//------------------------------//
// A Pilot and a Pastry Maker 
// Story: My Little Human 
// by dendodge 
//------------------------------//

Second Lieutenant Rebecca Douglas strolled into Sugarcube Corner Bakery and Candy Emporium, her rainbow hair just peeking out beneath her US Air Force cap, and smiled at the short, round-faced woman behind the counter, whose mass of curly pink hair was tied up in a hairnet. Her name tag read “Pinkamena D. Pie, Proprietor”.

“Hey, Dashie!” the shop-owner said with a grin.
“Hey there, Pinks,” Rebecca replied, bending over the counter to kiss her girlfriend lightly on the cheek.
“Gummy’s sick again,” Pinkie said solemnly.
“You’ll have to take her to see Hannah.”
“Yeah, I already booked an appointment for tomorrow.”

Pinkie lacked her usual bubbly cheer. It could have been because of Gummy’s illness, but Rebecca wasn’t so sure.

“Are you OK, Pinks?” she asked. “You seem a little… off.”
“I’m fine,” the pink-haired woman replied. “It’s just… I’m going to miss you.”
“Oh, Pinkie, I’ll miss you too! But I’ll be back before you know it, I promise!”
Pinkie smiled a little. “I know! I just don’t want you to ever go at all!”

The two lovers smiled at one another, and kissed again, their lips brushing softly. Pinkamena giggled, and looked up at the clock on the wall. It was two minutes to five.

“I think we can close up early tonight,” Pinkie said, locking the door and flipping the sign to “Closed”. “I want to spend as much time with you as I can! We’ll have so much fun and bake cupcakes and watch movies and have a totally awesome send-off party for you!”
“I have to be up at five in the morning, Pinkie. I think I’m gonna need an early night.”
“Oh. Right.” Pinkie’s face fell.
“But I guess I’ve got time for one movie.”

Pinkie did a happy little dance around the room before disappearing upstairs into the flat they shared above the shop. She turned right and bounced into the kitchen, while Rebecca took a left into the living room and flopped onto the large pink faux-leather sofa.

“Becky?” Pinkie called from the kitchen excitedly,.
“Yes, Pinkie?”
“I just remembered—I already made cupcakes!” Pinkie bounced through the door carrying a tray of cupcakes adorned with multicoloured icing.

Rebecca grinned and selected a cake with light blue icing and a cherry on top. She was never sure if Pinkie was as absent-minded as she made out, or if she planned everything, but it was cute either way.

“By the way,” Rebecca said, “You have to let me choose the movie.”
“Okie dokie lokie!” Pinkie replied. She would have plenty of time for her farcical comedies and children’s cartoons while her girlfriend was away.

They settled down to watch an action film about a spy (and his attractive Russian love interest), some exploding helicopters, some cool cars, and a villain who wanted to use a giant laser to cause an earthquake that would flood the world. Pinkie didn’t quite get it.

“You’re not supposed to get it,” Rebecca said when she asked. “You’re just supposed to watch it for the explosions and hot girls.”
“Oh.” Pinkie nestled her head into Rebecca’s lap.
“How do you get your hair so curly?” Rebecca asked as she stroked Pinkie’s hair gently.
“I style it to match my mood, silly!”
“But it’s always curly.”
“That’s because I’m always happy,” Pinkie giggled.

The couple sat there in silence for a while, enjoying each other’s company and losing track of whatever plot the film had.

Finally, Rebecca broke the silence. “Do you remember when we first started dating at high school?”
“Yeah...”
“And you wouldn’t hold my hand because you said you got stared at too much already, because of your hair.”
“And then you came to school the next day with your hair dyed all the colours of the rainbow!”
Rebecca smiled a little. “Then you weren’t the only one getting stared at any more.”
“That was when I first realised I was in love with you,” Pinkie said quietly. Rebecca didn’t respond, so she continued. “I don’t want you to go.”
“But, Pinkie, this is my dream. You know that.”
“I know, but I don’t care. I don’t want to lose you.”
“You won’t lose me, Pinks. I promise.”
Pinkie lifted her head and sat upright. “How do you know? There’s a 40% chance I might never see you again! Is your precious dream really worth that?”
“I thought you understood me,” Rebecca said solemnly. “I guess I’ll sleep on the sofa tonight.”
“No, I didn’t—”
“Just stop talking, Pinks.”
“But—”
“Good night, Pinkie.”

Pinkamena gave up and made her way upstairs sadly. Rebecca just needed some space, she supposed, and she’d be better in the morning. Pinkie resolved to get up early to see her off, just as she flopped on their empty bed and burst into tears.


The loud beep of her alarm clock woke her up at 4:30. She rolled over and rubbed her eyes, and slid herself out of bed. She yawned, pushed her feet into her pink bunny slippers, and shuffled across the bedroom and out of the door onto the landing. She opened the door to her left and entered the kitchen, where she made herself a cup of coffee, being careful not to make too much noise.

Once her coffee (milk, seven sugars) was done, she took the mug with her back across the small landing and nudged open the door to the dark living room. To her surprise, the sofa was empty, although it had clearly been slept on.
“Becky?” she whispered.

There was no reply. She turned on the light, put down her mug, and looked around. Sticking out from under a lamp on the coffee table was a piece of paper, folded in half with “Pinkamena” scrawled on it in what looked like Rebecca’s neat handwriting.

Pinkie,
I figured I’d set off early, in case the traffic’s bad. I don’t want to be late!
I’m sorry I didn’t get chance to say goodbye, but I didn’t want to wake you.
I’ll see you next week.
Love,
Rebecca J. Douglas x

Pinkie stood there for a moment, not quite sure what to make of the letter. She put it back on the table, where she had found it, and walked over to the tank at the end of the room, below the window.

“Hey, Gummy,” she said to the small alligator inside. “How are you?”

Gummy didn’t respond, partly because he was asleep, and partly because he was an alligator.

Pinkie had adopted Gummy from a reptile sanctuary in the city two years ago. He had a rare genetic defect that meant he would never grow longer than 3’ in length, and that he had no teeth. Pinkie, who had been something of an outcast all her life due to her naturally pink hair, had immediately sympathised with the poor alligator, and adopted him on the spot.

Gummy had been ill lately, and it seemed to be getting worse. The white patch on his back was spreading, and ha had been becoming more docile recently. He almost looked like he was in pain.

Pinkie sighed. “I hope you’re OK, Gummy. Hannah will make you better, I promise. She’s the best vet in the world.”