"The Doctor will be in today for some check ups…the trainer will come and get you when it's your turn. She'll be set up in Room 3. Didi: You're up first with her so you just hang for a minute" the Coach said as the players for the New York Liberty got ready for practice.
"Dr. Crosby is in Europe this month so you'll be seeing Dr. Roberts…Denise Roberts. She's one of the top Orthopedic Surgeons in the city so you're still in good hands"
Starting forward Didi Richards smirked hearing her name called out. She had rolled her ankle a week earlier and had missed the last 2 games. She was just going to do some shooting anyways and the rest of her time would be conditioning so she didn't mind.
Didi was in her Under Armour compression shorts and tank with her white basketball shorts and practice jersey on over top.
Since she was going to see the doctor, she kept her shoes off and walked to Room 3 in just her black socks.
The lanky 6'2" woman got onto the trainers table and stretched out her long legs. An elite athlete, Didi was on the cusp of becoming an All Star in her third season in the league. New notoriety had come from being featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. She didn't mind the attention one bit. She was flashy and enjoyed fashion and looking her best. But, she was an athlete first and foremost.
A quick knock on the door brought her attention that way. "Didi?"
Didi smiled "Yeah, that's me"
"Hello, I'm Dr. Roberts" Denise said, stepping in and walking over with her hand extended.
Didi took it and they shook "Nice to meet you" she added as she sized up the woman before her. The tiny woman before her, she quickly realized.
Denise Roberts was 5'2" on a good day. Small, delicate features with bright blue eyes and blonde hair pulled back into a tight bun.
She wore a navy blue short sleeve collared shirt, tan slacks and matching blue flats.
"I heard you're good at this" Didi said, smiling.
Denise blushed and smirked and bobbed her head "Sure haha. I've been in practice for 10 years and I'm one of the team Ortho's for the Islanders and the Mets"
Didi raised her eyebrows "Impressive…I guess you can look at my foot" she laughed.
"So I heard you turned your left ankle pretty good. Go ahead and take your sock off so I can get a better look at it" Dr. Roberts said. "I saw your X-ray; no broken bones but tendon and ligament damage"
Didi pulled her sock off.
"Still quite swollen" Dr. Roberts said as she began to probe and work her hands over her ankle and foot. "Does that hurt as well?"
Didi winced a bit as the doctor probed the outside of her foot. A tendon there was strained as well. "Yeah, that hurts too"
"Unfortunately it looks like you're going to be out another 10 days at least, maybe 2 weeks. Sometimes time is the ultimate healer. Keep doing your treatments and keep babying it" they both laughed.
"Thanks Doc" Didi said "So how did you end up in Sports? Were you an athlete growing up?"
Denise guffawed. "Ooohhhhh…absolutely not! I was terrible at sports. I wish I was good at them but I'm not"
Didi smiled sympathetically "I'm sure you're not hurting by not having a Sports gene. I'm guessing that you had perfect grades and the skills all rest in your hands"
"Well that's the nicest way to say I was a nerd in school I've ever heard haha. And I hardly have the body for sports…gymnastics would be about it" She laughed.
"Oh I'm positive you could be a scrappy point guard. In there throwing elbows" Didi laughed. Her right sock was crooked and scratchy so she removed it as well as she sat up. The table was high enough that as she swung her legs over the front, her feet dangled over the ground.
"I wish I could be like you. Even for just a game. You know, just to experience that. Not just playing a sport, but playing a professional sport. Being one of the true elite" Denise said casually.
"What I do is nothing compared to what you do. I'm entertainment. You make a difference in people's lives. You are elite. One of the best at your profession. If anything, I should be the one wishing to be like you!" Didi said.
"Okay, so one thing I do have to admit. I can't talk like this to male athletes…but I would give anything to be your height!" Denise blushed "I just think it would be so cool to be as tall as you" she laughed embarrassed.
"Oh there are some times you could just have it! You have no idea the trouble I have finding clothes sometimes. I am a shoe girl! But…I also wear an 11 or 12 depending on the fit. Do you think it's easy finding amazing shoes in my size?!"
"But you do it!" Denise countered.
Didi smiled playfully and bobbed her head "Yeah I do…the hunt is part of the fun I will admit and I am NOT afraid to wear heels. And while I like attention most of the time, other times, my size makes me stick out. Once in awhile I just want to go incognito you know"
"You can get lost in a crowd at my size" Denise added, raising her eyebrows "Just sayin…" she teased.
"Are you talking about some Freaky Friday stuff?" Didi laughed "Where somehow we switch places?"
"Haha sure…like I said, even for just one game" Denise said.
"Heck, the way this year is going, you could take my place for the rest of the season!" Didi added.
