Katie ran home excited as ever. She had a ring that could control ages, and she had made herself 8, a full year older than she had been! She ran to her home, which she shared with her single mother, Kellie. Kellie worked a split shift at her job as an attorney to be home after school with Katie. When she was married, shad had put her career first, having Katie in her mid 30s. Kellie was now 43 years old, one of the oldest moms of the children in Katie's class.
Katie ran in the door. "Hi mommy I'm home! She yelled!"
Kellie entered from the kitchen. "Hi sweetie." She then looked at her daughter very critically. "Katie what are you wearing? Those clothes look too small for you! And didn't we just buy that shirt last month?"
Katie froze. She realized she may have only grew a tiny bit as she aged but it was noticeable in the outfit she was wearing. Her jeans didn't yet feel tight at the waist but the bottoms had risen above her ankles. And her shirt was now exposing a little bit of her belly button.
"Uh oh," Katie thought, "I sure wish mom couldn't notice I changed my age."
And with that, Kellie's eyes went blank for a moment. Then she shook her head and looked at her daughter again.
"Did you hear me Katie? Those clothes are almost a year old! You can't wear stuff that's too small to school sweetie, it's unbecoming."
Katie was shocked! She could control people's perception of her age changes as well!
"I'm sorry mom," she said. "Maybe we can go to the mall soon and get me some new clothes?"
"We can go after dinner," Kellie said. "I have a big case coming up and I'm starting preparations next week, so I'm taking the next few nights off to relax before I have to get busy. Your Aunt Ann will be staying with us next week to babysit once the trial starts monopolizing my time."
"OK, cool!" Katie said. She then had a sly thought. There was something she wanted to do for a while now.
"Mom, while we're at the mall, can I get my ears pierced?"
"No sweetie," Kellie responded. "I told you, not until you are in fourth grade. You can get your ears pierced when you are 9."
"Rats, just as I thought," Katie thought to herself. "I wish I was one year older."
And with that, Katie sprouted just one year further in age. Her pants were another inch past her ankles and her shoes felt tight. Her shirt was now a full inch above her belly button, and her short sleeves felt tight around her arms. Her brown hair was now long down her back, in a style that girls in the older classes wore, although still in the two pony tails she wore earlier. And just like before, a years worth of practical knowledge flooded her brain. She was now 9 years old and four feet, 8 inches tall, and smart as a fourth grader.
And thanks to Katie's earlier wish, Kellie didn't notice anything wrong with that.
"So I can get them pierced?" she asked again.
"Sweetie," Kellie began, "I know I said when you were 9, but I just think you are trying to grow up too fast! I'm sorry." Now let's have a quick meal and head to the mall. Those clothes look really bad on you."
"OK mom," Katie said. She knew that promise had been too good to be true. "I wish my mom had been jus a couple of years younger when she had me, then she might be cooler."
And with that, Kellie began to change slightly as her features freshened up. She was getting younger! The ring obeyed Katie's command to the letter: Kellie would now have been two years younger when Katie was born -- seven years ago, Kellie was 36, but she would have been 34 if he shad a 9-year-old now -- plus two more years to compensate for the fact that Katie had just aged two years and Kellie was oblivious to it!
Kellie, physically, had regressed 2 years. In her mind now, the 41-year-old was 32 when her child was born 9 years ago, instead of 36 when her child was born 7 years ago. This altered their relationship very slightly.
"Please mom?" Katie tried one more time.
"Well ...." Kellie trailed off. "OK. I think you are old enough. But you have to take care of them!"
"I will!" Katie exclaimed! As she headed into the other room, she looked at her ring with glee. This would definitely come in handy in the future.