Will tossed and turned throughout the night, the unfamiliar sensations of his body making it nearly impossible to get comfortable. Every movement reminded him of the curves and weight that weren’t supposed to be there. By the time morning light crept through the curtains, he was already awake, staring at the ceiling with a mixture of resignation and dread.
Stacy stirred beside him, rolling over to find her exact likeness glaring at the ceiling. “Morning, me,” she said with a teasing grin.
Will groaned. “Don’t.”
Stacy stretched lazily. “Oh, come on. It’s not that bad.”
“Says the person who didn’t just spend the night being constantly reminded of—” he gestured vaguely at himself, “all this.”
Stacy laughed and climbed out of bed. “Well, let’s get you dressed. We’ve got a day to survive.”
Getting dressed proved to be more of a challenge than Will had anticipated. He stood in front of the dresser in one of Stacy’s oversized T-shirts, holding up a pair of her jeans like they were a foreign object.
“I don’t think this is going to work,” he muttered, frowning at the slim cut of the fabric.
Stacy rolled her eyes and stepped in. “Oh, stop being dramatic. Here, give them to me.”
She handed him a pair of comfortable shorts and a flowy blouse instead. “This will be easier to manage.”
Will awkwardly tugged on the shorts, struggling to adjust them over hips that were no longer his. The blouse was even more of a trial, especially when it came to the buttons. Stacy finally stepped behind him and started fastening them herself, her expression caught somewhere between amusement and patience.
“See? Not so hard,” she said as she adjusted the sleeves.
Will glanced in the mirror, frowning at the reflection that looked so much like Stacy but carried his own awkward body language. “I feel ridiculous.”
“You look fine,” Stacy assured him. “Better than fine, actually. Now let’s go talk to the kids.”
The kids’ reaction was surprisingly straightforward.
“Mommy?” Ben asked, his face scrunching up as he looked between the two identical women. “Why are there two of you?”
Lily, meanwhile, just giggled and clapped her hands. “Two mommies!”
Stacy crouched down to their level, her tone calm and matter-of-fact. “Remember when we talked about magic being real sometimes? Well, Daddy touched some magic last night, and now he looks like Mommy for a little while. It’s kind of like a game, but it’ll go away soon.”
Ben blinked at her explanation, his brow furrowing in thought before he finally shrugged. “Okay.”
“Okay?” Will echoed, his tone incredulous. “That’s it?”
“Yep,” Ben said, turning his attention to his toy truck. “Can we have pancakes now?”
Stacy shot Will a triumphant look. “Told you they’d roll with it.”
Lily twirled happily, chanting, “Two mommies! Two mommies!” as she danced around the kitchen.
Will sighed, running a hand through his unfamiliar hair. “Well, at least they’re taking it better than I am.”
After breakfast, the family prepared for their outing to the lake. Stacy packed a picnic basket while Will hesitated in the bedroom, staring at the swimsuit Stacy had handed him—a modest one-piece in a cheerful floral pattern.
“I can’t wear this,” he muttered, holding it up like it might bite him.
“Why not?” Stacy called from the other room, popping her head in. “It’s a perfectly good swimsuit.”
“It’s…” Will trailed off, unable to articulate just how absurd the idea felt.
Stacy stepped inside, crossing her arms. “Look, I get it. This is weird for you. But you’ve got to grow up and just go with it. You can’t exactly wear a pair of my shorts and a T-shirt in the water. Around noon we'll come back and change back, ok? Don't ruin the summer vacations!”
Will groaned, tossing the swimsuit onto the bed. “I just don’t want to make a scene.”
“You won’t,” Stacy said firmly. “Trust me. People are just going to see a mom at the lake. That’s all. No one will think twice about it.”
He hesitated, then sighed, picking up the swimsuit again. “Fine. But if anyone says anything—”
“They won’t,” Stacy interrupted, patting his shoulder. “Now hurry up. The kids are already asking when we’re leaving.”
When Will finally emerged, wearing the swimsuit and an oversized beach cover-up, Stacy gave him an approving nod. “See? You look great.”
“I feel ridiculous,” Will grumbled, tugging at the edges of the cover-up.
“You’ll survive,” Stacy said with a grin, grabbing the picnic basket. “Come on. The kids are waiting.”
