The sound of the television droned on, filling the room with the mindless chatter of reality TV, something Cindy had always despised. Just a week ago, she would have simply told Madison to turn it off, to watch something with a little more substance. But now, she had no such authority. She could do nothing but endure the nonsensical hijinks playing out on the screen, some celebrity she didn’t care about, doing things she found trivial, vapid. Yet, here she was, forced to listen, unable to change the channel or even voice her opinion.
Madison was absorbed in the show, her eyes glued to the screen, but every so often, she’d throw a comment or correction Cindy’s way, reminding her that she was still being watched, monitored from her comfortable perch atop the sofa. Cindy could feel Madison’s gaze on her, an ever-present reminder of her daughter’s control. In her free hand, Madison held her phone, the familiar sound of notifications pinging as she interacted with her friends, messages, videos, silly images exchanged with the ease of someone who had no responsibilities to weigh her down.
Cindy, on the other hand, toiled on the floor, the oversized nail polish brush feeling awkward and unwieldy in her small hands. She moved it clumsily across the nails, her frustration growing with each uneven stroke. The task, once so simple, had become a struggle at her diminished size. She had painted her nails for years, longer than Madison had even been alive, but now, in this new reality, even that had been taken from her. The dexterity and precision she had once mastered were lost to her, and it stung.
Madison, with her usual smugness, had been right. Cindy hated it. She hated how much she needed to relearn the process, how difficult it was to do something she once did effortlessly. There was a skill required now, a careful coordination she didn’t possess in her current state. The brush felt too heavy, too big for her hands, and no matter how hard she tried to focus, the lines weren’t neat, the polish uneven. She couldn’t even do this simple task without struggling.
Her daughter had been right all along, Cindy did need her coaching, her tips, her guidance. The realization gnawed at her pride, eating away at her sense of self. Madison had become the teacher, the one with the knowledge Cindy now depended on, and that shift in their dynamic was excruciating. Each failed attempt at painting her nails only proved Madison’s point further, and Cindy could feel the weight of that truth pressing down on her, heavier than the brush in her hand.
From the sofa, Madison glanced down, her eyes flicking over Cindy’s work. “Make sure you’re getting it even, Mom,” she said in a tone that was casual but commanding, as if this was just another lesson Cindy needed to learn.
Cindy’s jaw clenched, her hands trembling slightly as she tried again, her movements stiff and uncertain. She was failing. In front of her own daughter, she was proving that she couldn’t even handle the basics anymore.
As she struggled, the reality of her situation hit her like a wave. She was no longer the capable, confident woman who could multitask her way through a dozen different responsibilities. Now, she was reduced to a Little, dependent on her daughter for guidance, for approval. And as much as she loathed it, she couldn’t escape the truth, she needed Madison’s help.
The thought was unbearable, yet here she was, demonstrating exactly that.
Cindy carefully worked, wiping the last remnants of polish from Madison’s toenail, her movements precise as she prepared to start over. As she dried the nail and lifted the cap off the bottle once more, a tremor rippled through the floor. It wasn’t as heavy as Madison’s steps but still unmistakable. The pounding, lighter yet deliberate, echoed down the stairs, reverberating in Cindy’s much smaller ears. She didn’t need to see her to know, it was McKenzie.
Moments later, her eldest daughter strode into the living room, her casual attire signaling she was winding down for the night. A loose t-shirt clung comfortably to her frame, paired with breezy shorts that stopped well above Cindy’s sightline. The slap of McKenzie’s bare feet against the wood floor was loud, each step a reminder of Cindy’s newfound vulnerability. As McKenzie moved onto the carpet, the slight shift in sound marked her approach like a giant entering the domain of the small.
“Hey, Mads,” McKenzie greeted, her voice light as she walked with a speed that startled Cindy. She watched, once again amazed at how quickly McKenzie could cover ground with ease, her strides so long compared to Cindy’s diminutive form. It was yet another reminder of how far things had shifted, Cindy was no longer the master of her own space. Her world had shrunk, and she now lived within the shadow of her daughters.
McKenzie absentmindedly scrunched her toes into the carpet, fidgeting as she spoke. The polish on her toenails was chipped, wearing off from the busy days she’d endured. It was a subtle but clear sign of how much her schedule had demanded lately, Cindy could almost imagine her daughter’s relentless workdays, while she herself had been reduced to this, a meek Little struggling with a nail polish brush.
