Growing into the Job, Post 467: Inspiring the New Generation

so, what we have here is a raw, down-n-dirty draft of what will be a final draft after RiF helps us here at the copy desk pretty up the product. The final draft won't look different for content, but might read a bit cleaner after it's run through for grammar and etc. Basically, it's a big post and we weren't done with edits, but we wanted all y'all to be able to see it. Enjoy, and we'll send out a notice when it's edited into its Final Form.

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Our walk in the park continued. Where we were heading? I wasn’t yet clear, but I was content to just enjoy the day. The sun was high, casting a soft, golden light over the trees, whose leaves had mostly fallen. The air was cool, crisp, with that faint bite of winter creeping in. I’d liked the fresh air, at first, but my smaller body couldn’t regulate or conserve heat as well as I used to, so I was definitely feeling it. Even under a few layers, I was starting to shiver. But Melissa? She seemed entirely impervious to the cold. In her thin sweater and jeans, she looked as if she was perfectly comfortable, not even noticing the November chill.

We chatted, about anything else but my appointment this upcoming week, and Melissa’s mood quickly brightened back up again. She was nothing if not reliably positive and chipper, increasingly giddy and energized as we got closer to wherever it was we were going. Whatever ‘surprise’ she had planned seemed to invigorate her. I, on the other hand, had not only grown cold, but I had tired as well. My body was weaker than ever, and - I was told - we still had nearly a mile left to walk. When she saw the defeated look on my face, and heard my request for a break, she - being Melissa - had simply picked me up and hoisted me onto her back as if it was nothing. So there I sat, now on her back, my arms wrapped loosely around her neck, and my legs resting easily against her hips.

I said I’d get to that, right?

It was ridiculous, really. Here she was, carrying me like a child, and yet today I couldn’t bring myself to argue. Was I embarrassed? Sure. But totally mortified? For some reason, not really, no. Not today, and not with her. Not when - somehow - she made it all seem so natural.

“You okay back there, baby?” Melissa asked, glancing over her shoulder with a grin that made her eyes sparkle in the sunlight.

“I’m okay,” I told her, absorbing the warmth from her back, through her thin sweater.

“You’re not having trouble holding on?” she asked, giving me a little bounce to shift me higher on her back. The motion seemed effortless to her, but I could plainly feel, under the softness of her sweater, the solid muscles of her shoulders and back, the strength of her body. “Let me know if you get tired.”

I shook my head, chuckling softly. “I think that’s supposed to be my line.” You’re the one carrying me.

Melissa giggled. “Oh please,” she said, her voice warm and light, “you’re just like a little backpack, or a purse to me now, it's no big deal.” She gave me another playful bounce. “I could carry you all day.”

The way she said it was teasing and playful, but there was a hint of truth behind her words. She probably could carry me all day. She barely seemed to notice my weight - that of a full grown (albeit shrinking) human man - as her strides remained long and steady as she walked along the path by the river.

Even on the weekends the park was rather peaceful at this time of year. A few joggers passed by, some glancing at us curiously. I could only imagine what they thought, seeing a man my size - barely even four and a half feet now - being carried on the back of a towering, statuesque woman like Melissa. If anyone found it strange, she didn’t seem to mind; she just kept walking, calmly and serenely, as she kept up a chit-chatting banter with me. It was as if this were the most natural thing in the world.

At some point I buried my face against the crook of her neck, feeling the warmth of her skin against my nose, the calming scent of her shampoo mixing with the crisp November air. The steady rhythm of her steps, with the rise and fall of her breath, lulled me into a comfortable haze. Time seemed to melt away, and I could almost see myself forgetting where we were headed.

In fact, maybe I would have, if I had ever known in the first place.

“So,” I said, breaking the silence, “are you ever going to tell me where we’re going?”

