4. Aftermath

"So what is your plan now?" Gray sipped on her morning dairy.

Zia forked the omelette that Gray cooked and brought it to her mouth. "What plan?"

"A plan, missy." Gray put down her cup on the counter, glaring at the little girl sitting across her. "You can't spend your life freeloading in my apartment with your little butt."

"Chill down, mommy." Zia grabbed Gray's cup of milk and drank it in one gulp. "Even if I want to turn back to my original body, I don't really know why this is happening to begin with anyway."

"Mommy?!" Gray raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, woman." Zia pointed the fork at her. "The moment you kick me out the door, that's what your neighbors are gonna know. But I think I have a plan though."

"Yeah?" Gray grabbed back her cup and poured herself another milk from a carton. "Lemme hear it."

Zia tapped the fork repeatedly on the edge of the plate, as if she was thinking. "First, I need to reassure my parents that I'm fine, then I need to help comfort Edward. I mean, it's already been a day but he must still be shocked, you know."

"So how are you gonna do that? And what about work?" Gray sat on the stool and placed her cup on the counter.

"I'm a novelist so I can still write and email it to my editor, as easy as that." Zia smirked and snatched Gray's cup again and chugged it down. "And I can just exchange emails with my parents and with Edward. Just lend me your laptop."

"That is my milk that you stole for the second time by the way if you hadn't noticed," Gray said in a sarcastic tone.

"Aww, mommy, do you want me to collapse again?" Zia pouted.

Gray sighed. "I can't believe you collapsed from hunger back then, though. I thought you were finally turning back."

"I didn't eat lunch and dinner the night before since I was scared the dress would be too tight on me. Who knew a kid would collapse from hunger." Zia cupped her face.

"You achieved your goal then. Look how the dress is too loose on you now. Yeahey, congrats," Gray said in monotone and clapped her hands listlessly.

"I can't believe we're best friends." Zia palmed her face.

"I can't believe I have a kid inside my apartment that I haven't kicked out yet." Gray put the dishes in the sink and walked towards the living room and grabbed her suitcase. "Anyway, I gotta go now."

Zia's face contorted. "Go where?"

"Work."

"With that face?"

"With what face?"

"You're a makeup artist yet you're not wearing a single cosmetic on your face." Zia went to the living room and dropped on the sofa.

"I don't half-ass things. So it's either I'm wearing full makeup or nothing at all. And I'm attractive either way." She smirked.

"Hmm-mm, yeah right." Zia rolled her eyes. "So what's your gig this time?"

"I have a bride, maid-of-honor and about six bridesmaids to prep today." Gray walked towards the door.

"Another wedding?"

"Yeah, and don't worry, if they're missing their flower girl--" Gray opened the door. "I'll give you a call." She winked then she closed the door shut.

"Whatever." Zia scoffed. Then she started walking around the room. "Now where did she put her laptop again?" She went over to Gray's bedroom and found the laptop underneath the pile of pillows on the bed. She grabbed it and went back to the living room then flopped on the sofa and settled the laptop on her lap. When she turned it on, it was locked with a password.

"Password...password..." she murmured. Then she noticed a question mark sign beside the box. When she hovered the cursor on it, it displayed the word 'hint' over it so she pressed it.

'October 5, 20**'

"October 5? What happened back then?" She stared into space, trying to reckon back on the date. "World's teacher's day? She wouldn't care about that. Uhhh...this was three years ago, so college graduation? No, that was May five years ago," she blabbered out loud. "Ugh..." She grunted. "I'll just call her." She reached for her phone on the coffee table and was about to contact her number but a thought came into her. "Three years...October...I remember she told me..." She clicked on the box and pressed on the keyboard keys with her tiny fingers. She typed the words 'eiffel tower' and after pressing the enter key, it unlocked.

"Wow." She sighed. "How are you supposed to move on if you made your last date location your password?"

Upon opening it, she quickly opened her g***l account. Then she composed an email addressed to her older brother, Regan, who was an information security manager.

From: aiziascott@g***l.com

To: scottregan@g***l.com

Subject: Hey, it's me.

Reg, it's me, Zia. I am writing--or typing you a message to let you guys know that I'm alright. No need to be dramatic and call the police. I know it's not a good time to suddenly disappear but I have a very important thing to do right now. I will be back as soon as possible so don't worry. Take care of mom while I'm away. I love you guys.

Then after she sent it, she composed another email.

From: aiziascott@g***l.com

To: scottregan@g***l.com

Subject: Hey, it's me.

And don't you dare hack into this email to know my location or I'll tell your wife that you're the one who scribbled on her family heirloom, that old painting, when you were drunk and not my beautiful niece, Iris.

"This should do it." She sent the email right away without a second thought. Knowing that her brother is a white-hat ethical hacker, he would surely track her emails unless she blackmailed him.

Then she wrote another message, this time it was addressed to Edward.

From: aiziascott@g***l.com

To: edwardbartlett@g***l.com

Subject: 

Zia stared at the white screen. "What should I tell him?" The thought rattled her mind. She didn't really know where to start or what to say. Even if she would say 

she has to do something very important, what could be more important than your own wedding? No one would accept this excuse.

Zia brought a hand up to push through her blonde hair, and slowly, her head fell forward. She stared at the keyboard with unfocused eyes. "What should I say?"

With her hands on the keyboard, she slowly collected her thoughts and started pressing down a key after another.

From: aiziascott@g***l.com

To: edwardbartlett@g***l.com

Subject:

Baby, it's me Zia. First of all, I'm sorry for suddenly disappearing at our wedding. We were both looking forward to it, but now I ruined it for us. Something happened that I need to fix first. You might not understand me right now but I'll tell you all about it once everything is fine. And you don't have to worry about me, I'm doing fine. I won't be able to see you for a while but know that I miss you every single day. I promise I will be back so wait for me. I don't know when but you have to trust me. I love you and take care of yourself while I'm gone.

As she sent the email, she closed the laptop and moved it beside her. She took a deep breath. "Now, what's my next plan?" She leaned back on the sofa with her hands on her sides and small legs protruding a little on the edge of the sofa, unable to reach the floor. Right then, she felt her eyes getting heavier with every blink and her body not cooperating to move further. Then she fell to her side. Knocked out and tired. Indeed, a child could only do so much critical thinking.

***

Zia woke up to the warm light penetrating the glass windows behind where she slept. She hopped down the sofa and grabbed her phone on the coffee table.

"Two, fifty-eight? I slept for six hours?!" her voice rose in disbelief. Then a grumbling was heard from her stomach. "All this body does is eat and sleep, eh?" She rubbed on her tiny potbelly.

As she was about to head over to the kitchen, a clicking sound was heard from the door.

"Is she back already?" she thought to herself.

"Mommy~" she called out to Gray as she skipped towards the door to annoy her. "Let's eat together, Mommyyyy."

"Mo--" Zia froze in her place as the eyes who were staring right back at her with dilated orbs weren't gray but brown unfamiliar ones with heavy eyeliners.

"M-mommy?" The man's face contorted, and he slowly brought his pink fingernails up to his mouth. "Gray has a child?!"