Baby Talk

The next level of cat and mouse begins.

CHAPTER 19   The air in the interrogation room felt cool, and the lighting was too bright. Anna sat on a chair with a thin cushion, her hands resting on the wooden table, tightly clasped together. On the table were a black recording device, a laptop, a few folders and a small plastic cactus. The officers sat across from her—the same man and woman who had picked her up from Sara's place. Their gazes were professional, not hostile, but somehow dangerously neutral. "Tell us one more time," the man said slowly. "What happened when you fled from your home?" Anna swallowed. She had already told her story at the beginning of the interrogation, but for some reason, they wanted to hear it several times. "I was… I was in that room. That nursery where Liisa had locked me in. She kept me prisoner, forced me to wear diapers, spanked me. I think she gave me some kind of medication—otherwise, I wouldn't have been so weak." "And then?" "On the third day, I probably got too little of the medication. I had a short period where I felt almost normal. I got furious. I punched and kicked the room and tore the crib apart. It was awful. I've never been like that. But it just came over me." Anna took a deep breath. "Liisa came into the room to see what was happening. She yelled at me, tried to calm me down. But I couldn't listen anymore. I left the room, but she followed and tried to grab my arm. I pushed her, and then she… then she tripped and fell down the stairs." Anna lowered her head. Her voice was barely a whisper. "She just lay there. I didn't know she was going to die. I ran away. I didn't stay to look." The room was silent for a long time. Then the expressionless female officer calmly opened her folder and took out a document. "Liisa Sydänsalo didn't die," she said slowly, sliding the paper—which smelled of printer ink—across the table toward Anna. Anna lifted her gaze in disbelief. Her eyes were red, almost bloodshot. "What?" "She's alive. Her hip was fractured, and she hit her head. Your father called an ambulance for her immediately." Anna stared at the officer, trying to organize her thoughts, but they wouldn't stay in place. Liisa was alive. Anna had no idea how she was supposed to react to that news. "What happens now?" "First, we're taking you to a doctor," the male officer said, stroking his stubble. "Then we'll talk more." Anna nodded and stood up. She was about to leave the room with the female officer when the man continued after a moment's hesitation. "This isn't even going to go to prosecution. At most, it would be assault, and even that is indisputably self-defense." Anna nodded but felt no relief. She didn't trust anyone or anything. ****** A doctor was waiting for Anna in another conference room at the police station. It was decorated more warmly than the interrogation room, and the officers didn't follow Anna past the door. The doctor was a middle-aged woman with kind eyes and a soft voice. She introduced herself as Sirpa—Anna didn't catch her last name, but it sounded Swedish. "You must be Anna. Could you tell me your personal identification number?" the doctor asked kindly. Anna nodded and recited the digits monotonously, like a robot. "You've been through a lot." Anna didn't answer. What was there to say? The doctor opened her laptop and looked at the screen for a moment. Then she turned to Anna, and it was immediately clear from her face that the news wouldn't be good. "Your mother, Liisa Sydänsalo, is still in the hospital. Her hip was severely fractured, and she had a successful surgery. Liisa also hit her head, and when we examined her more thoroughly, we found something else." Anna suddenly broke out in a cold sweat all over. "What?" "Liisa has an aggressive, advanced brain tumor. It's located in such a way and at such a stage that unfortunately, nothing can be done." Anna stared at the doctor. The words wouldn't sink into her mind. A brain tumor. Liisa had a brain tumor. "That… that means she's going to die?" "Unfortunately, yes. We're doing everything we can to make her remaining time as painless as possible, but the tumor is very aggressive…" The doctor trailed off, as if she hadn't finished her sentence. Anna said nothing. Her head was empty. She had just been told that Liisa was alive, and now she was dying. Anna's head ached; she rubbed her temples with stiff fingers, and slowly, something flashed in her mind. "She changed. I don't know when. But she wasn't the same anymore. Did the cancer make her do… those things?" The doctor nodded carefully. "Brain tumors can sometimes cause drastic changes in personality and behavior. We can't know for certain whether the changes in your mother's case were caused by the tumor—but it's possible. Very possible." Anna sat in silence. Her eyes were dry, but inside, everything was churning. "Do you have any questions?" the doctor asked. "No," Anna replied, lingering slowly, feeling her legs go weak. She walked to the door with unsteady steps, stopped, and turned to the doctor