Twins                                   by: Roy Del Frink

 

A worried-looking John Spalding walked down the snow-coated streets of the big city one mid-December evening. He just couldn’t stop thinking about his twin sister Joan. They did everything together while growing up. They even looked somewhat alike: long, flowing brown hair with blue eyes, both tall, and both skinny as a rail. John was now an accountant, while Joan was a top-notch real-estate agent. But John became unhappy when puberty brought the usual changes between brother and sister. He was especially disappointed that Joan had done better than himself. John shaved ten minutes a day, while Joan only needed five to apply her makeup. John was six foot four, six inches taller than Joan, and felt TOO tall, like he should be in the NBA or something. John’s hair just reached his shoulders before he’d started going bald at twenty-three, while Joan’s fell below her hips and looked as strong and vibrant as ever. Joan looked ten years younger than her biological age of 30, while John looked at least ten years older. Joan was rather well-to-do; she’d become a millionaire by 40 the way life was treating her. John had trouble making ends meet. And while Joan had acquired and retained a sexy, feminine figure, John had always looked fairly plain and weak. Joan got all the dates in high school and was now Mrs. Harold Farris, while John was still single and dateless. She was a socialite about town, he was a loner in need of a life. It just wasn’t fair, John thought. Why should Joan get all the breaks in life, while her twin brother was just another outcast of society? Joan even had two beautiful kids, for crying out loud. John hadn’t even undergone the ritual necessary to have children. He slipped into the nearest back alley and cried.

"Don’t worry, John. ‘Tis the season to be jolly, after all," a voice told him.

John looked up from his tear-stained face. He saw a short, chubby gentleman. The stranger wore a red cap, overcoat, and snow pants outfit with white trim. He also had a long, white beard, sported oversized black boots on his feet, and looked about 300 pounds. Despite his unusual looks, John felt a certain amount of trust and comfort from this stranger. When the man laughed and his belly shook like a bowlful of jelly, John had no doubt who the stranger was, even though he hadn’t believed he could be real for twenty years. "Santa Claus?"

"Who do I look like to you, John? The Easter Bunny? Of course I’m Santa."

"But how can you possibly deliver all the presents to the good boys and girls of the world in a single night? It’s impossible."

"Not for a jolly old elf like me. Besides, I have a few shortcuts. Usually, I don’t deliver in person anymore; gives me a lot more sleep Christmas Eve! Mostly I just plant ‘suggestions’ into the minds of parents telling them what to give their children for Christmas. And I don’t even bother with the naughty kids anymore. West Virginians got awfully mad at me, but it’s another great time-saver. And in this PC era, would the NAACP allow me to give African-American boys and girls lumps of coal, naughty or not?"

"Hmmm. You have a point there. But why are you here now? Don’t those elves need you at the North Pole?"

"Oh, I just show up from time to time, when there’s a real emergency. Mrs. Claus is usually in charge of day-to-day operations. It doesn’t take 365 days a year to bake all the gingerbread cookies and candy canes the world needs, you know. And right now, you need me more than anyone else in the world."

"Why? I was just worried about how my twin sister got all the good breaks in life, and I’m just a tall, awkward, gawky, broke, lonely loser, and I -" John broke down and resumed crying.

"Don’t worry, John. You’ve been extra-good this year, and I’ve got a special present for you. I can’t tell you now; that would spoil the surprise! But just wait, and I tell you, it’ll be worth it."

John sniffled and wiped the frozen tears from his face. "You - you mean it, Santa?"

"I promise. Would Santa lie to you? Now I’ve gotta go back to the corner of 5^th and Pine. The Salvation Army can’t wait all day." With that, Santa walked off onto the streets and disappeared into the crowd, with one loud, "Merry Christmas, everyone!"

John glanced at his watch. According to the date, it was December 18. Exactly one week left until Christmas. Oh, well, John figured. Time to finish my Christmas shopping. All that’s left is Joan, and I found the cutest earrings for her. John walked over to Zales, and purchased the silver baubles shaped like Christmas trees. Since John didn’t have anything else to do that day, he returned to his run-down apartment, ate a light dinner, and fell asleep.

