Compromise

Laura led the way to the building entrance and they walked in. Josie was very nervous and walked very stiffly while holding tightly to Laura's hand. There were sounds coming from down the hallway. Girls laughing and talking were loud through the open door. Laura walked to the door and before Josie could complain she led them both inside and stood at the entranceway.

As the girls noticed their presence, a chorus of greetings was called out, "Ms. Laura," "Hello Ms. Laura," "Who's your friend Ms. Laura?"

Laura laughed and waved at the girls and shouted, "Hello ladies." When the voices quieted down a bit, Laura announced, "Okay everyone, I want you to meet my very best friend, Josie. She'll be visiting you here too."

"Hello Ms. Josie," They replied, almost in unison.

Josie stiffly waved her hand and gave them a slight smile. He was still quite nervous, but at the same time fascinated by the giggling and energy of all the girls. Deep down, he was still looking forward to meeting and talking to them, but for now, everything was a bit overwhelming.

Laura pushed Josie outside into the hallway and called back to the girls, "Go ahead and finish up your snacks. We'll see you outside in the play yard."

Laura took him by the hand and slowly led Josie down the hallway. "See, I told you it would be fine. I know this is a lot thrown at you at one time and it's okay to be nervous. You're going to be just fine and it will all be worth it. Now let's see if Mrs. Brady is in her office."

Josie knew from talking with Mrs. Gillihan that Mrs. Brady was the Home's Director. She had been the Director for 40 years and all the girls, past and present, adored her. She had announced last month that she was finally going to retire by the end of the year, or as soon as the board of trustees found a suitable replacement.

They walked to the end of the hallway until finally reaching the door with Mrs. Brady's name and title on it. Laura gave it a quick and firm knock. They were invited inside and Laura introduced Josie to the longtime Director.

"So this is your new friend Josie," Mrs. Brady said with a sly smile. She took Josie's hand and reassuredly said, "Nice to meet you Josie, you look great. I'm told you'll be writing a history of the Hope House. I have plenty of journals and clippings in the library and you're welcome here anytime for your research."

Josie could tell that she knew she was a he and that made sense he thought. After all, The Gillihan men have been in a similar disguise for a long time. He felt very comfortable around her and knew she would be a great asset to his research for the book.

Even with the office door closed, they could hear the noises of footsteps and laughter as the girls made their way out to the play yard. Mrs. Brady explained, "It looks like snack time is over Laura. Two of your sisters and their 'friends' helped out with that today. I think the other 2 sisters and their 'friends' are out in the play yard waiting for the girls. Looks like all the Gillihan sisters are here today. I'm not sure what we would do without you ladies and the girls love you too. I think you'll fit right in Josie."

Laura and Josie thanked Mrs. Brady and they all said their goodbyes as Laura took Josie's hand and led him down the hallway. "You've done great so far and there's only one more step to go. Let's go mingle with the girls. I know you're still a little nervous, but remember, I'll be right there for you. We don't have to stay too long for your first visit. Just let me know when you're ready to go."

Josie was still very apprehensive about his appearance. He hadn't been around a lot of children in his life, but he did feel like this group of girls was different. After all, they did share a common past. It was almost like they were in the same sorority. He held Laura's hand very tightly and still walked stiffly as they strolled out into the busy courtyard. Josie marveled at all the activity and energy as he watched the girls running around, playing games, and enjoying the well equipped playground. He was so fascinated, he didn't even notice when Laura gently let go of his hand and took a step back to watch her girlfriend.

"Hello Ms. Josie," a young voice called him from behind. Josie turned and faced a young girl with a huge smile. She was wearing jeans and a t-shirt that seemed a bit large for her body. With her tennis shoes, she certainly looked ready for outside playtime.

"I'm Brenda and I'm 6 and a half years old. I know I'm small for my age, but I think I can handle myself okay. I'm really glad you're here visiting with us today."

Josie looked down at her and bent down slightly with a growing smile. He still seemed stiff and nervous, but Laura could see his fascination. She instinctively held her hands over her mouth so she could hide her smile and not call attention to her presence.