The rhythmic beating of McKenzie’s toes against the rug felt like drums echoing in Cindy’s ears, a constant reminder of the vast difference between them now. Cindy glanced down at her own small feet, then back up at the towering form of her daughter. Instinctively, she put the nail polish brush back into the bottle and scurried over to Madison’s foot, seeking a sense of safety. She clung to Madison’s heel near her ankle, her small hands wrapping around the tendon, a move born of fear, not affection. She craned her neck, looking up at McKenzie as the two sisters engaged in casual conversation, utterly unaware of how life-altering this all was for her.
For Madison and McKenzie, their lives had shifted but not been turned upside down. For Cindy and Greg, however, everything had changed. The imbalance was stark, and it gnawed at Cindy as she stood there, holding on to Madison’s foot like a small child clutching for protection. Her mind wandered to Greg, where was he? She scanned McKenzie’s towering form as well as she could. Was Greg with her? Was he hidden in her hands? She couldn’t see him perched on McKenzie’s shoulder, like some youths carried their Littles, nor did he appear to be tucked away in a pocket. Cindy wondered if he had been left elsewhere, unseen and forgotten.
“I need you to do some laundry tomorrow, Mads,” McKenzie said, breaking Cindy’s train of thought. “We have no towels left. Mom’s not here anymore to bail you out of your excessive towel use. You don’t need a new towel every time you shower—you can use the same one for a couple of washes. You can’t rely on Mom as your laundry slave anymore.”
“Ugh, fine, I know. I’ll do a load tomorrow,” Madison grumbled, her tone full of reluctant agreement.
The way they spoke, so casually, with such a dismissive tone toward Cindy, sent a pang of frustration through her. She had done their laundry to help, out of kindness, not as a duty or service. She hadn’t been their maid, catering to their whims. The thought burned in her chest, her daughter’s words, reducing her to a mere convenience, stung. Yet, as quickly as the frustration flared, it faded. The reality of her situation loomed too large. The Cindy of a week ago, pre-infected, would have been upset, but in her current form, small, powerless, and clinging to her daughter’s foot for protection, those feelings were harder to hold onto.
She was no longer the woman who could scold her children for leaving towels everywhere. Now, she was a Little, reliant on their care, their whims. She stood behind Madison’s feet, gripping her ankle, terrified that McKenzie might not even see her. She wasn’t part of their world anymore; she was a tiny fish in an ocean of giants, moving quickly to avoid getting swept away in their wake.
Even as McKenzie spoke, her eyes never drifted toward Cindy. There was no acknowledgment of her presence, no recognition of her efforts at practicing with the brush. McKenzie just walked past her, focusing on her conversation with Madison as though Cindy didn’t exist, as though she wasn’t even worth a second glance.
The thought gnawed at Cindy, Did McKenzie even notice her? Had she become so insignificant that she didn’t warrant a comment, a glance, or even a passing thought?
“What are you doing, anyway? I thought you were supposed to be doing something with Mom,” McKenzie said, her arms loosely crossed as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Her tone was casual, but Cindy immediately felt the sting of it. McKenzie’s words were dismissive, a mere acknowledgment of her presence without actually seeing her. To her eldest daughter, she was almost invisible.
“I am,” Madison replied smoothly, her voice filled with that casual grace she often used when talking to her sister. “I’ve been teaching her how to paint nails. You know how long it takes a Little to learn anything, and Mom, well, she was never the most handy to begin with.” Madison’s eyes flickered downward, catching sight of Cindy huddled close to her foot. Her lips curled into a subtle smirk, amused by the sight of her mother, now so small and dependent, clinging to her for protection.
Cindy remained still, crouched near Madison’s ankle, using her daughter’s body as a shield, staying out of the way just as a Little should, submissive, quiet, and unassuming. The proximity brought her no comfort, though. It was a humiliating necessity, a way to protect herself from the careless movements of those larger, more powerful than her.
As Madison’s smirk deepened, Cindy felt her stomach churn. It wasn’t just a cruel smile, it was a reminder of how far she had fallen. Madison’s glance seemed to say everything: You’re just a Little now, Mom. Not one of us. Not human in the same way.
