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<.< >.> *Slides in chapter 38 unnoticed* (It's not like I locked in after reading all the comments. That'd be crazy) --- At the Palmer’s residence, the backyard was already set up. Alicia could smell the tell-tale scent of smoky charcoal and what must’ve been burgers and ribs. She could see Luke managing the grill while Jenny was setting the table together with Isabella. Jack explored the grass around a checkered blanket with great interest, gurgling quietly to himself. ‘Country Roads’ played softly from the bluetooth speaker placed upon the table, and when the pair got into view, Isabella beamed like the cozy, late summer sun. “Mommy, they hewe!” she exclaimed, hurrying over to envelop Alicia in her customary hug. Jenny rolled her eyes slightly, but let it slide since Alicia didn’t seem to mind. “Hi, Isabella,” Alicia said, nodding towards her parents. “Jenny, Luke.” “Hey you two!” Luke said from over at the grill. “Glad you could make it.” “Thank you for inviting us,” Emily said and went over to the table, bringing out some lemonade and a bag of chocolate chip cookies they had brought with them. “Oh, you didn’t have to,” Jenny started, but politely accepted the treats. “Nonsense,” Emily brushed off, “a few cookies were the least we could bring.” “Yah,” Alicia snorted and poked her mother teasingly in the side, “considering it’s grammy’s homemade cookies.” “Oh hush you,” Emily rolled her eyes. “I’ll bring an Eriksson original next time, happy?” “Very,” Alicia mused, “but only if it’s your cardamom buns.” The girl felt herself salivating at the thought. “You goober,” Emily chided, but smiled nonetheless. “Hmm,” Luke said, flipping a few patties over, “these look nearly done. Should be just right before the Carters get here—” “Hi! We’re here!” A chipper voice called out from behind, as if materializing out of thin air. “So great to see you all again so soon!” Turning around, Alicia saw Grace, Ethan, Isaac and Logan—who seemed to be carrying most of the bags they’ve brought with them. Isaac sported a wide grin, locking eyes with Isabella and Alicia. “It’s nice to see you all again,” Emily concurred. “Hi Alicia! Hi Isabella!” Isaac said, breaking free from his mother’s grasp. “Wanna play tag?” Isabella had secured a spot just beside Alicia and tugged on the sleeve of her yellow dress, now familiarly silent. Jenny offered an apologizing smile towards Alicia, but the girl just shrugged, giving her an understanding smirk in turn. Internally, she sighed but allowed herself to be swept away with the situation. She hadn’t really been expecting anything else since turning up. Alicia’s eyes wandered along the backyard, finding a prepped up set of plastic chairs and a table adorned with teacups and dolls. “You know,” she said, in an almost scheming tone. “I bet Isabella wants to play house first.” Isabella bounced up and down in excitement. Alicia knew her so well! “Oh…okay.” Isaac said, sounding a little disappointed. “But, we could play some tag afterwards?” Alicia tried. Easily swayed, like little boys are, he bounced back. “Yeah!” The other Carters had already struck up conversation with her mother, Luke and Jenny while they were busy setting up what food they had brought. Catching a glance of Logan, she felt his gaze lingered just a tad bit too long on her mother. She contemplated sharing a few stern words with the man afterwards, but thought better of it. At the moment, she was merely a playmate. The trio grabbed a doll each and started speaking in made-up voices, pouring imaginary tea and chewing on air-biscuits. “I say, Mr. Mittens, you look positively radiant today,” Alicia said poshly, gesturing with a white and blue-striped bunny. Isabella giggled and made Mr. Mittens bow, accepting the compliment. Around ten minutes in, Isaac’s bouncing knees threatened to overturn the table. Alicia thought for a moment, then stood up, doll in hand. “Maybe the plushies want to play tag?” Isabella and Isaac’s eyes widened with glee, and soon they were running around the garden laughing, using the dolls to tag each other. “Food’s ready everyone!” Luke bellowed back from the main table, carrying a big plate of ribs. A large variety of side dishes adorned it neatly, and the trio settled down, heading over and taking up spots next to their parents. Alicia expertly assembled her burger with grilled onion, cheddar cheese, bacon and with a light splash of BBQ-sauce. Proud of her creation, she held it firmly—even though it appeared comically big in her tiny hands—and bit down into the juicy meat. She could feel her eyes rolling back into her skull. Oh that’s so good! she thought, kicking her feet, not caring if it made her more juvenile. “That sure is one heck of a burger,” Logan quipped as he dipped his chips into some ranch dressing, “think you’ll finish that today, kiddo?” Alicia gave him a glare that most would interpret as ‘mind your own business’ and took another big, defiant bite from her burger, maintaining eye contact with the cop. “Geez,” Logan held his hands up in defeat, “sorry for doubting you, ma'am." “Slow down, honey,” Emily said softly, “it’s not going anywhere.” Alicia rolled her eyes and took another bite. It was going somewhere, her belly in fact. Isaac—not wanting to be outdone—tried to mimic Alicia, but the burger bested his tiny fingers, condiments slipping all over the plate. “Heh, kids, amiright?” Ethan said, cutting it into more manageable pieces, much to Isaac’s protests. “Want to prove they can do everything on their own. Acting all contrary just to prove a point.” Alicia coughed suddenly, an onion ring lodging itself into her throat. Her hubris had been her downfall, and she paid for it with concerned looks from the surrounding party. “Told you,” Emily chided, handing her a glass of soda which she promptly drained to avoid any further scrutiny. Thankfully, the concern was short-lived and the table had already developed into other forms of small talk. Alicia resumed eating, albeit slower. “Mommy?” Isaac asked innocently, licking his fingers of ketchup “when’s Alicia and Isabella—” “Napkin, dear,” Grace scolded and held it out for him to wipe his hands. “And we’ll ask before we leave, promise.” This seemed to placate Isaac for a moment, but soon he started talking Alicia and Isabella’s ears off about the different kind of toys and tv-shows he liked, bringing up their visit to the Lodge, as if they hadn’t been there. “Wow…really? How many? Yeah? That’s so cool,” Alicia the-ever-patient agreed, making sure to nod along, trying to sound equally interested in all the little things Isaac had to say. The boy was none the wiser. After the burgers were well taken care of, Alicia felt herself getting dragged away once again for more playtime. Thankfully, the other two opted for quieter makebelieve in Isabella’s plastic playhouse, since neither felt like running with their bellies so close to bursting. While the adults were still chatting away, Emily and Logan exchanged a few looks towards each other, yet looking away sheepishly each time. Jenny and Grace also shared a knowing look with each other, smirking. As if on cue, a strained face on baby Jack gave them the excuse they needed. “Why don’t we start setting up dessert,” Jenny said, unleashing little Jack from his highchair. “Emily, Grace…Logan would you mind carrying some things off to the kitchen? This little one needs a change.” “I can—” Ethan started, but Grace silenced him with a hand on his shoulder. “Not a four person job, dear,” she said. “Someone need to keep an eye on the kids. You should tell Luke all about the upcoming car show in the meanwhile.” Not needing another incentive, Ethan launched into an eager explanation of Fords and Chevrolets while Luke tried to hide a pained expression. Jenny and Grace ushered the other two inside. Inside the kitchen, Jenny gave them directions to the dishwasher, cupboard, and the apple pie in the fridge before absconding with Jack to the bathroom. They started to put plates in the dishwasher, but not before long, Jenny’s voice rang out through the corridor. “Oh shoot. Grace? Could you be a dear and fetch some pants, as well as some wipes from the laundry room? Jack’s had a bit of a blowout.” “Of course!” Grace excused herself, leaving Emily and Logan by themselves in the kitchen. They awkwardly shuffled around for a bit, averting their gaze. “Uhm…” Logan started. “Getting a bit colder lately.” Could one wish for a more stellar ice-breaker? “Y-yeah it’s getting closer to autumn,” Emily replied softly. “Y-yeah,” Logan agreed, as if Emily had revealed the secrets of the universe to him. “Right…so I was thinking…” Emily looked up, meeting his piercing grey eyes in expectation. “If you…wanted to…perhaps…go and get coffee. Like we talked about earlier? Maybe saturday, next week? I-if you still want that is.” He murmured the last part, but there was a tone of hope in his voice. “I…,” Emily blushed slightly, “Yes, that sounds lovely.” “Oh, uh…great!” Logan exclaimed, “Uhm, would around three sound good?” Emily smiled. “That should be fine, but let me give you my number just in case.” “Oh, right,” Logan rubbed the back of his neck, “that makes sense.” They quickly exchanged contacts. Around the corner, Jenny and Grace gave each other a silent high-five before coming back out and helping them with rest of the plateware. Outside, they rescued poor Luke from Ethan's endless tirade and turned toward the kids— who were in the process of professional cooking-makebelieve. “It’s bloody raw!” Alicia said, doing her best Gordon Ramsey impression while taking a faux bite of a chicken leg, much to the amusement of Isabella and Isaac. “Kids! Dessert’s ready,” Jenny called out before she could completely catch herself, and offered an apologetic look towards Alicia, but the little girl was already zooming to the table along with her compatriots. Alicia folded her napkin and placed it on her lap, making sure not to get her new dress dirty, expertly manoeuvring a piece of apple pie and a scoop of icecream onto her plate without spilling. Grace gave her a quick glance, before assisting her son in the same endeavour. When the whole party was satisfied—both in mind and in belly—they started wrapping things up. The sun was setting on the horizon. Isabella and Isaac had promptly nodded off in their respective mommy’s laps. Alicia was of course wide awake, and even offered to help clear the table which Jenny heartily agreed to. “Sleep well, Isabella, you too, Isaac,” she said to the pair before throwing empty cups in a large trashbag, getting sleepy murmurs in reply. After Jenny and Luke had carted off their kids to bed, and Isaac’s parents had secured him in the car seat, Grace walked up to Emily. “Okay. I am just dying to know,” she said with awe in her voice. “How did you do it?” “Beg your pardon?” Emily replied. “Oh don’t give me that. Your daughter is amazing! She’s mature, polite, has good manners, and super good with kids younger than her. I must admit, I’m a tad jealous.” “Hah, is that so…” Emily replied nervously. Alicia had just headed inside to help put away the rest of the cake and ice-cream. “Oh come on,” Grace elbowed her gently, “you didn’t even have to tell her to help cleaning up.” “Ahahaha, yeah, that’s my girl alright,” Emily forced herself to smile. Glancing to the side, she could see Logan eyes growing wider by the second, sharing her pained expression. “And Isaac tells me she’s basically taken over storytime at preschool,” she added. “Alicia should be heading over to Little Oaks next year, yeah?” Ethan chimed in, “maybe she’ll be in Jenny’s class, I bet she’d love that!” Emily felt her stomach churn. “Oh yes, before I forget,” Grace slapped her head. “Isaac would be disappointed if I didn’t ask, but have you given some thought on that playdate we talked about before? We’d love to have Alicia over sometime.” Both Emily and Logan were now visibly distressed. There weren’t many good excuses on the fly, especially since she already delayed the answer. “Um…I don’t..” Emily started saying. She understood now Alicia’s hesitancy from before. The Carters were nice people, and she wanted to be truthful. But the words seemed to get caught in her throat. She’d of course never be embarrassed about their family situation, but neither did she want her daughter to suffer because of the truth. “Are we sure that’s a good idea, this early?” Logan tried desperately, doing a bit of damage control. “It’s not like we’ve known each other for long…?” Both Ethan and Grace gave him weird looks. “What are you on about, Logan?” Grace narrowed her eyes, smelling a rat. “You’re acting weird. Something wrong?” Then, Alicia appeared from the house. “Alright I think that’s—everything okay out here?” She stopped abruptly. “Ah, Alicia,” Grace said. “We were just asking your mommy if you’d like to come over to our house for a playdate next week? Hmm, maybe even a sleepover?” Alicia could hear the tempting tone in Grace’s voice. At age five, she would probably have begged her mother to let her go to a sleepover. But, she was nineteen, and some lines were not meant to be crossed. She would have to come clean, but easier said than done. “Oh, um.” She stuttered, turning towards her mother. “That is…I…” “Wha—?” Grace couldn’t believe the odd hesitation coming from this little girl. Surely they’d not left that bad of an impression? She furrowed her brows. “What is going on here? What’s wrong, sweetie?” Alicia took a deep breath. “I, uh…don’t take this wrong way, I think Isaac is a good kid, but a sleepover wouldn’t…ah…be appropriate?” she mustered out. “Not appro…what does she mean by that?” Ethan looked quizzically at Emily. Grace elbowed her husband and knelt down to a fidgeting Alicia. “Are you worried about it because you’re older, sweetheart?” Alicia looked down and nodded. “Older than five?” Grace asked. Alicia nodded again. “Y-yeah.” “I figured as much. You’re what? Six, seven?” Grace slumped her shoulders, wondering how she should best let her son down. “Well, no hard feelings, Alicia. I can understand if you don’t feel up to it.” Alicia kept looking at her feet. “No, that’s not it,” she mumbled. “Hold the phone,” Ethan interrupted, “why isn’t she in school then? Are you homeschooling her?” He watched Emily expectantly, gears turning in his head. “No, that doesn’t make sense either, why would she be still be at preschool if that is the case…” “Now hold on, hun,” Grace tried. “Let’s not be rude. I’m sure they have their reasons.” “I…,” Alicia started and looked towards Emily again who had also bent down near her for support, interposing herself between her daughter and the Carters. “You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to, sweetie,” she whispered. “We can leave now if you’d rather forget about it.” Alicia shook her head and sighed. “They deserve the truth.” Truth, such an ugly word sometimes. The truth will set you free, or damn you all the same. Emily looked towards Logan. Maybe they wouldn’t share that coffee after all. She chided herself. That wasn’t important. Alicia was important. “Alright, honey,” she said. “I’m always in your corner.” Alicia took a deep breath. “Grace, Ethan. I think you and Isaac are nice people, and I had fun today…but the actual reason I’m at Tiny Sprouts Academy is…well because I work there.” “Pardon?” The Carters said in unison, their eyes bulging out of their sockets. “I work at the preschool once a week. I’m…,” she took another deep breath, “nineteen years old.” There, she had said it. “Wha—?” They both responded. “Nineteen!?” “Y-yeah…” “But you look—!” Ethan started. “Like a child? Severe Growth Hormone Deficiency,” she said as a matter of factly. “I stopped growing sometime after I turned four.” “But, wait…working how exactly? Sorry, Alicia. This is just a little too much to process all at once,” Grace admitted. “She’s Isabella’s aide. We’re employing her.” Luke interrupted, making an entrance after hearing the commotion, walking up by Alicia’s side. “B-but you were spending the weekend together at the Lodge?” Ethan asked astounded, and a bit accusingly. “We owed them a big favor after a miscommunication that was completely our fault.” Jenny had also stepped out. “Also, I don’t see what that has to do with anything? We enjoy their company and we’re free to hangout if we so wish.” “Still, it all seems a bit odd,” Grace said “I mean you were using a sippy cup back at the Lodge…and excuse my rudeness, but you’re wearing some ‘protection’ too right now, aren’t you?” Jesus, this lady was sharp! Alicia thought. Or maybe it was all just so obvious? She probably gave them a view when she sat down or when she was playing tag with the kids. “I-I…,” Alicia felt the familiar dark feeling form in her stomach. She wanted to go home. She wanted to snuggle up with Mommy and Bandit and forget about everything. “Not that it’s any of your business, but Alicia suffers from stress-related incontinence,” her mother half-fibbed. “The sippy was my idea. I wanted for her to have a carefree and relaxing time at the Lodge.” “Oh…I’m sorry,” Grace admitted. “That was insensitive of me. I shouldn’t have pried.” “N-no worries,” Alicia reassured, thankful for her mother’s quick intervention. She felt some of her anxiety receding. But it was probably not a good idea to mention anything related to her other job, or their newly established family routines. “Oh boy,” Logan knelt down, looking at Alicia apologetically, “I’m sorry kiddo. I should have tried to soften the blows perhaps. This isn’t fair to you.” “Logan, come on. You knew and didn’t say anything?” Ethan raised an eyebrow. “I figured it wasn’t my place to say,” he defended, “but maybe it was a bad idea.” “Look, we’re sorry we couldn’t be completely honest with you, but you have to understand that this a very sensitive matter for our family,” Emily interrupted. “My daughter’s been trying her hardest to find her place in the world, but as you can probably imagine, things aren’t exactly stacked in her favour.” It was torture to be under this much scrutiny. Alicia felt like she would rather just find the nearest rock and not come out for the next fifteen years. Maybe things would feel different then. Heh, like a cicada, she mused, imagining herself bursting from the ground, wings and all. “But! She makes me proud every day,” Emily said, shaking her daughter out of her daze. Aww… Alicia felt her heartstrings tug at the nice words she felt she barely deserved. “Please,” Emily pleaded, “try and see it from her perspective.” “She’s a good kid,” Logan assured. “She rolls with the punches, she’s patient and forgiving, heck pretty funny to boot.” Hmm, maybe he isn’t so bad after all, Alicia admitted. “And, uh, she could have given me a much harder time…considering I sort of embarrassed her on our first meeting,” Logan said sheepishly. Aaand he ruined it, she thought, flashing red from the memory. Grace and Ethan both took a minute to gather their thoughts, but eventually, they nodded towards each other. “This is all a bit jarring, I must admit,” Grace started, “but I suppose—in the end—no real harm has been done?” Ethan grumbled a little. “No, but I think we can agree that playdates and sleepovers are off the table…damn, how are we going to explain this to Isaac?” “We don’t, honey,” Grace deadpanned. “He’s not going to understand that his new friend’s actually an adult. It’ll only upset him more.” “I’m sorry,” Alicia squeaked, having inadvertently scooched closer to her mother. “I didn’t mean to cause trouble.” “No,” Grace said. “No need to feel sorry, honey. We’re at fault here. We’ll handle things.” “I…I really did enjoy our families getting together though,” Alicia tried. Grace paused for a bit. “It was really nice,” she agreed, “You know? Maybe this doesn’t have to be the end of things? We could do it again sometime?” You’d think you two would still be up for family friendly cookouts? She looked toward Jenny and Luke. “All three of our families?” Alicia and Emily looked at each other in relief and smiled. “Of course!” “Isabella and Isaac would probably like that very much,” Jenny hinted. “Think you’d be up for more supervised babysitting?” “Oh, I can handle them,” Alicia flexed a muscle. She turned towards the Carters, “and are guys you okay with that?” “You mean having an excuse to let my eyes of my kid for a minute?” Grace smirked. “I think the answer is ‘yes’.” “Agreed,” Ethan said, “and it would probably take the edge off having to explain why we can’t have any sleepovers.” “I have no objections,” Logan beamed, his eyes meeting with Emily. “No objections at all.” “Yeah, I’m sure you don’t,” Grace whispered to herself. With that said, the group set a tentative date for another hangout in the near future. The families said their goodbyes, the Carters taking off in their white car, and Luke and Jenny retreating back inside. ----- Alicia rested on her mother’s shoulder, the fatigue having caught up with her. She made no attempt to struggle when Emily picked her up before entering their house, and neither did she complain when she was changed out of her dress and into her pyjamas and nighttime diaper. “So proud of you today, lovebug,” Emily said softly as she laid an almost asleep Alicia down in her bed, snuggled all cozy with Bandit. “Mm,” Alicia murmured. “Wasn’t so bad.” “Yeah, it all worked out in the end,” Emily admitted, opening the nightstand. “Paci?” “Mmm, yes please,” Alicia said sleepily before accepting the pacifier, suckling on it softly. “Mommy?” “Yes baby?” “Wuw yu.” “Love you too, sweetie.” Emily kissed her on the forehead before closing the door to Alicia’s room. Alicia’s thoughts danced around the events of the evening. Things really had worked out okay. Maybe her new exclusive position as an ‘Etoile’ at the agency would work out too. Hmm, one could hope. She closed her eyes, feeling herself being whisked away into dreamland. Little did she know this was merely the beginning.

