Dinner with Mother

After placing a blanket on Claire to keep her warm, I grabbed my handbag and left the flat with Mother, leading her to an Italian place Claire and I enjoyed nearby.

"The decoration is pretty nice." Mother commented as we found a table near the back.

"Yeah, and the food is delicious despite being cheap."

"I'll take your word for it."

We sat down and the waiter approached to take our orders. Mother offered to pay for everything I'd want, so I ordered some carbonara spaghetti, a cappuccino, and a tiramisu for dessert. Mother meanwhile went for a calzone and an espresso.
The waiter wrote everything down, ogling us briefly before leaving. He clearly found the two of us attractive, making me blush and look away.

Mother giggled. "Ah, the consequences of being a pretty girl. You'll get used to it after a while."

"I guess... It's still new to me..."

"How have you been finding this time as a woman so far?" She asked, her voice low. "Be honest, I'd be the last person to judge you."

I smiled shyly. "W-well, before learning the truth about you, I... I was finding it... interesting, I'll admit."

"Hehe, it's one of the main perks of being a skinwalker. We can experience things normal humans could only dream of. I'll never forget my first time becoming a man. It was such a rush."

"You spent the last century as a man, right?" I asked.

"Except on rare and short occasions, yes. Men used to be much more free than women until recently, so it was more convenient overall." She explained, looking at her glass of water. "Although, I did miss out on some things due to that."

"Like what?"

She gave me an amused smile. "Pregnancy, for one."

I was taken aback, surprised by her answer. "P-pregnancy?"

"Back when I was still human, I never got the opportunity to give birth. You are my first real child. Carrying and nurturing a new life like this inside my womb was... unique. While losing my mobility over time was quite annoying, I won't lie, the moment when I gave birth to you will forever be ingrained in my mind." She said, her face softening even more. "Something changed within me afterwards, but it took me a while to realise that it was my motherly instincts finally awakening. It was only when I got your sister that I understood. It was so novel, but for the first time in a while, I almost felt... human again."

She said it with pure sincerity, I had no doubt about it.

"You might understand what I felt too if you ever get a kid of your own."

"A... a kid of my own?" I repeated.

"Why, yes. We spoke about it the day we got reunited. You are a woman, after all. And I do remember you wanting to be a mother after your wedding, Elise."

It was something that hadn't crossed my mind until now, due to everything that happened, but she was right. I was fully Elise, in soul and body. I indeed had the possibility to get pregnant and give birth... I glanced down at my flat belly, my head now filled with thoughts of babies and motherhood as Elise's own future goals were mixed with my astonishment and even curiosity... It was true that normal humans would never have the opportunity to experience things like this...

"Me... A mother..." I muttered, trying to imagine how it'd be like.

"I'm sure you'd make for a wonderful mother, you know?" Mother said, smiling.

I could feel the Elise part of me beaming at the thought, strong enough to make me smile too.

Mother rose up her glass and gave me a warm smile. "I told you already, but you look much better when you smile, Elise."

My blush intensified as I looked away. "T-thanks..."

"Anyway, tell me more about you. Last time, you said you used to have a girlfriend? How was she like?"

I smiled weakly. "She was a kind and smart woman, passionate with literature, comics, and birds. She had cute little parrots who always seemed to hate me for some reason."

"You met her by saving her from a wannabe ****, if I remember correctly?"

"Yeah. I beat the crap out of him and called the cops. Sarah and I hit it off shortly after, when we realised we had a lot of things in common."

Mother giggled. "How romantic. You've always had a very chivalrous attitude towards women. You made so many girls fall for you."

"I suppose I did, even if it wasn't my intention. Now, it doesn't really matter anymore, though." I said, a hint of depression in my tone.

"You should give Ashley a chance when we return home. I'm sure you two would make a great couple."

"You really want us to date, don't you?" I asked her, taking a sip from my own glass of water.

"Are you so against it? She's already madly in love with you. She'd be a perfect John for you, and anyone else you might want her to be."

I shook my head. "No, it's not that I'm against it... I just haven't thought about it much yet. Ashley is a nice girl, I can't deny it, but I'm not even sure how dating would work with our... conditions."

She seemed amused. "It's fairly simple, since you two can become whoever you want. It can help a lot spice things up, you know?"

"Maybe, yeah."

If Ashley stayed as John, it would make things easier for me, I couldn't deny that. I'd be able to stay myself at home instead of playing Elise's role.

Would she become the father of Elise's... my child, too? I wondered, my mind drifting again towards these thoughts of motherhood.

As we were waiting for our food, my thoughts then went back to Claire, wondering about how well she'd adapt as a skinwalker. I knew it was her own choice, but I wondered if she'd enjoy it. What kind of skin and life would she prefer donning? If she were to enjoy wearing male skins, I'd need a while to get used to that...

"Claire will be fine, relax a little and stop overthinking this." Mother said, chuckling, as she immediately guessed what I had in mind.

"I know, but it's not easy..."

"While I'm still not fully convinced about Dahlia, she and Claire seemed to get along well. I'm sure she's in good hands. And it's not like she's risking anything from her anymore anyway."

"That's true."

Our food arrived shortly after, and we enjoyed a nice filling meal. Due to Elise's smaller stomach, I felt completely stuffed once I was done, unable to eat anything else for the time being. Mother appreciated the food too, giving a nice tip to the waiter before we left.

"I'll be around if you need some help when Claire wakes up. Just text me." She said.

"I will, thanks. And... thanks for paying for the meal. It was... a nice discussion."

Mother smiled. "You're welcome. Have a good evening, Elise."

On that, she walked away, waving at me, and I returned home.

Claire was still laying on the couch, her body limp and pale. She almost looked like a corpse, it was really unsettling, even if I knew she was fine. I tried to carry her to her room, the task more difficult than before due to my tiny stature, even if my strength stayed the same. I delicately laid her on her bed, tucking her under her blanket.

"Rest well, Claire. I truly hope you'll find happiness as a skinwalker." I whispered.

Returning to the living room, I turned on the TV and started to watch a show Elise enjoyed and followed almost religiously, keeping my mind occupied until Claire would wake up.