McKenzie’s gaze lowered to the floor, her eyes scanning the space near her feet. She saw the bottle of nail polish first, lying haphazardly near her toes. Then her eyes fell on Cindy, small, hunched, clutching Madison’s foot like a frightened animal. There was a brief flicker of recognition in McKenzie’s eyes, the moment when she realized she had unintentionally invaded her mother’s space.
Cindy’s heart fluttered. McKenzie had seen her, really seen her. Maybe this was it. Maybe McKenzie would lift her up, take her away from this, just as she had done with Greg. Maybe she would speak up, tell Madison that this was wrong, that this wasn’t how things were supposed to be. She was still Cindy Wessen. She was still their mother. Surely McKenzie would remind Madison of that, wouldn’t she?
But McKenzie’s response dashed those fragile hopes. “Sorry, Mom, I didn’t see you there,” she said, taking a step back, her tone polite but distant. “You can go back to practicing. I didn’t mean to interrupt your mother/daughter, Little/Guardian bonding time.”
Cindy felt her chest tighten at the words, mother/daughter, Little/Guardian. The divide between them was so clear, so sharp, it felt like a physical blow. McKenzie’s tone was sweet, almost kind, but in a way that misunderstood everything. It wasn’t cruel, but it was patronizing, a gentle dismissal of the fact that Cindy, once their equal, was now nothing more than a Little to them.
Cindy wanted to scream. She wanted to beg McKenzie to see her, to truly see her, not as this diminished version of herself, but as her mother, the woman who had raised her. She wanted McKenzie to whisk her away, to admonish Madison for treating her like this. But no words came. No rescue arrived. Instead, she was left with the bitter realization that McKenzie didn’t see her that way anymore. Not really.
To McKenzie, this was normal now, Cindy was just another Little, and this was how things worked. She had been reduced to a background figure, part of a routine, her role in the family transformed and diminished beyond recognition.
Cindy swallowed hard, feeling the sting of tears that she refused to let fall. Her grip tightened slightly around Madison’s foot, not for protection this time, but out of a desperate need to hold on to something, anything, that reminded her of who she once was. But it was slipping away, faster than she could grasp.
Madison, sensing her mother’s helplessness, gave a small, satisfied nod, as if to say, You see? This is your place now. Cindy’s heart sank further as the two sisters resumed their conversation, their lives moving on as if she weren’t even there.
She had become invisible, even in her own family.
McKenzie took a step back, then turned and headed into the kitchen. Cindy could hear the faint sound of the fridge opening, followed by the clink of a bottle of water being retrieved. Her mind wandered for a brief moment, but Madison’s sharp voice snapped her back to the present. From her low vantage point, Cindy looked up at her youngest daughter, the sheer height difference now a constant reminder of how much power Madison held over her.
“You can get back to work now,” Madison said, her voice dripping with exasperation. The sigh that followed made it clear, Madison couldn’t fathom why Cindy had paused, why she wasn’t already back to her task. It was as if her youngest daughter couldn’t comprehend what might be stopping her at this moment, the unspoken question hanging in the air: Why aren’t you already obeying?
“Yes, sorry,” Cindy murmured, her heart sinking as she dashed toward the brush, her hands fumbling slightly as she picked it up. Madison’s gaze bore into her the entire time, a silent weight pressing down on her with each movement. Cindy could feel the scrutiny, the expectation radiating from her daughter as though she were being evaluated on every action.
“I shouldn’t have to tell you, Mom,” Madison said, her tone shifting to one of instruction, as though she were gently reminding a child of their manners. “You need to be more aware. You’re a Little now. Once Kenzie stepped away and it was safe, you should’ve just gone back to working instinctually.”
The words stung, sinking deep into Cindy’s chest. There was a cool, matter-of-factness in the way Madison spoke, as though she were explaining something obvious, something Cindy should have already known. Madison continued, her voice softening only slightly, but the authority remained clear. “Things like that need to be as natural as the air you breathe. I know you’re still learning, though,” she added with a patronizing nod, as if offering a small consolation.
Madison’s attempt at encouragement felt hollow. Cindy understood the unspoken message. her behavior, her instincts were wrong and needed correcting. But Madison’s words carried no true warmth, just a clinical reassurance, a promise that they’d keep working on her until the conditioning stuck. “We’ll get you there. Don’t worry.”
