A Better Solution Than Divorce

by Jennifer Allison

  

Richard

"Dr. McLean, Hillary Knox here," I heard Hillary Knox say over the phone.

"Hi, Hillary," I said.

"You asked to inform you of the Driefort's decision," said Hillary.

"So when will they be showing up in Tolerance?" I asked. I didn't need to be told of the Driefort's final decision.

"Three months. The Drieforts aren't needed in Tolerance as much as Tolerance needed you to replace Amanda."

"What about the kids?" I asked.

"They will be coming with their folks, but won't be switching," she told me.

"That is going to make things very interesting," I said.

"Why is that?"

"Phil Driefort and Dean are best friends, I was just wondering out loud. How Phil would feel if found out his friends is very much considering staying in his sisters body,"

"You mean Dean is considering it?" Hillary asked. "What does Jennifer say on the matter?"

"They are both considering it," I told her.

Phil

"Dad, I hope I didn't mess everything up between you and mom, by refusing to join in Dr. Knox's program." I asked my dad.

"It didn't cause any trouble, Phil," he answered. "Hillary told us not all boys want to see what it is like to be a girl even for just a little while."

"To tell you the truth dad. I never even fantasize about being a girl. Some of my friends have mentioned it in passing and I even have known a few that have tried on their mom's or sister's clothing," I told him. "I haven't even done that."

"I hope you don't think less of me or your mom because we want to switch?" he asked.

"I think it is great," I said. "I have seen to many friends and class mates from broken homes get in trouble with police or get involve into drugs. What I see in you and mom is. Two parents trying everything they can to keep our family together. I just hope I will have courage to do the same when the time comes to save my marriage in the Future."

I said one more thing as I was leaving, "I don't mind you switching just don't tell my friends about it."

"That will be hard to do; Dr. Knox told me that a friend of ours is already in her program."

"Did she say who?" I asked.

"No, all she said was that you knew the children,"

Dean

Since it was decided not to tell the Drieforts that my family was already in Dr. Knox's program. Another family was selected to be their sponsors. A family where the parents had switched but the children had not.

The town was out to meet the Driefort three months later.

Dad was already showing.

Jennifer and I were about one step of away from deciding to make the switch permanent. From the conversations I have over heard between my parents. If they had to make up their minds right now. They would stay switched.

Phil was standing with his parents and his sister when I tap him on the shoulder.

The look of utter shock came over Phil's as he recognized me. He was utterly speechless. It was dad in his mom's body who broke the spell.

"Jennifer McLean! It is your family that is in Dr. Knox's program?" I could tell by the tone of her voice, Mr. Driefort was amazed.

"Yes it is." I said. "Mom sent me to ask you come to our house. Dad is busy at the clinic at the moment."

"We will stop by after we settle at our sponsor family, the Perkins," she told me.

Mr. Perkins who was standing next to the Driefort then said. "Actually you will be staying at Doc Mac's. I was your sponsor until you arrived."

"Jennifer, could you answer a question for us?" Mrs. Driefort asked. "Why isn't your mom here with the rest of Tolerance?"

"Mom and dad thought it would be best we meet with you alone," I told them. "There will be a lot of questions asked. I am stay with you so I can give you direction to our house."

"Jennifer how do you like living here in Tolerance?" asked Brenda.

"I like it a lot. Even more last week," I told her.

"Why last week?" Brenda inquired.

"Stocks finally arrived," Brenda was confused with my answer. "Shocks stand fifteen hand high chestnut in color with wide blaze down his face."

"You got a horse?" she almost screamed.

"Yes I do, so does Dean. His is an Appaloosa," I told. Brad should realize right there and then that Jennifer and I had switched. When we played horses when we were younger. My horse was always a chestnut I call Shocks and Jennifer's was an Appaloosa named Spots

Brenda turned towards her parents and said. "I want a horse too!"

"We'll see," was all that Brenda's parents could say.

Richard

I knew I was acting like a child but I didn't want to meet Brad and his family with everyone else in town. There was going to be enough questions to answer as it is.

I arrived at the house only a few minutes before the Driefort's.

The first words out of Brad's mouth when he first saw Helen and myself upon seeing my pregnant bulge was, "Congratulation, Helen."

"I am not Helen," I told her.

"Richardddddd!" Brad and I said unison.

"Doctor McLean!!" Phil and Brenda exclaimed.

Brad then fainted. It must have finally dawn on him that he could possibility end up in the same condition. Especially if him and his wife were acting like they were on their honeymoon again.

Smelling salts and a drink help Brad come to his senses.

The first words out of her mouth were, "how, what happened?"

"Helen and I switched six months ago. Before we switched we became like two kids on their honeymoon. After the switch we were still those two kids on their honeymoon," I told the Drieforts. "One morning two months later I woke up to a case of morning sickness. I had asked my nurse to do the test and the rabbit died."

"Then why didn't you and Helen switch back?" Asked Sue in her husband's body. "That was one of the questions Brad and I asked. If Brad should become pregnant, would we be able to switch back. She told us, yes!"

"We had the same option, but decided against it," answered my mom.

I then told them my reason. "I have lost count of how women have told me. I don't know what they had to go through to have a baby. Here is a perfect way for me to find out."

"What do you think of all this? Dean," Phil asked my sister.

Dean

"I like it," I replied.

"I wasn't asking you, I was asking Dean," said Phil.

"But I am Dean," I announced.

Phil came within a hair of fainting.

What followed was silence as Phil's brain caught up with his mouth.

"Yoouuuuuu!" as Phil said this his finger moved back and forth between me and Jennifer.

"You switched with Jennifer?" still not believing what we had said.

"Yes!" I replied.

"How could you?" Phil asked almost crying.

"My answer could be something that you won't believe," I told Phil. "But I will try anyway."

"You are right it will take some explaining. When my parents asked me if I wanted to trade places with Brenda for just a month. I didn't give it a second thought when I said a definite no!" Phil informed us.

"Some boys want to see how the other half lives and some don't. Girls are the same way," this how I started. "I didn't know I had the feeling I wanted to see how Jennifer lived until Mr. Brown made me wear that dang bra to school. When I got home the first I immediately took it off. After I put it on the next morning I only took it off when I had to. By Wednesday I was daydreaming about how it would feel if I really had breast to fill up my cups."

I stop for a minute to catch my breathe and let what I had said sink in.

"When mom and dad told me about the switch. I knew I had a once in a lifetime opportunity to find out what it was like to be a girl. I jumped in with both feet. Dr. Knox told me about all this and more when I had some our individual talks with her. My harassment of Allison Barker and the bad times I used to give Jennifer were just signs that down deep I needed to find out what it was like to be a girl."

 

End of part 8

There will be more to follow.

  

  

  

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