Jess didn’t often get nights out with her friends from her single days. After taking Lya’s place as Revan’s wife due to an accidental balloon transformation, she’d ended up stuck in the role when Lya had decided to stay that way. Taking up Lya’s identity as well as becoming part of a married couple had burnt most of her old bridges, but one had remained - Sophie. They’d met up in a cafe, instead of a bar like in the old days, but still loved to chat about everything and anything.
“Hey, girlie, your mind’s far away. What’s up?” asked Sophie.
Casting about for something close to what had been eating her, Jess said, “It’s our fifth anniversary this weekend. Can you believe it?”
“You two have always seemed perfect together. Do you still have that balloon?”
Jess grinned. “It’s my favourite thing in the whole world, of course I still have it.”
Sophie smiled back, adding a touch of power to her smile and her words to make her sound extra convincing. “Then you should bring it to the anniversary too, with a bunch of balloons just like it.”
Jess clapped her hands excitedly. “Oh! That’s a great idea!”
Sophie wasn’t even sure that her flicker of witchery had even been necessary...
*** *** ***
Sophie was much less sure of her plan when the night of Lya and Revan’s fifth anniversary party arrived. She knew that somehow the balloon and her best friend Jess’ fate were entangled, and hoped that if she could get that balloon to herself she’d be able to figure out how.
The problem was, as soon as she’d pooled her power to persuade Jess to let her have the original, she’d felt the regard of another, much more powerful witch on her. She turned to the source of the impression and saw an older woman with bright green eyes watching her intently. When she let go of her power, the older woman smiled brilliantly.
Sophie sighed, and wandered her way over to the woman. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’ll all work out.”
“If you say so. Who are you?”
“Lya’s aunt Tillie. And possibly your new mentor, if you behave.”
Sophie sighed miserably. “I would like that, my old group fell apart when Jess vanished. I wish...”
“Tut. Enjoy the party.”
Sophie did her best to smile and nod, and do as Aunt Tillie had asked. The food was good, and everyone else seemed to be having a good time. She kept drifting past the display of balloons, a dozen lovely red balloons floating in the air and tied down by white strings. They were all alike... except for one. The original balloon had a gold-coloured weight tied to its string, instead of silver.
When the speeches started being made, everyone’s eyes turned to the front. Sophie watched, and even Aunt Tillie was paying more attention to Revan than to her. Daringly and deftly she untied the strings of two balloons, and swapped the weights on them. She made sure to tie the knot in a distinctive way, so she and she alone would know which balloon was the original.
After that, she smiled more and did her best to enjoy the party.
As the event wound down, she managed to persuade Lya that she didn’t need all twelve balloons at home. No magic required – or possible, Aunt Tille was watching her like a hawk. All she had to do was point out that the balloons wouldn’t all fit into the cozy cottage that Lya and Revan shared, and the balloons started being offered out to people as they left.
Few people accepted balloons, but enough did that there were only five left at the end. Sophie had been watching carefully, and the balloon with her special knot was still there. She reached for it, and felt momentarily dizzy, accepting a balloon from Lya as she took her leave.
It was only when she reached her car that she realized she had the wrong one.
*** *** ***
“Drat it, Sophie was right,” fussed Jess. “There isn’t room for a dozen giant balloons in here. Even just the four is a bit much...”
Revan nodded slowly. “I do know how much you love balloons. Perhaps we can reassemble your harem later, and... deflate the others now?”
Jess sighed and reluctantly approached the balloons. “Sorry, loves. You’re just going to have to live in a drawer between special occasions.”
As the first of the balloons had its string removed and began to hiss its deflation in Jess’ arms, one of the other balloons began to stir. It realized that it had been swapped out for the original weight, had felt the tug and tease at its string but only vaguely realized what it portended.
Lya’s mind slowly surfaced as she saw the second balloon dwindle. That was to be her fate. No longer bouncing and round, she’d just be... flat. Forgotten. Nothing. She found that the idea was abhorrent, and struggled against her rubbery prison with everything she had, trying break free.
Nothing happened. Not even the tiniest wiggle. But when Jess approached her to deflate her, her expression grew impish. “You know, you should give this one a kiss goodbye.”
Revan laughed softly, but did as his wife bade him. He hugged the balloon she was holding out, and gave it a loving kiss. To his surprise, the balloon started to kiss back. He didn’t question it, leaning into the balloon’s growing solidity as the kiss became frantic, desperate, and very, very hot. When he finally took a step back, Lya was standing where the balloon had once been. He stared at her in surprise. “You’re back? Oh thank God you’re back!”
Jess pouted. “I’ve been here all this time, and that’s how you treat me?”
Revan looked between the two identical women. “I know, I know. I agreed to all this, but I’ve missed my sweet Lya so, so much over these past years. Could you... not look like her. Please?”
Jess bowed to him, and as she rose from the bow she wore her original guise. “The better woman has won the day. Enjoy him, Lya. He’s a good one.”
Lya stretched a hand out to Jess. “You’re not going, are you? Revan, tell her not to go.”
Jess laughed ruefully. “Where would I go? I gave up my home, my life, most of my friends to become you. I don’t even know where I’d start.” She looked at Lya’s hand, then looked down at her own. She tugged the empowered wedding ring off her finger. “I suppose you’d like this back, too.”
Lya shook her head. “I hated that power. You’ve done much better with it. Keep it.”
“But it’s your wedding ring!” protested Jess.
“I’m sure Revan can buy me a replacement. Please, keep it, and the power within it. I loved every minute of the last five years... except the last one, where I thought I was going to be deflated.”
“Sorry about that,” Jess said. “Sophie got the idea into my head, and I realized it might be enough to make you want to be human again.”
“And the switcheroo with the other balloon?”
Jess laughed. “I’m not sure how she pulled that off, but it’s not like I needed the marker to know which balloon was my transformed sweetie. I could still feel you inside it.”
Revan smiled. “You should thank her next time you see her, then. From me, as well.”
There was a tapping on the door at that moment. “Who would be here at this hour?” asked Revan. He went to the door and opened it. Standing outside was Sophie, looking abashed.
“Aunt Tillie told me that I should come here right this very minute and apologize for... Jess? Oh my God, Jess! Is that really you?”
Jess stepped out from behind Revan and nodded. “Sorry. Long story, I ended up taking over Lya’s life for a while. That’s why I disappeared.”
“I knew you didn’t run away to Tibet,” crowed Sophie. She darted forward to hug Jess ferociously. “So... are you back? Where’s Lya?”
Revan looked around. The only people in the cottage were the three by the door. He could see into the bedroom, and there were two balloons bobbing there, not one. “Jess... did you turn my wife back into a balloon?”
Jess giggled and shook her head. “Nope. She’s spent the last five years as one. She’ll spontaneously turn back from time to time...”
Sophie dragged Jess toward the door. “C’mon, we have so much to catch up on.”
“But Lya’s a balloon," protested Revan weakly.
“Kiss her, you fool,” quipped Jess just before the door closed behind them.
Revan shrugged, and went to do so. In moments, Lya was human once more, and grinning at him impishly. “Oh, this is going to be interesting...”