Both women laughed at their little side conversation but as Didi scooted forward to get down off the table, her feet still dangled.
She pointed her toes trying to feel the floor. Scooting further still, she slid off the end, the tips of her big toes finally touching.
She shivered all over.
Dr. Roberts tapped at her laptop putting in notes about Didi's progress and adding recommendations. As she did, she shivered all over. "That was weird" she mumbled as her body tingled from head to toe, a quick pins and needles feeling in her fingers and toes.
Denise looked around, taking her eyes off her screen for a moment. While she did, two changes blipped onscreen.
Pt. Name: Deauzya Roberts
Consulting Physician: Denise Richards, M.D.
"Did you feel that too?" Didi asked, hearing the doctor's comment.
"I felt something. It made me shiver all over" Denise said.
"Me too! Weird…" Didi said.
"Freaky even…" Denise added.
Didi winked and pointed to her "I see what you did there" she laughed but also shook out her hands, they were tingling all over like they had fallen asleep.
Denise balled her hands up into fists trying to get the feeling back without showing that she had lost it.
That was when she noticed that her shoes felt tight.
The room grew incredibly quiet and still. The only sound was a faint creaking sound. Both women stood perfectly still, frozen. Denise's mind tried to place that sound even as her brain registered that her toes felt pinched. "Fabric pulling? Leather stretching?" She thought as she looked down.
Her navy blue flats weren't cheap. In fact they were pure leather, bought in Italy and custom made for her along with several other pairs of shoes she owned.
She saw her shoes had grown so tight that her toes were outlined; really defined, it didn't make any sense to her.
Denise felt her toes pressing up against the ends and tops of her shoes; they had nowhere to go. The discomfort was too much; she used her left foot to pop off the right shoe. The release and relief was instant and she used her bare right foot to wrench her left shoe off.
"What the Hell?" She thought. "I was about to burst out of my own shoes"
Denise looked down with a total feeling of confusion and disconcernment. Her feet were bigger.
And it appeared and felt like they were getting even larger.
Denise had small feet. Being short, she was a women's size 6 ½. She had been that size since she was 12. Now at age 38, her feet were suddenly growing.
Didi had a weird feeling in her stomach and really all over. She noticed Dr. Roberts kicking off her shoes and it got her attention. She saw that they looked super tight and Dr. Roberts was struggling to get them off, but that was just the beginning of the strangeness. It looked like Dr. Roberts feet were moving; were they getting bigger? "What’s going on with your feet?" She blurted out in a shocked voice despite herself "It looks like they are getting bigger?"
"I…I…know what it looks like but I don't know why or what's going on with them but I can feel them. It feels like they are growing! They feel like they're stretching out! It feels super weird! Like I know what my own feet look like and they don't look right!"
Denise concentrated on her feet. Her toes were definitely longer. Her feet were wider and bigger than before. Her shoes were still right there and they looked tiny next to her feet now.
Nothing else was changing about them except their size for the moment. A birthmark atop her foot remained along with a scar from a burn she got when she was 12 and spilled hot water on her foot.
She lifted her long toes in shock, wiggling them in disbelief at how different own feet looked to her.
"They’re like double in size" she said softly. A jabbing thought popped into her head "Like a size 11 or 12"
But just as she thought that she heard Didi.
"Ah!" Didi let out a quick exclamation and she jumped. She did a little dance "My feet are moving on their own! I can feel them!"
She stopped then and stood still so both of them could watch.
But instead of growing, Didi's feet were shrinking.
Neither could tell right away. The soles of her feet slipped grabbing her attention and getting her reaction but it took a moment to realize her feet were getting narrower.
Her heels started tugging against the grain. Her heels were pulling inward. It of course didn't feel natural to her. Didi's eyes went as wide as they could from feeling and seeing this.
She pressed her toes down in reaction but then they too started to move. Her toe pads dug in but slipped as their surface area diminished.
Her toes were getting smaller, shorter. They pulled back and in. Her pinky toes were shrinking away to almost nothing as all the rest grew smaller and smaller. Her nails shrank down in conjunction with her changing toes.
Both women stared in absolute awe and wonder as Didi's feet shrank down. "I would swear my feet are about half their size" she thought.
She lifted her stubby little toes; they looked so foreign to her, yet, they were still very obviously her own; just simply much smaller.
"What the hell is happening to us?" Didi said incredulously.
Unseen by either woman, the name on the back of Didi's jersey changed from Richards to Roberts and the Hospital ID's clipped to Denise's purse changed from Dr. Roberts to Dr. Richards.
Denise could only shake her head.
That was when she felt her whole body tense up. Every muscle pulled taut and the tiny 5'2" inch woman grew an inch taller to 5'3"
Denise shivered and saw Didi freeze up, tense up. Then the tall 6'2" woman shrank down an inch to 6'1" and she shivered.
