You have a vivid dream about your boyfriend.

You’re with your boyfriend Ryan on the loveseat in your living room and he’s nuzzling your face with his lips. Deep inside your self, the core of your former identity is disgusted at making out with a man, but this actually adds a kinky thrill to the proceedings. Ryan can take hours to get to sex with you, and sometimes (not that often: he’s very clever at making it enjoyable) you get a bit bored. Not now. You know that savoring the contrast between your former life and your life as Carrie results in a new life better than either. “Mm, darling Carrie Sue...” murmurs Ryan.

You pretend to be annoyed and draw away from him — but just a little. “Please don’t call me that! I’m not a Mary Sue!” you say, but your annoyance is obviously insincere.

“You’re better than a Mary Sue!” he says. “You’re a Carrie Sue! Not so annoyingly perfect... just imperfect enough to be, well, exciting!” And then he’s kissing you, and the inner boy cringes from deep inside your womanly self as you respond with enthusiasm...

And you wake up happy, Carrie in Carrie’s bed, just faintly disappointed that that was just a dream. You remember that you have the morning off. You have a safe-deposit box where you keep some gold jewelry and gold coins, gifts from your grandparents, and the Costume Set and the letter from your former self’s former grandfather (when you read it, you’d thought it was his uncle — you hope that that’s a good sign, that you’re losing some of his memories and getting all your Carrie ones) with instructions for it need to be there as well. You’re Caroline Susan Ma now and the Costume Set isn’t something you’ll be needing for a good while.

You eat a small breakfast typical for the woman you now are, then shower. The bank opens at nine. You aren’t sure whether to wear your work clothes, or wear the cute dress you briefly wore last night, then come back here to change (Definitely you’re not wearing blush on your pale cheeks today!)