“This is my friend Sissy,” Wanda said.
She held up the phone. Frankie took the phone and held it so Sissy could see the doctor. The phone buzzed, and the screen split with Tink.
“There’s someone else,” the doctor said.
“That’s my friend Tink,” Wanda said. “Ivy and Noelle are with Tink.”
Wanda nodded.
“I’ve spoken with your school,” the doctor said. “They are supportive of the entire process. They said to tell you that they ‘have your back.’”
Wanda nodded. She was so glad she’d moved over to the Marlowe School with all of her friends.
“Now my questions,” the doctor said. “First, are you sure you want to do this?”
“Yes,” Wanda said.
“Wanda almost died from her eating disorder rather than continue to live as a boy,” Wanda’s mother said.
Every head in the room nodded.
“I’ve been to the therapy,” Wanda said. “I’ve lived as a girl for more than a year.”
“Year and five months,” the doctor said. “I want to be sure that no one is forcing you to have this surgery.”
The doctor looked directly at Frankie, and he shook his head.
“I don’t care about it,” Frankie said. “It’s something Wanda wants to do for herself. I mean, she almost died to stop being a boy. I couldn’t stop her or . . . It was like nothing else mattered, and I . . . I don’t want her to die.”
Frankie’s mind was flooded with that horrible time when his beloved was near death and beyond reason. He shook his head. He looked at Wanda’s parents and saw that they were remembering the same time.
“Are you saying that you’re uncomfortable performing the surgery?” Sam Lipson asked.
“No,” the doctor said. “No, not at all. I am required by law to assess the seriousness of the patient’s desire prior to performing the procedure.”
“Wanda and her family are serious,” Sam said. “We’ve spoken to our insurance. They have already approved the claim. Wanda and her family have the financial backing to support what the insurance won’t pay for.”
“Yes, I see that,” the doctor said.
Wanda was so anxious she wished her new puppy were with her now. She cleared her throat.
“I’m ready,” Wanda said.
“That’s good,” the doctor smiled at Wanda.
The doctor began to explain what was going to happen. Wanda tried to follow what the doctor was saying but she got lost along the way.
This is really happening! Wanda thought.
She felt excited and terrified at the same time. She would be a girl, a real girl, by the time her mother had her new siblings. She would be healed up and ready to help with the new kids. She felt her face begin to smile.
The adults agreed to the genital surgery being done, but they wanted to wait on doing anything to Wanda’s face. Because of her age and eating disorder, Wanda didn’t have any facial hair to be removed. With the adults’ nodding, they all agreed that if Wanda wanted or needed her face remodeled when she was older, they would address it then.
She would be in the hospital for at least three days. She should be able to go back to school in four to six weeks. She would have to continue to take the hormones and . . .
“Are we all on the same page?” the doctor asked.
Everyone in the room either nodded or said “Yes.”
“Good,” the doctor said. “As I am your doctor, I will lead the team. Are you ready to meet them?”
Wanda nodded. The doctor said something into her phone, and the door opened. About ten people streamed into the room. They shook Wanda’s hand as well as her parents’. There were nurses and surgeons and . . .
She wasn’t quite sure what these adults wanted from her. She knew that Sissy had been in many situations like this. She imitated what Sissy called her “polite smile for grown-ups.” After the doctors introduced themselves, they went over what Wanda could and couldn’t do before surgery.
“You’re scheduled for surgery next week,” the doctor said. “Is there anything else you need from me?”
Everyone shook their heads and stood up. The doctors and nurses shook everyone’s hand, and they were released from the room. The nurse took them back through the maze.
“See you next week,” the doctor said to Wanda.
She nodded. Her father shook the doctor’s hand again. They were standing in the waiting room again.
“This seems like a great time for lunch,” Sam said. “What do you say?”
“Sounds great,” Wanda’s father said. “Wanda?”