The next morning, John opened his eyes and looked out the window on his right. It was a refreshing wintry morning, he thought to himself. Exactly the kind of day to build snowmen, have little snowball fights, make snow angels... WHAT? I can’t believe I’m thinking like this. It’s like I’m still a little school boy. And snow angels??!! That’s a girl thing! Even when I was young, I never wanted to do anything sissy like snow angels. What’s going on??!!

Then John started looking around him. He was in his bedroom. The bedroom he’d grown up in when he was a boy. Only it looked ... different. The walls weren’t the blue and green he’d remembered; now they appeared yellow and pink. He was sleeping on the bottom half of a bunk bed. His bed was coated with frilly sheets. There were dollies and stuffed animals all over the bed and floor, not the toy cars and plastic soldiers he’d grown up with. What the blazes was going on here?

John stared down at himself, and realized he was shorter. MUCH shorter. Over two feet shorter than when he’d gone to bed that night. He got out of bed, and noticed the thin white nightie on his body. When he looked into the bathroom mirror, he looked at his face, and John saw... a girl. An eight year old girl. Exactly like Joan had looked at that age. Unsure of himself, John reached towards his cute little button nose, and stared at the mirror. Yes, that girl is me, all right, John realized. Now what do I do?

"June, dear, it’s breakfast time! You don’t want to skip breakfast. Not on the first day of Christmas break. I know third grade’s been tough on you, but now you’ll have plenty of chances to play in the snow with your girl friends!" It was John’s mother. He’d somehow gone back in time, to his childhood. As a girl. John quickly got dressed in a little pink blouse and pants, and went downstairs for breakfast.

He met his parents and his sister Joan, who looked just like him. She looked just like John’s childhood memories, only now she WAS in her childhood. And so was John. He could only ponder the situation while eating his peaches and cream instant oatmeal. His parents discussed putting up the tree and the school Christmas pageant, and everyone called him "June". John just nodded his cute-looking head, playing along. He didn’t understand what was happening, but dared not say anything.

After the meal, John and Joan bundled up and played in the snow. John did everything he’d planned waking up, even the dreaded snow angels. Around 11 o’clock, he got bored and asked his doppelganger sister to play with him in their room. Joan agreed, and they had a little tea party. John discovered little girl things weren’t so bad, after all.

After lunch, the twin girls resumed playtime. Joan planned a little "zoo parade," which John gladly joined in. They took some time out to watch a couple cartoons, then played "mommies" with their dollies. Just before dinner, John recalled the play his parents had discussed at dinner: He’d played a shepherd in a nativity play, while Joan sang "Jingle Bells" in the school choir. Since all the shepherds were boys, he wondered what June was gonna do. This new chance was gonna be fun. During dinner, June (as John was starting to think of himself) joined in the family discussion. She was startled at her knowledge of past events. She remembered doing things John sure hadn’t done. After dessert, the family played their weekly game of Yahtzee before Joan and June went to bed. June wondered what awaited her the following day.

Five days left until Christmas. June awoke refreshed. But the room looked different. The stuffed animals and dollies were neatly placed on the dresser and beds, not scattered all over the floor. She walked into the mirror, and felt nearly five feet tall. She was a pretty little 12-year-old, still wearing a (larger) nightie, but also sporting a training bra over her tiny, budding bosoms. She was dismayed about missing the Christmas play four years before ... until she remembered. She’d stood next to Joan while they sang "Jingle Bells"! But that was impossible. And how’d she age four years in a single night? Then she realized ... Santa. The big guy was behind this, and she’d have to ride it out until Christmas. In the meantime, she waited for her twin to wake up.

"Good morning, June. Ready to discover some more secrets of womanhood?"

"Sure, sister. Why don’t you show me how to apply makeup?"

"Okay. You’re still a little young, but it can’t hurt to practice." After breakfast, Joan opened up a "how-to" book showing several painted ladies’ faces, and the two spent the morning applying lipstick, eyeliner, mascara, and blush. Then June broke out the cold cream, so they’d be able to eat lunch without looking like young prostitutes.