Chapter 15 – A Baby’s Life The front door opened and my mother walked in holding a big McDonalds bag. I was looking forward to a nice juicy cheeseburger and waited eagerly whilst she took off her shoes. ‘Right then’, said my mother, ‘where are we eating?’ ‘Just through here’, replied Christina as she led us into the kitchen. As my mother placed the McDonalds bag onto the table, she immediately noticed the highchair at the side of the dining table and looked at me. ‘Is that where you’re eating?’ she joked. I shuffled my feet about on the spot awkwardly and avoided eye contact. Christina looked slightly nervous as well. My mothers’ eyes widened. ‘Oh my’, she exclaimed, ‘that is where you’ve been eating, isn’t it?’ I continued avoiding eye contact and nodded in response. ‘I was surprised that he could actually fit in it’, chuckled Christina. ‘Well, this I have to see’, my mother laughed. I cringed as I watched Christina open up the highchair and ushered me to sit in it. ‘Do I have to sit in it?’ I asked. ‘Go on Jake’, encouraged Christina, ‘let your mummy see you in the highchair’. I rolled my eyes and slowly walked over to the highchair and allowed Christina to help me get into it. I sat awkwardly whilst I was strapped in and the highchair table was locked into place. For the finishing touch, Christina couldn’t help but tie a bib on me. ‘Aw my widdle Jakey is all ready for his din dins’, cooed my mother. I began blushing again and just wanted to start eating my cheeseburger. I watched eagerly as my mother pulled out two Big Mac meals from the bag and gave one to Christina before placing one down for herself. I continued waiting as she went back into the bag. However, instead of pulling out a cheeseburger, she pulled out a Happy Meal. ‘Why have I got a Happy Meal?’ I complained, ‘I wanted a cheeseburger’. ‘I thought it would be more appropriate’, my mother giggled, ‘it’s been a long time since I’ve ordered you a Happy Meal’. As Christina and my mother began eating, I opened up the Happy Meal to reveal four chicken nuggets and some fries. There was also a small box which I took out. ‘Ooh what toy have you got Jake?’ asked Christina excitedly. I opened it and pulled out a plastic toy Mario. ‘Ooh wow, Mario’, smiled my mother, ‘you’re a lucky boy’. It felt weird being spoken to like a little kid but I guess it felt fitting considering I was sitting in a highchair, wearing a romper and eating a Happy Meal. It didn’t take me long to finish my food but surprisingly I felt full by the end of it. It was then I realised that I didn’t have a drink. ‘Did you pick me up a coke?’ I asked. ‘Sorry, no I didn’t’, replied my mother. ‘Why not?’ I complained. ‘Well, I saw earlier that you had a bottle and so I figured you’d prefer some juice’, she said. ‘But I wanted a coke’, I grumbled. ‘Don’t be ungrateful please, Jake’, Christina chimed in, ‘you should be thanking your Mummy for treating you to a McDonalds’. As Christina got up to prepare a bottle of juice, I folded my arms and sulked in the highchair. ‘Aw I know that look’, smiled my mother, ‘that’s a cranky baby right there. I think we’ll be having an early bedtime tonight.’ ‘I’ll run him a bath after dinner’, announced Christina as she put my baby bottle down on the highchair tray. I began to feel very little as the two women continued talking as if I was a toddler. I couldn’t really argue as I picked up my bottle of juice and began sucking hungrily on the rubber nipple. Christina and my mother continued chatting as I drank my juice. I was still annoyed that I had been denied a coke. I didn’t mind juice but after drinking it for the past few days, it was getting a bit boring. I continued drinking my juice and watched as Christina left the room for a second. My mother occasionally glanced over and smiled at the sight of her twenty-one-year-old son in a highchair drinking his bottle. Christina then returned to the kitchen with my colouring book and some crayons. ‘Did you want to show Mummy your pictures?’ she asked. I cringed with embarrassment. ‘Ooh let me see’, smiled my mother as she began looking through my colouring book and commenting how well I had done. As patronising as it was, I couldn’t help but feel proud. I had worked hard on my colouring and had managed to stay inside of the lines. I grinned slightly knowing that the ‘grown-ups’ were impressed by my pictures. My mother then quickly wiped the highchair tray before placing the book down. Christina removed my bib and replaced it with my dummy. I picked out some crayons and started doing some more colouring while Christina and my mother sat down and finished their meals. To say I felt ‘little’ was an understatement. Just when I didn’t think I could feel anymore babyish, I was surprised yet again. Listening to the two women having a chat as if I wasn’t there made me feel slightly vulnerable but being strapped tightly into the highchair made me feel safe. The thick nappy between my legs was also a constant reminder that going to the toilet was something that I didn’t need to worry about anymore. I joyfully started swinging my legs back and forth whilst focusing on my colouring and happily sucking on my dummy. A little while later, Christina and my mother finished their meals just as I completed my picture. ‘Ooh what have you done sweetheart?’ asked Christina as she looked over at me. I held up my picture which received a round of applause from the two women. ‘Aw well done baby’, cheered my mother, ‘you’ve done such a good job’. I grinned widely behind my dummy and felt proud of myself for doing a good job. ‘Right then’, said Christina standing up, ‘I think it’s time that we got this baby into the bath’. ‘I agree’, replied my mother, ‘it’s not long until his beddie bies’. ‘But I’m not tired’ I complained taking out my dummy. ‘You’ve had a long day’, Christina announced before looking down at the dining table, ‘and I’ve still got to clean all this mess up as well’. ‘I’m happy to clean up down here if you wanted to take the baby for his bath’, said my mother. I once again cringed a little bit at being referred to as ‘the baby’. ‘Are you sure?’ asked Christina. ‘It’s my pleasure’, smiled my mother. With that, she started to tidy up the table while Christina came over and let me out of the highchair. She held my hand and led me upstairs. When we reached the bathroom, Christina began filling the bathtub with water. She then turned to me and took off my romper and tossed it aside. Afterwards, she knelt down and ripped open my nappy. As she pulled it away, she inspected it and was impressed that I had managed to keep it dry. I was almost impressed myself. I looked down at my crotch which was still covered heavily in baby powder. Even without a nappy, I still looked babyish down below. As I got into the bathtub, I sighed with relief as the warm water welcomed my naked body. Christina picked up a wash cloth and gently began to clean me. ‘What’s going to happen now?’ I asked. ‘I’m not sure to be honest’, replied Christina, ‘I wasn’t expecting your mother to find out about all of this. I certainly didn’t expect her to go along with it’. ‘I really don’t know how I feel about all of this baby stuff now that my mother is involved’, I admitted. ‘I’m sure you’ll figure it out’, smiled Christina, ‘I’m more than happy to continue babying you for now’. As she continued washing me, I tried to forget about it and just enjoy my bath. However, as Christina began washing my genitals, I suddenly found myself becoming aroused. ‘Is that for me, Jake?’ Christina giggled, ‘I don’t think that’s very appropriate’ ‘Sorry’, I smiled whilst blushing. ‘By the way’, said Christina who now had a slightly more serious look on her face, ‘it’s probably best that we keep the whole breastfeeding thing between us’. I nodded, ‘I agree’. ‘It might be a bit too much for your mother to understand that I’ve been breastfeeding you so we’ll keep it a secret…at least for now’, winked Christina. I wasn’t sure what she meant by that. I certainly didn’t want my mother to know that I’d been getting breastfed although at this point it probably wouldn’t surprise her. After my bath, I hopped out and Christina helped to get me dry before wrapping a towel around my waist. We walked into the nursery where my mother was waiting for us. ‘I was just admiring the nursery’, she said to Christina, ‘you’ve really done an excellent job’. ‘Thank you’, she replied, ‘I worked hard on it. As the two women began chatting about the nursery, I walked over to the window and discreetly looked outside. The summer sun was still shining down and I felt a bit glum that I had to go to bed. I continued looking outside and noticed a young couple around my age in the distance. They were holding hands and laughing. I started to wonder if that was the life that I wanted. My train of thought was suddenly interrupted by my mother. ‘Come away from the window sweetie’, she chuckled, ‘we don’t want the neighbourhood seeing you in your towel’. ‘Sorry’, I replied, ‘I was just distracted’. ‘Well hop over here mister’, she cooed, ‘it’s nappy time’. I sighed and took one last glance at the happy couple outside before heading over to the changing table to have a clean nappy put on me. I lay down and raised my bottom so that my mother could put a fresh nappy underneath me. As she began to sprinkle me with a generous amount of baby powder, there was something on my mind. ‘How long are we going to continue with this?’ I asked. ‘With what?’ my mother replied. ‘The whole baby thing’, I said, ‘I don’t know how comfortable I feel about it’. ‘You enjoy wearing nappies, don’t you?’ she asked ‘Well, yeah’, I said. ‘And you’ve enjoyed these past few days with me’, added Christina. ‘Yeah, I have’, I admitted. ‘So, what’s the problem?’, she said. ‘I just don’t know if I want to keep doing it’, I told them. My mother grinned, ‘well you were certainly enjoying yourself in the highchair earlier. Don’t think I didn’t notice you waving your feet around while you were colouring’. I blushed as I didn’t think anyone had seen that. ‘I mean I enjoyed that…it’s just…I don’t know…I’m just…erm…’I couldn’t get my words out and felt very confused about it all. On the one hand I wanted to grow up but being babied made me feel so happy inside, even if it was a little embarrassing at times. Christina smiled, ‘I don’t think baby really knows what he wants, does he?’ Before I could give an answer, she put a dummy into my mouth which I began to suck on pathetically. ‘You don’t need to worry’, said my mother as she finished fastening my nappy, ‘we’ll make those kinds of decisions for you…if that’s what you would like?’ I was still trying to work out what I really wanted. I honestly didn’t know. Suddenly, I felt myself beginning to gently sob. I felt so confused and looked up at the two women in desperation, hoping for an answer. ‘It’s alright Jake’, smiled Christina, ‘we’ll take care of you’. ‘I think someone’s ready for beddie bies’, said my mother. I knew that being in the crib would help me feel safe and calm. I nodded my head in agreement. As I was helped down from the changing table, my mother led me over to the crib. I took one last look outside at the daylight before Christina closed the curtains. After being tucked in, Christina wound up the mobile whilst my mother pulled up the side of the crib and locked it into place. The sound of lullabies filled the air as the two women leaned over the crib to admire me. All I could do was look back at them and suck on my dummy like a baby. ‘Christina will keep an eye on you tonight’ said my mother, ‘I’ll come back tomorrow ready for another day of fun’. ‘Okay Mummy’, I babbled through my dummy ‘Oh, I’m sure we’ll have plenty of fun over the next few days’, agreed Christina, ‘and maybe even more fun after that’. Both women then took it in turns to lean in and gently kiss me on the forehead. ‘Night night little guy’, whispered Christina. ‘Have a good sleep my beautiful little baby’, whispered my mother. ‘Night night’, I replied whilst sounding just like a toddler. The two women walked towards the door before my mother turned around. ‘Oh, by the way’, she said, ‘I overheard your little conversation in the bathroom. I had no idea that Christina had been breastfeeding you’. Christina suddenly looked nervous but my mother just smiled. ‘Relax’, she grinned, ‘it’s slightly unconventional, but if that’s what my baby needs then I’m sure we can work something out’. My mother winked at me before the two women left the room. I definitely didn’t want to know what she meant by that last comment. As the animals turned around on the mobile, I felt very confused about what I wanted. I wasn’t a real baby after all and I hated that I had been put to bed so early. After seeing the happy couple outside earlier, maybe it was time that I grew up. I decided that I would tell Christina and my mother my decision in the morning. As the lullabies continued to play, I sucked happily on my dummy and felt my eyes beginning to get heavy. I smiled to myself knowing that I was safe inside the crib and began to hum along to some of the familiar nursery rhymes. I breathed a sigh of relief as I felt a familiar warm sensation inside of my nappy as I started wetting myself. I definitely wasn’t a baby though and I would tell them that tomorrow... Or maybe the day after… Or perhaps even a few days after that… I will definitely tell them that I’m not a baby at some point… One day… Maybe. THE END (for now…) Hi everyone. If you’ve made it to the end, thank you for reading my story. I have been overwhelmed by some of the positive comments and am really pleased that you have been enjoying Jakes adventure. I am ending the story here for now as I’m taking some time to figure out the next stage of Jakes journey. I had always planned to end the story here but due to your amazing feedback, I wonder if there is more story to tell… As always, any comments and feedback are appreciated. Thanks again everyone 😊

Chapter 12 – Life with Christina I awoke about an hour and a half later. As I adjusted my eyes, I realised that I was still sucking on my dummy. I was actually getting pretty good at sleeping with a dummy in my mouth and almost struggled to nod off without it. When I sat up in the crib, I suddenly felt an uncomfortable cramp in my stomach. I began to panic slightly when I realised that I needed to poop. Although I had done it before, the thought of messing myself was not an experience that I wanted to go through again. However, I knew that Christina wouldn’t allow me to use the toilet and that I was going to be pooping in my nappy either way. I got into the most comfortable position that I could and reluctantly began to push. It didn’t take long before I began pooping. With the nappy wrapped tightly around my waist, I found that I had to push a little harder than usual. I felt myself turning red as I began pushing slightly harder and quickly understood why babies made such strange faces when they messed themselves. As I continued pooping, I could hear some young children playing outside. I felt slightly humiliated knowing that the children were allowed to play outside in the sunshine while I was stuck in a crib and filling my nappy like a baby. After another minute or so of pushing, I finally finished and collapsed back into the crib to catch my breath. I felt the warm, mushy mess spread against my bottom and winced in discomfort. I began sucking on my dummy to try and take my mind off what had just happened. Thankfully, it wasn’t much longer before Christina entered the room where the smell instantly hit her. ‘Phew! Smells like someone has left me a stinky present’, she exclaimed. The foul smell from my nappy was now quickly filling the room and I felt embarrassed knowing that I was the cause of it. Christina walked over towards the crib and looked down at me. ‘Have you got a smelly bottom?’ she asked. I could only blush and nod my head. ‘We’d better get you changed mister’, she said, ‘we don’t want you getting a rash’. The thought of having a nappy rash at my age made me feel even more little and vulnerable. As she let me out of the crib, I quickly made my way over to the changing table and hopped onto it eagerly whilst Christina laid out the changing supplies. She undid my romper before opening my nappy to inspect the damage. The smell seemed to grow even stronger and it made me feel a little bit queasy. To my surprise, Christina barely reacted to it and started wiping my messy bottom. I had to admit that although it was embarrassing, with each wipe I began to feel cleaner and more at ease. As I continued sucking on my dummy, I started to relax. When Christina began wiping around my butt hole, I tensed up slightly but quickly calmed back down once she started applying a clean nappy. After what felt like an eternity, she was finally done. ‘There we go, all nice and clean’, cheered Christina as she fastened my romper back up. With that, she helped me get down from the changing table before holding onto my hand and taking me downstairs. As we reached the living room, Christina turned to me. ‘I’ll be making dinner soon’, she said, ‘would you like to play outside in the garden in the meantime?’ ‘In the garden?’ I replied, ‘people will see me’. ‘I promise that no one can see you’, Christina smiled, ‘I have a very secluded garden’. I had to admit that although I was a bit anxious about going into the garden dressed like this, I had really enjoyed being outside earlier. ‘Okay’, I said, ‘I’ll play outside for a bit’. ‘You’ll have a lovely time’, Christina smiled, ‘you can bring your colouring with you if you’d like?’ I walked over and picked up my colouring book along with some crayons before following Christina into the garden. She brought the picnic blanket outside and placed it down on the grass. I nervously looked around but realised that she had been telling the truth. There were trees surrounding her garden that blocked off the view from any other houses. Christina then undid my romper and pulled it off, leaving me in just my nappy. ‘What are you doing?’ I exclaimed trying to cover up. ‘It’s far too warm out here to be wearing that’, she giggled whilst folding up my romper and placing it under her arm, ‘would you like some juice?’ ‘Yes please’, I replied whilst adapting to being almost naked outside. As Christina headed inside, I sat down on the blanket and started doing some colouring. After a few minutes, I started to relax and actually began to enjoy being outside. Soon, Christina returned with a baby bottle full of juice. ‘There you go little guy’, she smiled and handed it to me. ‘Thank you, Auntie’, I grinned. ‘Aw, you’re welcome sweetheart’, she replied before heading back inside. I continued colouring whilst taking occasional sips from my baby bottle. By this point, I had pretty much accepted my role as Christina’s baby and I wasn’t in a hurry to stop. I thought that being an adult and having my independence would be easy but it turned out to be nothing but stressful. However, when I was with Christina, all of that seemed to disappear. It had been quite a journey but I finally felt happy and content. Even having my nappy changed in public wasn’t as bad as I had imagined. Suddenly my train of thought was interrupted when Christina rushed outside. ‘Jake, whatever you do, don’t come inside’, she instructed, almost with panic in her voice. Before I could respond, she quickly headed back inside. It was a little bit strange but I was happy doing my colouring and so didn’t mind staying out in the garden. As the afternoon sun continued to shine down, I found myself drinking more and more juice until my bottle was empty. Inevitably, all of that juice had an effect on my bladder and I suddenly needed to pee. However, by this point, I was used to using my nappy and knew that I was expected to wet myself. I relaxed and in no time at all, I started wetting my nappy. I sighed with relief and continued colouring as my nappy grew warm and slightly saggy. All of a sudden, a butterfly landed on my colouring book. I gently nudged it aside only for it to come back again. As I picked up the book and began shaking it, the butterfly started flying all around me. My inner child began to immerge and I had an overwhelming feeling to chase it. I stood up and began running after the butterfly which continued to fly around the garden. I started laughing to myself and couldn’t believe how much fun it was. Before I knew it, I was running around the garden in just my nappy, chasing a butterfly like a toddler. Eventually, it flew away, bringing my game to an end. I felt very thirsty after all of that running and went to drink some juice before remembering that my bottle was empty. Although Christina had instructed me to stay outside, I decided to head into the house. I wanted some more juice and my nappy needed changing as well. However, as I walked into the living room, I quickly froze and dropped my bottle. There sitting in the living room…was my mother. Chapter 13 – Caught! There was complete silence in the room. Christina had a look of horror on her face while my mother stared at me in shock. I wanted to say something but my brain had no idea how to explain the situation. Finally, my mother broke the silence. ‘Jake?’ she asked, ‘what are you doing here?’ ‘I could ask you the same thing’, I quickly replied. ‘Well, I’ve just been to your apartment to visit you but there wasn’t anyone home’, she explained, ‘I assumed you had gone out and so I thought I would come and visit Christina whilst I was in the area’. ‘I told you to stay outside’, Christina whispered to me. My heart began racing as my mother continued to look at me in a state of confusion. ‘Jake, why are you wearing a nappy?’ she asked. ‘I…erm…well I…’, I couldn’t get my words out and looked over at Christina for support. Christina sighed, ‘I should probably explain everything’. My mother now turned her attention to Christina to try and understand what was happening. Christina took a deep breath, ‘I bumped into Jake a few days ago at the pharmacy. I offered him a lift home and we stopped off at my place for a quick coffee. It was then that I discovered that Jake had bought some adult nappies.’ My mother looked at me and raised her eyebrow in suspicion before turning back to Christina as she continued. ‘Jake explained to me that he had always wanted to wear nappies and so I encouraged him to try one on. He looked so adorable and…well…I’ve always wanted to have a baby of my own and so I thought it would be fun to do a bit of innocent roleplay…and here we are’. My mother was silent for a moment as she tried to make sense of it all. I had to admit that after thinking about it, it had been a crazy idea and I couldn’t quite believe that things had got this far. ‘So let me get this straight’, said my mother looking at me, ‘for the past few days, you’ve been wearing nappies and pretending to be a baby?’ My mind had gone blank and I could only nod my head in agreement. ‘I’m really sorry’, apologised Christina, ‘I should have told you. I’ll understand if you’re angry with me’. After a few more moments of silence, my mother turned to Christina and a smile slowly appeared on her face, ‘why would I be angry with you?’ she replied, ‘I should be thanking you’. ‘Thanking me?’ asked Christina curiously. ‘Yes, thanking you for looking after my little bundle of joy’, she replied gleefully. ‘You mean…you’re not mad?’ questioned Christina. ‘Of course not’, replied my mother, ‘I mean, I can’t deny that it’s very unusual but he does look cute in a nappy’. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing and neither could Christina. I suddenly felt very embarrassed. ‘I’m so sorry’, I apologised, ‘I’ll stop wearing nappies, I promise’. ‘Don’t be silly’, grinned my mother, ‘judging by the state of that one, it looks as if you really do need them’. I wasn’t sure what she meant until I looked down to see the big yellow stain on the front of my nappy. It was then that I remembered that I had wet myself outside. ‘Did you want to take him home?’ asked Christina who was looking a bit embarrassed about the whole situation. ‘Not at all’, replied my mother, ‘I think it’s best that we change his nappy sooner rather than later. Besides, I’m curious to see what you guys have been getting up to’. I was mortified at the thought of my mother seeing me having my nappy changed and looked at Christina for help. However, all she could do was shrug her shoulders. ‘You know where to go’, she said to me and guided us towards the staircase. As we began heading to the nursery, I was worried what would happen next.