Both women saw the difference between them start to change. A foot difference in height was now 10 inches and both women could just feel what was happening now.
"We're switching places" Didi said.
Denise could only nod in agreement.
"First our feet…now we're going to switch sizes" Didi added on "It's actually happening"
"I can’t…I don't believe it. But I'm seeing it and feeling it…it's definitely happening!" Denise said.
Didi felt her muscles tense again. She stood perfectly still and yet she still moved.
She watched everything before her adjust, moving up. The room already seemed ever so bit bigger to her as she shrank down to an even 6'
"Oh my God what's it going tobe like when actually as small as her?!" She thought as she detected motion in front of her. She saw Denise rising up.
Denise clenched her jaw as she felt another wave of tension hit her body. She felt herself lifting up. Another inch to her brought her to 5'4".
She felt the sleeves of her shirt catch slightly. "Oh crap!" She exclaimed and started to get undressed.
"What the hell are you doing?" Didi asked as Denise stripped down in front of her.
"I have to get out of my clothes so I don't ruin them!" She explained.
"Oh yeah" was all Didi could say as she felt another take her down to 5'11"
"You'll need these…trust me I don't think there are any other clothes this small in this whole locker room!" She said. Shirt off and undoing her pants as she momentarily had to pause. Another wave had hit, freezing her as she grew to 5'5".
Once it passed she got out of her slacks.
Their height difference was already cut in half. Just 6 inches separated them currently.
Didi saw a pair of compression shorts and a spare tank top. She tossed them to Denise right before she shivered again.
"Dang it!" She cried out losing another inch to 5'10"
Denise spun and put her back towards Didi as she slipped off her panties and unhooked her bra. She shivered and froze. The room grew smaller again. She was looking at a countertop when the feeling hit her and she saw the countertop get an inch lower to her perspective as she grew to 5'6"
She jumped into the oversized shorts and tank and spun back around.
It actually shocked both of them a bit as Denise rose up to her full, current height and they saw just how little separated them already.
"Ohmygosh" Denise said, having missed their direct interaction over the last several inches that had swapped between them.
Didi nodded slowly, a look somewhere between confusion and knowing on her face.
Her lips pursed and she shuddered, dropping down to 5'9" just as Denise jerked and rose up to 5'7".
Barely taller than a woman she had towered over moments ago, Didi was awestruck. It hit her that the smallest player on the roster was 5'8" and she would be that in the next few seconds. Then, she'd be smaller than even that. And she would be smaller than Denise.
Denise felt her shoulders tense and once again, she rose up. This time to 5"8" and staring ahead at her counterpart, she saw her curly hair shake and down she came. Down to 5'8" and down to completely equal in height to her.
Didi felt that shrinking sensation and she stared straight ahead as she felt herself dropping. She was staring right into Denise's face as they came eye to eye. Her jaw dropped at seeing them actually meet up in height.
"I guess it's all downhill from here for me huh?" Didi managed to joke. "I'm going to be shorter than you…you did wish that you were tall like me. But I'm not tall anymore"
"I mean I didn't think it would actually happen but here we are" Denise said. "You said you wouldn't mind being short either"
"True…true, we both said it" Didi's expression changed to excitement "We also said for just a game! So we switch places. You play. We switch back!"
"But you said I could play the rest of the season" Denise remembered.
"Aw Shit! But anyways that's only like until the middle of August. Like 6 weeks tops!" Didi replied.
"Okay…we can do that. Simple right?!" Denise countered nodding "It could be fun. Chance of a lifetime to actually walk in someone else's shoes!"
"It doesn't look like we can change it now anyways" Didi added just as she felt that next wave build up "oh…"
Denise felt it too. "Here it comes…I can…oh boy…aaaa…" she froze in place and then felt the movement overcome her
Didi held still. She felt her body twitch and drop. Her stomach flipped as she saw Denise rise up taller than her.
Denise's eyes trained down into Didi's as they began to go in opposite directions. Denise was now 5'9", the taller of the two of them by 2 inches.
Didi felt flush as she dropped an inch down to 5'7". She was becoming well aware of how baggy her clothes were on her. They were at least 2 sizes too big on her dwindling frame and she could feel the bottom of her basketball shorts brushing against her knees.
Didi lifted her chin up towards Denise "You’re getting my full height"
"Being 6 foot 2 sounds so strange to me" Denise admitted "Like, not even possible, out of this world stuff"
"So just like spontaneously switching places with someone who you just met?" Didi shot back.
"Yes. Exactly like that" Denise added as she froze, tensed and grew to 5'10"
"I thought as much" Didi froze, grimaced and shivered as she shrank to 5'6"
Didi looked down and noticed how much closer the floor was to her. She could easily tell that her arms and legs were already much shorter and still getting smaller.
