That evening, Nicole called a family meeting, telling the girls that they were going to need to be strong because they were about to face something very unusual and they were going to need to be very mature about it. She and their dad were counting on them to be adult about this, she implored her daughters. Roger had remained up in the bedroom while his wife set the evening discussion in motion. Their oldest daughter Kyndall had already been called and she was asked to come right away. It was an urgent matter and she was needed to be part of it. Kyndall had to cancel her plans with Brandon for the night and she did so grudgingly. She and her parents had not been on the best terms of late. She especially wasn’t getting along well with her dad for some time.
Both of the younger girls, Jenna and Lindi were very anxious at their mom’s tone and emphasis of the word crisis. They were strong girls but mom never was alarmed like this so something must be very wrong, they feared. Nicole tried to reassure them that it would be allright as long as the family stood together. Nevertheless, the girls still were very worried as they noted their mom was having a hard time being strong herself and this was not at all like her. Nicole hugged her girls and smiled at them saying “you girls can face just about anything with a positive attitude and dad is going to need that.”
Nicole was still struggling to come to terms with what was happening to her husband herself. It wasn’t every day that a woman faced this sort of situation and Nicole wasn’t sure how to handle it. She and Roger were still trying to get their relationship back in order after she had caught him redhanded with his mistress, a few short months back. She did not know how she was ever going to trust him again, even though Roger begged her to give him another chance, saying explicitly that it was over and he would make it up to her. The damage had been done though, and trust was broken. Nicole believed it would take alot of time before she could ever see her husband the same way again, if ever. And now this bombshell!
After all, neither Roger nor Nicole had the faintest idea what the hell was happening, only that he was definitely somehow getting smaller in height! After coming home, having received Jenna’s panicked phone call, Nicole had stepped into their bedroom, not knowing what to expect. Jenna had just desperately begged her to come home right away, and this was not like her middle daughter, usually very calm and sensible. So Nicole was nervous as she entered the room. Nothing could have prepared her for this surprise though. What woman would ever be ready to face this kind of crisis? When Roger came towards her, she knew instantly that something was terribly wrong. Her husband was smaller than he had been the last time she had seen him, alot smaller! It was painfully obvious that the impossible had occurred, but how could this be? There was no way this could be real. She couldn’t believe her eyes. Nicole was actually looking eye to eye at her husband. He was almost exactly the same height as she was. In fact, she realized in dismay that Roger was actually a little bit shorter than she was now. But that was not possible, he was 5 or 6 inches taller than her. In fact, she usually had to look up to him but now unless she was imagining it, she was actually a bit taller than him. She had already taken her heels off when she was in her car, as was her custom. So she was standing barefoot as well. Roger was just plain littler, no two ways about it.
“Roger? I dont understand. What the hell is going on?” Nicole barely managed to get the words out. She was unable to stop staring at her now petite husband. She was in shock at seeing him this way.
“I don’t know honey, “ Roger shrugged his shoulders. “ All day, I have been getting smaller and I have no idea why.”
They had no explanattion for this incredible situation so they just stood there looking at each other in shock. Neither of them had any idea as to what they were going to do. Nobody had ever had to face this kind of situation. as far as they were aware of. This was unfamiliar territory for both of them and they were at a loss for words.
Finally, Nicole regained a little of her composure and took the lead. Roger was completely incapacitated Still recovering from a very rough day, he was still not thinking clearly. Nicole decided the first thing they needed to do was to confide in the kids, because they had always been completely truthful with their girls and for a crisis like this, Nicole didn’t want to start being deceitful now. Lying was only going to postpone the inevitable and besides, they needed to face this problem head on and they couldn’t waste their time trying to cover up the truth to the girls. At this point, there was no telling what was coming next and it would be best for all members of the family to be on board.This was how Nicole saw it anyways.
So Nicole preceded to get things moving. While not happy with the situation, she got the girls together and was about to get their father to join them. Just then ,she heard the sound of Kyndall’s car pulling into the driveway. Good she thought to herself, at least we are all here now. Kyndall, now 19 and living with his boyfriend was a little wild and she pulled into the driveway with a screech. Nicole heard the car door slam and Kyndall enter the side door to the family room.