"Hello Brenda," Josie answered in a nervous voice. "Thank you for letting me visit you today."

They both stood there looking at each other, Josie with his small smile and Brenda with her huge grin. Laura was getting a little nervous. There were quite a few moments of silence as they stood and stared at each other. She was almost ready to join their conversation when Brenda held up both her arms to Josie.

Josie had very little interaction with children, but he recognized Brenda's gesture. He reached down and picked her up. They were eye to eye now.

"Will you be my friend Ms. Josie, I don't have any real friends, I mean the girls don't treat me bad, but there isn't anyone I can sit down and talk to or count on playing with them outside. They call me a smarty pants, I think because I read a lot and get good grades in school."

A slow smile was spreading on Josie's face. He couldn't believe that anyone could talk so much and seemingly not even take a breath. She seemed to ramble on like someone who hadn't talked in a long time. Laura noticed too, but her hands disguised the smile and silent laugh at Josie's situation. And then Brenda stopped talking.

She had put her hands around Josie's neck and was now quiet while she looked into his eyes. He was very comfortable with the very light little girl in his arms and he maintained the smile while he returned the gaze, eye to eye. They were both quiet for a bit, but they still held their stare. Even Laura remained quiet.

Brenda leaned forward a bit and spoke just above a whisper so no one else could hear. "You're one of us aren't you Ms. Josie?"

Josie's smile disappeared and his face turned to shock. Instinctively, he knew what she meant, but he could not answer. Laura did not hear what Brenda had said, but she had noticed the expression on Josie's face. She was a little worried, but held back any action.

"You didn't have any real parents either when you were growing up did you? You're an orphan just like us. I can see it in your eyes."

Josie's facial expression slowly turned from shock to a bit of sadness as he slowing nodded his head at Brenda. How could she know that by just looking into his eyes. There was another pause of silence as they both continued staring at each other. Then Brenda smiled and put her head on his shoulder and gave him a big hug which she held as she said into his ear, "I can see that you need a hug too. Anytime you need one, you know where to find me." She continued to hold on tight as she nestled into him.

Something broke inside Joey. He leaned his head back slightly and closed his eyes. He felt as if he was absorbing the energies that the Hope House, the girls, and especially Brenda were providing. The nervousness was fading away. He knew he was right where he needed to be and he knew that this was where he wanted to be. His eyes watered as he breathed in her aura while a small contented smile formed on his face.

Even though she hadn't heard what Brenda had said, Laura was staring in amazement at the interactions of Josie and Brenda. She saw the contentment and smile on her boyfriend's face, and then she saw the tears slowly crawl down his cheek. She could tell that these were tears of relief and happiness and it caused her to tear up too. Joey finally opened up his eyes, but held tightly to his new friend. He glanced over at Laura and saw her tears, but couldn't tell what expression she had because of the hands across her face. He smiled at her to let her know that everything was okay. Before Laura could react, Brenda leaned back and started talking again."Would you like to see our new swing set? We could even try it out if you want to."

The rest of the time they were there, Josie took charge of pushing Brenda and all the girls on the swing set. Laura helped on the nearby merry go round while keeping one eye on her beau. She could see that he was having a wonderful time. Quite a bit later, Laura came over and grabbed Joey by his shoulder. "Time to go Josie. It's time for everyone's dinner." She could tell he was disappointed, but he cheered up as every girl in sight waved at him and called out as they went inside for dinner, "Goodnight Josie, please come back and play with us again." He smiled and waved back to them.

On the way back to the parking lot, Laura giggled at the bouncy steps and big smile on Joey's face. "It looks like someone had fun today. We're going to meet my sisters and their guys for dinner."

He barely heard her speak, but when they were in the car, he started rambling with excitement. "I can't believe how much fun that was. You told me it would be fun, but I was nervous about dressing up, but after awhile, I didn't even think about being in a dress. All the girls were great and Brenda is a real treat don't you think?"