No dimensions, universes, giantesses, fairies or diapered dragons or whatever - just the fap you are looking for. Future chapters will follow in the coming days. CHAPTER 1 The pink cotton clung to Lana’s hips as she paused outside Jacob’s door, her knuckles hovering just shy of the wood. The hallway smelled faintly of lemon cleaner and something else—something damp. She exhaled through her nose before rapping her fingers against the doorframe. "Jacob? You awake?" Inside, the room was a disaster zone of crumpled sweatpants and half-empty soda cans. Jacob sat cross-legged on his bed, phone glowing in his hands, the unopened pack of adult diapers glaring at him from the nightstand like an accusation. He didn’t look up. "Yeah." Lana stepped inside, arms crossed loosely over her chest. The nightgown swished around her knees as she nudged a stray pizza box aside with her toe. "Listen," she said, softer now. "I’m not mad. But we gotta figure this out." Her eyes flicked to the untouched diapers. "You haven't been putting your... protection on properly." Jacob’s thumb froze mid-scroll. His throat worked silently for a second before he muttered, "I got it this time, don't worry." She didn’t move. The ceiling fan clicked overhead, uneven in its rotation. Lana rubbed her temple. "Jacob," she tried again, gentler, "you didn’t ‘get it’ the last two nights." Jacob’s grip tightened around his phone, the screen dimming as his fingers dug into the case. "I said I got it," he repeated, voice cracking just enough for Lana to catch it. His knees drew up slightly, as if he could shrink away from the whole conversation. Lana exhaled through her nose, the sound barely audible over the hum of the fan. She didn’t move closer—didn’t loom—just let the silence stretch between them until it was thicker than the summer heat. Then, with deliberate calm, she walked to the bed and sat on the edge, mattress dipping under her weight. "Jacob," she said, not unkindly, "your sheets are in the washer again. Your pajama pants too." A pause. "You need diapers." His face burned. The diaper package on the nightstand might as well have been neon. "It’s—it’s just embarrassing," he muttered, finally looking up. Lana’s expression wasn’t mocking, wasn’t even impatient. Just... tired. And something else. Concern, maybe. She reached for the pack, tearing the plastic with a practicality that left no room for argument. "Kid, I changed your diapers when you were two. This isn’t new." The crinkle of the material was obscenely loud in the quiet room. Jacob flinched. "That’s different. I was a baby." Lana smoothed the fresh diaper against the mattress with a practiced hand, the crinkling sound making Jacob’s shoulders tense. "Honestly," she said, not unkindly but with a firmness that brooked no argument, "you’re acting like you’re two years old all over again. Leaving your crap everywhere, forgetting to shower, and now this?" She tapped the plastic packaging. "You drink five or six sodas before bed and then wonder why you’re peeing yourself. It’s not rocket science, Jacob." Jacob’s fingers dug into his thighs. The fan above them wobbled, casting uneven shadows across his face. "I don’t—it’s not like I’m doing it on purpose," he muttered, but even he heard the defensive whine in his voice. Lana arched a brow, unimpressed. "No? Then why haven’t you cut back on the pop? Or set an alarm to use the bathroom? Or," she gestured pointedly at the untouched diapers, "even tried to help yourself?" She sighed, rubbing her temple again. "You’re not a kid anymore, Jacob. But you’re sure acting like one." The words stung, mostly because they were true. He’d been coasting for months—letting Lana pick up his slack, letting the job applications pile up unread in his email. The wet sheets were just the latest humiliation in a long line of them. Lana softened slightly, nudging his knee with hers. "Look, I’m not trying to be a bitch about this. But you gotta meet me halfway." She held up the diaper between them, the absurdity of the situation hanging in the air like the scent of baby powder. "Tonight, we do it right. No more wet sheets. No more excuses." Jacob shot up from the bed so fast his knee knocked a soda can off the nightstand, the aluminum clattering against the hardwood. "I don’t need them!" His voice cracked halfway through the sentence, pitching higher than he intended. He swiped at the diaper in Lana’s hand, but she held it just out of reach, her expression shifting from patient to something sharper. "I’m not—I’m not a baby, Lana!" "No, you’re not," she agreed, too calm, like she was humoring a toddler mid-tantrum. She didn’t stand, just tilted her head up to look at him, the ceiling fan casting jagged shadows across her face. "But, again, you really are acting like one. Throwing a fit over something that’ll literally solve the problem you won’t fix yourself." Jacob’s hands curled into fists. "It’s embarrassing!" Lana’s laugh was short, humorless. "You think I enjoy this? Washing your piss-soaked sheets at two in the morning?" She stood then, slow, deliberate, the diaper dangling from her fingers. "You want embarrassing? Try explaining to Amanda whose son is pretty much out of diapers while you're going back into them." The words hit like a slap. Jacob’s throat tightened. He opened his mouth—to argue, to snap back—but nothing came out. Because she wasn’t wrong. He’d seen the way their neighbor had given him an all-knowing smile the other day. Lana watched Jacob's shoulders slump, the fight draining out of him like air from a punctured balloon. His fists unclenched, fingers trembling slightly before he wiped them on his pajama pants—the same pair she'd washed twice this week. She stepped closer, not crowding him, but close enough that he couldn't avoid the crinkling sound of the diaper in her hand. "Sit," she said, nodding toward the bed. Not a request. Jacob hesitated, then sank onto the mattress, the springs creaking under his weight. He kept his eyes fixed on the soda stain on the carpet, a dark blotch shaped like a half-dried puddle. Lana sat beside him, close enough that their thighs almost touched. The diaper lay between them, an unspoken punctuation mark to the conversation. "Look at me," she said, softer now. When he didn’t move, she hooked a finger under his chin and tilted his face up. His cheeks were flushed, eyes bright with something between shame and stubbornness. "This isn’t about humiliation. It’s about fixing a problem." She tapped the diaper against his knee. "You wanna act like a kid? Fine. But kids follow rules. And tonight, the rule is you’re wearing this." Jacob swallowed hard. "What if—what if I just don’t drink anything after dinner?" Lana snorted. "You said that last night. Then I found you in the kitchen at midnight chugging Mountain Dew straight from the bottle." She shook her head, the ghost of a smile tugging at her lips. "Face it, kid. You’ve got the self-control of a puppy in a treat factory." Jacob flopped onto his back with all the dramatic flourish of a teenager who'd just been told to clean his room. Arms splayed out, legs stiff, he stared at the ceiling like it held the secrets of the universe. "There. Happy?" His voice dripped with petulance, but his fingers curled into the sheets, knuckles whitening. He hadn't even unbuttoned his pajama pants—just lay there in silent protest, a human-shaped lump of defiance. Lana let out a slow breath through her nose, the kind reserved for mothers standing in grocery store checkout lines with screaming toddlers. Without a word, she grabbed the hem of his wrinkled t-shirt—the one with the faded band logo he'd probably outgrown in tenth grade—and yanked it up over his head in one smooth motion. Jacob barely had time to squawk before the fabric muffled his outrage, arms flailing as she peeled it off him like a banana skin. "Hey—!" "Uh-huh," Lana said, tossing the shirt onto the growing pile of laundry in the corner. Her fingers hooked into the waistband of his pajama pants next, not bothering with the drawstring. Jacob's yelp was higher-pitched this time as she tugged them down past his hips in one decisive motion, leaving him in just his boxers—and the unmistakable outline of yesterday's poor life choices pressing against the thin cotton. He scrambled to cover himself, face burning. "Jesus, Lana—!" She ignored him, snapping the diaper open with a practiced flick of her wrists. The crinkling sound seemed absurdly loud in the quiet room. "You wanna act like a toddler? Fine. But toddlers don’t get modesty privileges." Her tone was matter-of-fact, the same one she'd used when teaching him to tie his shoes at age six. "Lift your hips." Jacob's breath hitched as Lana's fingers slid under his hips, the sudden pressure lifting him just enough for the diaper to whisper against the sheets beneath him. The crinkling plastic sounded obscenely loud—like walking on fresh snow in the dead of night—and he squeezed his eyes shut, willing himself to disappear. Cool air hit his thighs as she tugged his boxers down, the elastic snapping against his skin in a final, humiliating protest. Lana worked with the brisk efficiency of someone who'd done this a thousand times before. One hand pressed flat against his stomach to keep him still while the other guided the diaper into place, her fingers brushing the sensitive skin of his inner thighs as she adjusted the gathers. Jacob bit his lip hard enough to taste copper, his whole body rigid with the effort not to squirm. The padding was shockingly thick between his legs, the material puffing up around his hips in a way that made his stomach twist. Lana barely glanced at the stiff flush of pink between Jacob’s thighs as she dusted baby powder over the diaper’s lining with the precision of someone seasoning a steak. The powder puffed up in little clouds, settling into the creases with a clinical efficiency that made Jacob’s toes curl against the sheets. He jerked when her thumb grazed his hipbone to smooth out a wrinkle, but she didn’t pause—just tugged the front flap up between his legs with a brisk pat that left his face burning hotter than the embarrassment pooling in his gut. The tapes made a tearing sound as she secured them, one after another, snug but not tight enough to pinch. Jacob’s breath came shallow through his nose, his fingers clutching at the comforter like it might swallow him whole. Lana leaned back to survey her handiwork, the diaper crinkling obscenely as he shifted—a sound that would’ve been comical if it weren’t so mortifying. "There," she said, dusting her hands off on her nightgown. "Now was that so hard?" Jacob’s laugh was brittle. He didn’t trust his voice not to crack if he spoke, so he just stared at the ceiling fan’s wobbly rotation instead, counting the clicks between each uneven spin. The padding pressed against him in a way that was impossible to ignore, thick and foreign and somehow already warm from his body heat. Lana stood, the mattress springing back as her weight left it. She paused at the door, one hand on the knob. "Lights out in ten," she said, like this was any other night. Like she hadn’t just diapered him like an infant. "And no soda. Maybe have a glass of water, but not too close to bedtime." The door clicked shut behind her, leaving Jacob alone with the hum of the fan and the crinkle of plastic every time he so much as twitched. He waited until her footsteps faded down the hall before sitting up, the diaper rustling like a bag of chips under his weight. The mirror across the room reflected a version of himself he barely recognized—hair mussed, shoulders hunched, wearing nothing but a diaper. He pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes until colors bloomed behind his lids. The half-empty soda can on the ground needed to be cleaned up and Jacob lazily wiped the spill with an old pair of boxers, picking up the aluminum still cold from condensation. He hadn’t even realized he’d brought it to his lips—just habit, muscle memory, his fingers curling around the damp can while Lana’s footsteps faded down the hall. The first few gulps had been defiant, almost satisfying in their pettiness. By the time he’d drained it, though, the sugar sat heavy in his stomach, a sluggish counterpoint to the frantic drumbeat of his pulse. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, ignoring the crinkle between his legs as he shifted on the bed. The diaper hugged his crotch, the padding pressing insistently against his skin in a way that made his throat tight. A drop of condensation rolled off the can and onto his thigh, startlingly cold compared to the humid room. Jacob flicked it away with more force than necessary, watching it splatter against the wall like a tiny rebellion. Down the hall, the shower turned on—Lana’s nightly ritual, the pipes groaning as water hit the tiles. Jacob stared at the closed door, half-expecting her to burst back in and confiscate the empty can like some kind of contraband. But the only sound was the steady rush of water and the occasional creak of the house settling. He exhaled, slow and shaky, and reached for his phone just to have something to do with his hands. The screen lit up and opened up Instagram, first seeing a status update from Amanda next door—a blurry photo of Tommy grinning in his tiny dinosaur pajamas, captioned *Big boy pants all night!* Jacob’s thumb hovered over the heart react before he swiped the message away, his stomach twisting. The diaper rustled again as he slumped against the headboard, the sound impossibly loud in the quiet room. He should’ve felt relieved. The logical part of his brain knew Lana was right—knew the diapers were a practical solution, at least until he got his shit together. But logic couldn’t untangle the hot knot of humiliation lodged behind his ribs, the way his breath hitched every time the plastic shifted against his thighs. He grabbed a pillow and hugged it to his chest, as if that could somehow muffle the crinkling. The pillow pressed against Jacob’s hips in a way that made the padding shift, the crinkling sound suddenly muffled. He froze, half-expecting Lana to barge back in at the noise—but the shower was still running down the hall, the pipes whining like they always did when the water got too hot. He exhaled shakily and experimentally rocked forward again, just a tiny movement. The diaper’s inner lining brushed against him, softer than he’d expected, and his breath caught. He shouldn’t. He *really* shouldn’t. But the tension in his gut was unbearable, and the more he tried not to think about the way the material rubbed with every slight shift, the more his body seemed to betray him. Jacob clenched his teeth and ground his hips down harder into the pillow, the pressure just *there*, teasing in a way that made his toes curl. A strangled noise escaped his throat—part frustration, part something else entirely—and he buried his face in the pillow to smother it. The diaper held him snugly, the padding somehow both restrictive and yielding as he rocked into it. Every movement sent a jolt of heat through him, the friction just shy of too much. He bit his lip hard enough to sting, his fingers digging into the pillowcase as he chased the sensation, hips stuttering forward in shallow thrusts. The crinkling sounded obscenely loud to his own ears, but the water was still running, Lana none the wiser— Then the shower cut off abruptly. Jacob froze, heart hammering against his ribs. The pipes groaned as the water stopped, and he could practically *feel* Lana stepping out, towel wrapping around her, droplets hitting the bath mat. He pictured Lana, naked with water droplets slipping down her curves... Jacob's breath hitched as the diaper crinkled beneath him, the sound suddenly deafening in the silence after the shower shut off. His hips stuttered forward once, twice—then his whole body locked up as heat flooded through him in a dizzying rush. The padding absorbed it without a sound, the warmth spreading in a way that should've been mortifying but instead left him panting against the pillow, fingers twisted in the sheets. For a heartbeat, there was nothing but the aftershocks thrumming through him and the horrifying realization of what he'd just done. Then the shame crashed down like a bucket of ice water. Jacob's face burned as he peeled himself away from the pillow, the diaper sticking uncomfortably to his thighs. He could feel the wetness cooling against his skin, the padding swollen and heavy between his legs. *Oh god.* He'd just—in a *diaper*. Like some kind of freak. His stomach twisted violently, and for a second he thought he might actually throw up. Down the hall, the bathroom door creaked open. Jacob's pulse spiked as he scrambled to pull the covers up over himself, the sheets rustling loudly. The diaper squished under his weight as he shifted, making his ears burn hotter. He grabbed his phone with trembling hands, pretending to scroll through something—anything—as Lana's footsteps padded closer. Her shadow darkened the crack under the door for a long moment before she knocked softly. "Jacob? You still awake?" He swallowed hard, throat clicking. "Yeah," he managed, voice strangled. The word came out too high, too tight. He cleared his throat, eyes fixed on the screen like it held the meaning of life. "Just—uh. Just on my phone." The doorknob turned with a slow, deliberate creak that made Jacob's spine stiffen. Lana's silhouette filled the doorway, backlit by the hall light, her damp hair clinging to the collar of her robe. She didn't step in immediately—just hovered there, one hand still on the knob, the scent of lavender body wash drifting in with her. "You're still up," she observed, not quite a question. Her eyes flicked to the crumpled blankets pooled around his waist, then to the phone clenched in his white-knuckled grip. Jacob willed his breathing to steady, but the diaper between his legs felt like a beacon pulsing under the sheets. Lana tilted her head, the robe's belt swaying as she took a step forward. "You okay? You're breathing like you just ran a mile." Jacob's thumb jerked across the screen, opening and closing apps at random. "Fine. Just—reading." Lana hummed, unconvinced. She crossed the room in three strides, the hem of her robe brushing against the discarded soda can. It rolled with a hollow clatter that made Jacob flinch. Her fingers closed around the edge of the comforter before he could react. "Let me check your diaper." "No—Lana, wait!" Jacob's hand shot out to grab her wrist, fingers digging into the soft skin above her pulse point. His heartbeat thundered in his ears, loud enough he was sure she could hear it. The diaper clung damply between his thighs, still warm from—*god*, from what he'd just done. If she pulled back the covers now, saw the mess he'd made... Lana didn't pause. Her fingers tightened on the comforter, and with one sharp tug, she yanked it down to his knees. Cold air hit Jacob's bare chest as he scrambled to cover himself, but Lana was already reaching for the waistband of the diaper, her nails skimming the sweat-damp skin of his hip. Jacob's breath seized in his throat. *She's going to see. She's going to know.* He squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for the disgusted gasp, the horrified recoil— "What the hell, Jacob?" Lana's voice cut through the panic, sharp with exasperation. Her thumb hooked under the elastic, peeling the diaper away from his skin with a wet sound that made his stomach flip. "It's barely been twenty minutes and you *already* wet yourself?" Jacob's eyes flew open. Lana was frowning down at the swollen padding, her nose wrinkled at the sharp tang of baby powder mixed with—*oh god*—the scent of his own release. But her expression wasn't disgust. Just frustration. Like he'd spilled juice on the couch again. Lana pinched the sodden padding between her fingers, lifting the diaper away from Jacob's hips with a disgusted flick of her wrist. The tapes tore free with a sound like Velcro ripping apart, the wet material sagging obscenely between them. "Jesus Christ, Jacob," she hissed, shaking the slightly damp garment like she might shake sense into him. "I *just* put this on you. Did you even *try* to hold it?" Jacob's mouth worked soundlessly, his throat clicking as he struggled to form words. The truth—the *real* truth—burned behind his teeth, acidic and unspeakable. He couldn't tell her. Couldn't even *think* it without wanting to crawl out of his own skin. Instead, he pressed his thighs together tighter, the cooling wetness between them making his stomach churn. "You're eighteen years old," she said, each word precise as a scalpel. "You probably drank a can of soda in secret like a kid stealing cookies, then let a little trickle out like an infant who doesn't know better." She grabbed a fresh diaper from the package with more force than necessary, the plastic crinkling like a threat. "I’m not taking any risks of you leaking, so roll over NOW." Jacob's breath hitched. "I—I don’t need a—" "*Now*, Jacob." Lana's voice brooked no argument, her fingers already tugging at his hips. The mattress dipped as she leaned over him, her damp hair brushing his chest as she maneuvered him onto his back. The new diaper unfolded with a crisp snap, the scent of baby powder puffing up in a cloud as she dusted the lining. Jacob's pulse hammered in his throat as Lana's fingers worked the tapes loose. The diaper sagged between his legs, still warm—not with urine, but with something far worse. His stomach twisted as the flaps peeled back, the sticky truth exposed to the overhead light. *She'll smell it,* he thought, panicked. *She'll know.* Lana paused, her nose wrinkling. Jacob braced for the recoil, the gasp, the horrified realization—but she only sighed, tossing the soiled diaper toward the trash can with a practiced flick of her wrist. "Honestly, Jacob," she muttered, reaching for the baby powder. "You'd think at your age you'd assume to use the toilet instead of lazily piddle in your nighttime diaper." His breath stalled. She hadn't noticed. The scent of his shame had blended seamlessly with the powder, the evidence hidden in plain sight. Relief flooded him—hot, nauseating relief—just as Lana tugged his hips up with one firm hand. The fresh diaper crinkled beneath him, absurdly white against his flushed skin. She dusted the lining with mechanical precision, her fingers brushing the sensitive skin of his inner thighs as she smoothed out the gathers. Jacob bit his lip hard enough to taste copper, his entire body rigid. Every accidental touch sent electric jolts through him—half-terror, half something unnameable. Lana snapped the second diaper's tapes shut with more force than necessary, the plastic crinkling like a threat under Jacob's hips. She sat back on her heels, surveying her handiwork with a sigh that carried the weight of a hundred unwashed sheets. "My goodness, Jacob," she muttered, shaking her head. Her damp hair clung to the collar of her robe, the scent of lavender body wash clashing with the sharp tang of baby powder. "What am I gonna do with you?" Jacob stared at the ceiling, his fingers digging into the mattress. The new diaper pressed against him, stiff and pristine—a stark contrast to the humiliation pooling hot in his gut. Lana's thumb brushed his hipbone as she adjusted the waistband, her touch clinical, impersonal. Like he was six again, squirming on the changing table. "Maybe I need to treat you like a little baby," she mused, more to herself than to him. Her fingers tapped against his thigh—once, twice—a slow rhythm that made his breath hitch. "Early bedtime. No soda. Bottles instead of pop cans?" A humorless chuckle escaped her as she stood, the robe's belt swaying. "Hell, maybe I should get you a pacifier." Jacob's face burned. The words should've been ridiculous, laughable. But the way Lana said them— Lana straightened up, her damp robe whispering against the mattress as she dusted baby powder off her palms. The scent clung to her fingers—sweet, cloying, unmistakable. Jacob watched her throat move as she swallowed, the tendon flexing like she was biting back words. "Alright," she said finally, folding her arms across her chest. The motion made her robe gape slightly, revealing a sliver of damp collarbone. "Here's how tonight's gonna go." She tapped one bare foot against the floorboards, the rhythm deliberate. "You're gonna use the potty like a big boy before lights out." Her lips quirked at the phrasing—half-mocking, half-serious. "And when I check that diaper in the morning?" She leaned in, close enough that Jacob could see the faint smudge of mascara under her lashes. "It better be dry. Or else." Jacob's fingers twitched against the sheets. "Or else what?" Lana's smile curled slow and dangerous, like a cat spotting a cornered mouse. "Or else," she said, tapping his diapered hip with one manicured nail, "we're taking a field trip next door. Amanda's been *so* successful with Tommy's potty training lately." The crinkle of plastic underscored her words as Jacob stiffened beneath her touch. "Maybe she’ll have some tips for you." Jacob’s stomach dropped. Amanda—with her knowing smiles and perfectly manicured lawn—who'd waved at him just yesterday while Tommy proudly showed off his dinosaur undies. "You wouldn’t," he whispered, horrified. Lana plucked at the diaper’s waistband, letting it snap back against his skin with a sound that made him flinch. "Try me." She straightened, the robe’s belt swinging as she turned toward the door. "Pajamas are in the dryer. Put them on before you catch a chill." The door clicked shut behind her, leaving Jacob alone with the echo of her threat and the hum of the ceiling fan

Chapter 14 – A Lucky Boy I couldn’t believe what was happening as we entered the nursery. My mother looked around. ‘Wow Christina!’ she exclaimed, ‘the nursery looks great’. ‘Thank you’, replied Christina, ‘I built it with my sister for when her daughter stays over’. My mother continued looking around before the crib in the corner of the room caught her attention. ‘Where has Jake been sleeping?’ she asked. Christina began to mumble nervously, ‘well…I don’t really have a lot of room in my house so…he’s erm…’. My mother turned to me. ‘Have you been sleeping in the crib?’ she asked. I could have lied but the messy bed covers were a dead giveaway that someone had been sleeping in it very recently. I was too humiliated to answer and nodded my head in response. ‘I see’, replied my mother who had noticed the changing table, ‘and I suppose this is where you’ve been having your nappy changes?’ ‘Erm…yeah’, I replied awkwardly. ‘Well, what are you standing there for?’ she chuckled patting the table, ‘hop on’. It felt like a nightmare as I reluctantly climbed onto the changing table before laying down. Christina got out the changing supplies and my mother picked up one of my nappies. ‘Wow, these really are huge’, she giggled. ‘The perfect size for a big baby’, chimed in Christina. The two women laughed while I lay there feeling absolutely mortified. ‘You’re a very lucky boy to have someone like Christina taking care of you’, smiled my mother, ‘and now you’ve got me as well’. I didn’t want my mother to take care of me. I wasn’t even sure if I wanted Christina to look after me anymore. I just wanted this nightmare to be over. With that, Christina ripped the tapes off of my nappy and opened it up. I wasn’t sure if I was more horrified at my mother seeing me naked or having her see that I had wet my nappy like a baby. Either way, I wanted this to be over as quickly as possible. I felt very self-conscious now that my mother knew my secret and desperately wanted to grow up and be a twenty-one-year-old again. ‘This brings back memories’ chuckled my mother as she inspected the inside of my nappy, ‘it’s been a long time since I’ve changed your wet nappy Jake, but I think I can still remember what to do’. ‘Please don’t do this’, I begged, ‘I don’t feel comfortable having you change me’. ‘Oh, don’t be so fussy’, replied my mother. ‘This usually helps’, said Christina holding up my dummy, ‘he picked it out himself’. ‘Aw, is this your dummy, Jake?’ my mother cooed. As much as I hated to admit it, my dummy was going to be the only thing to bring me comfort in this situation. I nodded and opened my mouth, allowing my mother to slide the dummy inside. My body reacted in the way that it was used to and I immediately began to suck on the rubber nipple. ‘That is the most adorable thing I think I have ever seen’, smiled my mother, ‘you used to love your dummy when you were little’. I couldn’t remember having a dummy when I was little but I could understand why I must have liked it so much. I instantly felt a bit calmer about the whole situation and watched as Christina and my mother began to change me. I stared at the ceiling and attempted to block out the awkwardness of having my mother clean my delicate areas with a baby wipe. I sucked harder on my dummy as the two women continued changing me. ‘Right, that’s the front part clean. Now for the back’, said my mother turning to Christina, ‘would you do the honours?’ ‘Of course’, giggled Christina and took hold of my ankles before raising my legs into the air. My mother pulled out a clean baby wipe and carefully began wiping my bottom. At twenty-one years of age, having my mother wipe my bottom felt pretty humiliating and I could feel myself blushing from embarrassment. ‘Almost done sweetheart’, smiled Christina as she saw the uncomfortable look on my face, ‘a wet nappy doesn’t take anywhere near as long as a messy one’. That comment caught my mother off guard and she looked up at me. ‘You’ve been messing in your nappies as well?’ she asked. I couldn’t answer with the dummy still in my mouth but the defeated look in my eyes gave her the answer she needed. ‘It sounds as if you really do need to be in nappies’, she said shaking her head in amazement. My mother began to sprinkle baby powder all over my bottom before rubbing it in. Christina slowly lowered my legs so that my mother could powder my genitals as well. I focused on sucking my dummy to try and block out what was happening. I watched as Christina picked up a clean nappy and opened it up before giving it to my mother who slid it underneath me. As the nappy was pulled up and fastened, the two women fussed over it and made it sure that it was secured tightly. ‘There we are’, my mother cooed, ‘baby has a nice clean nappy now’. I could still feel myself blushing being referred to as ‘baby’. Just as I thought I was done, Christina pulled out my dinosaur romper and showed my mother who looked very impressed by it. ‘That is so cute’, she exclaimed before looking up at Christina, ‘we’d better get the baby dressed ready for his din dins’. It felt strange having my mother talk to Christina like I was a real baby. It was almost as if she was enjoying being a ‘mommy’ again. ‘What would you like for dinner?’ asked Christina. ‘I’ll go and pick us up a McDonalds’, replied my mother as she finished dressing me in my romper, ‘my treat’. I had to admit that a McDonalds did sound tasty. I was just happy that we were having it at the house rather than the restaurant. After taking our orders, my mother left to go and get our dinner, leaving Christina and I alone. ‘I can’t believe that just happened’, I said as I took the dummy out of my mouth. ‘Neither can I’, admitted Christina, ‘I certainly wasn’t expecting your mother to show up at the house’. ‘This is so embarrassing’, I groaned, ‘it’s weird how easily she seems to have accepted it though’. ‘She’s just excited’, giggled Christina, ‘the same way that I was. Besides, I thought you enjoyed being babied’. ‘I have enjoyed it but…having my mother baby me is…’, I started but was quickly cut off. ‘Being babied by your mother is no different than being babied by me’, said Christina, ‘you’ll soon get used to it’. I didn’t want to get used to it. These past few days had been fun, but now I was ready to grow up.

