The Girl From The Other Side

I was sitting in the living room of my house. The dimly lit room making shadows across the walls. The darkness seemed to match the mood I was in. I sat on the couch with the TV on, but not really watching what was on it. Suddenly my phone sprang to life with that familiar, “Pa-Ting” I had just received a message on one of my message apps. I picked up the phone and looked at the preview frame to see who it was. It was Jamie. With some trepidation I tapped the bubble to read what she had to say.

“Hey baby. How’s it going? I haven’t heard from you and wanted to make sure you were alright.” I responded, “You want the truth, or lie and give you the standard answer?”
Pa-ting, (Jamie)

“You should know the answer to that already. This is me you’re talking too.”
I thought about it for a moment and decided I needed to get my thoughts out of my head.

“So you really want me to talk about a beautiful woman to another beautiful woman? The woman whom I threw you over for.”

Pa-ting, (Jamie)

“Yeah, you didn’t know I was a masochist did you? So I’m guessing that something happened between you and Julie.”

I drew a breath before typing out my answer.

“Yes I called it off today. Julie didn’t like it, but there wasn’t much she could do. I blocked her. I just couldn’t take all the secrets and the deception anymore. I would ask her about certain things and she would never give me a direct answer. Then this morning I found out she has a secret life. If she would have only been upfront about it in the beginning, I could have accepted it. I wouldn’t have liked it, but I would have accepted it, at least until she could get out of it.”

Pa-ting, (Jamie)
“What kind of secret life, like a hitman or something?”

I laughed a little at that.

“It wouldn’t be fair for me to say. Let’s just say she made her money in internet entertainment.”

Pa-ting, (Jamie)
“What’s the matter? Don’t you support the arts? LOL”
Again I typed in my response.

“Like I said, if she would only have been honest with me I don’t think I would have reacted the way I did. But if she could lie about this for as long as she did; how can I trust her about anything? I mean I was starting to get serious about her.”

Pa-ting, (Jamie)

“Come on Mike, be fair to her, that is not something that you just come right out and tell people about. Besides, I’m going to call B.S. on the getting serious part. You were never in love with her, all you ever talked about was her body, You know, all those wonderful curves?”

I started to really feel the weight of the sadness I held inside.

“It doesn’t matter, I was an idiot to think that such a beautiful girl could be interested in a beat up trans girl like me.”

Pa-ting, (Jamie)

“You know I hate it when you say that! Anyway, what am I chopped liver? I’m a cis girl and I’m still very much in love with you.”

Then it hit me how stupid what I said was. Jamie has always been there for me, no matter how much of a dummy I was.

“Jamie I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to imply anything about you. I just didn’t think my words through. Yes you are a beautiful girl. But in a different way. You have a beauty that comes from the inside. Yes you have a great body, but overall it’s more like the stillness of a quiet stream. I have always found rest in you.”

Pa-ting, (Jamie)
“That’s better. Would it be incentive if I said, ‘I told you so?’ “ Again I laughed a little

“Yes it would, but if anyone has earned that right, it’s you.”

Pa-ting, (Jamie)

“Okay. but I don’t think I need to say it. So……Is it too soon to ask about us?”

This actually floored me.

“ You mean I still have a chance with you, I mean after the way I did you?”

Pa-ting, (Jamie)

“Yeah, it’s a shock to me too. Of course you will need to do a lot of apologizing. I mean like several weeks of it.”

“Jamiecakes, if you can forgive me, I will spend the next year apologizing.” Pa-ting, (Jamie)

“Mikey baby, you know I will always be the girl on the other side of love for you.” So? Are we going to do this? I need your words, not just an Okay.”

“Yes Jaimecakes, I want us to try it again. How can I turn down a girl who loves me the way you do? I was a complete fool not to have seen that from the beginning.”

Pa-ting, (Jamie)
“Not a fool, just a dummy. So what say I come over tomorrow after work and you can start apologizing?”

“That sounds fantastic. How about we start with dinner out, and then come back here and see what happens?”

Pa-ting, (Jamie)
“That sounds more like my baby. I think that’s a great idea!”

“Thank you Jaimecakes, thank you for loving me so much, and thank you for always being that woman on the other side. I know in my heart it has always been you that I really loved, and not just for your body.”

Pa-ting, (Jamie)
“Okay baby, but I know we both need to get some sleep now. Text me when you get up, okay?”

“Yes baby girl, as soon as I get up. Good night, I love you so much.”

Pa-ting, (Jamie)
“I love you more, good night baby. Talk to you in the morning.”

Suddenly the whole room seemed brighter. Not because of some increase in lighting, but rather in the lighting of my heart. I have no idea what I have done to win the love of a girl like Jamie. But I thank God for her, today and for the rest of my life I will continue to thank God for her.

Tags: featured, fiction, Transgender

Category: Fiction