Stored for the Future
…2 nights later
The leggy blonde model with the big breasts was demonstrating this self-described
wrinkle serum on a cable television home shopping channel. She might have been nip,
tucked, and filled with silicone and botox to the nth degree but Rita Lynne did have this
flowing femininity about her that made Dina stop flipping the channels on the Crenshaw
television. Mindy was attempting to bake cookies as her parents were out at some
boring art exhibit slash wine and cheese gathering. The cookies were chocolate,
oatmeal, and raisin. She was going to make them for the past holidays, but due to the
stress everyone was under the teenage girl didn't have the time. Mindy once saw her
mother goof up while making chocolate chip kiss cookies and instead of just rectifying
the simple mistake she threw the ingredients in the garbage disposal and started over
because it wasn't JUST SO.
"Mindy, do you need help with the cookies?"
"No, thanks, Dina. Stay in the living room. I know what I'm doing."
"You know I can only stay until ten."
"I know. Did you buy the Wrinkle Eradicator?"
"No. I'm only seventeen."
"It was a joke. Sorry. What's the difference between baking powder and baking soda?"
"That's it. I'll finish the cookies."
"I don't want you to get your dress dirty."
"Mindy, there's a marvelous invention called detergent that takes care of such things."
"I'm sorry to be such a bother." She tore her white apron off and threw it down on the
table and ran to the back porch.
"Mindy, you aren't a bother. If anyone is it's me."
She put her arms around her girlfriend, "You aren't a bother. I just wanted to do
something girly."
"I can teach you how to make cookies."
"I'm sorry for being bitchy, Dina."
"That's been going around. I love your apricot lip gloss."
"I noticed you took my extra tube yesterday."
"It went with my peach blouse."
They kissed under the glow of the moon and the porch light.
"I can't argue with that."
"Mindy, I need to talk to you about something before I lose my nerve. Let's sit on the
stairs."
"There's a run in the back of your pantyhose."
"I got caught on the car door—I have clear nail polish in my purse. But that's not what I
want to talk to you about."
"Sorry for interrupting."
"I've been keep something from you…."
"I don't know what it could possibly be—did you change your mind about the facial
surgery?"
"NO! That is not an option. Sorry for snapping again. My former persona Josh did
something for YOU Mindy. I wasn't going to keep it from you, honest. I just didn't know
how you were going to handle the news."
Mindy held Josh/Dina's hand tight, "I've handled everything else so far."
"True, but this is different."
"Are you in love someone from your Yahoogroup?"
"NO! And by the way they're all female. You've got to let me talk, please…"
"Okay, I'm sorry."
"I don't know how long we're going to be together. Not because of the transgender
situation. Just because no one knows, one thing I learned in this life is that there are no
guarantees…."
"Quite frankly you're scaring me."
"No one knows this not even my Mom or Grammy they have enough to deal with, you
know? I went to the Cryopreservation Institute of San Diego and just incase we want to
have a family someday. My sperm is stored there."
It was just another hurdle to jump over and another financial burden too.
It cost a yearly fee of three hundred and fifty dollars to store them and who was to say
that Mindy would even want to have children she never mentioned it in all their time of
going together.
Mindy squeezed Dina's hand tighter and held it up to her mouth to kiss it.
"Thank you. I never gave thought to children. But you are such a kind hearted soul to
think of me."
"I always think of you."
And Drake. Not a day went by without a thought. Wondering how he was doing? Did he
resent Audrey for her sending him to Washington so that Dina could prosper? Which
was tough to do in a house with a judgmental and unaccepting father.
Spring meant renewal and hopefully a better road ahead. The holidays were here and
gone three months ago, but you'd never know it in the Nichols-Parker house. There was
no talk about a tree, no one mentioned presents, or if Drake would be coming home for
the holidays. Audrey purchased a small table top pre-lighted tree at Smart-Aid and was
done with it. Presents were exchanged by some of the family, but it was all so different
now. And what kind of holiday was it without the whole family together? It was an empty
going through the motions day and it tore Josh/Dina's spirit apart at the very core.
Because even though there were material things, there was no father or brother to share
what used to be a special family time. It was one of the worst Christmases on record
that Josh/Dina ever had. But here it was a few weeks until spring to restore the soul and
change the body. It was still going to be almost another year before the facial surgery,
but it was another day closer to when this male lie became the female truth on the
outside.
"Do you want to go upstairs?" Mindy was determined to not be her mother.
Kissing and polite fondling had to be the status quo until the all the surgeries were
complete. Mindy knew this. She wanted to be feminine as well.
"Could we just cuddle?"
Boy, there was a phrase that Drake Parker probably never uttered unless it was a sham
to get laid.
"Sure," Mindy sighed, not sure of what the future was going to bring them, "Anything you
want."