Learning about the new Sarah

A few seconds later he received another text. It simply read 'thx'. He started to type back but restrained himself. He reasoned that Sarah would let him know if she needed anything, and he didn't want to draw attention to the communication. Though it was clear from the conversation with Rashid that he and Sarah were starting to date with his approval, Tom wasn't sure what the parameters were - what was acceptable at this point. So he decided to play it safe and be patient.

He used the rest of the evening to explore the house. As near as he could see, he had been a confirmed bachelor in this life. There were some indications that he had dated seriously, perhaps even had a live-in girlfriend at one point. But that had to be some time in the past, as the more feminine decorative touches in the home were several years out of date.

On the plus side, it seemed he was more successful in this life. His furnishings were generally more extravagant, and he was pleased to have a extremely high end media system. 'I guess I focused more on my job,' he concluded, finding multiple signs of having travelled abroad for work. He fixed himself a small dinner and sat down to enjoy his 140 inch wall tv.

Later that night he finally got a call from Sarah. "Tom?" she said in a low voice. "I am sorry to call so late. Can you hear me? I must speak quietly - I do not wish Amani to hear. She is very nosy about us and I do not want to answer more questions tonight."

Her voice sounded nothing like the old Sarah. She now had a deep alto with an almost unintentional sultriness. Like Rashid her English was impeccable but with a deeper accent and a somewhat formal cadence. "Are you alright? I tried to help," he told her.

"Yes, thank you, I am quite well now. Your wish..." she paused a moment. "Your wish gave me full knowledge of this life. I...I still remember everything from before, so I know we are truly married. But that is almost like a dream. I FEEL that I am Sarah Al Kaabi. That I have just come to this country to live with my brother while I study for my advanced degree. I know in my brain that I love you, that we have had many years together. But my memories -and my heart - also tell me that we have just begun to date - I am attracted to you but barely know you."

Tom was taken aback at Sarah's revelations. He hadn't expected his wish to have such a strong effect on her mind. "Do you want me to wish things back to the normal?" he offered.

There was another pause before she responded. "No," she said in a firm voice. "I remember this was the entire reason I gave you freedom to choose the wish - to try for something totally new. I find I like who I am. Sarah Al Kaabi is a very intelligent, well-educated woman. I am working on my PhD in bioengineering," she said with pride.

"Wow..." was all Tom could respond. He always knew Sarah was bright but some bad experiences with teachers and other students had soured her on STEM. She ended up majoring in English. He always suspected she regretted the direction her education and career had taken.

"I would like to stay like this for now," she continued. "And my original memories of us tell me that you will not mind dating me - I have seen the women you looked at online." She laughed in a rich, throaty voice. "And I think that it would be good for you to court me formally. I will enjoy that."

Tom heard a noise in the background of the call. "I must go," Sarah said quickly. "Until tomorrow."

The call ended.