Caught

“Oh just something I found in your mom’s drawers,” you call back to your cousin, “I’m sure she won’t mind. I’ll have it washed before she gets out of the hospital.”

“Alex,” Emily says, putting her shopping bags on the table and approaching the couch, “listen to yourself. You’re wearing my mom’s clothes.”

“Just her pyjamas,” you respond, slightly irritated that Emily is interrupting your show, “it seemed like too much work to dig around in my bag. Besides, this is so comfortable!”

“And what did you do to your face?!” Emily said as she plants herself in front of you, completely blocking the screen.

“Honestly, young lady! I have half a mind to put you over my knee!”

“Alex, you’re freaking me out,” her eyes are wide, “you’re dressed like my mom, you’ve done your eyebrows how she does her eyebrows, and now you’re talking like her. Alex, are you a crossdresser?”

You jump up from the couch at the accusation. “Absolutely not!” You shout. Sure, you realize that you prefer the feel of your aunt’s pyjamas over anything that you could have worn from your own clothes, and sure you may have plucked your eyebrows like a woman might…

Wait…

What is going on? You stagger backwards and fall back onto the couch.

“Emily,” you say, realization dawning on you, “I think something is happening to me.”

“You’re telling me,” she says, kneeling in front of you, taking your hands in hers, “do you need to talk to someone? Have you felt this way for long?”

“No, not like that, not how you mean,” you try to put words to your feelings, “I think something happened in the crash. I think something happened between your mother and I.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, well, it’s hard to explain. Can you help me pick out some clothes from my bag? I’m not sure I trust my judgement right now. I think we need to go see your mom.”