Eddie started to panic and turned towards the door, only to have a large hand wrap around his upper arm and stop him dead in his tracks. He turned and remembered Brenda had been in front of him. She got on her knees so that her eyes were more level with his, although they still were a couple of inches higher.

She saw the panicked and terrified look in Eddie’s eyes, and let go of his arm and placed her hand on his back. She needed to reassure him that she was still the girl he married. 

She explained to Eddie that the whole world changed, and things were very different now than they were 10 minutes ago. Eddie tried to ask her a question, but Brenda put a finger on his lips and continued. She explained that he, along with all the men in the world, were in the same situation. She noticed that Eddie started crying, and she instinctively pulled him closer and hugged him. She felt him struggling, and she let go. It was then she realized that she had hugged him more tightly than she realized and he couldn’t breathe. She apologized. 

Eddie was still catching his breath when she explained that as far as the world was concerned, how things were now, were how they always had been. She told him that her mother, a friend of her mother, she herself, and him would know how things were before it changed. 

Eddie looked confused. He didn’t understand what she was saying. All he knew was that when he came home from work Brenda’s head came up to be level with his chest. Now his head only came up to just below the middle of her stomach. And then his thoughts turned towards his family. His parents, Joe and Elaine, and his sister, Jennifer. What happened to them? He asked Brenda that very question.

Brenda smiled and told him that his parents and sister were fine, but the change affected them also. Eddie asked her how. She replied that his mom and sister were the same size as she was. In fact all the grown women in the world were her size. All the grown men were Eddie’s size, and that meant that employment opportunities were extremely few and far between. Women were the new heads of not only the family, but also society.

Eddie had a look of disbelief on his face. Brenda gently took his arm over to the much larger sofa and lifted him up so he could sit. His legs didn’t even reach the floor. Brenda turned the TV on, and flipped through the channels. No matter what she put on, it was basically the same. Movies? Women had all the important roles. The only time that men were seen were when they were in danger from other women, or as househusbands. That was it.

Sports? All women all the time. Men were banned from any sport where there might be a risk of them getting hurt. News? Some news stations would occasionally have a male on a panel, sitting in on raised chair, to join a discussion. But the male would ultimately be ignored as the women would discuss what was best for men.

The government was the same way. When discussing the makeup of the government, it was totally women. No men were in any position of power or status. Eddie’s heart sank. Brenda was right. The world had changed. 

He hopped down off the sofa and went through the house. Everything was so much larger and taller. Doors, door handles, furniture, the bed, the kitchen and dining room table, they were all bigger. He thought that he might have trouble getting up on a dinning room chair. 

He saw Brenda in the kitchen making a cup of tea. Eddie approached her and only had one question. He wanted to know why? Why did this happen?

Brenda thought for a moment, then explained everything. It was her mom’s friend, Ezmeralda, who changed everything. She didn’t know why she made the changes she did, but she must have been wronged by a man at some point, and was just waiting for the right time to act. It was Eddie’s cheating that must have been the trigger. That was the only thing that made sense. 

Eddie started to get mad. Brenda saw his look and bent down to look him in the eye. She reassured him that she loved him, and would never hurt him. He was still the man for her. And with that, she subconsciously picked him up and started to kiss him. 

At first, Eddie tried to resist. But Brenda's strength was too much for him, and eventually he embraced her kisses. She told him that she would take care of him and make sure he was safe. She then placed him back on the ground.

Brenda then informed Eddie that his family was coming for dinner at the end of the week, and that the house needed straightening. Eddie instinctively replied that he had work, but Brenda reminded him that he no longer had a job. And that meant the housework had become his responsibility. Eddie started to object, but Brenda told him her decision was final. Eddie realized there was no use in arguing the point.