one last time. "Thank you," she said. The doctor nodded. Anna stepped out into the hallway and waited for the officers to tell her what would happen next. For some reason, she felt empty. Not sad. Not relieved. Just empty. ***** Autumn turned into a wet, slushy winter. Liisa died at the end of December, two days before New Year's Eve. The hospital called Anna early in the morning, just as she was brushing her teeth. A young nurse told her that Liisa had passed away during the night, peacefully and without pain. Anna thanked her politely and ended the call. Then she went back to bed, lay beside Sara for a long time, and stared at the ceiling without saying a word. Sara didn't ask. She knew without asking. Anna never visited Liisa in the hospital. She also didn't attend her funeral. Joppe called once and asked if Anna wanted to come to the memorial service. Anna said no, and Joppe didn't pressure her. Anna met her father in January in Tampere, where Joppe had come to sell his second car. They had coffee and a bun at a small café, talked about the weather and the road, which had been very slippery. Neither of them mentioned Liisa. When Joppe asked if Anna would like to visit sometime, she politely declined. "I can't keep in touch," Anna said with feigned calm. "You could have stopped her, but you didn't do anything." Joppe nodded. He was sorry, but he didn't know how to apologize. They parted ways, and Anna walked home with her hands in her pockets. She left her gloves on the café table and didn't go back for them. Both Anna and Sara went to therapy. They had different therapists, and they rarely talked to each other about what happened in their sessions. That was each of their own. But in the evenings, after their therapy sessions, they often lay on the sofa in each other's arms, stroking each other. The winter was long and dark, but Anna and Sara got through it together. They never explicitly agreed that they were in relationship, but they both called each other their girlfriend. Sara's bedwetting continued, and she no longer wanted to be cured of it. It was part of her. The diapers were part of her. Every night, Anna put Sara in a diaper and stroked her to sleep—those were beautiful moments, and their magic never faded. Sometimes, when they both wanted it, Sara was Anna's little one. Then Anna would change Sara's diapers, caress and breastfeed her, and coo to her as if to a baby. But most of the time, they were equals—they made love, argued about silly things, went on forest walks, and cooked together. There were challenges in their dynamic sometimes, but over the winter, they learned to find a balance. Sara took just enough psychology courses to keep her studies from completely falling apart. But she no longer enjoyed school at all. Lectures felt meaningless, studying for exams felt like a chore. Still, she did the bare minimum, because she couldn't afford to lose her student aid. One evening in February, Suvi called Anna after a long time. She told her about an elderly couple she knew who were looking for workers for their potato farm, which had been in operation for decades. Housing was included, and in the long run, the farm would need someone to take over the business when the current owners retired. Anna didn't answer right away, but she promised to think about it and get back to her as soon as possible. As soon as she hung up, Anna walked from the bedroom to the living room, where Sara was sitting on the sofa, eating strawberry ice cream from a bowl. "Sara," Anna said with a mysterious smile. "Do you want to move to the countryside with me? Not to Sydänsalo, but to a different farm." Sara put down her spoon on the half-melted ice cream and looked Anna in the eyes. "Do you really mean it?" "Yeah." Sara smiled widely and stood up to hug her girlfriend. "When do we leave?" **** In early April, the snow had already melted, and the bright spring was making its entrance. Anna drove a blue rental van to the new farm, with Sara sitting next to her, humming Finnish pop classics under her breath. They didn't have much stuff—a few pieces of furniture, twelve boxes mostly filled with clothes and kitchen supplies, two bicycles, and the unicorn balloon that Sara had bought at the autumn fair. The balloon was no longer a balloon; it had deflated a long time ago, but Sara insisted on keeping its cute foil remains. The house was an old single-family home that immediately felt like their own. The walls were white, the windows were large, and two old apple trees grew in the yard. The barn was small but intact; there were no animals anymore—the farm focused solely on growing root vegetables. The yard was wet; they would have to dig drainage ditches as soon as possible so the field would dry in time for the planting season. Anna and Sara looked around, both delighted. Neither spoke for a long time. "This is ours," Anna finally said. "Our very own," Sara replied. And so they began carrying their things inside together. **** The gentle May sun shone over the fields as a productive