Watersports

Little Kaykay sat on a carpet with her legs spread out and a pile of stuffed animals between them. Her new Mommy and Daddy, who she loved for agreeing to adopt and take care of her a few weeks before, sat on the couch behind her watching a tv and were talking together. They had turned the tv to some boring adult show, and their discussion sounded complicated, so Little Kaykay paid it no mind and focused on her far more interesting stuffies. Right now, the doll she had decided was a princess was being captured by the evil big bear, and the smaller bear was a brave knight trying to save her. She loved a good damsel in distress story, with the brave night coming to save the princess. She needed something to be the castle. She looked toys in front of her, but each of them had their role designated.  She felt like crying for a second, but remembered that she had more toys in her toy box. This was a problem, but one easily solved, even by a Little.  She rolled to her side, then got on all fours and crawled across the carpet. She heard giggling behind her. Her mommy was watching her crawl, and reached over to pat her bottom, bringing a crinkle from her diaper. "Good Little, such a cute Little," she said. Little Kaykay beamed with pride. She loved knowing what a good Little she was, and tried hard to behave. Even better, each diaper pat made her flush warm inside. She remembered back during her training, when she had been taught that an Amazon patting their diapered behind was a good thing. It was checking them to make sure they were clean, congratulating them for good behavior, reminding them of what they were wearing and what it meant about their status. As a Little, she was always grateful the Amazons were so kind and generous to take care of her and happy she was good enough to deserve it, and her diapers were perhaps the truest sign of it. She finished crawling to the toy box, a large (to a Little like her) wooded container painted with a princess theme. She reached in a took some things out. A few costumes, a hat, more stuffed animals, and finally, an empty plastic box.  She examined the box. It had initially been a container for a jack in the box, but that had scared her. Her smart Amazon Mommy and Daddy had removed the jack and left the box, which was now one of her favorite toys. She crawled back to the other stuffies and sat down with a squish. Squish? She looked up and braced herself. She recognized the feeling, and it normally meant one thing. She crinkled her nose. Yep, there it was. The awful smell of yet another Little in another panted Little messy diaper. The biggest, and most unpleasant,  sign of why she was a Little, why she needed a Mommy and Daddy, and of course, why she was in diapers.  She squirmed. It was always itchy to sit in. Still, she had done her part, and the rest was up to her Mommy and Daddy. She instead turned her attention back to her toys, and put the doll inside her box, which now served as a castle she was imprisoned in, to be saved by the knight bear. She heard snaps opening behind her. She looked behind herself to see her Daddy leaning over and opening the back of her onesie.. Thank the Amazons, she'd be out of the icky diaper soon. He pull open the waste band and looked inside, then patted her again. "Yep, that's another messy diaper sweetie. We'll change you in a minute, ok? We just want to see this first." He pointed at the screen. Little Kaykay looked to where he was pointing.  She almost gasped. There was a Little on the screen. That was rare enough, except for diaper commercials, but what was even rarer was that she was dressed up like an Amazon. No diaper, no onesie, not even a pacifier, just grown up clothes. "Mommy, why is dat Widdle dwessed so stwangely? Whys her Mommy and Daddy dwess he wike dat?" she asked. "She didn't have a Mommy and Daddy sweetie, she was on her own." Little Kaykay gasped. "Oh no! Is she ok?" Her Mommy laughed and patted her head. "Its ok sweetie. She was just a bit confused, and thought she was a professor. She was from another world where mean people let her think that. Its all better now, they taught her better." "Oh," Little Kaykay said. She turned back to watching the strange Little in her strange grown up clothes. She seemed to be giving a lecture to other littles, and talking about books she had written. She really did seem to think she was a professor of some kind. Little Kaykay laughed. What a strange idea, a Little as a professor! The Littles in that strange place must have really wild imaginations to play pretend that much. She looked closer. The strange Little seemed a bit familiar, though she couldn't place how. She could have sworn she'd seen the face somewhere, even heard the things she was saying. The scene changed, and Little Kaykay let out a sigh of relief. It was the same Little, but now obviously much better taken care of. She was properly diapered, and had even learned to fill her diaper like a good Little from the looks of it, and was sitting in a fun baby bouncer. Much more Little appropriate. She gave a speech about how important diapers were and how much she needed to be taken care of, and though some of the words went over Little Kaykay's head, she found herself nodding in agreement. She was glad some kind giant taught the silly little the truth. It switched to scenes of her playing with toys, now always properly dressed, and Little Kaykay smiled. Still, what a fun game! She wondered if she could play it. She rolled over again, leaving the doll and her captor behind in the castle. She crawled to the play pen, and ruffled through the costumes.  