‘I am not one for long speeches. You know what you are fighting for and what you are fighting to prevent. If that’s not enough for you…it’s to... late to go home now.’ There were smiles at the attempt at levity. ‘But know that, however this comes out for each of us that it was my honor to lead you and to know you.’ She placed her fist to her heart in salute. The soldiers with her did the same and the exclamation for her was as resolute as any before. Once the soldiers equipped themselves they set. Yes, Ihad been wearing my mother's clothes, but I wasn't ready to admit tomyself or anyone else that I really wanted to be a woman. Sure, Ithought about it. As a matter of fact, I thought about it constantly,but I always wrote it off as some weird fantasy. Fantasies aren'tsupposed to come true. That's what makes them different than goals andaspirations. I certainly didn't aspire to be a woman. I was happybeing a boy. I had a good life as a boy and I certainly wasn't gay.No, I wasn't gay.. Boys didn't buy girls dinner in Rochester -- not until they were serious about each other. Most relationships were ready for a little discreet kissing before the boy bought the girl an ice cream.But Rose wasn't listening for her second thoughts. "This isn't Rochester."And, Ethel realized, she wasn't a girl any more. In New York, she was a woman. Rose could tell her how a woman behaved in New York.When she got her second paycheck, she took it around to a bank to establish an account. The next. Pulling her laptop to the foot of the bed, Rebecca sat down on the floor, legs crossed in front of her. The website pulled up on the screen, she began the careful setup for the ritual. She placed one candle directly in front of her, with the other two behind her, flanking her on either side and forming a triangle around her. In the bowl, she dumped heaps of the various spices together, enjoying the spicy aroma of the pepper mixing with the scents of herbs as she used her hands to gently mix.