2011

Gwen saw all the confusion and thinking going on in her little boy's face and gave him a gentle forehead kiss. "Such a cute little boy. While Mommy did want you to say it, and you have been a little fussy, since you're just a baby, you've been well behaved. Even if your little soldier is standing to attention." She pulled the diaper up tightly but snugly around his crotch and fastened it. She did make sure her breasts were pretty much on display the entire time she was changing him, slightly teasing him with something he could only have in a way that was even more infantilising.  "I think you deserve a reward, we'll stop by the store again on the way home."

Chapter Thirty: Spark After lunch and a change, Jae-yung was able to convince his fathers to sit and watch an episode of Star Trekking with him and Adam, but Joomi retreated to her room to work for a few hours. Within a half hour of said episode, Mung had to step away to take a phone call. The Littles shared a look, but Bak gestured to the screen as his face contorted. “I don’t understand, how is he the captain?” he asked as he pointed to the bald man. “I thought the captain was the young, handsome fellow.” Jae-yung giggled as he pressed his face into his father’s side, and Bak grinned down at him. “So, there are different shows, technically,” Adam explained as he looked up at Bak, sitting on his other side. “But Star Trekking is the franchise, so they all happen in the same continuity.” “Ahh, and so this is the same captain, but much older?” the uncle puzzled, clearly stuck on the captain’s identity. “Papaaaa,” Jae muffled his laugh into Bak’s sweater, who shrugged his arms out. “What?” “He’s bald, not old!” Jae explained in a playful exasperation. “Well,” Bak pursed his lips and tilted his head to the side, raising an eyebrow at the screen. “I think we can agree to disagree on that. How do we bring back the handsome one?” “I’m telling Appa!” Jae threatened to tattle as he stiffened up and stood on the couch to look for Mung, and Bak grinned, giving him a gentle push that made him fall backwards. Jae burst into a giggle. “I can change the episode,” Boja offered as he lifted his head from his resting position. “No!” Adam and Jae-yung shouted immediately. “Yes,” Bak snickered as he pushed down both Littles on the couch. “It’s my house!” Adam laughed as he rolled onto his side, pointing to Boja. “Our house, our rules!” “I’m the grown-up here,” Bak demanded playfully, pushing Jae down again, who was starting to stand up just to be pushed back down purposefully, giggling each time. “And I say, go back to the young captain.” “Adam makes a compelling point,” Boja replied dryly, inclining his head towards the blonde who pumped a fist in celebration. “And as the oldest full-time resident in the room, the choice falls to me.” “Hold on —“ Adam started, but Bak’s loud laugh drowned him out. However, that laugh died quickly when Boja changed the channel to a nature documentary about tigers, which caused Jae-yung to burst out laughing and celebrate, shooting his fists above his head. The tiger chuckled at his victory, but quickly changed it back to the episode they had been watching, even running it back a few minutes. Bak let out a loud sigh as he reclined on the couch, getting more comfortable as he put his hand on Jae-yung’s back, who leaned against him. By the end of the second episode, Bak tapped on the top of Adam’s head and gestured to Jae-yung, who had fallen asleep. “I’m going to move him into your room for his nap,” Bak whispered as Adam nodded, scooting away to give room. “Do you want to join him?” “No, thank you,” Adam quietly replied as he shook his head, smiling in appreciation of his uncle’s respect, despite feeling tired enough to join. The morning’s activities had been exhausting, but he had resisted getting accustomed to a nap, both for the optics and because Joomi, thus far, did not return to the labs after dinner. If he gave up any precious time in the afternoon, he wouldn’t get to make it up in the evening. Bak nodded, carefully sliding his hands under Jae-yung and pulling him with remarkable ease and swiftness. Jae let out a small whine as he was moved, and he rubbed his face into Bak’s shoulder, who kissed the top of the Little’s head as he stood up and silently moved out of the room. Adam stood on the couch to watch them until they disappeared into his room, and he squinted at nothing in particular as he had, for the first time since they arrived, the silence necessary to truly think. He took in a deep breath as he ran through the massive amount of information he had received today. About Japok, his mother’s role in it, Naji and Kang, Big and Little kibun… lifting his hands to scratch at his temples, he winced and groaned. It was a lot to parse, and each time he thought he had an understanding of the situation, it seemed the ground beneath him shifted. Abruptly, it felt like a burst of electricity ran up his spine as he felt a pair of fingers pull back his pants’ waistline, and he stiffened up, his eyes flashing open as his skin broke out in goosebumps, and he lurched forward to escape it. “Hey, hey, it’s okay,” Bak comforted softly as he moved his hand up to lay on Adam’s back, and the other came down, resting on his chest to steady him. