Back home, the house was quiet as Will and Stacy sat together on the couch, the dim glow of a lamp casting soft shadows around the living room. The kids were finally asleep, and now, it was just the two of them—two women with an impossible task ahead.
Will exhaled deeply, running a hand through his borrowed hair. “We need to move forward,” he said, breaking the silence. “There’s no point waiting. We have to follow up on the missing person report, notify my work… get the process started.”
They sat in quiet understanding for a moment before Stacy leaned in, wrapping her arms around him. Will hesitated, the physical sensation of the hug still strange to him. The softness of his new body, the subtle curves pressing against Stacy’s—it was all too unfamiliar, too surreal. He tensed slightly before speaking up.
“This is so weird,” he said softly, his voice trembling with a mix of discomfort and vulnerability. “It just… feels so different.”
“I know,” Stacy whispered, holding him tighter. “But you’re still you, Will. No matter what.”
As they sat together in the quiet living room, Will broke the silence. “I’ve been thinking… If this is going to be my body now, I need to stop just… borrowing it. I need to make it feel like mine.”
Stacy looked at him curiously, tilting her head. “What do you mean?”
Will took a deep breath, the words coming more easily now that he’d committed to the idea in his mind. “I’m going to get a haircut. And some clothes that feel like me—not just your things. If I’m going to be in this body, I need to stop feeling like I’m living in someone else’s skin.”
Stacy blinked, surprised at first, but then a warm smile spread across her face. “Will, that’s… That’s a really good idea. It’s proactive, and it’s you taking control of the situation instead of letting it control you.”
“Yeah,” Will said with a faint smile, his borrowed features softening as some of the weight lifted off his shoulders. “I mean, I’ll still look like you—there’s no changing that. But at least I can feel like I’ve put some of me into it.”
“I think that’s great,” Stacy said, her tone full of encouragement. “And I’m proud of you for taking this step. Do you want me to come with you? Help you pick some things out?”
Will shook his head, though he appreciated the offer. “Thanks, but I think I need to do this on my own. I need to feel like I’m the one deciding, you know?”
“Of course,” Stacy said with a nod. “But if you want a second opinion, you know where to find me.”
Will laughed softly, the sound lighter than it had been in days. “I might take you up on that. I have no idea what I’m doing when it comes to women’s fashion.”
“You’ll figure it out,” Stacy said with a wink.
