Callie laughed and clapped her hands. "I'm thinking back to that week. I can't wait to replay it in your shoes"

Liz felt a rush of warmth then said "Yeah...me too! I am curious to live your life. I want to be a kid again. I was thrown a little off watching us change but now that we're here, I'm getting used to and looking forward to this" and she meant it.

The door Callie had come through opened and the voice boomed out again "Step through the door and your program will begin. As the week progresses, enjoy your new lives and experiences. Your senses will be heightened. You will truly believe you are each other...allow yourself to be immersed. Liz. Callie...enjoy your journey"

Callie looked down smiling and saw Liz looking up with a matching smile on her youthful face. Those mismatched teeth. They took each other's hand and stepped out. 

Upon breaching the barrier, both of them felt a surge. Liz shuddered. Maturity slipped away, external forces were changing her psychological behavior, taking away the thoughts and behaviors of a 42 year old woman and replacing them with those of an 11 year old. Knowledge drained. Skills and education left her.

Callie shuddered. All of a sudden, mental maturity came in to match her physical body. Prudence replaced impulsiveness. Additional years of education built like building blocks until she possessed not only a college degree but 20 years experience on top of it. New skills like driving and cooking, even the years her Mom had spent in dance, in playing softball and basketball; they were all hers now.

"Whoa" Callie said.

"Wow! I feel different. Like...a lot different" Liz giggled. 

"You can say that again...me too" Callie replied. 

They were standing in the parking lot, their car right in front of them and they exchanged a look. Callie got behind the wheel and Liz got in the passenger seat.

Callie's heart fluttered with excitement. "First time driving" she thought even though she was simply in a room going through the motions. But it felt natural to her and the fact she could reach the pedals and use the mirror while her Mom's feet barely reached the floor added to her enjoyment.

"I should be driving...I can’t drive" both thoughts came to Liz's mind. "I've been driving for 25 years...how can that be when you're only 11?"

She swung her feet feeling them barely brushing the floor of the car as she watched the streets pass by as they drove home.

Getting out in the driveway, Liz hopped out and saw her...sister. 

Olivia rushed out and past her to hug her Mom.

Liz jumped seeing her younger daughter only at shoulder height to her. Olivia wrapped her arms around Callie's waist to hug her, her head not much higher than that to the adult woman who was fussing over her.

"You’re acting like we were gone for a month" Liz found herself saying.

Olivia stuck her tongue out at her "Shut up Callie!" Olivia replied to her.

Liz's tongue shot out; instincts rolled over from Mom to sister, from mature to immature "Spoiled little brat" Liz retorted.

"Hey! Behave yourself" Callie said firmly and Liz was cowed. She felt the burning in her cheeks and stomach "So this is what it feels like...I never had a younger sibling. I do now that, well, I have to face the fact that I am Callie in here for all intents and purposes. Mom is in charge"

"Let’s go inside for a minute and then we've got errands to run" Callie announced.

"Can we get something to eat while we're out?" Olivia asked. 

"Sure, we'll get lunch" Callie replied, looking at both of her girls.

Olivia ran back inside and Liz followed with Callie bringing up the rear fiddling with her purse.

Liz stepped in and stopped. Everything in the house was off. "I'm shorter" she reminded herself. Everything was bigger; higher up.

Callie almost tripped over Liz who had stopped just a step inside the door. "Callie! Move...what are you…" she trailed off as her perception was now challenged as well. "Whoa" she said softly. 

Callie laughed slowly and turned around in a circle taking in her different vantage point.

"Wow...everything looks so different" she whispered. "I love this" she thought to herself.

She tapped Liz on the shoulder and smiled down at her when she looked up "So...has it hit home yet?"

Liz just nodded "Yeah...it’s so real. Every detail but as you. From your eyes" she said "This is going to be a long week" she thought.

Liz took a few steps away and went into the half bathroom in the hall. 

The reflection of an 11 year old met her. "I'm a kid!" It hit her anew. It reinforced it; the notion that she really was no longer an adult. She was Callie. Her thoughts swirled around. It was already hard to hold onto her adult thoughts and mentality and it had only been an hour since they had started. Everything in her told her she was who she saw in the mirror. 

The mirror cut off her body. She could only see from the chin up. She saw her Mom coming in out of the corner of her eye; sensed her coming in.

Then she saw them; their new arrangement, their new dynamic. A reflection of two people: One an adult, tall, mature, pretty. One small, immature, awkward; a kid. An adolescent still not yet in puberty. That was her. Liz was no longer the adult in their reflection. She was now the kid. "Mom?"

