A little slice of Heaven

The shower was bliss.

At home, Rebecca always showered last. Mornings meant running around the house preparing breakfast, getting backpacks ready for school, and whatever other little jobs her family had left for her. By the time she had a moment to herself -- alone in a quiet house -- there would be no hot water left.

There was no such problem here.

She had simply climbed out of bed, collected the outfit neatly laid out for her in the walk-in wardrobe, and then escaped into the privacy of the bathroom.

When she turned the shower on and tested the water, she naturally flinched, prepared for the icy blast she was used to.

Instead, it was too hot.

She quickly stripped off her vest top and shorts and climbed in, eager to wash away the sweat of the night and, more importantly, to bask in the warmth.

“This is the life,” she said to herself as she washed. “I could get used to this.”

As she showered, her mind began to wander.

She had, of course, stopped examining herself when she remembered the cameras. She could imagine that whatever viewers had been watching her sleep, if there were any, would assume she'd wet the bed or something.

Or they'd know what was happening to me.

She frowned, then looked down at herself. Water streamed over the soft curves of her breasts, followed the narrow line of her waist and gathered in little rivulets over her hips and thighs. It was all perfectly familiar. She had lived in this body for thirty-four years. She knew every freckle, every curve, every little imperfection.

And her vagina was hardly unfamiliar territory either.

She'd lived with it for thirty-four years too. It had given her two children, for goodness' sake. Whatever indignities had accompanied that, Rebecca would always be grateful for the gifts it had given her. Until a few days ago, she'd known exactly where she stood with it.

It behaved itself. It asked very little of her. She washed it, dressed it, occasionally endured the inconveniences it presented her with, and otherwise they maintained a perfectly respectable relationship.

Now it was behaving like a stranger.

Rebecca leaned forward slightly, peering suspiciously between her thighs. The strange warmth was gone. Everything looked exactly as it always had, innocent as could be, and yet she no longer trusted it. After last night, she half expected the traitorous thing to wink at her.

Or perhaps for an alien to climb out.

“There's nothing wrong with me,” she informed it, lifting her chin.

Rebecca focused instead on enjoying her shower, taking her time over it.

When she felt her fingers lingering on her inner thigh, she decided shower time was over.

Stepping out of the shower was an even greater pleasure than stepping into it.

The floor was heated.

She had expected the marble to be icy cold. Instead, warmth seeped pleasantly into her bare feet.

Strange. It must come on with the shower.

She moved to the vanity and discovered it had everything she needed to start her day. Expensive moisturizers, makeup, hair products, all the little amenities she could possibly need.

She had nowhere to be. Nobody needed her.

No breakfasts to make. No requests. Nothing that couldn't wait.

“I could get used to this,” she said to herself again. For the first time in what felt like forever, she took her time getting ready.