Thomas checked his watch, foot tapping increasingly impatiently.

  Normally the calm one in the family, today he felt the exact opposite as irritation built in him. It was that time of year—the hospital overflowed with patients—and he, like a fool, had volunteered to drop Emily off at school.

  They were, predictably, behind schedule.

  Unfortunately, while Thomas could tolerate a lot, tardiness was one of his triggers…

  Be it his patients, certainly his children.

  Finally, he gave up on patience, raising his voice far louder than usual - “KIDS! GET YOUR COLLECTIVE BUTTS DOWN HERE NOW! WE NEEDED TO LEAVE FIVE MINUTES AGO!”

  Pacing, grumbling under his breath, he glanced at Sarah, watching him as she ate a parfait. She didn’t even bother to hide her amusement—feet wiggling lazily to music, eyes shining with an emotion Thomas couldn’t identify.

  Affection perhaps?

  “What?” he huffed, massaging his palms. “I know I don’t lose it normally but—” he jabbed toward the stairs, “I swear they’re doing this just to mess with me. I asked them multiple times to be ready on time last night!”

  Sarah took another sip, grinning. “‘They’? ‘Kids’? Plural?”

  Thomas blinked, the comment passing right over his head - “Yes? And?”

  “Oh nothing…” Sarah continued her eyes twinkling, feet wiggling. “It’s sweet, you know. You’re just doing it aren't you? Being a dad to both of them. One body or not, you rolled with it.”

  Thomas froze, a small sheepish smile spreading across his face as the realization settled in. “Yeah… I guess it came more naturally than I expected. Two kids.”

  His felt his throat tighten - “Two lives. And they’re mine.”

  He glanced at Sarah quickly. “Ours.”

  Sarah shrugged, lips in a half-smile as she returned to her parfait.

  Thomas meanwhile stood still, absorbing the enormity of it—how strange, how beautiful this new normal was. He could almost laugh now, thinking about how scared he’d been of Daniel, of this merge.

  “I’d seriously tell last-year me to stop being so damn emotionally constipated,” he muttered, shoving his hands in his pocket, as he glanced up the stairs. “To just…embrace this..gift.”

  Either Sarah didn’t hear—or chose to ignore it, but she continued munching on her parfait.

  Moments later, the thunder of footsteps on the stairs snapped Thomas out of his trance. A flushed face appeared, dressed in equally flushed fabric.

  “Sorry, Dad! I don’t know what takes Shrimp so long. First, she wakes up late, then she falls out of bed, then there’s the hair, the scrunchie—how can anyone take that long picking a freaking scrunchie? I mean I normally zone out and give her room and privacy and all but seriously - no concept of time even though she probably knows more than many scientists in this universe.”

  Thomas blinked - his son was clearly driving the body.

  “Yeah, so I hijacked it - made her pick something - made her freaking move already.”

  A pause.

  He glanced at Sarah and whispered conspiratorially to his father - “She is…pissed. Whoops here she comes!”

  There was the faintest flicker— as Daniel leaned back, and then Emily emerged, pouting - “It’s not just a scrunchie! You don’t understand fashion, Danny!”

  Thomas couldn’t help the small smile tugging at his lips.

  One body or not—they were siblings.

  Through and through.

  —

  The following weekend, Thomas grunted as he wiped his hands on a rag, oil and grease staining his jeans and forearms. He had spent hours buried in the engine bay of his aging car, and while he usually enjoyed mechanical pursuits, the day had left him tired and irritable.

  “Of course it’s the damned 1/16th socket I need,” he muttered, twisting fruitlessly. “Why can’t they standardize this crap—”

  A quiet shuffle took place behind him, as the wrench he needed appeared at his side.

  Thomas blinked. He looked up just in time to catch his kid—his kids—holding it out. Their expression was calm, eyes flickering between playful mischief and quiet helpfulness.

  Was it Emily? Danny? Both?

  “Here you go, Dad,” came the voice—so neutral he honestly couldn’t tell.

  Thomas grunted thanks, tempted to ruffle their hair in thanks. He took one look at his stained hands, reconsidered, and took the wrench without comment.