Chapter 22 - The End of Babyhood I woke up Sunday morning feeling slightly subdued. This was my final day of freedom from being an adult. Tomorrow, I would be waking up early to go back to stacking shelves in a supermarket. It wasn’t exactly something that I was looking forward to. However, it would also be my chance to spend some more time with Samantha and hopefully tell her how I felt. I sighed and looked up at the farmyard animals floating above my head. They were motionless and the crib mobile was silent. It was almost as if it was telling me that my time as a baby was almost up. I sucked gently on my dummy and suddenly noticed the foul smell in the air. I instantly knew that I had messed my nappy in the night but it didn’t bother me. After taking Samantha’s words on board yesterday, I realised that incontinence was a part of me and I shouldn’t be ashamed of it. It wasn’t long before Christina entered the nursery. ‘Morning my cute little baby’, she cooed before the smell hit her, ‘or should I say my stinky little baby?’ I giggled in my crib at Christina’s joke. She walked over and let down the side of the crib before leading me over to the changing table. Christina barely reacted as she opened up my messy nappy. I guess by now that she was used to it. I raised my legs and allowed her to begin wiping my bottom. She sighed, ‘I know this is going to sound odd, but I’m really going to miss you’. With the dummy in my mouth, I could do nothing but look up at her. ‘I definitely won’t miss changing your smelly nappies’, she giggled, ‘but I’ll miss everything else’. She removed my dummy to allow me to speak. ‘I’m really going to miss you too Auntie’, I said, ‘maybe I could still come and visit you every now and then’. ‘I’d like that’, Christina smiled, ‘although I’m sure that you’ll be too busy with Samantha’. ‘I hope so’, I chuckled, ‘I’m just going to miss the special bond that we have Auntie’. ‘Well then’, grinned Christina, ‘let’s make your last day as a baby as special as we can’. After having my nappy changed, we headed downstairs for breakfast. Christina strapped me into the highchair and tied a bib around my neck before starting breakfast. ‘Do you like pancakes Jake?’ she asked. ‘I love pancakes’, I said licking my lips. I watched eagerly as she whipped up some pancakes before turning to me. ‘Did you want some chocolate spread on them?’ she asked. I nodded my head eagerly and watched as she spread the chocolate all over the pancakes. It wasn’t long until she had prepared my breakfast and brought it over to me on a plastic plate along with some plastic cutlery. After placing my breakfast on the highchair tray, she sat down at the dining table to eat her food, allowing me to feed myself for once. Unfortunately, as I looked up at my hands that had the mittens tied around them, I sighed and knew that this was going to be a struggle. I managed to pick up my knife and fork which I held onto tightly. However, as I attempted to cut my food, I quickly realised that the pancakes were tougher than the cutlery was. I used all of my strength to desperately cut my food but it was no good. In the end, I resorted to using the plastic cutlery to rip apart the pancakes instead. Although I had ripped them into smaller pieces, trying to get a piece of pancake into my mouth was yet another challenge. The only way that I managed to do it was to hold the piece of food between the fork and knife and carefully lift it into my mouth. It tasted delicious and it made a nice change from cereal. However, I wasn’t so lucky when taking my next mouthful. Just as the pancake reached my mouth, it slid out of the cutlery and down my bib. ‘Messy baby’, giggled Christina who had been watching me struggle. ‘Can you take these mittens off please?’ I asked. ‘Not yet, I wouldn’t want to spoil all the fun’, she chuckled, ‘have another go sweetie, I know you can do it’. I scooped up another piece of pancake and gently brought to my mouth. As I attempted to eat it, the food once again slipped out of the cutlery. However, I managed to catch it and held the piece of pancake against my chin using the plastic fork. I carefully slide it up my chin and into my mouth, smearing chocolate spread all around my mouth in the process. I continued to mindfully eat the rest of my breakfast. I ended up spilling most of it down me but managed to get a good deal of it into my mouth. As I finished my last bite, I heard a knock at the door. ‘That’ll be your Mummy’, beamed Christina as she got up and answered the door. I heard them greeting each other before making their way towards the kitchen. My mother walked in and started laughing as she saw me sitting in the highchair with my mouth covered in chocolate spread. ‘Look at the state of you’, she joked, ‘I’m not quite sure that you’re ready to start feeding yourself again just yet’. ‘I’ve made pancakes for breakfast if you’d like some?’ said Christina. ‘That sounds lovely, thank you’, replied my mother. Christina placed a bottle of juice onto my highchair tray before joining my mother at the dining table. As the two women began eating, I grabbed my bottle with both of my hands and started drinking my juice. I could only imagine how babyish I looked as I sat in the highchair, drinking my bottle using both hands with chocolate spread smeared all around my mouth. The bonnet and mittens were the finishing touch no doubt. I sat and drank my juice quietly whilst my mother and Christina had a chat and finished their food. After breakfast was finished, Christina and my mother walked over to me. Christina began rubbing my back whilst my mother wiped my face. It didn’t take long before I let out a loud burp. ‘Good boy’, smiled Christina. ‘I think someone enjoyed their pancakes’, cooed my mother. I was used to the babyish comments made towards me and smiled back in return. I was finally let out of the highchair and we made our way into the living room. ‘Well, since this is Jakes last day, I guess I’d better start tidying some of this stuff up’, said Christina as she looked around the living room full of babyish items. ‘I can help you’, smiled my mother. ‘Me too’, I added. Christina grinned at me, ‘aw that’s very sweet of you Jake’, she cooed, ‘but this is a job for the grown-ups’. My mother led me over to the playpen and lifted me into it. I grumbled at having to sit in the playpen. However, my mood changed when I saw Christina putting on an episode of Bluey. I moved to the edge of the playpen so that I was closer to the TV. As the two women began tidying up around the house, I held my cuddly dinosaur in my lap and enjoyed watching Bluey. I looked over at my mother. ‘Mummy, can I have my dummy please?’ I asked. ‘Of course you can’, she grinned as she brought it over to me, ‘open wide’. I opened my mouth as wide as I could and allowed her to slip the rubber nipple into my mouth. ‘Fankyou’, I babbled. ‘Aw, you’re welcome pumpkin’, my mother cooed. I sucked gently on my dummy and was determined to enjoy whatever time I had left as a baby. After an hour or two, I yawned loudly and let the dummy fall out of my mouth. ‘I think someone’s ready for their nap’, smiled Christina. I nodded. ‘Hang on a minute’, said my mother, ‘I’m not sure that we should put him down for a nap’. ‘But I’m tired’, I complained and desperately wanted to be in my crib. ‘You’ve got to go to work tomorrow’, replied my mother, ‘I don’t think they’ll be letting you go for a nap during your shift. We need to get you used to staying awake for the whole day. ‘But I’m sleepy’, I cried and started to have a little tantrum. ‘I know what you can have instead’, smiled Christina and went into the kitchen. I was still gently sobbing until she returned. ‘Who wants a Bluey cookie?’ she beamed. Suddenly, I stopped crying and a big grin appeared on my face. ‘Me Auntie!’ I cheered gleefully. As she handed it to me, I immediately dropped it and struggled to pick it back up. My mother saw me struggling and walked over to the playpen. ‘I think maybe it’s time we took these off of you’, she said before removing my bonnet and mittens. It felt strange not having them on but I was pleased that I could pick up my cookie and eat it. For the rest of the afternoon, I was allowed to get out of the playpen and do some colouring. Christina and my mother were both super impressed at all of my pictures. I wondered if Samantha would be impressed by my colouring skills. I thought back to how cute she had looked when drinking from a baby bottle yesterday. Maybe she would enjoy some of the other babyish stuff as well. Before I could think anymore, it was time for dinner. As we walked into the kitchen, the first thing that I noticed was that the highchair was no longer at the dining table. Instead, it was folded away in the corner of the room. I looked at Christina in confusion. ‘I think it’s about time you sat at the grown-up table’, said Christina with a slight sadness in her voice. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. I had been so used to eating in the highchair all this time. I sat at the dining table and waited patiently for my food. I was surprised yet again when Christina brought over a roast dinner that she had prepared along with a glass of coke that she placed in front of me. ‘Can I trust you without a bib?’ she giggled. ‘I guess so’, I smiled in return. As Christina and my mother began to tuck into their meals, I felt very odd. Apart from wearing a romper and a nappy, every other babyish item seemed to have disappeared. It almost felt like a foreign concept to be eating with a normal knife and fork and drinking from a glass instead of a bottle. I had to admit though that it did feel nice to be drinking coke instead of juice. My mother looked over at me, ‘I hear that you and Samantha have been getting along pretty well’. ‘Oh…erm yeah, she’s pretty cool’, I replied. My mother giggled, ‘aw my little Jake has a crush’. I blushed and didn’t really want to talk about my potentional love life. ‘You should ask her out for a drink tomorrow’, suggested Christina. ‘I don’t know’, I replied, ‘I’m a little bit nervous’. ‘She’s a lovely girl’, Christina smiled, ‘I’m sure she’ll be more than happy to go on a date with you’. I smiled and continued to eat my dinner whilst doing my best to avoid the subject. The thought of seeing Samantha again really excited me, I just didn’t want to blow my chance with her. As I finished my dinner, a foul smell suddenly filled the air. I instantly recognised the smell and knew that I had messed myself. For some reason it felt even more belittling than usual. I was finally allowed to begin my journey back to adulthood and sit at the dining table with the adults yet I’d suddenly filled my nappy like a baby. My mother was the second one to notice the smell. ‘You certainly don’t want to be doing that on your date with Samantha’, she joked. I blushed and hoped that it wouldn’t happen. ‘I’m happy to change him if you don’t mind clearing up in here’, said Christina. ‘Sure thing’, replied my mother. With that, Christina took me back up to the nursery one final time. As we entered, I immediately went over to the changing table and hopped on. Christina got out the changing supplies before turning to me and sighing. ‘One final nappy change?’ she asked as she removed my romper. ‘Yes please Auntie’, I replied. It was a sombre moment and I think we both wished that my time with Christina could last forever. She opened up my nappy to see the mess that I had made. ‘It’s going to feel strange not to be wiping any bottoms tomorrow’, she laughed, ‘you’ll have to start doing it yourself from now on’. I realised that she was right. It wasn’t going to be pleasant but I would have to start taking responsibility for whatever mess I made in my nappy from now on. I noticed that Christina took her time cleaning me, almost as if she was savouring every moment. She carefully wiped around my butt hole and triple checked that I was clean. She placed a fresh nappy underneath me and sprinkled some powder onto my genitals and bottom. ‘Did you want to have a go at putting your nappy on?’ she asked. I sat up and pulled the nappy over my privates. Christina showed me how to tape it on nice and tightly. For a first attempt, the nappy felt pretty snug and I was confident that I would be able to take care of my nappy changes from now on. As I hopped off the changing table, Christina handed me my backpack that I had brought with me at the very beginning of our time together. ‘I guess I’ll leave you to get dressed’, she said with a slight sadness in her voice. I nodded in agreement and got myself dressed after she had left the room. After getting back into my regular clothes I picked up my bag. As I walked over to the door, I stopped and turned around. It sounded silly but I was really going to miss the nursery. I looked over at the changing table where I’d had so many nappy changes. I then turned my attention to the crib. I’d had so many care free nights in the crib and it really felt like my safe place. I was sad to be leaving it behind but knew that it was the right thing to do. With that, I turned around and left the nursery. As I reached the bottom of the stairs, I looked around the living room. Apart from the playpen in the corner, you couldn’t even tell that I had been staying here. After another half an hour or so, it was time to leave. My mother had offered to help me get settled back into my apartment. I put my shoes on before turning to Christina and gave her a big hug. ‘Thank you for everything’, I smiled. ‘I should be thanking you Jake’, she replied, ‘I’ve enjoyed every minute of our time together. Don’t be a stranger though, I’ve still got all of your toys here if you ever want to visit’. ‘I’d like that’, I whispered, ‘I love you Auntie’. ‘I love you too sweetheart’, she replied and kissed me on top of my head. She then handed me a large plastic bag. ‘What’s this?’ I asked. ‘Have a look when you get home’, she grinned, ‘it’s just a little something for you to remember our time together’. We said our final goodbyes before walking outside. Without thinking about it, I held onto my mother’s hand. I quickly let go. ‘Sorry’, I blushed, ‘force of habit’. ‘You can hold my hand anytime you like’, my mother chuckled. I walked with my mother back to my apartment. It felt very strange being back home. Part of me wanted to run back to Christina but I was determined to stand on my own two legs for a change and embrace adulthood. ‘I came round here the other day to tidy up for you and noticed that you didn’t have any hot water’, said my mother. I had forgotten about that. ‘I’ve sorted it out for you though’, my mother smiled, ‘you just needed to reset your boiler. I’ve got you some food in as well and I’ve done a bit of your laundry’. ‘Thanks Mummy’, I replied. My mother chuckled again, ‘I don’t mind you calling me Mummy but just make sure you don’t do it when you introduce me to Samantha’. We both laughed. I took a hot shower whilst my mother tidied a few things away. Afterwards, I got dry before walking into my bedroom to find that my mother had placed a clean nappy on the bed for me. I let my towel drop to the floor just as my mother walked in. ‘Do you need any help?’ she asked. I quickly covered up, ‘I’m good thanks’. My mother put her hands on her hips, ‘are you really covering up now after all those nappy changes I’ve given you?’ ‘Sorry’ I apologised, ‘it feels weird not being in the nursery’. ‘Well, I can get you a crib for your birthday if you’d like’, she joked. I wasn’t completely opposed to the idea. My mother observed me as I put my nappy on and agreed that I had done a good job. ‘Right then’, she said, ‘get into bed’. ‘Now?’ I asked, ‘I wanted to see what Christina had given me’. ‘You said you were tired earlier’, replied my mother, ‘plus you’ve got work in the morning’. I reluctantly agreed and got under my duvet. It was a warm night and so I decided to sleep in just my nappy. ‘Do you think I’ll always be incontinent?’ I asked. ‘Not at all’, replied my mother, ‘I’ve potty trained you once, I’m sure I could do it again’. ‘I wouldn’t mind that’, I admitted. I still enjoyed wearing nappies but I wanted it to be out of leisure rather than necessity. ‘I’ll see if I can get you some Pull Ups, I’m sure they do adult sized ones’, said my mother before she started giggling, ‘I could even get you a little training potty to sit on’. By this point I had experienced eating out of a highchair, sleeping in a crib and playing in a playpen. Sitting on a training potty really didn’t seem too bad. ‘I’ll pop back and see you at some point in the week’, said my mother as she leant in and kissed me on my forehead, ‘night night’. ‘Night night Mummy’, I smiled. My mother turned off my bedroom light before I heard her gathering her things and walking out the door. However, the second the door had closed, I leapt back out of bed and turned on the light. I was desperate to see what Christina had given me. I found the plastic bag and brought it into my bedroom. I sat on the bed and looked inside. The first thing I pulled out was my colouring book and crayons. I smiled and put them into my drawer. The other item in the bag was my stuffed dinosaur. I took him out and held him in my arms before I saw one more thing at the bottom of the bag. I reached in and pulled out my dinosaur dummy, the first dummy that Christina had bought for me. I put it into my mouth and got back into bed. I tucked in my dinosaur next to me before kissing it on the head through my dummy. I reached over for my phone and got up a YouTube playlist of non-stop nursery rhymes. As the familiar tune of ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ filled the room, I closed my eyes and started to fall asleep whilst gently sucking on my dummy and hugging my dinosaur. I smiled and felt confident about embracing adult life again, even if I did still have a few babyish habits. I wasn’t quite what you would call a ‘proper grown-up’, but I would get there…eventually. THE END If you’ve made it to the end, thank you for reading my story. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading it as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it. I feel like this is a good place to end. Jake is now ready to tackle adult life again whilst retaining some of his babyish attributes. I have written an additional two chapters which I will post soon. These will serve as a little look into the next part of Jake’s adventure although I feel that this will become a new story separate to this one. As always, any comments are appreciated.

Chapter 3 She had changed out of her work clothes and was wearing tight spandex short shorts and a baggy t-shirt with her black hair up in a messy bun. The outfit was utilitarian but also matronly on Elise. She was as gorgeous as ever standing there in her very adult clothes while Ashley was currently dressed as something a fraction of her true age. The sudden fright broke the dam. It wasn’t like she had a massive need for the bathroom but had been bordering the urge to go. She found herself unable to stop once she started as the diaper with all of its invitations began to soak up everything Ashley had to release. She was a deer in headlights, soaking herself as her heart rate shot through the roof. She started getting tunnel vision but having blacked out once today already she was familiar with the feeling and began to hyperventilate to stave off the approaching faint. It might’ve been 2 seconds, it might have been 2 eternities, Ashley couldn’t recall how long they silently stared at each other before Elise said something. “Yeah… she’s fine, just found her in her room, listening to some music with her headphones on.” Elise lied? Something that caught Ashley off guard as she saw the phone pressed to Elise’s ear. “Yep… uh huh… not a problem at all… uh huh… I know, kids and their toys… uh huh… I’ll talk to you later… okay… uh huh… bye bye now.” She brought the phone down from her ear and hung up as her eyes stayed locked onto Ashley. Ashley was completely frozen in place as she stared at Elise. She was clear of the immediate blackout but she was still fighting it off. She didn’t know what to say or to do. Should she just jump out the window now and save herself the utter humiliation she felt. Curl up into a ball and cry her eyes out. Elise didn’t look disgusted, or angry, or any negative emotion though. She looked… amazed? Excited maybe? That didn’t stop Ashley from choosing the latter of the options, unwillingly or not. Her chest heaved uncontrollably and the tears started falling before she was even able to make a sound as her body and emotions overwhelmed her. The sobs came shortly after, loud and violent. She felt repulsive, she felt ridiculous, emotions whirled like a tsunami inside her as all of the negative thoughts she had slammed into her like an asteroid. The meltdown she was going through was cataclysmic. Yet, not even two full seconds after the first tears fell, her vision so blurred by the streams of liquid flowing from her eyes, she felt herself being pulled into a tight embrace. She wanted to fight, she wanted to run, but the arms around her held tight. Then they lifted, and Ashley’s body naturally locked on to the comfort surrounding her. Her legs wrapping around and her own arms pulling herself in to return the embrace as hands moved to support her from her bottom. The warm wet padding pressed into her skin and renewed her sobs as she began to come to terms with wetting herself at the fright. It was like her body had given up everything in the moment. Gentle rocking and swaying motions along with sweet whispers of “shhhh it's okay”, “everything is just fine”, “I’ve got you” were employed to calm the girl in Elise’s arms. Whenever she made a little progress, Ashley’s wails would renew, maybe 10% less though. Ashley had no idea how long the emotions stormed as wave after wave or brutal self abuse ran through her head. ‘You stupid baby wannabe’, ‘what kind of idiot puts on a diaper and onesie and wants to be a baby’, ‘you’re sure small now’. The worst thoughts were about Elise though. ‘She probably thinks you’re disgusting’, ‘look how much trouble you’re making her go through’, ‘she’s never going to accept who you are’, ‘you never stood a chance with her anyways.’ At some point Ashley lost the energy to keep going and the tears slowly dried, just leaving her hiccuping and silently convulsing as her diaphragm tried to account for the workout she had just gone through. Her eyes were puffy, her eyes and nose had left a noticeable puddle of snot and tears on Elise’s shoulder where she had buried her face, and her breathing was only barely coming back to normal. “Feeling a bit better?” Elise asked softly. Her breath tickled Ashley’s ear as she spoke but Ashley gave a subtle nod. Elise moved over to the bed and sat down with Ashley still in her arms, now straddling her and sitting on her lap. “I’m sorry for barging in like that. It was exceedingly rude of me.” Elise started. “I had no intention of startling you like that or of witnessing something you may have wanted to keep a secret. Would you care to know why I’m here?” She asked and got another small nod. “Supposedly the home security system detected a glass break and sent a message to your parents that there was a window broken. Your parents assumed it was just one of the neighbor kids that broke a window playing baseball in the street but tried to call you and check in just to make sure. Since you didn’t pick up or respond to their texts, they got a little worried and called your aunt. Well she’s out of town at the moment so she forwarded my number to your parents and they asked if I could come over and check on you, just to be safe. They weren’t too worried since it’s a fairly calm neighborhood but just to be sure their baby girl…” Ashley flinched at that phrasing. “Just to be sure their daughter was alright.” She explained. Her words were gentle and soft, Ashley could listen to her talk like this for hours on end. “When I got here, I knocked on the door a couple of times but there was no response so I called your mom back. She explained where the spare key was hidden so I could come in. I told her it was indeed just a baseball through one of the back windows like they had figured after I toured the first floor and found the culprit. She then told me where your room was and asked me to check and make sure you were alright. I guess she thinks your vasovagal syncope is much worse and that the baseball might’ve startled you and made you pass out and hit your head.” Elise continued. “And that's how I ended up here. Again, I’m so sorry for barging in the way I did. I was partially worried about you with your mom chattering away all of the terrible potentials and being distracted with the phone that I didn't think to knock or announce myself. I was also letting my feelings get in the way of my actions and not acting appropriately.” “Thank you.” Ashley whispered back, her throat a little horse from crying. “I forgive you.” “Now. Can we talk about this?” Elise asked gently, one hand rubbing up and down Ashley’s back, one with a firm hold on the diaper beneath her onesie. “I can start if that makes you more comfortable.” Elise interjected to put Ashley at ease. Ashley contemplated for a moment, she didn’t know what to say but she nodded again to let Elise start. “Alright, I’ll go first then.” Elise began. “First and foremost I want to put it out there that I think you’re beyond cute. Both in regular work attire, and this.” Ashley buried her face into Elise’s shoulder to hide her blush. “I have been crushing on you since the day you started working at the shop. Maybe I was afraid our age gap would push you away and I have certain… desires and tastes, that I was afraid would hurt you. I am sorry for testing the waters the way I have. I was honestly scared that I would push you away and felt myself latching on to you without your knowledge or consent.” “I… I like it.” Ashley meekly replied before hiding again. “I was mildly aware but I’ve been pushing boundaries that require conversation before pushing.” Elise continued. “I am a caregiver. I have a sort of need to take care of someone. It’s not exactly a sexual pleasure but more so an adjacent pleasure for me. What I’ve been doing is akin to forcing myself onto you. It may not have seemed like it because it can be played off as kindness but I am living out my fantasies through you without your consent. For example, feeding you at lunch today I massively crossed a line I shouldn’t have with myself, and for that I am sorry.” Ashley hadn’t heard the term caregiver yet, she had barely learned the term ABDL only an hour or so ago so she leaned back to look at Elise with a puzzled look. “Sorry, I’m kind of… new to… this… you might need to explain… a lot” she gestured down with her eyes to her current ensemble. “How new?” Elise questioned. “Maybe 8 hours…” Ashley meekly responded. “You mean this is your first time trying ABDL attire or your first time experiencing this in general?” Elise asked for clarification. “In…in general…” “Bless your innocent pure little heart.” Elise squeezed Ashley a little tighter. “Alright. I guess there’s some explaining to do then and we are both on different pages of a very, very thick book. Where do you want to start then?” “Um, can you explain “caregiver” for me?” Ashley asked with a blush. “Oh boy, we’re going to need to be comfortable.” Elise said before shifting back on the bed so that she could lean up against the head board. “Is it okay if you lay down in my lap?” She asked and Ashley obliged. She appreciated that small bit of “consent” if she should call it that. Her mind was still a bit fragile after her meltdown. “Alright. I guess starting from the top and to the best of my understanding, there’s no set in stone rules so this is just my interpretation and standards. A caregiver is someone who seeks out a companion they can care for in the capacity that they would if they were of a mindset younger than their physical age, commonly this person is called a little. It’s a nurturing and protective role. I’ve known what to call it for maybe 15 years, since I was still in highschool and had started working for your aunt part time. It was even harder to figure it out back then and there weren't all of the outlets like there are now.” Elise started. “What’s a “little”?” Ashley asked, barely making it into the conversation when a new term came up. “You. Well not necessarily, but you could fit into the role of a little. It doesn’t mean you have to be physically little, although you are preciously so, there are fully grown men and women that are littles too. It’s more of the mindset and headspace. You don’t necessarily have to regress mentally but some do. Some, like yourself, and I’m not saying that you do, have an infatuation with objects or attire that make them feel small.” Elise tried to explain without going into hour long details. Ashley’s blush renewed at being pegged. The outfit did make her feel small and who could deny how cute it was. “So you’re okay with… this?” Ashley asked. “Yes, very much so. I’d think you’re oblivious if my hints today went over your head… they went over your head didn’t they?” Elise pinched the brow of her nose like she was getting a headache. “You even passed out over a hint that went a little too far.” She finished a little more quietly. “How was I supposed to know anything about any of this? I thought I was one of maybe a couple of dozen people that would look at a pack of diapers with “baby” boldly printed across the front and end up putting one on until a couple of hours ago. I pretty much tripped, fell, and got back up as a “little” apparently.” Ashley said now that the internal tremors had calmed. Her self loathing was washing away and she felt more comfortable being dressed as she was around Elise. Her wet diaper was still ever present but it wasn’t uncomfortable, maybe just a little icky feeling the cooling pee against her skin, but it could wait. She felt safe in her embrace and Elise’s acceptance made the tepid waters of her mind calm. “Well you don’t have to put a label on it right away. You can be whatever you want to be. A sort of role of a caregiver is giving that safe space for someone to regress or to enjoy that side of themselves.” Elise continued. “Yeah….” Ashley said, definitely feeling safe. “Well you can be whatever you want to be, there’s no reason to force a title or define it this quickly. In my own rush and stupidity I assumed you were already aware of this side of yourself but a lot of ABDL’s have some level of distrust exposing this secret. There is a sort of stigma associated with liking diapers and infantile outfits. It’s not for everyone and I’m sure you imagined people being harsh about the subject. Don’t get me wrong, there are some bad people out there that would manipulate the purity of this lifestyle into a negative light. I assure you I don’t have any fascination with minors and the cute outfits and diapers are just a very useful and adorable tool.” Elise clarified. “Sooo, what do you gain from a caregiver point of view. It sounds like just work. It doesn’t sound sexual, at least not like sex sex…” Ashley spoke as she began to imagine how sex with a diaper on would even work, her cheeks flushing. “It can be sexual in some cases and scenarios. It’s roleplaying at its base form really. For me it’s the dominant role. I take power that is entrusted to me to reduce the adult responsibilities of another. Granted, I’ve never actually had an IRL partner per se… But there are plenty of scenes that can be made sexual. For me it’s the power of reducing a consenting adult to their younger form. Diapers are a basic mechanism of stripping away an adult ability that is routed at a young age through potty training. The outfits, as cute as they are, regress their physical appearance and further enforce the dynamic.” Elise explained. “Of course there are scenes like MDLG, mommy domme little girl, that the regression is more forceful in nature. It can also tie into bondage that traps a little in that role for a scene. Just like BDSM boundaries, rules, and expectations are laid out first before starting a scene. You can establish safe words or gas pedals to accelerate a scene. It’s not necessarily scripted like a movie but as both partners dive into a scene their characters follows along. There’s more stuff that is sexual in nature that would tie directly to the themes but similar philosophy of regression as the focus and tool to strip power from a little.” She continued. “So if I was a little, would you be my mommy?” Ashley spoke the question without really thinking it through. As the words came out she realized what she was asking and covered her face with her hands to hide her burning blush. “Yes, I would happily.” Elise answered matter of factly, not beating around the bush and being direct, although her blush at the supposed title gave her away. “Would you expect me to… use my diapers?” Ashley asked another question without thinking it through and renewing her blush at calling the diapers hers and taking possession of them. “If it was a scene you were agreeable to I would have no issue with you using diapers for their intended purpose.” Elise was being direct which Ashley liked. “Number 1?” Ashley asked. “I would encourage it fully.” Elise said with a smile that Ashley couldn’t see, her voice seductive in her ear. “Number 2?” Ashley pushed. “Totally okay if it’s something that you feel you’re up to.” Elise confirmed. “What if… what if I… what if I already did a number 1.” Ashley’s face felt like it was melting. “I’d probably say that the nighttime diaper you’re wearing can handle much more than that. But, since it’s your first time. I’d be more than happy to give you a change if you wanted it.” Elise said, almost sounding out of breath which made Ashley turn to face her. She was blushing red too and there was a subtle but small hitch to her breathing. “Did you know… that I… had an accident?” Ashley cast her eyes down at the admission. “Of course I did. Your potty face was so cute I almost squealed with your mom on the phone.” Elise was blunt which made steam pour out of Ashley’s ears in embarrassment. “Stop teasing me! It was an accident!” Ashley turned back around and pouted. She didn’t know why but it felt right. “I know it was an accident.” Elise assured her. “It’s just a good thing that you were wearing your protection when it happened.” Ashley’s vision began to tunnel again. She was too excited. Elise seemed to notice and rubbed small circles on her back. “Sorry for teasing. You’re just so cute I couldn’t help myself.” Elise was whispering in her ear again which sent goosebumps across her skin. Ashley was seeing the allure of the power dynamic between little and caregiver. It was like a warm embrace of affection, something that she felt she was missing. “I do have to say. For a first timer you pulled out all of the stops. I couldn’t have picked better myself and I’m the one who placed the order! Just look at how adorable you are.” “Ssss…stoooppp, you’re making my cheeks hurt.” Ashley blushed and smiled more at the praise. “Do you have a bit of understanding of the dynamic now? The draw? I gain a blushy little girl who can’t help herself. You get someone that appreciates and admires your blushes.” Elise said, only getting a small nod of agreement from Ashley.