Melissa turned to glance back at me, her eyes widening. “I told you already. It’s…a…SURPRISE,” she answered, her voice a mock exasperation. I must have gave her a funny look because laughs were soon rumbling through her torso, up through her back and into me. “But don’t worry, you’ll love it.” She paused, for ominous effect. “I hope.”

I raised an eyebrow. “That’s not exactly reassuring.”

She laughed again, the sound now bright and carefree and again I could feel the vibration of it through her back. “Trust me,” she said, her tone softening slightly, “you are, actually, gonna love it.” There was something in her voice, something a little more serious, almost tender. “I’ve been thinking a lot about it and I’m so excited to show you.”

I didn’t press her further. Melissa liked her surprises, and I knew that she’d tell me - or show me, I guess - when she was ready. For now, I was content to just let her carry me, feeling the steady strength of her body as she moved through the park with ease. The wind picked up slightly, ruffling the leaves on the ground and sending a few swirling through the air, but Melissa didn’t falter. She just kept walking, her pace steady, her grip on my legs firm and secure.

We came to a particularly open stretch of path, free of trees for a good long bit. The sun was out, and as the morning had advanced it’s warmth had strengthened. I’d tilted my face up to enjoy it for a bit when Melissa came to a halt, saying, “Hold on.” Her voice, though casual, held a kind of authority. With a swift, easy movement, she slid me down from her back, setting me gently on my feet.

As soon as I was standing, she knelt in front of me, moving with an athlete’s grace that contrasted starkly with my awkward attempts to steady myself. She reached into her bag, pulling out a small, familiar tube of sunscreen. I thought I’d seen it when we’d been at the beach conference together

My stomach sank. “Really?” I muttered, though there was no bite to my words. “It’s November…”

She didn’t answer - she didn’t need to. Instead, she squeezed a generous amount of lotion into her palm and began rubbing her hands together, the faint scent of coconut wafting into the air. Melissa knelt upright in front of me, still managing to dwarf me. Her eyes were now level with my chin, even though she was on her knees. The sheer disparity in our sizes had never been more obvious.

“You’re so pale, you might get all sunburned, pumpkin,” she finally cooed, her voice filled an earnest affection,. “I have to protect you.” Her long, strong fingers, slick with lotion, began to glide across my skin, starting at my forehead. I should have protested, but I didn’t. I couldn’t find it in me. 

Each stroke of her fingers was firm yet tender, spreading the lotion across my face with an ease that made the act feel strangely intimate. Her hands were large, enveloping most of my face with each pass, and the coolness of the lotion sent a slight shiver down the nape of my neck. I closed my eyes briefly as she worked her way down, smoothing it over my cheeks, my nose, and under my chin. The sensation of her hands. - warm, protective - combined with the coolness of the air around us created a contrast that only added to the surrealness of the moment.

I was starting to feel embarrassed, to blush under the gaze of passersby, despite the warmth of her care. Though the situation was absurd, her touch was soothing. I closed my eyes again. 

Melissa giggled, drawing my attention back to her. “I think we have an audience,” she said, her tone light and amused.

Her words made my heart skip. Slowly, I opened my eyes and glanced to my right, around her broad left shoulder. Standing just off the path, a few yards away, were two teenage girls. They couldn’t have been more than fifteen, one blonde and one darker, both wearing nearly matching hoodies and leggings. Both their eyes wide as they stared at us, not even bothering to hide their fascination. They had stopped mid-step, transfixed by the sight before them - a nearly seven-foot-tall Amazon kneeling in front of a much smaller man, tenderly applying sunscreen like a mother might to her child. I could practically feel the humiliation rising in my chest, but Melissa was unfazed.

“I wonder what they’re thinking,” she mused privately between us, her eyes twinkling with a hint of mischief.

As if on cue, the two girls exchanged a glance before bursting into laughter. It wasn’t malicious, just the kind of giggling that comes when something unexpected or amusing happens. They covered their mouths with their hands, whispering furiously to one another, their gazes flickering between Melissa and me. I could only imagine what the expression I was wearing - a mix of embarrassment and surrender, I’m figured - looked like to them. 