  Somewhere deep down, it still amazed him—how seamless they were together. When not actively switching or bickering, they moved like a single, impossibly fluid person. The only time he could tell the difference was when something made them slip.

  Later, Thomas exhaled hard and pushed himself out from under the car, wiping sweat from his neck and face.

  He looked up to find the kid(s) still there, hovering, curious.

  “I’m done, you know,” he said plainly, sitting up.

  The little face scrunched - “Aw. That sucks. I was actually kind of enjoying it.”

  Thomas raised a brow. “Emily right? Don’t you two already know this stuff? Didn’t Danny used to work on cars?”

  There was a flicker—barely noticeable—but Thomas caught it. Daniel surfaced.

  “I know the theory,” he admitted, glancing at the engine with mixed emotions. “But back home… cars got complicated. Computers everywhere. It stopped being as hands-on. Plus I didn’t exactly have a garage or someone who could teach me how to mess with them…I just hung around friends and learned some theory.”

  Another flicker—Emily grinned. “And then came EVs. Electric vehicles. Crazy torque, no sound. Just pure power.”

  Thomas blinked. “Electric what now?”

  Daniel switched back smiling faintly -“Yeah. Electric vehicles. Powered by these insane batteries. EVs kinda took over. Once the tech caught up, it was like overnight—bam, they were everywhere”

  He paused and shrugged - “I wouldn’t worry about them Dad, your guys' tech is on a different path.. Batteries and solid state electronics haven’t evolved enough..yet”

  Thomas whistled as the realization hit him once again. Sometimes he forgot—really forgot—that his children carried memories from a different, far more technologically advanced universe.

  He watched as Daniel—maybe Emily—ran their hand lightly over the car’s hood, fingers tracing the curve almost - reverently?

  “You miss it, don’t you?” Thomas asked softly. “Which one of you is that?”

  For a moment, neither answered.

  “Does it matter?” one of them said. Thomas couldn’t quite make out. “Most of the time… it’s both of us. When we’re synced, there’s no ‘who.’ If I move my hand—it’s both of us. If I laugh—it’s both of us.”

  She smiled a little. “We’re one person until… well… we’re not.”

  Thomas nodded slowly, absorbing that. It was easy to forget—their default mode of operation was unity. The switches, the arguments? Those were the exceptions - not the rule.

  “So… what’s going on?” Thomas asked almost warily.

  A pause.

  “Danny misses driving. That’s all.” Third person - clearly Emily driving.

  Daniel surfaced a second later, just long enough to nod.

  “Yeah. I miss it. Had this car once—nothing fancy, but it was mine. Cruise control, lane assist, sunroof, heated and cooled seats, this giant LED. Heck it even talked back until I shut it off.”

  He frowned. Thomas chuckled, guessing Emily must let loose a jab about about shutting Daniel’s voice off or similar.

  “Okay, now you’re just showing off” he continued.

  Daniel grinned sheepishly, his sister’s putative taunting forgotten. “Sorry. Just driving meant freedom, you know? Out there, windows down, music up.”

  He ran his hand along the car’s frame again - “Dreamscape driving’s fun and all, but… not the same. It’s a bit predictable. There’s something about grease on your hands, the smell of oil… feeling every bump in the road. You don’t get that when you’re controlling physics itself.”

  Thomas smiled slowly. “You wanna learn?”

  That did it - he had both their attention as a pair of eyes snapped to him— yet unmistakably two souls blinking in surprise.

  “Really?”

  Thomas grinned. “Yeah. I’ll teach you. Both of you. Old-school repairs, no fancy tech. How to listen to the engine. How to feel when something’s off.”

  The kids blinked once—twice—then a huge grin spread across their face, practically vibrating with excitement.

  “That… would be amazing.”

  Thomas snorted in approval.

  “Yeah, well. You’re both gonna get your hands dirty first. I’m not raising some know-it-alls who can’t change a tire.”

  “Deal.”

  They said it in unison—Daniel’s steady tone laced with Emily’s bright laughter.

  Thomas looked at them as he leaned back against the car, arms crossed, listening as his kid rambled—half Daniel, half Emily, switching so fast it was almost seamless now - using terms he couldn’t even imagine—but the excitement in their voice was unmistakable.

