
public dressed as I was, but Nancy seemed so confident it gave me more
courage.

**********************************************************************


    My knees were shaking and my palms were sweating as we walked
toward the entrance of the mall. Nancy waved at a man and called out,
"Hi Walt!"
    "Well, hello there Nancy! I haven't seem you for a long time." he
greeted as he approached us. "What's new?"
    "Oh, the usual. And you?"
    "Same shit...different day. Who's your friend?"
    We hadn't discussed what I was to be called. My heart froze at the
question. I felt sure that I was going to faint.
    "This is my old college room mate Bobbi." She was quick on her
feet. My heart started beating again. "Bobbi, this is Walt Freeman.
Walt, meet Bobbi Cloud."
    "Nice to meet you Bobbi", Walt said as he held out his hand. I
gave him my best feminine handshake and nodded.
    "Poor Bobbi's got a good case of laryngitis." Nancy bailed me out
again. "She got caught in the storm on Thursday. Her car broke down
out by Farber Park. She walked all the way back to the highway and the
poor dear was half frozen."
    "Wow. Bad news. That was a nasty storm. You're a lucky girl.",
Walt said to me. I nodded my appreciation at his concern.
    "Walt, could you tow Bobbi's car in and have a look at it?", Nancy
asked.
    "Sure.", he said. Turning to me he asked, " What kind of car is
it?", then realizing he wouldn't get a verbal response from me he
looked sheepish. "Sorry. I forgot."
    Nancy was already handing me a pad and a pen. I wrote down the
description of my car and the license number, tore off the sheet,
handed it to Walt and opened the purse Nancy had lent me to give him
my keys.
    "When you find out what's wrong would you give me a call? Bobbi's
staying with me for a few days.
    "You got it. Nice to meet you again, Bobbi. I hope your voice gets
better soon.", Walt said as he took my keys. "I'll talk to you
later."
    I let out a sigh of relief as he departed. "Thanks, Nancy. I don't
know what I would have done without you."
    "No problem. I was glad to do it."
    "As long as I've been wearing women's clothes, I've never been
able to figure out how to get beyond the male voice. I can raise the
register of my voice, but I think that I sound like a man trying to
sound like a woman."
    "Well, we'll just have to work on it."
    Again I was taken aback by her statement. There had been a lot of
little things she'd said that confused me. That and the fact that she
was acting as if we'd known each other for years. I felt that it was
time I said something to her about it, but I didn't know how to
approach it and right now was not the time. I also felt as though I
was not in control of what was happening to me. She wasn't forcing me
to do anything. She was a little insistant, but everything she
insisted upon made perfect sense. My health was back to normal. It
wasn't as if I was incapacitated. She just seemed to know all the
right things to do and all the right things to say. I felt a bit
powerless.

