McKenzie carried Greg downstairs, one hand steady beneath him as she moved into the kitchen. The pizza she had ordered earlier was already set out on the counter, the box half-open with heat still trapped inside. She pulled out a chair and sat, adjusting slightly as she settled him comfortably in her lap before dragging the box closer.
For a moment, neither of them said anything.
It felt almost normal.
That was the strange part.
Cindy was upstairs, alone after everything that had happened between her and McKenzie. Madison was at school, moving through her day like she always did, likely already back in control of everything around her. And here Greg was, sitting in his daughter’s lap, about to share pizza like they used to before any of this had happened.
The normalcy didn’t erase the guilt. It just made it harder to ignore.
“Do not tell Madison I’m giving you pizza,” McKenzie said as she opened the box fully and tore off a small piece, setting it aside to cool. “I will never hear the end of it. You know how she is. Pellets only. If you give your little people real food, they’re gonna instantly die because their bodies can’t process it or whatever.”
Greg let out a quiet laugh.
“Well, I enjoy pizza way more than pellets.”
“Yeah, I can tell,” McKenzie said, glancing down at him with a faint smile. “I’ve never seen you eat this much since all this started.”
She handed him the piece once it had cooled enough, watching as he took it and ate with a kind of quiet appreciation that hadn’t been there before.
“Well,” Greg said after a bite, “being a little teaches you something pretty fast. You take advantage of treats when they come around. You don’t know when you’re going to get them again.”
McKenzie huffed softly, shaking her head, but she didn’t argue. Instead, she leaned back slightly in the chair, her posture relaxing as she watched him for a moment longer.
Then her expression shifted.
“I’m sorry, Dad. Really.”
The words came out quieter than everything else she had said.
“I know I haven’t been here as much as I should’ve been. I feel like I left you with Madison more than I should have.” She paused, exhaling lightly. “I’m fixing that. I mean it. Not just saying it this time.”
Greg looked up at her, hearing the difference in her voice.
“I don’t want to hurt her,” McKenzie continued. “But I’m not just going to let her get her way all the time either. She acts like everything has to revolve around her. Like the world bends to ‘Lord Madison.’”
There was frustration there, but it wasn’t sharp. It was controlled, something she had already thought through.
Greg swallowed, setting aside what remained of the small piece of pizza in his hands.
“Kenz,” he said gently, “I know you’re trying. And I’m proud of you. I really am.”
He meant it.
“I just don’t want you putting everything on hold because of me. Your future matters. Your mom and I… we’ll figure things out. That’s our job. You’re our daughter. That doesn’t change just because we’re like this now.”
He paused, softer now.
“I don’t want to be the reason you don’t go all in on something like going pro. I’ll always be your biggest fan. No matter what size I am.”
McKenzie didn’t answer right away.
Her hand shifted slightly around him, not tightening, just resting there, present.
“Yeah,” she said finally, her voice quieter. “But going pro doesn’t mean anything if I lose you.”
Greg looked up at her again.
“I’m not trying to be dramatic,” she added quickly, shaking her head. “God, I sound like Madison.”
A small, self-aware laugh slipped out, but it faded quickly.
“You’re the parent I still have,” she said.
That one didn’t need emphasis.
It landed exactly as it was.
“I know what you’re going to say,” she continued. “That Mom loves me. And yeah… I know she does. But sometimes that’s not enough.”
Her voice stayed steady, but the weight behind it didn’t.
“Love doesn’t take back the things she said. The way she made me feel. The times I had to just accept it so everything didn’t blow up.”
She exhaled, her gaze drifting for a moment before settling back on him.
“And now she hates not being in charge.”
Greg hesitated before responding.
“She is trying. In her own way.”
McKenzie let out a small breath, something almost like a laugh but without humor.
“Dad… she’s Mom. She’s always going to be Mom. I’m always going to care. I’m always going to love her.”
She pointed at him slightly.