That afternoon, the family bought Christmas presents. June bought everything she remembered John giving his relatives when he was 12, even the special pendant he’d given Joan. Of course, Joan and June went their own ways while buying presents for each other, but except for that, the two spent the day conversing about girl things and schoolyard gossip. June was feeling much closer to her sister than John had ever been. June wondered if she’d still get the sweater Joan had bought John, but didn’t think too much about it. The Spaldings arrived home in time for dinner.

Since bedtime was still a couple hours away, the girls chatted and listened to their favorite radio stations. Around 8 o’clock, June felt uncomfortable between her legs. She called her parents into the room, and sat in horror as blood spilled all over her pants. Mrs. Spalding gave the twins the obligatory "girls becoming women" speech, and June realized she’d just had her first period. She remembered the embarrassing day Joan first bled, three weeks before. She was thankful she didn’t have to relive THAT, though this was much more embarrassing. Her mother cried out, "My Junie’s becoming a woman!" as she left the room. June undressed, cleaned herself, placed a maxi-pad in the appropriate spot, then put on panties over it before donning her nightie and going to bed.

Four days before Christmas. June awoke refreshed, and noticed the dollies and stuffed animals were gone. She noticed an attractive 14-year-old staring at her from the mirror. She put on the sweater Joan had given her for Christmas two years before, only it hugged her rapidly feminizing body. She now wore a full-fledged B-cup bra, and noticed Joan was wearing the same. John had never payed much attention to bra sizes before, but if the adult Joan was any indication, June would learn quite a bit in the next few years. In fact, June felt like her bra was about to burst any second. Joan got out of bed, and June realized that, once again, the sisters looked very similar.

"I hope you remembered the school pageant, June. Today’s the big day! And don’t forget to buy a nice outfit for the school dance tomorrow." Now that the girls were old enough to date, June realized boys would soon be part of her life. She giggled at her sister. Joan giggled back. They realized the world of opportunities available for two very pretty twin sisters.

After breakfast, Mr. Spalding asked his wife and daughters to break out the Christmas tree and decorate it. They gladly did so. June even made nice popcorn and cranberry garlands to hang on the tree. The twins spent the early afternoon baking Christmas cookies; June realized how fun cooking can be. About two o’clock, the girls decided to go shopping for a pretty Christmas dress for the dance. Actually, they spent the next three hours looking at clothes and cute boys. John wasn’t gay, by any means, but June found her estrogen taking control of her emotions. And she didn’t mind. In fact, she enjoyed how pretty she looked, and how the boys who’d never noticed John were vying for her attention. Their mother drove them home, then the family ate a small dinner, preparing for the big pageant.

As it turns out, Joan and June were a big success. They sang a duet of "Baby It’s Cold Outside," and their voices sounded so identical, anyone in the audience could have closed their eyes and imagined it was only one girl singing. And their voices were so angelic and heavenly, the theater was filled with applause when they finished. They even sang two encores at the end of the night: "Away in a Manger" and "Santa Claus is Coming to Town." They sure got that right, June thought to herself.

The family just drove home, exhausted enough to sleep. At 10:30, as the twins were getting ready for bedtime, June felt a slight discomfort in her chest. After rearranging and re-rearranging her bra, June felt it snap off. To her shock, her breasts were slightly larger than they’d been that morning; Joan could only stare that the spectacle her sister was creating.

"I swear, June, those babies are swelling quickly. How big can they -" Then Joan’s bra suddenly gave out. She, too, would have to purchase a C-cup bra the following day. Puberty was having its way with the 14-year-olds. June was worried she’d look like a freak, but she just put her nightie on and fell asleep.

Three days until Christmas. June awoke refreshed. She had gotten used to aging in the night by now, and she looked like a very beautiful young woman. She was now 18, and was probably home from college break. Her sister Joan looked like June’s spitting image, as she had the previous three days. By now, the mounds on her chest had swelled out to G-cups, just like John remembered Joan having. In fact, Joan and June both looked a lot like 30-year-old Joan had. They were extremely attractive, and had bodies that would put most Playboy centerfolds to shame.

