Cindy wasn’t sure how much time had passed.
They were all still in the living room, though the energy had shifted from after-school chaos into something more settled. The television still played too loudly in the background. The snacks had been picked over. Brooklyn had one leg thrown over the arm of the couch while scrolling through her phone, and Krysi was talking to Evan about something Cindy had stopped trying to follow.
Madison had gotten up a few minutes earlier because she wanted to show Brooklyn something she had bought.
Cindy had been grateful for that.
Not because Madison’s absence gave her freedom. It did not. Evan’s lap was still Evan’s lap. Charity still sat nearby, quiet and composed, and Cindy was still expected to remain where she had been placed.
But Madison not looking at her directly had made it easier to breathe.
Then Ava approached.
Cindy saw the movement first, then the shadow.
Ava Cruz loomed over her for a moment, her expression curious and a little too interested. Cindy’s body tensed before she could stop it.
Then Ava’s hand lowered toward Evan’s lap.
“Mom, go to Ava,” Madison called from somewhere beyond Cindy’s view. “You can be Ava’s practice Little.”
Cindy froze.
She had not even realized Madison was close enough to see what was happening. But of course she was. Madison always seemed to know when Cindy was about to be given a choice, if only so she could remove it first.
Cindy looked up at Ava, whose hand now rested against Evan’s leg, palm open and waiting.
“There has been a mistake,” Cindy said quickly. “Ma… Ms. Wessen was joking. I’m not a practice Little. I’m her mother.”
Her voice sounded too small.
Too desperate.
She hated that.
She was not built for this. She was not some training tool for Madison’s friends. She was not an object to be passed around so Ava Cruz could improve her handling technique.
Ava tilted her head slightly.
“Don’t worry, Cindy,” Ava said. “I’m not taking you home or anything.”
Yet.
Cindy heard the unspoken word even if Ava had not meant it.
“This is just basic technique practice,” Ava continued.
Her tone was pleasant. Almost reassuring.
That made it worse.
Ava looked down at Cindy with a kind of bright, focused interest. Not hatred exactly, but satisfaction. Cindy recognized it because she had seen it in people’s eyes before when someone powerful finally became vulnerable.
Ava knew who Cindy had been.
Ava knew what her parents thought of Cindy.
The woman they had called a bigot. The woman who had looked down on them with careful smiles and polished little comments. The woman who had always known how to say just enough that calling her out would make the other person seem dramatic.
Now that woman was in Evan’s lap.
Now that woman was being offered to Ava as practice.
“Step onto my hand,” Ava said. “I want to practice Little walking.”
Cindy felt sick as she looked down at Ava’s hand. The warm brown skin of her palm rested against the fabric of Evan’s pants, fingers slightly curled to form a safe platform. Ava’s young face hovered above her, intent and expectant.
Cindy remembered, with sudden sharpness, the beginning of all this. Ava’s family had gifted Madison and McKenzie the Little harness Cindy now used to clean toilets safely. At the time, Cindy had thought the gift was humiliating, practical, and vaguely insulting.
Now it felt prophetic.
She was going to be used for training purposes on Ava Cruz’s journey to become a Guardian.
The only way Cindy could imagine this being worse was if she somehow became Ava’s Little.
She would rather swear fealty to Evan Kingsley for a thousand years than suffer through life as Ava Cruz’s Little.
“You heard your Guardian,” Evan said, pausing her conversation with Krysi long enough to look down at Cindy. She made a small motion with her fingers. “Go on.”
Cindy’s face burned.
Charity did not move beside her, but Cindy caught the slight shift of her eyes.
A warning.
Or maybe only recognition.
Cindy slowly stood. Her legs felt stiff as she walked across Evan Kingsley’s pant leg, each step sinking slightly into the fabric. She reached Ava’s hand and hesitated for half a second.
Ava waited.
Not impatiently.
That was almost worse.
Cindy stepped onto Ava’s palm.
Ava lifted her with slow, steady care.
Cindy braced herself automatically, expecting a wobble, a jerk, some clumsy shift that would prove Ava was not ready.