“One of them’s talking about my muscles,” Melissa said, her voice low, calm, almost pleased, “and the other one just said I have ‘an outrageous bod’.” She chuckled softly as she finished smoothing the lotion over my chin, her fingers brushing my jaw before she sat back slightly to admire her handiwork. “They both think you’re cute.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could say anything, Melissa had already turned her head toward the girls, flashing them one of her signature bright smiles. “Gee, thanks, girls!” she called out cheerfully, her voice carrying easily over the distance.

“He is cute, isn’t he?”

That quieted them down. They looked petrified. 

“When I was your age, I would’ve thought he was cute, too,” Melissa continued. Her eyes briefly met mine, her face sparkling with an amused, conspiratorial smile. “An older man, so handsome,” she went on, looking me right in the eyes for another moment before looking back at the teens, “totally, totally vulni.”

The girls had 100% stopped giggling and now looked at her wide-eyed, clearly surprised that she’d called them out and addressed them. They were young enough that the whole ‘vulni’ thing - the attraction to small, weak, submissive men - wasn’t a phase to them, but rather just the way things were. They’d basically come of age in a world that idealized bigger, stronger, taller and more dominant females. Women like Melissa were role models, something to aspire to, the microcelebrities on social media and stars on TV. The size difference between the two of us? To girls of this age, we were the perfect couple. It was the natural order. But, not a word out of them. They looked both horrified and starstruck. 

“I mean, he’s sooooo adorable, isn’t he, he’s like my little doll,” Melissa continued, her voice reflecting her girlish side. It wasn’t that long ago, honestly, that she was their age. “I just love that I can do this with him…” 

The girls’ saucerplate eyes widened even further when Melissa, without missing a beat, placed her hands firmly around my waist. Her grip was strong but gentle, her fingers tightening slightly around my midsection. I knew exactly what was going to happen, had just started to shake my head ‘no no no’ but didn’t have time to protest before she began to lift me.

The girls’ hands went to cover their mouths, in shock. Slowly, effortlessly, Melissa stood, rising to her full height, lifting me with her as if I weighed nothing at all. My stomach lurched as the ground fell away beneath me and within seconds, I found myself suspended in the air, held high above her head. I glanced down in disbelief, my legs dangling awkwardly, as Melissa smiled up at me with the biggest of playful grins. 

“Watch what I can do with him,” she said, directing her voice toward the girls, who still stood in stunned silence, their eyes now locked on Melissa’s bulging shoulders and upper arms. Even through the thin fabric of her sweater, the power of her musculature was undeniable, each ripple of strength visible as she held me steady above her head.

The girls exchanged a wide-eyed glance between them, and I could see the mix of emotions on their faces - amazement, fascination, even a touch of envy and something darker. They were girls, yes, but they were women as well. Their urges had been leaving their childhoods behind and coming to life; it looked like seeing a spectacle like this spoke to them deeply.  They certainly hadn’t expected to see something like this on their morning walk, and now they were witnessing something extraordinary. I wasn’t sure if they were more impressed by Melissa’s display of strength or simply in awe of her sheer size, but they were rapt. 

As I hung there, suspended in mid-air, I could feel the warmth of Melissa’s large hands around my waist, the steady, unwavering power of her body beneath me. Despite the absurdity of the situation, there was a part of me that still felt safe. Melissa wasn’t just showing off for the girls - she was showing me how she was protecting me, displaying her control over both me and the world around us.

“See, girls?” Melissa continued, her voice bright and cheerful, “Get strong, and you can do anything.”

One of the girls, the darker haired one, finally broke her silence. “Whoa,” she exclaimed, meant to be a whisper but loud enough for even me to hear, her voice filled with awe.

