Jon completely spilled the beans on the stone. Pinto, kidney, all of them.
There wasn’t really an alternative option, no plan B, having already played his last card in that pathetically planned all-or-nothing struggle. He was at nothing. This new restriction that limited his own wishing meant Linda would be firmly in control of the stone for the foreseeable future. The only choice now was to just teach her as much of his understanding of the stone as possible. He spelled out the rules as far as he knew them, the range, the permanence, and then gave an honest account of his earlier screw up with the stone.
He shuddered as he retold the story of Karyn and Sarah coming to share a hairstyle and cup-size, made all the worse by the wobbling of his own cup-size at certain points of emphasis and mistakenly made broad gestures.
Then came his retelling and understanding of the morning’s events. About the wishing that has directly lead to Jon now perfectly filling and his curves matching the well-worn creasing of his mother’s favorite robe. Jon explained what he understood to have happened, Linda’s wish for physical empathy being granted by giving it to him in the most literal way. Jon was probably just the closest. Or maybe the stone was out to get him.
He owned up to and apologized for his own desperate actions in trying to steal the stone back, just being scared in that moment. Not of his mom particularly or what she might wish for, just the fear that a really dangerous object was about to cause a lot of mayhem.
Jon even revealed what he planned to use the stone for in the future- nothing crazy- a D&D game, a college scholarship, maybe a car if he could get the wording right. Maybe he spent a little too much time over explaining and geeking out over some of his ideas for the tabletop campaign, but there wasn't anything drastic or sadistic or even perverted in any of his ambitions. Now, obviously, his priority had shifted to getting his body back as soon as possible (a
Linda’s face gave away little as Jon recanted. He couldn’t tell what was going through her mind, only able to glance certain moments of disappointment in his mother’s eyes at certain parts of his story. The longest and most lasting one coming when he tripped over his words, accidentally saying in somewhat unambiguous wording that he didn’t trust her and that’s why he didn’t share any detail about the stone.
I’m so screwed. I basically admitted to bringing a weapon into her house without telling her. Last time her eyebrow twitched like that, Zoe got locked in her room for 6 months. I am guar-an-teed to hear the words ‘life lesson’ and ‘tough love’ in the next couple minutes. And then, if she decides to get creative, she’s got a wishing stone to make any punishment happen. I am doooooooomed.
Finally, something. A furrowed brow. A pursed lip. A nod. A decision.
Linda broke. “Alright Jon. I’m going to let you keep the stone. Dad obviously wanted you to have the stone for a reason, and I love and trust my dad enough to respect those wishes. I'll only make a wish if we both agree to it. It’s yours-”
The relief was overwhelming. He couldn't believe it. Jon was lightheaded and stumbling, slightly. Or would that technically be a swoon now?
Linda wasn’t finished. “-on one condition-”
There was the dagger.