Callie had watched Liz step in. She watched her reaction closely. She had to hide the pleasure she felt seeing Liz's uncomfortable squirming as she confronted her image, herself. The childlike comprehension.

She stepped in and felt a surge of power, of authority, of belonging as she saw her reflection.

"Oh yeah" she thought, fluffing out her hair. She examined the faint wrinkles; enjoying seeing them, proud of possessing them, and taking ownership of them. 

Callie saw Liz coming up to her shoulder both in the mirror and to her right and she had to admit that she absolutely loved it. 

She was thrilled. She couldn't wait to experience the week and wanted to soak up everything. 

Her thoughts connected and concentrated like never before. She pulled out her increased knowledge, fed off of it.

She heard Liz call out to her, using her new title "Mom?"

"Yes honey?" Callie replied looking down with a reassuring slight smile.

Liz got dizzy seeing that smile. Like she was physically pulled out of her body, twisted backwards and returned to Callie's body.

She knew that look. She perfected it over the last 11 years. Now, she was on the receiving end of it, seeing it directed to her. The smile, the encouraging look in those big brown eyes, the ever so slight nod.

Liz swayed and gripped the sink but recovered quickly enough "Is this really feeling real to you too?"

"Yes it is" Callie replied.

"Like, really real: I had no idea just how immersive this would be. I thought I'd be able to just fly through, spotting things wrong but it's not like that at all. I really feel like I'm You and you're really me. Like...I don't know, like I really feel like I'm your child!"

"But that's a good thing. It shows us absolutely what it's like...no shortcuts" Callie replied calmly. She gently stroked Liz's hair "This is what we both wanted"

Liz nodded, she felt reassured by Callie's answer and subtle gestures "yeah...you're right. I guess I underestimated it"

"I did too. I'm super impressed by this I have to admit. This is world changing!" Callie said.

"I feel differently about you. I have a Mother's love for you and your sister. I actually feel it, I understand it. It feels so natural. I look at you and I no longer see my Mom. I see my daughter and I feel every emotional Mother should feel for their daughter. So I'm guessing what is confusing you is that you see me and realize I'm your Mom. Your feelings are reversed; flipped on their head. My advice is just go with it. Let it happen, don't fight it. Let yourself be you. The you that you are now...Callie"

Liz nodded.

Callie stepped out and Liz could hear her talking to Olivia in the kitchen.

Liz took a moment to get composed in the bathroom. She washed her tiny hands feeling their softness.

Before she could do anything else she swept up and back into the car. They went to Target and she trailed along as Callie picked out boring things like shampoo and toothpaste.

Liz's eyes trailed off to a set of nice new colored pencils, then a really cute top as they went past girls clothes.

She got annoyed by how long Olivia dawdled in the toy section "She is such a baby" Liz thought but Callie was being patient with both of them.

Callie was loving going through the store in her new role. A routine errand was fresh to her. She simply loved her role "I don't think this could get old...get routine. I'm sure it would if, for like some reason we got stuck like this'' she thought and her mind took off.

"What if we do get stuck like this? What if somehow this became permanent? What if I really became the real Elizabeth? The Mom."

She got a quick vision. Her walking out of Other Side VR's front doors as Liz, holding Callie's hand. Then it was gone.

They went to the uniform store next. Callie had gotten a stain that wouldn't come out of her white school top. St. Anne's school required white or blue collared tips to be worn with their plaid jumpers. Callie has to buy a new one.

Liz had to try it on. She was sent to the changing room with two different sizes and had to come out and show her Mom how both of them fit.

Then it was the grocery store where she focused on sugary cereals and chips and cookies while Callie bought vegetables and things to make dinner.

Callie watched Liz closely, noting little things that she was doing. The little spins and moves that screamed youth. The rolling eyes, the crossed arms. It was so fascinating seeing her like this.

They stopped at McDonald's on the way home. 

Liz ate her nuggets and fries on the way home but she was stuffed full.

The girls helped put groceries away and they scampered off as Callie started laundry. 

It was a warm fall day so Callie did yard work while her daughter's played.

Liz and Liv played Frisbee, then went to the swing set, then bugged their Mom.

Liz was really getting lost in simply playing. It felt so good, so carefree. No stress, no worries, just lost in the moment. Running, playing tag with Liv, her little sister.

They watched a movie together while Callie checked her phone.

Callie answered emails, paid bills online, read the news and checked all her social media sites.

Liz had a phone. It was heavily monitored by her Mom. She had games and Spotify on it but no social media at all. She didn't mind.