I couldn’t help but glance at Melissa again, her radiant smile and confident posture sending a strange mixture of emotions through me - humiliation, yes, but also something deeper. I was proud to be with this woman. She was so beautiful, so magnetic, an ideal, and the looks on the girls’ faces made that perfectly clear. And I wasn’t just some mini old dude being hoisted into the air like a toy. I was one lucky shit.

The girls hadn’t moved, rooted to the spot as they stared at the display of this huge young woman’s strength. I wondered if they saw what I did - the future in Melissa. Not just in her muscles, beauty and size, but in the way she handled the world around her with such confidence, such ease. This was becoming a  world for women like her, and we were all going to be living in it.

Then, something shifted in the blonde girl’s expression. The wide-eyed awe she had been wearing morphed into something brighter, more excitable. She gasped softly, clutching her friend’s arm as her eyes darted from Melissa’s face to mine and back again.

“Oh my god,” she blurted out, her voice an uncontrolled whisper but filled with excitement, “That’s…that’s her! From that thing we were watching!!”

Her friend’s eyes, bright blue under dark hair, widened even further, if that was possible. “Wait, what - seriously?” she blurted, “That’s…from the interview!? GirlTube? Melissa?!”

Their voices rose in pitch, filled with sudden recognition and giddy disbelief. They were fans. Melissa had obviously become a bit of a  celebrity, at least among the teen set. 

The realization hit me hard. I had seen the interview from Channel 5, of course. Where had these girls seen it? I didn’t think teens watched TV? Wherever they got it, Melissa had been charming in it, her confidence infectious as she spoke about the future of Far Horizons and her role there. But I hadn’t really considered the possibility that people - ordinary people, strangers - would really start to recognize her. To idolize her. Now, standing here in the park, with two young women staring at her suddenly like she was a movie star, I felt the earth shift beneath me - and I was five feet off the ground. 

“And that’s HIM..!” blurted the blonde. 

“Omigod, yes!” said the other, “Doctor Vulni..!!”

Oh no, I flushed, that’s not good. 

Melissa’s grin widened, clearly enjoying the attention!on herself and now amused that they recognized me, too. “‘Dr. Vulni’, huh?” she commented wryly, again seemingly tickled pink by a new nickname for me - maybe some viral term, in fact. Without missing a beat, though, she tightened her grip on my waist, hoisting me slightly higher in her arms, her muscles barely flexing as she shifted my weight effortlessly. Her eyes sparkled with playful mischief as she caught the gaze of the two girls, who were now practically buzzing with excitement.

"You think you want a boyfriend like this someday?" she said, her voice laced with amusement. She adjusted me like I was nothing more than a bag of groceries, swinging me around until I was cradled sideways in her arms, one arm supporting my back and the other under my knees. "Look at this - Dr. Vulni - I can hold him like a baby."

The girls gasped in unison, their eyes wide as saucers. They were frozen in place, unable to tear their gaze away from the sight of this towering, nearly seven-foot-tall woman cradling an adult man as if he were weightless.

I could feel my face burning with embarrassment, but my body was powerless in her grip. Melissa’s hold on me was firm, a constant reminder of the growing physical disparity between us. 

The girls, now completely starstruck, giggled openly, exchanging new whispers while their eyes darted between Melissa’s impressive physique and my awkward, shrunken, enveloped form.

"How do you even do that?" the dark-haired one blurted out, her voice tinged with unmistakable awe, “You make it look so easy!”

Melissa laughed softly, clearly relishing the praise. "It’s all in the training," she said, lifting me slightly higher for emphasis, “You can do it too, if you put your mind to it.” 

Now that she had the girls’ attention, Melissa obviously thought she could offer some advice, encouraging them to embrace their bodies’ abilities to grow stronger. “But honestly, it’s not just about lifting weights. You have to believe in yourself, tell yourself you can do anything. That’s what makes you really strong.”

With that, she shifted me again, this time effortlessly lifting me above her head - one hand under my shoulders, one on my butt - as if I weighed nothing at all. I could feel the air shift around me as I was raised higher, my legs dangling in the open air. The girls watched in stunned silence, their expressions a mixture of admiration and disbelief.