  And for a moment, Thomas wasn’t really hearing the words anymore.

  He was watching the way their eyes lit up. The way their hands moved when they spoke. The pure, unfiltered joy of sharing something they loved.

  A slow grin crept across his face, almost involuntarily. An idea was forming—one he probably shouldn’t entertain—but God help him, he was already hooked.

  “Hey… kids.”

  They both blinked up at him, mid-sentence.

  Thomas smirked. “Don’t freak out… but I think I’ve got an idea.”

  “What kind of idea?” one of them asked warily. Daniel…

  Thomas’s grin widened, a glint of mischief flickering in his gaze. “Let’s just say… if we’re careful… I might know a way for you two to get behind the wheel. Just a little.”

  A breath.

  “Supervised, of course” he hurriedly added.

  For a beat, neither child moved. Then—just like that—a wide, stereotypically childlike grin spread across their face. There was a faint hop, a gleam in their eyes.

  “I’m serious,” Thomas chuckled. “But don’t tell your mom just yet. Let me think this through.”

  He could already picture it—the three of them, an empty lot somewhere, the engine rumbling low, that mixture of terror and pride as his kids learned the feel of driving.

  Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

  Yeah. This was going to be fun.

  And maybe—just maybe—Sarah wouldn’t kill him.

  —

  A few weeks passed.

  Citing some much-needed father-kid bonding time, Thomas woke the kids early one Saturday, ushering them toward the car. They just climbed in, seemingly too sleepy to care.

  The drive itself was quiet and uneventful.

  Thomas drove through suburban streets, onto the highway, and finally into rural backroads. Emily or perhaps Daniel sat still, gazing out the window. Thomas caught their expressions shifting in the rearview mirror—brows furrowed, lips moving in silent conversation.

  He surmised that they were probably wondering, and debating where their father was taking them. He smiled to himself, keeping his secret.

  Eventually, he pulled off the main road onto a narrow dirt trail. At the end of it lay a vast, empty lot— perhaps a forgotten field or an old worksite? The earth was a mix of dirt, gravel, and cracked pavement, grass sprouting through where nature had begun reclaiming the land. Trees stood along the edges, swaying gently in the wind, the only sounds the rustle of leaves and the chirp of an occasional squirrel darting past.

  Thomas climbed out, stretching his back as he took in the peaceful quiet.

  “Alright, out. Both of you.”

  “Redundant much dad? It isn’t as if the other one could suddenly ditch this body you know?” one of them grumbled as they emerged, brow furrowed in confusion.

  Thomas grinned and ignored the snark, gesturing at the deserted lot- “This place belongs to an old college buddy. He said we could use it.”

  “Hmm? Use it… for what?” Emily, or perhaps Daniel asked, head titled curiously.

  Thomas’s grin widened - “Keeping my promise.”

  He patted the car fondly - “Today, you’re driving.”

  A pause.

  “Supervised,” Thomas added quickly. “Slow. No funny business. Danny - I know you’ve got memories of driving, but we take it carefully anyway.”

  There was a flicker - the expression changing just enough before a joyous exclamation left them - a loud screech and whoop.

  “OH MY GOD! A REAL CAR? AGAIN?!”

  Clearly Daniel.

  Thomas’s grin grew even wider.

  “Hey! Easy—you know I feel that too, right?”

  Emily had stumbled back in.

  Thomas laughed, leaning against the car. He let them sort it out, watching as excitement buzzed through both of them.

  “OK Dad..” Daniel said, resurfacing. “I remember how to drive, but I get it. We’ll be careful.”

  “We,” Thomas echoed with a nod - “Both of you. That’s the deal. Slow, careful. Also—your body’s smaller now. It won’t feel the same.”

  Thomas’s lips twitched as he patted the car. “And this? She’s old. Remember, none of your fancy tech here, self guided whatever.”

  Daniel blushed—or maybe Emily did. Hard to tell sometimes.

  Thomas smirked again.

  “Alright. Game plan. Danny drives first. Emily, backseat. Then you swap. Then—both of you together. Ten miles an hour, tops. I’m in the passenger seat with the hand brake. Got it?”