As she splayed out her still large hands, another wave hit her. Staring at her spread apart fingers, she shrank to 5'5"
Seeing Didi put her hands out made Denise conscious of her own still small hands "I'm sure that will change soon" she said as she shivered and rose up to 5'11"
"I'm getting so big!" Denise said, looking down. The gap between them was now 6 inches. Denise was 6 inches taller than a WNBA player and that gap would soon grow to a whole foot in height difference.
"And I'm getting so short!" Didi tensed and felt that now familiar sinking sensation down to just 5'4" "I was like 9 the last time I was this short!"
"I didn't get to 5'2" until I was like 13 or 14. It was a very slow journey for me to get over 5 foot" Denise said before tensing up again and watching the room shrink down in front of her as she made it to 6'
Denise's thighs were twitching. She could feel more changes starting to build up.
Didi tried to tense up on her own but it was like her muscles weren't responsive. She froze up though and shrank down to 5'3" "I have to be small enough now! How short am I?"
Denise tensed up and grew another inch to 6'1" "I know! We have got to be very close"
"I'm not even up to your chin! Um, like Hello! I'm like kid size over here!"
Both women froze then and their eyes met. They detected the movement in themselves and saw the movement of the other.
Up to 6'2" and down to 5'2".
Didi blinked and let her muscles relax "okay now I think it's over"
"I think you're right. I feel different, like, there was an electricity that's not there anymore"
Didi snapped her fingers and nodded "Yes. Like a current running through me but it's gone now!"
After snapping, Didi tried doing it again but her fingers just brushed off one another. She shook out her right hand; it felt numb.
Denise's hands were tingling too. She slipped off her wedding band, the only jewelry she wore to work but even then, her fingers felt clumsy, like they didn't want to work right.
Slowly, Denise's hands began to spread out. They were getting bigger.
Her palms and the backs of her hands spread out wider. Her fingers separated. She could feel.her skin and the muscles beneath straining as they spread out.
Her fingers now grew. Slightly thicker, definitely longer, the tips pushed out as her hands went from a nimble, delicate Surgeon to hands that could spin and palm a basketball. Skilled yes, but in an entirely different way.
Calluses built up from the years of ball handling as they went from soft to rough.
Didi's hands were out of place on her body. Too large and unable to perform the tasks that they would need to do, they began to shrink down.
Her palms and the backs of her hands shrank down smaller bringing her fingers closer together. Her hands were getting very soft. As her fingers shrank down, a new dexterity was found in them. A nimbleness, a confidence in these hands. Truly skilled as very few individuals were but all Didi could see at the moment was how small they were becoming.
Delicate almost dainty, the tips of her fingers retreated, pushing down. Her nails thinned in accordance, keeping up with her shrinking fingers.
Didi turned her hands over and back. Out of her peripheral vision, she saw larger hands coming into view. Bigger but not exactly hers. They were exchanging sizes but not individual features. Her hands, like her feet, were still her own; just simply smaller. "Like what if I had been born only destined to be 5'2"? What if I had been born to be a Doctor instead of an athlete? This is what I would look like" Didi thought seeing the large hands pass by her own.
Denise was examining her big hands and thinking nearly the same thoughts "They’re still my hands, just bigger and with different skills. Like, what if I was supposed to be a professional athlete instead of a doctor? This is what I would look like.
Denise lurched forward as a different type of pressure built up inside of her body. Muscles all over her body began twitching; thickening.
Fat began to convert to muscle. Her soft, unathletic body was adapting, changing, to express an entirely different body type. Not just simply tall, but built, string all around.
Her heart and lungs changed, increasing capacity as muscles built up.
Denise glanced down and saw her biceps and triceps bulging. She felt her arms, they were tight and firm. Her shoulders and back tightened. Deltoid, pectoral muscles, abdominal muscles folded in.
Denise gasped looking at her stomach, now a six pack of muscles.
Glutes and Quads; every muscle in her body was changing. Her ass grew larger and rounder and pushed her compression shorts out. Her thighs thickened with muscle.
While Denise was growing stronger, Didi's muscles were melting away.
Her body grew soft from ankles to shoulders. Her stomach puffed out soft as her thighs changed as muscle turned to fat. Different curves defined her body as her arms grew soft and supple and even smaller as she lost more weight. Weight had transferred when they had swapped heights but now as her muscles were no longer needed, Didi lost additional pounds. She had gone from her original 164 down to just 112.
Denise felt something new change as a thought Flashed through her mind "What’s my birthday? How old am I?"
She looked over "What’s your birthday?