It did not come.
Ava’s hand was steady.
Confident.
Decently supportive.
Cindy hated admitting that, even to herself. Some hands shook. Some fingers twitched too much. Some people lifted Littles like they were scooping up loose change and hoped for the best.
Ava did not.
Ava lifted like someone who had practiced.
“Remember,” Evan said, watching them with sudden seriousness, “your walking speed is always faster to them than you think it is. Charizard hates it when I get going too fast. To me, it feels normal, but to her it’s basically motion blur. She gets bounced around like she’s in a shopping cart with a bad wheel.”
Charity lowered her eyes. “Yes, Ms. Evan.”
Ava nodded, absorbing the advice. “Okay. Slow and steady.”
“Exactly,” Evan said. “And don’t let your wrist dip too much. It feels like a drop to them.”
Ava adjusted immediately, leveling her palm.
Cindy noticed.
Of course she noticed.
Ava was listening. Learning. Applying feedback.
Ava took a few careful steps across the living room.
Cindy stayed low, one hand touching Ava’s thumb for balance despite hating herself for needing it. The motion was smoother than she expected. Still unsettling. Still humiliating. But controlled.
Ava looked down at her. “Is this speed okay, Cindy?”
There was genuine concern in her voice.
Not enough to erase the humiliation.
But enough that Cindy answered too naturally.
“Yes, you’re surprisingly competent.”
The room went slightly quiet.
Cindy realized her mistake immediately.
Not just the missing title.
The insult hidden inside the compliment.
Ava’s brows lifted.
Cindy’s stomach dropped.
“Ms. Cruz,” Cindy added quickly. “I mean, yes, Ms. Cruz. Your speed is acceptable.”
It was too late.
Brooklyn made a sharp little sound from the couch. “Oh my god.”
Evan’s mouth curved. “Surprisingly competent?”
Madison appeared from behind the couch, phone still in hand. “Mom.”
Cindy lowered her eyes. “I’m sorry, Ms. Wessen.”
Ava looked down at her for another second.
Cindy waited for anger.
For Ava to snap. For Madison to correct her. For Evan to laugh and make it worse.
Instead, Ava’s expression shifted into something smaller and colder than open anger.
“My parents said you were like that,” Ava said.
The room settled.
Cindy did not look up.
Ava continued, still holding her carefully. “Like, you’d say something rude, but in a way where if someone got mad, you could act like they misunderstood.”
Cindy swallowed.
“I apologized, Ms. Cruz.”
“I heard you.”
Ava’s hand remained steady.
That somehow made the moment worse.
Because Ava was doing the technique correctly. She was being a good Guardian trainee. She was supporting Cindy safely while quietly making it clear that Cindy had not escaped the meaning of what she had said.
Madison’s voice came from behind them, softer than Cindy expected.
“Mom, you need to be respectful when Ava is handling you.”
Cindy’s face burned.
“Yes, Ms. Wessen.”
Ava took another slow step, then another. “It’s okay. I need practice with difficult Littles too.”
Brooklyn covered her mouth.
Krysi looked away, laughing under her breath.
Cindy felt the words settle over her like a weighted blanket.
Difficult Littles.
Not difficult people.
Not difficult adults.
Not difficult women.
Difficult Littles.
Ava looked down again. “How’s the speed now?”
Cindy forced the words through her teeth.
“It is good, Ms. Cruz.”
Ava smiled faintly. “Thank you, Cindy.”
The thank you sounded polite.
That was what made it devastating.
Cindy gripped Ava’s thumb for balance as the girl continued across the living room, practicing each careful step while the others watched.
And for the first time that day, Cindy understood that Ava did not need to be cruel to humiliate her.