Princess, teddy bear, carton characters... she through them aside until finally, she found one that looked almost like an Amazon's dress shirt but smaller, like the one the little wore on screen. She put it on over her onesie. There was a mirror hanging on the wall in the dining room, which wasn't so far that her Mommy and Daddy would get scared if she went there.  The dining room, a large, gold painted room with a massive wooden table for the Amazons and a high chair for her, was on the other side of a wide, open double door. She crawled across the carpet and into it, then looked at the mirror. She looked at her reflection and laughed. The fancy-ish dress shirt over her pink onesie, diaper, pigtails, and pacifier hanging on a cord was one of the silliest things she'd seen. She looked back into the TV room. "Wook Mommy and Daddy, I'm a pwoffessor, wike da widdle on scween! I'm doctor Widdle Kaykay! Science science science science!" She said with a big smile. Mommy and Daddy both burst out laughing, which she knew meant it was a good joke. Daddy got up and walked toward her. "Of course you are silly! But right now you are just the professor of stinky diapers! Let's get you  changed!" He reached down and picked her up over his shoulder and padded her messy bottom. "What a silly Little. Such a silly game to play." he added as he walked. She giggled and let herself be carried for her diaper change. It really was just a silly game to play. A Little pretending to be a professor might have been the most silly game she had come up with. Her life as it was was much better for her.

Sorry to interrupt scheduled tantruming, but  🎉 🎉 🎉 !!! Congratulations on 1.100.000 views !!! 🎉 🎉 🎉 Only 20.500 for the 2nd place. Onliy 39.000 for the 1st place We are in the final stretch

Chapter 28: The Miscalculation Matthew woke to the sound of his phone buzzing along his nightstand, quickly followed by the alarm on his phone. He knew he needed to the alarm, even if he hated it. Else he would have just slept all day. But today he had a good reason to wake up, to make a wonderful day as wonderfully long as possible. Matthew grabbed his phone and quickly shut off the alarm, before rolling onto his back. His phone buzzed again on the nightstand, this time shorter and accompanied with a small ping. Another message from Amy, making that three since he'd fallen asleep last night. 7:11 AM: Still thinking about you. See you later? Matthew's heart did a strange flip in his chest as he typed back a quick reply. He was looking forward to seeing Amy, but he needed to start his day. Matthew hurried to the bathroom, grabbing a clean towel on the way. The squeak of the shower knob started the flow of warm water as he stripped and stepped inside the shower. Matthew adjusted the temperature, letting his hand test the stream until it was just right. While some might describe the water as “scorching,” Matthew knew it was just right. The water felt amazing, washing away the last remnants of sleep. As he squeezed shampoo into his palm, Matthew found himself thinking about Amy again. He couldn’t get her off of his mind. Normal teenage thoughts. Normal teenage feelings. Normal teenage obsession. Matthew tilted his head back, rinsing shampoo from his hair, and allowing his mind to wander. He wondered what it would be like to kiss her again. Would it be today? Would they find a quiet moment at the recreation center between their activities? Would she even want to?   The recreation center.   Something about those words triggered a faint echo in his mind, like a distant dream Shampoo slipped from his palm as he stood frozen. But no memory came to him, and as the thought slipped away, he continued his shower unbothered. When the water began to cool, Matthew reluctantly turned off the shower. He stood dripping for a moment, enjoying the steamy warmth for one more moment before reaching for his towel. He dried himself quickly, wrapping the towel around his waist and stepping out onto the cool tile floor. As he approached the sink, he mirror had completely fogged over. Matthew reached up and wiped a clear patch with his palm, leaning forward to examine a potential pimple forming on his chin. And then he saw his eyes. His eyes, but not his eyes. Teenage eyes staring back from a teenage face, but behind them, something else. "What the f-" he whispered, his voice sounding strange to his own ears. The dense fog coating the mirror seemed to match the fog in his brain. Memory cutting through the thick fog like a knife. The overwhelming amount of it shocked his brain into a sharp, physical pain. This wasn’t him. This….thing staring back at him. He was an adult. A married man. An adult who had somehow been transformed into a teenager. "Sarah," he gasped, bracing his hands against the counter. Not his mother. His wife. The recreation center. The transformations. Being a teenager. Being a kid. The memories tumbled over each other, fighting for space in a brain that minutes ago had been wholly occupied with thoughts of a first kiss. ‘How had I forgotten? How I spent an entire weekend completely lost in this…..this body…this…concept… without a single thought real life?’ The thought terrified him. His phone buzzed again on the counter, breaking the spell. Matthew picked it up with trembling fingers, reading Amy's latest message: 7:42 AM: Can't wait to see you at the center today! Tim says his group may not have their computer class today. Maybe you can stop by? Matthew's heart pounded in his chest. He couldn’t answer the message. This was wrong. He needed to correct this all. Before things got out of hand. He had to fix this. Had to get back to the center, find his office, transform back into his adult self. Had to talk to Sarah. Finally, talk to Sarah. The real Sarah. His wife. Not this mother figure the magic had created. He had to finally explain to her. Enough was enough. But as he stared at himself in the clearing mirror, a treacherous thought slipped in: Would one more day really hurt? Even as the words entered his brain, Matthew knew he was rationalizing. ‘It’s the magic. This isn’t you.’ But the pull of his teenage life was strong, stronger than he'd realized. No responsibilities. No existential questions about his career path or legacy. "Just get through the day," he repeated firmly, running a hand through his damp hair. "Then I'll fix everything. Tonight. Tonight we’ll talk." “MATTHEW. We’re going to be late! Get down here.” The voice startled Matthew. But he did as he was told, quickly finding clothes and getting dressed. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Sarah's car smelled of coffee a familiar perfume as Matthew settled into the passenger seat. "So," Sarah said, pulling out of their driveway with practiced ease, "I thought you could help at the front desk today. Jill called in sick, and we could use an extra pair of hands. And you know how the software works. Okay?” Matthew nodded, feigning disappointment while secretly relieved. The front desk was safe. Far from the Amy and the computer lab. Far from any activities that might trigger another transformation. "Sure, Mom," he replied, the word slipping out naturally despite his rekindled adult awareness. Sarah glanced over, a knowing smile playing at her lips. "And before you start, Amy is working today. Working Matty. She's got a full schedule with programs and with campers and a lot to do Matthew. I need her focused on that. So don’t go and be sneaking off there to bother her. Okay?" Heat rushed to Matthew's cheeks. "I wasn't going to - " "Matthew," Sarah cut him off with a laugh, "I've been sixteen before, believe it or not. And I've seen how you two look at each other." Her voice softened. "She's a nice girl. I like her. Do not put me in a bad spot where she isn’t working. Understood?" The casual way she discussed his teenage crush disturbed Matthew. ‘I really need to fix this now.’ He knew it was true. He knew what he needed to do. Why couldn’t he just do it? "You let her do her job, understand? And you do yours. No distractions." Sarah's tone was firm. "Yes, Mom," Matthew replied automatically, snapping from his self-chastisement. When they arrived at the center, the morning rush was already in full swing. Elderly men and women streamed toward the exercise rooms downstairs, parents dropped off children for day camps and programs, and the staff bustled about. Sarah led him Matthew to the front desk, her hand resting briefly on his shoulder. "Here's what needs doing," she explained, setting a stack of program applications before him. "These need to be entered into the system and filed. The basic information goes into this spreadsheet, then they get sorted by program type." Matthew nodded, oddly comforted by the simple administrative task. It reminded him of adult work. "You remember how to use the system?" Sarah asked. "Yes," Matthew replied without thinking, before wondering if he still remembered. "I mean, I think so? You showed me before, right?" Sarah smiled. "That's right. You catch on quick." She glanced at her watch. "I've got a meeting with the parks department in twenty minutes. And I am busy all day. I won’t see you until we go home later. Behave. And remember our discussion young man." "I'll be fine," Matthew assured her, already settling onto the stool behind the reception desk. As Sarah walked away, Matthew placed his hands on the stone countertop, ready to work. But instead, he immediately noticing something strange. Something coursing through his body ‘No, no strange. Comforting. Wonderful,’ he thought. The surface, which should have felt cold and hard beneath his palms, instead felt oddly welcoming. Warm. Like it recognized him somehow. His fingers traced the subtle veining in the stone, and a pleasant tingle spread up his arms. A familiar scent, one he couldn’t quite pin down, filled his nostrils. It smelled like happiness. Like Joy. His body immediately sunk into his seat. His body felt at home, and a smile spread across his face. He was ready to work. Matthew turned his attention to the stack of applications. He began entering data into the computer, finding unexpected satisfaction in the repetitive task. His fingers moved quickly over the keyboard despite the disconcerting awareness that he'd never done this specific job before. ‘In terms of summer jobs, this is much better than what my classmates are forced to do.’ The thought felt so natural Matthew did not even question it. "Good morning, Matthew!" called a gray-haired woman, waving as she headed toward the seniors' yoga class. "How's your mother today?" "She's good, Mrs. Peterson," Matthew replied automatically. The woman smiled and continued on her way. It happened again with the next person who approached the desk, a middle-aged man coming to ask about swimming lessons for his daughter. "Mr. Ramirez," Matthew greeted him without hesitation. "Emma's ready for the intermediate class now, right?" The man beamed. "That's right! She's been practicing all summer." As Matthew handed him the appropriate forms, he marveled at how easily these interactions came to him. Names, faces, personal details, all accessible in his mind as if he'd known these people for years. Which, perhaps he had. Around eleven, his phone vibrated in his pocket. Matthew glanced around to make sure no one needed his attention before slipping it out to check the message. 11:05 AM: I miss you. Come hang out here in the computer lab. They are all being so good today! Matthew's heart jumped. He pictured Amy's smile, the way she tucked her hair behind her ear when she was concentrating, the feel of her… “NO.” Matthew’s shout echoed in the main lobby, startling some guests, as a crimson heat took over his face. He needed to focus. ‘Mom said not to….I don’t want to disappoint her…’ Matthew knew it was best to listen to his mom and just wait to see Amy later. 11:06 AM: I miss you too. Can’t right now! See you at the end of the day? His fingers resumed their clickity-clack across his keyboard as he tried to re-focus back on work.   BUZZ   Amy again   11:09 AM: I found this new program you should see. It's actually pretty cool. Very distracting for them. you'd like it. Matthew bit his lip, his resolve crumbling at the second message as he lay his forearms on the increasingly warm stone countertop. What harm could there be in just visiting briefly? He had made a ton of progress on his data entry. And there was no way his mom would catch him - she was in meetings all day. What harm was there in a little alone time with Amy? 11:11 AM: On my way. Matthew glanced at the smaller stack of application forms still waiting to be processed, a twinge of guilt rippling through him. But not enough. Matthew's sneakers squeaked against the polished hallway floor as he jogged toward the computer lab. His pulse quickened as he darted past the open door to the administration offices, praying that his mom would not spot him. But he’d already crafted a clever lie, prepared to tell her he needed a bathroom break. Who could fault him for that? The computer lab door stood slightly ajar, a sliver of fluorescent light spilling into the hallway. Matthew didn't hesitate, didn't pause to peek inside first. He didn’t have the time. His hand pushed the door wide as he burst through with a confident stride and a broad smile. "Hey, Amy! I have to be quick. My m- " The words died in his throat. Instead of the empty room he'd expected, the room was filled with tiny children occupying big chairs. ‘The Sunbeams.’ Matthew’s heart sank. Had he missed something? Amy was supposed to be alone, wasn’t she? Did he not read Amy’s messages correctly? In the frozen moment before anyone noticed him, Matthew was overcome with a familiar tingling sensation began in his fingertips. "No," Matthew whispered, immediately recognizing the telltale sign of transformation. "Not th - " The tingling raced up his arms like dominos rolling down, one after the other, spreading across his shoulders and down his spine. His vision blurred, the room seeming to expand around him as his perspective shifted downward. The dizzy sensation of shrinking made his stomach lurch as his body rapidly compressed. In miliseconds that felt like hours, the transformation completed. Matthew stood in the doorway, his teenage body replaced by that of a five-year-old child. His jeans and t-shirt had morphed into khaki shorts and a bright yellow t-shirt. His feet, now tiny and encased in velcro sneakers with cartoon characters on the sides, barely reached the middle of the door he'd just pushed open. "There you are, Matthew!" called a cheerful male voice. Matthew turned, his neck muscles working with the strange lightness of his smaller head, to see Tim approaching. Matthew recognized him instantly. "Did you make it to the potty this time? Good." Tim spun Matthew against his will, inspecting his shorts, before placing a gentle hand on Matthew's shoulder, guiding him toward the circle of computers. "Come, we're playing a cool game." Matthew tried to speak, to protest, to explain that there had been a mistake. But what emerged from his child vocal cords was nothing like the teenage voice he expected. "I'm not s'posed to be here," he said, the words coming out high-pitched and slightly lisped. "I'm big!" Matthew hadn’t had time to consider better phrasing. But he had no regrets. He had expressed himself perfectly. Tim chuckled. "Of course you are, buddy. And last week you were playing grownup, remember? And tomorrow you can be an astronaut if you want. But today, you're with us, and