Didi looked up "February 8th…" she trailed off and looked confused "Nineteen Ninety…no, Eighty…" she cocked her head and paused. Then it suddenly hit her "1984!" She pointed at Denise before confusion clouded her expression. "But not February, why did I say that? It's um…" she closed her eyes "April 21st?" Then more confidently "Yes. My birthday is April 21st, 1984. I'm 38"
Didi blinked as the shock of her confused reality hit her. "Wait…"
"I'm just as unsure" Denise admitted biting her lower lip "February 8th, 1999" she said. "I'm 23"
"Well I wouldn't be a full fledged Surgeon at only 23…I was just starting my residency at that age" Didi said.
"And I'd be hard pressed to be playing at 38. I'm not Sue Bird" Denise said.
As they talked, Denise's skin began to darken. Simply tan at first, her skin was beginning to change.
Didi was also beginning her next phase of changing as her skin began to lighten. A simple shade lighter to start with.
Neither noticed at first as their minds were going into overload, trying to grasp all the changes that a 15 year age flip had done to them.
"I went to Baylor University…" Denise said hesitantly. Memories of playing games clad in green and white uniforms. "I was born in Houston"
"No! I was…no…I was born in Philadelphia. I went to the University of Pennsylvania…Ivy League. My internship was at Jefferson Hospital in Philly. Then to Massachusetts General in Boston and now I practice out of the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York" Didi said smiling. She looked over and up. She had been lost in thought but now something new registered, shocking her as she looked at Denise "Hey!" She yelled out before she looked down at herself.
Didi put her arms out making sounds of astonishment "No…no,no,no, not this! Not this too!" She said as she backpedaled 4 steps. Her eyes darted between her arms and her legs and then back up to Denise who was just now catching on.
"Wha…what?" Denise had said snapping out of her momentary fog. She saw Didi moving, but the blur of movement seemed off. Paler, somehow brighter.
"WhoaHolyShit!" Denise yelled out seeing Didi.
Denise immediately looked down at herself "I'm black!" She blurted out as her jaw dropped.
Her skin was dark and still changing color and tone but it was undeniable that they were swapping race now.
Didi was pale; white, Caucasian. Her skin was pinkish in tone. She moved around trying to catch all the angles.
Denise spun around. There was a mirror on the wall and she had to see. "Didi!"
Didi heard and came over in shock "Ohmygod" she mumbled. She looked at her face; still very recognizable as subtle changes occurred.
Didi's nose shrank down but also became pointier. Her eyes remained large and the shape didn't change but the color did. Greenish blue eyes blinked back at her instead of the usual deep brown.
Her features looked smaller and more delicate with her decreased size but she still saw herself there.
She gasped though as her hair began to change.
Denise too still recognized her face. Larger now, her features were slightly broader. Her mouth was larger from simple size changes. Her dark skin had a glow to it. Her cheeks remained the same shape even as her nose grew larger and flatter. It wasn't Didi's nose; it was simply her nose now.
Her blue eyes darkened to a deep brown and her eyebrows darkened and thickened but it was her hair that made her gasp.
All the volume and curl in Didi's hair was vanishing. Not exactly vanishing though. It was transferring. Their hair was seemingly switching between them.
As Didi's hair thinned and lightened and straightened, Denise's hair thickened, darkened and curled.
Denise's hair puffed out, full of volume and growing fuller by the second as Didi's hair fell flatter, thinning out and lying down.
It hung to her shoulders as it now lightened from black to blonde.
A distinct middle part etched in Denise's hair as it filled out. Straightened it would be silky smooth and long but now, it was natural and beautiful, full of curl and substance.
Their jaws dropped looking at their reflections.
Thoughts came and went, clouding up their minds before crystal clear revelations locked in.
"This is me now" Denise, now Deauzya, said to her reflection. "I'm Didi Roberts"
"This is me now" Didi, now Denise echoed. "I'm Dr. Denise Richards"
The spell broke. They stepped back knowing they had switched places with each other. Denise knew she was a respected physician and that she was here to treat Didi Roberts foot and ankle.
Denise started stripping out of her clothes "These don't belong to me" she mumbled.
Didi picked up the shorts and jersey. 2 Roberts was across the back as she slipped them on, deftly tying up the drawstrings of her shorts. She grabbed the ankle socks and her size 12 Nike shoes. She laced them up noting "My ankle doesn't hurt"
Dr. Richards smirked "You have a clean bill of health from me and can resume full practice and game status. She replied already in her underwear and tan slacks. The collared shirt went on and she slipped her tiny feet into the navy blue leather flats.
Dr. Richards did her blonde hair up into a tight bun. She slipped her wedding band on almost as an afterthought "Could you please send Stefanie in next?" She asked Didi as she was leaving the training room.
