I obliged the strange wish and watched as Cathy began to shrink and youthen into a young girl, slowly down and down she melted her face changing from fifteen to that of a seven year old girl. Her clothes morphed from her slutty shorts and sexy top into a more childish version of shorts in bright pink and matching T shirt with a Panda Bear on the front. She folded her arms and pouted just like a petulant child but she was no child, it was clear to see from looking into the fire in her eyes that she was still the same 38 year old woman. Angrily she struck out, but Sara caught her tiny flailing arms and they stood there tangled for a moment struggling, until finally Cathy relented and harumphed.
"she looks so darling, I cannot believe she was my mother all those things she always did, the controlling bitch never gave me a moment and the things she said about dad" said Sara
"I'm sorreeee" wailed Cathy her voice went high and shrill, she looked into her daughters eyes as if seeing her for the first time at least seeing her from a new and rather strange perspective.
"But you were a bitch so often the crap you said, why?" said Sara
"Joey purlease, I'm a grown up you can't do this" was Cathy's only reply she looked up at me, this tiny innocent looking child with tears visibily flowing, had the flame been extinguished? Yes she was still a woman on the inside but was the mighty bitch Cathy finally ready to listen to someone elses opinion could she learn to be a better person.
"Why?" asked Sara again.
"I love you, I do" answered Cathy
"As if" responded Sara tugging at the tiny childs arms.
Cathy pouted she made a believable seven year old. I wondered if her youthened body had affected her maturity even if she had retained all her knowledge it was unknown how her current little body maybe affecting her.
"My Mother..." I began
"I'm jealous O.k?" shot out of Cathy's tiny mouth she would never say anything as an adult but finally after years we might come to an understanding.
"Jealous? of what" I felt incredulous, she was a happily married woman, wheras it was true my mother was still looking for love and sometimes what she found was undesirable.
"You know" answered Cathy blushing as she frowned, staring at the ground.
"Sex?" I answered
Tight lipped Cathy nodded feeling suddenly embarresed about big girl talk.
I felt pretty ridiculous talking to a seven year old woman but I had got further in understanding, she was angry and frustrated at being in a boring marriage with no sex and a loving duaghter she could only resent for being young and pretty.
"I'm not changing you back Cathy, I'm not calling you mom any more, you think a couple of words and it's o.k, I loved you once and you beat me down" said Sara staunchly staring down at the small girl who once was her adult shaped mother
"I always cared what about the music lessons" answered a snivelling little Cathy"
"Hated them"
"The ballet remember you wanted to do that"
"No you wanted me to do that becuase you thought your then little darling would look cute in the outfit"
" You quit and refused to go and sulked and whined and sulked until your father gave in he always gave into you"
"I think you would look cute in the outfit, what did you always say your parents were to poor to send you, I think it's fitting that you get a chance to go and you can be my little sister for a while"
"Joey please I beg of you" wailed the distressed little mother
"No" I answered "this is Sara's wish until she decides otherwise you are stuck as a little girl"
Cathy looked defeated and deflated, grudgingly she took Sara's hand and we walked to Sara's house.
Sara walked into her house and requested for me to change the spare room for Cathy.
I wished, the room swireled and fizzled in bright colors finally conjouring barbie doll wallpaper with pictures of horses and ballerinas adorning the wall.
Deep down Sara knew that she loved her mother and perhaps she knew that Cathy's relationship with her husband had fizzled out, now she could start a new relationship by calling him daddy even if she retained her adult mind.
Cathy looked at her new room and instinctivly pulled out the box of dollies hiding under the bed.
She was a little girl albeit this morning she had been a normal fuctioning adult woman, but she could slip quite easily and it didn't scare her at all.
She picked up a doll and titled back the head watching the eyes roll upwards "change me back please" she begged again attempting to resist the urge to sit down and play just let go and be a kid again.
"You were My Mom and I loved you until I couldn't anymore, just couldn't, but Cathy this is our chance to begin again, you can be young and take all the orders and have a bedtime thrust on you no partying and everything else"
Just then Derek my Uncle came in he looked beat, he called up anyone home.
Sara called down and he met us on the landing "pumpkin wheres your mom"
I wished that he would believe anything I said so I told him that he should sit down I had bad knews, Cathy had been in a boating accident and had been turned into a little girl but although she had retained her adult mind he should treat her as a child. but to tell others she had been in a boating accident, essentially I was killing my aunt and getting her husband to adopt her and raise her as his own child.
Months rolled passed and Cathy remained a woman in a childs body, but that didn't stop her indulging playing with dollies and going to ballet or joining the pony club or sitting on daddy's knee watching the TV or having a bedtime story she didn't accept daddy dating...