potato-planting day turned toward evening. Anna and Sara stood at the edge of the field, boots covered in mud, work clothes dusty. Anna wiped sweat from her forehead; Sara had a little dirt on her cheek and chin. "All done," Anna said and sighed deeply. "This year will be a good harvest. I can feel it." "Our own potatoes," Sara replied, smiling. "Our own. Though we'll sell almost all of them." Anna turned to look at Sara and wiped the dirt from her cheek with her thumb. The setting sun made Sara's hair glow bronze. The tired girl slowly rose onto her tiptoes and pressed her lips to Anna's salty lips. "Anna," Sara said quietly after the kiss. "What?" "Today I want to be really, really small." Anna looked at her with a satisfied smile. Sara's eyes sparkled, and her voice had changed—it was softer, as if she was already halfway into a child's world. "Really, really small?" Anna asked. "Yeah. The kind of small who can't do anything. Who you have to take care of all the time." "That requires some supplies." "Like what?" "Well… diapers, of course. And a bodysuit and a pacifier. And some toys so you don't get bored." "I don't have anything like that here. Except my night diapers, of course," Sara sighed sadly, fidgeting with the hem of her work shirt. "Are you sure?" Anna replied with a mysterious smile. "What?" "You haven't seen the package I picked up from the post office on Monday." Sara knew it wasn't worth asking any more—Anna wouldn't tell her anyway. Instead, the girl turned around and started running in her bright yellow boots along the uneven edge of the field toward the house. "You're insane," Anna laughed softly and started running after Sara with long strides. ****** "Can I open it yet?" Sara asked impatiently, trying to analyze the sounds she had heard while Anna spread out the supplies she'd bought on the bed. "Yeah. Go ahead." Sara opened her eyes, and they immediately lit up with disbelieving joy. On the bed was a pile of wonderful things. Three cute bodysuits—one pink with tiny bows, one purple with stars, and one brown with a picture of a white rabbit. In front of the bodysuits was a large baby bottle and two pacifiers, one light blue and one pink, each attached to a beautifully decorated pacifier clip. The gift was crowned by two adorable stuffed animals—one rabbit and one bear. Sara rushed to the bed to touch her new baby things. "Oh no," she squealed, "oh no, these are soooo cute!" She picked up the pink bodysuit and pressed the fabric tightly against her cheek. "It's so soft! And look, it has bows!" "Yes, it does," Anna said warmly, sitting down on the edge of the bed beside her. "And this bunny! Look at its ears! They're so long!" Sara hugged the bunny to her chest and turned to look at Anna. "Did you really buy all this for me?" "I did. My little one deserves some pampering." A few tears of emotion gathered in the corners of Sara's eyes. "Anna…" "What?" "This is so… this is the best day ever." Anna wrapped her arms gently around Sara and pulled her into her lap. She kissed the girl's hair and slipped the light blue pacifier into her mouth. Sara accepted it contentedly and sucked on it a few times right away. "Soon we'll go to the sauna. Then I'll put a diaper and a bodysuit on you, and we'll watch children's shows. And I can feed you your evening snack if you want." Sara nodded excitedly and took the pacifier out of her mouth for a moment. "I want that. I want you to feed me." "What do you want to eat?" "Porridge. And strawberries. And juice from a baby bottle." "From a baby bottle?" "Yeah. It tastes better that way." They both burst out laughing at the same time, and Sara put the pacifier back in her mouth. They looked more closely at all the wonderful things Anna had bought, and Sara couldn't keep her hands off the cute bodysuits and stuffed animals. "Today I want the pink bodysuit. And the bunny as my sleep friend," Sara said. "What about the bear?" "The bear is for tomorrow. He's off today." Anna burst out laughing. "Bears get days off?" "Of course. They get just as tired as people do." Sara's eyes sparkled, and her whole demeanor had changed—she was now a child who had just received the kind of gift she had always wanted. "Let's go to the sauna," Sara announced finally, jumping out of Anna's lap. "After the sauna, I won't be an adult at all anymore. Not for the whole evening." "Sounds good." "Anna." "What?" "Thank you." Anna pressed a slow kiss to Sara's forehead. "You're welcome, little one."  

Kayla feels like a two year old as her step mommy holds her hand all the way to the car with Kayla still holding the stupid rabbit that plays soft baby music.   “Is this why you sent me to this place?!” She asked with her words dripping with anger and confusion.   Great I’m still grounded after all this.   She tried to put her own seat belt on but her step mommy wouldn’t let her.   Kayla sat there feeling like her world crashed as now she wasn’t even allowed to sit in the front but demoted to the back seat!  Her world was full of changes NOT just her DIAPERS!!   