Ava only had to be competent.
missed it by that much lol
but really, if cindy had more awareness how she spoke, this would have been a positive thing. Ava actually didn’t seem like she hated her or like she was going to enjoy it and actually wanted to make sure it was okay for cindy, which she didn’t have to, at least not vocally. i’m sure she could tell something was wrong by how cindy reacted physically. If Cindy just was more mindful it would have been more neutral, if that makes sense (tired af today lol)
Totally agree
I agree more awareness would go a long way but cindy has never had to deal with caring so its definately a weak point
She is a person we called book smart but life dumb lol
Can we get a Cindy song montage for her like “be a man” from mulan but this time it’s BE A SMALL ( yes I know they are called littles but be a little doesn’t sound right lol )
Where Cindy training is actually effective! Sigh Cindy I want to help you girl I really do but we need to be more mindful damn it
We’ll get there eventually but damn we got a lot of work
The song by The band Garbage “stupid girl” from the 90’s seems good for Cindy lol
Its really starting at ground zero or below ground zero. She has a long path ahead.
Cindy has done goofed lol.
It’s probably too early for me to judge how good a guardian she will be, but I’m enjoying Ava right now.
Yep …. So much work needed for her lol
Oh for sure she’ll be a great guardian
I think she will be good. She seems like a harder worker that isn’t afraid to practice
People seem to like Ava which is good. The plan is for like with Smallara prime to have side stories with the related characters and use Madison’s world a similar mainline to Smallara prime.
Cindy did mess up.
A) Cindy being Cindy. Bad little, respect your betters lol.
B) I was happy to see Ava not acting with vengeance against Cindy. She literally is in the palm of her had and has lost everything so piling on now just seems mean.
C) Having Cindy have to grovel for not speaking correctly in Ava’s hand was a bonus lol.
C) it was a moment cindy didnt like.
B) Ava is aware she doesnt need to be overly cruel as Cindy is living her own hell without Ava having to do anything but the bare minimum.
A) Very accurate
1) “You can be Ava’s practice Little.” Probably better than having to do their home work
2) “Ma… Ms. Wessen was joking. I’m not a practice Little. I’m her mother.” Cindy can be both
3) “Ava looked down at Cindy with a kind of bright, focused interest. Not hatred exactly, but satisfaction. Cindy recognised it because she had seen it in people’s eyes before when someone powerful finally became vulnerable.” I’m sure Cindy gave that look to a few people in her time
4) “Cindy remembered, with sudden sharpness, the beginning of all this. Ava’s family had gifted Madison and McKenzie the Little harness Cindy now used to clean toilets safely. At the time, Cindy had thought the gift was humiliating, practical, and vaguely insulting.” yes, but was it just enough that calling her out would make the other person seem dramatic.
5) “She would rather swear fealty to Evan Kingsley for a thousand years than suffer through life as Ava Cruz’s Little.” Damn, Ava’s that much worse?
6) “Charity did not move beside her, but Cindy caught the slight shift of her eyes. A warning. Or maybe only recognition.” I’m sure Charity’s also worked shifts as a practice Little.
7) “Ava’s hand was steady. Confident. Decently supportive.” Damn, I thought this was gonna end with Cindy spewing over Ava’s fingers from motion sickness, then having to clean it up.
8) “your walking speed is always faster to them than you think it is. Charizard hates it when I get going too fast. To me, it feels normal, but to her it’s basically motion blur. She gets bounced around like she’s in a shopping cart with a bad wheel.” Good to see them helping Ava.
9) “Yes, you’re surprisingly competent.” Oh, that won’t end well for her; she’s supposed to say Miss Cruz at the end.
10) “My parents said you were like that, Like, you’d say something rude, but in a way where if someone got mad, you could act like they misunderstood.” Lots of women are like that, I’d say all these girls have been like that with Littles and people at times
11) “I apologised, Ms Cruz.” But not to Ms Cruz.
12) “Mom, you need to be respectful when Ava is handling you.” Just when Ava is handling her?
13) “It’s okay. I need practice with difficult Littles too.” Oh, that’s Cindy’s favourite kind of Little
14) “Difficult Littles. Not difficult people. Not difficult adults. Not difficult women.” I’m sure Cindy’s been all four
15) “And for the first time that day, Cindy understood that Ava did not need to be cruel to humiliate her. Ava only had to be competent.” It’s entirely on Cindy if she feels humiliated by Ava’s competence.