Joan woke up, and greeted her sister with an affectionate kiss. "Good morning, June. Ready to practice our cheers? Southern State’s football team isn’t gonna win games without encouragement, you know." This didn’t make any sense to June, until she recalled (from John’s memory bank) that Joan was a cheerleader for Southern State in college. John had also attended Southern State, but of course he was not a cheerleader. But now that June looked just as attractive and pretty as Joan, what self-respecting college girl who looked like her WOULDN’T try out, and make, the cheerleading squad? And June certainly looked like her.

June agreed, and the twins each ate a small tub of blueberry yogurt for breakfast before practice. After a quick break for lunch, the sisters bundled up for the mall. They didn’t really wish to buy anything, just cruise for handsome frat boys. That’s when June met Billy Parker, the old school bully who’d given John a very hard time. Billy felt differently about June, however, as she noticed a look of longing in his face. She asked Joan to excuse herself, so that she could get to know Billy better.

"Of course," Joan replied with a smirk on her face. "After all, that boy over there looks interested in me." She giggled at June as she walked over towards Harold Farris, her future husband.

June just stared at Billy. How could the old school bully have grown into THIS? He was handsome, rugged, strong, even a little ... charming! As the two young adults spoke, they realized just how much they had in common. June felt an unspoken bond between them, and asked Billy if he’d be interested in seeing a movie.

"Sure would, Junie dear," he replied. The lovebirds left the mall arm-in-arm, then walked two blocks to the theater. June were surprised to see Joan and Harold seated right next to them.

"Joan?! What are you doing here?"

"Double-dating, silly! After all, June, we do everything together." The boys were a little turned off by that remark, but June realized she now had a bond with Joan stronger that John (or Billy) could ever hope to have. The couples enjoyed the movie, then the four went home.

Joan drove June home, as the two discussed their dates. "Boy June, that Harold Farris is sure a dreamboat!"

"He’s only half the dreamboat my Billy Parker is, Joan!"

Joan just smiled and gave her sister’s shoulder a gentle nudge. That evening, the twins had a fabulous bowl of tomato soup and a wonderfully tossed Caesar salad. Their mom and dad said they should probably join in on the roast beef, but the ladies wanted to watch their figures, and since they were grown up now, Mr. and Mrs. Spalding decided not to press the issue.

After an evening of girl talk, Joan and June had a shower together. June observed that her body indeed matched Joan’s in every respect. The only difference was a duck-shaped birthmark on Joan’s thigh. They washed each other’s hair, gave each other beauty makeovers, and inspected each other’s feminine parts for health problems. Some people would have found this wrong, but the sisters were so close, they found nothing embarrassing or sexual about it. Joan and June did it out of pure sisterly love. They fell asleep at 11 o’clock, wearing their cheerleading outfits.

Two days before Christmas. June awoke refreshed. She looked the same as the morning before, but now she was in a dorm room. Her bed was directly across from Joan’s. Each sister’s bed was near a dresser, a night stand with a lamp and a photo of her boyfriend, and a window. A reproduced Monet print hung above each sister’s bed. June looked out her window, and noticed the ground was coated with two feet of snow. More snow was falling hard, and it blurred the surroundings so well, she couldn’t see any other buildings. Then she remembered that, as John, a fierce blizzard had stranded her on campus for Christmas, the year John was 21. Since everything June experienced seemed similar to something John went through, she figured she was now 21. A quick glance at a calendar near the door confirmed this. June also noted that she was still going out with Billy, while Joan was still involved with Harold. As June pondered what lay ahead, Joan woke up. She looked at the snow outside and screamed.

"June! The snow’s stranded us in the dorm rooms. And the weatherman predicted snow for another week. We won’t be able to return home for Christmas!" Joan cried her heart out. Then the two sisters broke into a poignant rendition of "I’ll Be Home for Christmas." Now it was June’s turn to start crying. How could the twins enjoy Christmas in their dorm rooms, without their friends and family? Just when things felt the darkest, June heard a voice yelling into the hallway.

"Make way! Dorm mother coming through!" June faintly recognized it. It was Suzanne McCabe, the head of the ladies-only Sullivan Hall. Of course, John had never stayed there, but Joan had. And now that they were both girls and June’s life story was rewriting itself, it made sense that the twins would stay in the same dorm room in Sullivan Hall. Suzanne was a large, bulky woman. She stood exactly six feet tall, and must have weighed about two hundred and fifty pounds. But she was a strong woman. She should have been, since Suzanne had been captain of Southern State’s women’s volleyball team. The sisters just stared at each other, their faces brightening slightly, as Suzanne made her way to their room and opened the door.

