Steve went with Karen and Daisy and allowed them to pick out some clothes. She now fully understood what Daisy had meant when she spoke of how the clothes felt. Afterward, she went back down stairs.
Her parents were obviously still waiting for the police, but after a half hour, they were a no show.
Turning to her, Joe commented, "So what do we call you? We certainly can't keep calling you Steve. And how long does this transformation last exactly?"
"How about Stephanie, for now?" Alice offered. "And the amulet can be used again in twelve hours."
"Can I stay like this for the weekend?" Stephanie asked.
Joe looked at Jenny and then both looked at Alice and then said at the same time, "If it's all right with you? I don't know how we would deal with a little girl in the house. We need some time to deal with this. Especially if Steve, err, Stephanie decides she wants to live like this."
Stephanie was elated and as Daisy took her by the hand to go play, he could hear Alice, Joe and Jenny walking into kitchen, talking amongst themselves.
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The weekend ended much too quickly for Stephanie. On Saturday morning, she had awoken and done something she had not done in years; watched Saturday morning cartoons. Afterward, Alice lent her some of Daisy's clothes and the two had spent the day playing, only stopping for meals, bath-time and the arrival of Jenny and Joe when they dropped off some appropriate clothes.
It didn't even register to Stephanie that when her parents dropped off the items, they seemed distant and refused to make contact with her, instead choosing to speak with Alice the whole time.
Sunday brought church and a Sunday dinner around one. After that, Stephanie changed out of her good clothes and spent the day playing.
And what games there were over the course of the weekend. There was dress-up, with not just Daisy, but Katie as well. Then there was a pretend Tea party and after that was dolls. Before and after dinner, they spent the rest of the time playing out doors.
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Monday brought an end to the fun and Stephanie realized that she must face reality. The reality that she could go back to being Steve, but really didn't want to.
What was there to look forward in that life she mused to herself? A father that sometimes hit Steve, but he never told anyone. Two parents that were mostly gone from his life all the time and so he spent most of the time alone. And when they did show, they hardly ever showed any affection.
Going back to the part where she realized that Steve spent most of the time alone, she realized that was especially true now that Declan was Daisy. Most of Steve's friends had left him, thinking that he was just to weird or crazy for talking about people that they had never met. Here, as Stephanie, she was happy. She had a friend that shared a lifetime bonding experience; the transformation into a little girl.
Steve had so many problems, but as Stephanie there was so many options open that those problems now had a better chance of being corrected.
Getting up, she noticed that Daisy was still asleep. Adjusting the nightgown that gone slightly crooked while she slept, Stephanie picked up a doll and wandered into the Kitchen.
"No school today. Teacher conferences," Alice said as she set a bowl of cereal down in front of Stephanie.
Stephanie merely looked at it and then picking up the spoon, voiced her concerns. "I want to remain as Stephanie. I don't want to go back to being Steve. I like having Daisy, Katie and Karen as my friends."
Alice stopped and looked at the seven year old girl that two days ago was a fifteen year old male. Taking a mug down from the cupboard and pouring herself a cup of coffee she sat down at the table and then in a soft spoke.
"Stephanie, honey, I don't really know how to explain this, but I called you parents apartment this morning. The lines been disconnected."
Stephanie thought on this and then finally replied, "Joe probably forgot to pay the phone bill again."
Nodding, Alice just replied, "I hope your right."
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After breakfast, Alice woke Denise up and told her to watch her sisters. Stephanie dressed herself and mentally prepared herself for the fit Joe and Jenny would pitch when they heard about her decision.
Allowing Alice to place her in a booster seat, she rode in silence to her parents apartment. When they arrived, they took the elevator up and knocked. When no one answered, Stephanie figured to let herself in; it being her home as well after all.
Inside the place was empty except for two suitcases sitting in Stephanie's bedroom. Opening them, Alice found clothes that were suitable for a seven year old girl. Taking Stephanie by the hand, she picked up one of the suitcases and marched back down the hall. In the elevator, she pressed the hold button and told Stephanie to wait right there.
She was only gone a few moments when she returned with the other suitcase. Riding down, she voiced her concerns about what Joe and Jenny did.
On the first floor, she ran into the manager, who right away demanded, "Are you Alice and Stephanie?"
Nodding at the man, Alice was then handed a envelope. As he said, "Let me help you with those," she opened the letter and followed the manager out with Stephanie following behind.
Sitting in the front seat, she read the letter out loud:
Dear Alice
Jenny and I are sorry to do this to you. Please understand we were never happy with Steven and now we realize we could never be happy with Stephanie. Please don't attempt to look for us and don't have the good doctor arrange so that we are still her parents. Inside this envelope you will find a second envelope. It contains enough money to care for Stephanie for about a year. Along with it are a savings account for you to care for Stephanie. Deposits will be made into it at odd intervals so that you can fully take care of here. Along with this is a bank CD set up so that she will have a college fund by the age of twenty one. Again, we wish to reiterate, please don't look for us, don't attempt to contact us and don't attempt to alter anything so we would have stuck around.
Sincerely Joe and Jenny
Stephanie could only sit in silence as she heard these words being read. Surprisingly, she was not really fazed by this and asked Alice, "Will you take care of me and raise me along with Daisy?"
Alice merely sat for a bit before nodding. As she started the car Alice said, "Lets go see the Doctor Mezzner about making you my adopted daughter."