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to surprise you.” Adam shivered as he nodded, his shoulders tensing up near his ears, and he winced at himself; he had let Bak’s respectful attitude disarm him, and he forgot that, at the end of the day, he may be a well-spoken toddler to his uncle, but a toddler in his eyes all the same. “You sounded like you might need a change,” Bak chuckled as he gently patted Adam’s chest, then moved his hands off of him and walked towards the kitchen. “Thirsty?” Adam swallowed as he hesitated, a little disoriented by the dramatic shift in topics. He shook out his arms to expel the nervous energy, clearing his throat as he finally mustered a response, “Uh, yes, please.” “I forgot how it was at first,” Bak hummed as he opened the refrigerator, eyeing the options. “Jae used to react much the same.” The blonde glanced at Boja, who met his gaze, but as always, didn’t move or indicate anything. Frowning out of curiosity, Adam cleared his throat as he turned around, pulling his shirt down in the front and back over the pants’ waistband. “Was it… ever weird for you, too?” he gulped as he asked, gripping the bottom of his shirt as his eyes flickered between Bak and Boja. He wasn’t sure what he was nervous about in asking, nor why he didn’t just keep his mouth shut. “Hmm,” Bak paused, tilting his head to the side in thought. After a beat, he reached in, grabbed the bottle of pear juice, and held it up for Adam to see; he smiled and gave a thumbs up. “What do you mean?” Bak followed up as he grabbed a sippy cup from the drying rack, briefly arching an eyebrow as he glanced over to Adam. “Did I ever find changing diapers weird?” “I guess,” Adam uttered without much thought, shrugging his shoulders. He grimaced, trying to find the right words, wanting to walk a careful line of probing the man’s concepts of Adopted Littles without outright challenging; he liked the man, but he was still an Amazon. “I mean… you’re just very different than other… parents.” “I’ll take that as a compliment,” Bak grinned as he poured the juice. “It is,” the blonde smiled, and the Amazon inclined his head. “I’ve taken care of people most of my life,” Bak stated softly, twisting on the cup’s top. “My little sister, then my parents… Naji took care of our mother-in-law until –” he gestured a hand in the air as he put the juice in the fridge. “–you know, and then I took over. I’ve been so used to illnesses, diapers, and disabilities that, no, it’s never bothered me.” He presented the cup upon approach, and Adam nodded in gratitude, watching his uncle as he let out a small groan in his descent to sit. “But do you know what does?” he asked as he crossed one leg over the other. Adam looked up curiously, and Bak reached a hand down, tapping his finger under the blonde’s chin. “The lack of dignity and respect given to those who need help.” The Amazon then let out a sigh as he put his arms on the top of the couch’s back and looked forward at the paused TV, his eyes appearing to look beyond the screen. The snide remark that bubbled into Adam’s mind fizzled out quickly as he watched this, frowning slightly, curious about the history of that thought. “Sometimes, I think, people see respect as a currency to hoard,” he mused sadly, his lips pursing momentarily. Adam frowned as he gripped the handles of the sippy cup, hearing more pain in Bak’s voice than he likely intended to reveal. The blonde scooted closer to his uncle, whose eyes sharpened back into the moment and looked down, smiling at him. “It makes people feel better about themselves,” Adam replied softly as he leaned against Bak. “If they’re… above someone else.” The Amazon’s hand came down and placed on the blonde’s back, and he nodded slowly. Adam took in a breath as he shifted his body, putting his back against Bak’s side so he could drink more comfortably, but snuck in a question before drinking, “Why weren’t you at my ceremony party?” “Oh,” Bak mouthed as he moved his hand to rest on Adam’s knee, and he looked up, his face shifting. “I stayed home with Jae. It’s considered rude to bring another Adopted to the ceremony.” Adam nodded knowingly as he sucked the juice down, closing his eyes momentarily as he let himself savor the flavor. This juice was unique to the region, and as a rule of thumb, he had avoided juice as a free Little, sticking to boring water, coffee, and tea. So it was a major