  Another pause - more nervous this time.

  “You’ll… be there if we screw up?” a timid voice asked. Emily.

  Thomas nodded. “That’s the whole point, kiddo.”

  With that, they climbed into the car, all individuals practically vibrating with excitement. Emily and Daniel with the thrill of anticipation, Thomas questioning his sanity, if this was the right idea.

  His fears abated as he saw Daniel sit up straight and take control, adjust the seats, the mirrors, muscle memory clearly at play, foot hovering above the pedals, flexing.

  “Bigger than I remember…” he mumbled, feeling the wheel, testing the signals, trying to reach for the dashboard and clearly thinking better of it with a glance at his father.

  He pushed down gently on the pedal - “Heavier too. You getting this too right, Em? No interference, I’m driving. Literally.”

  A few more checks later, Thomas slid the car into drive.

  “Alright. Easy now. Just feel it.”

  Danny eased the car forward, a little jerk here, a squeaked apology there—but soon enough, the movements smoothed out. He brought the car to a gentle stop.

  “Okay, swap.”

  Emily slipped in—grinning too wide. While Daniel was calm, controlled, cautious - Emily was once again - a human tornado with no impulse control.

  She hit the gas just a little too hard. The car lurched, tires skidding.

  “Emily!” Thomas snapped, yanking the handbrake. “What’d I say?”

  She huffed. “I barely hit five miles an hour!”

  A flicker, her posture changed. Thomas realized that Daniel had taken control back forcefully - —steady hands on the wheel, foot easing off the gas.

  “Em!” he growled “This isn’t the Dreamscape. Figure out the feel of it yet—focus! This is a multi-ton vehicle not one of your da*n scrunchies! Take it seriously! Dad is trusting us here!”

  Silence.

  Daniel shot Thomas a sheepish look. “We’re good, Dad. I got her… Gremlin tendencies… under control. I’ll force take over if she does something stupid again. We got this okay?”

  Thomas swallowed a chuckle. He had been fearful for a moment, considering that perhaps he had overreached, but watching Daniel switch into guardian mode in a second - was reassuring.

  “Alright. Try again.”

  Emily switched in, careful now—still grumbling, but better. She found the rhythm, felt the car instead of commanding it as much.

  Finally, Thomas exhaled - he didn’t realize he had been holding his breath.

  “Alright. Both of you. Together.”

  It was - seamless.

  Thomas once again got to see what true sync looked like—no flickering, no switching. Just one child, whole and steady, driving perfectly, guiding and protecting the other.

  “Alright,” Thomas grinned. “Take it up to fifteen.”

  The engine revved slightly, yet, the driving stayed perfect—fluid, smooth, controlled.

  Professional.

  Thomas leaned back, arms crossed. His heart damn near burst.

  They ran laps for thirty minutes—signals, slow turns, even music playing low.

  It was perfect.

  Eventually, they came to a slow, perfect stop. Adult. Controlled. Proud.

  “Well done, both of you!” Thomas exclaimed. “Gosh I think we just blew past weeks of driver-ed, you two are naturals at this!”

  He paused and chuckled, scratching his beard, as he realized how redundant he sounded. For a moment, he had forgotten that technically his children did have driving experience - maybe even more than him.

  All they needed was an opportunity to calibrate their smaller body to a vehicle.

  “What other tricks do you two have up your sleeve?” he thought, gazing proudly at his children.

  Emily grinned—wide, joyful. His daughter, his first born. Only ten and already knew how to drive.

  A flicker.

  Daniel surfaced—grinning just as wide. Without thinking, he lunged forward, wrapping his arms around Thomas.

  “Thanks, Dad. Thank you so much…”

  Thomas froze.

  Sure, Daniel called him Dad before—but this?

  This was real. No distance. No hesitation. Just a kid… hugging his father.

  Thomas cleared his throat, patting his back gruffly. “Yeah, kid. Kids. Anytime.”

  —

  By the time they walked back into the house, both kids were practically glowing.

  One body—but Thomas could tell. He knew both were buzzing, flickering back and forth faster than he could track, barely containing themselves.

