chapter 5 - bloom

A routine developed in the days that followed. It wasn’t sudden or even all that quick, but instead blossomed with a slow certainty.

Meghan was excited to see Josephine the next day. She talked about her organized plan, and how she was to put into motion the diet that would change their lives. After all, she had always been a planner. She had learned to use charts, graphs, applications, programmed reminders, and calendars precisely and to great effect. Josephine remembered being roommates with her in college and how exacting her daily routine had been. Everything in its’ place and accounted for. That was Megan’s life motto and it had served her dutifully.

They met over coffee. A local and well-established place on the far side of town. It was there, over two Grande cappuccinos, that Megan introduced her plan. She walked Josephine through the ins and outs. A complete diet change. Low carbs, low sugar, smaller portions mixed with an early morning exercise routine and most important of all, of course, personal accountability. The next three months were planned out to the hour. Daily calorie counts, and friendly uplifting messages to one another were key. If one of them failed, the other would be there to pick them back up. Positive affirmations would equal positive change. It was simple really. Josephine left with a full calendar, more iPhone apps, and a overwhelming sense she was in over her head.

When she made it home she found a single pink cupcake waiting for her on the kitchen counter. A note sat scrawled underneath it.

“Hope you don’t mind. Figured you had a day full of diet talk and wanted a small reward”
~Sam

Josephine would of married him then and there if she could. It was gone in three bites.
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The following days were miserable. Josephine had never been an early riser, yet here she was crawling out of bed at the butt crack of dawn to go do some new damnable exercise activity. Megan took her everywhere from the gym to the park and always to a new area for her morning torture routine. Jogging, swimming, and cycling were daily activities scheduled and linked with cute little reminders that would pop up on her phone each night before bed to let her know what awaited her the next morning. Megan would prattle on about this or that while Josephine fought for her very life.

It was the cupcakes that kept her going. Between Sam’s schooling and work they didn’t see much of each other on the weekdays, but each day upon arriving home she would find a new batch of slowly growing cupcakes. Monday had just been one. All Pink frosting and blue sprinkles. Tuesday, she had come home to two. Both resplendent red velvet. Wednesday, further upped the ante to three. Strawberry frosting with little hearts that made her smile. There was guilt, of course, but she had earned it! She’d worked so hard and put in so much sweat, what was a few cupcakes? Nothing really.

It was this attitude that brought her to Friday. One week of diet and forced lifestyle changes, a woman willing to do nearly anything to satisfy her growling stomach. Home at last to find two entire boxes of cupcakes waiting for her. She was confused at first. No note. No explanation. Two large boxes. Twenty four delicious cupcakes. No oversight. She’d paced at first, eyes closed, hands rubbing her growling middle. Her eyes danced between each of the frosting laden sweets. Just a few. It’d been a whole week! Wasn’t she deserving of this? She would just have her normal meal of salad and grilled chicken and follow it with a small cheat. One or two. That’s all. No more. They’d just go to waste if she didn’t!

She finished her meal quickly. The salad not making a dent in her hunger. Belly far from full. Her eyes turned back to the two boxes. She approached the counter and felt her fattened belly crease the edge of the counter top. One or two. That’s all…
———

One or two went quickly. Slow down. That’s enough. Stop. You’re on a diet and this was nice and all but…

Seven or eight… you are being a total pig. You’ve had enough. STOP! No..can’t. So good and just going to waste…

One box gone. Frosting smeared on my shirt. Stuffed gut growing, forcing it up. I’m getting bigger…

What are you going to tell Megan? Oh God, would she give me positive affirmations now? Tell me how good I’m doing? Good piggy…you can do it! Stuff that hog belly! Mm…god yes. I’m getting wet. How could I eat this much? How much more can I fit in? So full..but it’s so fucking good.

Half the second box gone… I wish Sam were here. Take me from behind and shove my whole fucking face into what’s left in this box. Spank me and tell me what a good girl I’ve been. Call me his pig. Collar me and feed me from a trough until he sees my belly reach the floor. Megan can give me emotional fucking support while she watches. Finish it, fatty. ALL of it! I want every last crumb in that swollen gut. Stuff it full.

Gone.

All gone.
———

Her glutted belly wasn’t jiggling now. Twenty four cupcakes had ceased its’ wobbling. It surged out over the marble counter top. Each drawn breath barely caused it to move, let alone lift from where it lay stuffed full and tight. The faint red lines that Josephine had noticed months ago were now more prominent, evidence of the binges and recklessness of the past few months. A single smudge of frosting was on the upper curve of her dome. She lifted her engorged belly carefully from the counter, cradling it with both hands and made her way upstairs. She’d wait up for Sam.

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