The false sympathy in Madison’s voice was like salt in the wound. Cindy’s eyes lowered, her hand gripping the brush as she forced herself to focus on the task at hand. She hated that her daughter had to remind her of her “place,” hated how easily Madison wielded that authority over her. And yet, there was nothing she could do but nod, as though agreeing that yes, this was what she needed, this correction, this lesson.
Cindy’s fingers trembled as she tried to focus on painting the nail again, the brush feeling clumsy in her hands, but the sensation of Madison’s gaze never left her. Even as Madison spoke in that softer tone, her presence was inescapable, a looming shadow that Cindy could never fully retreat from. Madison wasn’t just observing, she was shaping her mother, molding her into the Little she expected her to be.
The thought gnawed at Cindy as she worked, her movements stiff and uncertain. Madison’s words echoed in her mind: You should have gone back to working instinctually. It was a reminder that she was no longer her own person. No longer Cindy Wessen, but just a Little, expected to act with instinctive obedience, expected to anticipate the needs of her Guardians before they even voiced them.
The idea that this behavior should come as naturally as breathing was terrifying. Cindy had once taught her daughters to be independent, to think for themselves. Now, she was the one being taught—trained to react without thought, without question. And the worst part was, Madison didn’t seem upset or angry. She saw this correction as normal, as necessary. To her, it wasn’t cruelty—it was just guidance.
But to Cindy, every correction felt like another part of herself slipping away.
this chapter to me seemed better because Cindy was starting to feel the child like nature of her new relationship with mad’s and even though she didn’t like it, the way she was able to cling to Mads ankle and get physical contact to make her feel better is a positive feeling for Mads to start to want to be the loving parent with more physical touch and positive teaching instead of going through the motions of using her moms teaching. Like all parents Mads will love and care for her now child mother her way with love and im looking forward to her breaking away from Cindy’s teaching and being her on parent. Same with her sister with her dad, who is basically her child and will build the same positive but I am sure different child parent relationship because every parent and child is different.
I would tend to agree with you. In theory the longer she is with Cindy as a little. The more likely the relationship is to change to a more caring one as she will think of her more and more as her little which is what she wanted and Cindys teachings in time become less effective as Madison gets further away from them and uses her own idea’s and theories.
Loved this chapter! It’s shows that all that freedom they have without their parents comes at a price!
1. Will Cindy and McKenzie have a chat or does Cindy do somthing soon to show how sorry she is
2. Greg’s in her pocket?
3. I wonder what tasks Madison will have Greg doing?
4. My future prediction!! “ Madison realises that her mother’s teachings were wrong and knows that it’s her mom inside that little! For her penance she has to do all the things she did before but opposite! She needs to write papers on how she was wrong and Madison brings her to conferences so she can speak about how being a little showed how she was wrong!
Will we get McKenzies thoughts on this interaction, how she sees her mother at Madisons feet, I think she doesn’t like it but is still hurt and wants her mom to hurt a little more before she forgives her ( like all teenagers)
that would be a great for the girls to have Cindy be a Little supporter and try to get support to destroy all the cruel laws and the way people treat littles, it a perfect redemption arche I totally agree with you. That would be a major happy ending with the girls teaching the Cindy their Error of her ways and making her destroy everything she built as a human as a little under the girls care. That would make a loving family that the girls could shower so much love on their little parents by each of they bringing them everywhere with them and get encouragement and little hugs on their neck because they would always have their parents with them not having to wait till they got home from work when they were big. It would turn them being littles into a positive because each girl would have one of their parents with at all times for the rest of their lives. Never having to go anywhere without their love and support and they could have play dates for their parents lol.
1) Only time will tell how that situation resolves itself. There are hurt feelings form longheld beliefs and treatments that aren’t easily overcome.
2)Cindy does not know where Greg is or if he is with McKenzie. Since this section is mostly from Cindy’s viewpoint you are restricted to her knowledge as Cindy doesn’t know and Madison didn’t ask.
So the reader is left a bit in the dark until the McKenzie section.
3)THere is awide range of things he could do depending on how Madison chooses to handle things and how the story unfolds.
4) Interesting perdiction. That is one that will take a lot longer to find out how it unfolds as it would be something that would be several seasons later if it happened.
