"If you're really sure, shut your eyes, and lets make this final.”

I gave her a quick smile and slowly shut my eyes, and shut out all my previous life. This was the finality of all that had gone before, de- cided not by the chance flight of a bullet, but by my willing free choice. I would never be alone again. I waited, vowing that I would love any- thing that she was about to do.

"Alright, Brenda, here goes!"

I smelled the perfumed nearness of her hand to my head, as it came to annoint me into the mysteries of femininity, then felt the sweet softness, as the pattern of my lips was traced with the slippery stick. I kept my eyes shut softly, and I felt the quick feather light touch of her lips kiss- ing mine. All of a sudden I felt good, soft, and relaxed for the first time in a week, perhaps in my life. I was ready to accept the name BRENDA and the title GIRL!!!

I opened my eyes, and saw the wonderful smile on my new sister's face. I smiled too, and then we both started giggling. I stood up and we held each other tightly.

"I'm happy Jean, really happy!"

"So am I, Brenda . . . I really love my new sister!" Then her face darkened, in a mock scowl. "Except for one thing . . . that nightgown that the hospital gave you is horrible, we'll have to do something about that!" Let's see if we can't find something better and more ladylike!"

She reached into her suitcase of strewn clothes and dug around,

"Aha, just what we need." She said pulling a powder blue gown out of the heap. "Take off that horrid thing and slip this on. That white cotton doesn't go with the pink lipstick!”

I hesitated, somewhat embarrassed.

"Go ahead, take it off Brenda, don't be embarrassed, we're both girls."

I laughed at the truth of that statement, reached back and untied the holding string at my neck, letting the shapeless thing drop to my feet.

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