Fairfield Estates Country Club Clubhouse, One week later...

"All right, Gio and Alyssa," Dr. Cecily Andrews, a caramel-skinned older woman who was the designated therapist for the couple in question, said as the trio were in a private room. "You two have been part of the Adam/Eve Project for a whole week. How have you been holding up so far with your new identities?"

"It's still a bit to take in, if I can be honest," Alyssa replied, sitting up on the small two-seater couch as Gio patted her shoulder for support. "I still dream about waking up as a guy again and still wondering if I was going to do this or stick with Mariah and be a pariah."

"How's that?" Gio asked her.

Alyssa inhaled deeply. "I don't regret choosing this, but I still get nightmares of being seen as a freak at times," she admitted. When I come out of the shower after a bath, I take a look at myself in the mirror and still see a bit of my male side even though I'm a female now. My face is still masculine as well as my downstairs area, but the rest of me is still female. It's like...having a body that's partly yours but still someone else's."

Gio nodded while the nurse took notes. "I feel like that myself," he said. "The moment I was finished with my initial transformation last week, I saw that my face is still like a woman's- a bit girly at times, but the rest of me is like a man. Not only that, I still feel aware of some female qualities that seem to blend with my newly-gained male qualities. It's like blending two different worlds at once."

Dr. Andrews sat down her pen. "That's what it means to finding the balance between masculinity and femininity," she intoned. "As for the feelings regarding your bodies and faces, it sounds like a bit of gender euphoria and dysphoria. For the dysphoria, it can be a bit unsettling to feel like you don't belong or when you feel like you're meant to become the opposite sex. As for the euphoria, you can feel good about your gender identity at times, even understanding the qualities of such. It's a roller-coaster ride regarding the emotions and mentality. Some days are better than others, but it's how you adapt to the matter that can count."

"I kind of wish I could get a grip on this," Gio commented. "I gotta admit, being a man is a bit harder and intimidating than I thought. This morning, I finally understand what it means for a man to undergo 'morning time' when I went stiff."

"I miss that feeling," Alyssa mused.

"I can't guarantee you both that you'll have it all understood, much less tell you how you can deal with it all in one go," Dr. Andrews said. "It takes a lot of time, dedication, discipline, and emotional toughness and resilience to get through the year. But both of you will soon start to know what it's like while planning your futures together as husband and wife. It's all easier said than done, believe me, but you can and will find that balance together with each other, myself and the other doctors and scientists, and even your support group."

Alyssa and Gio nodded, understanding what the therapist was saying. "We can do what it takes," the former commented, crossing her legs. "I just don't want people like my ex-girlfriend to start harassing us or painting us as abominations. She doesn't know who I truly am yet since Dad cooked up a story to throw her off the trail, but Gio and I know to keep things under wraps at the moment."

"I'm sure you will," the therapist assured them just as Mark, Denise, Douglass, and Estelle came in. "And hello to the four of you. We were just wrapping things up."

"And just in time," Mark commented before turning to his daughter and Gio. "The two of you will need to start your lessons on being the opposite sex."

"What lessons?" Alyssa wanted to know.

"Darling, we only have months before the wedding, and we need you two to understand everything there is about being your new genders," Denise remarked. "For you, you'll need to understand the basics of makeup and hygiene, the essence of womanhood, health and wellness since women have less calorie intake than men, and sexual health."

"Gio, you'll need to get your lessons in men's fitness and nutrition, hygiene, sexuality and relationships, and men's mental strengths and weaknesses," Douglass commented. "And the both of you will need to start on the lessons of fashion and style as well as proper etiquette and other things."

"Sounds like we're going back to school regarding the facts of life," Alyssa said, standing up and smoothing the wrinkles out of her pencil skirt. "Never knew that there could be so much lessons on being a woman."

"Or a man, for that matter," Gio piped up. "Nothing ever comes this easy, I'll bet."

"When it comes to your inheritances, it will take a lot of work," came the voice of Montez as he and his brother Ra'Shawn (both in matching blues) joined the fray. "Anyway, my welcome-to-Dallas party is all set and the invites have been sent to the people who will want to meet y'all as Alyssa Chapman and Giovanni Romavalati. No one knows who y'all really are just yet and they won't know until the engagement party coming up."

Denise's eyes lit up. "That reminds me, we do need to start finalizing the details regarding the engagement party here at the clubhouse," she said. "All the invites have been arranged and sent while security will be on the lookout for any party-crashers. That will include the Stelley women since they're not invited."

"What about Mr. Stelley, his son Eric, and his niece Francesca? Do they know what's going on?" Alyssa asked.

"They have, and they've promised to keep Mariah as well as her mother and sisters out of the way," Mark intoned. "Samuel had an inkling of what was going on, believing that you were better off as a woman. As did Eric and Francesca."

Alyssa hummed. "That's one load off my mind," she said. "But I'm still worried what might happen if Mariah and her gaggle of female haters crash the parties."

"They won't if they value their freedom," Denise commented. "The lawyers have contacted the district attorneys and we've informed them of everything so far regarding the Adam/Eve Project. We've told them that everything must remain under wraps and the Stelley women are to not cause any problems. Hence the restraining order that was sent to them last week with threats of arrest if they did interfere."

"Good," Gio said, nodding slowly. "The less problems we have, the better."

"Excellent," Montez purred. "Now, you and Alyssa will be joining me for lunch after your initial lessons. The games of the Adam/Eve Project are now in play and everyone's in it to win it."

And that, gentle readers, is true in more ways than one since all the players have their roles involved. But the lone spy was also in play for the villains as they captured every word and action that was said and done.

Don't even think about going far just yet, folks! Alyssa and Gio are with friends as they get things ready for Montez's party while Mariah and her female family members begin their own plans. It's about to be on and poppin' in the next chapter, folks, so stay tuned!

Media: "Going On" by Cee-Lo Green/Gnarls Barkley. Dedicating this chapter to High_Priestess_Elena.

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