Happy Christmas My Love

Chapter 3
Christmas Morning

It had been such a wonderful dream. The moment Sophie’s brain awakens before her eyes she’s fearful of opening them. That would mean being an adult again. It would mean none of her fantasy being anything more than a sweet, vivid dream. She’s grateful she got to experience that much really.

There’s a warm body holding her close and she remembers why being grown up isn’t so bad. She is loved. That’s as much as anyone can hope to be this time of year.

She gives a big yawn and the arms hold her closer. A pair of lips brush against her forehead and she giggles sleepily at the scratchy stubble against her soft skin. Someone needs a shave. They’re not having Christmas dinner with Gavin looking like a hobo, no matter how attractive that look can sometimes be for her. It’s funny though...why doesn’t she feel the slightest feeling of arousal being curled up beside him like she sometimes does in the morning?

Why are they both clothed? Sophie frowns and squeezes her thighs together. A noisy rustle confirms her fleeting thought.

A nappy.

"Wha-?" She opens her eyes. Their bedroom is the same. She hasn’t woken up in a nursery.

It’s their bed, their grown-up bed. But now it seems even bigger. She almost wants to crawl around and explore how huge it is compared to her. She blinks. Is she that overworked that she’s hallucinating? They always warned her of the effects burning out could have on the brain but she didn’t think they were this bad!

Sophie stiffens in Gavin’s arms. She touches her chubby cheeks before looking at her hands. Her fingers are like little sausages. The backs of her hands are smooth as silk. Not a single wrinkled sign of hard work to be found. She tries to move Gavin’s arms aside so she can feel her front. A completely flat chest and a round tummy is all there is. No breasts, no hips. Just ounces of puppy fat beneath a pink pajama top decorated with three reindeer.

She opens her mouth and lets a small cry escape. Not quite a scream, probably only because she’s too shocked to find the air she needs to make such a noise.

"Oh, sweetie, it’s okay. It’s okay, Daddy’s here." Gavin’s arms hold her closer; "There’s nothing to worry about. Daddy’s got everything under contro-"

"What the hell do you mean?" She asks, her squeaky voice making her cursing almost comical.

She pushes him away and tries to stand up on unsteady little legs to take a look down at herself. Her palms pat the padding around her middle to make sure it is indeed a nappy that she’s been dressed in. Dry though, thank the Lord.

Sophie stares at Gavin and tries to think back to the night before. The dinner...the mulled wine...the chocolate pudding...Then the sudden transformation that had barely fazed her at the time. Less so had it seemed strange to her husband.

"You did ’dis!" She says with an accusing finger.

Gavin sits up. His hands are out in case he needs to grab her and avoid the fate of a toddler falling back off the big bed.

"Yes, honey. That’s right. Try not to freak out, okay?" He keeps his voice calm and focused.

He’s never been one to raise his voice. It can become infuriating.

Sophie stamps her fluffy socked foot; "Fweak out? You turned me into a lickle gi’l! How am I no’ meant to fweak out?"

A million questions buzz around her head. She wonders firstly why it’s taken her till this morning to even find said questions. Why had this seemed to normal the day before? Her mind had felt so empty. So accepting. So simple. She had been distracted by the most delicious chocolaty taste and then the most infantile bath toys and games. She had been behaving like...like a toddler.

Gavin reaches to take her little hands in his. She lets him and she tries to take a deep breath. His kind eyes are looking deeply into hers and she trusts that, whatever crazy thing he’s done, he would never do it to hurt her. It had been a quality that had drawn her to him from their first meeting. He was always so sweet and gentle. Just like her real father before he’d been taken from her before she’d even finished college. Before she met Gavin.

It was almost like Dad had sent Gavin to her so that she’d still have someone in her life to adore and protect her.

He squeezes her hands and smiles; "Do you remember what I told you yesterday, sweetie? I found your laptop. You forgot to log out. I...stumbled upon your internet history. All the stuff you’ve never told me about. Those websites? The videos? About how this was your greatest desire? Wasn’t I right?"

Sophie blushes but, eventually, nods. Yes. Gavin was right.

