"Aw, honey, you look gorgeous! The guys are going to be all over you tonight!" Mom exclaimed as she looked me over while I stook there awkwardly in the back yard.
"Do I really have to go through with this?" I asked in a whiny, girly voice while fidgeting uncomfortably.
"Of course you do, dear! Pastor Jeff turned you into a woman precisely because we needed to even out the number of men and women at the church's mixer, and we need you to keep those numbers even!" Mom exclaimed.
'But why do the numbers have to be even? I mean, is it really so horrible if not everybody gets matched up and some of us have to date outside the church?" I asked.
"Yes it is!" Mom shot back without hesitation, "And it's thinking like that that led to your being one of the 'ladies' at this little shindig, I'll point out. What you need is a good man to take care of you and make sure you don't stray from the faith!"
"But I don't want a man to take care of me," I groaned
"I said need, dear, not want," Mom pointed out, "But don't you worry that pretty little head of yours about that. You're all woman now, including your.... preferences, we'll say, for mates. Trust me, when one of the church's strapping young bachelor's takes you under his wing, you will forget all about ever having been a guy yourself!"
I didn't want to forget about ever having been a guy, but I knew Mom was right. The truth of the matter was I didn't really feel like a guy anymore, and obviously wan't doing so good at fighting my newfound femininity. I knew it was only a matter of time before I was dating some guy from church. I'd almost certainly marry that guy, and become a housewife and the mother of his children. I will never put on pants again. I will wear only dresses and skirts with pantyhose like all ladies in our church. And on a superficial level at least, I was pretty sure I'd be happy with that life.
I also knew that I was forced to feel that way, that on some level it was all a lie. But there was nothing I could do about that. All I really could do was try to forget about my former life, and make peace with the new life I'd be leading as a woman...
