“Patricia! It’s been so long since I’ve seen you! I thought you’d moved away.”

Alison winced, but just a little bit. It was a small town and everyone knew each other. Even so she’d started to get used to this little routine.

She slowed her walk from the car up to the front door and regarded this latest neighbor who’d mistaken her for one of the previous residents of her home. Her small chihuahua jumped from her hands and ran to the front door, scratching.

“Sorry, I’m actually not Patricia, but I know the resemblance is striking. My name is Allison.”

The woman she was talking to took a moment to process this.

“Wait, you’re Allison, Denton’s girlfriend?”

Alison let out a small sigh as she replied. “Wife, actually.”

An awkward silence descended over the yard, broken only by the occasional yipping of the chihuahua.

It was hard enough moving to this small town not knowing anyone. Now on top of that she had to constantly begin every conversation clearing up this misunderstanding.

Most of the time they figured things out on their own and this was no exception.

“Wait, I’ve seen you on Denton’s Instagram and you look…”

Ok, here it came. The guys could go either way but women usually came down in one camp.

“Wait this is FUCKED up.”

And there it was.

Denton had used his wedding glamour to change Allison into his ex.

They’d been high school sweethearts. Denton and Patricia stayed together for more than 10 years after as well.

Denton didn’t have anything like wanderlust or ambition. He’d gotten an office job and hung with his lifelong friends, but Patty had gotten restless.

When she took the job in Boston and moved away Denton had been crushed.

Shortly after, he decided to transfer to a nearby city since everything in his hometown triggered his trauma.

It’d taken him several years to get himself better, and then he’d met Allison.

They’d fallen for each other fast. In retrospect it was a little weird that he hadn’t wanted his friends and family at their wedding, but she was happy to move to his hometown.

The minister had given them both their wedding glamours. As was custom in their religion Denton had cast his after the ceremony and she’d waited until the following night.

A major change after marriage wasn’t uncommon, but Alison’s wasn’t major at all.

Her height and build stayed the same, and she even kept her glasses. Her hair had darkened and her features had changed a bit, but she wasn’t even really worried about getting a new drivers license right away.

Even so, it was clear there was a lot more going on under the hood with Denton than it appeared. She was working on having the marriage annulled but she hadn’t completely thought things through. Denton would need to sign but he’d have a hard time doing it for a bit.

This neighbor certainly knew her lines. The next question came fast.

“Where’s Denton? I need to have a word with him.”

With a wry smile, Alison replied.

“Oh he’s right here, did you want to say hello? Here Denton, come say hello to your friend!”

The chihuahua yipped and trotted over wagging his tail.