Chapter 8: By the time they made it home, the day had started to catch up with both of them.   Jill eased the stroller inside, carefully navigating the doorway before setting everything down. She moved quietly, not wanting to disturb Jack as he slept, still clutching both Flopsy and Trike in his arms.   For a moment, she just looked at him.   Tear tracks had faded, his face now peaceful again, his breathing slow and even. It was hard to believe how quickly things could shift—from overwhelming emotion to complete calm.   “Hey, sweetheart…” she whispered.   She lifted him gently from the stroller, keeping him close as she carried him upstairs to his nursery. The room felt just as it always did—soft, safe, carefully put together with love.   Jill laid him down in his crib, adjusting the blanket and making sure both of his plush companions stayed tucked in close. He stirred slightly, letting out a tiny sound, but didn’t wake.   Jill rested her hand lightly on his back for a second.   You had a big day, she thought. You did your best.   She stepped back quietly, turning on the baby monitor before leaving the room.   ⸻   Downstairs, the house felt still again.   Jill exhaled softly as she entered the living room, running a hand through her hair. There was a quiet sense of accomplishment settling in now.   A lot got done today, she thought.   Between the bakery and Lisa’s shop, the party was really starting to take shape. Decorations, favors, supplies—it was all coming together piece by piece.   And she couldn’t help but think ahead.   The park… Mrs. Turner…   Jill smiled faintly to herself as she sat down for a moment. Mrs. Turner had always had a flair for thoughtful gifts—things that weren’t just nice, but meaningful.   It’s probably going to be something adorable, Jill thought. And knowing her… a little over the top in the best way.   Her mind drifted briefly before she shook it off and stood again.   There were still things to do.   ⸻   In the kitchen, Jill rolled up her sleeves and got to work. Dishes from earlier were still in the sink, and a few things needed to be put away. She moved through it steadily—washing, drying, tidying—letting the routine settle her.   She picked up a few loose toys from the playpen as well, placing them back where they belonged. Flopsy’s usual spot was empty now, and she smiled slightly at the thought of Jack holding both it and Trike upstairs.   He really loved that toy, she thought.   Time passed quietly like that, the house slowly coming back into order.   ⸻   The front door opened not long after.   “Hey,” Marcus called out as he stepped inside.   Jill looked up from the kitchen, a small smile forming. “Hey, you.”   He walked over and leaned in, pressing a quick kiss to her lips before glancing around. “Where’s Jack?”   “Upstairs,” Jill replied. “Still asleep.”   Marcus nodded, then looked back at her. “How was today?”   Jill let out a small breath, leaning lightly against the counter. “Long,” she admitted, though there was warmth in her voice. “But good.”   She walked with him into the living room as she started recounting everything—the bakery, how Jack chose the Dino-themed cupcakes and the Mighty Pups cake, the café stop, the grocery run.   Then Lisa’s shop.   “The party’s basically planned now,” she said, settling onto the couch beside him. “Lisa helped with a lot.”   Marcus smiled. “That’s good.”   Jill hesitated for just a second before adding, “He had a bit of a rough moment at the shop… got overwhelmed.”   Marcus’s expression softened immediately. “Yeah?”   She nodded. “It passed. He just needed time.”   Marcus leaned back slightly, taking that in. “Sounds like a full day.”   “It was,” Jill said quietly.   They sat there together, the weight of the day settling into something calmer now. Marcus rested an arm along the back of the couch, and Jill leaned slightly into him.   For a little while, neither of them spoke.   They didn’t need to.   It was just… quiet. Steady. The kind of moment that reminded them why everything they were doing mattered.   Jill let out a soft breath, her body finally relaxing.   We’re doing okay, she thought.   ⸻   From upstairs, a sound broke the stillness.   A cry.   Soft at first—then louder.   Jill’s head lifted immediately, her whole body shifting in response.   Marcus glanced toward the stairs. “Sounds like someone’s up.”   Jill was already standing. “Yeah.”   The calm of the moment faded, replaced by something just as familiar—   Being needed.   And she didn’t hesitate to answer.

