Chapter Text
Outside, snowfalls. The small, cold kind of flakes. I’m watching as Simon runs around the kitchen like a flustered housewife, trying to get Christmas eve dinner on the table.
Heh, like a flustered housewife, that’s quite a nice way to describe my spouse.
My thoughts pound through my head, these invasive thoughts like a broken record. I put my hands flat on my legs, so I stop fidgeting. I call out to Alexa to start playing the Christmas playlist Simon and I put together for dinner tonight. “Alexa, increase volume,” I command, hoping to drown my thoughts from my head.
I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Sophia, and my story is a strange one. I was born into a large, poor family. I’m sure looking at me today, you’d never guess I worked in the mud, with pigs, literal pigs. I hated it. I wanted more in life. I dreamed of being an actress, but my school had few to no opportunities for performing arts. I dreamed of feeding my own children even while I starved. I pursued my dreams with fervor. First things first, I needed a man. Marring rich isn’t an option if you like ladies, not in a country like Aldovia. So, I made myself pretty, played the part, got some good men. Even got the now king Richard, but apparently, he has no taste in women: he married a reporter.
Anyway, Simon is second in line for the throne, next in the male line of succession. He was a terrible and callus guy, but what’s a girl gonna do? I married him for the throne, he married a pretty girl with no strings attached to her. But in the end, I think I may have actually come to love him, whatever may happen next. And I think I know what’s next…
***
I finally finish preparing Christmas eve dinner. My wife, beautiful Sophia, lights some candles and commands Alexa to dim the lights. We give thanks for the meal and begin to serve ourselves the fragrant and delicate hors d’oeurves I’ve prepared. I’ve prepared a full spread.
Outside, the snow has really started to pile up. “What a lot of snow there is,” I comment.
“Pretty, isn’t it?”
“It’s such a perfect night to celebrate the most holy of days.”
“I love this song; it is so sweet.”
This whole time, we’re not eating, we’re not looking at the snow, we’re looking at each other. She is really saying you’re pretty, while I’m saying you’re perfect. We continue to say I love you in a million ways, and I think it’s true. She is the only person I feel truly comfortable around, and I love her for that, and so much.
Eventually, however, we do end up putting food in our mouths. Or more often in each other’s mouths.
***
After dinner, we look outside, where the snow has piled up quite high. It’s not uncommon for Aldovia to have a white Christmas, but this is a bit much. I turn toward Simon and suggest we stay in instead of going to midnight mass.
He tries to keep his body posture disappointed, but I could tell he wasn’t feeling that way, eyes sparkling with excitement. “Yes, and we could watch our favorite movie.”
Simon asks if I’d like something to drink and I agree, even though I’ve already had a few glasses with dinner. It’s nearly Christmas.
Our favorite movie is Princess Switch. A lovely, fluffy, rom-com where an ordinary girl switches places with a duchess. It’s completely preposterous, but we love it.
Simon comes back with two glasses of port.
***
We sipped our port all throughout the first part of the movie. Cooed at the little girl, watched as Stacy prepared to compete in the baking competition, enjoyed the Christmas mood, all the while getting increasingly sleepy. I snuggled in closer to my wife, just at the part of the movie where Stacy is about to switch places with the duchess. I open my mouth, point at Stacy, and say, “I wish I were her”.
Sophia, half asleep, just hums in agreement and pulls me closer to herself. She’s so warm and soft, I’ll just close my eyes for a moment…
~@~
The movie ends with the characters with the right partners. I turn and walk outside, and all the other characters have disappeared, but I don’t think it’s weird. It’s snowing, the small cold flakes from earlier. A figure appears. Somehow, I know he’s an angel, don’t ask. I mean, he looks nothing like an angel from any Christmas movie I’ve ever seen. Who knew black and gold looks just as angelic as white, especially on a black guy? He’s also super gay. Don’t ask me how I know that this angel has a gender as well as a sexuality, but this guy does. “Hey girl, you called?”
Gay.
“I didn’t. I just said...”
“Whatever. I don’t have time for your confusion. It’s a dream, girl, just go with whatever I say. Now, spin in a circle, sweetie. Let’s take care of that,” he says, flapping his wrist at my entire being.
I spin in a circle, too asleep to care how weird that is. “Keep going, Cinderella.” He encourages. “You got this.”
I’m now facing the same direction as I was originally standing. “Much better,” the angel comments. I look down at myself and find my dinner suit has vanished, and my body looks totally different. I’m her, in appearance. Oh my gosh, I look so good. Of course, I don’t tell that to the angel.
Since it’s a dream, moving my new body is effortless, even though it’s now very different. I open my mouth to try to say something but find I also have Stacy’s voice. It’s weird. It’s not my voice. Not that I was very fond of my voice, but it’s just weird to have the voice of a movie character. The angel sighs and puts his hands on his hips, “you don’t want me to change it back, do you?”
“No, please no. It’s better than my own voice, it’s fine,” I’m quick to clarify.
“Let’s look at Christmas future,” says the angel.
~@~@~