"Sure thing Doc" Didi said as she jogged out.
Dr. Richards gathered her thoughts and composed herself before the next player came in. A whole new reality was coming quickly into focus for her. She could still remember everything about her old reality and life but this new one was moving forward and at her while the other was a memory for the time being.
Didi jogged onto the court and did a quick stutter step and moved without pain to.the cheers and calls of her teammates.
She started conditioning drills and let the euphoria of what her body was now capable of wash over her. No life or death, no malpractice, just playing the game she loved. And she excelled at it. The heaviness of her old reality waded to the back of her mind for now. She was determined to enjoy the rest of this season. Her body was phenomenal; it was time to use it.
Dr. Richards explored the depths of knowledge in her mind and marveled at the skill in her hands. Basketball was just a game. What she did know really mattered. Her mind was exceptional; it was time to use it.
She saw several of her old teammates one by one. Each was greeted with a smile and expert knowledge of their conditions and each and every one of them absolutely dwarfed her in size.
She got a little thrill having to look up at each of them; coming up chest high to the post players made her stomach flutter.
As she was leaving, Denise stopped to watch a few minutes of practice. She smirked seeing Didi out there moving so effortlessly, running plays, making shots, boxing out. The footwork and hand eye coordination was spot on. But dang she looked hot, sweaty, and exhausted.
Denise made her way to the underground parking garage and got into her Tesla. She shivered slightly as she left the arena and headed into traffic to get from Brooklyn back to her office in Manhattan.
After seeing patients for the afternoon, she headed home. Home was now an apartment on Central Park West overlooking the park.
Denise and her husband both had parking. He was one of the top heart Surgeons in the City; they had met and married 10 years prior just as Denise moved in from Boston.
Stepping into their apartment, Denise felt at home. She spotted a wedding picture of them. It was unmistakably her in that picture, her big eyes, her pointed chin. It had been her on that day getting married, wearing that dress, those priceless pearls. That was her smile.
Everything was of course the highest quality. She made her way to their bedroom and she opened her closet. The custom made Italian shoes, the tailored outfits…all hers. Fit to her body.
Didi hit the court ready to go. The game came naturally to her, like she had been playing it her whole life. Working hard to excel at it, driven to succeed.
That hard work and perseverance had paid off for her so far. Working through devastating injuries in college at Baylor until she was a professional.
The conditioning drills became passing and defensive drills before scrimmage. She finished and cooled down with free throw shooting.
Grabbing her water and a towel she headed back to the locker room to shower, change and get ready. The team was flying out for a road trip later that afternoon.
She dressed casually; designer sneakers, comfy pants along with a crop top. She did her makeup, her signature eyelashes especially before they all headed to La Guardia for the flight to Las Vegas.
A commercial flight; at least the owners put them in business class and not full on coach, but Didi always felt cramped in the seats with her long legs.
A long flight, a hotel room, breakfast at the hotel, shoot around a few hours before game time and then it was time; Didi's first actual game. Yet, it was all routine for her. The pregame preparations, wrapping and taping up, braces, and of course, her eyelashes.
She allowed the old part of her brain frontal access for warm-ups and introductions. The crowd noise, TV cameras from ESPN were all thrilling to her. But once the whistle blew for tip-off, it was game time and Didi took over.
It was an absolute rush. She loved it. The banging, the trash talk, the speed of it. Her ability and skills took over and her stomach fluttered at the rush of it. There was simply no place else she would rather be than on a basketball court.
There was little time to rest or relax. After the game, they flew to Seattle for the same routine and then on to Dallas.
Didi scored 17 and had 8 rebounds and 6 assists in that game but she also had a steal in the last 20 seconds to secure the win.
She prided herself on her defense and in her interview with Holly Rowe after the game, she couldn't stop smiling.
Didi made it home and had a day off. She caught up with friends, got dressed up and went out to a Club where she danced into the night. Her small apartment in Queens was waiting for her after riding the Subway home.
They both got into their new lives and routines over the next few weeks.
Dr. Richards was at several of the Liberty practices and consulted on the players injuries, including Didi's ongoing issues.
A hamstring injury was a nagging concern for her.
"Come on in Didi" she said, seeing the statuesque player in the doorway of the training room.
"Hey Doc…how's it going?" Didi called out coming in.
They both glanced around. Other trainers were nearby but not on top of them so as Didi got up on the table, they made sure to talk softly.
"It's going great! I love it" Denise admitted, leaning in close as she examined Didi's knee.
"How about you? Is it everything you thought it would be?"
Didi's head went back and she smiled so happily "Oh my God yes! It's awesome! It's so amazing having a body like this…these skills! I'm loving it. I let that old part of my brain come up…it's like watching in awe as I do what I do" she giggled.