5) I have had season two all written and completed for awhile now. So I believe McKenzie comments on it but It’s been awhile since now since I looked at it.
Not really much to say on this one. i hope we see a point where McKenzie actualy gives Cindy some kind of chance to make amends. even just a small, brief passing one. Idk how soon that would be, or if we’d even see it in s2, but it’d still be nice
There is movement on this plotline in season 2 but its not a completed thread when Season 2 ends be it positively or negatively.
1) “She hated how much she needed to relearn the process, how difficult it was to do something she once did effortlessly. There was a skill required now, a careful coordination she didn’t possess in her current state.” that’s what I said.
2) “Madison had become the teacher, the one with the knowledge Cindy now depended on” Likely was coached herself by Evan or Brooklyn.
3)“Now, she was reduced to a Little, dependent on her daughter for guidance, for approval. And as much as she loathed it, she couldn’t escape the truth, she needed Madison’s help.” That would be so terrible for someone who enforced the same on others to experience.
4) “a tremor rippled through the floor” she’s pretty sensitive to recognise that from where she is.
5) “The polish on her toenails was chipped, wearing off from the busy days she’d endured. It was a subtle but clear sign of how much her schedule had demanded lately” well Lucky for McKenzie Cindy is learning skills that could help her with that.
6) “Instinctively, she put the nail polish brush back into the bottle and scurried over to Madison’s foot” Madison’s not gonna like her stopping working, even with out reading on I can see that.
7) “For Madison and McKenzie, their lives had shifted but not been turned upside down. For Cindy and Greg, however, everything had changed.” that’s very true, while the girls wouldn’t be in a good place they are still in a much better place than their parents.
8) “Cindy wondered if he had been left elsewhere, unseen and forgotten.” It’s nice that Cindy worries about him.
9.1) “You don’t need a new towel every time you shower—you can use the same one for a couple of washes” Really Mads that’s weird.
9.2) “You can’t rely on Mom as your laundry slave anymore.” no, but that doesn’t mean Cindy won’t be a slave in other ways.
10) “The way they spoke, so casually, with such a dismissive tone toward Cindy, sent a pang of frustration through her…reducing her to a mere convenience” Yeah, I don’t think that’d be too new for them either. They likely had these convos behind her back when she was full-sized.
11) “She stood behind Madison’s feet, gripping her ankle, terrified that McKenzie might not even see her” Then maybe don’t hide behind Maddie’s foot, dumbass.
12) “What are you doing, anyway? I thought you were supposed to be doing something with Mom,” Oh look Mckenzie is checking up on her.
13) “McKenzie’s words were dismissive, a mere acknowledgement of her presence without actually seeing her. To her eldest daughter, she was almost invisible.” So she was upset that she wasn’t acknowledged, is now upset that she’s acknowledged dismissively and upset she’s not visible to the daughter she’s currently hiding from, who it sounds like is looking for her (at least passively)
14) “Her lips curled into a subtle smirk, amused by the sight of her mother, now so small and dependent, clinging to her for protection.” that would actually be pretty cute, though not the reaction I was expecting from Maddie.
15) “Cindy remained still, crouched near Madison’s ankle, using her daughter’s body as a shield, staying out of the way just as a Little should, submissive, quiet, and unassuming” at least she’s practicing what she’s preached.
16) “There was a brief flicker of recognition in McKenzie’s eyes, the moment when she realized she had unintentionally invaded her mother’s space” at least she can acknowledge it.
17) “You can go back to practicing. I didn’t mean to interrupt your mother/daughter, Little/Guardian bonding time.” without the context of knowing Cindy’s inner conflicts, it makes sense why McKenzie would be sorry for interrupting.
18) “She wanted McKenzie to whisk her away, to admonish Madison for treating her like this.” like what? Like exactly how you said she should only not as harsh?
19) “Cindy swallowed hard, feeling the sting of tears that she refused to let fall” I’ve been there, it’s not fun.
20) “Madison, sensing her mother’s helplessness, gave a small, satisfied nod, as if to say, You see? This is your place now” Wound meet salt.
21) “You can get back to work now, … The sigh that followed made it clear, Madison couldn’t fathom why Cindy had paused, why she wasn’t already back to her task” That was the reaction i was expecting in 6
22) “You need to be more aware. You’re a Little now. Once Kenzie stepped away and it was safe, you should’ve just gone back to working instinctually.” that’s what I thought she’d do immediately.
