In 1960s England, two young women take a trip to the seaside. A short story, written for the Moral Fortitude project's third anthology: 'Perfect Timing'. (www.moralfortitude.com) It interested me to write about a time when relationships between women weren't formally recognised. (See the footnote for more on that...)

As an important pawn in her father's game of chess, Violet Alexander has one simple job: smile pretty for the press. But even this proves too difficult. Her mood has seemed to be permanently dampened by her father's perpetual need to lock her sexuality in a box that not even she is granted access to. Brooklyn Frank has spent her entire life worrying about how she'll get by- where her next meal will come from, how her next bills will be paid for. Moving from job to job, criticized for something she can't change and won't lie about, Brooklyn can't seem to catch a break. But the two have yet to meet. And when they do? Who knows ~ things change. ~NOTE~ This is a modern retelling of the Russian fairytale "The Princess Who Never Smiled", written for the lgbtq contest 'Once Upon A Time'.