Chapter 21 – Return to the Park Durning breakfast the next day, I found myself complaining again. ‘Do we have to go to the park?’ I groaned. ‘You enjoyed it last time’, replied Christina as she scooped a bowl of cereal into my mouth, ‘we’ll have a nice picnic again’. ‘Can’t we stay here instead?’ I asked hopefully. ‘Don’t be silly’, smiled Christina, ‘it’s a beautiful day outside’. I sulked and finished my cereal in silence. I was slowly getting used to being out in public with my nappy on but it still made me feel very anxious. After a quick shower and a clean nappy, I was dressed in a t-shirt and a pair of shorts. Christina picked up my bonnet and mittens. A wave of horror washed over me at the thought of wearing those in public. ‘Don’t worry’, Christina grinned, ‘I think we’ll leave these here for now’. I sighed with relief and watched as she packed my changing bag. She showed me one of my dummies. ‘I won’t forget your dummy this time’, she giggled and placed it into the bag. I almost hoped that she would forget it if there was a chance of being breastfed again. It wasn’t long before the car was packed and we were on the road. As we drove closer to the park, I felt relaxed and a lot more at ease this time. However, as I shuffled around on my seat, I felt my nappy squelching and groaned knowing that I had wet myself. ‘Everything alright?’ asked Christina. I lowered my head, ‘I’ve wet myself’. ‘Already?’ exclaimed Christina, ‘I’ve only just put that nappy on you’. ‘I’m sorry’, I said with a defeated look on my face. ‘It’s ok’, Christina smiled, ‘we’ll head straight to the restrooms when we arrive’. After parking up, Christina got the picnic bag and my changing bag out of the car. Thankfully, she didn’t mention anything about having to hold her hand which was a relief. As we walked through the busy park, it felt kind of thrilling to know that I was walking past all of these people and not one of them knew that I was going to have my nappy changed. It made me wonder if maybe there were other people in the park who were also wearing a nappy for whatever reason. We arrived at the restrooms and I was relieved to see that the baby changing room was vacant. I quickly looked around to make sure that nobody was watching before we headed inside. After locking the door, Christina quickly pulled down my shorts before helping me onto the changing table. My nappy made a large squelch as I laid down. ‘You’ve really soaked this nappy, Jake’, exclaimed Christina, ‘we might have to start doubling up your nappies’. I wasn’t keen on that idea. I waddled about like a toddler with just one nappy on let alone two. Christina quickly cleaned me up before applying a dry nappy. I hopped off the changing table and had my shorts pulled up whilst Christina disposed of my wet nappy. She then walked over to the cubical that was in the room. ‘I’m just going to use the toilet’, she told me, ‘you can wait outside but don’t run off’. ‘I promise I won’t’, I replied as I unlocked the door and walked out. However, as I did, I heard a familiar voice. ‘Hi Jake’, said the voice, ‘fancy seeing you here’. I turned around to see Samantha. I froze in shock for a second before I found the ability to speak. ‘Hi Samatha’, I replied, ‘what are you doing here?’ ‘I’m just here with some friends’, she smiled, ‘what about you?’ ‘Oh I’m…erm…here with my Auntie’, I said awkwardly. ‘Cool’ she replied before looking slightly puzzled, ‘were you just in the baby changing room?’ I began to panic but did my best to focus on her beautiful blue eyes. ‘Erm yes I was’, I replied whilst trying to hide my increasing anxiety. ‘I didn’t know that you had a baby’, she joked. ‘I don’t have a baby’, I laughed nervously, ‘it was just…erm…the men’s restrooms were really dirty and so I used the baby changing room instead’. ‘Ah, I see’, she grinned. I felt bad lying to her but I couldn’t exactly tell her the truth. However, before I could say anything else, Christina walked out and instantly recognised Samantha. ‘Oh, hello again’, she smiled. ‘Hi’ replied Samantha before she started to look confused again, ‘you were in the baby changing room as well?’ ‘Yes she was’, I quickly blurted out, ‘the women’s restroom is just as dirty as the men’s’. Christina looked very puzzled as to what was going on but remained silent. ‘Oh I see, thanks for the heads up’, she grinned, ‘I might use the baby changing room as well then, nice to see you both’. I watched in amazement as she headed into the baby changing room and locked the door. ‘What was that about?’ asked Christina. I told her that I had made up an excuse about why I was in the baby changing room. ‘You shouldn’t really tell lies’, she frowned, ‘but I understand why you did it’. We left the restrooms and walked through the park. I felt slightly embarrassed that Samantha was now in the same room as my wet nappy but there was no way that she would ever figure out the real reason that I was in there. Eventually, we managed to find a nice spot in the shade. Christina set out the picnic blanket and I helped her arrange the food. However, she began to rummage through my changing bag. ‘I don’t believe it’, Christina chuckled to herself. ‘What’s wrong?’ I asked. ‘Well, I remembered your dummy this time but I forgot to pack your bib’, she replied. ‘Oh, that’s a shame’, I lied, ‘I guess I’ll just have to be really careful that I don’t spill anything’. With that, we began eating. It felt nice to be eating sandwiches again for my lunch instead of baby food. I saw Christina pull out a large drinks bottle. ‘What’s that?’ I asked. ‘I made myself a large bottle of water’, she replied, ‘it’s important to stay hydrated’. She then pulled out a baby bottle full of juice. ‘This is for you’, she said, ‘don’t worry, I’ve made you up another one in case you’re still thirsty’. ‘Thanks’, I mumbled. I continued eating and would take a quick sip from my bottle every now and then. I felt slightly on edge knowing that Samantha was at the park and made sure to check my surroundings before drinking from my bottle. The best thing about it all was the fact that I wasn’t wearing my mittens. I was actually able to use my fingers for a change which made life a lot easier. As much as I hated my bonnet, it probably would have kept the sun out of my eyes on a day like today. I spent the next twenty minutes eating and reminiscing over my time with Christina. It hadn’t always been an easy journey, but she had always looked after me and I felt completely safe with her. Suddenly, my train of thought was interrupted. ‘We really must stop meeting like this’, I heard someone say. I turned around to see Samantha again. The sunshine seemed to glow all around her and she looked absolutely stunning. ‘Hello again’, I smiled, ‘I thought you were with your friends’. ‘I was but they’ve left now’, replied Samantha, ‘I was just on my way home when I recognised you’. ‘You’re welcome to join us’, said Christina. ‘Oh, I wouldn’t want to intrude’, replied Samantha gracefully. ‘Nonsense’, grinned Christina, ‘the more the merrier’. ‘Thank you’, said Samantha as she sat down next to me. I looked over at Christina who gave me a playful wink in return. I could tell that she was rooting for me and really wanted Samantha and I to hook up. I noticed her discreetly move my changing bag behind her back. I turned to Samantha, ‘there’s some cupcakes if you’d like one’. ‘Ooh yummy’, grinned Samantha and picked up a cupcake. I watched her as she ate her cupcake. She even looked gorgeous when she was eating. After finishing her cupcake, Samantha wiped her forehead. ‘Phew, it’s getting pretty warm’, she exclaimed, ‘could I possibly have a drink?’ She suddenly looked down to see what I was drinking and I saw her jaw drop. ‘Are you drinking from a baby bottle?’ she asked puzzled as she looked down at the bottle of juice next to me. A feeling of horror washed over my body. I had been so distracted by Samantha that it hadn’t even occurred to me that my bottle was on full display. ‘No…I mean…yeah…erm’ I picked up the bottle and started to panic but luckily Christina came to my rescue. ‘That’s actually my fault’, admitted Christina, ‘I usually bring some plastic cups but I accidentally left them at my sister’s house. I didn’t want to bring any drinking glasses in case they got broken and so the only thing left was a baby bottle that I keep for when my niece comes to visit’. Samantha listened closely before shrugging her shoulders, ‘fair enough’. For someone who didn’t tell lies, Christina was pretty good at it. ‘You can have one if you’d like dear’, offered Christina. ‘A baby bottle?’ Samantha giggled, ‘sounds fun’. I watched in amazement as Christina pulled out my spare baby bottle full of juice and handed it to Samantha. ‘This is hilarious’, Samatha laughed as she examined the bottle before tapping it against mine, ‘cheers’. Both Christina and I looked dumbfounded as Samantha stuck the nipple into her mouth and began sucking on it. I watched as she began gulping down the juice. She looked incredibly cute and strangely attractive. Samantha removed the nipple and sighed. ‘That’s so refreshing’ she smiled before sticking the nipple back into her mouth and continued to drink from the bottle. I knew right then and there that she was the one for me. I grinned and began drinking my bottle next to her. Christina couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of two twenty-one-year-olds drinking from their baby bottles. It didn’t take long before Samantha finished her juice. ‘Thank you for that’, she said as she removed the nipple from her mouth, ‘it’s been a long time since I’ve drank from a baby bottle’. I couldn’t relate and blushed at the fact that I’d already had a bottle of juice at breakfast. Samantha then turned to Christina and grinned. ‘Is this the part where you burp me like a baby?’ she giggled. ‘I can burp you anytime you would like’, Christina replied. The two women started laughing. Being burped was a regular thing for me and so I struggled to find the joke amusing. Although, they had only been joking, I got quite excited at the thought of Samantha getting burped and babied. I felt myself getting a small erection. I shuffled around to try and get comfortable but suddenly immediately lost my erection. Something far worse had happened in my nappy. I was soaking wet. I panicked and quickly checked my shorts for wet patches but thankfully I couldn’t see any. Samantha didn’t seem to notice but Christina was used to it by now. She raised her eyebrow at me in suspicion. All I could do was discreetly nod my head and confirm that I’d wet myself again. ‘Well’, said Christina, ‘it’s probably time that we were heading off’. ‘Oh ok’, replied Samantha who looked slightly disappointed, ‘let me help you tidy up’. ‘That’s very kind of you dear’, smiled Christina. Samantha scooped up all of the empty packaging and looked around the park. ‘I see a trash can over there’, she said as she stood up with the rubbish in her arms, ‘I won’t be a minute’. When she was out of ear shot, I frantically turned to Christina. ‘Please don’t change me here’, I begged. ‘Jake, you need your nappy changing’, confirmed Christina. ‘Samantha might see me,’ I panicked, ‘I’m begging you, please can we wait until we home?’ Christina wasn’t keen on the idea but she could see the look of fear in my eyes. The last thing she wanted to do was ruin my chance with Samantha. ‘Very well’, Christina said nodding her head. ‘Thank you, Auntie’, I replied as I embraced her in a hug, ‘I love you’. Christina suddenly pulled back slightly. She had tears in her eyes. However, they weren’t sad tears, they were tears of happiness. Her entire life she had always wanted a child of her own and now she pretty much had one. She wrapped her arms around me. ‘I love you too sweetie’, she said softly and kissed me on top of my head. She let go of me and began packing away that last bits of the picnic. ‘As soon as we get home, we need to change your nappy’, Christina told me. ‘Okay Auntie’, I replied. ‘Change your nappy?’ I suddenly heard Samantha say from behind me. I span around to see her standing there with another confused look on her face. She looked over at Christina. ‘Did you just say…you were going to change his nappy?’ she asked. Christina was speechless and for the first time she actually looked over at me for help. If ever there was a time to grow up and take responsibility, it was now. I couldn’t exactly tell Samantha the whole truth but I could at least tell her some of it. I took a deep breath. ‘The thing is…for a little while now I’ve been…having a few accidents’, I said whilst trying my hardest not to blush, ‘it was becoming quite frequent and so I decided the best solution would be to…wear a nappy’. I felt my bottom lip begin to quiver and I could feel the tears beginning to appear in my eyes. Samantha took hold of my hand and smiled. ‘It’s nothing to be embarrassed about’, she said as she saw that I was beginning to get a little bit upset, ‘can I tell you a secret?’ ‘What’s that?’ I asked as I wiped my eyes. ‘I wore nappies until I was eight-years-old’, she admitted. ‘Really?’ I asked in amazement. ‘I had a bit of a bedwetting problem and so my parents kept me in nappies’, she explained, ‘I’m not ashamed of it, I was just a late developer’. I began to feel slightly calmer and smiled. Samantha leaned in closer. ‘Can I tell you another secret?’ she whispered into my ear. I nodded. ‘I went to a friend’s birthday party a few weeks ago’, she said, ‘I had a bit too much to drink and ended up wetting the bed’. ‘You did?’ I replied. ‘Yep’, she grinned, ‘I wish I’d have been wearing a nappy that night’. I couldn’t help but giggle. The thought of Samantha wearing a nappy felt very exciting. I wondered if maybe we would wear them together someday. I snapped back into reality as she put her arm around me. ‘You don’t need to be embarrassed’ Samantha assured me, ‘I promise I won’t tell a soul’. With that, she gave me a gentle kiss on the cheek. I suddenly felt warm and fuzzy inside with a big smile appearing on my face. ‘Anyway, I’ll let you guys get going’, she said, ‘thank you for the cupcake and the...erm…baby bottle’. We said our goodbyes and watched her walk away. She turned around one final time. ‘See you at work on Monday’, she called out before disappearing into the crowd. My brain quickly began working out how long I had spent with Christina. I couldn’t quite believe it but my break from work was almost up. I would soon be forced to face adulthood once again. However, as I held onto Christina’s hand and walked across the park in my soggy nappy, I wondered how easy it would be to leave babyhood behind.

Chapter 11 – The Picnic The next morning, I woke up feeling refreshed and ready for another great day. I was beginning to find that I was able to sleep all through the night despite having an earlier bedtime. Naturally, I woke up needing to pee but I smiled knowing that my toileting needs were something that I was barely even bothered by anymore. After realising that I needed to pee, it only took a few seconds before my bladder relaxed and I began to wet myself. After I’d finished peeing, I lay in the crib and sighed with relief. I looked up at the floating animals on the crib mobile above me. Although there were no lullabies playing, just looking at the animals made me feel little and relaxed. Adult life should have been something to embrace but the life of a baby was much more appealing. Rather than tackling adult responsibilities, I was in a crib waiting to have my nappy changed…and I couldn’t have been happier. Like every morning, Christina eventually came in and let me out of the crib before leading me over to the changing table. As she removed my wet nappy and began wiping my bottom, I felt like a king. ‘Auntie, can I have my dummy please?’ I asked. ‘Of course, sweetheart’, she replied and retrieved my dummy from the crib. After putting the dummy into my mouth, I eagerly began sucking on it whilst drooling like an infant. Christina smiled at the sight of her ‘baby’ enjoying having his nappy changed. After being powdered and diapered, we headed downstairs where I was placed into the highchair ready for breakfast. As she began feeding me some cereal, I was suddenly caught off guard. ‘I was thinking that we could go out to the park for a nice picnic today’, Christina said. As I opened my mouth in surprise, a bit of cereal fell out and onto my bib. ‘To the park?’ I exclaimed, ‘I don’t want to. Not after the incident at the pharmacy’. ‘Don’t be silly’, Christina replied as she wiped my mouth, ‘we’ll have a lovely time. Besides, we’re not shopping for nappies today, we’re just going for a nice picnic’. I still wasn’t happy with the idea but I agreed to go. After finishing breakfast, I was given a quick shower before being dressed for our outing. Just like before, I was extremely self-conscious about the bulging nappy underneath my shorts. However, this time we were going to be in an open space and so I would have more freedom to avoid people. After I had put my shoes on, I saw Christina put a familiar looking bag over her shoulder. ‘Please tell me that isn’t what I think it is’, I said nervously. ‘It’s only your changing bag just in case we have any little accidents’, she replied. ‘I won’t have an accident’, I assured her. ‘We won’t need to use it then, will we?’ she smiled, ‘but I’ll bring it just in case’. With that she picked up the picnic basket that she had prepared and we headed outside and into the car. As we drove closer to the park, the more people I saw. As the sun shone down, it seemed that everyone had a similar idea to have a picnic. I figured that as long as I stayed close to Christina, I wouldn’t need to be worry about being noticed. We parked up and got out of the car. Christina put my changing bag over her shoulder and picked up the picnic basket. She then held her hand out for me to hold. ‘Do I have to hold your hand?’ I groaned. ‘Jake, it’s very busy here today’, she replied, ‘you need to stay where I can see you. I want you to be a good boy and not go running off’. ‘I won’t run off’, I assured her, ‘I promise I’ll be good’. ‘Jake, I’m not going to ask you again’, said Christina in a sterner voice still holding out her hand. I knew that I wasn’t going to win the argument and I feared I would get another spanking if I disobeyed. Reluctantly, I held onto her hand and we began to look for a place to set up our picnic. I did my best not to waddle but the bulky nappy between my legs made it difficult to walk normally. Thankfully, nobody seemed to notice us and we managed to find a fairly secluded spot. Christina finally let go of my hand and began to set up the picnic. When it was ready, we sat down on the blanket. As I was deciding which sandwich to have, I saw Christina rummaging through my changing bag before pulling out a bib. I was completely horrified. ‘Please don’t make me wear that’, I begged. ‘You always wear your bib at meal times’, Christina replied. ‘I know but everyone will see me’, I told her. ‘Nobody can see you’, she assured me before tying the bib around my neck, ‘honestly Jake, you’re being so fussy today’. I began to eat a cheese sandwich whilst sulking like a grumpy child. As I continued eating, Christina continued rummaging through my changing bag and pulled out my baby bottle before placing it beside me. I wanted to complain but I knew that it wouldn’t get me anywhere. I continued eating whilst continuously looking around to make sure nobody was watching. Occasionally, I would take a quick sip of juice from my bottle but made sure to do it quickly and discreetly. As the afternoon continued, I started to become less aware of my surroundings and actually began to enjoy the picnic. From sandwiches, cakes and other delicious snacks, it was one of the best meals I’d had in a while. However, as I finished the last drops of juice from my bottle, I suddenly felt the urge to pee. I had hoped that I wouldn’t need to go whilst we were out of the house but the urge seemed to get stronger with every passing minute. Whilst staying with Christina, my bladder had started to become slightly lazy and was now struggling to fight back against the inevitable. ‘Is everything okay?’ asked Christina as she noticed me rocking back and forth on the blanket. ‘I need the toilet’, I replied She smiled at me, ‘aw does baby need a wee?’ I nodded. ‘It’s a good thing we brought your changing bag’, she giggled. I began to panic as the urge became almost uncontrollable. ‘Please let me use the toilet’, I begged. ‘No Jake, you need to remember the rules’, she said, ‘you wear nappies 24/7 which means that you use them like a baby would, even if we’re out in public’. ‘PLEASE Auntie!’, I cried as I was now fighting against my bladder. But my pleas fell on deaf ears, Christina ignored me and began packing the picnic away. Before I could say anything else, I felt a familiar warm sensation and sighed with relief as I began wetting my nappy. I felt like I was peeing for an eternity before it stopped. I quickly examined my shorts to check for damp patches. Thankfully, there were none but Christina could tell by my silence that I had wet myself. ‘Good boy’, she grinned, ‘now doesn’t that feel better?’ Although it was nice not to have the pressure in my bladder anymore, I was now sitting in a wet nappy in the middle of a public park. I began panicking once again as I knew what would happen next. As Christina packed away the last of the picnic, she turned to me and smiled. ‘Right then, we’d better go and find the restrooms’, she announced and took off my bib. As I stood up, I couldn’t believe what was about to happen. Christina took hold of my hand and we began to make our way towards the restrooms. I felt so little and infantile holding onto a grown-up’s hand whilst walking through a busy park to go and have my nappy changed. As we arrived at the restrooms we headed over to a baby changing room. It was currently being used by somebody else and so we waited outside patiently. It felt very surreal watching other people similar to my age walking in and out of the men and women’s restroom while I was stood outside of the baby changing room. Finally, the door opened and a young mother and her infant daughter came out. The young mother looked at us curiously as we walked into the room and locked the door. I was instructed to take off my shoes. After I’d taken them off Christina began to pull down my shorts which I quickly held onto. ‘Relax’, smiled Christina, ‘nobody is going to come in here, it’s just us two’. ‘I’m sorry’, I apologised, ‘I’m just a little bit nervous’. ‘You don’t need to be nervous’, she assured me, ‘it’s just like when we change your bum at home’. I blushed as I began to realise that nappies had now become my regular underwear. In fact, I couldn’t even remember what normal underwear felt like anymore. After Christina took off my shorts, she helped me onto the nappy changing station which I was surprisingly able to fit on. I watched as she took out some changing supplies before ripping open the sides of my nappy and opening it up. ‘Aw baby’, she cooed, ‘you really needed a wee wee didn’t you?’ I didn’t reply. Although, I knew that the door was locked, I was terrified that somebody would walk in and see me having my nappy changed. I struggled to relax and felt very anxious. Weirdly, I began to crave my dummy. It always helped me to calm down. ‘Auntie?’ I asked. ‘Yes sweetheart?’ she replied as she continued cleaning me. ‘Have you…erm…have you brought my dummy?’ I said nervously. She thought about it and began rummaging through the bag. ‘Oh no, I forgot to bring it’, she said apologetically. ‘Oh, that’s ok’, I said whilst doing my best not to sound disappointed. ‘I’m really sorry’, said Christina who was now feeling guilty, ‘I didn’t think you would want it whilst we were out’. I couldn’t deny that I was a little bit upset. There was something so soothing about a dummy that it just helped all of my anxiety to disappear. I now actually craved my dummy just like a real infant and began to feel a little bit cranky about it. Christina lifted my legs up and powdered my bottom before lowering them back down and applying a dry nappy. She put the changing supplies away before washing her hands. My anxiety levels were still very high and I began to desperately want my dummy. Suddenly, I felt tears forming in my eyes and I started crying. As Christina came back over, she saw the look on my face. ‘What’s the matter sweetheart?’ she asked seeing the tears rolling down my cheeks. ‘I want my dummy’, I cried just like a real baby. ‘I am really sorry, Jake’, she apologised again. Christina thought for a moment and then began undoing her blouse just enough to reveal her bra. ‘W…w…what are you doing?’ I stammered as I tried to control myself. She undid her bra and exposed her breasts. ‘I know it’s not the same’, she replied, ‘but it’s the closest I can do’. She then took hold of one of her breasts and began to bring it towards my lips. I eagerly accepted it just like a hungry baby. Within seconds of sucking on her nipple, I closed my eyes and instantly felt all of my anxiety vanish and finally started to relax. Christina held the back of my head to keep me in place. ‘There we go’, she cooed, ‘does that feel better?’ I nodded enthusiastically and continued suckling away. After seeing that I was calm, Christina pulled her breast away and I eagerly began looking at the other one. She raised her eyebrow. ‘Does baby want this boobie as well?’ she asked. I nodded with a big smile on my face. ‘Aw baby Jake is hungry today’, she giggled and guided her other breast into my mouth. I started suckling again and couldn’t believe just how much I was actually loving it. ‘You really enjoy this, don’t you?’ asked Christina. ‘Mmmph’, I muffled with her nipple firmly in my mouth. ‘I might have to start breastfeeding you more often’, she chuckled. The thought of being breastfed regularly felt very appealing. Eventually, she removed her nipple from my mouth and put her bra back on. ‘Ready to go home?’ she asked. ‘Do we have to?’ I replied, ‘I’m actually really enjoying myself’. Christina smiled. ‘Aw that’s nice but now that you’ve been changed and fed, we need to get you back home ready for beddie bies’, she said. I groaned at the thought of leaving the park to go home and have a nap in the crib. ‘Please, can we stay just a little bit longer’, I begged. ‘No Jake’, replied Christina, ‘I don’t want you being cranky later on’ ‘I promise I won’t be’, I assured her. However, she ignored me and we began making our way back towards the car. Once again, I realised that I wouldn’t win the argument and would just have to do as I was told. Although we were leaving, I had to admit that it had actually been a fun day. When we arrived back at the house, there was a package on the doorstep. Christina picked it up and brought it into the house. After putting the picnic bag away, she began to open up the package. ‘I hope you like it’, she smiled. I watched closely as she pulled out what looked like a t-shirt except it had a long bit dangling down at the bottom. As she turned it around to show me, it had dinosaur prints all over the front. Even though it was in my size, it looked like something a toddler would wear. ‘What do you think?’ Christina asked, ‘it matches your binky’. ‘It’s great’, I replied whilst trying to work out if I liked it or not, ‘I’ve never had a dinosaur t-shirt before’. ‘You still haven’t’ she giggled, ‘this is a romper, not a t-shirt’. I was confused as to what that meant. ‘You’ll soon find out what it is’, Christina said after seeing the confusion on my face, ‘come on, let’s get you ready for bed’. I followed her upstairs and into the nursery where she began removing my clothes. Once my clothes were gone, Christina quickly checked my nappy before asking me to sit on the changing table. She then proceeded to put the dinosaur romper over my head before pulling it down to my waist. I then felt a little puzzled when I was asked to lie down. As I did, Christina pulled the bottom part of my romper underneath my nappy and over the top of it where I noticed it had poppers on it. As she began to fasten it up, I suddenly realised exactly what a romper was. I had seen babies wearing them before but never knew what they were called. I felt myself starting to blush when I realised that I was wearing a dinosaur romper with a thick nappy underneath just like a baby but it felt kind of exciting. After being helped off the changing table, I proceeded to carry out my normal bedtime routine. I hopped into the crib whilst Christina closed the curtains and wound up the mobile. As the lullabies began to play, I opened my mouth just in time to accept my dummy. I sucked hungrily on it with a big smile on my face. I had missed it a lot. ‘Have a nice nap sweetie’, Christina cooed before leaving the room. Life as a baby really wasn’t that bad. I wanted this to last forever. However, little did I know that in just a few hours, everything would change..

