The potions were going to be ready by Thursday night, despite how close to Halloween it was. Austin and I agreed that it was a good idea to drink them before bed Thursday, and that was that. All we had to do was wait.

Having something to look forward to was weird. For once in my life it was easy to get out of bed, to live my life without being aware of an overwhelming sense of dread. That feeling was still there, of course, but it felt so unimportant that I could almost pretend I was a normal person, if only for a few days.

I made sure to put the excess energy to good use. On Tuesday I did the laundry, cleaned our bedroom and bathroom until they were spotless, and ended the day with a simple dinner of spaghetti and a small salad. On Wednesday I cleared our junk out of the guest room and had most of it organized before Austin got home. I would’ve made him dinner, too, except I had managed to use most of our remaining good groceries the night before. Thursday was the most difficult, the excitement of what Austin would bring home was all encompassing. I managed to use the day’s energy to pick up a week’s worth of groceries, but it was so busy at the store that it felt like I’d used most of my energy just getting home.

But that was okay, because being Sable was just a few hours away. 

And those few hours passed at a snail’s pace. In spite of how tired I felt I found myself cleaning, preparing dinner, cleaning, watching a movie, and cleaning more just to move the clock forward, but time moved so slowly. It felt like I was a child waiting in line to ride a rollercoaster for the first time, with all of the fear and excitement that came with it.

By the time Austin finally made it home, I had most of dinner mostly set up on our table, and dessert was quickly heating up in the oven. I hoped that the Halloween themed sugar cookies tasted as good as they tasted when I was a kid. It’d been years since the last time I had tried them, but my memory told me little was better than tasting one of those right out of the oven.

Austin pulled me into an embrace the moment he found me in the kitchen, and I melted into him. He was a little sweaty and smelly after his long day at work, but I didn't mind. Having him with me was all that mattered.

“How was work?” I asked, while trying not to look like I was looking for what he was supposed to bring home with him.

“It was fine. Did a lot of traveling today, but it was worth it,” he said, with a hint of exhaustion in his voice. 

“Oh?” 

“Yep! Because I’m so ahead of schedule I got the next four days off. Which means,” our lips met in a wonderful kiss, before he pulled away, “minus the party, we’ve got the next four days all to ourselves.” 

Speaking of that… 

I might’ve rushed past him just a tiny bit, looking for the potions. I felt like a wild animal, desperately searching for the thing I’d been waiting on. It was only when I gave up and looked back at Austin that I saw it: A bottle filled with a pink liquid and swirling silver mists, with a sticker of a fox planted on it. He held it towards me with a shit-eating grin on his face, like he knew that I’d been frantically looking for just that.  

I calmly sped over to him to take the potion, but just as I started to reach for it he pulled away, the look on his face changing to one of concern. “Not until after we eat, okay? This stuff will knock you out, and I’m not about to let my precious housewife go without dinner.”

Housewife? I looked away from Austin as my face began to heat up. Why was that getting me so good? It was just a term, like househusband. Even if it rolled off the tongue so much better, and it was so much more appealing than being called anythinghusband. Not that we were anything so serious. 

“O-okay,” nervousness kept me from looking back up to him, or even saying much beyond the bare minimum. Every time I tried thinking of saying more that word returned to the forefront of my mind, and my thoughts melted away. 

Despite being a blushing, blubbering mess I managed to make it through dinner without looking too silly, though I could tell from the look on Austin’s face that I would get teased for this later. The cookies were decidedly not as good as I had remembered them, but they were still tasty enough. 

But none of it was as important as what was coming next. I eyed the set of potions on the middle of the table with a kind of hunger I rarely felt. This was it. It wouldn’t solve any of my real problems, I knew, but being able to be someone else for a time felt wonderful. Especially Sable, who for so long felt like was an ideal version of me that could never exist. She was confident, proud, and never let the world overwhelm her. Being able to step into her shoes, even for just a few days, felt like a wonderful escape from the reality that was me.

There was a look in Austin’s eyes as he caught me staring longingly at the potion, but just like on Monday I couldn’t place what it was. “Before we do this, babe, are you sure about this? You won’t be stuck, of course, but you know dysphoria’s a big possibility, right?” 

He was right, of course, but I hadn’t let myself think much about it. I didn’t like the idea that my ideal temporary persona could be marred by something like dysphoria. Regardless, I didn’t want to stop now. “I’ll be fine, I promise. It’s only for a few days. It’s like a mini vacation!”

“I… Alright.” Austin relented to my relief, though the look on his face hadn’t changed. “Ready?” he asked, as he finally took his eyes off my to look at his own potion. 

I couldn’t have nodded my head more aggressively if I’d tried.