Stolen Luck
Julia Rajagopalan
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I look at the cake on the counter, admiring its colorful sprinkles. I want a slice more than I want my next breath.
“Take one,” Amanda says. “No one has gotten the baby yet. It’s good luck.”
“I’m on a diet.”
“Calories don’t count on holidays.” She pats her flat stomach.
“I can’t.” I’d like to fit into my jeans again. Still, I could use some good fortune for a change.
“Good for you.”
I give her a toothless smile and take my black coffee. Back at my desk, the cake does doughy cartwheels in my mind. I can taste the phantom sugar and feel chewy pillows between my teeth.
The icon in my spreadsheet blinks at me until I get up and slip back into the breakroom.
A feeble plastic knife bends precariously as I cut a slice. The first bite is heaven,
and I chew in sugar bliss. It begins to crumble, and as I take another bite, I see the little
plastic hand sticking out.
If I announce my queendom, Amanda will say ‘good for you,’ while staring at my love handles. I pull the plastic child out, glance around, then shove him into the next piece.
Twenty minutes later, Greg prances around with the paper crown. Has he stolen my luck, or have I stolen his? As he passes, I smile and brush a purple sprinkle into the trash bin under my desk.
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Julia Rajagopalan is a writer of speculative and literary fiction who lives just outside of Detroit, Michigan, with her husband and their very grumpy dog. She holds a Master of Science in Information from the University of Michigan. For a list of her publications, visit http://JuliaRajagopalan.com.
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Posted in Mardi Gras Microfiction Contest: March Feb '26 and tagged in #boudin, #microfiction