"I know that feeling. I'm in the zone, so focused in a surgery, and I hear this voice in my head just wonderstruck, saying "I can’t believe I'm capable of this!"
They both smiled and laughed "And there are definitely other benefits of having your life" Denise admitted thinking of her salary and her wardrobe.
"Oh there are benefits of having your life too" Didi smirked and raised her eyebrows thinking of modeling photo shoots and her wardrobe.
"There's only 4 games left this season. I have Courtside seats for the finale here at Barclays" Denise said.
"Then my goal in that game is to put up a triple double for you" Didi said.
"I can come to the locker room after the game. We can talk then" Denise said. She saw something in that moment in Didi's eyes. A flash. Was it anger? Fear? Determination? No, it was resolve. She knew.
Didi heard the hesitation in Dr. Richards' voice. She didn't want to talk about it. She saw something in the doctor's eyes as she spoke. It was hesitation. It was fear, it was disappointment. Didi knew it. Dr. Richards didn't want to change back.
Both of them reacted to what they were seeing.
Didi cocked her head ever so slightly and squinted her eyes.
Dr. Richards got a quizzical look on her face.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Didi whispered, trying not to let her hopes get too high.
"Mayyyyyybe?" Denise tensed up replying. She didn't quite know how to breach the subject. Her eyes darted around. "I know I just saw something in your eyes when I mentioned meeting up after the season was done"
"Yeah and we both know what that means. I'm not dumb. We both know what we said when we switched places. The rest of the season…" Didi said.
"So I guess I'm going to just come out and say it: I don't want to switch back" Denise said full of anxiety. She held her breath but immediately saw the smile on Didi's face and the gleam in her brown eyes.
Didi leaned in close and whispered "I don't want to switch back either"
Denise popped back shocked. A truly genuine smile on her face, tears in her eyes.
They realized the two trainers had left the room. Denise jumped to the door and shut it. Didi hopped off the table and caught Denise as she turned back around in a big hug.
"Ohmygod!" Denise blurted out, engulfed in the taller woman's body and arms.
"Ohmygod is right!" Didi replied, laughter and joy in her voice.
"I can’t believe this! You have no idea how bad I want to stay like I am now!" Denise said.
"Oh I think I do have an idea! I know! Trust me…I understand 100%!" Didi added "I give up any and all rights to being Denise if you are ready to be her forever"
"Oh absolutely! And I fully renounce any and all claims I have to be Deauzya. That is now you. Your name. Your identity…You!"
"I just hope that's enough to keep from automatically switching back! I mean, we don't know how any of this works. Maybe we're bound to our original wish" Didi said.
"Then I wish we stay like this forever! I wish we would never switch back!" Denise said.
"Let me add this: If I manage to get a triple double in one of these last 4 games, it irrevocably locks us into these bodies and lives forever"
"Deal. I hope it doesn't come down to that but it can't hurt!" Denise said.
"I guess we won't know for sure until after that game against the Mystics" Didi said "But just knowing that we're on the same page on this is such a huge relief"
"Oh I agree. I guess it hit me a few weeks ago that I wanted to stay like this. I love you and that life. I had nothing against being Didi but once we switched; I don't know what it is about this: But after a lot of soul searching I had to admit to myself, that to be true to myself, I needed to stay in this body" Denise confessed.
"It hit me too just how happy I was and how much I was enjoying this. But there's something deeper you know…something in my soul that keeps telling me that I'm who I'm supposed to be. I was perfectly happy in my life on that day we met. No regrets, no real doubts. And then…then I found myself in a polar opposite life and body. And I loved it. Then I started fearing losing it and I realized then and there that I didn't want to change back ever again" Didi added, wiping away a few tears with the palms of her hands.
Didi played her heart out the next 3 games on the road but didn't reach her goal.
She was super nervous getting ready for the season finale but also super determined.
Didi came out for warm-ups and saw Denise already in her seat just down from the bench.
Denise was dressed in a sea foam green silk blouse, black tailored skirt and a pair of custom made Italian leather pumps. She applauded enthusiastically as the Liberty came out and did lay up drills and shooting.
Denise saw the look.of determination in Didi's eyes. Already a fierce competitor, she came out on fire that day.
Didi scored the Liberty's first 6 points and she grabbed 2 early rebounds.
She was directing the team and their usual leader, Sabrina Ionescu, picked up on Didi's fire and began running plays for her.
Already at 11 points at the end of the 1st quarter, Didi didn't want to rest for long. She was bugging her coach to let her back in.
The Mystics defense now keyed on her which actually played right into her hands as began bringing the ball up the court and dishing out assists.
At halftime her Stat line read 14 Pts, 5 Rebounds and 7 Assists.
