Monday's Child

People often gush about how beautiful new babies are, even when they look like little goblins. Their newness, perhaps. So precious! So tiny!

Victoria was born on a Monday, and she was pretty, in a way no being had a right to, after being squished through a vagina and covered in a mezze of bodily fluids. Folks remarked on it, in a way they certainly didn't for her sister Amara, four years later. (Done a few rounds with Mike Tyson, was the general consensus.)

Victoria's beauty bloomed with time, along with charm and a gregarious spirit. She was a smiley baby.

Her teachers adored her like everyone else had, and her classmates treated her almost like a celebrity. Everyone wanted to be her friend. Victoria, accustomed to constant adoration, took it as her due.

Time did what it does to little girls. Boys and girls were eager for her affection. Victoria, never having experienced anything like rejection, could be thoughtless and cruel.

It was funny when dorky Teddy invited her to a school dance. He was cute, but also three years her junior. She didn't think of the times he'd done her homework, given her gifts, or the courage it must've taken for him to approach the most beautiful and popular senior girl.

Teddy was humiliated and heartbroken. Not the worst thing that can happen. Victoria tossed her luscious waves and smiled.

She didn't give Teddy another thought, though he thought of her often. When he dated Amara, she might've pondered vaguely along these lines: Well, he couldn't have me so...

Victoria married a tall, devastatingly handsome man a decade older than her, already earning six figures. She lived comfortably, not needing to work.

Perhaps you see where this is going. Victoria didn't. Things like that didn't happen to Victoria.

6 foot, six-pack, six figures; she should've known he was a devil. He had a forked tongue, and perennial mistresses, but he also had a prenup.

Victoria found herself alone: no cash, no career, and a dwindling amount of self-respect.

She moved back home, tail between her legs, until she was back on her feet. Amara and Teddy were there for her. And Teddy was cute.

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Word count: 366

(NB. This excludes the title, subtitle, and author's note.)

Submitted on Thursday 17th October at 22:43

Quick Author's Note

The story behind the story: Antonio inspired me! I saw a notification for her piece "I am Wednesday's Child". (I haven't got around to reading it yet.) My brain went along a convoluted track, as brains do, and this story is where it ended up. There will be a follow up to this one.

A Year of Stories: I'm writing (and submitting, here) a story every day this year. This continues my 291 daily micro-fiction story streak since 1st January.

ONLY SEVENTY-FIVE DAYS TO GO!

Please consider lending your support to the other creators on this madcap "a story every day" adventure. They're putting out excellent content every day! Rachel Deeming Gerard DiLeo

Image: Don't even get me started on my fight with AI to produce a suitable image today!

I asked for these three characters: Victoria, Amara, and Teddy. I specified that the two women were sisters, and the older sister should be conventionally attractive (something AI tends to default to if anything).

I think AI thought I wanted a threesome or something, it seemed to think I was asking for something inappropriate that needed to be blocked. LOL!

• When it finally produced something, it was a cartoonish image of three children.
• When I asked for adults, and no cartoons, I got elderly people.
• When I asked for thirty-somethings, I got women strikingly different.
• When I asked for that to be corrected, I got two men and one woman.
• When I asked for that to be corrected, we were back to cartoons.

And round and round we go...

Today, it's hard to be threatened by AI.

Thank you

Especially if you are one of the wonderful people who has been staunchly reading these daily scribbles since the start of the year. I see you, and I am extremely grateful for your ongoing support.

Thank you to those who leave feedback/comments. Bear with me while I catch up on reads (I will have much more time to do this at the end of the coming week. In the meantime, I do appreciate your eyes!)

If you enjoyed this one, the very best compliment you can give me is to share it, or read another!

This is my latest dollar challenge. Please have a look.

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Thank you again!