As I said, here's the rest of the evening at Miss Beth's party. Chapter 38 The Pary Part 2 Alone, I sat at the small table in the playroom and thoughts rushed into my mind. I just curtseyed in a dress in front of four women. But all the other ‘kids’ have been so nice. We got to play, simple things, ‘boys’ vs. ‘girls’, ‘Pirates’, just the simple joy of swinging through the air. Some only wear diapers for fun… Not… not like I do now, because I’ve lost my potty-training. Shelly said Sammy has some past trauma. But she spoke to me a little bit. And what the f** is being a cuckold all about??? I mean, I could never watch another man with my Mommy. Does his wife force him into it? Or… or maybe he just likes it? Sort of like how Jackie gets off having his bottom spanked? I wonder if he was jerking off in his diaper during his ‘timeout’. No, I don’t want to know. But he probably was. So many different… When Mommy said there would be other littles and all, I guess I just didn’t know. I had no idea what this whole new world was like. I looked down: But hell, I’m wearing a dress and baby bonnet for goodness sake! And… and these shoes… Miss Beth had wanted me to update her web site, because she was thinking of branching out into new areas. Wait… there’s more?!?! I can’t even imagine what… In a way, I did feel like a child for real. A naïve child, just getting their first peek in this new world. Like sneaking downstairs to see the grownups at some dinner party. Learning things about a world that obviously has existed all this time, I just never knew. Suddenly the door opened and Suzette came in with a tray. And this is another new thing. She’s eight or nine years younger than me, and she’s just taking this all in, in stride. She must know I’m really a guy, dressed up as a little toddler girl. She didn’t even bat an eye when she first saw me… “Sweetie, you need to run along. I have to setup the desserts for everyone,” her voice breaking in on my thoughts. I looked and she was setting some small dessert plates on the table I was sitting at. I stood up and mumbled, “Okay,” as I started towards the sitting room. I heard her voice raise a little as she kept transferring things from the tray to the table, “GOOD little girls would say ‘Yes Ma’am’. Not just ‘okay’” I froze and turned back. She wasn’t Miss Beth. Nor Mommy. But I felt pee flooding into my diaper as I stammered, “y….yes Ma’am.” My hand rushed to grab at the front of my dress, gripping my extra thick diaper as I tried to clench down to stop the flow. She didn’t look up. She finished unloading the tray, picked up the tray and turned. Then as she headed back to the kitchen she called out, “There’s a good baby girl. Now run along.” I watched the door close and the flow into my diaper stopped finally. I’m not sure how many times I’d wet it, but it was starting to feel pretty heavy. I continued on my way into the sitting room. At first, I didn’t notice, but then Mister Mark spoke up, “Hi there sweetie. Looking for your Mommy? I think they’re all in the kitchen and dinning room, helping to clean up.” He was staring at me for a moment, then looked back down at the phone in his hand. When I hadn’t moved, he looked up again, “What do you think of my little rugrat Jimmy? Has he been behaving?” Ever the articulate scholar, I gave him a detailed response, “Um… he… he’s nice.” Mister Mark looked at me and smiled. Then he just said, “Yeah, I love the little monster.” Then he stood up and walked past me as he said, “Guess I should be helping the ladies and check on my boy.” I flinched a little as he walked past me, but he didn’t reach for me or anything. I watched as he softly pulled the door closed behind himself. Come on Tom. You know other gay couples. He’s not some child molester. Sheesh… Flinching like that! They’re both adults and what they do between themselves, not my concern. There does seem to be a fine line. I know I’m an adult. When Mommy and I have sex, it doesn’t bother me. But the idea of Mark having sex with… with ‘little jimmy’. No wonder so many keep this part of their lives private. I’m sure a lot of people would not understand the difference. But there IS a difference. I know that! A woman’s loud squeal came from the foyer. I quietly went to the sitting room door and peeked. Nobody. But then I heard voices coming from the cloak room. “Oh come on, you know you love sucking it.” “Yes, but I told you later.” I tiptoed out into the foyer and cocked an ear to hear more. It was that couple that had been frisky during Miss Beth’s announcement. “Crystal, why don’t you DUMP that micro-dick and move in with me for Christ’s sake!” “Donald, I told you before. He may not have a cock like yours, but I still love him. And besides, if I filed for divorce, I would lose control over all his money.” “Man, that’s the only reason you stay with him, his stinking money.” There was silence for a minute. I didn’t dare peek through the half open door, but I think I heard a moan. Then I heard, in a whisper, Crystal’s voice saying, “Now you just wait until we get home. Then you can fuck me while he watches. You know how that turns me on….” I felt my stomach flip. She enjoys putting on a show in front of her cuckold husband!! They were quiet again, probably kissing and more. I heard the bang of a door and loud voices from the back of the house. The others were coming back into the house. One voice shouted, “Where’s Tammy??” I