Welcome to Mommy Anna's Diapered Storybook! Some of you may know me from my website, diaperhypnosis.com I've decided to publish full-length diaper and regression stories, for free, as a special way of giving back to our community. I'm also recording most of these stories and posting them (full-length) on my YouTube channel, so you can hear me read them there. Mommy Emma from diaperhypnosis.com will also be recording some of these stories for YouTube. Anyway, I hope you enjoy these stories and keep being the wonderful you that you are! This is a new MDLB story, with hypnosis at the core. I haven't finished the story yet, so I'm not altogether sure which direction I will take it. The first two chapters build more slowly, so no diaper content yet (but it will come) and other ABDL elements as well are coming. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHAPTER ONE The apartment glowed with warm amber light. A pair of candles flickered in the center of the dining table, their reflections dancing across crystal glasses and polished silverware. Soft music drifted from a speaker in the corner, blending with the aroma of garlic, rosemary, and fresh-baked bread. Matt smiled as he stepped into the dining room. "Wow." His eyes swept across the table before settling on the woman standing beside it. Rachel blushed immediately. Even after nearly two years together, she still wasn't entirely comfortable being the center of attention. "You like it?" she asked. "Like it?" Matt laughed. "This looks like something out of a movie." Rachel lowered her eyes shyly. She looked very different from the quiet accounting clerk he'd met eighteen months earlier. At work, she usually wore cardigans and practical shoes, her brown hair pinned neatly back while she disappeared behind spreadsheets and financial reports. Tonight, however, she had clearly put effort into her appearance. Her dark hair fell freely around her shoulders. Her makeup was subtle but elegant. The dress she wore was far more daring than anything Matt had ever seen her wear before. He tried not to stare. Failed. Completely. Rachel noticed and smiled. A small smile. A private smile. One meant only for him. Matt felt his pulse quicken. Twenty-seven years old today, and somehow he still couldn't believe this remarkable woman had chosen him. The outgoing salesman and the quiet accountant. Nobody at work had expected them to become a couple. Least of all Matt himself. Yet here they were. Sharing a home. Building a life. Planning a future. Dinner passed pleasantly. They talked about work. About coworkers. About a vacation they wanted to take next spring. Matt told a story about a difficult client that had Rachel laughing so hard she nearly spilled her wine. Every now and then he caught her looking at him. Not the casual glance of everyday life. Something more thoughtful. More deliberate. As though she were studying him. Eventually dessert arrived. Chocolate cake. His favorite. "You're spoiling me," Matt said. "Maybe." She folded her hands together. "Actually..." Her expression shifted. A little nervous. A little excited. "I have your present." Matt grinned. "Now we're talking." Rachel stood and disappeared briefly into the bedroom. When she returned, she carried a small gift box wrapped in silver paper. A card rested neatly on top. She set it before him. "There you go." Matt reached for it immediately. Rachel sat back down. Watching. Very carefully watching. The card was simple. White. Elegant. No writing on the front. He opened it. Then blinked. "What?" Rachel said nothing. Matt looked again. The message inside read: **Happy First Birthday.** He frowned. "First birthday?" Rachel remained silent. A tiny smile touched her lips. "I'm twenty-seven." Still no answer. Matt chuckled. "Did they give you the wrong card?" "Open it all the way," Rachel said softly. Curious, he did. A tiny speaker inside activated. A few gentle musical notes began to play. Nothing dramatic. Just a simple melody. Soft. Childlike. Almost familiar. And then— Everything stopped. The music seemed to stretch impossibly long. The room vanished. The candles. The table. The sound of the city outside. Gone. Matt's thoughts disappeared as though someone had flipped a switch. One moment he was sitting at the dining room table. The next— Nothing. No confusion. No panic. No fear. Simply blankness. His eyes remained open. His body remained upright. But every thought had vanished. Across the table, Rachel watched calmly. The music continued for several seconds. Then ended. Silence returned. Matt sat perfectly still. Frozen. Expressionless. Rachel studied him carefully. "Hello, Matt." No response. Not even a blink. A slow smile spread across her face. Months of preparation. Months of planning. Months of waiting. And now— Success. She rose from her chair and walked around the table. "Matt." Nothing. She stopped beside him. "Can you hear me?" His eyes shifted toward her immediately. "Yes." The answer came in a flat, emotionless voice. Rachel's smile widened. "Good." She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. For the first time all evening, the quiet, bookish accountant seemed completely confident. Completely in control. And Matt remained motionless as she leaned down beside his ear. "Your birthday present," she whispered, "is a new beginning." His expression never changed. Yet somewhere behind those vacant eyes, a strange journey had just begun. CHAPTER TWO Rachel reached up and gently closed the card. The last note of the melody faded into silence. Matt remained perfectly still. His gaze followed her when she moved, but there was no trace of the easy confidence that usually animated him. The quick smile. The effortless charm. The constant stream of conversation. All of it was gone. For the moment, at least. Rachel took a slow breath. "I love you, Matt." His expression didn't change. "I really do." She began carefully unwrapping the silver paper from the gift box. "But there are things we've never been able to talk about." The paper crackled softly. "You always found a way to change the subject." She lifted the lid from the box. "When I brought up marriage." Inside sat a brightly colored tablet protected by a thick rubber case. "When I brought up buying a house." She removed it. "When I brought up children." The device looked more appropriate for a preschool classroom than an adult's birthday gift. Large icons. Primary colors. Rounded edges. A protective carrying handle. Rachel set it on the table and powered it on. The screen lit up. Matt watched silently. "I know you never meant to hurt me," she continued. "You'd smile and joke and tell me we had plenty of time." The tablet finished booting. "But after a while, it started feeling like you weren't avoiding the conversation." She swallowed. "It felt like you were avoiding the future." For the first time, a shadow of sadness crossed her face. "I couldn't tell whether you didn't want those things... or whether you just didn't want them with me." Matt remained motionless. Rachel looked at him for several long seconds. Then her expression hardened slightly. "So I made a decision." She propped the tablet upright in its stand. "Months ago." Her voice became calmer. More clinical. "I started working on a project." Matt's eyes stayed fixed on her. "I created a series of recordings." She tapped the screen. "Very carefully designed recordings." A small media player appeared. "They played every night while we slept." Rachel reached into her pocket and removed a pair of wireless earbuds. "I wore these." She held them up briefly. "So the recordings only reached you." Still no reaction. "At first they were simple." She put one earbud into her left ear. "Relaxation." The second followed. "Focus." A faint smile touched her lips. "Trust." She adjusted the fit. "And eventually..." Her eyes met his. "...obedience." Matt stared blankly ahead. Rachel wasn't speaking with triumph. Nor guilt. Only certainty. "As time passed, the recordings became more sophisticated." She sat back down across from him. "They taught you to listen carefully when I spoke." "They taught you to accept suggestions." "They established triggers." Her finger rested on the tablet's play button. "And they prepared you for today." The room seemed unusually quiet. Only the faint hum of the refrigerator could be heard. Rachel leaned forward slightly. "Matt." "Yes." "Look at the tablet." Immediately, his gaze shifted. The screen reflected in his eyes. "Keep your eyes on the screen." "Yes." "Do not look away until I tell you." "Yes." Rachel nodded. The response had come instantly. Automatically. She watched him for a moment. Testing. Evaluating. Then she seemed satisfied. A small breath escaped her. Months of work. Months of uncertainty. And now she was finally here. She folded her hands together. "Good." The tablet displayed a colorful title screen waiting to begin. Animated shapes drifted lazily across the display. Simple. Bright. Childlike. Rachel looked at Matt one last time. His attention never wavered from the screen. "It is time," she said quietly, "for your new beginning." Then she pressed play. The screen flashed. Music began. And Matt's eyes remained locked on the glowing display as the first images appeared.

Thank you everyone for being patient with me while I figured out the next part of the story. Here is the next part of Jake's journey. Enjoy! Chapter 16 – Supermarket Surprise As I opened my eyes the next morning, the first thing I saw were the familiar bars of the crib. It almost felt natural to sleep in a crib now and I wondered if I actually wanted to sleep in a normal bed again. The morning sunlight poured in through the crack in the curtains. After adjusting my eyes, I felt the recognisable urge to pee that I had every morning. However, as I sat up in the crib, I suddenly felt a warm sensation in my nappy. It was a very strange feeling. I instantly knew that I was peeing but I barely seemed to have any control over it. I’d only had a few seconds warning before my bladder had decided to take charge and begin the peeing process. As I finished wetting myself, I felt slightly nervous at the possibility that I was starting to lose control over my bladder. Being in nappies for this long had made my body very lazy and I worried that I might actually need to wear nappies out of necessity. Like every morning, Christina came into the nursery not long afterwards. ‘Morning cutie pie’, she beamed as she opened the curtains and allowed the sunlight to pour in. ‘Morning’, I replied whilst adjusting to my wet nappy. Christina came over and let down the side of the crib. I got up onto my knees where Christina embraced me in her arms. I hugged her back and allowed my face to rest in the middle of her chest where her breasts were slightly poking out of the top. I felt her beginning to feel around the front of my nappy. ‘Aw I think we’re a little bit wet’, cooed Christina. I was barely paying any attention to her and was more excited about being this close to her breasts again. I felt myself getting a small erection inside of my nappy as I began remembering what it had felt like to be breastfed. ‘No poo poo this morning’, Christina confirmed as she pulled open the back of my nappy and peered inside. After hearing her say that, I instantly lost my erection and was reminded of my babyish status once again. Christina helped me out of the crib and led me over to the changing table where she began undoing my nappy. As she opened it up, she smiled. ‘Look at all of that wee wee’, she giggled. I thought about telling her about my fear that I was losing control of my bladder but it was still something that I was trying to come to terms with myself. As Christina began cleaning me, she looked up. ‘We’re off on a little outing this morning’, she said, ‘then your Mummy will be here this afternoon’. ‘Where are we going?’ I replied nervously. ‘Don’t panic’, she giggled after seeing my concerned face, ‘I just need to pop to the supermarket to do some food shopping. If you’re going to be living her for a bit then we’re going to need some food’. I had learnt by now not to argue back. Whatever Christina said was happening, I would just have to go along with it. I wasn’t keen on going out wearing a nappy but at this point I wasn’t sure that I even had a choice. After being fed some cereal and getting dressed, we began our car journey towards the supermarket. It wasn’t long before we arrived. However, as we pulled up, a look of horror appeared on my face. ‘Why are we here?’ I gasped. ‘What do you mean?’ smiled Christina, ‘this is the supermarket’. ‘I know but…this is where I work’, I replied nervously. ‘Well, you’re not working today so what’s the problem?’ chuckled Christina. I wasn’t laughing. ‘Someone I know might see me’, I said. ‘Most probably’, replied Christina, ‘nobody can see your nappy if that’s what you’re worried about’. As we stepped out of the car, I took a deep breath and headed into the supermarket. Christina pulled out a shopping trolley and wheeled it over. She glanced into the child seat and smiled. ‘You’re lucky’, she giggled, ‘I don’t think that you’ll fit in there’. I wasn’t in the mood for jokes and wanted this to be over as quickly as possible. We began walking around when suddenly we stopped. ‘Hold onto the trolley please Jake’, said Christina. ‘Why?’ I replied. ‘I don’t want you getting lost’, she replied and picked up my hand before placing over the handlebar of the trolley. I wasn’t going to get lost but I was too self-conscious about my nappy to even care. I walked around the supermarket with Christina as she placed various food and drink into the trolley. As we walked down the ‘cake’ aisle, we stopped moving. ‘Oh my goodness’, exclaimed Christina excitedly, ‘look Jake’. She bent down and picked up a small box. As she showed it to me, I could see that they were cookies in the shape of Bluey characters. ‘Look how awesome these look’, beamed Christina, ‘Bluey, your favourite’. I blushed and quickly looked around to make sure nobody had heard her. Christina placed them into the trolley and we continued shopping. After what seemed like an eternity, we finally finished and headed over to the checkout. However, as we began placing out items on the conveyor belt, I heard a familiar voice. ‘Hi Jake’, said the voice. As I looked up, it was my work friend, Samantha. She was the same age as me and she was one of my closest work friends. Samantha had long blonde hair and bright blue eyes. To say she was attractive was an understatement. ‘Hi’, I replied nervously. ‘How are you enjoying your time off?’ she asked, ‘have you been up to much?’ ‘Oh you know…this and that’, I replied. Samantha looked up at Christina and I could tell that she was wondering who she was. ‘This is…erm…my…um’, I began to panic. ‘I’m his Auntie Christina’, said Christina calmly. ‘Nice to meet you’, smiled Samantha. ‘Nice to meet you to dear’, replied Christina. I quickly made my way to the other end of the checkout and began packing the shopping bags after each item was scanned. Suddenly, my eyes widened in fear as I saw the Bluey cookies being scanned. ‘Those aren’t for me’, I quickly blurted out. Samantha stopped scanning and looked up at me, ‘sorry?’ ‘What I mean is um…my Auntie has a baby niece and…erm…never mind’, I could feel myself blushing with embarrassment. Christina couldn’t help but chuckle at my awkwardness. After all of the items were scanned, I quickly turned my back to the two women. I leant into the trolley and pretended to be sorting out the shopping bags to avoid anymore embarrassment. ‘Jake?’ I suddenly heard Christina say. I turned around, ‘yes?’ ‘You might want to pull your shorts up a little bit buddy’, she whispered. As I looked down, I was horrified to see that my nappy was poking out of the top of my shorts. After leaning into the trolley, my shorts had fallen down slightly. I quickly pulled up my shorts as fast as I could and pulled down my t-shirt as far as it would go. I could see a look of confusion on Samanthas face. ‘Had she seen it?’ I wondered, ‘does she know that I’m wearing a nappy?’ Christina finished paying before heading over to me. As the next customer began unloading their items, Samantha took one last glance at me. ‘Bye Jake’, she smiled. ‘Bye’, I said nervously and walked quickly away. After reaching the car, I quickly hopped in whilst Christina loaded the shopping and returned the trolley. She then returned and sat inside the car. ‘That was awful’, I exclaimed with my head in my hands. ‘It was a little bit awkward’, chuckled Christina. ‘Do you think Samantha saw my nappy?’ I asked in a panicked voice. ‘I think you’ll be fine’, Christina assured me. ‘I really hope she didn’t see it’, I said anxiously. Christina smiled, ‘do you like her, Jake? ‘What do you mean?’ I asked. ‘I mean, do you like her?’ Christina repeated, ‘she’s a very pretty girl’. I could feel myself blushing again. ‘Oh…I don’t know…I mean…she’s pretty but…I…erm’, I could barely get any words out. Christina reached into her bag and pulled out my dummy which she promptly placed into my mouth. ‘Is that better?’ she giggled. I instantly felt my brain begin to relax along with my body. I nodded in agreement. ‘Good boy’, cooed Christina as we began to drive home. I sucked gently on my dummy as we drove along the road and began thinking about what Christina had asked. I had always had a crush on Samantha but had never found the courage to ask her out. It felt slightly surreal thinking about dating Samantha whilst sat in the car wearing a nappy and sucking on a dummy. As we pulled up outside the house, I noticed a familiar car parked on the road. It was my mother’s car. After Christina parked up, I saw my mother get out of her car and walk over. As Christina got out of the car, my mother opened up my door. ‘There’s my little guy’, she smiled. She leant in and undid my seat belt before giving me a hug. I awkwardly hugged her back with the dummy still in my mouth. ‘I wasn’t expecting you here so early’, said Christina. ‘Sorry’, my mother apologised, ‘but I just couldn’t wait to show you all of the things I’ve bought’. I wondered what she was talking about. As we headed into the house, I was about to find out.

CHAPTER 2 Jacob waited until the sink faucet squeaked off and Lana’s bedroom door clicked shut before he dared to move. The diaper crinkled obscenely as he sat up, the sound magnified in the quiet room. He peeled back the sheets with careful slowness, half-expecting Lana to burst back in at the noise, but the house stayed silent save for the hum of the fridge downstairs. The dryer light was still on when he padded barefoot into the laundry room, the warmth hitting him like a breath. His pajamas sat folded on top of the stack—or at least, what *used* to be his pajamas. The fabric felt oddly stiff as he shook them out, the cotton tighter than he remembered. He tugged the pants up his legs, wincing as the waistband strained over the bulk of the diaper. The hem stopped a full inch above his ankles, the fabric pulling taut across his thighs with every step. Lana must have washed them with the sheets. The shirt was worse. The sleeves rode up past his wrists, the hem barely skimming the top of the diaper’s waistband. Jacob twisted in front of the smudged mirror above the dryer, his reflection warped by age and humidity. The diaper peeked out beneath the shrunken shirt like some shameful secret, the plastic gleaming under the fluorescent light. He tugged at the hem uselessly, but it sprang back, revealing the telltale tapes at his hips. A floorboard creaked overhead. Jacob froze, hands still clutching the too-small shirt. Lana’s footsteps moved across the ceiling—pausing, just for a beat, right above the laundry room. His pulse hammered in his throat as he imagined her standing there, ear cocked, listening for the rustle of plastic. But then the footsteps continued, fading toward her bedroom. Jacob exhaled shakily and reached for the doorknob. The hallway was dark, the only light spilling from under Lana’s door. Jacob crept past it on bare feet, the diaper whispering against the inside of the shrunken pajama pants with every step. He was almost to his room when the floor groaned under his weight—a sharp, splintering sound that seemed to echo through the entire house. Lana's door swung open with a theatrical creak just as Jacob froze mid-step, the diaper crinkling like a live microphone in the silent hallway. Golden light spilled around her silhouette, illuminating the absurdity of his shrunken pajamas clinging to his frame—the pants straining over the diaper's bulk, the shirt riding up to expose the plastic waistband like some tragic midriff trend. Her hand flew to her mouth, but not fast enough to smother the snort that escaped. "Oh my god, Jacob," she gasped between barely-contained giggles, leaning against the doorframe for support. Her robe gaped slightly with the motion, revealing the damp tendrils of hair clinging to her collarbone. "I am *so* sorry—I didn't realize your jammies were in with the sheets." She bit her lower lip, the effort to maintain a straight face making her shoulders shake. "You look like a teenager who outgrew his clothes overnight but his mom hasn't noticed yet." Jacob's face burned hotter than the laundry room dryer. He crossed his arms over his exposed midsection, the diaper's waistband digging into his ribs. "It's not funny," he muttered, but the way his voice cracked undermined the protest. Lana wiped imaginary tears from her eyes, her laughter subsiding into occasional hiccups. "Oh, sweetheart, it's *a little* funny." She reached out to pinch the sleeve of his shirt, stretching the fabric until the seam groaned. "Remember when you were twelve and refused to admit you'd outgrown your dinosaur pajamas? You wore them until the feet ripped open." Her thumb brushed his elbow—fond, familiar—before letting go. "You'll be fine wearing them tonight." Jacob hesitated at the bathroom door, fingers hovering over the diaper’s tapes. The plastic was already warm from his body heat, the padding pressing insistently against him in a way that made his stomach twist. He just needed to peel it off—just for a second—to prove he could still use the toilet like a normal person. Jacob exhaled sharply through his nose as Lana’s knuckles rapped against the bathroom door. “Don’t forget to brush your teeth,” she called, her voice muffled through the wood. The doorknob jiggled—testing, not turning—and Jacob’s fingers spasmed against the diaper’s tapes. “And please try to use the potty like a big boy,” she added, the mocking request landing like a stone in his stomach. He stared at his reflection—flushed cheeks, shrunken pajamas, the diaper’s waistband peeking above his waistline—and gritted his teeth. He pulled his tight pajama bottoms down and wondered what to do. The tapes refused to budge and started to rip the plastic when he peeled the left one back. Jacob exhaled through his nose and hooked his thumbs under the diaper's waistband, wincing as the tapes strained against his hips. He tugged downward in slow increments—left side first, then right—the plastic resisting like a too-tight bandage. Cold air hit his thighs as the padding slid halfway down, the sudden exposure making his stomach flip. He aimed carefully, shoulders tense, listening for the faint patter against porcelain. The stream was pitiful—barely more than a trickle—and cut off abruptly while his bladder still ached. He gritted his teeth, willing more out, but his body refused to cooperate. The diaper sagged awkwardly as he pulled it back up, the tapes loosened from his fumbling. One side gaped slightly, the adhesive weakened. Jacob hesitated, running a finger along the wrinkled plastic. *Probably fine,* he thought, yanking his shrunken pajama pants over the bulk. The fabric stretched obscenely across the diaper's outline, the waistband digging into his hips. He flushed the toilet without looking—half-expecting Lana to burst in and check—then shuffled toward the sink. Toothpaste foamed pink in the bowl as he spat, the mint doing nothing to cut through the baby powder clinging to his palate. The diaper shifted under his pajamas with every movement, the loosened side slipping incrementally lower. He tugged at his waistband instinctively, but the damage was done—the tapes had lost some of their grip, the plastic whispering against his thighs with every step. The bedroom door clicked shut behind Jacob with a soft finality that made his shoulders sag. He stood there for a long moment, fingers still curled around the knob, the diaper shifting subtly beneath his too-tight pajamas. The faint crinkling sounded deafening in the silence—a humiliating reminder of the absurdity of the last few hours He exhaled sharply through his nose and let go of the door, padding across the room on stiff legs. The mattress groaned as he collapsed onto it, the diaper puffing up around his hips in a way that made his stomach twist. He stared at the ceiling fan’s lazy rotation, counting the uneven clicks between rotations as if they might somehow order the chaos in his head. *Overreacting.* That’s all this was. Lana had always been dramatic—like the time she’d threatened to donate all his video games when he failed algebra, or when she’d made him wear a “I forgot to do my chores” sign to school for a week after neglecting the dishes when he was in grade school. This was just another one of her exaggerated power plays. A few dry nights, maybe a grudging apology for being lazy promising to correct himself and they’d never speak of it again. Outside, a car door slammed—probably Amanda returning from some late-night errand. Jacob pictured her balancing grocery bags while Tommy slept in his car seat, probably not even wearing a pull-up at this point. The thought made his jaw clench. Jacob rolled onto his side, the diaper rustling like a bag of chips under his weight. The shrunken pajama pants dug into his waist, the elastic leaving indent marks on his skin. He hooked a thumb under the waistband, tugging futilely at the fabric, but it sprang back with a quiet snap. The motion made the diaper shift again, the loosened tape on one side peeling away slightly with a sound like Velcro giving up. Jacob melted into his mattress. The last thing Jacob remembered was the ceiling fan's hypnotic wobble—three slow rotations, then a click, then three more—before exhaustion dragged him under. Sunlight stabbed through the curtains like a knife, slicing across his face. Jacob groaned, rolling away from the assault—only to freeze as cold wetness seeped up his side. The sheets clung to his hip, soaked through. His stomach dropped before his brain even registered the telltale crinkle between his legs. *No. No no no—* He bolted upright, the diaper sagging heavily against his thighs. The one tape had held—barely—but the other came loose, warm liquid seeping through the leg gathers onto the mattress. A dark stain spread beneath him, the outline unmistakable. Jacob's breath came in shallow bursts as he peeled the diaper away, the wet padding peeling off his skin with a sound that made his ears burn. Down the hall, the shower had been running and just shut off—Lana’s morning ritual. The pipes groaned like old bones. Jacob stared at the sodden mess in his hands, the reality crashing over him: *He’d slept through it. Entirely.* No frantic half-awake scramble to the bathroom, no hazy memory of stumbling to the toilet. Just... nothing. Jacob lunged for the sheets, fingers scrabbling at the damp fabric like he could somehow erase the evidence through sheer force. The mattress squeaked as he yanked them free, the wet patch glistening under the morning light—too big, too obvious. His pulse hammered in his throat as he balled them up, shoving the incriminating bundle into the hamper with a choked sound halfway between a groan and a whimper. Then his bladder twinged, a sharp reminder that panic hadn’t canceled basic biology. He spun toward the bathroom, the diaper drooping with each frantic step. The first stride tore the left side completely; the right gave way mid-step, sending the sodden padding slithering down his thigh to puddle around his ankles. He stumbled, pinwheeling arms catching the doorframe just in time to avoid face-planting onto the tiles. The toilet seat was cold against his bare skin as he collapsed onto it, legs splayed around the ruined diaper crumpled on the floor. His stream hit the water with a shaky, uneven patter—too late, too little. He dropped his head into his hands, fingers tangling in his hair. The scent of baby powder and stale urine clung to him, mingling with the sharp tang of his own sweat. Jacob barely had time to kick the ruined diaper under the sink before he opened the bathroom door to see Lana, arms crossed and a look that could melt a glacier. She stood there, robe cinched tight, her damp hair dripping onto the tiles. Her gaze locked onto Jacob's bare thighs, then flicked to the pajama pants clutched in his white-knuckled grip. The silence stretched three heartbeats too long. "You," she said, voice dangerously quiet, "are unbelievable." Her bare foot tapped against the floor—once, twice—before she strode forward and yanked his wet overnight briefs from under the cabinet open. The diaper slid into view like a damning piece of evidence, the swollen padding sagging pathetically. Lana made a sound halfway between a scoff and a growl. Jacob's throat clicked as he tried to speak, but Lana was already grabbing his elbow, her fingers digging in as she marched him towards his bed. The diaper crinkled in her other hand like an accusation. "I told you," she hissed, shoving him towards his wet mattress so hard he stumbled over the rumpled sheets. He scrambled backward onto the bed, pajama pants still tangled in his hands, as Lana loomed over him with the diaper dangling from her fingertips. The morning light caught the wet stain spreading across the front, making it glisten obscenely. Her nostrils flared. "Did you even *try* to use the toilet last night?" Jacob opened his mouth—to lie, to beg, he wasn't sure—but Lana cut him off with a sharp gesture. "Don't." She tossed the soiled diaper onto the floor with a wet splat and reached for the package on his dresser. She took out a diaper with expert precision. "Arms up." Lana's fingers hooked under the hem of Jacob's damp shirt before he could react. The fabric stretched tight—too tight—as she yanked it upward, the seams pulling like they might rip apart. Jacob's arms flailed instinctively, elbows knocking against hers as the shirt peeled away with a sound like tape ripping off skin. Morning air from the open window hit his bare chest like a slap, raising goosebumps across his ribs. Lana must have wanted to air out the smell and lifted it when he was in the washroom. He was now completely bare, once again, lying down with his stepmom hovering over him. Lana dropped the shirt onto the wet sheets with deliberate carelessness, her gaze raking over Jacob's exposed torso. "Look at you," she muttered, shaking her head. Her damp hair again clinging to the collar of her robe, the scent of flowery shampoo clashing with the sweet smell of baby powder. "Eighteen years old and I have to dress you like an infant." She pinched the diaper's waistband between two fingers, giving it a sharp tug that made Jacob's breath hitch. "Guess that's appropriate, huh? Since you're clearly regressing and peed the bed AGAIN." Jacob's throat clicked as he swallowed. His member twitched again, not trying to understand why as much as try to ignore it. Lana's nails scraped his hipbone and traced along his waist, her exhale hot against his collarbone. "Pathetic," she whispered, more to herself than to him. She started rustling the diaper to get it ready for Jacob and he decided not to argue about what he knew was going to come next. Jacob squeezed his eyes shut, but Lana's laughter forced them open again—a sharp, humorless sound that didn't reach her eyes. "Oh, don't give me that face," she chided, tapping his bare thigh with the new, fresh diaper. "These will have to do for today," She shook the diaper one last time and lifted his legs, "These pharmacy diapers just won't do." Lana's fingers dug into Jacob's hips as she rolled him onto his side with practiced efficiency, the cold air hitting his bare skin making him shiver. The fresh diaper crinkled ominously as she slid it beneath him, her nails scraping his thigh just hard enough to leave faint red marks. "You know the rules," she murmured, shaking baby powder over him with exaggerated care. The white cloud puffed around his groin, settling into the creases of his thighs with embarrassing precision. "A wet diaper at night means diapers during the day. And the wet sheets, well... you'll see." Jacob's breath hitched as she smoothed the powder into his skin, her fingers brushing dangerously close to where he was trying desperately not to react. Lana chuckled low in her throat—a sound that vibrated through his ribs—and tapped his inner thigh. "So tense," she mused, snapping the front of the diaper up between his legs with a sharp flick of her wrist. "Relax, sweetheart. Unless you want me to think you're enjoying this?" The first tape sealed with a crisp *rrrip*, the adhesive biting into his hipbone as she pulled it snug. He squeezed his eyes shut, but that only seemed to amuse her more. Her breath ghosted over his ear as she leaned in to fasten the second side. "You know," she murmured, her manicured nail making him twitch, "Tommy's officially been dry at night for two weeks now." The diaper's plastic rustled as she gave it a final pat, the sound obscenely loud in the quiet room. "And he's *three*." Jacob barely had time to process the humiliation before Lana surprised him by grabbing *another* diaper from the package, shaking it out with a crisp snap. "Wha—" His protest died as she layered it over the first, doubling the thickness between his legs with clinical detachment. The extra padding pressed against him with unmistakable bulk, the crinkling now unmistakable with every slight shift. "Insurance," Lana said briskly, dusting another round of powder between the layers. The scent of baby powder clung thickly to the air now, cloying and infantilizing. She smoothed the second diaper's gathers with methodical precision, her fingers lingering just a beat too long at the inner seams. "One diaper wasn't enough last night, so why should I trust one would be good enough for this morning?" The tapes sealed with deliberate slowness this time, each *rrrip* punctuated by her quiet exhale. Lana patted the doubled diaper’s front with a satisfied smack, the plastic crinkling obscenely loud under her palm. "There we go," she cooed, dragging her fingers along the waistband in a way that made Jacob’s skin prickle. "Such a good boy for Mommy." The words landed like a branding iron, searing straight through his chest. She straightened up, brushing powder from her robe as she surveyed him—bare-chested, legs splayed around the absurd bulk of his diapers. "Now let’s find you something… suitable to wear." She turned toward his closet with a sway in her step that felt deliberate, the robe’s belt swinging like a pendulum counting down his humiliation. Jacob watched, frozen, as she yanked the door open with a force that made the hangers rattle. Her fingers skipped past his hoodies, his graphic tees, even the button-down he’d worn to his cousin’s wedding last summer—zeroing in on a faded navy blue shirt shoved to the back. "Ah," she breathed, pulling it free with a flourish. The fabric stretched tight between her fists, the seams straining. "Remember this?" Jacob’s stomach dropped. An eighth-grade field trip shirt—the one that had been tight even then. Lana shook it out, the sleeves looking short and clearly made for a thirteen-year-old. "Perfect," she murmured, holding it up to Jacob’s shoulders. The hem would barely graze his navel now. "Lana—" His protest died as she tugged the shirt over his head without waiting for compliance. The collar caught on his chin, the fabric stretching tight across his shoulders as she wrestled it down. Cotton strained slightly against his biceps, the sleeves stretching just slightly longer than his pajama shirt. Jacob gasped as the hem rode up, exposing a strip of pale belly—and the stark white waistband of his diapers. Lana stepped back, lips pursed in appraisal. "Adorable," she declared, adjusting the neckline until it choked his Adam’s apple. The shirt clung to every contour of his torso, the V of the collar gaping to reveal his collarbones. She smoothed her hands down his arms, fingertips catching on the raised seams. "Still fits," she lied cheerfully, pinching the sleeve where it dug into his bicep. Lana's fingers dug into Jacob's biceps as she hauled him upright, the doubled diapers crinkling obscenely under the stretched hem of his old shirt. "Up," she ordered, her voice sharp as a snapped rubber band. Jacob staggered to his feet, the diaper bulk forcing his thighs apart in an awkward waddle. Cold air rushed over his exposed legs—wait, *exposed*— "Pants," he blurted, grabbing at the waistband of his diaper as if it could somehow preserve his dignity. "I need—" Lana's laugh cut through his protest like shears through tissue paper. She swept a hand toward his bare thighs, the diaper's plastic gleaming under the morning light. "I think I'd rather keep a close eye on it," Her manicured nail tapped the swollen padding where it peeked beneath his shirt. "No pants today, sweetheart. Now *move*." Jacob's face burned as she propelled him toward the door, the diapers whispering with every step. His toes curled against the hardwood, hyperaware of the way the floorboards creaked under his unsteady gait. Halfway down the hall, a draft from the vent licked up his bare legs, raising goosebumps beneath the diaper's waistband.

