By the time they reached the food court, Jon was nearly asleep. Nestled against Karyn’s chest, his tiny Oliver Twist body swaddled in her arms, the rhythm of her footsteps was just too comfortable. Being carried like that made him feel warm, safe—even if it was humiliating.
“Jonny,” Karyn murmured, shaking him gently as she set him down on his feet. “Come on, my little cute bro. Time for food.”
Jon rubbed his eyes, blinking at the bright lights of the food court. The smells of burgers and fries teased his nose, but before he could say anything, a waitress stopped in front of them.
She was in her forties, tall and broad-shouldered, with an apron tied firmly around her waist. She gave Jon a once-over and frowned. “What the hell? Why’s this boy in clothes that look like some homeless kid?”
Jon froze.
Karyn didn’t miss a beat. She plastered on her brightest smile. “Oh, um—my brother just finished a performance of Oliver Twist at school. He didn’t want to change out of his costume.”
The waitress raised an eyebrow. “That’s some budget your school has, making kids look that authentic.” Still, she pulled out her pad. “One kid’s menu for the orphan and one regular for the lady with the cute brother.”
Karyn chuckled awkwardly. “Thanks.”
Jon’s cheeks burned. He scowled at the laminated kids’ menu she handed him. “I don’t want a kids’ menu,” he muttered. His voice cracked slightly, high-pitched in his child form. It made him sound like a nine-year-old trying very hard to be a grown-up.
The waitress walked off to fetch water, and Karyn leaned across the table. “Don’t you dare change here,” she whispered. “There are at least five people watching. I didn’t realize until now, but those clothes really do make you look like some poor workhouse kid.”
Jon tilted his head, then grinned. “Don’t worry. If I’m going to be your brother, I’ve got to look like your brother, right?”
Karyn blinked. “Jon, no—”
But his body shimmered before she could stop him. His hair grew out, falling straight and blond down to his shoulders—exactly Karyn’s shade. His clothes melted into a far more ordinary outfit for a boy his age: short shorts that cut well above the knee and a loose tank top that nearly hung to the hemline. He looked healthy, sun-touched, and—most importantly—like he could have been from Karyn’s family. Even his eyes shifted, turning the same green as hers.
“There,” Jon said brightly, his American accent back in place. His voice was younger, sweeter, and to his horror—he giggled instead of laughed. “Now I’m your sister’s brother.”
Karyn stared at him, half horrified, half delighted. “Jon, people are going to see you.”
Jon giggled again, covering his mouth with one small hand. “No way. Who’s gonna think a kid can shapeshift? They’ll just think they imagined it. Like I looked a little different before and they didn’t notice.”
Just then the waitress returned, balancing two glasses of water. She stopped dead, blinking at Jon. “What happened to your brother!?”
Jon looked up at her innocently. “I’m still here.”
The waitress looked utterly confused.
Karyn jumped in smoothly. “I let him change in your bathroom. The makeup and… hair dye was pretty good though, wasn’t it?”
The woman frowned, then shrugged. “I guess. Kids these days.” She tapped her pad. “So, ready to order?”
Jon sighed and accepted his fate. “I’ll have the… dino-burger.” His tiny voice sounded sulky.
“That comes with fries shaped like dinosaurs,” the waitress confirmed. She turned to Karyn.
“I’ll have the chicken burger meal,” Karyn said, smiling sweetly.
The woman nodded, scribbled, and left.
Jon slumped in his chair, arms crossed. “I don’t want a kids’ menu,” he grumbled again, though the faint sparkle in his eyes betrayed him.
Karyn reached across the table, pinching his cheek. “But you’re so cute! I can’t help it. Look at you—you’re like the perfect little brother.”
Jon rolled his eyes. “I can’t wait to get out of here so I can change into something you don’t treat like a teddy bear.”
Karyn only laughed, sipping her water. “Too late. You’re stuck as my adorable sidekick for at least one meal.”
Jon groaned, but when the waitress came back with a plate of dinosaur-shaped fries and a tiny burger that barely fit in his hands, his sulk cracked into a smile. “Okay,” he admitted as he bit into a triceratops fry, “maybe this isn’t all bad.”
