Melissa lingered in the hallway, her hand still resting on the doorknob she had just closed behind her. Her chest felt tight with questions, her mind running in circles. How had reality shifted so drastically? And why did she, of all people, seem to remember how things were supposed to be?
She looked at the elevator at the end of the hall, tempted to go home, take a shower, and try to think through the absurdity in the safety of her own space. But something held her back. The new Josh… this softer, more nurturing version of him… seemed so unlike the brash guy she remembered. And if she wanted answers, staying close to him might give her a clue about how or why things had changed.
Before she could second-guess herself, Melissa turned back to his door and knocked. She heard shuffling inside, followed by the sound of footsteps. The door opened to reveal Josh, still in his oversized shirt and lace panties, looking surprised but pleasantly so.
“Did you forget something?” he asked, tilting his head in curiosity.
Melissa hesitated for a beat, then smiled faintly. “Actually… I thought about it, and I think I’ll take you up on those pancakes.”
Josh’s face lit up, his warm smile stretching wide. “Oh, yeah? Well, come on in!” He stepped aside, holding the door open for her.
Melissa walked back into the apartment, the scent of coffee and lavender hitting her as soon as she entered. Josh motioned for her to sit at the small dining table in the corner of the open kitchen.
“Make yourself comfortable.” he said cheerfully as he began gathering ingredients.
Melissa settled into one of the chairs, her eyes following Josh as he moved about the kitchen with surprising ease. His movements were precise yet casual, like someone who had cooked a hundred times before. To her surprise, he grabbed his phone, tapped a few buttons, and soon the kitchen filled with the upbeat melody of a cheesy pop song. He hummed along without a hint of embarrassment, tapping his foot as he cracked eggs into a mixing bowl.
Melissa blinked, trying to reconcile this version of Josh with the one she had known before. Old Josh wouldn’t have been caught dead humming to anything other than some overplayed rock anthem.
“So,” Josh said, glancing over his shoulder as he worked, “what changed your mind? Couldn’t resist the idea of pancakes, huh?”
Melissa smirked, resting her cheek against her knuckles. “Something like that. You just seemed… really excited about it.”
Josh laughed, the sound light and melodious in a way that caught her off guard. “Well, I don’t get to have guests over for breakfast very often. It’s nice having someone to cook for.”
She nodded absently, her gaze fixed on him as he whisked batter with practiced ease. Even the way he moved seemed softer, more deliberate, like he carried a quiet confidence she had never noticed before. It wasn’t just his actions. It was the way he spoke, the way he smiled. Everything about him felt... different.
As the smell of freshly made pancakes began to fill the air, Melissa’s thoughts drifted. She pulled out her phone, hesitating for a moment before unlocking it. She needed answers, some kind of explanation for why everything felt so upside down. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard before she began typing into the search bar. Articles, advertisements, and blog posts quickly populated the screen, and what she found made her stomach tighten.
It wasn’t just Josh. Articles, news reports, and even advertisements painted a picture of a world where traditional gender roles had been entirely reversed. Men were praised for their nurturing qualities, domestic skills, and emotional intelligence, while women were depicted as the dominant, ambitious leaders of society. Her eyes darted over the words, trying to make sense of what she was seeing. This wasn’t just a subtle shift. It was a full-blown reversal of traditional gender roles, so deeply ingrained in society that it was as if the world had always been this way.
“Pancakes are ready!” Josh’s cheerful voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She looked up to see him carrying a plate stacked high with golden pancakes, steam rising from the fresh batch. He placed the plate in front of her with a proud grin.
“Hope you like them.” he said, grabbing syrup and butter from the counter before sitting across from her.
Melissa stared at the pancakes for a moment, then offered him a faint smile in return. “They look amazing. Thanks.”
Josh beamed, clearly pleased with himself as he drizzled syrup over his plate and took a bite. “Mmm.” he hummed contentedly, savoring the taste. Melissa hesitated before cutting into her own stack. The pancakes were fluffy and perfectly sweet, better than anything she could’ve made herself.
“So,” Josh said after a few bites, “you’ve been really quiet. What’s going on in that head of yours?”
Melissa glanced at him, her phone still in her hand. For a brief moment, she considered spilling everything about the FLASH, about how she remembered a world where none of this existed. But as she looked at Josh, so at ease, so content in this version of reality, the words caught in her throat.
She set the phone face down on the table, forcing a small smile. “Just tired.” she said, her voice measured. “It’s been a long week.”
Josh nodded in understanding. “I hear you. Work’s been kind of hectic lately, huh?”
Melissa nodded, though her thoughts were miles away. As she watched Josh laugh softly at his own joke about work, she couldn’t help but marvel at the ease with which he embodied this new version of himself.
For now, she decided to keep her memories of the old world to herself. Until she understood more about what had happened, and why, there was no point in risking the fragile balance of this strange, new reality. She took another bite of her pancake, letting the comforting taste ground her, even as the questions in her mind refused to settle.