we're playing a very fun game here. So let’s get you set up." Matthew found himself being led to a small chair between two identical-looking girls with pigtails and freckles. The Hanson twins, Michelle and Kelsey. His small body responded to Tim's guidance automatically, climbing onto elevated seat that had replaced the normal chairs in the lab. "Matthew forgot he was just a kid," Kelsey whispered to Michelle across Matthew, giggling behind her hand. "Nooo. Matthew forgets he’s big!" Michelle responded. "That's why he’s always having accidents." Heat flooded Matthew's cheeks at this casual revelation about his apparent bathroom troubles. Part of him wanted to protest. And so he did. “I don’t have accidents! You have accidents!” His defense felt strong, so he triumphantly crossed his arms as Michelle turned back to her computer. ‘Round 1, Matthew.’ It felt like a good win. "Look who decided to join us!" Amy's voice sent a fresh wave of confusion through Matthew's disoriented mind. She approached his computer station, bending down to his eye level with a bright smile that held none of the shy affection she'd shown his teenage self. Her hair blew toward him, carrying her scent into his nose. "Did you get lost on the way back from the bathroom, Matty?" she asked, ruffling his hair with casual affection. “Your mommy is going to be so proud you made it this time!” The touch of her hand against his head felt so different from last. Yet, it still made Matthew's heart twist with desperate longing. "Amy," he said urgently, his child's voice stumbling over the words. "It's me! It’s Matthew! Your….your….I'm your……your Matthew….your…” Matthew looked side to side to make sure no one was watching. Though he tried to whisper it, the next word came out more as a panicked shout.   “…BOYFRIEND!"   The computer lab around Matthew went silent for a beat, then erupted in the high-pitched giggles of delighted children. Even Tim covered his mouth, shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter. Amy's eyes widened in surprise before crinkling with amusement. "Awww, Matty! You're so cute and sweet!" she exclaimed, pressing a hand to her heart. "Do you have a crush on me? That’s okay! Your mommy will be so happy to hear that!" More giggles from the twins beside him. "Matthew loves Amy! Matthew loves Amy!" they chanted in singsong voices. Matthew felt his small face burning with humiliation. The teenage memories with Amy remained vivid in his mind. Yet, at the same time, they were impossibly distant. His body responded with physical reactions he couldn't control. Tears welled in his eyes as Michelle and Kelsey continued to chant. His lower lip started trembling, and his small hands clenched into fists on his lap. "Hey now," Amy said, noticing his distress. “Enough you two,” she said, directed a slightly stern voice at the girls who immediately stopped their teasing. Amy’s voice softened as she knelt beside his chair. “Everyone back to their games.” The direction was stern, and enough to shock Matthew from his tears. Amy turned back to him "It's okay, Matty. You want to help me with the computer game? You can sit on my lap if you want." Before he could respond, Amy lifted him effortlessly, settling him on her knee in front of the computer, legs dangling on other side of Amy’s leg. The casual ease with which she lifted his small body was startling. Her arms reached around him to touch the keyboard, her chin resting lightly on top of his head. "See these letters?" she asked, loading a game and pointing to the screen where animated characters danced across a colorful landscape. "When you press one on the keyboard, it makes a sound and does a special move. Let's try 'M' for Matthew." His small finger followed her guidance, pressing the oversized M key. On screen, a cartoon letter M sprouted legs and began moonwalking across the landscape, accompanied by an exaggerated "MMMMM" sound before the voice continued. “M is a great letter! Good job!” Despite himself, Matthew felt a ripple of delight at the silly animation. He wiped away the remnants of a tear, and a smile expanded up his cheeks. His five-year-old brain responded with genuine joy to the simple stimulus, even as his teenage memories struggled to maintain their prominence. “I wanna do it this time.” Matthew pushes the M button over and over on his own, showing Amy he could not only identify it on the keyboard, but firmly press it like a teenager! "That's it! Good job!" Amy praised, her voice warm against his ear. "Now try 'A' for Amy. That’s how you start my name! You find it this time." As Matthew obediently scanned for and pressed the letter, the twins leaned close on either side, their small faces intent on Matthew’s screen. "You're doing it wrong," Michelle informed him with five-year-old bluntness. "You gotta press the button on the side to make the letter big, since its the first letter in her name. And push the button harder. So it makes a click noise." "No, he's doing it right. Look the big letter light is already on!" Kelsey countered, reaching across to demonstrate with her own tiny finger. "Like this!" Their childish bickering washed over Matthew as he sat perched on Amy's lap, caught in a surreal vortex of conflicting identities. He didn’t need their help. He knew how to push the big letter button all by himself. But there was something else. Something lingering. He was supposed to be….like…… ‘Like Amy…’ But his teenage thoughts had left entirely. The memories felt more immediate, more emotionally resonant. But still. They felt…far. He remembered kissing Amy just days ago, but here she was treating him like a small child with a cute crush. And that was right, wasn’t it? ‘It…..is….I think?’ "That’s right Michelle. We use a big letter for the first letter of our name. But you play on your screen. And Kelsey, you play on yours. Matthew, let's try another one," Amy suggested, her arms still wrapped around him. "What about 'S' for Sarah? S and A are the first two letters of your mommy’s name. They make the “Saaa” sound together. Or would you prefer to try Amy? That’s shorter, and we already did two of those letters. We can find the Y. Which one do you want to do?” Matthew thought. He thought long and hard. ‘On the one hand, it would be rude to not pick Mom. But on the other, Amy said her name is shorter and she is the one helping right now….’ Matthew nodded automatically, his small body responding to Amy’s direction while his mind continued its desperate attempt to reconcile his teenage memories with his new kindergarten reality. The twins giggled beside him, playing and spelling, and the whole world felt normal. Matthew knew what to do. "A-M-Y," he spelled carefully, his finger pressing each oversized key with determination. "Amy." "That's right!" she exclaimed, squeezing him in a quick hug. "You're so smart, Matthew! You put all three letters together." But the praise felt hollow as Matthew realized with sinking certainty that she didn't see him anymore. Not the real him, not the teenage him, not any version that existed beyond this small child sitting on her lap. ‘I need ta fix this.’ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ The rest of the day was a blur of fun activities and games. Any thought of finding a way to return to being a teenager was fleeting at best. In fact, Matthew didn’t even know how he would pull that off. Any thought of returning to his office? Never occurred. Matthew was startled out of a game at the sound of Sarah's voice from the doorway of the sunbeams meeting room, cutting through the circle of giggling friends. "Time to go, Matty!" Matthew looked up from where he was seated, his small heart giving a strange lurch at the sight of not his mom, but his mommy. The distinction felt important somehow. "He did great today. He made it to the bathroom every time, thought he hasn’t gone in a little.” Julie reported. "And I think he has a little crush on Amy, don't you, Matty?" The twins, standing nearby, dissolved into fresh giggles as Matthew's face burned hot. "Is that so? Oh boy Matthew." Sarah smiled, holding out her hand for Matthew to take. "And here I thought you still only had eyes for me! Come on, Romeo. We need to get going. Do you want to go to the bathroom first sweetie?" Matthew thought for a moment. He did, but he just wanted to leave. It could wait. Matthew simply shook his head no. All he knew was he wanted to get away from the teasing and go home with his mommy. His small hand slipped naturally into Sarah's larger one as she led him from the sunbeams. Matthew tried to turn for one last look at the twins, waving goodbye frantically over his shoulder, but his small body moved clumsily, and he nearly tripped over his own feet. "Careful," Sarah cautioned, steadying him. "Look where you are walking. And no running in the halls, remember?" The recreation center corridors seemed vast from his diminished height. Adults passed by, their legs stretching endlessly upward, their faces distant planets orbiting far above his head. Matthew's neck ached slightly from the constant upward tilt required from this perspective. It was frightening being this low. He quickly moved closer to Sarah’s legs. In the parking lot, Sarah opened the back door of her car, revealing a booster seat that hadn’t been there that morning. Without conscious thought, Matthew raised his arms and allowed himself to be lifted and buckled in, his legs dangling comically above the floor. "How was day camp?" Sarah asked, adjusting the rearview mirror as she started the car. "Did you have fun with the Sunbeams today?" Matthew stared at his small hands, resting in his lap atop the bright yellow Sunbeams t-shirt. He tried to organize his thoughts, to make sense of the conflicting memories swirling in his head. Something important had happened. Something about the center, and magic, and.