"Well, the Spalding twins are here. Okay, everyone’s accounted for. Dorm meeting, you know the place! Living room on the ground floor!"

Joan led a still-uncertain June down two flights of stairs to the living room. It was a typical dorm living room, on a large scale since all the girls "lived" here. Six unkempt couches surrounded a 40-inch TV screen, and each corner had a flourescent lamp. A lava lamp was next to the big-screen TV. June looked around, and noticed about thirty young ladies seated on and in front of the couches. Dorm Mother Suzanne turned the TV off, and spoke to them.

"Women, it seems the storm won’t let up anytime soon. None of us will be able to visit our friends and families for Christmas."

The ladies whined "I can’t miss out on my family!", "Stuck on Christmas? That’s just great!", "I’d rather kill myself than spend Christmas without my boyfriend!" and the like. Suzanne held her hands up, asking for silence. After the crowd quieted down, she continued.

"Fortunately, the phone, electric, gas, and water lines still work. We just won’t be able to leave the building. The Campus Student Association was prepared for the possibility of a snow-out, and we decided to hold a little Christmas slumber party for all the ladies in Sullivan Hall."

The residents cheered. Quickly, every lady got into her pajamas and grabbed a sleeping bag provided by the CSA. They spent the day gossiping, styling their hair and faces, singing Christmas songs, and flipping through ladies’ magazines. Since it was break, and a party was going on, nobody gave a second thought to studying. Especially since Sullivan Hall had a reputation for being a "party dorm".

June and her twin sister spent most of the day with their friends Kirsten Moore and Darcy Nightingale. June had recalled, from John’s experience, that Kirsten and Darcy were Joan’s best friends in college. The three of them had been inseparable. And now, the four of them were. Since they were the only cheerleaders in the dorm, they spent a couple hours practicing cheers. Although the snow made ordering pizza impossible, the girls gathered every spare snack in the dorms and shared their bounties. June opened her copy of "Cosmopolitan," and gave Joan a little "boyfriend quiz." Afterward, Joan quizzed June. Even though June still had John’s memories, she was acquiring knowledge of past events only June could have experienced. Despite only having first-hand memories of one date with Billy, June’s memories provided more than enough information to answer every question on the quiz. Both sisters passed with flying colors, then cheerfully tore the silly thing out of the magazine.

The Sullivan Hall girls had a fun time, but by 6 o’clock they were feeling bored. Then Kirsten (June, as John, had memories of her being a "bad girl") broke out a case of eggnog. Even though Southern’s dorm policies didn’t allow liquor, Suzanne decided to let it go under the circumstances. Besides, Suzanne wanted a nip herself. The eggnog flowed freely, as all the residents got drunk on holiday cheer and spirits. (And eggnog.) Darcy suggested the whole dorm play a game of "truth or dare," and as one might expect with thirty drunken college girls, the game got a little wild. Darcy dared June to French-kiss her sister. June took her up on it, and the others just taunted them. Most of the girls were forced to reveal which boy they’d lost their virginity to, though both Joan and June felt embarrassed to mention they hadn’t yet.

Around 8, Kirsten decided she’d had enough of "truth or dare," and broke out a deck of cards.

"Can we play Crazy Eights?" June asked.

"Of course not, silly. That’s not nearly as much fun as strip poker."

Joan got a little squeamish. "Should we be playing that?"

"I’m sorry, I forgot about your ‘mama’s girl’ complex. You wanna call Mommy and tell her all the naughty little things you’ve done today? I’m sure she’ll LOVE hearing about that bout of tongue twister her twin babies did..."

"You bitch! You wouldn’t DARE call her!"

"Would I, now?" Kirsten picked up the living room phone and dialed 555-...

Before Kirsten could finish, she slammed the receiver down. "Okay, Kirsten. You win. June and I will join your game."