They had dinner and everyone cleaned up, showering and changing clothes.

Liz played Nintendo Switch with Liv until bedtime.

Callie got Olivia down to bed first, helping her and making sure she brushed her teeth. 

"This role really suits me" Callie thought "I love being a Mom"

Liz was getting herself ready for bed at the same time. She was tired, the day had taken a lot of her yet she felt good. None of the weariness or the aches and pains were there she realized "Maybe being a kid again isn't too bad haha. No stress, no responsibility, no body pains"

She went to her room and got into bed just as Callie came in.

Callie came over and kissed her gently on top of her head, feeling her soft hair "Goodnight Baby Girl" Callie said.

"Goidnight Mamasita" Liz replied.

Callie went to her room; the master bedroom and she closed the door behind her.

Once again she checked the mirror and felt so happy to see what she saw reflected back.

Callie smiled and blinked her eyes just looking at her face. Her eyes eventually trained down. She was wearing a tank top and cotton shorts; her usual sleepwear.

Callie turned sideways so she could take in her body. Legs that started with full thighs and a nice round ass tapering down to her tight calves, trim ankles and finally her feet.

Her slight Mom bod belly didn't bother her one bit, neither did the slight sag of gravity on her full round breasts "This is me" she told herself as she climbed into her big soft bed.

The technician monitoring subjects 35C and D noted the circadian rhythms as they fell into sleep. Dream monitoring both of them while watching vitals. 

They had swapped vital signs.  Heart rates and blood pressure readings had reversed between them throughout the day along with respiration. 35C's thought patterns had become more volatile, fluctuating up and down as 35D's maintained a steadier line.

Both now went into dreams as early dawn approached 

Liz turned onto her left side in bed. She was sitting on a folding chair, her left leg over her right wearing a cap and gown looking at a stage in front of her. She recognized the High School Principal. She recognized the gym of St. Thomas Aquinas High School.

"I'm graduating?!" She thought seeing the ceremony.

'Congratulations Class of 2029' read the banner and she was confused "But I…" then she realized what was going on and she woke up sitting up in bed.

Callie was also dreaming.

She was in a hospital, her feet up in stirrups, she was in pain, contractions coming one after another as she strained and pushed. She squeezed her husband's hand.

"Come on Liz...one more big push...you want to meet Callie. You want to meet your daughter" she pushed as hard as she could and woke up gritting her teeth and sweating.

Callie wanted coffee, she craved it and she got up to make some.

She was drinking it and picking at a muffin when Liz came down.

Liz stood in the kitchen, her lounge pants too long on her and swallowing up most of her tiny pink feet, just her toes peeked out. Her hair was a mess of tangles and standing corkscrews "Hey Mom"

"Hey Honey" she replied smiling "Do you want some breakfast?"

"Sure" Liz replied and she sat down as her Mom poured her a bowl of cereal and a glass of milk.

Olivia came down and joined them.

"Hey! No fair! That's my cereal!" Liz cried out seeing her Mom pouring out a bowl of it for Olivia.

"You need to share young lady" Callie answered swiftly. "I didn't buy it just for you"

Liz shrank back knowing she was wrong, her Momhad put her little tantrum down and put her in her place "sorry" she mumbled ashamed.

"You two need to get ready anyway. Your Dad will be here to pick you up for the day"

Liz and her husband had been divorced for 3 years now. Liz's mind and emotions went into hyperdrive. "Mike?! Husband...Dad?!" Every possible feeling swarmed her. Every memory of both of them came up, half were swatted back until only the memories of him being her Dad remained.

Callie got Olivia ready and both were waiting.

Callie had her own mental conundrum as her entire relationship rewrote itself inside her.

She remained on the front step as the girls ran down to the car.

"I'll have them home by 7" Mike called out.

"Sounds good! Be good for your Dad girls" she followed up with.

She watched them drive off "How surreal" she thought as she went in and simply regrouped.

Callie showered and got dressed in leggings, a loose casual green top and socks.

Her sister called and they talked for a bit before she said she'd drive over and pick her up for some shopping and lunch.

"Megan is my sister, not my Aunt" Callie told herself. Memories came to her of growing up with an older sister, her sister, Megan.

Other thoughts patterned around. 1997 graduating from Lincoln High School. 5 years later from the University of Illinois with her Psychology degree. Then Grad school at Northwestern until she had her PhD. Then settling into practice and life with Mike. Kids and his affair…"Fuck him" she told herself.

Callie had never been told the full details of the breakup. She knew them all now.