didn’t want to get caught eavesdropping, so I waddled as quietly as I could down the center hall towards the kitchen. There was a cacophony of voices as littles embraced their caregivers. Just as I saw where Mommy was and was about to cross the room to her, I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was Crystal. Crystal just smirked at me as she held my shoulder for a moment. Then she said, “Curious little girls shouldn’t listen at keyholes.” Then she pushed my shoulder a bit roughly and turned to her Donald. She must have seen me in the hall and known I’d overheard. I suddenly wanted a hug. So, I ran across the room and hugged Mommy tightly. She hugged me back and kissed my cheek. Miss Beth was suddenly clapping her hands again, “Attention… Attention. There’s cake and juice in the playroom. And coffee will be ready here in the kitchen in just a few minutes. We’re running a little late, but you’re all welcome to stay as long as you wish.” Mommy was cuddling me close and asked me softly, “Having a nice time sweetie? What do you think of all your little friends?” I nodded and answered just as quietly, “Yes Mommy. Some are lots of fun, some… some are different.” “Different how?” she asked as she looked into my eyes. I glanced around us, some of the others were making their way into the playroom, following Miss Beth. Then I looked back into Mommy’s eyes as she waited patiently for an answer. I whispered this time, “I mean… all of them are little, but in different ways. Sammy seems to be escaping from something… Bobby… Bobby’s wife treats him… And… and Jack and Jill…” “Miss Jillian sweetie”, she interrupted. As I fell silent and lowered my gaze, Mommy pulled me close again as she said, “Yes darling, but they all are loved in their own way. And for the most part, they are all happy.” When Mommy gently pushed me out to arm’s length, I managed a smile as she spoke again, “Now, let’s go find a piece of cake for my little darling.” She placed an arm around my shoulders, and we followed the others to the playroom. … The cake was okay, but it was just some store-bought thing with a lot of sugar icing. I had one piece and was just watching the group. I heard Mister Mark say something to Jimmy about not having a third piece. I snickered a little when his daddy told him, “Any more sugar and you won’t be able to sleep tonight.” Then Mommy came close to me and I felt a hand on my bottom as she whispered in my ear, “How’s your diaper sweetie? Going to need a change before we go home?” I felt my face blush as I looked and saw that nobody else seemed to be paying attention. I whispered back, “Maybe. Unless we’re going to be going soon.” Then she put her plate on top of mine and said quietly, “Be an angel and take my plate into the kitchen baby. I’ll see what we can do about your soggy bottom.” I nodded and answered, “Yes Mommy.” I turned and headed towards the kitchen, suddenly very aware of the sogginess between my legs. As I scraped the crumbs and half piece left on Mommy’s plate into the trash, I felt a shove in the small of my back. It was accompanied by, “Move over! Boys before girls!” It was Jimmy. He was pushing me and one of the plates I was holding slipped from my hand. It splintered into several pieces as it hit the floor. “NOW LOOK WHAT YOU DID!!!” I found myself yelling. Rather than apologize or even acknowledge what he had done, he just put his own dish on the counter and answered with, “Did NOT! You’re just a CLUMSY GIRL!!!” Suddenly my blood was boiling over. I pushed him backwards hard as I shouted, “DID TOO!!! AND I’M NOT CLUMSY!!!” I was taken completely by surprise when he balled up a fist and swung, punching me in the stomach and knocking the wind from me. When I caught my breath and straightened, I swung and caught him in the left eye. The next thing I knew, we were rolling on the floor trying to trade punches. Suddenly as I was about to swing again, a steel grip grabbed my wrist and someone was shouting, “ENOUGH!!! BOTH OF YOU!!!!” The hand holding my wrist was Donald’s. When I looked back at Jimmy, he was twisting in the grip of Mister Mark. As I looked about, we were surrounded by a crowd. None of which were saying a word. Then Jimmy blurted out, “She started it!” “Did not! You did, you pushed me,” lept from my throat unbidden. Mommy stepped towards me from the crowd. Her face was as emotionless as I’ve ever seen. She reached for my wrist and spoke to Donald, “Thank you Donald. I’ll take it from here.” She didn’t look at me, but instead scanned the room for a moment until she found the person she then addressed, “Beth? Is there some place I can teach Tammy some manners?” I gulped and felt my breath catch in my throat. I watched as Miss Beth pointed towards the back door and say, “In the far corner out back. There’s a woodshed.” A woodshed? Wait, the kind as in, ‘taken out behind the woodshed???” Mommy jerked my arm and pulled me towards the door. Just as I was pulled outside, I heard Miss Beth call out loudly, “Carole? Use a gag so she doesn’t disturb the neighbors.” I stumbled a little going down the two steps from the porch to the yard, but Mommy wasn’t about to wait for me to recover. She yanked on my arm again. I wanted to plead my case, “But Mommy… he started it… honest.” “Not one more word out of you!” was her reply. My tummy was doing flip-flops in fear as I whimpered. The building was small and ‘rustic’. A simple door