She took Charlie’s phone and I heard Momma say, “What? Italy? But I don’t have a passport! Oh! Oh! I see! You had me going for a minute, Suzanne. Yes, I think we can be ready by eight. That was my new friend, Suzanne. She’s taking us all out tonight. She said we should get gussied up. What does getting gussied up mean in Las Vegas?”

“It means, get fancy!” I said. “I’ll do your makeup, if you’d like.”

“Well, someone had better take over for me. All I’ve got is a bottle of Oil of Olay and a Chapstick,” she said. “But I have those Eileen Fisher black silk pajama pants with the tunic. Maybe we can dress that up.”

“Oh, Momma,” Charlie said. “Don’t you worry! We’re going to have you looking like a queen!”

“That’s what Holly and I call her, you know,” I said.

“That’s right,” she said. “You girls!”

“Actually, Momma, we call you the QB, for queen bee.”

“I’ve heard you two mumble it,” she said, obviously pleased instead of irked. “I think I kind of like that name! Although I have a very small kingdom with very few minions.”

“Well, you’ve got us and Holly, and I’d say that’s not a bad start,” Charlie said. “Now let’s get you dressed!”

“Charlie?” I said, with some trepidation. “Are you going out tonight as Charlie or Charlene?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “Do you have a preference?”

“Why don’t you try Charlene?” Momma said.

Please someone come and get my dead body off the floor.

“Because if Suzanne shows up in drag then we’re just having a girls’ night out!” the now and forever QB said.

“That’s hilarious, QB! I love it!” Charlie said.

As he applied his own makeup, he began to gradually and ever so subtly wade into the waters of Charlene’s personality, which I’d noticed he did from time to time. The changes were extremely subtle. There would be more expressive hand gestures, more gentility, and a different posture. I had to say, I liked Charlene just as much as Charlie. Charlene was merely Charlie completely relaxed and at home with himself. Charlie with his guard down. Charlie in perfect humor. But also Charlie exuding confidence. Were these changes so odd? When I put on new shoes or had my hair blown out by a pro, I felt more confident, too. So what was the big difference? The whole world of female impersonation fascinated me. Well, Charlie fascinated me, probably because I loved him so much. This whole new aspect of him was incredible.

By eight o’clock we were all set to go out for a night on the town. Charlie had decided on a cosmetic transformation instead of a complete change.