“You could work hard, and be able to do this,” Melissa continued, flexing her arms and now doing an overhead press with me, as if I was a barbell at the gym  Her voice was calm, confident, as if lifting a man over her head was the most natural thing in the world. “Any girl can get strong if they put in the effort. Strength isn’t just physical. It’s about determination, too.”

She turned her head up slightly, catching my eye, her grin widening as she noticed the flustered, overwrought look on my face. What she was telling them seemed like some personal mantra, something she’d been told and had been telling herself since she was a girl herself. She continued. “And, sometimes, strength isn’t just about being able to lift things, break things,” she said, “it’s about being able to take care of the people who need you.”

I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of her words - and the weightlessness of my own body in her hands. Melissa was using me as a prop, a living symbol of her strength, and part of me was mortified. But another part of me, the part I wasn’t ready to confront, felt...useful. Despite the humiliation of the public spectacle, there was a strange comfort in knowing I was in her not only literally in hands, but being used for some greater purpose of hers.

The girls were clearly enthralled, their initial giggles replaced by open admiration. “That’s just so cool,” one of them said, openly  reverently, “I wish I could do that.”

”What?” Melissa chuckled, lowering me slightly until I was level with her shoulders, “Lift your boyfriend like he was a teddy bear?” She pressed me up above her head again, then repeated it, once, twice, three times - doing reps with me - until I was once again aloft, still held high above the ground. “You can,” she said, her tone encouraging. “All it takes is hard work, a little faith in yourself, and listen to your mothers.”

The girls erupted into giggles again, now pointing at my face and mocking me.

“Be nice, though,” Melissa admonished, playful but serious. She understood my fragility. “These little guys are going to need our love.”

That quieted the girls, and they looked again at Melissa with admiration, with a kind of reverence that made my stomach twist in a way I couldn’t quite explain. 

Melissa held me a moment longer, letting the girls soak in the sight, before she effortlessly brought me back down, cradling me against her chest. She looked at the girls - and then down at me - with a warm, almost motherly expression. "Remember," she said softly, "strength can look like different things.” 

The girls nodded, their expressions softening as they took in her words. They were hanging on her every syllable, completely captivated by her presence. It was almost eerie, the power Melissa had over them. One of them finally spoke up, the blonde, her voice filled with a kind of shy excitement. "You’re…really inspiring," she said, "Thank you for... for showing us that."

“You’re welcome,” Melissa replied, still gazing down at me adoringly. 

“Now can you, like, show us how tall you are next to him?” asked the darker girl, a new electricity in her voice. Her face, suddenly, revealed an impious fascination, an allure for more demonstration of a woman’s domination over man. 

“Yeah c-can you..?” the blonde followed, standing now straighter herself, also suddenly intrigued, “Can you compare heights?” I noticed then that the blonde girl was quite tall, maybe a lanky 5’9”.

“Sure,” Melissa replied, her dimpled smile curling as she saw the widening of my eyes as I looked up at her from her arms. 

No, please, I thought. 

“C’mon, it’ll be fun,” she giggled. 

With that, and against my silent protest, Melissa gently set me down onto the pavement of the park’s path, her large hands lingering on my shoulders for just a moment longer than necessary, as if to make sure I was steady on my feet. Melissa took a step back and stood tall in front me. She placed a hand on top of my head, patting it lightly as she looked down at me, her towering figure casting a shadow over me and my much smaller form. The girls couldn’t help but giggle again as they saw the stark contrast in our heights. Even without the aid of high heels, with her in flat sneakers, I came up just barely past her waist.

She stood up straight in front of me, her full height dwarfing mine with effortless dominance. The cool November air nipped at my skin, but standing next to her like this made it hard to feel anything other than small.

"Go ahead," she said softly, her voice carrying that same playful, teasing note, but now laced with something more assertive. "Let’s show them the difference."

