Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed reading it. They are the same. I divided it up into the three different parts to emphasize how the relationship between the husband and his wife changed. The man wanted three different people.I based the flash fiction on the Sphinx's riddle that Oedipus correctly  answered: 'What goes on four legs in the morning, on two legs at noon, and on three legs in the evening?'

Thanks for responding. That sort of cements the reading for me. I was reading as different people but wondered... Cool fic.

Good. Yes, I was debating whether or not I should include the whole explanation in the story summary.  I thought that whatever the reader got out of it would be fine; I didn't want to lead anyone into thinking one specific thing. Thanks. -M