Kyndall was a very attractive dark haired girl with beautiful brown eyes. She dressed a little unusual, though not goth, she was certainly choosing an alternative lifestyle and she was a rebellious young woman as well. Kyndall was usually ruled by her emotions and over the past couple of years, she often tended to reject most of the things that her parents deemed appropriate for a young woman her age. Often impulsive, Nicole had gotten into trouble in school and had been expelled after a number of warnings. Now she had moved out to find herself. She was still very close to her little sisters and behaved very immaturely a lot of the time. Kyndall had an independent spirit. She was dressed in a black skirt, dark tank top, and as usual, she enjoyed wearing black tights and a touch of black eyeliner as the only makeup on her face. The only color she had on was a pink ribbon which tied her long dark hair up in a tail. The one pink girly item made her adorable,considering the rest of her attire was all black. She also sported a few slightly racy, but small tatoos.
On hearing Kyndall’s arrival, Nicole gathered the other girls Jenna 16 and Lindi, still the baby at only 13 years old. She told the girls to please wait in the family room with Kyndall and she would go up to get their dad to start the family meeting. Roger was upstairs pacing, uneasy about what lay ahead. Although he did believe that the children should know what was going on with their father. he wasn’t at all looking forward to the conversation that was coming. Telling them was going to be really tough and he didn’t know where to begin. He hoped Nicole would continue to be strong and take the lead. Fortunately for Roger, he was still taller than all his girls so at least he wouldnt be facing that embarrassing situation as well. Kyndall, fully grown was around 5’ 2” and Jenna. a little taller than her older sister was 5’ 4”. Although still growing, Jenna did not figure to get too much taller, maybe an inch or two like her mom when she was finished growing. Lindi was still growing, not even close to 5 feet tall yet, she was about 4 ‘ 9” or thereabouts. Nevertheless, the girls small heights did not make this any easier on their father. He followed Nicole at a distance down the stairs and into the family room, where the girls awaited, anxiously.
“I knew something was very wrong daddy,” Jenna raised her voice obviously terribly upset and angry with her father for keeping the truth from her earlier. She seemed to be holding back some tears and she wouldn’t even look at her dad.
“What the heck is going on that is so goddamn important that you had to take me away from Brandon like this dad? We had plans for this evening, you know, so this better be good.” Kyndall often tried to make her parents go on the defensive by attacking them before they knew what had happened.
“Listen honey, take it easy on your father will you? He’s been through a very rough day and he needs our support and patience.” Nicole asked Kyndall gently. ”Roger, would you like to me to try to explain to the girls or do you want to?” She asked her husband kindly, offering to let him off the hook with the difficult explanation. Nicole had kept her distance from Roger so that the girls would not see that they were now the same height but Lindi noticed it right away.
“Uhhh daddy. this is going to sound so crazy buuut, Mommy looks like she is the same size as you! That can’t be though. It’s impossi….” She trailed off, not finishing her sentence as she realized that she was right and couldn’t complete the sentence.
Jenna and Kyndall leapt to their feet upon hearing Lindi’s words.
“Ohhhhh my gaaaad” Kyndall squealed, part in surprise, part in amused bewilderment “No fuckin way, you cannot be serious! Daddy you are smaller, alot smaller!”
Roger shook his head in despair. This was already not going well.
Kyndall starred in disbelief yet she regained her composure after a few seconds, bouncing back to reality pretty quickly. Jenna on the other hand was in total shock at seeing her dad so little. She stood there for a minute trying to come to terms with what she was seeing. Then, after recovering a little, all three girls huddled around their their short father to get a better look at him.
Kyndall. all in black was the naturally the first to address her father. “Wellllllll.” she smiled curiously. “ I guess things have changed here…. for the shorter!” She kept on staring at her petite dad, apparently not all that bothered by the bizarre situation. “I’m just kidding dad. “ Seeing the reaction her joke had made, Kyndall backtracked a little. She continued “ But you know this sorta really cool, seeing you like this from this new perspective. I’m not trying to be unkind, really.” She smiled again more genuinely, “ It’s just so fascinating and wild! You have to agree, right?” Kyndall went right up close to her dad to see that she was just a couple of inches shorter than him now! She had always looked way up to her father but now, she smiled again as she barely had to look up to him at all! “ I could sooooo totally get used to this daddy!” She looked at him somehow feeling taller herself because of his diminished size. Then she giggled but quickly caught herself as she had just let her imagination run a little wild. Unable to control the impulse she let out a thought “But wait, you aren’t done getting smaller, are you? I mean, you don’t think you are done uhhhhhhhh shrinking yet , do you? Your prolly gonna get small….”