The girls, barely containing their excitement, watched with rapt attention, their eyes wide and gleaming as they drank in the sight of us standing face-to-face. Or, rather, face-to-waist. Melissa's long, athletic legs stretched impossibly high, her shoulders broad and imposing way above my slight male frame. She smirked down at me, her hand finding its place on the top of my head.

"Look at him," she said, her tone light but dripping with amusement, peering down at me over the soft mountain of her bustline, "I can barely see him down there."

The girls giggled again, louder this time, clearly loving how Melissa was beginning to belittle me. Their gazes shot from my shrinking form to Melissa’s towering figure, and the darker-haired one shook her head, incredulous.

“You’re like… a whole different species!” she exclaimed, still wide-eyed. “I mean, seriously/ Look at you next to him! You’re huge!”

“You’re a giant!” said the blonde.

Melissa let out a soft laugh, clearly relishing their reactions. “I know, right? It’s crazy to think about. Men always used to be taller than women, right?” she said, shaking her head in mock disbelief, “But now…” She half-turned, towards them, and gave me a gentle nudge with her hip, almost knocking me off balance. “...things are going to be different, huh?” 

She glanced down at me, eyes sparkling with mischief as she patted me on the head again and added, “But don’t worry, sweetie, we’ll always take care of you. No matter how small you get.”

I could feel the heat rising in my face as the two young women continued to stare at me, their expressions somewhere between awe and fascination. The blonde, who had been a little quieter, suddenly perked up.

“Wait, can you guys go back-to-back?” she asked, her voice high-pitched with excitement. “I wanna see the exact difference!”

“Yeah! Do it!” the dark-haired girl chimed in, clapping her hands together like she was about to witness a magic trick.

Melissa grinned, clearly pleased with the request. Without hesitation, she spun me around gently, positioning me so that my back was pressed against her, my upper back to her hugely bulbous rump. It squished into me, the warmth of her body radiating even through the thick layers of clothing that separated us, and I couldn’t help but feel a sinking sensation in my stomach as the comparison became all too real. Her ass was just enormous next to me.

“There we go,” Melissa said, straightening her posture and standing tall. I, meanwhile, could barely hold myself up under the weight of their stares. I could feel her moving, adjusting her stance just slightly, as if to emphasize her height even more. Her head and its mane of hair loomed far over and behind mine, and I could feel her back and broad shoulders towering above.

“Holy crap,” the blonde breathed, eyes wide. “You’re like… twice his size!”

“Her legs are, like, longer than his whole body,” the dark-haired girl whispered to her friend, but loud enough for all of us to hear.

“Almost,” Melissa agreed with a chuckle, shifting her weight again on her mighty legs, “but not quite yet. Give me a couple more inches.”

I swallowed hard, the words hitting me in a way I didn’t expect. The idea of her growing even more, becoming even taller and more powerful, was overwhelming. And it wasn’t just her height that made me feel so small - it was the way she effortlessly commanded attention, the way she made even the most mundane things, like comparing heights, into a statement of authority.

“You know,” she continued, turning slightly to glance over her shoulder and down at me but speak to the girls, “it’s not just about being taller. It’s about growing stronger, and smarter, and more successful. Working harder than them, being better than them.”

The girls stared, their eyes wide with admiration.

“I want to be strong like that,” the blonde said, almost to herself.

Melissa smiled, her dimples showing as she softened her tone. “You can be. Just keep working, eat lots of protein, stay focused.”

The dark-haired girl nodded, her face serious as she added, “I’m taller than my mom already, and I’m still growing.”

“I’m taller than my dad,” the lanky blonde said, standing even a little straighter now, a hint of pride in her voice.

Melissa chuckled softly. “That’s great. Keep going. Get tall, get strong.” Her eyes twinkled as she added, “And who knows? Maybe soon we’ll have ways to help you grow even more.”

The girls exchanged a look, their excitement palpable. “Yeah yeah, I heard that…” the blonde said.

