Jon reflexively tells them to "Skip getting ready, go to the kitchen and start breakfast... I'll be down as soon as I check something..."
He races to his room and finds himself in the master bedroom, his dad err, husband? snoring peacefully. He thought for a second where he would stash something important if he were the owner of this house and raised his beautiful children with the man he loves? 'What? No!' Frustratedly, he opened the top drawer of the dresser and saw the box. Inside he made a wish to understand how his wish was being granted and all rules that were applied to it.
He then understood the swap would go on infinitely, it imparts a life swap and age swap. Prior effected are immune to this wish again. The people effected will function in their new life in roughly the same way the person they swapped with did. The new reality will seem normal though they remain aware of their prior reality. The impulse to act in accordance to their current reality grows until its completely natural and their prior life feels like an old dream. It follows the same rules as a normal wish in that, any effects it has can only be modified not undone and no wish to undo it will be granted.
He re-stashed the stone and ran back downstairs finding both his girls eating cereal, "Okay, here's what I found out, we should be able to fake it until I come up with a way to undo it." Jon was agitatedly starting a pot of coffee as though he had done it every day for the last 20 years. "Zoe, you are 'effected' meaning the next person you touch, you will swap lives with unless they have already swapped like your sister and I." Jon sighed heavily, it was too early for this and he hasn't even gotten a cup of coffee yet, but he continued. "You need to be careful not to touch anyone, or, at the very least, tell the person you touch what's going on. If you touch someone outside the family you won't be part of this family anymore and none of us will recognize or remember you. You can touch your sister or I without swapping but that's it. Linda for now you and I are stuck like this."
Jon then realized the reason his wish earlier wasn't granted was because he wished to know how the wish was granted, it wasn't, he hadn't swapped with anyone at the time, there was no magic going around. If he instead asked how it will be granted he probably would have gotten an answer. Jon clutched his head as Zoe went to her room to presumably quarantine and sulk. "Linda, you're safe, you had better get ready for school. I'll call Zoe off."
"But Dad!" Linda started.
"No buts! When Zoe gets better she will need to have attended school, Zoe herself is contagious and is a danger to everyone, you are not."
Linda stormed off. Down the hall he heard his husband say, "Well good morning to you too!" and a moment later entered the kitchen.
"Well she's in a huff this morning." Dan said.
"She's jealous that I'm letting Zoe call off school today but she still has to go." Jon said with a light dismissive tone finally pouring himself a cup of coffee.
Dan's arms slowly wrapped around Jon's waist one hand reaching up to caress his pec. "I admit, hooky does sound a little bit fun..."
Jon blushed immediately getting aroused, "Mr. Gibson, you behave yourself! The kids are right upstairs!"
Dan was kissing Jon's neck playfully, "But Mr. Gibson, you don't understand I am behaving myself... badly." With that Dan's hand gently swiped over Jon's package eliciting a surprised grunt, fully turning him on, and making his rear lurch back pressing Jon's butt into Dan's morning wood.
Jon was aroused but irritated, he still had to make sure the school was notified, that Linda attended, figure out fixing the wish, wanted some coffee, but now all that was going through his mind was sex... "Stop it you dirty old man... maybe tonight, but right now is when I need to be a responsible adult!" He turned to Dan, kissed him passionately on the lips and left with his coffee... Jon smiled knowing that would have gotten him going. Payback.
Jon went to the master bedroom and quietly took care of his erection himself, he'd be too loud with Dan involved... he shaved, got dressed, grabbed his phone and called the school to notify them that Zoe was contagious and would be out today. He then took several swigs of his now only warm coffee and the horror of who he really was came crashing down.
"Thank god I turned him down! I was so close. I really wanted to... My father..." Jon grabbed the stone realizing he needs to figure out how to undo this... Just then there was a call at the door.
"Dad, I'm ready for school. Can you drive me? I have to get to class early today to prepare for a report presentation I forgot about." Jon absentmindedly slipped the stone in his pocket and opened the door to find Linda in presentation worthy clothing.
"You're busted... You just wanted to stay home to avoid the presentation." Jon said, more proud of himself than angry at her.
"Well, maybe a little..."
With a slight sigh of exasperation, "Alright, get your shoes on. I'm going to check on Zoe and let your dad know what's happening." Taking two steps to Zoe's door, "Sweetheart? I'm just checking on you, you doing okay? Need anything?"
A moment later, "No, I'm fine."
"I'm going to drive Linda to school, I'll be back soon."
Jon and Linda got three steps down the hall before Zoe's door flung open... Making both look at her. "She's going to school? Like that???"
"I can dress how I want to! It's within dress code and looks better than half the cookie cutter vapid girls at school!" Linda yelled storming off.
Jon sighed and looked at Zoe, "There's no excuse for being mean to your sister, feeling bad or not. You owe her an apology tonight."
"But Dad I wasn't saying anything about the way she dressed..."
"I don't have time, I need to calm her down between now and school so she can do a report! Dan, sweetheart, I'm driving Linda to school and working on damage control."
"Love you honey, thank you!" came Dan's reply.
Jon and Linda are fully in the throughs of their new lives at this moment. Jon is trying to be a good and supportive dad but doesn't recall he has the wishing stone in his pocket since so much has been going on this morning. One kid is sick with something he's sure is contagious as he recalls it, another is furious, and he had to turn down his husband's solicitations. On top of all that he hasn't even gotten time for breakfast yet... What wishes does Jon make while under the influence of the altered reality and unusually limited awareness?