bonus to freely enjoy sugary drinks without the fear of judgment, from Amazons and Littles alike. He hummed in satisfaction, then blushed and pulled the cup from his mouth, blurting out a follow-up to cover up his embarrassment, “Couldn’t you get a babysitter?” “Yes,” Bak responded quickly, as if he had been anticipating the question, and patted Adam’s leg. “What would you like to watch?” The blonde pressed his lips together; he wanted to push, to find out who it was in the family that didn’t like him, or them, or both. But he smiled as he pointed up to Bak, deciding there would be another chance for that another time, and lifted the cup to his mouth. “You choose,” he chirped and wrapped his lips around the spout and began to drink again. Bak grinned, and Adam quickly came to regret this choice, as he was thrust into the middle of a years-long-running Goryeoan soap opera. And Mung was no help. When he finally returned from the office (Adam presumed), he recognized the show and joined in watching after a few questions to get caught up. Adam briefly considered checking out the toys Joomi had moved into this room to convince him to play more, but Bak had put on Albionic subtitles for him, so he felt too guilty to walk away. He settled in against Bak and stared to the side of the show, zoning out the melodrama as he thought about Jae-yung’s explanation about Little kibun. He realized now he had been irritated at the thought that his commitment to healing the family wounds as his kibun wasn’t an original idea. Not that he needed it to be original, but it had deflated his sense of pride in the choice. Now, as he glanced over at Boja, he was able to reason out that they weren’t the same (and accept that even if they were, that didn’t deflate his choice). Little kibun was, in Adam’s estimation, a beautiful coping mechanism. Two versions of kibun, one that served Littles specifically and one that helped Littles adjust to their circumstance and served Amazons, were as brilliant as they were insidious. It assisted in giving Littles a purpose within a structure where they were powerless, but also created a cultural expectation and pressure. From the moment a Little is chosen for Adoption, they are expected to be composed and respectful, lest they show their immaturity and be diminished in the eyes of their new family. Then, stripped of all agency and dignity, they are culturally expected to serve that family’s needs. Put the family before oneself and fill a need in their lives. Adam quietly blew air out of his nose. No wonder he hadn’t heard any screams of Littles in public. No wonder everyone seemed happy and content, even the diapered Littles strolling down the street. Every bit of Goryeoan culture was a pressure cooker of respect, hierarchy, and service. The real question, now, was what happened to those who didn’t obey and cave to this pressure? He curled his nose up as he pushed that thought away. He had heard plenty of horror stories enough to know it was a dark path to trod. Returning to the point, he reflected on his choice of kibun and how it both aligned and defied traditional Little kibun. It aligned in that, yes, he wanted to fill a hole in his new family. He saw old, painful wounds that were causing ceaseless pain and isolation, and he felt compelled to help. But where Little kibun deviated from his was in two major ways (as he saw it): compliance and choice. Little kibun was about giving a purpose to Adopted Littles, but also aiding in compliance. An Amazon ripped you from your life and stripped you of everything, but hey, they must be hurting or missing something in their life, so that’s now your job. It’s a clever way of diverting one’s attention from the trauma and focusing on a compliant goal. And then… choice. Perhaps this was Adam rationalizing a bit too much, but he felt good about choosing to see the pain in the Ma Family and wanting to fix it. If he had known about Little kibun before, or grown up in Goryeo, it really wouldn’t have been a choice. There was some choice, in that you find what to do and do it, but mostly it was an expectation. He frowned as he pursed his lips, feeling a surge of guilt; was he elevating himself above Goryeoan Littles? In trying to prove to himself he wasn’t just kowtowing to cultural norms, was he trying to tell himself he was better than Jae-yung or anyone else here? ‘Would you prefer we fight?’ ‘No,’ Adam admitted to himself, finally answering Jae-yung in his mind. Much like his attempt to thwart the maturosis experts, it was a losing battle. There was no perceivable angle from which to fight the whole system… and that’s where Goryeoan Littles got it right. Find what works for you, find how to make their lives, and consequently your life, better. And as a bonus, there was no ‘mindfucked’ accusation (that he knew of). Love your Amazons and new family, know your Little family still loves you, and they aren’t going to label you or judge you. He grinned a bit, recognizing that a Libertalian Little would likely say the entire Little culture in Goryeo was already mindfucked. Glancing at Bak and Mung, he had to admit… Jae-yung seemed happy, and so did they. It wasn’t perfect, but it worked. And ultimately, wasn’t Jae-yung better off playing on playgrounds and pooping diapers than making counterfeit money in a warehouse, always on the verge of encountering violence? Adam sat up as he looked at the end of the couch, and he walked over, grabbed the folded up blanket and pillow, and dragged them back over to Bak, who looked down at him curiously. He set the pillow down and started unfolding the massive blanket, then held it up for his uncle in a silent request for help. Bak smiled as he pulled it apart and draped it over the blonde, who pointed to Little Boja sitting next to Mung. The larger uncle quickly tossed him the stuffed animal. “Thanks,” Adam smiled as he shifted around to get uncomfortable and looked up at Bak. “I changed my mind. I’d like to nap, but… here. If that’s okay.” “Of course,” Bak replied softly, gently patting Adam’s head, then Little Boja’s. Scooting down so the blanket reached just below his jaw, he glanced over at Mung and briefly wondered what Jae-yung’s kibun was for him. As the uncle looked at him, he smiled, relaxed his head on the pillow, and closed his eyes.   “Adaaaam,” Joomi sang softly to him, tapping her fingertips on his shoulder. He groaned as he pulled himself inward, curling into a tighter ball, feeling the heaviness that came with being stirred from a deep sleep. “Jae-yung wants to say goodbye, agaya,” she whispered to him as she wiggled her fingers under his arms to get a grip on him. He tensed his body instinctively, momentarily feeling tickled, then nodded in understanding as he both sighed and groaned, which was about the moment he realized a pacifier was in his mouth. As his brain slowly fired up, he pushed it out with his tongue as he was beginning to remember why he avoided naps, besides the other more logical reasons. He wasn’t accustomed to sleeping for a short duration, and frequently discovered he was ‘off’ for the rest of the day if he napped, like he had a haze hanging over him, demanding he go back to sleep. He hummed and relaxed as he was placed against his mother’s chest, feeling the familiar warmth radiating off her and the familiar scents of her hair and clothing. He smiled as these familiar sensory inputs increased his haze, causing his body to relax and his eyes to darken. “Bye-bye, Adam!” The sharp, crisp voice of Jae-yung cut through the looming sleep, and Adam forced his eyes open through a series of blinks and took in a big sniff through his nose. “There he is,” Bak grinned, adjusting a wide-awake Jae-yung who beamed at him and waved. “Mmm,” Adam grumped as his eyebrows pinched momentarily, not awake enough to find any commentary about his current state charming. He brought a hand up to rub his eye and let out a massive yawn, feeling Joomi’s hand pat his back a few times, which did help stir him faster. “Maybe we can make this a more frequent thing,” Bak suggested, glancing at Mung, who nodded. “It would be good for them.” “I agree, that sounds wonderful,” Joomi agreed as she shifted her weight, glancing down at Adam, who finally lifted his head from her chest, feeling like it weighed twice what it did when he fell asleep. “What do you think of that?” “Yes!” Jae-yung chirped immediately. “Yeah,” Adam agreed with a slow nod, which was preceded by another yawn. “We’ll talk,” Bak nodded to Joomi as he adjusted the bag on his shoulder. “All right, say your goodbyes, Jae.” “I did,” exasperated Jae-yung, playfully rolling his eyes before he leaned forward and waved directly in front of Adam’s face, whose eyes widened, and he was suddenly quite alert. “BYE-BYE!” “Bye, Jae-yung,” Adam laughed as he lifted a hand, pushing his away, and then waved back. As the Amazons were saying their goodbyes, Jae leaned out to look at Boja back on his bed and waved. “BYE-BYE BOJA!” he shouted, cutting through the conversation, and Bak cleared his throat in disapproval. “Goodbye, Jae-yung,” the tiger replied as he lifted his head and dipped it in a wave. “Appapapa, the tiger said goodbye,” Jae stated seriously as he looked at Bak, then Mung, pointing over to Boja. “We’re done. That’s it. Tiger said bye, we go now.” “Okay, Jae,” Mung laughed (to be fair, everyone did), taking the hint, and the trio waved as they walked out into the garden and made their way out of the complex. Adam smiled as he watched them go, seeing Jae-yung’s arms move wildly, his voice carrying, but his words weren’t decipherable. Joomi chuckled and hummed as she waited long enough to turn around, tilting her head