✅ The Last New Start [NaNoWriMo2021]

88. The Big Day

In the end, she settled on a fuzzy top that buttoned up between her legs. It made her look like a baby, but there were some snaps around the waist where she could fasten a skirt on. That made her look a bit bigger. But she still wanted to be pretty and have fun, so she tried extra hard to make everything perfect. She heard somebody walking down the stairs while she was sorting out her hair, but she didn't rush. Her hands were clumsy today, and they wouldn't quite go where she wanted them. Maybe that was because she was feeling little. And that just made her determined to try harder; she was going to braid her hair properly. It was harder, but she didn't need to grow up. That would have been cheating anyway. She got it looking good enough, including a headband with a set of antlers on, which someone had left on her desk. The antlers had fairy lights all over them for extra Christmassitude. Somehow it was easier to sort out her hair when she was making the decoration a part of it as well, and it reminded her of how excited she should have been about Christmas. Once her hair was sorted, Tess straightened all her clothes. Then she looked down and realised that it would be better to change her diaper before she put everything else on and went downstairs. But she had to be quick, because they were probably making breakfast already.

She hadn't fastened the bottom of the outfit yet, so it was easy to take the diaper off and put it in the bin. Now there was no proof that she wasn't a real big girl. She had to think about it to stop herself putting another one on. It was so natural to think of herself like a baby, but she knew that was only because Ffrances had told her to have an accident. She was going to be the big sister today, and she needed to kind of think clearly. So she put on some big girl underwear with mermaids on, fastened up the onesie, and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked good, she was sure. So she picked up Erminetrude and one of his friends, and wobbled excitedly down the stairs. She only turned back briefly to grab her pacifier. If she was doing this, she wanted to do it properly. Once she was sucking on a pacifier, as well as wearing silly cute clothes, she knew it would be extra hard to think like a big girl. But that was fine if she knew it was happening. She could watch herself, and try to see where the difference was. She wanted to know what it was making her feel, and she could already feel the curiosity building up inside her.

Tess skipped down the stairs, humming Christmas songs as soon as she heard the music from the radio, and wondered what the day ahead was going to contain. She was sure that she looked like more of a baby than ever before when she stood in the kitchen doorway, especially with the pacifier. But she could remind herself that this wasn't something to be embarrassed about anymore. This was something she wanted to know more about; and allowing it to happen to her was the way she was going to learn. Ffrances and Gabby both smiled when they saw her, which had to be a good sign. She wanted everybody to be happy, especially today. And she was more than happy to see that Ffrances was dressed up in pretty clothes too. A little sister to play with; a chance to explore the other side of this weird hypno thing. Tess frowned for a moment when she couldn't think of the right words for what it was she was so excited about, but she hoped that she would still be able to do it right.

Before she could get nervous and scared, she ran forward and hugged Ffrances. It just felt like the right thing to do, and she knew that they were both going to have so much fun today.

"You ready?" Ffrances asked, her eyes sparkling. There could be no doubt about how excited she was, and it would have been impossible to miss for anyone but her girlfriend.

"Are you sure–" Gabby interrupted, right on cue. But Ffrances had clearly been expecting that, because a single finger on the bridge of Gabby's nose silenced her. She wasn't going to let anything stop her now, and she knew how much fun she was going to have today. She couldn't wait.

"Yeah!" Tess grinned, and giggled. "You ready to go? Should I say it now? The magic words?" For once she actually wasn't scared of what was going to happen; she wasn't even nervous. In the past her curiosity had always been balanced against a feeling that she didn't know what she was getting herself into, but this time she would be making all the decisions. Even if she was super little, that made all the difference. It was too fun to worry about.

"You can if you want. Are you going to let Gabby choose how little you are? Did you decide on that?"

Tess hesitated. She could see her cousin trying to speak, and she knew that more than anything else Gabby wanted to be the one to regress her. But Tess wasn't ready for that yet; she wanted to stay in control this time. She promised herself that she would think about it next time; and that she would go along with what Gabby told her to do. But this time, she would be the one making the decisions.

"I'm getting younger," she said, after quickly shaking her head. "I'm eight years old. But I get to say how little I am."

"Good girl," Ffrances said with a blush. But as she spoke, Tess could already feel herself changing. Her thoughts getting simpler, like there was a happy pink mist flowing into her head, and the room getting bigger around her. It was just an illusion, it had to be. She hadn't been that much bigger when she was older, not enough to see the room growing, or her shrinking. But it was still amazing that the magic words could do that. But she had to pay attention now, because it was her job to look after her new little sister; and Ffrances was saying her own words.

"I'm getting younger again," she said, breathing quickly as the excitement overtook her. "I already did but I'll say it again to be sure. I'm going to experience all the little things that Tess says. I'm three years old."

Ffrances's grin got wider, and she couldn't stop laughing. There could be no mistaking how little she was now.

"Kids like that get really excited about Christmas," Gabby pointed out. "You won't even realise that it's not really Christmas, you'd just take the grown-up's word for it."

Tess blushed. She could imagine how that would feel. She was only eight now, she was so young and she could trust Gabby to remind her when important things were, like holidays. She didn't need to remember how to do it herself. She still knew the difference for now, she knew she had been with her parents on Christmas day, but she wanted today to be as much fun as possible.

"Yeah," she answered. "We're that little." She felt her thoughts changing as soon as she said it. She could feel whatever Gabby told her to feel, but it would always be her choice. Ffrances didn't need to choose, she was too little to understand. But she was giggling too, so Tess knew they were both looking forward to opening all their presents. They'd been looking forward to Christmas for what felt like forever, but now it was finally here. And with a wonderful family like Gabby and Ffrances it would be even better, because they'd given her these magic words. Tess was sure that was the best present somebody could ever give.

"Excited about all your presents?" Gabby asked. "It's Christmas today!"

"Yaaaay!" the two little girls cheered together. Tess was still kind of aware that this wasn't real, but the tiny part of her mind that understood how big she was didn't care. That part was having too much fun watching her, seeing how much the magic could affect her. Ffrances looked down at the plate in front of her, and started eating more quickly. Impatient to get to her presents, Tess thought.

"And eating fast too," Gabby grinned. "Trying to be a big girl? I think little kids like you don't know how to use a knife and fork yet. You'll need an adult to help you."

Tess smiled, realising that Gabby was nervous too. She wanted this to go well, she really did. And Tess wanted today to be fun for everybody. But she also wanted to understand properly how the magic stuff was going to work. And she wanted to test the power that she was going to have for today. She didn't think she was little enough to need that kind of help, even if it would make Gabby happier.

"Maybe later," she said. "But Ffrances is that little."

Tess didn't know how it would work. She could kind of imagine being too young to pick up a fork, but she was eight now and she was sure that she could eat by herself. But as she watched Ffrances trying to pick up an egg and cram it into her mouth, she couldn't help smiling. She'd given herself and Gabby some extra work to do looking after the baby, but it proved that everything was working like it was supposed to. And somehow, that was even more exciting than the presents she was looking forward to so much.