All of the Sullivan ladies took part. Since each girl was only wearing a nightie, slippers, and underwear, the game went fairly quickly. By 10:30, all the girls had stripped naked, except for Darcy, who got to keep her panties. But Darcy had other plans, and she took her panties off. Although it was below zero outside, the campus heating system and the body heat generated by thirty naked bodies ensured nobody felt cold. After that, she decided the girls could just do a big lesbian orgy. Everybody agreed, though the eggnog must have been speaking for half of them. One lady brought a dildo down, and the girls just screwed themselves silly. All the ladies played with the dildo except the twins, who wanted to save themselves for marriage but vowed to get one of those things for themselves someday. Joan and June agreed they shouldn’t be messing with themselves, but gladly offered their bodies to the other girls. June lost track of her sister, but still had a fun time licking Suzanne while being fingered by Darcy. After a few minutes of this treatment, June felt a strange feeling she could never recall having. It was her first female orgasm. Even though she had memories of them, this was her first bona fide experience. June was still sober enough to avoid the dildo, so she put her nightie on, ducked into her sleeping bag and fell asleep.

One day before Christmas. June heard a very familiar voice say, "Wake up, sleepyhead. You don’t wanna be late for our double wedding." It was her twin. June scanned John’s data banks for the details of Joan’s marriage. It was Christmas eve, and she was 25 at the time. (The date just couldn’t be helped; apparently Harold was told at the last minute to start military service in France shortly before the New Year, and as much as everyone wanted to avoid it, schedule conflicts forced the wedding to be held on December 24^th.) Well, now I know how old I am today, June thought. My, but this has been a strange week. Seems like every day I experience a new milestone in the life of June Spalding, who didn’t even exist until then. And now.. I feel so much like June Spalding, I guess I AM June Spalding, even though I’d only been John for thirty years. Anyhow, I know I’m getting pre-wedding jitters, but I’d better get ready for the big event.

June got out of her bed. She was now living in a small apartment with her sister. The place was scarcely furnished, but it still had all the comforts of home. A cramped home, that is. She looked in the mirror, and June noticed she looked just like she had at 18 and 21. Boy, June thought, I’m sure aging gracefully. And now that I’m no longer male, male-pattern baldness won’t be a problem. Neither will shaving! I’m gonna have those periods, but I can deal with that; after all, I got my first one at 12, four days ago. After realizing how silly that thought sounded, June snapped back to reality and got ready dressed for her wedding.

After the sisters began their usual morning preparations, they broke out their identical wedding dresses. Each twin wore put on a beautiful white gown, complete with a train that dragged a foot behind her. The bouquet of lilacs and roses was a nice touch. Each had something old (a pair of pearl earrings once worn by Grandma Spalding (Joan’s) or Grandma Smith (June’s)), something new (a jade ring presented by their mother the previous week; June figured her new gender didn’t count), and something blue (an amethyst necklace). All they needed was something to borrow. Almost at once, the sisters found an ingenious solution.

"Sis, can I borrow a pair of panty hose?" they asked simultaneously. They just chuckled and replied, "Of course you may." Each twin then pulled out a pair of nylon stockings from under the bathroom counter, and pulled up her bridal skirt to accommodate this finishing touch.

Mrs. Spalding arrived to drive her daughters to the church, where they found their long-time boyfriends dressed in identical black tuxes. Mr. Spalding escorted both girls to the aisle, one at each side. The ceremony was picture perfect. In fact, even the minister couldn’t hold back the tears when the brides performed their ceremonial kisses. The reception went just as smoothly, with Joan and Harold leading the first dance, and June and Billy leading the second. The whole thing was over by 3 in the afternoon, and the sisters kissed each other good-bye. They’d never been out of their sight before in their life, but the honeymoon was not a time to be with each other.

After the new Mr. and Mrs. Harold Farris left for their plane to Paris, the new Mrs. June Parker and her husband drove to another airport at the other end of town. There they boarded a plane for Hawaii. Although they wouldn’t have enough time for the usual sporting activities today, June and Billy were prepared for a workout. They collapsed into their honeymoon suite about 9:30, and made mad passionate love. June found her first time, as John or June, to be fun. Nothing to write Penthouse Magazine about, but still enjoyable. She liked snuggling with the man she loved. Even though June wanted the night to never end, she tired out about quarter to midnight and fell asleep, blood from her hymen staining her wedding dress. Billy figured they should visit the dry cleaners’ after they returned home.