to get a good look at his face as she flattened his nap hair. “Do you want to go back to sleep?” she asked softly. “No,” he sniffed as he lifted a hand, rubbing his nose. “I’m awake.” “Okay,” she purred and kissed his forehead. “What would you like to do?” He blinked a few times, looking around the room as he gathered his bearings. It was late afternoon, nearing dinnertime, so the labs were likely going to be denied, despite that being his first choice. They had taken two full days off - or, he squinted as he realized, he had taken two days off. She worked this afternoon. He pursed his lips as that thought reminded him of her work and Japok, and he swallowed, looking over at Boja, not sure if he wanted to approach the topic immediately or talk it over with his furry brother yet. “Adam?” she asked after patiently waiting, and he let out an awkward laugh, realizing now he had just been sitting there in silence. “Sorry.” He grimaced and blurted out the first thing he could think of, “Can we play se-se-she? Jae taught me.” “Yes,” Joomi giggled as she walked towards the couch. “But it’s se-sse-she.” “That’s what I said!” he grinned, absolutely hearing the difference but enjoying the banter. Unsurprisingly, Joomi was far kinder in her playing of the game than Jae-yung. She spoke slowly and clearly, overemphasizing the sounds for him and keeping the rhythm of the hand motions slow and steady. “Eomma, you’re not playing,” Adam snorted. “You’re going too slow.” “Well, I’m not trying to win,” she chuckled, poking his nose. “The whole point is to learn.” “No, the poooint is to trip up your opponent,” Adam grinned, sticking his tongue out at her. “And win. Learning is an added bonus.” “I see you and Jae-yung got along well,” she grinned in return, and Adam inclined his head, putting a hand on his chest. They played a few more rounds and, reluctantly, Adam had to admit he was getting better at the game with his mother’s guidance than Jae-yung’s bulldoze approach. He suspected she faked screwing up the hand motions on their last round, but he smiled at her, willing to let it go. “Well done,” she cooed, leaning against the couch as she leaned on her hand. “So, did you like him? Do you want to see him more often?” “Yeah,” he nodded as he pulled his legs in to sit cross-legged. “I like Uncles Mung and Bak, too.” “I told you he was just shy,” she teased, running her hand over her dress to smooth out the folds. “I knoooow,” he groaned as he flopped backwards onto his back, grinning at the ceiling. He then licked his lips as he thought to warn her. “Oh, I, uh… asked him… if he would check on Jeong for me.” “I know,” she admitted quickly, and Adam sat up, squinting at her. She put a hand on her mouth in surprise. “What? Do you have this place bugged?!” he accused more than asked. “Of course I do, agaya,” she chuckled as she swept a hand out and motioned to Boja. Adam gaped and gasped, “Traitor!” “I didn’t say anything,” the tiger replied with flattened ears, grumpily looking at Joomi as she reared back in laughter. “Uncle Mung told me,” she laughed as she placed a hand on her chest. Adam curled his nose up at her, and she put her hands on her face, flushing. “Sorryyy.” “That is a fair point, though,” Adam murmured as he squinted at Boja, who thumped his tail against the bed. “I have never betrayed your confidence,” the tiger defended, and Adam nodded, keenly aware of that. “Wait,” Joomi gasped as she lowered her hands, looking between them. “Do you two have secrets?” Adam pursed his lips as he and Boja stared at each other, suddenly panicked as they both tried to compute how to handle this. The blonde opened his mouth but froze, and Joomi gasped again, looking between them as her back stiffened. “You do!” she exclaimed. “We - well - it’s not -” Adam stammered as he looked between Joomi and Boja, desperate not to lie to her and maintain the relationship without her oversight or input. Joomi shook her as she reached her hands out, taking his small ones, and she gave them a gentle squeeze. “That’s wonderful, agaya,” she purred and leaned forward, kissing his forehead. She was flushed and excited, releasing him and walking over to Boja, running her hands over his face and behind his ears, then kissed his forehead and squeezed his ears. “I’m thrilled to hear this.” She gave a squeaking noise of excitement as her shoulders rose and fell, and she spun around in place, then headed into the kitchen. “We should celebrate!” she declared as she walked to the fridge. Adam and Boja exchanged looks, and the blonde was gratified to see that the tiger was also confused. For once. “Uh… sure,” he nodded, clearing his throat. “But, uh… what are we celebrating?” She spun around to look at them, and her eyes flickered between both expectantly several times; Adam’s face contorted, and Boja sat stock still. She again