And the story continues! Now that Rachel has used the birthday card trigger and Matt has had his first accident, what is the next step in Rachel's plan? --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHAPTER THREE The colorful animation on the tablet screen swirled and danced, Rachel’s soothing voice weaving through layers of gentle suggestions. Time slipped away unnoticed. Matt blinked. He lifted his head from the screen as though only a few seconds had passed. The candles on the dining table had burned significantly lower, and the soft background music had long since stopped. An odd, heavy fog lingered in his mind, but it felt distant—like a dream already fading. His stomach twisted with a sudden, desperate pressure. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair, then looked toward Rachel with wide eyes. “I… I really hafta to go potty,” he said, the word slipping out before he could catch it. His face flushed with momentary confusion. Rachel’s expression remained calm and understanding, a small smile playing at her lips. Matt stood up quickly, the urgency building fast. He hurried toward the hallway bathroom, his steps clumsy. Halfway there the pressure became overwhelming. A hot rush escaped before he could stop it, soaking through his underwear and dress pants in a humiliating flood. He froze in the bathroom doorway, staring down in shock. “No… no, no,” he whispered, his voice cracking. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes. The confident salesman who had laughed through difficult clients now stood trembling, wet and ashamed. Rachel appeared behind him almost immediately, her presence gentle rather than startled. “Oh, sweetie,” she said softly, placing a comforting hand on his back. “It’s okay. Accidents happen. It’s not your fault.” Matt’s shoulders shook as embarrassment washed over him. “I didn’t… I couldn’t make it,” he mumbled, voice small. Rachel turned him gently toward her and wiped a tear from his cheek with her thumb. “Shhh. It’s alright, baby. These things take time to adjust. Now, take off those wet clothes right here in the bathroom and hop in the shower. Get yourself nice and clean. Then put on your jammies, okay?” Matt nodded, still sniffling, though the word “jammies” felt strangely out of place. He didn’t own pajamas. He slept in boxers and old t-shirts. But the instruction settled heavily in his mind, reinforced by months of hidden programming. He didn’t question it further. Rachel left him to clean up, closing the bathroom door with a quiet click. The warm shower helped wash away the physical mess, but the emotional confusion remained. When he stepped out and dried off, he padded into the bedroom, still slightly dazed. Laid out neatly on the bed was a set of pajamas he had never seen before. They were brightly colored with cartoon dinosaurs and smiling stars printed across soft, thick fabric. The top had snaps along the front and the pants featured an elastic waist with little grippy feet attached. Clearly designed for a much younger child, though sized to fit an adult. Matt paused, staring at them. A flicker of resistance stirred in his chest. This was ridiculous. Why were these here? Why did part of him feel like he should just... From the living room, Rachel’s voice called out, warm but firm. “Matt? Don’t dawdle, sweetheart. Put your jammies on like I told you.” A sudden spike of nervousness shot through him. The idea of disappointing her felt strangely terrifying, like an itch he needed to scratch immediately. His hands moved almost on their own. “Yes,” he answered quickly, scrambling to pull on the juvenile pajamas. The soft material felt oddly comforting against his skin despite how silly he looked. The snaps closed easily up the front. The footed pants hugged his legs snugly. Once dressed, he took a deep breath and headed back toward the living room, the padded feet of the pajamas making soft shuffling sounds on the hardwood floor. Rachel was waiting on the couch, the tablet now resting on the coffee table beside her. She looked up as he entered, her eyes sweeping over him with obvious approval and affection. “There’s my good boy,” she said gently, patting the cushion beside her. “Come sit with me.” Matt hesitated for only a second before obeying, the lingering fog in his mind making everything feel softer, simpler… and strangely safe. CHAPTER FOUR Matt settled onto the couch beside Rachel, the soft fabric of his new jammies rustling quietly. The cartoon dinosaurs and stars seemed to smile up at him from the material, and he felt strangely small under her gentle gaze. “Come here, sweetie,” Rachel cooed, her voice warm and inviting. She patted her lap. “Lay down with your head right here, baby. Let me take care of you.” Something deep inside Matt responded instantly to the word. He hesitated only a moment before stretching out along the couch, resting his head carefully in her lap. The position felt both unfamiliar and perfectly natural, like slipping into a dream he’d already been prepared for. Rachel smiled down at him, her fingers immediately threading through his dark hair in slow, soothing strokes. Her other hand rested lightly on his back, then drifted lower to pat his padded bottom with affectionate little taps. “There we go,” she murmured. “Such a good boy.” Matt’s eyes fluttered half-closed. The gentle rhythm of her touch, combined with the lingering haze in his mind, made everything feel soft and distant. The embarrassment from the accident still lingered, but her voice pushed it further away with every word. “About that little accident earlier,” she said sweetly, continuing to stroke his hair. “Don’t you worry one bit, baby. It’s perfectly okay. These things happen when you’re learning. I'm not mad at all. In fact, I’m very proud of how honest you were with me.” He let out a small, contented sigh, his body growing heavier against her. “You look so cute in your jammies,” Rachel continued, her tone bright and loving. She gave his bottom another gentle pat. “All snuggly and ready for bedtime stories. And you were such an obedient boy, putting them on right away when I asked. That makes me very happy.” Matt’s cheeks warmed, but the praise settled over him like a soft blanket. A deep submissive calm washed through his chest. His breathing slowed. His limbs felt heavy and relaxed. The confident salesman was nowhere to be found. Only this quiet, drowsy boy resting in her lap. Rachel kept running her fingers through his hair, occasionally tracing small circles on his temple. “I have a special show for you tonight, sweetie,” she whispered. “Something very nice on your new tablet. It’s going to help you feel even better.” She eased herself out from under him with careful movements, guiding his head onto a pillow so he remained comfortably stretched out on the couch. “Stay right there, baby. Just keep your eyes on the tablet. I'm going to make it nice and easy for you.” Rachel propped the colorful children’s tablet on the coffee table, angling the screen perfectly toward his face. The bright display glowed invitingly. She slipped her wireless earbuds back into her ears, protecting herself once more, then reached forward and tapped the screen. “Watch closely now,” she said softly. The tablet came to life with a burst of pretty, swirling colors. Gentle spirals of pastel pink, blue, and yellow that twisted and flowed across the screen like living candy. Cheerful, hypnotic music drifted from the speakers, layered with Rachel’s own recorded voice speaking in slow, rhythmic tones. Matt’s eyes locked onto the swirling patterns immediately. The pretty colors pulled him in, deeper and deeper, dissolving what little resistance remained. His mouth parted slightly. His breathing grew even slower. Rachel stood across from him, watching with quiet satisfaction as the video worked its magic once again. “That’s it, my sweet baby,” she whispered. “Just watch the pretty swirls. Let everything else drift away.” The living room faded around him. Only the tablet existed, with its colors, its music, and Rachel's voice guiding him further into his new beginning.

I'm pleased to announce that are forums are now presented in part by the good folks at NorthShore Care Supply. A long-time sponsor, Northshore has stepped up to cover the costs of renewing our forum software license for the next year. Please keep them in mind for all your diaper and continence care needs! https://www.northshorecare.com/

A quick note before the story: I'm mostly a visual artist, and for years I've been more of a lurker here than a writer, But this story has been living in my head for a long time, and I finally decided it was time to share it. While Abi isn't exactly me, she's loosely inspired by who I was at that age, along with bits and pieces of my own memories and experiences. June Gloom is my first attempt at sharing a longer story, and I'm excited (and a little nervous) to finally put it out there. Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you enjoy the story. June Gloom Part 1: Mornings like these. The June gloom came heavy that morning. Outside her apartment window, the coastal town of Westbridge looked like it had been erased. Fog clung onto the narrow streets like a damp sheet, softening the usual sounds of seagulls and passing cars. The sky was a blanket of grey, the kind of muted morning that could trick you into thinking summer was still months away. Up on the third floor, in apartment 3B, the light was still pale and grey, barely touching the faded lavender walls and all the posters scattered across it. Abi Gonzales, age ten and a quarter, laid tangled in her sheets, limbs askew, with one arm particularly in danger of dangling off the bed. Her brown hair splayed across the pillow like a wild storm cloud, messy and uncooperative. She had fallen asleep wearing her favorite pajamas: pale pink Hello Kitty Faces, soft from a hundred washes. She stirred slowly in bed, still partly inside her dream. She had been hiking the hills above westbridge with her cousin Mia, weaving through trails full of wild flowers and wind bent trees. She’d been laughing, happy, at peace. Until now Her face twisted as she turned onto her side. Cold, Damp, Heavy. Abi's eyes snapped open. She didn't need to look, she already knew. The familiar scent hit her first: salty air from the cracked window, a faint trace of her strawberry shampoo, and that other smell; faint and sour, the one that always came with mornings like these. Her throat tightened, swallowing hard against the sudden knot of panic She lay there for a moment, frozen. Then, slowly, miserably, she sat up and pushed the blanket aside. The pale pink fabric of her Hello Kitty pajamas was soaked, and clinging uncomfortably to her skin, heavy and damp. The sheets beneath her were darkened and wet clear through to a mattress protector that was barely holding on. Abi froze. Her heart dropped, her face tightened as the full weight of it hit her. This wasn’t just a little leak. This wasn’t even a "quietly throw the pull-up away and change the sheets before Mom wakes up" kind of accident. It was a full blown disaster. “No, no, no,” she whispered, her voice cracking. Her eyes filled before she could stop them. “Why me...” The tears spilled over her cheeks as she slowly sat up, legs sticking uncomfortably to the soaked pajamas. She took a deep breath and looked down at herself, the fabric clinging coldly to her skin. Even her shirt had gotten wet well above the hem. Her pajamas were ruined. The worst part wasn't even the mess. It was the shame, that deep, gnawing feeling in her chest. The quiet voice that whispered you’re too old for this. When will you stop. You’re such a baby. She hated it. She hated waking up this way. She’d been doing so well too. In May, she’d made it a whole week without a single accident, her longest streak in ages. She’d let herself believe things were getting better. That maybe, finally, this part of her childhood was over. But now this. Worse than any accident she could remember in years. She sobbed small, hiccuping cries, her fists clenched, face red with frustration. Angry at herself. Ashamed. And unsure what to do next. “Abi?” her mom’s voice broke the thick silence of the room, gentle but with a hint of concern. “Sweetie, are you up?” Abi didn't answer, she just turned her face away from the door too ashamed to answer. The door opened slowly, and her mother, tall and tired eyed, wearing an old green sweater and fuzzy socks stepped in, coffee mug in hand. It didnt take a detective to figure out what had happened. One glance at the bed told her everything. “Oh, honey…” she said gently, setting the mug on the dresser and crossing the room. “Bad dream?” Abi didn't look up. “I didn't mean to,” she mumbled through her tears, wiping her nose on her sleeve. “I was just sleeping. I didn't even feel it…I don't know what happened…” “I know, baby,” her mom said softly, carefully sitting on the dry edge of the bed, and brushing Abi’s long bangs from her forehead. “It's okay… Accidents happen.” “I ruined everything,” Abi whispered, with tears welling up in the corners of her eyes again. “The sheets, the bed, my pajamas…It’s all so gross, I hate it!” “I know it feels that way, but it's really not that bad…it's just a little extra laundry” her mom said, giving her a little squeeze on the shoulder. Abi sniffed, unconvinced. “Come on,” her mom said gently, “go jump in the shower, and I’ll help strip the bed” Abi gave a weak nod and sat up slowly, a shiver running through her as the cool air hit her skin. Shame prickled at the back of her neck, she kept her eyes fixed on the floor, unable to meet her mom’s gaze. The soaked pajamas clung to her legs, and the sagging pull-up bunched awkwardly between her thighs, forcing her into a stiff, waddling step as she made her way down the hall. The small bathroom, with its leaky sink and old blue tiles, was chilly and dim in the early morning light. She stepped inside, flinching at the cold floor beneath her bare feet. For a moment, she just stood there, arms wrapped tightly around herself. With a quiet breath, she slid down her pajama pants, then reached for the pull-up. Heavy and wet, its insides swollen and useless. She stared at it for a second, her throat tightening. It didn’t even work, she thought bitterly. It was supposed to stop this, to stop the mess, to make her feel less awful in the morning. But it hadn’t. It had leaked everywhere, just like it had been doing more and more lately. Now she was just soaked and humiliated. She let it drop to the floor with a wet thud, like something defeated. Like herself. Tears began to pool in the corners of her eyes. Blinking fast, she stepped into the shower and pulled the curtain closed behind her.