"Why didn’t you just tell me before, hmm?" He asks so softly. Not to blame. Not to make her feel guilty.

She shrugs her little shoulders; "Felt...silly."

She’s not sure how else to explain it. Her mind is still small, almost compressed inside her shrunken head. It’s such a struggle to hold onto all of her adult memories and vocabulary. No wonder she had been so willing to let them all flit away into the corners of her brain last night. The temptation is there now.

Sophie lets Gavin pull her in for a cuddle. The sensation of being held is enough for her to melt once more, sighing out against him.

"It’s not silly at all, love." He whispers; "You care so much for other people, why shouldn’t you want to be cared for sometimes yourself? You know I’d do anything to make you happy."

"Well...I didn’t know you’d do ’dis!" She grins a little; "I mean...I told you once how I wished I had a unicorn but I didn’t think you could get me one...Can you?"

Gavin laughs and Sophie pouts. She takes that as a no.

"I’m afraid not, poppet. Really this was just very lucky for you...for both of us. You’re so adorable. And I never thought it would feel so good for me too, looking after you. Like I’m blessed. I just never wanna stop cuddling you." He kisses her messy head of hair.

"Bu’ how?"

"It would take too long to explain the whole thing. This is our special day." He tells her; "Basically I happen to run into someone recently who specializes in this. I was able to get the ingredients to put in your dessert to make you small. Don’t worry though, they also gave me just what I need to return you back to normal first thing tomorrow. I just wanted to let you feel what it’s like to be a baby, like you wanted...Do you hate me?"

Sophie just finds herself giggling once again. She throws her arms around Gavin and resists the urge to cry into his neck.

"’Course, not!" she cries with joy; "I can’ believe you...Dis is just...I dunno what to say!"

Gavin squeezes her; "Happy Christmas?"

"Happy Christmas!" She smiles with her milk teeth. Then another memory from the night before comes to me; "You...I called you ’Daddy’ last night?"

"Yes, sweetie, you did. You don’t have to call me that if you don’t. I know how much your real old man meant to you. If you feel like it would be wrong then-"

"I like it. Daddy."

She hopes her father doesn’t mind, if he’s watching from above. In fact he’s probably gobsmacked and in fits of laughter if he is seeing all of this. He’d want her to be happy though. She likes to think he would love Gavin as much as she does.

Gavin’s eyes sparkle. Is he going to cry? Not quite but close.

"I quite like that." He admits. "Come on then, slow poke. Time we went downstairs to inspect the Christmas tree. Do you think Santa has left us anything?"

Sophie smiles but she finds herself rolling her eyes. An odd look comes over her face and she looks down at herself again. Something feels wrong. Everything is in place but it’s as if not everything is complete.

Gavin tilts his head at her; "Something wrong?"

"I don’t feel..." She frowns and looks over her hands; "I don’t feel like a lickle kid. I mean I sound like one and look one. Why don’t I feel like one? Like yesterday?"

"Ah. I think that’s part of the ingredients that were in your dessert." Gavin explains. "One for the physical change and the other to help your mind settle into that of a toddler. I thought you might not need more of that though. Don’t you just want to pretend you’re a real little kid?"

Sophie thinks for a moment. That should be the solution but it’s not as clear cut as she imagined in her fantasies. It’s one thing to be a child and another to be childish. Last night is how she had wanted to feel constantly. As if she had no cares whatsoever. Have everything be sparkly and easy as pie. The sparkles were gone now. She saw everything with the same cold realism as she did as an adult. It wasn’t fair.

She huffs and sits down on her padded bottom. She doesn’t feel at all comfortable and yet this was supposed to be part of her fantasy. The seal of her complete dependence.

"Just feel silly. Em...embawassed." A real toddler wouldn’t even notice the failed dictation.

"Hmm." Gavin thinks; "Well you became more distracted last night when you were having fun. Maybe Santa left you something under the tree that can bring Little Sophie out again?"

He gets up and helps her off the sofa, taking her little hand as they walk down the hall. The thickness of her nappy causes her to waddle as she tries to keep up with Daddy. She smiles to herself. At least that’s something that feels easy for her mind to accept. She squeezes his fingers tight.

My Daddy.