One of the things that hadn't changed very much at all after Great Change was that economic inequality was still a huge problem. Perhaps even the central problem plaguing society.
Rich women were still getting richer, poor women were still becoming poorer, and the rich had their thumb on the scale of justice to prevent things from changing *too* much. The middle class was still shrinking from its peak in the 1950s and 1960s. Unions were still being gutted.
Violent crime was at an all time low, but systematic racism and xenophobia still existed, and embedded deeply in American society.
Abortion rights were still bizarrely being fucked around with by conservatives in Congress despite the fact that men were no longer around.
Dani listened with empathy to the plights of different women as she served them at the soup kitchen, and she realized how lucky she was.
A part of her wondered whether she and Tiffany should have even brought a new life into this world given how many were already suffering, especially after one crying New Woman had told Dani about how the state had taken her daughter away two weeks ago after she had experienced postpartum psychosis.
**
The Quesadas had been kind enough to invite Barry over for their Christmas party, just as they had done during Thanksgiving last month.
Millie, soft hearted as she was, was ecstatic that Barry had found a new job.
"Maybe you'll find someone there to help you get over Regina!"
"Yeah" Barry said sadly. "Maybe."
Everyone at the dinner table was having trouble trying not to stare at Millie's cleavage peaking through the confines of her red and green dress.
Meanwhile, Jo was upset that her new bestie Paloma had squealed to her mom about what she had told her as they played Mario Kart together in the living room. Jo, of course, was kicking Paloma's ass at it.
**
Jean and Greta were celebrating their own Christmas together, except that they were on holiday in Jamaica.
As the two Born Women were in the hot tub, Jean brought up something.
"Remember that woman Elizabeth, back when The Great Change first started?"
"Oh, yeah, I suppose" Greta said, putting her glass of wine down.
"I wonder how she's doing."
"I'm sure that she's fine" Greta said as she leaned in to kiss Jean.
Jean and Greta had promised Elizabeth that after a decade, if the world wasn't significantly better after The Great Change, they would start gradually reintroducing men.
With that date approaching in four short years, Jean realized that she had no way of fulfilling that promise.
She worried sometimes about whether she should have given up her magic ring to those two other women.
All of the things that she and Greta could have fixed about the world were now up to the whims of fate.
**
Jennifer Thomas, formerly Gerry Thomas, had been an old man when the Great Change hit.
She wasn't complaining, she loved being a New Woman. She was young and vibrant and sexy now, which was soooo much better than having aches and pains, a beer belly, and high blood pressure.
But one of her seasonal jobs back when she had been a man was as a Santa Claus impersonator at a local mall in town, as well as delivering presents to needy children at toy drives and other local charities.
Seeing children's eyes light up as he made their holiday a little brighter had brought joy to the old man's heart, as Gerry had never had children of his own.
Jennifer still had her job as a Santa Claus impersonator in 2022, but the nature of Santa Claus had changed over the last few years.
Santa was portrayed almost exclusively as female now, obviously. She was slender. And young. And busty, even under her red fur suit.
And Mrs Claus was equally as slender and young and busty.
It just felt strange sometimes.
The line between wholesome holiday traditions and sexy cosplay or porn parody was becoming a little bit blurred.
For one thing, Jennifer had noticed many fully grown adults sitting on her lap nowadays.
Last week, a stunning blonde woman with a huge rack named Robbie had approached her.
"Uh...what do you want for Christmas, little girl?" she asked as Robbie sat down.
"I just wanted to kiss Santa Claus" Robbie said in her practiced sex kitten voice, her pretty blue orbs staring directly into Jennifer's. "Is that OK, Santa?".
"Um, I suppose that would be alright" Jennifer said.
Robbie kissed Jennifer on the cheek, and ran off, giggling.
Jennifer had blushed for the next hour.
**
Katerina bit her tongue and tried to enjoy the holiday as best as she could.
Stupid or not, you don't get to choose your family.
"How is American girlfriend doing nowadays?" Viktoriya asked as she and Katerina were in her kitchen, preparing dinner.
"Oh, she's good. On assignment."
"I still say, you could do better. I know born woman in town. She better for you than that shlyukha."
"You're not talking about Oksana?"
"Yes" Viktoriya said, turning around from chopping vegetables, her dyed blonde hair in a messy bun, wearing a red sweater with an image of The Grinch on it.
"Oksana nice girl. You should settle down. You getting too old to be Black Widow anymore. Be family woman instead. You'll be happier."
"I'd rather hang myself than settle down and be housewife or wage slave for some oligarch" Katerina said.
"OK" Vikoriya said, turning around. "But when you die someday, and I be only person crying for you at funeral, don't blame me."
"How could I blame you if I'm already dead?" Katerina said.
**
"So, did you have fun?" Savannah asked Nancy as her daughter returned to Chronivac HQ three hours later, meeting her in the lobby where a giant Christmas tree stood, almost as big as the one in Rockefeller Center.
Nancy noticed that her dad's clothes and Diana clothes were a bit rumpled. She could guess what the two older women did while she was away exploring.
"I did, Dad! This world is really something else. It's so futuristic. I can't believe I'm really here!"
"It's a little too Blade Runner for my taste, personally" Diana said wearily. "And it's a company town. Not every city is as nice."
"Oh" Nancy said, sounding slightly disappointed.
"Don't feel so bad" Diana said with a practiced smile. The antivirus is all ready."
**
Aziza and Tom stood in front of a really tall Christmas tree. Somewhere in the distance, some jazzy Christmas song could be heard. They were holding hands. They felt at peace.