Because school was closed for spring break, my 13 year old granddaughter and my 17 year old grandson asked if they could visit and stay overnight someday. One reason is that our apartments have a pool and theirs doesn't. Another might be that I have some cool, new games on my PC. We agreed on Wednesday and my wife and I drove to their apartment home to pick them up. In the car, the stereotypical big brother - kid sister behaviour occurred in the back seat. Normalcy reigned.

When we arrived, I checked that my new Wi-Fi network could let my company-owned laptop send and receive before I could let gdau use the office. I went to the master bedroom and began working. It wasn't long before gson came in and asked for a user account on the PC as well. (I had set up up the others' accounts the first time they'd visited, but he stayed home that day.) Easily done, easily satisfied.

Lunchtime. Almost every workday, I'm far too busy trying to keep up with what needs doing so I work through lunch or skip lunch entirely. The gkids were here though, so GMa decided to go to Subway and buy us all a sandwich. Gdau went with her, gson and I placed our orders, so off they went and on they returned. It took a few seconds to sort out the sandwiches but we all sat down at the table at the same time. (OMG!!)

As the 4 of us were eating, I decided this was the "right moment." I came out to them. I told them their mother hadn't wanted me to tell them years earlier. I explained the brain-body dichotomy and that I was on HRT now so I wear some misses and some mens clothing. Neither was fazed. I suspect the my daughter had told each of them sometime before. I said I'd answer any questions, talk about anything, anytime, but it was something their mother might not want to talk about. None then, none yet, probably none for at least quite awhile.

Keep in mind, each of these kids spent their first years in our home. 17 yr old lived with us up to age 5, 13 yr old up to age 3 1/2. My gson was raised by both his mother and us before entering a homeless shelter. My gdau was born while she was there. When she found an apartment she thought she could afford, I found it so dangerous, I took the kids home with me and we became their guardians for the next several years. These kids have seen, have felt, how much I love them and they always returned my love.

I'm very proud of both of them. Gson will graduate next year and he wants to not enter the cyle of poverty. Gdau is 13, just now entering puberty, as far as appearances go; since she's Type I Diabetic, she's been very "lean" all her childhood so onset may have been delayed. Both have done well in school. Both take care with their medical issues, his ADHD and her diabetes.

I'm so happy they still love me.