1:46 AM
"Wow" Charlene tried to form a sentence for the first time in several hours "That was, wow."
"Yeah."
10:03
Charlene drifted awake, curled up against her spouse's warm, comfortable body. She was already late for work. She looked at Angie, or as she had cried out in passion last night "Andrew." She nudged him. "Don't we need to pick up Jennifer?"
Andrew was pretty sound asleep, but came too. "No, that's alright, we don't have to pick her up until after lunch."
"Let me call work and tell them I'm not coming in."
10:45
Andrew and Charlene were in the kitchen, eating breakfast. Andrew realized that in some ways this was even better than last night. For the first time since Charlene had returned, he felt like part of a couple.
Charlene took a sip of her coffee, and broached the subject that was on both their minds. "Have you decided?"
Andrew hesitated. "I never, ever wanted to be anything other than a woman. But it just felt so great last night--not that it was better than sex as a woman, but sex is sex and it just felt so great to be with you again. I really want us to be a real couple again, to be a real family again, and I think I can live with being a male, and being a fox-creature, if what that kitsune--is that what they're called?--told me last night was true about people accepting me the way they accept you."
"Are you sure?"
"Of oourse I'm not sure, but I can't go back to living with you like two women. It just wasn't working, and eventually we'd have to split up and I'd hate it--and you know how hard it would be on Jennifer." He fingered the pendant. "I may regret this, but I know I'll regret not doing it."
"OK" Charlene answered. "So, we have about an hour before Jennifer needs to be picked up. Can you think of anything to pass the time?"
12:03
"Mommy! Daddy!" yelled Jennifer. Even though she had never seen the strange fox before, she knew instantly who it was. "Mommy! You turned into a fox, just like Daddy!"
Andrew took Jennifer into his arms and raised her above his head. "And you're a boy fox, just like Daddy is a girl fox!"
"I knew I couldn't fool you, Jen-Jen!"
Jennifer laughed.
6:18:30
The family sat around the table, eating supper, talking and laughing like the old times before Carl disappeared. Jennifer was taking the latest metamorphosis in her stride, although her parents had to explain that she wouldn't be turning into a fox, or a boy, herself. She seemed to accept that.
Charlene looked nervously at the clock. Andrew could still change his mind.
6:20
Andrew caught Charlene's eye, and smiled.
Meanwhile, back in the Middle East. . .
Duty, Janice thought. There was no way she could ask the new angels to put their duty before all else while shirking hers. "Tabra" she began "Will we be more effective in this operation the way we are now, divided, or as a joined entity, even though we will be a new entity without much experience?"