squealed and lifted her hands, clapping very quietly. “Do you have any idea, Boja?” she asked as she kept her hands together and put them up against her lips. The tiger’s head reared back slightly, and he looked to Adam, who shrugged, then back to her. “No…” he replied cautiously, sounding disquieted by his own answer. Joomi looked as though she could burst with happiness. She closed her eyes as she put her hands over her mouth and took in a deep breath, then looked to Adam. “You really are a spark, agaya,” she swooned as she placed her hands over her heart. “Eomma…” Adam blushed, feeling increasingly self-conscious and confused. “Sorry, sorry,” she put her hands up and waved them, then placed them on the counter as she took in a deep breath and beamed at the two of them. “Ever since your, mm, birth, Boja, you have been… well, my dearest friend, of course. But you were born particular and precise. Humm.. procedural.” She stepped around the island as she spoke, slowly making her way back to the tiger with a look of pure love on her face. “I have long hoped that you could be… more than what I programmed,” she continued as she smiled down at him, placing a hand on top of his head. “I have hoped you could grow, learn, and change. There was a time you would have never kept something from me, no matter how mundane. But now, you have developed a relationship outside of me. Made and kept trust all without my asking or input. This is growth and change. And I… am so happy for you.” She descended onto the edge of his couch and wrapped her arms around him, hugging the tiger tightly. Boja paused, staring forward for a moment, but he closed his eyes as he began to chuff and rub his face against her. Adam took in a breath as he remembered the reason Boja wanted to help him that fateful day… ‘You brought her joy. Real joy.’ Adam blinked, his gaze dropping to the floor, wondering if his presence had truly brought out a change in Boja, or just provided the means for him to show it. “Wait,” Adam drew in a breath, blinking as the gravity of this was starting to hit him. “Eomma, did you… program him to call you anything in particular?” “No,” she replied with a curious upward inflection as she wiped at her glassy eyes, tilting her head towards Adam. “Like what?” “Adam,” Boja replied in a low tone, and his tail flicked, seeming to indicate he didn’t want to talk about it. “Don’t.” “What?” Joomi asked as she relinquished his head, glancing between them. “Nothing,” the tiger grumbled, glaring at Adam. “Come on, now’s the time!” he pressed as he threw his arms out. “No, cub, I –” “Are you embarrassed?” Joomi interrupted as she gasped down at the tiger, her eyebrows rising high in surprise, though the corners of her mouth indicated she was happy. “Boja, are you… feeling embarrassed?” “I…” the tiger paused in consideration and dropped his head. “I don’t know.” Joomi slipped off the couch and knelt on the floor, putting her hands on either side of his face as she forced eye contact. “It’s okay, it’s us,” she whispered to him. “It’s just you, me, and Adam. You’re safe.” “I know,” he grumbled again, his tail flicking. “Okay… you don’t have to tell me,” she soothed with a smile, running her hand from his nose up to his forehead. “It’s okay.” Boja’s eyes flickered between them, and he leaned his head forward against Joomi. “You aren’t… upset?” he asked quietly. “Upset?” she gasped, running her hands through his fur as she and Adam shared a concerned look. “Why would I be upset?” “Most AIs are terminated when they develop beyond expectations or parameters,” Boja replied quietly and robotically, his normal intonations gone, as if he was giving himself distance from the statement. Joomi put a hand up to her mouth as she stared at him for a beat, then she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Never,” she whispered to him. “I would never do that to you.” The room fell silent as Joomi held Boja tightly, and Adam held a smile as he watched. “Emonim,” Boja nearly whispered. “…What?” Joomi gasped as she pulled back to look him in the eye. “That’s… what I call you,” the tiger replied softly. Joomi made a fist with her hand as she pressed it against her mouth and held her breath, her eyes flooding with tears as she stared at him. Adam smiled as he leaned back against the couch, winking at Boja, who looked at him when Joomi broke into a happy cry, burying her face in his fur.

Ethan sniffles and shuffles forward nodding, stepping within arms reach of Serra. He really wants to dive forward and hug his new Mommy first.. but he doesn't know if he's allowed. He really wants a hug though... she'd given him one once, at it was the best he'd ever felt. He doesn't make eye contact this time, looking shyly at his feet. "Yes Mommy."

Yes! The old school Cruisers with the purple tabs those were absolutely top tier. 

Crease