and when Mommy found a light switch, the inside was clearly NOT for storing wood. Dominating the center of the room was something akin to a school gym’s pommel horse. But no grips in the middle, just a long narrow padded top, about waist high. I saw several things hanging from the opposite wall before Mommy’s yanked again, pulling me towards the end of the padded platform. Then her hand between my shoulder blades and a curt command, “Bend over.” There were already tears in my eyes and I was sniffling as my chest laid down on the padding. Mommy walked around to the other end and knelt in front of me. Her hand reached for mine and I felt her wrapping something around my wrist. If she was mad, or if she had yelled, I might have fought back. But she didn’t yell. In fact her voice was quiet as she reached for my other wrist, “Now the other one sweetheart.” I pulled a little, but the restraints seemed pretty strong. All I could do was whimper and ask the obvious, “It… it’s going to hurt isn’t it…” I felt her hand on my face as she leaned close to me and said softly, “Yes sweetie…. It’s going to hurt. And afterwards I’ll kiss it to make it better and hug you in my arms until you stop crying.” She stood up straight and walked around behind me. I felt some wide belt drawn across the backs of my knees. Not overly tight, but it would prevent me from kicking. I was scared. I was confused. Confused how I got into this predicament, why Mommy wasn’t yelling or mad, confused why I wasn’t even trying to get away. I heard her footsteps around to the far wall for a moment and I whispered, “Why? Why do we… why do we do this?” Her legs came into view again in front of me, then she kneeled down again. She had something in her hand, but she just looked at me a moment and reached her empty hand up to my cheek again. Her words were soft as she spoke, “Tom, I’m not a shrink. You may want this because of guilt. Feelings of guilt over allowing yourself to behave this way; behave like a child. Maybe it’s some endorphin thing about the pain and then the comforting aftercare. Maybe you just can’t enjoy your little side without feeling you’ve been ‘pushed’ into it.” She took a pause and a deep breath and went on, “All I know is it’s not sadism on my part. I don’t particularly enjoy doing this. But I know there’s a part of you Tom that craves this. And I love you. I know you crave this at times. The humiliation, the submitting to women, even the pain of being spanked.” She leaned in and kissed my cheek, then brought her other hand up as she said, “Now, open up for me, be a good girl and take your punishment. Take it because you know you need it and know that I love you.” I opened my mouth and she slipped the ball-gag into my mouth and fastened it behind my head. I felt her hands lifting my dress up and tugging at my plastic pants and diaper as her words swam through my head. Is it guilt? I need to feel like I have no choice? The idea that I’m ‘forced’ and not doing this willingly? The after care? As I struggled in my own mind to try and understand, I felt a hard paddle placed gently against my bare bottom. Finding just the right place and angle to take aim. THWACK! The sudden sting made my arms jerk to reach back. But the restraints did their job and my sudden jerk just made a small rattling sound. THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! The pain made me try to howl, but it came out muffled around the gag. THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! My one leg jerked and my foot lifted off the floor but was limited how far it could swing. THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! I clenched my eyes tightly against the stinging. She paused a moment and I gasped, trying to speak but all that came out was “a owwy ommy” The paddle rested on my burning cheeks as I heard her say quietly, “I know sweetie, but we’re not done yet. It really does hurt me as much as it hurts you babe.” THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! I tried to howl again but all that came out was a breathless moan. Then there was a knock on the door and a voice, “Miss Carole?” I heard the door open and recognized the voice, it was Suzette. And she sees me like this! Fastened down and getting paddled…. I felt my bladder emptying into the front of my diaper as I heard Suzette say, “Miss Beth thought you’d probably need her diaper bag afterwards, so she asked me to bring it to you.” I heard Mommy reply, “Yes, yes she’ll certainly need a change, thank you.” There was silence for several seconds. I could only imagine what Suzette was thinking. I couldn’t see what expression might be on her face. Then I heard Mommy, “If that’s all dear, you may go now. Tell Miss Beth that Tammy will come apologize when she’s learned her lesson.” I heard the door close and then, THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! Again my eyes squeezed as I tried to howl again. Her voice was soft as she spoke, “Next time that brat Jimmy misbehaves, come to me sweetie. Little girls run to their mommy when someone is mean to them.” THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! She added, “I know you must have been provoked, but you didn’t have to rise to the bait.” THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! I nodded as I felt her hand on my burning ass. My breath was in gasps as she rubbed the fiery parts. I felt her breath in my ear as she