Victoria Ann Carr is the readers’ choice in this week’s Indies Unlimited Flash Fiction Challenge.
The winning entry is rewarded with a special feature here today and a place in our collection of winners which will be published as an e-book at year end.
Without further ado, here’s the winning entry:
A Gift for Dad
by Victoria Ann Carr
Frozen with cautious reserve, I did not answer Skyler immediately. Skyler had finally come to live with us a year ago. It had been a lengthy, costly, but mostly a heart wrenching three year custody battle.
His biological mother, diagnosed with mental illness, with outstanding warrants, fled to Alaska, severing Skyler from any contact with his father at barely two years old. Whereabouts unknown for months, Skyler was neglected and abused by not only his mother but also his step-sister. Forced to dress as a girl, dance, and cross his legs like a lady, the lines of gender identification had been intentionally blurred in his vital, formative years.
Skyler was making steady progress in group and individual play therapy. His gender dysphoria was resolving rapidly. Although men are known to wear pink, and it champions as the color to promote breast cancer awareness, Skyler had to have strict gender stereotypes reinforced to resolve the confusion created by careless ignorance and cruelty.
Pausing, Skyler’s eyes grew larger, and his hand moved to the next tie on the rack. “Dad will like this green one better! It is the same color as his truck!”
Reassuringly I smile, tussling his hair, and reply, “Green is Dad’s favorite color!”
“Green is now my favorite color too, Mom! I love riding in Dad’s big, green truck!”
“Your Dad is going to love his new tie for work! But more than anything, Skyler, he is just so happy to finally spend Father’s Day with you!”
Congratulations, it touches my heart.
Thank you aronjoice. …I wrote this as a prayer to the universe for my fiance and his son and also to raise awareness to the dangers of blurring gender schemas which are formed in early childhood development.
Congratulations, Victoria. Well done. 🙂
Congratulation Victoria. Flash Fiction with a little non-fiction added. It will make a good addition to the anthology.
Thank you both! I am so pleased you enjoyed it. And Dick I read a quote from some writer one time saying there is a bit of truth in all fiction….don’t remember the exact wording but how at the time I remember thinking how true! Our subjective experiences of truth influence our chosen storyline, real interpersonal relations influence the creation of fictional characters, and environments influence our setting and so forth!