TBP - Claire

This story is part of the TBP series, read part 1 here.

He woke in silence.

Not like someone emerging from a dream — but like someone realizing they were trapped inside another.

The room was the same. The bed, the furniture, the lingering scent in the air. But the perspective had shifted — and more than that, the presence had changed.

Matthew tried to move, but something felt… off. His balance was different, his arms slimmer, his center of gravity displaced. And then he saw it. First the hands, then the smooth, feminine arms. And finally, the reflection in the full-length mirror in the corner of the room.

Claire.

The image staring back was that of the woman he’d shared decades with.
Only now, he was the one inhabiting her.
Flawless skin, soft curves emphasized by the white lingerie Claire had chosen just hours before. Dark hair cascading down the shoulders, eyes — her eyes — trying to process the impossible.

Panic surged alongside the memory.
The rule.
The broadcast.
The three thoughts, sealed by instinct.

“You may visit each body once. Or choose to remain forever.”

What if he stayed?
What if fear or curiosity anchored him here?
What if this moment froze in time — and he lived the rest of his life as the mother of his own family?

His mind reeled with absurd questions.
Who, now, was in his original body? Claire? Trapped, helpless? Emily? Frightened? A stranger? A friend?

And then, the most disturbing thought slithered in:
“You're married to yourself.”

If Claire was in his body... if she saw him like this... what would she feel?
How would that dynamic even work? Who would become the husband now?
And the children — how would they react if they knew their mother now housed Matthew’s mind?

He turned slowly, trying to maintain composure. Every movement felt foreign — soft, measured, delicate. The way this body reacted, responded, carried itself — it all conspired to create a presence he had never truly considered inhabiting. The intimacy of it. The vulnerability. The strange, internal sense of being looked at, even when alone.

He thought about putting on something more appropriate before leaving the room.
But hesitated.

Maybe he should wait.
See if something changed.
If Claire — or whoever was now inside his body — would come looking for him.
Or… maybe it was time to jump to the next choice. The second visit.
Emily.
Or Janna.

But what if this was the only chance to see through Claire’s eyes?
To be her — a woman, a mother, the quiet pillar of an entire household?

Matthew took a deep breath.
Once again, his reflection blinked.
And for the first time, he had no idea who he was.