At last, Christmas was here. June opened her eyes, and stared at her husband. The sparkling jewel on that golden band around her left ring finger made June smile. She felt like she was the luckiest gal in the world. Then she heard a rather loud knock at the door.

"Auntie June! Uncle Billy! Wake up! It’s 7:30, and we wanna see what Santa got us!" It was 4-year-old Tom and 3-year-old Penny, Joan’s kids. Like any excited little children, they just had to know what was under the tree. Slowly, Billy opened his eyes, then the couple rose out of bed and opened the door to their room. To their surprise, they saw Joan and Harold standing in the adjacent living room.

"Joan? Is that you?" June asked.

"Of course, silly! You know how I always wanted us to stay together. As identical twin sisters, we share about the strongest emotional bond two people can have. Are you still groggy enough to forget my bedroom is two doors down from yours? Now let’s get this Christmas present thing done with." Joan smiled as she grabbed her sister by the hand and guided her to the Christmas tree. Their husbands quickly followed.

As they opened their presents, June thought about the events of the past week. Even though John never had a strong desire to be female, now she was, and she was glad. Her life turned out so much better than John’s had. She got a second chance at life, and experienced some special Christmastime moments from her past. Joan looked just like John remembered her. And June, as always, stayed just as pretty and energetic as Joan. June felt more alive than John ever had. Forget John; now she was, and would always be, Mrs. June Spalding Parker. June stared at her sister and smiled.

Then she looked around, and noticed only one present was left. Joan opened her present from June. "Why, they’re fabulous!" Joan exclaimed. "These silver Christmas trees will look perfect on my ears!" Silver Christmas tree earrings?, June thought. Those look awfully familiar. Wait a minute! On my last day as John, a week ago, I bought those for her. And Joan didn’t give me anything. What’s going on?

Penny ran up to her aunt, and gave her a package wrapped in candy canes and snowmen. She said, "This one’s for you. I found it hidden in the tree’s branches." To June’s surprise, the label just said, "To June. This should explain a few things." No mention of a giver. She unwrapped it, and found a single sheet of paper. It said,

"Dear June, Thanks for being such a good boy this year. Or should I say a good girl? Anyhow, I hope you like the special present I gave you this past week. Even if you just wanted a better stake in life, changing you from John to June was the best way. Although you parents never told you this, they really wanted their twins to be identical, and when you were born a boy and Joan a girl, they were a little disappointed. And your sister Joan, happy and successful as she seemed, never told you how she really wanted a sister to share her life with her. But she never had that sister, until now. You can forget about your life as John Spalding; you’re the only one who remembers it. Everyone else just remembers June, and with the memories I’ve planted into your head, even you may not remember much anymore. I figured that your new life as June would be easier if you got to experience some of the special moments of that life first-hand. Many of them happened around Christmastime, so Mrs. Claus and I agreed to give one Christmas present a little early! Enjoy yourself, and meeery Christmas. Sincerely, Santa Claus.

PS. Your sister Joan has a present for you. But she’s been waiting for the right moment to tell you. Ask her now.

PPS. Ho Ho Ho!"

Just as June finished reading the letter, the sheet mysteriously disappeared in her hands. She examined the rest of the package, and found only two knit green shoes about the right size for a Mr. Potato-Head.

"Joanie, dear," June asked her twin, "you still haven’t given me anything yet. Do you have something for me?"

"Why, yes I do. Remember that time two weeks ago, when you asked the doctor about those cramps you were feeling? He called us yesterday and gave the results. You were too busy ‘celebrating you anniversary’ with Billy, but he found out what’s been causing them. I daresay you’ll need those shoes in about six months. Merry Christmas, June."

June could barely contain her joy. After 30 years of disappointments, she was going to be a mother. "This is the best Christmas of my life!" she yelled. Joan, June, Harold, Billy, Tom, and Penny got together in one giant family hug.

 

THE END

 

 

© 1999
The above work is the copyrighted material. Anyone wishing to copy, archive, or re-post this story must contact the author for permission.