2025 February Flash Fiction Challenge: Day 23

For today’s prompt, write a story where a character sees a new perspective.

(Note: If your story gets flagged for review, be patient—we will be releasing comments every few hours throughout the weekdays of this challenge. Our system randomly flags comments for review, so just sit tight and wait for us to set it free! If you run into any other issues with posting your story, please just send me an e-mail at mrichard@aimmedia.com with the subject line: Flash Fiction Challenge Commenting Issue.)

Here’s my attempt at a story where a character sees a new perspective:

Privilege

The baby was screaming. A wet diaper, I was pretty sure, although I’d known this tiny human less than a week. I looked around at the cars parked around us, but we were far back in the parking lot and cars were all around us. After another minute of shushing from the front seat and waiting for Nick to get back, I hopped into the back with her. Just seeing me and feeling the weight of my hand across her little belly calmed her some, but her crying was still loud.

The trunk popped open, and Nick’s face peered in at us. “She okay?”

“Yeah,” I said, climbing out.

“I think she has a wet diaper.”

“I know.” I grabbed the diaper bag and went to get the baby out of her car seat. “I’ll change it now.”

“Why didn’t you change it before?”

I turned and gave him a funny look. “We’re parked away from the main entrance where not many people are, and there are cars all around.”

“So?”

“So? Don’t you know that human trafficking is on the rise in this area? If someone came up behind me while I was changing the diaper and held a gun on me, I’d do anything to keep her safe, including going with them without a fight.”

We stared at each other. The plastic grocery bags rustled in the breeze.

“I’ve literally never had to think that way,” he said. “It wouldn’t have occurred to me.”