The Story of Thumbelina (day eight)

When I was young, I learned about the ancient Chinese and their practice of foot binding.
I always wondered if the same had happened to my legs, when I sat properly with my back against a chair and my feet swayed inches over the floor.

I wear a lot of dresses because that way it's harder to tell that they don't really make clothing in my size. What is an ankle length pant becomes normal length for me and belts have added notches where I had my father bore through the leather.

Some days my mirror feels like something out of a fun house, legs looking bizarrely compact next to arms that hang annoyingly past where they should. But no, everything seems to be in the correct order and place.

I try not to be a vain person because that's not how my mother raised me but I wonder if there will ever be a point where I will stop being thought of as that "cute, little" person. Will I be classified as a pseudo-child for the rest of my life? No one really wants to fall in love with Thumbelina.