Oliver decided on making Paula aware now. If he waited, then there's no way he could show his Mom the truth without her getting really angry, and it'd be justified with him deceiving her. At least yet, he hadn't done anything wrong, so he hoped Mom would be more understanding than Becca had been.
He found the setting for full awareness, then he flipped the switch for Paula. The moment he did, Paula froze.
Paula suddenly remembered that the man in front of her wasn't her husband. Eric was her real husband, but that wasn't quite right either. She remembered a whole previous life as Paul, a husband and father. Back then, she had her daughter Emily, which the camera had turned to her husband Eric. Rebecca was originally not her daughter, but Emily's boyfriend. And her wife Olivia, she'd disappeared, or maybe not. She was pregnant back when she first became Paula, right? Was that where she'd ended up? So Olivia was her son Oliver? This was too much to take in at once.
"Mom," Oliver started. "It's me, Oliver."
Paula was still a bit stunned trying to get everything straight. The man in front of her said Oliver, so he was Oliver, but Oliver wasn't Olivia? Or rather, she glanced at the camera, he wasn't fully aware of his previous life?
"Oliver. So you used that camera on yourself?" Paula asked.
"Yeah. I didn't know what would happen, that I would end up like this. I didn't mean to you know, um, become married, to, um."
"It's fine hon, er, sweetie." Paula said. Though, she was a bit embarrassed that she'd flirted with her own son, even if she could remember a life where they were husband and wife, it was still distant, more than a decade ago. Could she go back? Did she even want to go back?
"Could you let me take a look at that camera?" Paula asked.
Oliver paused and clutched the camera tightly. "I want to keep it."
"It's not safe for you to handle," Paula put on a sterner voice. "Hand it over." She reached out to grab the camera.
Oliver grabbed Paula's wrist. "No," he said firmly.
Paula couldn't move. Her arm was trembling. He was so much stronger than her, taller than her. The usual sense of authority she had as a mom wasn't there. Instead she felt a burning desire for this man, her husband, to overpower her, pin her down, fuck her. No no no. That wasn't her 'real' husband, but in some sense she had no 'real' husband at all. She had to get a hold of herself.
Oliver felt confident. It wasn't just his strength, his physical superiority over Paula, but he felt like an adult that shouldn't let himself get bossed around like some child. He released his grip on Paula. "I didn't hurt you, right?"
Paula felt her wrist. "No. I'm fine," she replied. The only thing hurt was her sense of pride. "But be careful with that camera. Don't use it without talking to me first. You got that?"
"Uh, sure," Oliver replied. Even if he wanted the camera for himself, he didn't want to hurt or anger his family.
"First, can you use the camera on yourself." Paula suggested. "It feels wrong being married to my own son. Can you take a picture of yourself, and turn into someone that's not my husband?"
"I don't know." Oliver shrugged. "I want to stay an adult for some time longer." He flexed his arm.
Paula stared at him. God he was hot, and she still had those lingering horny feelings, her skin slightly flushed. She was stressed at that, knowing her family was fabricated by the camera. She wanted to break down and cry, also she wanted to throw herself into the arms of her manly husband, have him relieve her of her stress, but that was all way too inappropriate for the situation. She wanted out of this. Maybe she should ask for the camera to be used on her? It'd get her out of the weirdly incestuous marriage she was in, and maybe also help her understand herself better, in a new self, would she feel more like 'Paul' or 'Paula'?
"Hon, um, Oliver, um." Paula started. "Can you use the camera on me?"
"Are you sure?"
"I am. If you're not changing yourself, I am. Go ahead, take a picture of me. Just make sure I'm aware of what's happening."
Oliver aimed the camera at his wife. Paula closed her eyes.
FLASH