Getting used to Małgorzata's life

During the next two weeks, I did my best to keep being a good mother, always taking great care of Kasia. She was still nervous and shy, but I could see that she was very slowly opening up. I didn't pressure her, I prefered for her to take her time to get used to her new mother and trust me.

Not feeling any more guilt for borrowing lives was also so wonderful. I decided to take Małgorzata's skin as my own, and didn't need to keep worrying about staying in character all the time to avoid causing trouble. I could live as myself, just with a much prettier face~

As such, I started to slowly tweak Gosia's life to make it more to my liking. I made a few changes to her wardrobe, adding darker clothes to her more colourful ones, I got back to listening to the kind of music I preferred and reading comics I used to enjoy as my old self, and even started working out to make my new body more fit. I even tried to get Kasia to read some comics too, something that yet again surprised her greatly. But she did seem to be interested, and it made me happy.

I got in touch with Dahlia to tell her about my decision to settle in and take care of Kasia. She was quite supportive, and she even gave me some tips, both about how to raise a kid, something I assumed she learnt due to her life as a skinwalker, and also about how to take care of the messy garden, since she seemed very knowledgeable when it came to plants and flowers.

I also got more acquainted with Małgorzata's work and her colleagues. She had the reputation of being fairly cold, but extremely competent and knowledgeable, but I wanted to change that cold part. I smiled more, greeting my colleagues more happily, chatting with them, and just being more positive overall. Everyone was stunned by this change of attitude.

With Gosia's skills as my own, her work as a lawyer was a breeze. I basically went on autopilot when I had to work, letting her knowledge guide me, while also adding a bit of my own critical thinking at times. As such, the trials she had planned were a formality. It was amusing, I always wanted to become a lawyer when I was younger, hoping to help more people, but since my father kicked me out after finishing high-school, I never got the chance. And yet, fate somehow allowed me to reach that goal, albeit in a very convoluted manner.

I was currently on my way to pick up Kasia at school, after a long day of work meeting with clients and talking to colleagues. When I arrived, I saw Kasia speaking with a boy in front of the school. They seemed on friendly terms, even if Kasia was still acting fairly shy.

"Hey sweetie." I said while approaching them, before looking at the boy. "And good afternoon."

Kasia smiled sheepishly when she saw me. "Hi Mom."

"How was your day? And who's your friend?" I asked.

"It... It was good." She timidly gestured at the boy. "His name is Marek."

I smiled. "Hi Marek."

"Hi Mrs." He replied, smiling back. He didn't seem shy at all.

"S-see you tomorrow, Marek." Kasia muttered before holding my hand.

"See ya"

As we walked back to the car, I looked at Kasia. "I'm glad to see you've made a friend."

"He... saw the comic you gave me and spoke to me. He loves comics too."

I giggled. "I see, I hope you two will keep getting along."

She blushed slightly, looking away. "Thank you, Mom..."

Being called Mom unironically, it wasn't something I ever expected to enjoy, but it already grew on me. I loved being called Mom.

"Do you want an ice cream before we get home?" I offered, smiling at her.

"Can I?"

"I wouldn't have offered otherwise."

"Yes!" She replied excitedly.

She was so adorable. I drove to an ice cream shop near the beach and ordered a vanilla ice cream for me, and a strawberry one for Kasia, before finding a bench nearby to enjoy the relaxing atmosphere. The Baltic sea was such a deep, dark blue, it was a huge contrast to the Mediterranean sea, which was a clear azur. Both were beautiful in their own ways, though. I rarely went to the beach as my old self, since both my hometown and the town I stayed at afterwards were fairly far from the oceans, so I loved being able to enjoy it more often now.

It was still a bit too cold for most people to take a swim, but I could spot a few couples and families picnicking on the sand, joggers running along the shores, retired fishermen carrying their catches of the day...

Kasia seemed lost in thought for a moment, observing the sea, her mood shifting.

"What are you thinking about, sweetie?"

"I... I'm scared." She confessed, a saddened look on her face.

I tilted my head. "Scared? Scared of what?"

She shivered slightly. "I'm scared... of you changing again..."

I hugged her tightly, caressing her head. "It won't happen, Kasia. The old me won't come back ever again. I'll always be with you."

"You promise?"

I smiled warmly at her. "I promise. I love you."

I want to make this child happy... She deserves it...

We kept hugging a while longer until Kasia relaxed. We got back home, and I helped her with a bit of her homework. I then went to work on the next case I had to prepare for a little while before making dinner. I tried to make homemade ruskie pierogi, and I believed they turned out fairly well for a first proper attempt. Kasia liked them a lot, at least, it was all that mattered.

I wanted to become an even better mother, I didn't want to make her sad or disappointed. I wanted for her to keep smiling.

As I took a shower and... relieved myself, something I often did ever since that time as Carmen, I wondered about my own future. I've been tempted to find a new partner, but wasn't sure if I should try looking for a man or a woman. We were in Poland, after all, and while Gdańsk was quite more open-minded than the rest of the country, it was still a place filled with conservative and religious people. Outing myself as a lesbian might cause some trouble to Kasia.

I prefer women, but if I find a girlfriend, I might need to keep the relationship a secret...

It was a tough situation, I wasn't really sure what I should do.