… But he was tired. "I was big and then…," he said finally, his voice small and uncertain. "this morning I was, And then……It was fun today mommy. I like Kelsey even if she makes fun of me sometimes" Matthew settled on the answer, feeling tired and distracted. Sarah laughed softly, the sound warm and familiar. "Oh? And what did you do when you were big?" "I kissed Amy," Matthew replied, the memory growing hazier even as he spoke it. "Matty. I sure hope you didn’t. Remember, we keep our hands - and especially our lips - to ourselves. Kisses are for family only." Sarah said, her tone tern "You can kiss mommy, and your aunties, but no one at camp. Okay?" Sarah turned her gaze back to the front of the car. Matthew could barely hear her whisper, '“…lord I hope he didn’t. Last thing I need is him kissing his counselors, and my employees…’ The car pulled away from the recreation center, joining the slight afternoon traffic. Matthew gazed out the window, trying desperately to hold onto his memories of the weekend and the morning. Something about Amy texting him? But he didn’t have a phone….Something about a hot shower? But he only took baths…. In the end, it just seemed unimportant. He felt the snugness of the seatbelt across his chest, the rumble of the car beneath him, the colorful houses passing by outside. His eyes drifted off slowly…It all felt right. It all felt good. "Wait!" Matthew suddenly cried out, a moment of clarity breaking through the fog. "Mommy - I need ta-" But he couldn't finish the thought. The words slipped away, leaving only confusion in their wake. What did he need to share? What had it been? His eyes filled with tears of frustration as he felt something important fading beyond reach. "Looks like someone's tired," Sarah observed, glancing at him in the rearview mirror. "Maybe we'll have some quiet time when we get home." Matthew rubbed his eyes with small fists, annoyed at the tears he couldn't control. He wasn't tired! He was... he was... The thought escaped him again. Something about being bigger. About being different. Why couldn't he remember? The mental struggle consumed him so completely that he didn't notice the pressure continue building in his bladder until it was too late. Distracted by his attempts to grasp his fading memories, Matthew felt a sudden warmth spreading across his shorts and the booster seat beneath him. At first, the sensation was almost a relief. The warmth was comforting. The release of the nagging thought finally occurring to him. It was as if the mental strain had flowed out of him, leaving him more relaxed. His headaches washed away with the release of pressure he hadn't consciously registered. But then horror washed over him as he realized what was happening. He was wetting himself. In the car. Like a baby. He did what he could to stop the flow, but it was far, far too late. And before he knew it, he had emptied his whole bladder. "Oh!" he gasped, his hands flying down to feel the dampness spreading across his shorts. “Umm….Mo-” Matthew stopped himself. He quickly started fidgeting and shifting. ‘Maybe I can hide it,’ he thought, as he moved around and shifted his shirt to cover his shorts. Sarah's eyes caught the movement in the mirror. She turned, spotted the problem, and sighed, a sound of gentle exasperation rather than anger. "Oh, Matty. I thought we went over this. Why didn’t you tell me you needed to go before we left! Mommy asked you if you needed to…" Her voice softened, seeing his distress. "We have to go to the store. You can’t sit like that. Hang tight, sweetie. I know, I know..." she added as Matthew began to cry, his childish emotions overwhelming any teenage dignity he might have clung to that morning. “It was an accident. It’s okay…” Tears streamed down his round cheeks as Sarah adjusted their route. "We’re going to be stuck in traffic sweetie. And we don't have any more pullups at home," she explained gently. "I brought them to the daycare when I thought you were done with these accidents. I don’t want you to get a rash sweetie. It’ll be a quick stop. I promise!" Matthew sat in miserable, wet discomfort, crying turning to wailing in the back of the car as Sarah pulled out of traffic and into a pharmacy parking lot. The warm wetness was quickly cooling into a clammy, itchy sensation that made him squirm in his seat, and made him no more quiet. "We'll be quick," Sarah promised, unbuckling him and helping him out of the car. "Just stand next to the cart, okay? Try not to touch anything." Inside the brightly lit store, Matthew stood awkwardly beside the shopping cart, intensely aware of his soaking wet shorts and the occasional glances from other customers. An elderly woman smiled sympathetically at him, then leaned toward Sarah. "These things happen," she said kindly. "My grandson was seven before he stayed dry through the night." "Thank you," Sarah replied, squeezing Matthew's small shoulder reassuringly. "We're working on it, aren't we, Matty? See? It happens to everyone!" Matthew nodded miserably, shifting from foot to foot. The cold, wet fabric clung uncomfortably to his skin as they made their way to the baby aisle, filled with diapers, bottles, wipes, and pullups. Matthew wanted to bury his head into his mommy. Sarah selected a package of pull-ups decorated with cartoon characters smiling out at them, checking the size against Matthew's weight "These should work," she said, placing them in the cart. "And let's get some wipes too." A teenage boy stocking shelves nearby glanced at Matthew's obviously wet shorts, his expression flickering between disgust and amusement. The look sent a fresh wave of shame through Matthew, who instinctively moved closer to Sarah, half-hiding behind her leg. After checking out, Sarah guided him to the family restroom at the front of the store. “You can’t wear those home sweetie. You are soaked. Come, we’ll just change you really really quickly. I promise.” What else could he do? Matthew just followed and held on to Sarah tightly. The small bathroom