Chapter 7
"Do you, Roger, take this woman, Elisabeth, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, to love, cherish, and protect, for better or for worse, for rich or for poor, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?" my sister Denise asked Roger Stanfield, my brother-in-law, as he prepared to take Elisabeth Guttmacher as his bride.
"I do," Roger beamed at Elisabeth, who seemed tickled pink to get the lifelong bachelor to commit to her.
"Do you, Elisabeth, take this man, Roger, to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, to love, honor, and obey, for better or for worse, for rich or for poor, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?" Denise now asked Elisabeth.
"I do," Elisabeth's smile widened even more as she answered that question.
"Then by the power vested in me by the State of Arizona, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride," Denise grinned as Roger went full-blown traditional for an old-school rake by lifting the veil and kissing Elisabeth hard on the mouth.
It was a jarring choice for a man noted for his past aversion toward marriage, but who cared? They were happy. I was happy. Even my noticeably quiet son, Xander, was happy. Everyone, including Denise's obviously female companion, was happy, of course.
I wasn't a rocket scientist, but I wasn't born yesterday, either. I knew my sister. I knew that she was gay. In hindsight, the clues were there all along that my beloved sister was a lesbian. Sure, that killed my fantasy of adding her, but as long as she was happy, that was what really, truly mattered, right?
I was even happier knowing that there was a strong chance that I was the father of the little bambino in her womb. Of late, there had been just two men, Roger and me, fucking and breeding the ladies. Just before that, however, Billie had given her seed prior to starting her transition. The later the date of impregnation, the lower Billie's chances were.
The odds of Billie's progeny dropped to zero for Elisabeth, of course. She had been cut by then, yes, as in having an orchiectomy of her own. In layman's terms, she was castrated. She still had the dick, but no balls. Yes, with that, the path toward full feminization was well under way.
I also considered having Dieter take estrogen like Billie, but I hadn't decided yet. I had to do something soon. Dieter's health declined far worse than expected and it was my damn fault for not giving him the testosterone in a timely fashion. We had all agreed to that, but I should have made a quick decision for one hormone or the other, not left him unregulated like that. It was a rookie mistake, having never had a eunuch sub in my charge before, but I felt guilty as fuck about it.
"It's okay, man. You're new to this, relatively speaking. It was a beginner's mistake. My fault for putting it in your hands. Just because you're a Dom doesn't give you experience in deciding such matters, especially next to the wife who's been handling it all along. No one is wise enough for all things, not even you. But you have a decision to make now, don't you?" Samantha told me with her arms around my waist while Amy and Cassie kissed my face and neck.
"Yes, and I think that it's clear what I need to do. I've just been resisting it," I smiled as I settled on my choice.
Dietrich Guttmacher years ago had basically forfeited his manhood and closed one door so firmly that without the injections of testosterone, there was only one path left to him. At that moment, I had determined his fate, probably how he secretly wanted it, but hadn't dared to assert until his daughter had the courage later. His daughter Billie, that was, not his cisgender daughter Elisabeth, the current bride. There would be no more impasse. His health was at stake. It was time for action, not deliberation.
I mouthed "we need to talk" to Billie as soon as Denise announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Roger and Elisabeth Stanfield."
I signed as a witness, as did Amy, Cassie, Samantha, Billie, and Dietrich.
That was when I whispered to Billie, "Estrogen."
"You made the right call," Billie told me with tears in her eyes.
"Thanks," I replied.
"I'll call my doctor. Let her know that she has a new patient. We'll do this the right way," Billie proposed.
"Exactly. No secret stuff. Nothing illegal. Get Dieter on the way to becoming Dita instead," I smiled before taking Amy's hand and Cassie's as well.
"Um ... Dan, there is something that I need to tell you," Denise gulped a bit, but I shook my head.
"No need. I can tell who Jordan is to you. She's your girlfriend. That's what makes you happy, so who am I to resent it? Jordan's family now, but she doesn't have to live the same lifestyle as the rest of us, nor do you. You're a lesbian, aren't you? You're both lesbians, in fact," I said it as a statement of fact, giving up the last remnants of an admittedly selfish fantasy that I could add my sister to the family commune.
"Yes, I believe that you nailed it, bro. I'm gay. Jordan's gay, too. Thanks for picking up on that. Thanks for accepting it. Now I know that your lifestyle isn't just about you sowing your wild oats or enjoying mid-life crisis or exploring it or whatever. I can see the typical male horndog appeal, yes, and I won't deny that it's a bit off-putting to a lesbian in a faithful, monogamous relationship, but still ... I can see the love there. It's not how I would choose to live, but even so, more power to you. I'm happy for you, too," Denise told me with a warm and tight hug.
"Dad... , " Xander started to speak to me now that we were all taking photos and heading for the reception.
"Son," I answered with a smile.
I could tell where this discourse was headed, and hey, it was to be expected. He didn't want to be part of the family lifestyle, either, and that was okay. What I didn't expect was how far he would depart from that direction. Even then, he had to go his own path. I couldn't choose what form of happiness and joy he would pursue. He had the same right to seek it as I, didn't he?
"So, Dad ... I think that you can guess that while I respect your right to do this ... it's not for me. Nor is what Aunt Denise is doing with Aunt Jordan, but I wish them both happiness, just as I do with you. I ... I just don't want to do it. Sex. I'm a virgin and I have no desire to change that fact. I had plenty of chances overseas, trust me. I just ... didn't want it. I am content to be celibate," Xander really threw one out of left field to me.
"As is your wish, Xander. I want respect and tolerance for my lifestyle. I owe you that in turn. Besides, part of being a parent is letting one's kid's do their own thing as they grow up. Letting go. It's not easy. That's also part of parenting. It's the inherent conflict or tension there, son. If you wish, honestly, to abstain, to be chaste, that is your call. It's your body. I cannot tell you what to do with it.
