Date: Sun, 3 Jun 2012 11:43:58 -0700
From: Laura Strange <fluffywithanf@gmail.com>
Subject: Richard and Jennifer's love story

Beginnings-

The morning sun shone in through the blinds, washing parallel swaths of
warm, shifting light across the bright azure patterns on the bedspread. It
a was the first morning of my new life. The soundtrack this dawn, the
rhythmic breathing of my heart's delight and brand new husband Richard.
Reaching over, I ran my fingers softly through his tousled locks smiling
wide at my magnificent fortune. Handsome, smart, warm and incredibly fit,
he was my first, my only, the man who really taught me about love and
inevitably helped me realize my true calling as his devoted and loving
wife.

Until I met Richard I had been romantically unfulfilled. I was apprehensive
as to whether i would ever find someone who would love me. I was born with
the miniature genitalia of a boy but I had always known I was a girl. I
never had any doubt.

My mother realized it also and I was raised, only child of an essentially
single parent, as a girl from even before the time I started school. She
had considered home schooling me but decided that developing normal social
interactions would be more helpful to my balanced upbringing. So I always
lived as Jennifer, her daughter, and had a pretty normal, though carefully
monitored childhood. I learned to be very careful not to reveal to any of
my friends and playmates the nature of my physical gender.

I was just a normal, happy and playful little girl, had some wonderful
friends and loved to play dress up, house or lots of other girly games with
my friends, especially Peggy who lived around the corner from us and was in
my class at school.

She was my best friend from the time I started kindergarten. Her parents
were divorced and she lived with her mom who like my own single parent mom,
worked full-time while raising Peggy. Our families became very close and
they eventually came to know of my secret. Ann, Peggy's mom, was like a
second mother to me and accepted me as the little girl I always knew I was
and helped raise me. They were my and Mom's extended family and we spent
lots of weekends and most holidays together.

Peggy was the single biggest reason I was able to get through school
without being unduly scrutinized. She was pretty and popular with most
everyone and my best friend. I also made lots of friends during those years
before junior high. Puberty was tricky.

Mom knew long before my adolescence the ravages that hormones would have on
my young body and had already arranged for me to undergo a regular regimen
of hormone therapy so my body would develop as a relatively normal
adolescent girl.

Estrogen had many effects both positive and not so positive. Physically I
started filling out in the right places, my hips rounded and my breasts
started growing and became tender and sore. My skin remained soft and I
didn't get the growth of body or facial hair that boys do thank god.

On the other hand I had to put up with not so lovely mood swings which
included crying jags and hot flashes.

Mom was about as patient as a person could be and loved me in spite if it
all. One more thing the hormones did was make me boy crazy. Mom was ready
and diligent and helped me keep a level head. Both she and Ann were
strict. Peggy, and to a far greater extent me, were allowed to date boys
only under very supervised circumstances. I realize now how necessary it
was to be careful as a parent but then I thought it was a pain.

So although I did get to go on dates with boys sometimes, the boys were
carefully scrutinized and the dates carefully chaperoned. Usually Peggy and
I double dated which was probably a good thing for both of us.

Both of us remained virgins through high school and were both very balanced
and well behaved. Not to say we weren't curious.

I had my first kiss from a boy when I was sixteen. He was in a couple of
my classes and was sort of shy but he opened up some when we were lab
partners and eventually (with a big hint from Peggy) he asked me out to a
movie. Peggy and her boyfriend accompanied me and Daniel to the movie and
we sat in the back row.

When he finally leaned in awkwardly and I turned my face toward him we
bumped foreheads then laughed. When he smiled again I closed my eyes when I
felt his lips touch mine. It only lasted a couple seconds but it was fun!
We kissed some more but never went any further and I only went out with him
one more time but a girl never forgets her first kiss!  I longed for more
but was saving myself for "the" guy. Also of course I had to be very sure
before becoming physically involved with someone due to my differences.

After graduating from high school Peggy and I went to different colleges
and were separated for almost the first time ever. I was nervous without
her to help me but there was so much to learn that I needed to find out for
myself.

I went off to college and was so lonely at first and I really missed my
family so much! I threw myself into my studies and didn't have much of a
social life at school. I tried going out with my roommate and her friends
once but I felt different than them. They were a fun bunch but I am far
more conservative socially than them and so I usually made excuses and
truth is I did stay very busy during college. I remained homesick for
pretty much most of my three year stay there and it was for that reason
mainly that I worked so hard to get my degree in three years. I majored in
early childhood education and earned a teaching certificate. I became a
kindergarten teacher and fortunately found a teaching job at a school that
was close enough to move back to Mom and Ann. It was so great to be home
and back with my loved ones.