Wanda nodded and put her phone up to her ear. Sissy, Tink, Ivy, and Noelle talked all at once. They all were excited for Wanda and a little scared. That was okay, because Wanda was a little scared, too. They said goodbye before Wanda got into the car.
“I’ll follow you,” Sam said as he got into the car.
Wanda and Frankie got into the back of the car while Wanda’s father drove and her mother was in the passenger seat. Her father started the car and then looked in the rearview mirror.
“Seems like things went well,” her father said.
Wanda nodded. He smiled.
“Onward to oblivion!” her father said with a laugh.
Wanda and Frankie laughed. Her father started the car and headed out to lunch.
A week from today, Wanda would finally be a girl. Wanda smiled and squeezed Frankie’s hand. He smiled.
“Are we going somewhere with shakes?” Wanda asked. “And whipped cream? Burgers?”
“Of course,” her father said.
Wanda was pretty sure this was the best day of her entire life.
~~~~~~~~
Tuesday mid-afternoon — 2:02 p.m.
“Hey,” Seth called into the kitchen. “I’m heading out to get Rachel.”
He looked into the kitchen and didn’t see Maresol. Shrugging, he went to the closet to get his jacket. When he turned around, Maresol was standing behind him. He jumped with surprise.
“Gotcha,” Maresol said.
“I’m heading out,” Seth said. He pulled on his dress shirt to straighten the cuffs. “I’m meeting the mother of the child who’s been mean to Rachel.”
Nodding, Maresol straightened his tie.
“I need to speak to you about something,” Maresol said.
“Will it take a while?” Seth asked.
Maresol shook her head.
“Go ahead,” Seth said. “Speak away.”
“I thought you had to go,” Maresol said.
“I’m early,” Seth said. “And anyway, I’m waiting for Bernie. He insisted on coming along. He thinks I’ll wimp out.”
Maresol nodded.
“What’s up?” Seth asked.
“Your father and I. . .” Maresol started.
Seth screwed his eyes closed and covered his ears. He shook his head. Maresol laughed. She pulled his hands down.
“We have both known true love,” Seth’s father Bernie’s voice came from behind him. Seth turned around. “We know that this is not it.”
“Are you happy?” Seth put his hands on either side of Maresol’s face and looked into her eyes.
She nodded. He turned to Bernie, and he nodded.
“What if this goes sideways?” Seth asked. “Big fight. Lots of anger.”
“Are you planning on bringing your first ex-wife around?” Maresol asked with a grin.
“I lived with the rage and chaos of O’Malley. I won’t live with it now,” Seth said, ignoring Maresol’s comment.
“There’s no way to tell what will happen, son,” Bernie said. “But I seriously doubt it.”
“What if you meet someone else?” Seth asked Bernie. “Men your age are really catches for women over 80.”
“Not my style,” Bernie said. “I’ve always been an only-one-romance-at-a-time man. Like my sons.”
Seth scowled.
“Why are you telling me?” Seth asked.
�
�I will not live with secrets,” Maresol said.
“It wasn’t much of a secret,” Seth said.
“It wasn’t?” Maresol flushed and looked at Bernie. “Ava knew?”
Seth nodded.
“Dale?” Maresol asked.
Seth nodded.
“Sandy?” Maresol asked.
Seth rolled his eyes in “of course” and nodded.
“My girlfriends?” Maresol asked.
“They are waiting for you to tell them,” Seth said.
“We wanted to tell you first,” Bernie said.
“Gee, thanks,” Seth said mildly.
Maresol and Bernie laughed. He grabbed Maresol and looked into her eyes again.
“Be happy,” Seth said.
He grabbed his father and did the same thing. When Bernie put his arm around Maresol, both of their eyes were wet.
“Are we ready to go?” Seth asked.
“Give me a minute,” Bernie said.
Seth went through the large and newly remodeled kitchen to the same sized coffee pot. He filled a travel mug and added cream. Bernie was waiting for him to finish, and they went out to his truck.
