Six Months - Valentine's Day

The winter sunlight streams through the blinds you forgot to close last night, casting golden stripes across the bedroom. You stretch languidly in bed, your hand reaching across to Clara's side—finding it empty but still warm. The faint sounds of movement in the kitchen and the rich aroma of brewing coffee tell you exactly where she's gone.

Six months have passed since that August weekend when your foursome solidified. Six months of building a life that sometimes feels surreal after the bizarre transformation that started it all.

You pad to the bathroom, catching your reflection in the mirror. Your Trinity knot tattoo peeks from beneath your boxers on your left hip, matching the one on your inner wrist—permanent reminders of the impossible journey you experienced. Sometimes you still catch yourself reaching for things at the wrong height, or expecting sensations from a body you no longer inhabit.

In the kitchen, Clara stands at the stove wearing nothing but your dress shirt, her auburn hair pulled into a messy bun as she flips heart-shaped pancakes. She glances over her shoulder with a smile that still makes your heart skip.

"Happy Valentine's Day," she says, nodding toward a wrapped package on the counter. "Though I think my timing's off—I was hoping to surprise you with breakfast in bed."

"Early riser today," you explain, sliding your arms around her waist and pressing a kiss to her neck. "Something about a beautiful redhead stealing all the blankets."

She laughs, swatting at you with the spatula. "Just for that, you're setting the table."

As you arrange plates and cutlery, you reflect on how much has changed. David and Zara moved in together last month after a whirlwind romance that surprised everyone except Clara, who claims she knew they were perfect for each other from the start. David still comes over for your standing Thursday night drinks, though—a tradition that's become sacred as you've both processed the lingering effects of the transformation.

"Any regrets?" Clara asks suddenly, sliding a stack of pancakes onto your plate. The question hangs between you, laden with meaning you both understand.

"About choosing to change back?" you clarify, meeting her eyes.

She nods, a flicker of vulnerability crossing her face. "Six months together as Matt and Clara. I just wonder sometimes if you ever miss... her."

You take Clara's hand, running your thumb across her matching Trinity knot tattoo. "I think about Mia sometimes," you admit. "But not with regret. More like... acknowledging a part of me that I got to explore. I wouldn't have you without her."

Clara's expression softens as she leans across the table to kiss you. "I do miss certain aspects of her sometimes," she confesses with a mischievous gleam. "But then you do something utterly Matt—like that thing you did last night—and I remember why this works so perfectly."

Your phone buzzes with a text from David: Remember dinner tonight. Zara's cooking. I have news.

"David and Zara still on for tonight?" Clara asks, stealing a bite of your pancake.

"Apparently with news," you reply, showing her the message.

Clara's eyebrows shoot up. "Oh my god. You don't think he's going to propose?"

"After six months?" You pause, considering how quickly your own relationship solidified after the transformation experience. "Actually, I wouldn't be surprised."

She smiles, reaching for your hand again. "Speaking of surprises, aren't you going to open your gift?"

The wrapped package sits between you—whatever comes next, it's clear that the strangest transformation of all has been how that pink-glowing app led you to this perfectly normal, wonderfully real life.

12:15 | Saturday 14 February 2026 | Matt's Flat, Putney