“And if you tell her I said that, I swear to God—”
Greg raised his hands slightly.
“My lips are sealed.”
That earned a brief smile.
But it didn’t last.
“I just can’t ignore what’s real,” McKenzie said. “If she was immune, you wouldn’t be you to her. Not really. You’d be a little. You’d exist to help. That’s it.”
Her jaw tightened just slightly.
“She wouldn’t see you as anything more than something she owns. And I hate that.”
Greg didn’t interrupt.
“When I look at her now,” McKenzie continued, “I don’t see someone who changed. I see someone who hates that she’s not in control anymore.”
She paused.
“Someone who thinks this is temporary.”
Her eyes dropped back to him.
“I don’t want that for you.”
Her tone softened again.
“I’m not perfect. I know I’m not. I’m not some amazing guardian or some big advocate for little rights.”
She gave a faint shrug.
“I’m just… me. A teenage girl who knows you’re my dad. And that matters.”
She nudged the pizza box slightly with her elbow.
“This matters,” she added. “Us sitting here, eating pizza, watching trash TV until I have to go to practice.”
There was something steadier in her voice now. Something more grounded.
“And now, when I get back…” she said, trailing off slightly before finishing the thought, “I know you’ll actually be here. Waiting for me.”
“I just can’t ignore what’s real,” McKenzie said. “If she was immune, you wouldn’t be you to her. Not really. You’d be a little. You’d exist to help. That’s it.”
Her jaw tightened just slightly.
“She wouldn’t see you as anything more than something she owns. And I hate that.”
facts. and props to her for recognizing she’s not perfect and isn’t necessarily prolittle. her self awareness for that is a good thing.
Yes she does know who she is or atleast strives to be. So that does help.
McKenzie is simply amazing! I’ll keep rooting for her! The way she interacts with Greg while being a daughter/guardian. She’s really trying! This is how Madison should be but she has a few years to grow! The fact that McKenzie still sees Greg as her dad says a lot
I do ageee and disagree. As I do think Madison should be her own person. Could she learn a few things from McKenzie? Sure. But Madison being different is what makes her special.
I do think there is a balance between what she wants and what McKenzie wants that could be reached.
1) “I’m just… me. A teenage girl who knows you’re my dad. And that matters.” – Well, we finally get see how McKenzie feels about Greg in regard to being a parent and a Little. Bless her for seeing him has her father first that happens to be a Little.
2) Lethal and others are going to love this part:
“I just can’t ignore what’s real,” McKenzie said. “If she was immune, you wouldn’t be you to her. Not really. You’d be a little. You’d exist to help. That’s it.”
3) And to be honest, I think most of the readers here would agree with her on this point. It makes me wonder if Greg had been immune, what would Cindy’s fate have looked like.
4) “Do not tell Madison I’m giving you pizza,” – I hope McKenzie is good at destroying the evidence!
5) “Yeah,” she said finally, her voice quieter. “But going pro doesn’t mean anything if I lose you.” – I love that she has this kind of priorities. I just hope that Madison doesn’t figure out some way to change her mind about this.
6) “I know what you’re going to say,” she continued. “That Mom loves me. And yeah… I know she does. But sometimes that’s not enough.” – She’s not wrong. Some people can overlook this after they leave home, but it takes time, and in this case, Cindy would still need to change her way of thinking.
7) (Regarding Cindy from the above comment) It amazes me that, after I guess is some months, has not accepted that she is a true Little. If she ever does, then she will either have to accept the life Madison is putting upon her, or she will have to start advocating for ALL Littles.
8) “And now, when I get back…” she said, trailing off slightly before finishing the thought, “I know you’ll actually be here. Waiting for me.” – I wonder if McKenzie gave instructions to Madison, that if Greg is alone in McKenzie’s room, he is off limits? If she is allowed to go in and ask Greg if he wants to come with her, she could word it in a way that might coerce him into agreeing.