Laying back in Jon's bed, a Star Trek rerun playing on the television, Karyn felt the bittersweet pang. Jon was once again resting his head on her shoulder, his long, painted fingernail in his left hand absentmindedly drawing circles on Karyn's stomach through her t-shirt as they watched the adventures of Jamie Kirk and her crew. It felt right, and not only because she'd held a torch for Jon for so many years, hoping that one day he would find the courage to ask her out, that one day she would find the same thing. It felt right because the love that she felt, that they both felt, seemed to make sense in this new world she'd created, that in this gender-role-reversed world, Karyn and Jon were the perfect couple.
A single tear escaped Karyn's eye, but she didn't move to catch it. She allowed it to roll down her face and drip onto her shoulder. The last thing she wanted was for Jon to know something was wrong. He was such a great boyfriend, so loving, so sexy, and since they only had a few hours left before the wish would be over and Jon would get a turn to make a wish, she wanted their time together to be great.
For all Karyn knew, their relationship could continue once her wish ended. Jon, after all, remembered (in a weird sort of way) the wish he'd made the previous day that split the women into girlie-girls and tom-boys, so why would their relationship end when her wish did?
She squeezed Jon tighter, causing Jon to sigh a sigh of satisfaction. He was happy, that's all that mattered. Karyn felt very protective of her boyfriend. It was a side effect of the wish, but she wanted to take care of him, to provide for him, to keep him safe and happy. Together, warm in his bed, watching old science fiction, she was doing a good job.
Briefly, she wondered if she should get the wishing rock and try to extend her wish, see if she could make another one that kept this little fantasy going, this dream life she accidentally discovered. With a sigh of her own, this one resolved but not happy, she knew she couldn't do that to Jon. It would be unfair. To keep Jon changed without his consent, it was unethical. Besides, she'd made a promise, and she intended to honour it.
Karyn glanced at the clock on Jon's nightstand. Dinner would be ready in 45 minutes, but the day would be over at midnight. That left her just over seven hours with her Jon. Her Jon. The sound of that phrase rattled in her head over and over.
"Have you guessed my wish yet?" Karyn said to her boyfriend, wanting to connect with him rather than just watch television.
"Honestly, I have no idea," Jon giggled, squeezing into her, "I keep trying to figure it out but nothing seems out of place! Is it, maybe," his voice dropped to a conspiratorial level, "that Zoe was watching, you know, gay porn?"
"Ew, no!" Karyn laughed.
"I didn't think so. Seemed to small a change," Jon joined her in laughter, "Well, whatever it is, you did a good job in not giving it away. I can't wait until my turn tomorrow!"
"Jon," Karyn said, getting serious, "Whatever happens tomorrow, when you discover my wish, when you make your own, remember that this is real. You and me, I mean, we're real."
"Of course we are, baby!" Jon said, leaning up to kiss Karyn on the cheek, "No silly wish could change anything about the way I feel about you! You're my woman, and always will be!"
Karyn felt the warmth of Jon's lips on her cheek long after he settled back down to watch the show again. And always will be. That's what he'd said.
As the clock ticked down, Karyn wondered, would she really?