She put on a pair of black tennis shoes and spent the day with Megan.

Liz was shy and quiet in the the car. She answered everything but let Olivia ramble on and tell stories. Liz had so many mixed up emotions and feelings riding with her… "Dad. Husband. No!" The memories that she held as Elizabeth were being pushed down; they had to go. Her whole perception of him was being rewritten as she rode. Details slipped away and with them, pain. The hurt and hardness were leaving her. Transferred? Was she pushing those thoughts out and making Callie feel them? By the time they got to her Grandparents house for her Grandma's birthday party, she was in a much better mood. She was spending a day with the other side of her family. A chance to hear the little jabs at her Mom thrown out, she always giggled at those.

The technician flipped 2 switches as both 35C and D went through a memory transfer "That’s never great" he mumbled "too strong" he noted the numbers in the computers.

Olivia was extra needy that night after the girls got home. She clung to her Mom and kept saying that she didn't want to go to school tomorrow. 

Callie spent all evening with her, just being with her while Liz was quiet and just played on her phone.

Another night of routines finally got Olivia and Liz in bed and Callie went over her patient schedule for the next day and she prepped her charts.

Liz was on a boat. Her Dad's boat. Dad's family had money...her Grandma was putting sunscreen on her. It was just a few months ago, July, the height of summer. Olivia was helping Grandpa steer. She was happy and carefree. The boat sped up as her Dad was water-skiing and Liz loved the feel of the wind on her face, the little stinging of the water spray. 

When Liz woke up she knew she had experienced that moment for real. "But how?" She thought.

Callie was having her own dream. A walk in a park pushing a stroller, her daughter riding in that stroller. She woke up absolutely convinced that she had experienced that moment in person. "But how?"

Callie was showered, her hair up in a towel and her robe on when she got her girls up to get ready for school.

Breakfast was cereal for them and coffee for Callie as she packed lunches and checked that homework was done and backpacks had everything in them.

She got Olivia dressed before getting herself dressed.

A green dress that stopped above her knees and a pair of light tan boots. She did her hair and makeup as Liv talked to her.

Liz hadn't had such a stress-free morning in decades. She loved watching her Mom rush around. She got her uniform on including her socks and shoes and waited until it was time to go.

Thomas checked in on Monday and read the reports from the weekend on his clients.

All were pretty smooth. 35C and D had experienced several memory transfers; not uncommon between Mother and daughter swaps. The outcome still only projected to a 23% chance of a Code 99 occurring.

Liz started her school day; 5th grade and Callie went to her office to see her clients.

They both fell into a predictable rhythm. The next few days fell into these more regimented patterns.

Callie had no free time during the week. A full patient load and raising two kids.

On Wednesday, their Dad picked them up though and had them for the evening. He would bring them home at 8 for bed. 

Callie had telehealth appointments in the afternoon so she has the house to herself. She kept her blouse and skirt on but she was able to see her patients barefoot and sitting on her couch.

An extra challenging marriage counseling session was going on coincidentally at the same time Liz and Liv were getting picked up.

Liz's emotions went into overdrive at the same time Callie's did too.

The couple's circumstances were just like her own with Mike.

A surge ripped through both of them.

The computers at Other Side spiked. "Shit" an overworked technician covering extra clients made his way to the board of 35C and D. Switches were flipped which actually caused a higher spike for 35C as 35D bottomed out "Shit!" He repeated as he reversed the wavelengths.

"Are you there Dr. Lange?"

"Hey Callie...are you okay? You look pale?"

Liz and Callie were frozen, locked up momentarily. 

"Yes...I'm okay"

"Yes I'm here"

"I'm here"

"I'm fine"

"Just…I don't know what exactly happened there for a second"

The technician looked at the monitors. Both 35C and D were gesturing and saying the same things; like mirror images.

'BASELINE RESET' Popped up on both monitors and then 1%. The numbers rolled up quickly to 100%.

Numbers reset and the computers hummed softer. Gauges returned to the normal parameters.

Callie cleared her throat and began to speak freely, asking questions.

Liz cleared her throat and began to speak freely, asking questions. 

Mike drove on to dinner with his daughter's.

The clients were very pleased with the advice that they had received and promised to work on their exercises in the upcoming week. 

Callie put her laptop aside and stood up.

Something was different. She felt different. Her little zone out was weird but now something just felt off.

Instead of doing her notes she went to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of wine and then she went upstairs.

