Jame, a towering 22-year-old with hair trailing to the floor and a bushy Viking beard, adjusted his lumberjack plaid and peered over his glasses at the game. Next to him lounged Nick, a 17-year-old surfer with a wild, long curly mullet and the beginnings of a scruffy beard, twirling a hockey stick absentmindedly. Across from them, the 15-year-old twins, Andy—his straight hair knotted high—and Harry—sporting a massive afrobun—jostled for elbow room, their field hockey sticks propped against battered chairs. John, wiry and impatient, tapped his fingers on the game box, while William, the youngest with dreadlocks like a lion’s mane, gazed at the swirling illustrations on the board. The attic hummed with anticipation and the scent of old wood.
"Alright, let’s see who goes first!" called John, his mullet bouncing as he rolled the dice with a flourish. William giggled, reaching for his own piece. Jame and Nick exchanged a knowing glance, sensing something strange as the game’s spinner clattered and the floor seemed to hum beneath their feet. Andy and Harry read the odd instructions aloud, their voices overlapping in excitement and confusion.
One by one, the group is enveloped in shimmering light. William feels his limbs lengthen, dreadlocks growing even fuller as his hands become calloused and strong; a beard bursts forth, and glasses perch upon his nose—he is now a 47-year-old lumberjack athlete nerdy dad. John gasps as his body stretches into adulthood, his mullet flowing down to his bottom, his face adorned with a grand bushy beard—he’s become a 45-year-old surfer nerdy dad, an unlikely but loving husband to William. Harry flexes in awe, discovering his new 25-year-old bodybuilder form, afro-bun even more imposing, with a thick goatee. Andy finds himself unchanged in age, but stronger and taller, his topknot bun towering higher, the first hint of a scruffy beard shadowing his jaw. Nick and Jame shrink rapidly—now giggling five-year-olds, eyes wide with wonder. And to everyone’s shock, John feels a peculiar warmth in his belly, realizing he’s pregnant with the couple’s seventh son.
William stretches, testing his newfound strength, his voice deep and resonant. "I suppose I’m in charge now… Or maybe I always was." John laughs, his hand resting protectively over his stomach, exchanging a warm glance with his husband. Harry flexes his biceps, grinning. "This is wild! I’ve got muscles…and a beard!" Andy tries to rally his siblings, but finds his voice cracking with the new weight of responsibility. The two youngest, Jame and Nick, chase each other around the table, their laughter echoing off the rafters.
William and John share a quiet moment, their hands entwined as they look over their now-grown sons—Harry the bodybuilder, Andy the athlete, and the two rambunctious five-year-olds. "I never thought being a parent could be this… literal," John jokes, his eyes sparkling. Andy tries to corral his younger brothers, while Harry is already showing off his new muscles. The attic rings with laughter, confusion, and the first sparks of acceptance.
William gathers everyone close, his voice steady. "Whatever ages we are, we’re still family. We’ll figure this out together." The group nods, a sense of unity settling over them. The board game’s runes flicker once more, as if in approval, and outside, the night is peaceful, filled with the promise of tomorrow. With William kissing his lovely pregnant husband