Kyndall was cutoff by Jenna, furious with her big sister. “ Shutup Kyndall, this is not funny at all. You are being a total jerk. Cut it out right now.” Jenna was starting to tear up, unhappily.
Roger went over to her and now firmly hugged his middle daughter, almost exactly his own height now, just an inch or less shorter than him! “Daddy “ she pouted sadly I really dont like this at all, not one bit. It’s just not right. How can this be happening to you? “ With this, she hugged him as tightly as she could.
“I dont know honey but Jenna, your mom and I are going to find out, we promise right Nicole?”
Nicole nodded sadly in agreement.
Nicole interjected “We’re going to call the government research facility in Roanoke in the morning and will set up an appointment to see the scientists there and I’m certain they will get to the bottom of all this guys. So dont worry too much. We just wanted you to know what was going on with your dad.”
Kyndall watching Jenna hold their dad in a tight embrace giggled “ uhhhh Jenn, let him go will ya? You’re gonna suffocate the little guy! He’s not used to us all being so big and strong, are you daddy?” She smiled at him.
He was not amused. She was teasing him and he didnt like that from his daughter. He knew his daughter had a cruel streak and this troubled him sometimes. She enjoyed being able to stir things up now and then and he really wasn't appreciative of this side of Kyndall's personality.
Jenna let up right away, miserable at that idea that she was hurting him. “Is she right daddy? I didnt even think. I mean i never considered the … Oh I didnt mean to hold too tight, im soooooo sorry daddy if I hurt you.” Jenna looked apologetic and extremely depressed.
“Hon, Im fine really. Don’t worry yourself so. I can handle daughters that are my size, really I can.” With his arms wide open, he looked at pretty little lindi, still alot taller than her at least. She ran to him and he caught her and lifted her into the air in a big embrace. “I’d need to be pretty darn small for my girls to be able to hurt me with a bear hug,” Roger joked.
Kyndall watching him carefully was not so sure. “Dad, just how little do you figure you are going to get, anyways? It looks like you may have lost 4 or 5 inches already and the days not even over yet.”
Roger looked down at his eldest daughter with as much fortitude and confidence that he could muster and he said “ I dont have any idea Kyndall but whatever happens , this is all just temporary until we can figure out how to reverse whatever is happening to me. got it?” Lindi let go of her dad and all three girls sat back down on the couch.
“Ummmmm dad, i dont mean to doubt you when you are so certain and all but uhhh what if it turns out there is no cure for this? what then huh? “ Kyndall looked over at him waiting for an answer but knowing the only possible answer. Everyone was going to have to get used to having a smaller person around, she thought to herself with no meanness but it did make her smile again.
Roger again tried to sound strong but was a little less sure of himself as he said “ Well I dont know sweetie but let’s cross that bridge only if we come to it.”
Kyndall, not at all upset about it shrugged her pretty shoulders. “Okay daddy but this is totally weird.”
Nicole looked at her daughters “Guys we are all going to take whatever comes and deal with it, together, as a family. Whatever happens, we are going to be fine.”
Kyndall who was considering the possibilities in her head, listened quietly, not expressing the questions that were in her mind. “Oh and Kyndall, I think you should tell Brandon that you will be moving back home. Your old room is still here waiting for you. For this family crisis, I’d really prefer to have all of us together, under one roof.” She looked at her daughter fully expecting an argument as that was the norm with Kyndall these days. To her surprise, no argument came from the girl!
Letting her pretty long dark hair down, Kyndall smiled innocently. “ I understand mom, completely.” She nodded. “ I agree totally. Daddy needs all of our support and strength to face the uncertainty of the days ahead.” Kyndall vaguely imagined some more “...no matter what they might bring.” She went over to Roger again and hugged him, maybe not her gentlest hug. “I’m sure all us girls will do whatever is necessary to help. You can count on us!”
Jenna and Lindi chimed in agreement girlishly. They would do anything they could to make this crisis easier on their dad.
Roger, very pleased and proud of his family, thanked them for being so understanding, He assured them that this was all going to be over very soon and then they would be able to get back to their normal lives. Was he kidding himself, he wondered? Or was this just the beginning of a much longer ordeal, he secretly feared to himself. As he watched his wife and daughters, he was at least confident that his family would be strong and supportive, no matter what lay ahead.