She went into her daughter's bedroom and looked around. It too looked and felt different "No…" she muttered. She took a drink and picked up a jumper from a pile of clean, folded clothes. She put it up to herself and a fundamental truth hit her "You will never wear that again. You are not changing back. You just turned into Elizabeth for real. Maybe not physically yet but mentally,  some barrier was just breached and you can't go back"

Callie sat on the bed hard, she was pale and barely breathing but she knew it was true. "That's what's different. I'm Liz. I'm Mom. I just really swapped places with my Mom, my daughter...I saw the risk clause in the contract. 1 in 1,000,000 chance…"

Callie went back to the master bedroom and drained her glass. "I wonder if she knows yet?"

Liz felt differently too but in her case, there were gaps. Gaps in maturity, gaps I comprehending what had just happened to them. She felt more open and free through, more carefree. She enjoyed her night with her Dad.

When they came in, Callie didn't say anything but she noticed some significant changes in Liz. Liz was more childish. Her vocabulary had dropped. The look in her eyes was different, more innocent.

Callie kept her mouth closed the next two days as they played out.

On Friday night, Liz followed her Mom into her room as she was changing clothes after work. 

Callie kicked off her heels and Liz started playing around with them. She stood them up and slipped her small feet into them, sliding forward and laughing before clomping around in them taking them to the closet as she talked about her day at school.

Callie had talked herself into believing that tomorrow would be just fine. That moment meant nothing. She was just paranoid. The time and experience was messing with her. Nothing was wrong, this was all part of the program. They were halfway through when that had happened, so Callie had deduced "It has to be the program. 1st half versus 2nd half. The 2nd part of the session has to be more intense and you have to really feel like the other.

Liz stopped and looked down at her feet in what were her heels for a long moment. They were so big. Strands tugged at her brain trying to tie everything back together but it wouldn't connect "I'm literally back in my own shoes. But they don't fit me" she said.

Callie came over and hugged her "We'll be back tomorrow...don’t worry baby girl"

"I don't know if I can be me again. It seems so far away"

"I know. Being little and young again seems really foreign to me too...I…" Callie stopped. 

"What is it?" Liz asked.

"We didn't...it’s nothing" Callie said and smiled but deep down she knew that they hadn't had this conversation the night before they had gone in. Things in the 1st half of the week were straight on. Since Wednesday though…

They had dinner and as Callie was cleaning up, she heard Liv yell out "Quit it Callie!" Followed by a struggling sound and a smack.

"What is going on? Callie Alana! You don't hit your sister! Even on the arm!"

Liz spun around "But she was on my phone! That's my phone! Not hers and she needs to keep her grubby little hands off it!"

"You apologize to Olivia right now!" Callie said standing over her with her hands on her hips giving the Mom glare.

Liz starred up "But…"

"But nothing! You don't hit your little sister" Callie scolded her daughter.

"I'm sorry Olivia" Liz said but it was insincere.

"You’re going to lose that phone if that's the way you think you apologize" Callie said.

Liz huffed but looking at Callie, she broke. "I'm sorry Olivia and I'm sorry Mom"

"That’s better. Now Olivia, you know better too.  Don't take things that aren't yours" Callie added. "Honestly you two…" she shook her head and went back to cleaning up. "Never a minute of peace"

Callie finished up and got Olivia ready for bed. She was brushing her teeth when she heard her door open and saw Liz standing there.

Liz came up next to her in the mirror and said "I like us like this. This has been fun. I don't think I want it to end"

Callie ruffled Liz's hair and pulled her in for a hug. She kissed her atop the head and wiped her eye with the back of her hand "I like us like this too"

Liz headed out. She went to her smaller room and sat on her bed for a while.

Callie went out and sat on the edge of bed.

Looking at the monitors, a technician noted that subjects 35C and D were moving like synchronized swimmers. Both looked the same way, touched the same things on and about their bodies. They lay down and both covered up.

The next morning, Saturday morning, they were ready and back to the spot before they knew it.

"What do you think kiddo?" Callie asked, holding Liz's tiny hand as they stood outside the front door. In essence, they were just at the precipice of the program central room again.

Liz shrugged "Like I said last night...I don't know if I'm ready for it to be over yet. I had a lot of fun and stuff and I don’t know how I can just like, jump right back into everything. I haven't thought about so much of the stuff that, you know, ruled my life"

"Adult stuff...work stuff. I get it" Callie replied.

The door slid open. Both of them gave a knowing look and smile and they stepped in.

The room was just as they remembered it; big and airy and brightly lit with the wall of mirror. They walked to the middle and turned to face their reflections.

Callie stood at her full 5'4" and Liz came up to her shoulder.