Leslie Lofton

I'll tell you what, I've had to come a long way. I have a military background, and I came up with Bill Clinton and DADT. Not a great time to be gay in the military, and I bought way into it. About 2015 I think it was they got us all in a lecture hall. A couple legal officers came in to give us read-along PowerPoint on DADT going away, which sucked, so a sergeant major shooed them off the stage and basically told us, "They're here, they're queer, get used to it. Keep your god damn opinions to yourself, and I don't wanna hear about any of you fuckers having a problem with it." So, I got used to it. About a year before my own kid came out, I could see it coming. I started quizzing my now openly gay colleagues, "So how did your parents screw up when you came out, and what can I do to avoid that?" I was so ready for it when it dropped. " You're gay, honey? We gotcha. Your our kid and we love you being you. " Then the non-binary thing happened and I was more like "What in the hell is this?" I was advised to be supportive by people I trusted, so I bit my tongue and went along to get along. Before I got used to this one, the trans thing got going. Your name is what now? Well at least it's better than the non-binary name, but you want to get what done to you?" Well, I learned all the rules about living with trans people, read what scant research there is on gender dysphoria and hormone replacement, and decided that my kid's life wasn't mine to run, our insurance was pretty good, and on balance I could live with it if we did it the right way. Therapy, referral to specialist therapy with a certified diagnosis, pediatric endocrinologist, follow up therapy, the works. I am now even familiar with the process for the name change of a minor in my state. Every step is kind of a wrench, because as a parent your kid is always your little boy or girl, and that's not easy to let go of. We're doing the best we can, and I've realized that my not understanding something does not make it untrue. So, yeah, I'm glad you all find this educational. It's been a got dang education for me, I'll tell you what.

Thank you. I've had a front row seat to this trans stuff for the past five years. The splash zone, you might say. Like when you go to CVS for the first box of T vials, and the computer at the insurance company says, "17 year old girls don't get testosterone. Denied!" but the pharmacist pulls out every coupon and discount without being asked so we can at least leave the store with our shirts until the insurance gets fixed.

In the middle of the night, it should have only taken Ashlee half an hour to make it through DC to her place, which was just outside the Beltway in Virginia. She crawled though, dozing off from time to time. She realized she’d been up over 20 hours. She needed to stay awake and fight off the slight buzz the drinks had given her. She was relieved when she finally maneuvered her car into its spot back in Virginia. It was almost three when she folded up onto her made bed, fully clothed. As

Hyperlocal narrative. I love lighthouses. Dittoes to some of these comments. I actually think it's a nice complete short story right now. However I am curious to know if Bell comes back and continues to have his way, or if Toby learns from his experience and finds someone else in town, or starts sniping tourists as a habit. He could learn a few lessons either way. Dimwad?

Nice story. At least Cal is happy, he probably deserves it more than Willie anyway. What will happen to Willie? Will James find out? Willie seems like the biggest jerk here, and James seems like a little mouse. He'll probably stick around when Willie tells him "It didn't mean anything, baby."

The train rocked and screeched under Felicity as it wound its way beneath the nation’s capital. The car wasn’t crowded. The morning crush was just about over, but groups of chatty tourists on their way to the Smithsonian and a couple handfuls of sullen locals shared the car with her. She checked her messages for the hundredth time this morning, to go along with the hourly checks that had broken her slumber the night before. No one could cover her yet. This was getting serious. She’d given u

Thank you. Let's see if we can get Ashlee and Felicity together, then It would be fun to get them all working on a common goal, like a neurotic Fantastic Four.

A mystery! What is Felicity's secret? All will be revealed! I'm glad you like them. They're cool girls and I'd like to meet them in person. Sarah has a tragic backstory, and if the story weren't so focused on Ashlee, we might learn more about her. Maybe I can squeeze some into Chapter 4.

The dread stillness lifted with a low silky laugh. Ashlee tried to keep her earnest face, but felt it stretch into a grimace. Oh my God, she thought in horror, what have I done? "Oh … Wow!" Felicity was still giggling. Ashlee's face was on fire now, and she could only imagine what it must look like to the waitress. Felicity held up her ticket book in a pantomime stage whisper to Ashlee: "Did she come up with that?" she asked, pointing at Sarah. Ashley turned toward her partner. She had

Thanks so much. I'm so happy you like it!

Ashlee Vance is a young lonely attorney living on her own in Washington, DC. When someone sends the perfect woman her way, she has to put her fears and everyone else's doubts behind her to win her best chance at love.

PART ONE The previous summer Felicity dug her feet into the dry sand, relishing the feeling of it enveloping her. The setting sun behind her had sunk into the clouds, and the ocean in front of her seemed restless. Curiously cool breezes lapped at her skin. There must be some weather coming in. At her side, Annie, her date -- if that's what this was -- shivered as a sudden zephyr rattled her tall, muscular frame. Annie looked up to catch Felicity's eye, something she was probably