Naked driver's license picture

"Huh," Candace noted the snowy empty porch, "they should have been here by now."

"I'm sorry, sweetie. I wish I could give you mine, but they don't fit. Do you want me to reschedule with the DMV until you can get something?"

"I think just your coat is fine, mom," Candace assured her mother, "I'd probably be wearing one this time of year anyway."

"Okay, honey," Janice walked up to her bedroom to get a spare coat for Candace, coming back after a couple of minutes with a green army-surplus coat for her daughter.

"Thanks, mom," Candace walked to a car that Janice was kind enough to remote start, and the two got in for the thirty-minute drive. They spent time asking each other about how the semester had gone, and what mom and dad were up to. It was still surreal to Candace that she hadn't worn clothes of her own for more than 24 hours at this point, and the coat her mother had given her was just long enough to cover the bottom swell of her buttcheeks, but the conversation was enough to keep her distracted from her predicament.

Eventually they got to the DMV, which was a bit more crowded than usual. People were trying to get everything in before Christmas, Candace thought as her mother went to the lady at the counter with Candace's documents that she had printed beforehand.

"Hi, I'm here for my daughter, she has an appointment."

"For a new driver's license? Let me hold on," the lady checked everything, "yep, you should be ready to go, right this way, please," as she led mother and daughter to the picture station and readied the camera.

"Alright, then, please let your coat down," the woman instructed Candace.

"Ummm," Candace hesitated, "I'll just keep it on."

"No can do, I'm afraid," the woman replied, "we've started following passport guidelines - no glasses, head coverings, or outerwear, please."

"I wouldn't consider this outerwear..." Candace knew all too well what might be happening at this point.

"I'm afraid I can't take the picture unless you take that jacket off," the woman didn't budge.

Sighing, Candace just dropped her coat and stood naked before the camera as others gasped and started gawking and pointing at her. Janice remained stoic for her naked daughter, her face betraying neither sympathy nor delight. The woman's face was shocked for some seconds but she did not utter any involuntary sounds.

"Are you that lady from the airport last night?" the woman asked out of sincere curiosity.

"Ummm... no..." Candace bullshat an answer as the implications of the woman's question settled in her.

"Oh! Well, I just thought you looked familiar," the woman continued snapping photos of her Phryne patiently giving a mild smile (more a smirk), "we're done here, thanks for your patience!"

"Thank you!" Candace bent over and redonned the coat that felt more like a poncho at this point. Candace and Janice walked to the final station where Candace was given a temporary driver's license to tide her over until the real one came in the mail in a week.

Candace looked at the black-and-white photo in disappointment. Even with the lower contrast of the monochrome, Candace could distinctly make out her bare shoulders from the wall behind her. She resented this ID that would immortalize this nightmare for years to come and ensure that her naked form would always be at least in her wallet. Her wallet! Without it, this particular license was papery and fragile, and needed to be held onto for dear life.

"Well, at least that's done," Janice barely consoled her barely-dressed daughter as the two walked out of the DMV and back to the car.

Candace sighed at her helplessness at everything, and was desperately hoping that her Amazon order would be at home now. Speaking of...