felt safe after the exposure of the store aisles. Here, it was just him and his mommy. Sarah locked the door behind them, then knelt to help Matthew out of his wet clothes. "Arms up," she instructed, pulling the damp Sunbeams t-shirt over his head. Matthew complied automatically, his body responding to Sarah's directions while his mind continued its losing battle to maintain some connection to his teenage self. The cool air against his bare chest made him shiver slightly. The process continued as Sarah sat him on the toilet seat, and in her silence started to remove his shoes. The silence of the background was broken only by Matthew’s tears and by the echo of Sarah humming soothingly as she pulled back on the velcro shoes, removing them and setting them to the side. “Oh sweetie. Your socks are wet too. Here we go.” Sarah deftly removed the wet socks, tossing them into the nearby trash. “Stand up sweetie.” Sarah began the most humiliating part of the process. Matthew cringed as she felt his mommy’s hands slip into the side of his shorts and underwear, pulling them down in one fell swoop. “Step out sweetie…..There you go,” she added, as Matthew complied, shaking as he did so. And just like that. Matthew was standing. Naked in a pharmacy bathroom. On top of a toilet. Right in front of a grown woman, one he had no memory of having been married to; his mommy. He looked down at himself - he truly was just a little kid. Sarah opened the newly purchased wipes. The distinct scent of aloe wipes filled the room as Sarah removed several wipes and began to clean up her baby boy.. "Cold," he murmured, his vocabulary suddenly limited beyond recognition. "I know, sweetie. Just a minute more." Sarah's movements were gentle as she wiped him, cleaning his legs, his thighs, and his penis. She quickly turned him, bending him slightly as she cleaned his legs and his bottom. Dignity was out the window as she wiped him front and back. “There we go. Now let’s get you changed.” Matthew cringed as he listened to the sound of the pullup package opening. He wanted to resist. Knew he should. He didn’t want these ridiculous things. But more than that, he was sick of being cold, and being exposed. So Matthew succumbed as Sarah helped him step into one of the new pull-ups. The soft material covering his small bottom and fit snugly around his waist. "There we go. All clean." She helped him back into his t-shirt but left the wet shorts off. "I don't have a change of clothes with me," she explained, "so you'll have to go home like this. Your shirt is long enough to cover you, okay?" Matthew nodded, accepting this solution with a resignation that would have been impossible for his teenage self. But the pull-up felt secure around him, its padded bulk both comforting even if slightly humiliating. Sarah picked him up, his shirt rising higher than he would have preferred. As she walked through the store, the cartoon dinosaurs on his pull-up were occasionally visible when he moved. A few shoppers glanced their way, but Matthew found he cared less than before. The sharp edge of his embarrassment had dulled. He laid his head on his mommy’s shoulder, and just did the best he could to calm down, crying into the crook of her neck as he did. The ride home passed in a blur. Matthew's feet carried him automatically up the stairs to his bedroom. Every step was a reminder of his situation, the padding of the pullup shifting underneath him. But none of it mattered, as he pushed the door to his room open. He was home. It was a room he hadn't seen in some time, yet recognized instantly. Dinosaur decals covered one wall, a small race car bed occupied the corner, and a toy box overflowed with plastic trucks and action figures. "Bath time. Those wipes only did so much," Sarah announced, guiding him to the bathroom where she started filling the tub with warm water. "Then dinner, story, and bed. You've had quite a day." The routine washed over Matthew like a gentle wave, carrying him from one activity to the next with no resistance. Bath toys floating around him. A dinner he couldn’t even remember eating. Matching top and bottom pajamas with feet that kept him warm. A pullup underneath to pad his bottom. A picture book about knights in shining armor, read in Sarah's soothing voice as he curled against her side on his bed. Tucked beneath his dinosaur-printed comforter, Matthew felt Sarah's lips press against his forehead in a goodnight kiss. "Sleep tight, Matty. No more dreams about being big, okay? Five is a pretty great age to be." Matthew nodded as his small hand reached for the stuffed triceratops lying beside him, pulling it close to his chest as his eyelids grew heavy. His last conscious thought before drifting into sleep wasn't about transformations or magic. It was about being safe and home. And as he peed in his pullup, those thoughts carried him to dreamland. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Thanks for everyone still reading's patience. I can't guarantee a resumption of multiple chapters. Though I do have this drafted through chapter 36, I still have a lot of editing to do before I can post.

Just like any hope of Pull-Ups! Looks like someone is going to be in diapers now for the long haul! Enjoyed the chapter! 🙂

Chef salad and tv lunch break for the win