The Fountain: Chapter Five

 I raised the phone to my ear. “Dad?”

“Hey sweat heart!” Said the voice of my father instantly causing tears to well up in my eyes. His voice had the same chipper sound and warmth that I remembered but upon hearing my voice, his tone changed to one of concern. “Everything okay?”

I swallowed hard. “Yeah, no everything is great.” I said. “Just good to hear from you.” 

My father laughed. It was like music. “Oh shucks. You must be buttering me up for something.” 

I let out a girlish giggle and felt my cheeks grow red from the sound. “What’s up?” I asked trying to hide my overwhelming emotions. I quickly wiped a tear from my cheek. “All good?

“Yup, just talked to your sister, making the rounds and getting a head count for tonight.” He said. “She’s bringing Derek, should I be expecting Mark as well?” 

“Tonight?” I asked, leaning forward. 

Disappointment crept into my fathers tone. “Andrea, please don’t tell me you forgot.” Great, my father has only been back form the dead for a few hours and I had already disappointed him. “The Memorial Day party?”

Holy cow. The Wilkins Company Memorial Day party. Every year my father’s company has a huge party at a fancy country club outside of the city. I remember having to be dragged along each year in my spiffy little sports coat and kid-sized slacks. Even though the invitations never stopped coming for us to attend, after my father passed away within the first year, we stopped attending.

“No, no, I didn’t forget.” I lied. “I just didn’t realize that it was tonight!” I said.

“So?”

“So, what?”

“Is Matt going?”

“Matt?” 

My father let out a long sigh. “Andrea, is your boyfriend coming tonight and does he know he needs to wear a suit?” 

“Yes.” I lied again. “He knows, and he’s coming.” 

“Are ups sure you are okay” My father asked, concern once again at the forefront of his voice. 

I nodded with the phone up to my ear. “Yes. I promise. Sorry, just distracted.” 

There was a pause. “Okay, well try and get there early tonight. Your mother wants us to do pictures while everyone looks presentable.” He said. “Love you.” 

“Love you too, dad.” I said with a smile. I hung up the phone and brought my hands to rest in my lap for a moment. My head was spinning with emotions. I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. 

A knock on my door frame caused me to jump and I turned to see Matt standing there. 

“Everything okay?” He asked.

I looked back down at my phone. “Yeah.” I said. “Yeah, all good.” I stood up and followed Matt down the hall and out the door of my apartment. 

We drove for a few minutes in silence as Matt flipped though songs on Spotify. I supposed to his credit it was hard to find a song that match the mood of “I accidentally made a wish on a fountain and turned my friend into a woman”. Before long though the awkwardness became too much.

“So…” Matt began. “What’s it like?” He said. 

“What?”

“You know… being a woman?” 

I shrugged. “It’s… different.” I said. “I don’t know, it’s hard to explain.”

“Pretty cool to be able to see boobs whenever you want.” Matt offered. 

I shrugged again and looked down at my chest. “I guess. Honestly, I haven’t really paid them much mind.” I reached my hands up and cupped my chest, feeling the new globes encased by my bra. “They are kind of just there.” 

I saw Matt’s head turn slightly and I could tell that he was trying to cop a look. “Eyes on the road.” I said. Matt let out a small snicker. “I don’t know, man, it’s just different. I feel so small now.” I tried to explain. “I mean I know I am but like damn, what a difference.” 

“Yeah you are kind of short, I’m surprised because your sister and mom are so tall.” Matt said. 

“Must be from my dad.” I said with a shrug.

Matt pulled the car into a parking spot just outside the stone fence of the park. We got out and he lead me down a path lined with bushes. Every time the path split Matt would pause and point around as if he was looking for something on the ground. 

“I’m pretty sure I stumbled this way…” He would say before moving forward some more. I found myself struggling at times to keep up with him. My smaller stature and shorter legs made for a much shorter stride than I was used to.

The path we were on opened up into a small courtyard lined with benches. “Aha!” Matt exclaimed. At the center of the courtyard was a large ornate fountain with flowing water and the several cherub statutes lining the top. 

Matt turned to me with a huge smile. “Thought for a second that it was going to be one of those ‘shop that isn’t there the next day’ tropes.” He said with a laugh.

We approached the fountain and Matt started to dig in his pocket. He produced a quarter and presented it as if it were an offering to the fountain. “Okay.” He said somberly. “I wish-“ 

I quickly grabbed his wrist. “Matt wait.” I said. “Not yet.”

We sat on one of the benches and I explained the situation.

“That’s… incredible.” He finally said as he turned to me. 

I had started to tear up, telling him about the phone call I took and I smiled as I wiped a tear away from my eye. “I know.” 

“I mean… wow.” 

“I know.” I took a deep breath. “So, now that we know where the fountain is and we have a plan to reverse all of this, I would really, really like a chance to see my dad tonight.”

Matt laughed. “Like I am going to say no?” He said. “I mean, won’t this be super weird for you? You are going to have to get all dressed up.”

I shrugged. “I can handle it.” I said. “You do own a suit right?” 

Matt was about to answer when my phone started to buzz. The caller ID read “Jennifer” and there was a picture of my sister and I. “Hang on.” I said to Matt as I answered the phone. “Hey!”

“What’s wrong?” Jennifer’s voice said in a stern tone. 

“Nothing.”

“I talked to dad.” 

“Me too.” 

“He called me back after talking to you.” She said. “Said you sounded off.” 

“I’m okay.” I said. 

“Did Matt do something stupid?” 

“Matt’s always doing stupid things.” I said making a face at Matt who made a rather rude gesture.

“You are coming tonight right?” 

“Yes, Jennifer, we are coming tonight.” 

Jen let out a sigh of relief. “Okay good.” 

“Good. So I’ll see you in a bit?”

I furrowed my brow. “Yeah?”

“To get our hair done?”

“Right!” I said. “Text me the address, Matt is driving and I don’t think he knows.”

Jen let out another sigh. “Andy, we talked about this, I am picking you up this afternoon. Remember?” 

I rolled my eyes and rubbed the bridge of my noes in frustration. Living as Andrea even for a day was proving to be harder than I thought and I wasn’t even at noon yet. “Right. Sorry. See you soon.” 

I hung up the phone and let out a groan of frustration. “We gotta go back to my apartment.” I said. “Jen is going to be by to pick me up to get our hair done and I need to shower and… shave my legs I think.” I groaned and stood up.