“Letch,” Seth said when they had settled in the car.
“You are so right, son,” Bernie said. “After knowing Maresol for more than forty years and having my beloved dead for almost thirty, I finally made a move.”
Seth turned to look at him. Bernie nodded. Seth laughed and started the car.
Chapter Four Hundred and Forty-three
Unnecessary freak out
Tuesday afternoon — 4:15 p.m.
New York City, New York
“Oh, hi,” Sissy said to Ivan.
She’d just changed into her workout clothes. She was on her way to the dance floor when she discovered Ivan in the kitchen, making tea. Ms. Anjelika was due to call in five minutes.
“You’re home early,” Sissy said. She kissed his cheek. “How was the izba?”
His face a mask of sad confusion, he looked into her eyes and then noticed what she was wearing.
“What are you wearing?” Ivan asked.
“My comfy clothes,” Sissy said with a smile. “What are you up to?”
“I had to come home,” Ivan said. “I had to speak with you.”
“Oh?” Sissy asked.
She glanced at the clock. Noting her glance, Ivan scowled.
“Am I keeping you from something?” Ivan asked.
“Uh,” Sissy said. She shook her head. “No, not really.”
“You are lying to me,” Ivan said. “Again. This is why I had to come home, why I had to ask you.”
Sissy flushed bright red. Seeing her reaction, Ivan launched into a speech he’d clearly practiced.
“I know that you are a young woman,” Ivan said. “I know that I have no right to clip your wings at such a young age. But don’t think that I didn’t notice you this weekend when you slinked off with your friends and then came back to shower! I know it’s too much to expect for me and my life to remain interesting to you. I just didn’t think you would be so obvious about it, to show such disrespect for . . .”
“Stop!” Sissy commanded.
Surprised, Ivan stopped talking. They blinked at each other for a moment. Ivan took a breath to restart his speech.
“No,” Sissy said. She raised her index finger and pointed at him. He let his breath out. “You’re wrong.”
He blinked at her for another long moment.
“But. . .” he started.
“Hi, Sissy,” Sissy started. “What are you up to? I came home early from the spa after I realized that something might be going on with you.”
She raised her eyebrows at him, and he laughed.
“As your loving companion, I wondered if you might tell me all about it,” Sissy said with grin.
He waved his hand as if that was what he meant. Smiling at him, she glanced at the clock.
“You see!” Ivan’s voice rose with mistrust. “You are meeting someone you don’t want me to know about. Who could that be besides another lover?”
Sissy cleared her throat and looked at him.
“Okay, okay,” Ivan said. “I am reverting to crazy paranoid Russian behavior.”
Grinning, Sissy nodded.
“But you are meeting someone!” Ivan said. “Do not pretend that you are not!”
Sissy took his hand and led him into the dance space. She took down the tablet computer from the stand and dialed into the video call. She’d just connected when Anjelika’s call came through.
“He knows,” Sissy said into the tablet.
“Give him to me,” Anjelika said. “I’ll handle this.”
Sissy passed the tablet to Ivan. Anjelika and Ivan spoke back and forth in fast Russian. From what Sissy could make out, Anjelika was telling Ivan that he should wait for his surprise. Not a great fan of surprises, Ivan told her that he must know now.
“Did you get that?” Angelika asked in Russian when Ivan gave the tablet back to Sissy.
“I think so,” Sissy replied in Russian.
Ivan was so surprised that his mouth fell open.
“This is my surprise?” Ivan asked in Russian.
“You’re an idiot,” Anjelika said from the tablet.
Ivan laughed.
“This isn’t your surprise,” Sissy said in English.
“No?” Ivan asked.
“You already know I’ve been working on my Russian,” Sissy said. “How could that be a surprise?”
“The kind of surprise I can handle,” Ivan said with grin.
“You mean, the only kind of surprise you can handle is the one you already know about?” Sissy laughed.