  They bolted past Sarah, a blur of blonde hair as she sat at the kitchen table, tea in one hand, muffin in the other.

  “Huh?” Sarah blinked, her brow furrowing as she tracked her children darting up the stairs.

  “What trouble did you two get up to?”

  There was a beat—and then Emily was already halfway up the stairs, vanished with a giggle.

  Sarah stared after them, scratching her head, confused. Slowly, she turned back to Thomas, her eyes narrowing.

  “Why are they so excited?” she asked, her voice low, suspicious. “What did you all actually do?”

  Thomas flinched—just a little—then turned casually toward the fridge, digging around like it held all the answers.

  “Oh, you know. A bit of this, a bit of that. Countryside drive. Bonding time. Just the kids and me.”

  He could feel her eyes on the back of his head.

  There was a pause. A tap-tap-tap of Sarah’s foot.

  Thomas winced.

  He knew that sound.

  He closed the fridge and turned—and there she was, arms crossed, foot tapping, full-on Mom glare locked and loaded.

  “I… may have… taken them driving?” he offered, voice cracking slightly at the end. “Found an empty lot. Totally safe of course.”

  Silence.

  Sarah blinked once. Twice.

  “Driving. You let them drive…” she whispered, her eyes going wide. Thomas could swear he saw an explosive aura forming around her, a pitchfork and horns emerging for a brief second.

  And then—BOOM!

  “THOMAS PARKER. YOU DID WHAT EXACTLY WITH MY CHILDREN?”

  There was a giggle from upstairs. Sarah’s head snapped up, murder in her eyes. “I’ll deal with you two later…” she growled menacingly.

  She slowly turned back to Thomas, protectiveness radiating from every fiber of her being.

  “They’re children, Thomas. MY children. And you let them—what—DRIVE A CAR?!”

  Thomas opened his mouth—he wanted to explain how careful they had been, how it was merely a question of calibrating their knowledge to their body but he simply shut his mouth.

  And then, without meaning to—he laughed. A little at first, then full-on shaking with it.

  “What,” Sarah growled again, “is so funny?”

  Thomas wiped at his eyes, grinning.

  “Oh nothing—nothing. Just… ‘MY children,’ huh?” he added with a snort.

  “Look at you. You’ve gone full mom on them. Two kids—one of them barely out of hiding—and you’re already there. Ready to murder the world if you had to.”

  Sarah continued scowling, but the corners of her mouth twitched. Just enough that Thomas knew he had her.

  He smiled, soft now. “You leaned into this adoptive-mom thing better than either of us expected.”

  Sarah rolled her eyes but didn’t argue.

  “And, you know—” Thomas’s voice quieted, “—it was safe. I swear. Empty lot, hand on the brake the whole time.”

  A breath.

  “But Sarah… They were good. Both of them. Better than good, PERFECT. Mirrors, signals, seat adjustments. Swapped in and out without a hiccup. I could see it, how the share one body.”

  Sarah’s eyes softened. Thomas blew out a slow breath, resting his hands on the counter.

  “And… Danny called me Dad.”

  He looked up, voice rough. “Really called me Dad. Not out of politeness. Not because he had to. Because… because he meant it.”

  Sarah blinked, caught off guard.

  “And then they hugged me, Sarah,” Thomas added, voice breaking. “Not just Emily. Not just Danny. Both of them. I felt it. Two souls. Hugging me like… like I was their dad.”

  Sarah stared at him for a long beat, then sighed, her glare softening.

  “I’m still mad,” she muttered, reaching for her muffin. “But… okay. Fine. Tell me everything. Don’t leave anything out.”

  Thomas chuckled, leaning against the fridge. “God help me,” he muttered, shaking his head. “This… this is our family.”

  —

  Later that evening, the house had finally settled.

  Sarah, still fuming, was muttering to herself, but at least she’d stopped giving death glares.

  Emily had retreated to the Dreamscape revisiting the memory of the day, leaving Daniel sitting at the kitchen table, absentmindedly playing with an apple.

  Thomas lingered by the counter, eyes drifting from his son, somewhat warily to his wife, and to a journal in front of him.