**********************************************************************


    Funny, we never bought an article of men's clothing. When we got
back to Nancy's house with quite a number of bags and packages, there
wasn't a single masculine stitch in any of them. I'd been having so
much fun shopping with her, I'd hardly noticed.
    Nancy kicked off her shoes and flopped on the couch. "Be a dear,
Bobbi, and fix us a couple of drinks. Would you? I need a break."
    "I'd be glad to. What'll it be and where is everything?"
    "Oh. I'm sorry. I've become so used to you being here I sort of
forgot you haven't been here but a couple of days. The booze is in the
oak cabinet in the dining room. Everything else is in the fridge. I'll
have a scotch and water."
    I went to fix the drinks. As I did I found myself thinking that it
was time to talk to her about my being here with her. She'd been so
kind to me. She accepted me as I was even though we knew little about
each other. She'd gone out of her way to make me feel at home. I liked
her a lot, but I had a life of my own that I had to get back to
eventually. I didn't want to hurt her feelings, but I had to say
something.
    As I handed her the drink our eyes met and locked together for a
few seconds. It seemed like hours and the look said so much. She
smiled and patted the couch next to her. She took a sip of her drink
and said, "Thank you so much. I needed this."
    I sat on the couch next to her. She set her drink down on the
coffee table and reached down to fix a wrinkle that had appeared in
the knee of her tights. I opened my mouth to begin the conversation,
but she beat me to it. "I know. We need to talk. Right?"
    Her uncanny perceptiveness threw me a bit. It had become quite
evident over the past couple of days. She always seemed to know just
what to say or do in any given situation. I shouldn't have been
surprised. "Yes." I said. "I think we do."
    "And I've been avoiding it."
    "I think we both have." I took a sip of my drink and a deep
breath. "Nancy, I can't tell you how much I appreciate everything
you've done for me. Your kindness and your willingness to help me is
far beyond what I what I would have expected from a friend. Much less
a total stranger. I've shared with you my most intimate secrets. I've
even gone out with you dressed as a girl, for cryin' out loud! And I
don't really even know you." I paused for another breath and a big
gulp of my scotch and water. Nancy opened her month as if to say
something but I held my hand up. "Let me finish." She closed her
mouth. Her face showed little emotion but she was paying total
attention to what I was saying. That much was evident.
    I continued. "I don't know how I can ever repay you. You rescued
me, nursed me back to health, fed me and clothed me in a way that I
love, but would never have shared with anyone. I haven't heard a
negative word come out of your mouth since I've been here. What's that
worth."
    "Oh, how 'bout $5,000,000.00?" she said with a grin.
    I couldn't help but chuckle. "Believe me if I had that kind of
money to spare, you'd have it. You saved my life."
    "Bobbi, listen to me." I relinquished. "I did what I felt I had to
do under the circumstances. You were sick and injured. I wanted to
take you to the hospital, but I couldn't. The weather was just too
bad. So I brought you here. As you got better I found myself liking
the fact that you were here. It gave me something to do. Bobbi, I am a
registered nurse who hasn't worked in almost six months. I'm not
hurting for money. I was unjustly fired from my position at the county
hospital. I took them to court and won a large settlement. When I
brought you here something woke up inside me that I haven't felt in a
long, long time. It felt really good to take care of someone who
needed me. Now that I've come to know you better something else woke
up that I haven't felt in a long, long time." She down the last of her
drink.
    I knew what she was going to say. Fear gripped me. I seized the
opportunity to escape, if only temporarily. "Let me get you another
drink."
    "Oh, yes please. Make it a double."
    As I made our drinks I tried to determine how I was going to
respond to what I knew was coming.
    When I returned to the living room with our drinks nancy was
looking through one of the bags of items that we'd bought. I took the
opportunity to speak first. "Nancy, I have to leave. I have a business
to run. I can't stay here."
    "How soon do you have to be there?" she asked without turning
around.
    "I should go back today, but my car probably won't be ready 'til
Monday, being that today is only Saturday. Would it be okay with you
if I stayed 'til then?"
    "I was kind of hoping that you wouldn't leave at all." Her voice
began to quaver.  "Bobbi, I know you probably don't want to hear this
but I think I love you." She didn't turn around and I was sure that
she was crying.
    I went to her and put my arms around her. As soon as I did she
began sobbing. I just held her from behind for a couple of minutes.
When she regained her composure a bit she turned around and hugged
me.
    Still crying she said, "I know it's not fair for me to expect you
to stay. And I know that I'm being selfish but it's just that I've
been looking for a man like you for so long and now that you're here,
you want to go away again." A fresh crop of sobs came from her. "I
guess that I thought that if we didn't buy you any men's clothes today
you couldn't leave."
    "Nancy...I don't really know what to say." I had to stop and
think. So many things were swirling in my head. I loved what she was
doing for me. She was one of the most beautiful women I had ever met.
She loved the fact that I wore women's clothing and liked to wear the
same styles as I did. She seemed to feel perfectly comfortable with my
being here in her home. In fact she wanted me to stay. Yet, I had
responsibilities. I couldn't just chuck everything for her.
    "Look Nancy. I can't say that I love you. I don't know you well
enough yet. But I can say that I love the things that you've done for
me. And I can say that leaving here will be very hard for me to do. I
really like what we've got. I'm not saying that I don't ever want to
see you again. I'd love to continue seeing you. But I have
responsibilities.
    Her tears had subsided, though her nose was running. I retrieved a
box of tissues and handed her a couple. After she blew she said, "I
know what you're saying is true, Bobbi. I know that I'm being selfish,
but it's so painful to let you go. Come sit down. I think it's time I
told you a few things.
    I sat on the couch with her at my side. I put my arm around her
and pulled her close to me. She was silent for a moment. Then she
began.
    "When I was young I used to dress my little brother up in my
clothes. I was 12 and he was 5. We used to play with dolls. He was the
closest thing to a girlfriend that I ever had at that age. I was not a
pretty girl when I was young. I was the brunt of a lot of teasing. I
was taller than anyone else in my class. I reached puberty and
developed breasts earlier than any of the other girls in my class.
They were unmerciful in thier harassment. I withdrew and wouldn't have
anything to do with anybody. My only solace was the time I had with my
brother. It was then that I could feel like I was loved. My brother
did love me. He died of lukemia. I was devastated. When you told me
about your Aunt Jenny all I could think of was how I felt when Peter
died. It was the same. You had somone who loved you unconditionally
who died and so did I. I knew how you felt."
    As I went to pour us fresh drinks she continued. "When I was in
college I developed a strong friend ship with a boy who was, like I
had been, the brunt of a lot of teasing and jokes. I felt sorry for
him. He was rather effiminate. He didn't participate in any sports. He
didn't go to any parties. He just kept to himself. I managed to break
through the wall he'd built up around himself and he confided in me
that he liked to wear women's clothing. I helped him in any way I
could. He loved me, but like my brother, he died. His parents told me
that he had written letters to them about me and that they were glad
that I had made his last few months so happy."
    She went on to tell me how angry she was that he hadn't told her
that he was terminally ill. She had dated over the years since then,
but had never found anyone who could give her what she needed. Her
life had been one of loneliness...of one meaningless relationship
after another.
     "When I found you, it was like I was able to save Peter and Greg
all over again. I was afraid to love you because anyone I have ever
loved has died. Having you go away will be like you died. I don't want
that to happen." She started to cry again. "Bobbi, I do love you!!" I
simply held her.
    I don't know how long we stood there in each others arms. Time
seemed to lose all meaning. I know it's nuts. You, dear reader, are
going to say that I am a fool and perhaps you are right. I am not
going to try to justify anything with a lot of explanations, but there
in Nancy's arms, I did fall in love with her. I offer no apologies. I
offer no excuses. I was, at that moment, the happiest girl in the
world. This world could use much more of such foolisness.

**********************************************************************


    I suppose I could end here, however I am quite sure that you would
curse me for having done so. I did leave. I went back to my home and
my business. I will leave to your imagination the events of the two
days prior to my departure. It is better that way. Suffice it to say
that when I did depart, I was not alone.
    Two years have past since the events of the tale you have just
read. I am still the happiest girl in the world.