23) “Cindy understood the unspoken message. her behaviour, her instincts were wrong and needed correcting” she should understand, it’s her beliefs.
24) “The false sympathy in Madison’s voice was like salt in the wound” it always is.
25) “Madison wasn’t just observing, she was shaping her mother, molding her into the Little she expected her to be.” Last week Cindy would be so proud.
26) “Cindy had once taught her daughters to be independent, to think for themselves” ad taught her littles should do the opposite
27) “To her, it wasn’t cruelty—it was just guidance.” I’ve heard a lot of abusive people use that line.
1) It is a logical response based on the new size disparity that she would need to relearn tasks as how one does them as a little would not be how they are done as a full sized person.
2) Yeah plus time she has interacted with the littles of her friends. She would be more accustomed to the process then Cindy is.
3) It would be very humbling for Cindy and difficult to admit after being the one who was guiding and leading to not only have to come to the realization you needed help but the guidance you need is from the very one who you were mentoring and teaching.
4) Littles I feel like with there size handicap would be more sensitive to things like that. Similar to how when you lose a sense your others get stronger.
5)Madison really does think of everything lol. It is quite convenient. I’m sure McKenzie would have a range of emotions in that situation.
6) Are you saying Madison is not the most understanding guardian when it comes to procedures and autonomy her littles partake in? I for one am shocked. Shocked I tell you. That such an accusation could be levied against Madison like that. It’s so out of left field.
7)I would agree. Any situation I wasn’t a little in would be a better situation then being stuck as a little even in the best situations. Even being Chloe’s little would still suck in some ways at you are still a little and therefore restricted in a lot of ways.
8) I wanted to show the care and love they have for each other. I mean they are husband and wife so a degree of love and care would be present between them even if others don’t feel that way towards them .
9)She likes a fresh towel each time but she also never had to wash her own towels before. So she could change now that she has to do the towels for the house.
9.2) True I’m sure Madison will find ways.
10)Oh most certainly they are teenagers I feel like most every teen does that to some degree towards there parents.
11)Well she was a bit torn she didn’t know if Mckenzie would see her and then she would be at risk of getting caught underfoot so she went to Madison for protection but then was also worried she would be invisibleto McKenzie. So its kind of like she was damned either way.
12) As much as she is upset with her mother she can’t help herself. She is still her mother and she does care about her still even if she is mad, hurt, and upset with her.
13) I would count that as McKenzie looking for her as she didn’t have to comment at all but she did choose to comment on the status of there mother.
14) What reaction were you expecting?
15)That is accurate she is very much practicing what she preached in this moment.
16) McKenize doesn’t hate her mother. THey are in disagreement and she is upset but she would feel sad if her mother died or something
17) That was the angle I took for it. She was just walking in and looking at the scene for what it was. She doesn’t know CIndy’s thoughts or anything. So to her there is nothing abnormal as its not like its uncommon or something for littles to paint nails.
18) I was hoping someone would catch that bit of irony. As Madison is really only doing what she was taught. She hasn’t gone out of her way to do anything that is more then what she had been taught. She is following cindy’s rulebook and any adjustments have been generally nicer then what Cindy would preach.
19)It is what i feel is a relatable moment. That was my intent at least when i wrote it.
20) Cindy really shouldn’t have expected anything less this is her own methods and teachings.
21) From Madison’s POV she feels Cindy should know what is expected as she taught this so she was confused why she isn’t leapingback into action as that is the expectation she would have of any other little. so it was unclear to madison why she wouldn’t do that herself.
22) that is what CIndy had taught and preached.
23) Exactly the only difference is they are now applying to her and how she lives her life. It is not strange that one things the rules you wanted wouldn’t change when they are applied to oneself.
24) I feel like its a bit earned in Cindy’s case. Madison would only feel so much sympathy in a situation her mother had dictated and taught proper response and behavior and her mother who created said rules and policies is the one not following them.
25) she would have been a proud parent probably bragging to her friends at how well Madison is doing.
26) Yup a little should be guided people with those thoughts of independence and free thinking without being that themselves.
27) So it must be true is what you are saying I’m sure. lol.