Peggy had left college and gotten an office job locally and was back living
at home now too. It was nice to be close to her again.

Peggy had become involved with a man at work seven years older and it was
serious.

She was feeling pressure to have sex with Jim. I was always eager to listen
to her and help advise when I could but I was over my head. She was my
sister though and I was there for her. I was, of course the first person
she told when she and Jim first slept together and I was so nervous for her
and of course so excited to hear all her experiences. Truth is I was
jealous of my pretty sister.

Jim and Peggy eventually moved in together and Mom wasn't happy about it
but Jim was a great guy and my sister was an adult now and could make her
own choices.


I went out with a man I met through a friend at work that I really started
to like.

Richard called me on a tip by a good friend who's also one of my fellow
teachers, John. John and Richard go way back apparently and John had little
doubt about our compatibility. I wish I were so certain.

Richard called me that first time and we must have spent at least half an
hour talking. He was so funny and interesting and it felt so natural, as if
we'd been friends forever. When he finally did get around to asking me out
I eagerly accepted his invitation to go on a weekend drive up the coast
together.

I couldn't believe how excited I felt and it was so hard to wait for
Saturday to come. When it finally came I was ready like two hours early! I
tried on about ten different outfits and as it was a warm sunny California
spring day, ended up choosing a long, white, sundress with a pretty yellow
floral pattern, spaghetti straps and a bit of flounce around the hem of the
full skirt. It was light and airy and made me feel beautiful and
feminine. I certainly hoped Richard agreed.

The doorbell rang and I checked myself out in the mirror one last time and
fluffed up my hair a bit then walked nervously to open the door and meet
Richard face to face for the first time. The picture I'd seen of him did
him no justice, I was pleasantly surprised at just how attracted I was to
him right away. I tried to be cool though my heart was racing.  I invited
him in for a second while I gathered the rest of my things. When I'd made
sure I had everything, I asked Richard to carry a few things out for me
while I locked up. When he walked toward the car my eyes never left his
gorgeous rear.

He was very gentlemanly, opening doors for me, gently guiding me.

We drove up the coast out of the city surroundings and past the pastoral
lands spreading out on one side up the coastal hills and the blue Pacific
Ocean on the other complete with waves crashing on the shore. It was
beautiful, sunny, and a bit cool. Richard was easy to talk to and I found
myself talking way too much but we were both laughing and flirty with our
conversation. I was having a great time and I could tell he was too.

Richard pulled over once and we walked over to a bluff where people were
gathered watching elephant seals sunning themselves. We watched for a
minute or two and then Richard held my hand in his as we walked back to the
car. He opened my door for me and as I got in he never let go of my hand or
my gaze. I kept looking him right in the eye and there was so much
communicated in his smiling face.

The tension was noticeable but exciting and I really liked being with
Richard. He was smart and playful but kind, and let himself be a bit
goofy. He was a little bashful and not a player at all. We took it maybe a
little slow but it never felt uncomfortable. We walked along the bluffs,
had clam chowder at a little beach shack kind of place that he knew,
counted birds on a wire and just had fun being together.

It never got too tense although as we were heading back toward home I was
getting nervous because I knew I liked him like I'd never known it with
anyone else. When he dropped me off it made me sorry it had to end.

Richard opened the car door for me and walked me to my front door where we
stood awkwardly filling the silent pauses with conversation. Finally we
hugged and I'm thinking oh no! is that it? He looked in my eyes and I
reached over for his hand and gave him a soft but short kiss right on his
lips, not lingering, but letting him know I'd be willing to do this
again. "thank you for the wonderful time Richard" I found my keys and
opened the door and turned and smiled. "I'll call", he promised as I swung
the door closed.

Mom, of course quizzed me and prodded me for all the details, did he
behave, where'd we go, how'd you feel and on and on. I didn't mind. Mom's
really my very best friend but also my guardian, protector and confidant.
We talked and laughed well into the evening. She shared stories of when she
had been my age and of course how different it was for me. Mom is very
wise. Finally we called it a night and both crawled off to our beds.

As I lied awake before drifting off I re-lived everything I could about my
date with Richard. I thought about his cool grey eyes and casually mussed
hair, his broad shoulders and hard chest. He was totally fit but not like a
body builder, more like a swimmer. Tall enough to look up to but not enough
to call attention to. His large hands had felt strong and warm when he held
my small hand briefly but it was a little bothersome that he hadn't tried
to put the moves on me at some point. He was maybe a bit too polite with
me. I hope he was attracted to me, but maybe, but what if...all kinds of
worries now and self doubt; maybe I should have worn a different outfit or
fixed my hair differently or... Finally I managed to get to sleep as I
wondered if he'd ever call.

I sure hoped so.