chapter 1

Michaela Gardener pulled up the long, gravel driveway and parked with a sigh. She stared at the ranch-style bungalow in front of her; the wide stretch of sky met the tall tips of trees on the edge of her periphery. After muttering a word of confidence to herself, Michaela stepped out of the car.

It was weird for her to return home like this - it certainly wasn’t part of her big life plan. She had only survived until her spring reading week before she had decided to drop out of her nursing program. All that money, all the hours…but it just wasn’t for her. She had certainly gained something out of the experience, but it wasn’t knowledge.

Moving back home wasn’t Michaela’s ideal life plan either. As she unpacked the back of her car, the 22 year old caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror: platinum blonde-bottled hair, misty green eyes, and plump pink lips. Her chubby cheeks met the corners of her mouth with a cute rounded crease, and rooted her self-image with insecurity. She hated her round face and soft jaw, always framing selfies with pouted lips to help fight her rabbit cheeks. S

What Michaela didn’t hate about herself were her assets. Michaela had always been built a bit thicker - standing at 5’5”, she packed a very full 36DD. Round, soft, and perfectly tanned, she loved displaying her chest whenever she could. After sneaking on a solid 18lbs during her first year of college, her boobs had entered drool-worth category. But as she lugged her thick, 149lbs frame up the driveway, she felt the bounce of her pride and joy - her big, round bucket. Michaela’s ass was something she had inherited and did not take for granted: filling out jeans with a hefty shelf and suggesting every pair of bottoms were skin tight against her plump rump. She felt the sway of her globular cheeks always, sending tingles through her pelvis. Michaela’s freshman gain had mainly brought more living space to her behind and thighs, and she was not complaining in the slightest. After Christmas Break, ever guy had seemed to be worshipping at the altar of her perfect, thicc ass.

Arriving at the door with her suitcase in hand, Michaela bumped it open with a practiced routine of her hands and her hips. She was greeted by the wafting, sweet smell of peanut butter cookies. Her older sister, Sarah, stuck her head out of the kitchen and came sheepishly into the hallway.

“Hey, Mikey”, she said with a small smile and a big hug. 

Sarah was mostly capable of only big things, being a big girl herself. Her constant ponytail and lopsided smile felt homey and comforting. Sarah had always been chubby, sharing the same bottom heavy proportions as her sister, but without any of the self-esteem issues. Sarah’s body was her own, and always had been; she wore it comfortably and confidently, tipping the scales at a familiar 212lbs her whole adult life. 

Michaela stepped into her warm sister’s hug. She hadn’t had her proper cathartic cry yet, and as soon as she felt her sisters round body against hers, she dropped her things and melted into a puddle into her arms.


“Mom and Dad are out shopping for your return dinner”, Sarah said, minutes later in the kitchen, “They wanted to really spoil you I think.”

Michaela chewed on the fresh peanut butter cookie from the oven, absently dipping her third into a glass of chocolate milk. 

“I’m so embarrassed,” Michaela conceded. “I can’t imagine the fight Mom and I are going to have…I’ve been rehearsing it in my head.”

“Yknow, she’s actually okay with it all,” Sarah said softly, “I think she’s happy to have us all under one roof again.”

Michaela polished off the rest of her cookie with a soft moan. “These are stupid good. Are they for your class?”

Sarah was in culinary school, in her final year. She had decided to focus on pastries and baking, with plans to one day have her own bakery in town. Her talent was only outmatched by her sweet tooth.

“Thanks, Mikey. Yeah, they are. But my prof says peanut butter really is a big cheat in anything. I mean, who cares what the rest of it is like when you get to put an entire jar of that shiz in there!” Michaela laughed, secretly shocked that here was an entire jar of peanut butter in this small batch of cookies.

“I’m glad you're here to be my taste tester though! Especially since I’m training my body for beach season.” 

Sarah sarcastically stuck out her bulbous behind and put a hand on her round tummy. Michaela laughed, and considered addressing her own recent expansion with her sister. As she took a catch breath, the front door opened. 



Michaela’s parents crossed the threshold with a wagonload of grocery bags. “Girls! Come unload this batch, we have another in the car!” Their father Steve disappeared back out front as their mother Janice appeared with a large box of red wine.



“Hi, mom.” Michaela said sheepishly. Without a beat, her mother swooped in and dropped a kiss on her cheek with a soft, “Hey baby.”

The Gardeners were for sure a loving but trying household. Dysfunction arising every now and then, their family unit seemed to have grown in strength since their older brother Jackson had cut ties and moved to Montreal. He had always been the pot-stirrer in the family, and Michaela found herself curiously grateful that it would just be her and her sister until Christmastime. 

As Michaela packed away the third jumbo pack of chips, she had to chuckle at her family’s habit. They weren’t a small family - Michaela was the leanest of them all. Her parents had enjoyed the benefits of growing old and being able to afford to stock the cupboards fully. Their European traditions meant they could all drink any innocent pedestrian under the table. Her dad sported a bowl full of jelly gut, and her mom was wide and soft. Michaela felt each second in the home draining months of stress from her body.

After the welcoming and unloading party, Michaela found herself in her basement bedroom. It was always freezing cold. She immediately changed into her favourite, oversized sweater - it was one of her dad’s bright yellow beauties from the 90s. She dumped her bra on the floor, tied her sweat shorts around her waist, and checked herself out in the mirror. Thankfully, her booty filled out the shorts perfectly while still sitting loosely on her waist. She fell backwards onto her bed and shut her eyes.



Deep breath. It was all going to be okay. She was home.