Denise gave a standing ovation as they left the court and their eyes met. They both nodded and smiled.
Sensing how close Didi was getting to a major milestone, her teammates were going to make sure she got her triple double. They were out of the playoffs but up by 10 at halftime so it became a team goal even without saying so.
In the third quarter when they saw a shot miss, they boxed out and made sure Didi got the rebound. The coach set up a few give and go's with Didi at the point.
The 4th quarter was just a minute in when a 3 pointer clanged off the rim from one of the Mystics. Didi was in position. Her hands went up and she spun to box out another Mystic, securing her 10th rebound of the game.
"Time Out!" Her coach signaled and yelled out.
Didi realized what it meant. A grin appeared spreading ear to ear. She shivered as her teammates mobbed her congratulating her. She hugged the ball close to her chest, arms still wrapped around it in a bear hug.
Denise had leapt to her feet watching the ball in air after it had hit the rim. A warmth quickly spread throughout her body as she saw Didi's big hands; fingers splayed out make contact, secure the ball and protect it with her life.
Denise screamed out "YES!" as she fist pumped and clapped, bouncing on the edge of the court.
After Didi made her way out of her teammates as they went to the bench for water. She slipped a few feet away and handed the ball to Denise "Hold onto this for us!" She instructed her as the refs brought in a different ball.
The announcers at the table could be overheard "What an accomplishment for Didi Roberts! 1st career triple double…that's definitely a souvenir to keep"
"So happy to see her achieve something so important; look at how happy she is. I'm not sure who that is in the crowd she gave the ball to for safe keeping…"
"I'm being told that is one of the Liberty's team Doctors. Dr. Denise Richards who has been working very closely with Didi this season"
"Well then I sure it's in good hands"
Didi took a seat and was subbed out. The Liberty were up by 17 and it was time to rest the starters. She grabbed a towel and wiped her face and shoulders. She was shaking as she drank water.
She leaned forward and saw Denise was looking her way; a smile on her face.
As their eyes met, a wave pushed between them. Didi felt it in her chest. A momentary look of shock hit her.
Denise locked eyes with Didi, she felt a wave pass through and over her. Her face went blank for just a moment but once it passed, she knew.
Didi knew it too. She began to grin and laugh. She drummed her feet excitedly. It was over. They were now and forever locked into these bodies and lives.
Denise nodded, a silly smile spreading. She laughed out loud and clapped her hands. It was over. She patted the basketball in her lap knowing she didn't really know what to do with it anymore. Any attempt to dribble it or shoot it would just be embarrassing. Showing off her complete lack of athletic ability. She couldn't be happier.
After the game, Denise used her staff credentials to get to the locker room. The ball in her hands was all she really needed though.
"Congratulations Didi!" She yelled out barely able to contain her excitement holding the ball out.
"Thanks Doc! You must be my good luck charm!" Didi said, taking the ball. They both couldn't help but notice the difference in their hands as all four were on the ball at once.
"I'm putting in for season tickets for next year. I think I can pull a few strings" Denise teased.
She busied herself with some paperwork for the team while Didi showered and changed clothes. Most of the place had cleared out when Denise looked up from her laptop and saw Didi there before her.
The smile on her face said it all.
Denise looked around but didn't care. She stood up and they hugged each other tightly.
"Thank you so much!" Didi said in a truly heartfelt tone.
"Ohmygosh No! Thank YOU!" Denise countered.
"Let’s get dinner together in the next few days. I'll be flying home to Houston for a bit and then I'll be playing in the Italian league over the winter. I'll make three times as much in Italy as what I make here" Didi said.
"My husband and I will be in Italy in January! I'll look you up and maybe we can get together there too!" Denise replied.
"That would be amazing" Didi said adding "I love that blouse on you"
Denise blushed wearing the Liberty's color. "I absolutely adore your outfit " she added.
Didi was wearing a tight black leotard top, black ripped jeans and black heeled boots accentuated by big silver hoop earrings.
"Awww thanks!" She replied.
"I can’t seem to pull off those outfits anymore for so many reasons" Denise laughed. "But when we hook up in Italy, I'm going to buy you a bunch of shoes from my guy who custom makes mine"
Didi got excited at that "Oooooo. We will have to get matching pairs!"
"You’re absolutely right! I'm thinking of a nice pair of open toed, strappy ones in a 6 ½ and a 12 haha!" Denise said.
"I'm just happy that I'm the 12 in that situation" Didi said.
"And I'm just as happy being the six and a half" Denise said.
They had reached the parking garage. Denise smiled and nodded as she turned to go to her car. Didi flashed her a peace sign as she headed up the stairs to get to the Subway station "See you around Doc"
"See you around Deauzya" she replied with a smile.