“Online, there was that thing..?” said her friend, her voice a mix of curiosity and hope.

Melissa’s smile widened, and for a moment, something dark and thrilling flickered behind her eyes. “Maybe,” she said cryptically, “we’ll see.”

The girls’ excitement was almost tangible now, their energy feeding into the atmosphere as Melissa stood there, a literal giant among us. But, still - all three young women dwarfed the tiny male in their presence. And though I was standing next to Melissa, back-to-bottom, I couldn’t help but feel more alone and out of place than ever.

“Did you see,” one of the girls began, “that thing? The weightlifter lady who weighed her legs? How they weighed more than that guy?”

“Omigod yes, on GirlTube,” said the blonde, now looking up at Melissa, “You guys would totally be like that.”

Feeling emboldened by the girls’ reactions, Melissa looked down at her own legs, which were shapely and deceptively thick and packed with muscle, her thighs and calves massive under the thinly overstretched denim of her jeans. “Really, you think? You think it would take both my legs to outweigh him?” she said, shifting her weight and placing one leg next to my body, aside it. The sheer size difference was almost absurd - her thigh, swollen with brawn, was not far off from the width of my entire torso.

One of the girls noticed immediately, her jaw dropping. “Oh my god, your leg is, like, the same size as his body!” she exclaimed, unable to contain her shock as she slowly approached, as if to see if it was real, “That’s insane!”

Melissa grinned and placed a hand on her thigh, flexing the muscles slightly so that they bulged even more. “I know, right?” she said with a conspiratorial wink, “All this muscle, here to dwarf all the men in the world.”

The other girl stepped closer too, her eyes glued to Melissa’s leg. “You could totally crush him if you wanted to,” she said, her voice more quiet now, almost in awe, “Your legs are so massive…”

Melissa laughed, clearly enjoying the attention and the girls’ excitement. “Well, I don’t know about crushing him. I want to keep him around for a while,” she said, giving me another playful nudge with her hip that knocked me temporarily off balance. She looked down at the girls, who had come even closer, and whose admiration was now blatantly apparent. “But…go ahead, you can touch.”

“For real?” asked the dark haired girl.

“Sure,” answered Melissa.

Both girls, then, reached out tentative hands and placed them on Melissa’s massive thigh. Their hands looked small, feminine, delicate against the denim-clad monument of the bigger woman’s upper leg.

“Oh wow,” the blonde girl marveled, cautiously caressing her thigh.

“You’re so fucking strong,” said the other, bold enough now to squeeze a little, “You must squat a ton.”

“Almost, actually,” Melissa replied proudly, with suddenly a new goal for the gym in mind, “But yeah, these legs can handle a lot. I carry him around all the time.” Melissa was speaking as if I wasn’t standing right there, next to them. “He barely weighs anything to me.”

As if to prove her point, and with her excitement now outpacing any regards for my dignity, she shifted me in her arms and with barely a breath hoisted me again over her head…but this time with one arm.

“Melissa..!!” I exclaimed, with her hand on my lower back, my body bending backwards in an upside-down arc.

Melissa stood tall, effortlessly holding me above her head, her muscles barely straining under my meager weight. The two young women were now staring even more wide-eyed in awe.

For a moment, I dangled there, suspended in the air like some kind of trophy. My heart pounded in my chest, my legs hanging awkwardly as I tried to process everything. The sheer ease with which Melissa held me was a constant reminder of just how much she had changed, how much everything had changed. My mind whirled with a thousand conflicting emotions: humiliation, yes, but there was something else, too. Something I wasn’t ready to fully admit to myself. The warmth and strength of her hand on my spine, the absolute certainty of her control - it made me feel small, but also safe and even proud - I was hers! - in a way I couldn’t explain.

“Oh my God,” said one of the girls, gaping upwards.

“Watch your language,” corrected Melissa.

“Oh yeah ha ha,” the blonde amended herself, “I should be saying something like ‘oh my goddess’ instead, right?”