1) You would think so, but evidently Cindy did not. I guess she was worried about losing what little status she has (pun intended 😝)
5) Again I think she is more worried about losing status (being a training Little).
7) The picture makes you think that.
9) Cindy is one of the most intelligent idiots I know 🤣.
10) Her remark reminds me of one of one of my favorite types of backhanded compliments such as “You’re not unattractive” 😁
11) Typical Cindy.
12) Well, since she is not a Guardian yet, Cindy may have assumed that since she has less status, she could be less respectful.
14) 🤣
*) Despite the well deserved grudge that Ava has with Cindy, she is one of the more decent of the group when it comes to how she treats Littles. Although Cindy may still be remembering her earlier encounter with Ava when she and Greg were alone with her and Ava went on about how much Cindy deserved becoming a Little.
1) True, and good pun
5) What status is she left to lose?
7) Yep.
10) Lol, that’s a good one. Mine is “It could be worse, allegedly”
12) I just think Cindy respects Ava less in general, Krysi isn’t a guardian either and we’ve had no such slip ups with her.
15) Ava does seem like the best currently, I can’t imagine any of the others shrugging off Cindy’s subordinance that easily.
1) Luckily she got the “Honor” of doing the homework and got it done before getting the “pleasure” of being Ava’s practice little.
2) Cindy is both in all their eyes. She is right where she should be. Helping usher in the next generation of guardian just like she was before only slightly differently.
3) Oh most definately. Although to Cindy this is the worst case scenario being how lowly she viewed the cruz family.
4) The Cruz Family besting Cindy at her own game is a chefs kiss.
5) Well Cindy views teh cruz family as beneath her family and uncivilized. So she never went as far as saying Madison couldnt be friends with Ava but she definately viewed then as less then.
6) Trina as well. Its not something they all haven’t done. But its not bothersome to anyone but Cindy. As Charity may be a bully but she isn’t Cindy Wessen.
7) I considered it but I thought that would only perpetuate her view of Ava and her family. So i made her not great but skilled.
8) She is surrouded by guardians who are skilled. So she is bound to pick up a few things here and there
9) yes, plus surprisingly compotent is a bit of a back handed compliment.
10) That is a fair statement and observation. But they also are aware of who they are like that with. they arent like that when they are speaking with important people or people above them. They have more awareness of time and place then Cindy showed.
11) lol sure didnt. She spoke them into the air hoping htey would find their way.
12) Well Ava is the one immedaitely handling her. Madison would correct her additionally if it happened elsewhere. This is why Madison doesnt take Cindy places so she isnt surprised. Cindy is only proving Madison’s points.
13) the irony of Cindy being the difficult little now.
14) oh most certainly.
15) That is true and i agree. Cindy just has low views and opinins of Ava.
1) Truly a “blessed” Little
3) Lol.
4) It was glorious
5) Wonder how she’d react if Ava had been vulnerable instead of her, lol.
6) I’m sure Greg is encouraging and supportive during his turns.
7) Oh, that makes sense, still. Ava making Cindy clean her vomit off her fingers is a funny visual
9) I know, that was the joke.
10) They aren’t like that with people they acknowledge as above them, which neither was Cindy.
11) Not into the air, to Madison
13) or Karma
Cindy reminder me of Nancy form stepmonter . The only difference is Cindy is madison real mother, and Nancy is Peyton step mother. The both might got the karma they deserve .
But I still want to how the story go.
Will madisons sell her mother to ava ?
Dose Cindy and charity get happy ending?
And when stepmonter season 2 novel coming out is has been long time since the first volume?
I wonder if. Charity seeing ava treat Cindy with indifferent care without any venom hits close with how Sara forgave her. She probably feels a tinge of something. Id imagine they could bond over their shared history of being shitty people trying to be better? After all charity is around Kenzies age. Probably a year or 2 more but young enough to be Cindy’s daughter.