Laura giggled at him and patted his knee with a big smile. "You were great sweetie. The girls really love you. I was watching you the whole time, and I could see it was more than just fun, especially with Brenda."

"I can't explain it, but it was like she was looking inside me, searching my soul. When she hugged me, it felt like something inside me was released, and I felt like I was home with all my family. In all my life, I've never had that feeling."

As they pulled into a popular seafood restaurant, he was still talking about his adventure and how he was looking forward to going back and visiting again soon. Laura just smiled and nodded her head as he continued.

When they had parked, she got out of the car and started towards the restaurant with Joey hand in hand. Suddenly, Joey stopped and lowered his voice. "Laura, I can't go in dressed like this. Can't we go back and change first?"

Laura took him by the hand and started to guide him to the restaurant door. "Don't be silly Josie, you look great. No one will even notice you and besides, all my brothers-in-law will be here and they are all still dressed from their visit with the girls."

He held on to her hand tightly and nervously crept into the restaurant towards the back. A reserved table was located off of the main floor. It was an ideal place for some privacy. Three of her sisters and their husbands were already seated and the other pair was right behind them. Laura and he sat together and held hands under the table. He was still quite a bit nervous about his attire, but as time passed, he seemed to relax a little more. He noticed how comfortable all the other men were in their dresses and he didn't notice any unusual recognitions by the other patrons.

The wives all ordered for themselves and their husbands. Laura asked if it would be okay for her to order theirs also. Since he had never been there before, he appreciated her offer and she ordered from experience. After their drinks were served, Joey started to get really comfortable as both the wives and husbands were very friendly and included him in most of the conversations. When they heard that he was meeting Mrs. Gillihan at her house tomorrow, they suggested having dinner together in the early evening and then chill and socialize so they could get to know each other better. They were sure that their mother would love to be the hostess.

Joey was now much more comfortable with all the Gillihans so when he looked at Laura and she nodded in agreement, he happily accepted their invitation. On their way out of the restaurant, Joey felt a lot less nervous walking out between the customers than he did going in.

When they returned to the villa, they both decided to relax together for the rest of the night, while watching TV and maybe a movie. Laura smiled and nodded once in awhile as Joey continued his rambling about his day and the opportunities that may come his way. Laura left later so that she would have some time to talk with her mother about the events of the day.

The next morning, after Joey had finished breakfast, he drove to the Gillihan house to have his meeting with the matriarch. She was quite pleased with the reports about him from the whole family. They had reported how comfortable he had become when he was interacting with the girls. They all had agreed that Josie made a very passable woman. She also mentioned that Laura was quite taken by him and wanted to help him as much as possible during his stay. Laura blushed with a smile and took hold of Joey's hand.

When Joey responded, he told her how much he had enjoyed his visit to the Hope House. He said that writing their history would be an honor for him and he would love to have the opportunity. He smiled brightly and turned to Laura as he admitted to her mother that he was quite taken by her daughter too.

Mrs. Gillihan confirmed that she would like to officially hire Joseph to work on the writing project and he could get started next week. She confirmed the invite for an evening dinner tonight as an opportunity to get to know the Gillihan family and for them to get to know him. She looked at Laura and said, "We've decided tonight will be a Family Game Night, so dress accordingly."

Joey was curious what that meant, but decided he would wait until he and Laura were alone to ask her what was in store for the evening. Joey felt very fortunate when he was told that the villa would be his while he was here. He and Laura drove there in a very good mood. Back at the villa, Joey asked Laura about Family Game Night.

"My family gets together a lot. We have barbeques and picnics with everyone enjoying each other's company. The children and adults have a great time together. Family Game Night is a night for the adults only. The children have their own sleepover and are well taken care of. The adults have dinner, then may play some cards or just sit around, watching sports or a movie. Later on, mother and the married couples go into the Playroom and have some adult fun."

Joey's eyes opened wide in curiosity. "Adult fun?"

She giggled and answered, "You and I are not invited for those games, married couples only, but maybe you'll get to see it one day."

