CN: The sexual content involves light breath play and very stark size differences. The strong emotions and family estrangement involve a rant where a child threatens to kill their parent, and attempted suicide as a means of revenge.

This story was a blast to write. It’s a completely different story depending on what gender you assume the narrator to be, not because the relationship dynamics are different (they aren’t necessarily) but because the assumed social backdrop is so different.

Why is the relationship considered taboo? What was the narrator asked to do when they were sent away? Forced marriage? Something else?

The anger that the narrator expresses at their mother also takes on a different timbre, to me, depending on the gender of the narrator. I think it’s interesting, just as a thought experiment, to consider how the various elements strike the reader depending on this assumption.

There are also various “clues” as to the gender of the narrator. Which ones point to which genders? Do we assume they are a woman because they are being saved? Do we assume they are a woman because they want privacy? Do we assume they are a man because they are not accustomed to feeling small? Do we assume they are a man because their relationship with another man is considered unexpected and scandalous?

The age of the narrator is also not specified. This could be a few years later, or decades later. The time period is also not specified. It could be a long time ago or now or even in the near future.

It dawned on me that the story could easily be adapted as a soliloquy. I think that would be fun, and the nature of such a performance, would, of course, be different depending on who the actor is, how they are dressed, etc.

But regardless of all of that, the story is, without question, a love letter to big, hairy, rugged, hardworking, caring men. It’s also a story of resilience and I hope that readers enjoy the story as much as I enjoyed writing it.