whispered, “You could have just come running to Mommy like the helpless little child you are. But instead you tried to solve your problem all by yourself.” THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! “Mommy wants to take care of you, but you need to come to Mommy next time,” she added. THWACK! My nose was running, I was gasping around and through the holes of the ball-gag. I was a contrite and repentant small child. I heard a small rattle as Mommy hung up the paddle. Then her tender lips kissing each burning cheek. In the next minute or so I was released and ungagged. After I stood up, Mommy set my diaper bag on the padded horse and reached inside. She wiped my nose and gently pushed my pacifier in my mouth. Then she leaned against the horse as she pulled me into her arms. I suckled and lay my head against her shoulder as I cried in her arms. One of my hands reached and rubbed my burning backside as her hand rubbed my back and she kissed my ear and whispered, “Shh shh… Mommy loves you. Mommy does it for you because I love you. Shh… shhh…. I’m right here.” I felt my breathing slowing as I suckled and felt Mommy’s gentle touching. She had just blistered my bum, but now she was cuddling and stroking me with all the love in her heart. Somehow, it made sense in it’s own way. “Better?” I nodded and lifted away from her as she said, “Good. Now let’s get that diaper changed and you can go apologize to Miss Beth.” I nodded and watched her reach into the diaper bag again. Tugging down my plastic pants as I held my dress up out of the way, Mommy managed to change me standing up. She carried the soggy diaper in her hand while I carried my bag. When we entered the kitchen, Katherine was putting some things into cabinets when she saw us. She barely glanced our way and simply said, “Miss Beth is in the front hall, saying goodbye to the other guests.” Mommy put the used diaper in the bin and held my hand as we went up the central hallway. Miss Beth was talking with Shelly and her Mommy Miss Sarah in front of the open door. “So glad you could come, I do hope to see little Shelly again sometime. She’s such a darling.” Miss Sarah was smiling graciously as she answered, “Well my sister loves when Shelly visits to play with Sammy. And it helps Sammy. But we’ll see if we can find some time to book a play date.” Then I noticed Jimmy standing next to his daddy, Mister Mark. I felt a mix of guilt and pride when I saw that Jimmy now had a black eye. A real ‘shiner’ Serves you right! Maybe next time you’ll be nice to little girls! I felt a hand on my back and heard a whisper, “Go on Tammy, tell Beth you’re sorry.” I blushed a little and looked back at Miss Beth as she looked at me expectantly. I managed to mumble something. But it wasn’t enough, I felt Mommy’s hand on my bottom as she repeated, “Tell her sweetie, or do we need to visit the woodshed again?” I felt my face grow pale. I removed my pacifier and found my voice, “I… I’m sorry Miss Beth, for fighting and disrupting your party. I… I hope we can come again, I promise I’ll behave better.” Miss Beth’s face lit up, and she smiled warmly at me for a moment before replying, “Apology accepted sweetie. I’d love to have you come again. And I understand how HARD it is for little ones to behave. But afterwards, all is forgiven and forgotten.” As I nodded silently, I heard Mister Mark, “Jimmy? Don’t you have something to say?” I looked over and Jimmy took a small step forward and said softly, “T…..Tammy? I… I’m sorry for pushing you and… and saying mean things about girls.” I just stood there looking at him. He did seem to be contrite, but his eyes weren’t red and I was pretty sure his butt wasn’t burning like mine. Then I felt Mommy’s hand on my shoulder and heard her voice speak just one word, “Tammy?” I wasn’t feeling very kindly towards him, but I said to Jimmy, “Okay. And I’m sorry I gave you a black eye.” NOT!!! I gave it to you on purpose you brat!! Mommy took my hand and led me to the door as she said, “Thanks again Beth, we’ll talk soon. But right now, I need to get my little darling home to bed.” … We were quiet in the car as Mommy started to drive off. Once on the road I spoke up, “I’m not really sorry for that eye. He deserved it.” Mommy suddenly burst into a laugh as she replied, “hahaha… I know!! And it’s a real shiner!! I don’t condone fighting, but that was GREAT!!! He’s not going to pick a fight with you again anytime soon.” We both laughed. After our laughter subsided some, I asked, “Do you think Mark is going to blister his ass when they get home?” Mommy just shook her head a little, “Don’t know… Don’t care. Jimmy is Mark’s problem, not mine.” Then she added with a smile, “And remember sweetie, it’s Mister Mark to you.” Once we got home, it was as if it never happened. The only hint was a twinge and sting when I sat on the side of the bed as Mommy helped me with my shoes. After changing me into a nightie and getting herself ready for bed, Mommy fed me a bottle as we cuddled. Somehow this woman who had caused me pain only a short time ago, was cuddling and holding me and I loved her dearly. I still don’t understand it all myself. But I do know one thing that Mommy said is true. For some reason or other, I craved it and felt a thousand times happier after it was over. I just let the whole thing fall away from my consciousness as I switched to Mommy’s nipple and fell asleep in her arms. To Be Continued