Julia has always been self-conscious about her size.  With her 26th birthday coming up it is just another reminder that she is so much shorter than everyone else.  But maybe this year things might change.  (This is the request story for Tomalert.  It is in early access on my Patreon and will come to DA on Nov 11th.)

“So, remember Julia, you are to meet us at Franks Steak House. We have a big surprise waiting for you.”

             Julia sighed. “I am sorry, Sam. I just don’t know if I feel like it this year.” She sat on the edge of her bed. “I think I might spend my birthday at home.”

             “You can’t! We all want to celebrate it with you.”

             “I know, but. . .” She ran her fingers along the velvet sheets of her bed. “It is just another day. We can get together another day.”

             “Julia. Please reconsider.”

             “I will think about it tonight, okay. I will let you know tomorrow.” She smiled. “Thank you for the thought, though.” She ended the call and sighed as she picked up a picture of her and her friends, Sam, Jessie, and Rebecca. “Huh. I would tell them why I didn’t want to go, but I feel like they would laugh at me. I will be twenty-six years old, and I am still so short. It is humiliating.” She set the picture face down on the bed, unable to look at how much taller her friends were than she was. “Just once, I would like to be the same size as everyone else. Just once.”

             Her phone suddenly vibrated in her pocket. “Huh?” She pulled it free. “Someone is at my doorstep. I better check the app.” She thumbed through her phone until the security camera footage of her doorstep came online. “Hmm. No one is there.” She narrowed her blue eyes. “But I don’t know where that package came from.” She jumped to her feet. “Maybe someone sent me a gift?” She shrugged her shoulders. “Hmm.”