Before he could think, he replied with a smile, "Be careful what you say Ms. Gillihan, you might give me some ideas. And what about your mother's comment, dress accordingly?"

"It's not uncommon for us to spend time at the Hope House before we meet, so it's just easier for the guys to remain in disguise. The ladies might wear a costume too, and that makes the night more fun and interesting. You'll go in costume like the rest of the guys, but there will only be our family there so you shouldn't feel uncomfortable. Maybe we can stop by and say hi to the girls on our way there?"

The last comment made Joey smile and he almost forgot about the restlessness caused by the rest of Laura's explanation. Joey and Laura did indeed stop to visit the girls on the way to Family Night and just like the last visit, Joey had a great time and Laura had to drag him away.

When they arrived at Mrs. Gillihan's house, everyone was already there. Joey was relieved to see all the guys in disguise too. He felt very welcome when Mrs. Gillihan, her daughters, and their husbands all came over and gave him a hug or a handshake. The ladies went into the large family room where the TV was on. They talked and laughed as they glanced at the movie that was showing. The men all gathered around the grill outside while laughing and joking around with each other. The brothers-in-law made Joey feel very welcome. He helped set the table and serve the food as the ladies made their way into the dining area.

Dinner was great and everyone was having a great time talking, laughing, and being loud. After dinner, the ladies gathered on the patio to enjoy the drinks that their husbands had provided, while the guys went in to relax in front of a game on the TV. Again, Joey was very comfortable talking with the guys about anything that came up.

He asked them about their relationship with the Hope House and they all agreed that it was an important and special part of their life. "How about the dressing up part?" he added. "Are you comfortable with that too?"

Lisa's husband Steven answered, "It was a bit strange at first, but I think we all agree that we're used to it now and certainly don't mind getting into disguise for the chance to mingle with the girls."

LuAnn's husband Michael continued the thought. "After awhile, we barely even noticed our costumes." He put his hands under his chest and pushed up his breasts with a big smile. "Eventually we all had some small implants put in so it would be more convincing and easier to maintain. They're big enough to help us pass when the inspectors come around and small enough that we can wrap them up when we dress regularly as guys."

Joey was surprised when Michael mentioned the implants, but he understood the importance of the need for the disguise so that they could mingle freely with the girls.

Later on, Joseph was sitting next to Mrs. Gillihan on the sofa as the family goofed around with each other and talked a little bit about the Hope House. Mrs. Gillihan spoke to Joseph as she put her hand on his forearm. "Joseph, I'll be expecting you to ask me for an interview once you get going on the book. Elizabeth and I were residents of the Hope House for a time. That is where we became best friends. I was very fortunate that my adopted parents, the Gillihans, took a liking to me, and I became part of their family at a very young age. Elizabeth stayed at the Hope House until she graduated from high school, but we were still almost inseparable. She would be a good person for you to interview too. She also suggested that she could be your editor if you are comfortable with that arrangement."

Joey perked up and smiled, "I would be honored to have her as an advisor on this project. Be assured that Dr. Knight and you will be at the top of my list for interviews."

For the next few months, Joey and Laura spent most of their time together and a lot of time at the Hope House. They researched the journals and massive amount of information that Ms. Brady had saved and stored. Their personal time together included some downtown shopping trips, mostly with Joey dressed in disguise. He got comfortable walking with Laura as two girlfriends enjoying a day out. Laura had bought Joey a present that he could wear on their first ladies only shopping trip. He loved the blue flower dress she had bought for him, but especially loved the smile on Laura's face as she said, "Blue is your color sweetie. I love you so much."

It wasn't too much later that the thoughts of marriage were being hinted at and the whole family had caught on to the connection between Laura and Joey. When Laura was gone for a couple of days to a college recruiter's conference, Mrs. Gillihan invited Joey over for dinner and conversation. After their wonderful dinner, they went into her office to relax and talk.

"Joseph, I guess it's no secret that you and Laura have become quite close, so I thought I would tell you more about what joining our family would mean."