  Finally, Daniel broke the silence, his voice soft.

  “Dad? Hey, thanks again. For today. For… all of it.”

  Thomas looked up, smiling.

  “You’re welcome, kid. You two did great out there. I’m proud of you.”

  Daniel chuckled weakly. “Emily’s still grinning in the back of my head, you know?” He shook his head. “She’s gonna be riding that high for days, she is driving the car again in the dreamscape!”

  Thomas snorted - “I figured.”

  He hesitated, then pushed off the counter and sat down across from him.

  “But what about you? How’re you holding up?”

  Daniel blinked, caught off-guard by the question. “Me? I’m… fine. Just tired, I guess.”

  Thomas didn’t move, didn’t speak. Just waited, nodded.

  After a moment, Daniel sighed.

  “It’s… weird. Easier, maybe. Not having to pretend anymore.” He paused, turning the apple in his hands. “But also… it’s like I don’t know what to do with myself now.”

  Thomas frowned slightly.

  “Why’s that?”

  Daniel merely shrugged, looking quite vulnerable.

  “I spent so long acting like I had it all together. Like… like I was the responsible one. And now that I don’t have to—now that you all know—I keep waiting.”

  “Waiting?” Thomas inquired.

  Daniel swallowed and slowly looked up.

  “Yeah. For the moment I screw it all up.”

  Thomas’s breath hitched.

  “I mean, right now it’s cute, right?” Daniel continued. “‘Oh look, the kid from another universe, learning how to be a son.’”

  He forced a weak laugh. “But one day I’m gonna mess up. Really mess up.”

  Thomas’s jaw tightened. “And then what?”

  Daniel’s voice dropped. “And then maybe… you’ll realize I was never really your kid.”

  His voice dropped lower - “Not for real.”

  Thomas went still. The quiet in the kitchen grew heavier.

  Daniel went back to staring at the apple.

  “That’s how it always went back… there. In the last life. I wasn’t wanted you know? Not really? I got passed around a lot. Good people, bad people. Some cared, some wanted to, some were…well…” his voice trailed off heavy with meeting.

  “More often than not, it didn’t matter. Sooner or later I messed up. And…well, I was someone else’s problem.”

  Thomas exhaled slowly, letting the words settle. “Danny.”

  Daniel flinched. “Sorry. I shouldn’t’ve..”

  “Stop,” Thomas cut him off gently. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.

  “Listen to me, because I need you to hear this.”

  Daniel blinked, surprised at the shift in his father’s voice.

  “I wasn’t there for you before,” Thomas said, steady but firm. “I… didn’t see you. I treated you like a threat. And I’m sorry for that.”

  He took a deep breath. “But I see you now. And I’m here. We are here.”

  Daniel opened his mouth but nothing came out.

  Thomas pressed on. “You are my son. Sarah’s son. Emily’s brother. One body or not, none of that matters. You mess up? We deal with it. You fall? We pick you back up. That’s what family means.”

  Daniel’s breath hitched, his eyes damp.

  Thomas smiled faintly. “You don’t get bounced, Danny. Not here. Not ever. You’re ours, kid. End of story.”

  For a long moment, Daniel just sat there, staring down at the table like the words were too big to hold.

  Finally, in a voice barely above a whisper—“…Okay.”

  Thomas stood, ruffling Danny’s hair with a gruff smile. “Good. ‘Cause you’re stuck with us now.”

  Danny huffed a quiet laugh, blinking fast. “Thanks, Dad.”

  “Anytime, kid. Anytime.”

  —

  Thomas walked back into the living room, rubbing his face, exhausted—but lighter somehow.

  Sarah glanced at him, watching him with a small, knowing smile, all fury gone. She studied him for a moment, then smiled a little more.

  “You’re a good dad, you know.”

  Thomas blinked, caught off-guard. “What?”

  She shrugged lightly. “Just… I saw the way they looked at you. You did good today.”

  A pause.

  Then Thomas smiled—tired, but proud. “Yeah. Feels like… it’s finally real.”

  Sarah’s eyes softened. “It is.”

  They didn’t say anything else. They didn’t need to.