Nodding his head, he kissed her. Shaking her head at him, she went back to the tablet.
“I think you are ready, Sissy,” Anjelika said.
“I do, too,” Sissy said.
“Let’s show him,” Anjelika said.
Nodding, Sissy put the tablet back on the stand and turned it so Anjelika could see her. Sissy took out her practice point shoes from the shelf.
“What are you doing?” Ivan asked. “Sissy, you. . .”
“Patience,” Anjelika ordered Ivan.
He shook his head and went to where Sissy was sitting. He knelt next to her.
“You will hurt yourself, my love,” Ivan said.
“Patience,” Sissy said. She gave him a big smile.
“I. . .” Ivan said.
“Tell him what you told me,” Anjelika said.
“It happened like this,” Sissy said. “Mari started coming over after you’d gone to the izba and Nadia was at work. She’s been having trouble fitting into Otis’s life. She hasn’t really left the queendom in more than a hundred years. So she doesn’t really understand life in the modern world. She started coming over to talk. We’d watch movies or music or really almost anything. After the first time or so, she would bring me these healing stones from Otis.”
Sissy shrugged.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Ivan asked.
“Mari is embarrassed,” Sissy said. “She’s supposed to be. . . everything. And she found modern America confusing.”
“You kept your friend’s confidence,” Ivan said. “You are good like that.”
Sissy smiled and nodded.
“I got better pretty fast,” Sissy said. “I could place the stones on my side or legs. After a while, I had so many of them that I could lie on them.”
“Once she was better, she contacted me for help,” Anjelika said. “As a surprise.”
“That’s what you were doing when we were in Denver?” Ivan asked. “When you would disappear for hours?”
“She was with me,” Anjelika said.
“With you?” Ivan shot a distrustful look at the tablet. “But you would disappear with your friends!”
“They were helping me,” Sissy said with a smile.
“You’d better show him,” Anjelika said.
Sissy smiled. She went to the t
ablet and pushed a button for the music. Ivan took her place in the seat.
The music started, and Sissy began to dance. She didn’t dare look at Ivan. She kept her whole attention on the music and the dance. At some point in the dance, Mari and Otis appeared next to Ivan. She danced her heart out. Only after she took the final grand jeté did she dare to look in Ivan’s direction.
He was on his knees and weeping. Mari and Otis cheered.
“Surprise!” Sissy said.
He jumped up to hold her tight.
“I love you,” he whispered and kissed her neck. “That was breathtaking.”
Sissy started to laugh.
“But?” Sissy asked.
“Well. . .” Ivan moved away from her. “You are. . .”
“Magnificent?” Mari asked with a laugh.
Ivan looked at the fairy. She smiled and he laughed.
“You are off. . .” Ivan said.
“Beat,” Sissy said in unison with him. “You must be precise or. . .”
Ivan looked at Sissy, and she laughed. He took a breath and began instructing her.
“My work is done here,” Anjelika said.
The tablet went dark.
“Mine, too,” Mari said.
She and Otis disappeared, leaving Ivan and Sissy to do what they were born to do — dance.
~~~~~~~~
Wednesday morning — 8:11 a.m.
“Jake got up this morning for work,” Jill said. “I packed us up. Sandy and Aden had an early flight, so I dropped them at DIA. Honey and MJ were going with some of his team. The team showed up about the time we were leaving the hotel.”
Jill shrugged. She was sitting in the kitchen of Tanesha’s yellow house. Heather was making pancakes. Wyn was sitting in his car seat on the counter.
“Hey,” Tanesha called from the front.
“We’re in here,” Heather said.
Heather gave Tanesha a cup of her tea.
“Hey, Jill,” Tanesha said when she saw Jill. “I just took Tink, Mack, and Jabari to the Marlowe School.”
“Jabari isn’t with Jeraine?” Jill asked.
“Jabari really likes school,” Tanesha said. “He’s doing so well that Jeraine decided he could stay here.”
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