“Sure, that’s better,” Melissa allowed, still holding me aloft above her head. She’d redressed the girl’s use of the patriarchal deity, but something in Melissa’s voice was unconvinced with the generic tweak to ‘goddess’. It was like she had something else in mind.

From my lofty vantage I noticed now, with a quickly escalating alarm, that a small crowd of other park goers had gathered. A group of older women stood pointing. An attractive Asian couple, pushing a baby stroller, had stopped to watch. A little gang of swarthy young men buzzed around, looking nervous.

Without warning, Melissa shifted me again, her arms moving effortlessly as she spun me around and down to settle me once more onto her back, carrying me piggyback like a child again. My arms instinctively wrapped around her neck. I think she’d seen the crowd and - as wont and willing as she was for the attention of others these days -  decided it was time to go.

The two girls had taken several steps back, their smiles large and satisfied. One of them was pulling out a phone, to snap a picture.

Melissa smiled for her, and god help me I did too. 

“Thank you so much,” the darker girl gushed, getting the message that we needed to leave.

“Yeah, wow, thanks,” followed the blonde, putting away her phone, “I’m, like…”

“...it was awesome,” finished her friend.

“Have a great day, girls,” Melissa called over her shoulder, waving to them as she began walking again, me securely perched on her back. The rest of the crowd was taking pictures now, also.

The girls waved back, their faces still lit with excitement as they hurried away in the opposite direction, whispering to each other, no doubt continuing to gush over their unexpected encounter with the amazing woman they had seen on their phones, on their apps, all over their social media.

With Melissa’s long strides we were quickly away, and around a bend of pine trees. I could feel the steady rise and fall of her breathing, calm and unbothered, as if the exertion of her efforts, and now carrying me, was nothing at all.

“I can still hear them,” Melissa told me, as we walked, “they’re promising each other that they’re going to start going to the gym together, tomorrow.” Her steps had become resolute. “Isn’t that so cool..” Melissa was obviously pleased with the impact of her celebrity on her young audience. 

As Melissa continued down the path, carrying me effortlessly through the park, I couldn’t help but feel the weight of everything that had just happened. The public display of her strength, the way she had used me as an example - her example, of her own strength and size. It was a reminder of how much things had changed between us, and how much I had changed since meeting her.

There was a time when I might have fought back, pushed against the idea of being lifted like I’d been, of being objectified as a symbol of her power. But now, sitting here on her back, feeling the warmth of her body against mine, I realized that I wasn’t resisting anymore. In fact, l was beginning to lean into it.

A part of me had accepted it - accepted her dominance, her strength, her role as my protector. And in that acceptance, there was a strange comfort. A deep, unsettling comfort that felt, certainly, unlike anything I’d ever felt before. But - and there was that niggling little doubt in my mind again - was it love?

Melissa’s voice cut through my thoughts, her tone light and teasing but aware, somehow, of my brooding contemplation. “Are you okay up there?” she asked me, turning her head just enough to catch my eye.

“Yeah I’m…I’m fine,” I answered, knowing I shouldn’t dwell in the negatives, but rather enjoy the day with her as much as I could, “It’s a beautiful day, and I have the best seat in the house.” I paused, allowing myself to admit that I was enjoying the ride. “All aboard the Melissssy Express…”

“Right? See?” she giggled, happy with my attitude, “And you’re my perfect little passenger, ‘Dr. Vulni’.” She bounced me up and down, playfully, giggling again with each of my little ‘oofs!”. “It might be a bumpy ride sometimes, but don’t worry, I’ll take good care of you.”

I rested my head against her shoulder, feeling the gentle sway of her movements as she walked. “I know,” I murmured, though the weight of my words was heavier than I intended. “I know.”

She smiled - I could feel it, its warmth, its breadth and openness, even as I couldn’t see it - and continued down our path.

“Now,” she said, “let’s go get a car.”

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