Chapter 19 – Road to Incontinence ‘What are you talking about?’ I asked as I took the dummy out of my mouth. ‘Well’, said Christina who was looking slightly uncomfortable, ‘we know that you didn’t mind me…breastfeeding you’. I felt myself blushing and could tell that even Christina felt a little embarrassed that it had happened. ‘You do enjoy being breastfed, don’t you?’ asked my mother. I didn’t even know how to respond to that. All I could do was nod pathetically. ‘Well, I wouldn’t want to take that away from you since you’ve been such a good boy’, my mother continued. I listened carefully to what she was saying. ‘However, Christina doesn’t feel completely comfortable doing it’, said my mother. Christina didn’t say anything but nodded her head in agreement. Suddenly my eyes widened in horror. My mother laughed. ‘Don’t worry’, she chuckled, ‘I’m not going to breastfeed you. That’s taking it little bit too far, even for me’. I sighed with relief knowing that I wasn’t going to be traumatised for the rest of my life. ‘The thing is…’, my mother paused and wasn’t sure what to say. She looked over at Jessica who took over. ‘The thing is Jake, my little Lacy has recently stopped breastfeeding’, explained Jessica, ‘but I’m still producing milk and my breasts are pretty swollen a lot of the time. It would really help me out’. I looked at the three women dumbfounded. I figured out what they were offering me but my brain didn’t seem to be able to compute it. I’m sure that I was still in my crib and I would wake up from this dream at any moment. ‘I won’t be offended either way’, joked Jessica, ‘but I’m more than happy for you to try it.’ Before I had time to process anything she patted her lap and ushered me to go over to her. I looked at Christina and my mother who were both smiling at me gently. I couldn’t believe that my mother was actually going along with this. However, as I looked down at the mittens on my hands, I realised that I had strongly underestimated my mother and she seemed open to me achieving my babyish desires. I stood up and slowly walked over to Jessica. I wasn’t entirely sure what to do. She put her arms around me and pulled me onto the arm chair and manoeuvred me until I was laying across her. My legs were hanging over the side of the chair and my head was resting on the arm of the other side. Suddenly she began to undo her blouse, revealing her bra. I started to get excited yet slightly nervous that my mother was watching me. I sensed that they realised that. ‘We’ll give you some privacy’, said my mother. My mother and Christina stood up and went into the kitchen. Jesscia then zipped open the front of her bra to reveal one of her breasts. She wasn’t joking about her breast being swollen and it was almost twice the size of Christina’s. Her nipple looked very hard and was clearly in need of some form of relief. Embarrassingly, I felt myself get an instant erection. My thick nappy made it hard to tell but I’m sure Jessica could sense that I was excited. She took hold of her breast and guided her swollen nipple into my mouth. I accepted it immediately and hungrily began sucking on it but I could see that Jessica looked uncomfortable and removed her nipple. ‘Be a bit gentle sweetheart’, she said softly, ‘it’s a bit different to sucking on a dummy’. ‘Sorry’, I replied blushing and wrapped my lips back around her swollen nipple. This time I sucked on it slowly and softly. I closed my eyes and was transported back to the times where Christina had let me suckle. After about twenty seconds, I heard Jessica let out a huge sigh of relief. I opened my eyes in shock as my mouth began filling up with milk. I swallowed it. It tasted slightly warmer and sweeter than normal milk. I smiled as it actually tasted pretty good. As I continued to suckle like a hungry infant, the milk began flowing. I swallowed mouthful after mouthful with each one tasting better than the last. After another minute or so, the milk felt a bit harder to get to and I didn’t seem to be getting much. Jesscia removed her nipple and smiled. ‘Thank you’, she said, ‘I can’t tell you how good that felt’ ‘It felt pretty good for me too’, I joked. I noticed that her breast now looked slightly smaller and I felt good about myself that I had given her some form of relief. The milk had actually filled me up as well. ‘Stand up’, she instructed as she zipped up her bra. As I did, she instantly pulled me back down and turned me around so that I was facing the other way. Jesscia then began unzipping the other side of her bra. ‘W…what are you doing?’ I asked in confusion. ‘You can’t do one without the other’, she replied revealing her other breast which looked as swollen as the other one had. As much as I had enjoyed breastfeeding, my tummy was feeling pretty full. ‘I don’t think I can’, I admitted, ‘I’m pretty full’. ‘Don’t be silly’, she giggled, ‘babies don’t know when they’re full, that’s for the grown-up to decide’. As she guided her breast towards me, I reluctantly wrapped my lips around her swollen nipple. After another few seconds of suckling, I once again received another mouthful of milk. This breast seemed to be a lot fuller than the other one and I almost couldn’t keep up with the milk flow. I felt like I was drinking gallons and gallons as the milk continued flowing into my mouth. As tasty as it was, I was beginning to feel very uncomfortable and felt very full. After what felt like an eternity, Jessica finally removed her nipple from my mouth and zipped up her bra before buttoning her blouse back up. ‘I don’t feel too good’, I admitted as I rubbed my stomach. Without saying a word, Jessica sat me up in her lap before manoeuvring me over the back of her shoulder. I was familiar with this position and knew that she was going to burp me. She started to rub my back while occasionally patting it. It didn’t take long before I let out a loud burp. I felt instant relief in my stomach and let out a long sigh. ‘Is that better?’ smiled Jessica as she allowed me to sit up in her lap. ‘Yes, thank you’, I said whilst trying not to blush. Suddenly my mother walked in. ‘It sounds like somebody’s finished’, she giggled, ‘we heard that burp from the kitchen’. Now I could feel myself blushing. ‘Everything alright?’ asked my mother. ‘He did really well’, grinned Jessica. ‘Aw, well done sweetheart’, said my mother. Jessica then looked down and chuckled. ‘It looks as if he peed on me as well’, she announced. My eyes widened in horror as I looked down and saw the familiar yellow stain on the front of my nappy. ‘I’m so sorry’, I said as I felt the tears forming in my eyes again. It finally confirmed that I had indeed lost my ability to recognise when I needed the toilet. I was incontinent! - After having my nappy changed, Jesscia and Lacy stayed to have some dinner with us. Lacy and I took turns eating in the highchair even though I would have been fine at the dining table. It had been nice getting to know Jessica and I hoped that she would come back soon. They left at around 7:30 which coincidentally was my bath time. I had started to enjoy my bath time a bit more as it meant that I was free from my bonnet and mittens for half an hour. After my bath, my mother and Christina laid me down on the changing table and began to get me ready for bed. ‘I hope you enjoyed meeting Jessica’, said Christina, ‘I think she took a bit of a shine to you’. ‘I really enjoyed meeting her’, I replied. ‘I’m sure you did’, my mother chuckled. We all knew the real reason that I had enjoyed Jessicas company so much but nobody wanted to say it out loud. Being properly breastfed had felt incredible. As a twenty-one-year-old, getting to suck on a pair of boobies was a dream come true. ‘Jessica has allowed you to keep the play pen’, said Christina, ‘she has another one at home’. ‘That was kind of her, wasn’t it?’ my mother said to me. ‘Erm yeah, great’, I mumbled. I didn’t mind playing with baby toys but being kept in a play pen was boring and I hoped that I wouldn’t have to use it very often. The thought of my incontinence still bothered me more than anything. ‘Can I tell you something?’ I asked. The two women looked intrigued, ‘yes Jake?’ said my mother. ‘Well…it’s just…these past few days…erm…I’ve been wetting myself’, I admitted. The two women laughed. ‘We know that sweetie’, chuckled Christina. ‘No, you don’t understand’, I said, ‘I didn’t mean to wet myself…it’s just sort of been happening without me realising’. My mother looked a bit concerned, ‘you mean you’ve been having real accidents?’ I nodded, ‘I’m struggling to control when I poop as well’, I admitted. ‘Well, babies wear nappies for a reason’, giggled my mother as she tried to make light of the situation. ‘I’m being serious’, I said as I began fighting back the tears that were forming in my eyes. My mothers smiled faded and she looked genuinely concerned. ‘Do you know what I think?’ Christina chimed in. We both looked at her. ‘You’ve been having some doubts over whether you wanted to be a grown up or a baby’, she continued. ‘Yeah, so what?’ I asked. ‘Well, maybe this is your bodies way of telling you what it wants’, Christina smiled, ‘maybe it’s the universe telling you that it’s not time to grow up yet’. I thought about this for a second and it started to make sense. The more babyish I had been acting, the worse my incontinence had been. ‘Maybe you’re right’, I smiled. Christina grinned, ‘of course I’m right. You’ll be okay kiddo I promise. As long as you’re in nappies, me and your mummy will always be here to clean up any little accidents’. Now my smile had turned into a grin and for the first time I actually felt calm about my incontinence issue. After having my new nappy applied, I was helped down off of the changing table and led over to the crib. Once again, before getting in, my mother stopped me and began applying my mittens and bonnet. As I tried to complain, Christina put a dummy into my mouth. I sulked and stood there while my mother made sure the ribbons were secure. After getting me tucked into the crib and closing the curtains, the two women said goodnight to me before leaving the room. I closed my eyes as the lullabies began playing from the mobile and attempted to go to sleep. However, as I did, all I could see were Jessicas swollen breasts staring back at me. I smiled and started sucking on my dummy a bit faster and pretended that it was her nipple. I felt an erection growing inside of my nappy. I moved my hand down to my crotch and began rubbing the front of my nappy. After a few seconds I suddenly stopped and opened my eyes. I sat up a little bit and tried to focus on what I was doing. I continued rubbing the front of my nappy but could feel nothing. The thickness of my mitten plus the thickness of the nappy made it impossible to get any kind of sensation. I tried rubbing a little bit harder but couldn’t feel a thing. After a few more attempts, I gave up and lay back down feeling sexually frustrated. The final bit of pleasure that adulthood gave me had now been taken away. Christina was right. I am a baby.

Chapter 2- Elise’s Evening The trip home was only about ten minutes. A sort of bad day for traffic, usually she could do it seven or eight minutes if she was being a bit more aggressive with the gas pedal but today, her head was in caregiver mode and even without a passenger she drove gingerly. Her friend told her she drove like a grandma. She looked in her rear view mirror and saw the car seat she had bought ages ago. It was a special needs car seat meant for someone a bit bigger than an eight year old but it fit Jasmine, her friend Kelly’s little perfectly. There were plenty of add ons available for it that she had never gotten around to purchasing, it was fully functional as is but some of the options were alluring. She pulled into her garage and checked her phone. The shop alarm wasn’t armed yet. Either Ashley forgot or she was taking her time. 'I shouldn't check. Trust that Ashley is fine and just taking her time. You don't need to be nosy and insert yourself into her business.’ Elise thought to herself as she carried her bag inside and set it on the counter. She went back out to the trunk of the SUV and grabbed the diaper bag she kept there in case of emergencies with Jasmine when she was babysitting. Kelly and Jasmine’s dynamic was textbook MDLG, mommy domme little girl. Kelly and Elise had met through a forum online. One day Kelly divulged her location to Elise and they happened to be within half an hour of each other. Long story short they met up, introduced themselves, and have been friends ever since. Sending each other cute outfits, the latest ABDL gossip and stories etc etc. Jasmine and Kelly went way back, some might say high school sweethearts. Realistically Jasmine had aggressively pursued Kelly because “the small girl needs a strong girl to protect her.” At least that’s Kelly's version of it. They had experimented with MDLG off and on until Kelly managed to get a job that covered all of the bills and then some. She was some tech analyst or computer guru at a big time company that Elise never managed to remember. Jasmine wasn’t a full time baby either. They just both enjoyed indulging in it as a hobby and passion. Elise got brought into the scene as a babysitter occasionally when Kelly was away on long trips and Jasmine was feeling small and needed a caregiver. She was the most emotionally fragile yet outright bold girl Elise knew. Elise knew it wasn’t a pity play either because she hadn’t developed a relationship with a little of her own, they genuinely enjoyed the scenes of a strict babysitter to spice up the play. She would admit some scenes were hot, she never felt as strict as Kelly when she was in mommy mode. Elise was more of a nurture type caregiver. ‘I’d spoil Ashley rotten. Stop. She' s not your play thing. She has her own fantasies and they may not be the same as yours. She does seem interested but you don' t even know what her favorite color is so pump the brakes.’ Elise though as she moved to the nursery to restock the diaper bag like she had planned to earlier. Ashley still had not armed the shop security system by the time she had the bag fully re-stocked and she began to worry. “Do I just do a quick check to make sure she is alright. It couldn’t hurt to make sure. Just a quick peek and that's it. Don’t pry, just make sure she is fine.” She liked to talk to herself sometimes when she was home alone, which made it feel a little less empty. She grabbed her phone and moved to the kitchen to feed Tac, her cat. No, he wasn’t named Tac because it’s cat spelled backwards. He was all black except for white spots on his Toes And Chin. Slightly more creative than cat in reverse but Elise never claimed to be good at naming. She logged into the shop security system and pulled up the camera feed. She nearly dropped the can of tuna she was opening for Tac once it loaded. Ashley was there still. She was standing at the register with her head in her hands and a mountain of purchases sitting on the counter. She was doing it, she was buying ABDL stuff. Elise almost shouted in excitement that Ashley was at least interested. It felt wrong to pry all of a sudden. Elise knew she probably wouldn’t enjoy being spied on indulging her fantasies. No one besides Kelly and Jasmine even knew she had set up a whole ABDL nursery, she kept the door eternally locked with a key and wouldn't feel comfortable if Ashley just barged in one day, well at least before knowing she was interested in age play. Elise scooped the contents of the can into the bowl for Tac and he darted out from whatever hidey hole he was occupying. Elise was back to her phone. She couldn’t make out everything but the pack of diapers and onesie were a given. Maybe socks, a hair bow, a pacifier and a bottle. Those were the logical things based on the shapes she could see. Ashley looked slightly pained then looked at the camera like she knew Elise was watching. “She’s just now realizing there's evidence huh?” Elise closed the app calmly. She knew it was wrong but her heart was beating out of her chest. Her fitness watch even gave her an alarm that her heart rate was above 120bpm. She moved to her room and stripped out of her work clothes and just laid naked on the bed for a minute. There was a fire blooming between her legs. She looked to the night stand then moved over to open the top drawer and pulled out her vibrator. She’d been holding back more lately but she was horny and a bit pent up. She propped herself up on her pillow and started imagining Ashley in her newly purchased outfit. As the vibrator made contact she let out a soft moan and her free hand moved to her chest. She rolled a nipple between her fingers and explored the mental images. She could hear the rustle of the plastic backed diaper as the onesie compressed it between Ashley legs. She bit her lip as she thought about sliding the pacifier between Ashley’s lips, the shield bouncing up and down with each suckle. She tried to avoid imagining it but her mind was running wild. Changing Ashley’s diaper, her completely bare mound being covered in baby powder and then sealed up into a fresh diaper. She pinched her nipple a little harder, the image was too intense. Her muscles clenched and her brain released the happy chemicals. She could go for more but decided she shouldn’t. She brought the vibrator to the bathroom and gave it a rinse then decided she should get dressed and eat some dinner. She threw on one of her comfy outfits and decided on her favorite lace push up bra. It made her feel good wearing the fancy lingerie despite donning a t-shirt and short shorts. She slipped into the kitchen and pulled out one of her meal prep containers. Chicken and rice, it was the right macros and she had some good recipes. She put her hair up in a messy bun as it warmed in the microwave then moved to the couch with a fork. Tac made an appearance and cuddled up next to her while she ate and watched some news and ate. She brought the dish back to the kitchen and rinsed it before putting it in the dishwasher. As she was headed back to the couch her phone rang. Bethany’s caller id popped up and she answered. “Hey Elise, are you busy right now?” Bethany started, straight to the point which Elise appreciated. “Nope, I just ate dinner and was going to start browsing Netflix. What’s up?” Elise responded. “Well Ashley’s mom just called me. Apparently their home alarm system registered a glass break and Ashley isn’t picking up the phone. I was wondering if you could pop by and just make sure everything was alright if it’s not too much to ask.” Bethany explained. Every word seemed to accelerate Elise’s heart rate a little more. She was going into caregiver protective mode as her mind raced. She was probably fine, nothing to worry about but that .01% was what she latched onto. “Send me the contact information and I’ll head over right now.” She responded. “Thank you Elise.” Bethany replied gently. A minute after they hung up the contact card for Ashley’s mom popped up on her phone. As Elise was moving to the door, she saw the nursery door was still open. Sitting on the pink plush rug in the center of the room was the diaper bag she had reloaded. It beckoned to her and she moved to close the nursery door but the thought of the diaper bag called out to her. She moved into the room and stood over the diaper bag. ‘It’s bold of you to assume Ashley would even need this or want this.’ She warred internally with herself. ‘Just bring it and you can leave it in the car. Be prepared, kind of one of your mottos. Needs to be in the car anyways.’ She justified it as she picked it up and left the room, locking it behind her. She grabbed her keys from the counter and headed out the door while pulling the address up in her maps, surprised with how close they were to one another. She threw the diaper bag in the passenger seat and started the car. While the garage door opened. Maybe it was some panic and some thrill but she was using the gas pedal a little more than usual. ‘I’m coming Ash.’ She told herself. Before long she was pulling into the driveway. The house looked fine from the exterior and she moved to knock on the door. No response. ‘Don’t panic it’s fine.’ She knocked again and the no response made her heart beat a little faster. She called Ashley’s mom who picked up on the first ring. “Hi, this is Elise. I’m here to check on Ashley but she’s not answering the door.” “Hello Elise, this is Susan. Thanks for driving all the way over. There’s a spare key hidden under a rock by the garden hose. I’ve told Darell a thousand times it’s the most obvious thing in the world but he’s insistent on the hide-a-key rock being perfect.” Ashley’s mom was chatty, she didn’t seem panicked the way Elise was which calmed her a bit. Elise found the key pretty easy, Susan was right it was pretty obvious but you had to be looking for it. She took a deep breath before unlocking the front door and entering. Susan was going 100 miles an hour on the phone but Elise only focused on a few of the words. “I’m in.” Elise said as she shut the door. The house was quiet. “It’s probably just a baseball from the neighbor kids. Darell is always throwing one back over the fence for them. It was only a matter of time until one of them hit the window. They’re good kids and their parents are…” Susan continued to talk while Elise investigated. She found the broken window and sure enough a baseball. Elise let her know as much and moved to check if Ashley’s car was in the garage. ‘She might've gone out with some friends.’ She reasoned, as she opened the garage door. “Well Ashley’s car is here so she has to be here somewhere.” Elise mentioned to Susan. “Oh I wonder if she fainted. She used to faint all the time as a kid when she got startled or excited. Usually she showers as soon as she gets home. I hope she didn’t fall in the shower…” Susan was still talking but Elise was worried. Her heart felt like it could explode at any moment and she dashed towards the stairs, a piece of information she gleaned from Susan’s ramblings. She took three steps at a time and was quickly standing in front of the bathroom door. She wasn’t in there bleeding out from a head wound from falling in the shower as she had feared. She turned to the closed door behind her. ‘First door on the left’ she remembered from Susan’s chatter. She approached the door and without thinking opened it up to find Ashley. Her heart exploded. But not for a bad reason. Ashley was standing there in full ABDL attire. An obvious thick pink diaper that crinkled as she moved, matching onesie, long thigh high socks, and an adorable bow headband that kept her cute short hair tucked behind her ears. Elise felt like she might faint with how precious she was. “Did you find her?” Susan asked which brought her back to reality. “Yeah” she responded “Is she okay? Where was she? What is she doing that she couldn’t pick up the phone?” Susan asked, worry turning slightly to anger. “She’s fine, just found her in her room, listening to some music with her headphones on.” Elise lied. She didn’t want to embarrass Ashley any more than she probably was. ‘You made a massive mistake Elise. You should have knocked, you should have announced yourself. You probably just traumatized Ashley.’ She thought while Susan responded. “Yep.” Elise responded as she tried to keep up with the conversation but she was too distracted with Ashley. “Uh huh.” “Thank you for driving over and checking on her…” Susan continued unaware of Elise’s distraction level. “Not a problem at all.” She waited another moment for a pause to give a response. “Uh huh.” “These phones are the greatest distraction…” “I know, kids and their toys.” Elise responded still not thinking. “Uh huh.” “Well I’m sure you need to get home. I’ll save your number and talk to you later. Bethany says you’re like a daughter…” Susan continued. “I’ll talk to you later.” Elise responded, trying to keep up but end the conversation so she could attend to Ashley. Elise had recognized the potty face Ashley made, she had been scared so bad she had an accident. “Ashley’s not super great at taking care of herself so it’s a big help that you stopped by. We got her a meal ticket at college and she only used it a handful of times. I don’t know what she even eats at this point…” more rambling. “Okay… uh huh…” Elise was hoping the chatty woman was giving up but was still going at full speed. “Anyways, I’m rambling. Thanks again. Bye bye now, chat with you later.” Susan finally wrapped up. “Bye bye now.” She brought the phone down from her ear and hung up as her eyes stayed locked onto Ashley.

Chapter 10 – New Desires I awoke from my nap a little bit grumpy. Not only was I feeling hungry but my nappy now felt cold and damp. I tried to stay as comfortable as possible and waited patiently for Christina to come and change me. I continued waiting for what felt like an eternity but there was still no sign of her. At this point I was feeling miserable and desperately wanted to get out of the crib. I stood up and attempted to lift my leg over the side. To my surprise, the thick padding of the nappy made it very difficult and I began struggling. After a few attempts I gave up and resorted to calling Christina. ‘AUNTIE’, I shouted but still there was nothing. ‘AUNTIE!!’ I shouted even louder. Suddenly, I heard movement and could hear Christina walking up the staircase. As she entered the room she looked at me and grinned. ‘I thought I could hear my baby crying’, she giggled. I wasn’t smiling though. ‘Someone looks a little bit grumpy. What’s wrong?’ she asked in a motherly tone before noticing that I was shifting about uncomfortably, ‘aw, I think my baby needs his nappy changing’ I nodded. ‘That’s not a problem sweetheart’, she smiled,’ have you done a wee wee or a poo poo?’ I wasn’t in the mood to play along but rolled my eyes and went with it. ‘I’ve done a wee wee’, I grumbled. ‘Well, we’d best get you into a dry nappy then’, she cheered and let down the side of the crib before helping me over to the changing table. I could feel the wet nappy squelching as I walked. It felt horrible and I wanted it taking off as soon as possible. I practically leapt onto the changing table and did my best to lay there patiently whilst Christina got the changing supplies together. Once she had finished, she popped my dinosaur dummy back into my mouth which I immediately began to suck on. I was surprised at how much comfort it brought me and I instantly felt better about my current situation. The dummy was extremely soothing and I was glad that I had picked out this particular one at the pharmacy. Christina ripped off the tapes and opened up my nappy to inspect it. ‘No wonder you were grumpy’, Christina smiled, ‘let’s get this icky thing off of you’. I sighed with relief as the damp nappy was removed and tossed aside. Christina began cleaning me with baby wipes before applying some powder and a new nappy. ‘Is that better baby?’ she asked. ‘Yeth fankyou’, I babbled through the dummy. After having a late lunch, Christina sat me down on a blanket with a bottle in the living room where I was allowed to watch some TV and do some colouring. ‘I’ll just be upstairs if you need me’, she said, ‘I didn’t get chance to have a shower this morning’. ‘Okay’, I replied cheerfully and got back to my colouring. I began to colouring a picture of a butterfly which felt slightly symbolic. Staying with Christina, I felt free from the scary world of adult life. As I continued colouring, I occasionally looked up at the TV that seemed to play endless episodes of ‘Bluey’. I had now seen a lot of episodes and was familiar with all of the characters. I actually found myself becoming quite engrossed and it was becoming one of my favourite TV shows. I decided to drink some juice from my new bottle. However, as I put the bottle into my mouth, I sucked on it but…nothing happened. I sucked harder but none of the juice was coming out. I took it out of my mouth and inspected it. I couldn’t work out the issue and so decided to go and ask Christina. As I headed upstairs with my bottle, the bathroom was empty and so I headed to her bedroom. I politely knocked on the door. ‘Come in’, I heard Christina call. As I walked in, Christina was sat on the bed in nothing but a towel. ‘Oh, I’m sorry’, I said awkwardly. ‘It’s okay’, she giggled, ‘is everything ok?’ ‘I can’t get any juice out of my bottle’, I said whilst holding it up to show her. ‘Let’s have a look’, she replied and began inspecting the bottle. I felt slightly awkward standing next to her knowing that she only had a towel to cover her. ‘Ah I see the problem’, Christina announced, ‘it’s just because it’s a new bottle’. She reached over to her dressing table and picked up a pair of small scissors. She then cut the hole in the nipple slightly bigger for me. ‘That should do it’, she smiled and put the scissors back onto the table. Christina then gestured me to come and lay in her lap. I followed her instruction and allowed her to begin bottle feeding me. As I sucked on the nipple of the bottle, I was suddenly rewarded with a mouthful of juice. ‘Is that better?’ she asked. I nodded and started drinking my juice. As I continued drinking, Christina’s expression turned a bit more serious. ‘Can I ask you something?’ she asked. With the bottle in my mouth, all I could do was nod. Christina looked slightly awkward. ‘Were you being a bit naughty last night in your crib?’ she asked. I wasn’t sure what she was talking about and Christina could see my confusion. ‘What I mean is…that wasn’t wee wee that I saw in your nappy this morning, was it?’ My eyes widened with fear and embarrassment as I remembered that I had masturbated last night. I removed the bottle from my mouth. ‘I’m really sorry’, I quickly apologised. ‘It’s okay’, replied Christina, ‘you might be pretending to be a baby but you still have the body of a twenty-one-year-old. It’s only natural’. ‘I guess I just got a little bit excited’, I replied whilst blushing. Christina paused for a second before pulling her towel down just enough to let her breasts flop over the top. ‘Were you excited about seeing these?’ she asked intrigued. ‘I…um…I’, I could barely get my words out. ‘Do you like my boobies, Jake?’ she asked. I felt completely embarrassed and knew that it was pointless attempting to lie. ‘Y…y…yes auntie’, I stammered. I noticed her biting her bottom lip and she almost looked excited. Suddenly, Christina put the bottle aside and grabbed hold of one of her breasts before bringing it towards me. ‘Open wide baby’, she instructed. My brain could barely comprehend what was happening. As her breast came towards me, I opened my mouth and accepted it. Without being asked, I began to suck on her nipple. Although she wasn’t producing milk, it still felt incredible. ‘Aw is that what you wanted?’ Christina asked. I didn’t reply and continued sucking on her breast like a hungry baby. ‘That’s much better than a bottle, isn’t it?’ she said. ‘Mmmph mmmph’, I mumbled. ‘Such a hungry baby’, Christina giggled. I felt myself beginning to get turned on. I gently began stroking the front of my nappy but my hand was quickly patted away. ‘No sweetheart’, smiled Christina, ‘I don’t think that’s very appropriate right now’. I felt slightly frustrated but I wasn’t going to argue if it meant that I could keep suckling. After a few more minutes, she removed her breast from my mouth much to my annoyance. Christina then handed my bottle back to me and instructed me to go downstairs. I reluctantly accepted my bottle and headed downstairs, doing my best to ignore my erection in the process. Surprisingly, once I got back to my colouring, I started to forget about what had just occurred and began to get engrossed in the world of ‘Bluey’. At this point, I felt like I was in heaven. I felt like I wanted to stay with Christina forever.

Been writing this off and on for a while and thought I’d share. Intended to be a slow burn love story/abdl romcom. I don’t know why but I decided to write from both of the main characters POV’s, tried to sequence them identical to run parallel so if you want to read from the CG side of things skip to Chapter 1- the beginning (Elise). Don’t know if I’ll continue writing both POVs after chapter 2 but I sort of wanted to offer the insights from both sides. Stumbling In Chapter 1- The Beginning (Ashley) ‘Another 5 hours to go.’ Ashley told herself as she checked the clock for what felt like the 50th time in the past 3 hours. Something about the Friday shift really dragged out the day. Maybe it was just looking forward to the weekend and the anticipation of the time off but she could barely take it. She was freshly back from college for the summer and two weeks in and she was already contemplating something that would be at least a little more stimulating than sitting behind a register for 8 hours a day. The job was easy enough, that was for sure, just incredibly boring. Her aunt owned the business and her previous clerk had quit shortly before Ashley came back from school. The pay was pretty much going rate for any summer job and gave her some spending money. Her parents had booked a summer long cruise which gave her free reign of the house, kind of a bummer to have a house all to yourself but no friends to have over. They were all taking summer courses or off vacationing or whatever other thing college aged kids do over summer break so she was pretty much wasting her summer away and collecting a paycheck. The store was nearly dead quiet aside from the soft music playing through the overhead speakers but that was kind of to be expected. It was a specialty store and the specialty this store focused on was special needs and advanced healthcare. It was realistically a niche market to begin with and with the power of the internet, no one really came to stores like this in person anymore. In fact, online sales were 95% of the business. It was more confidential that way because who would openly want to come in and buy adult diapers in person. Ashley blushed at the embarrassing thought of having to carry a box of diapers out to her car for anyone passing by to see. It would be much preferred to have a plain brown cardboard box hiding the embarrassing contents shipped to your door. The other 5% of people were a couple of regulars, that if Ashley had to be blunt, were about to croak at any given second, coming in to get their resupply of depends or supplements. She assumed at that age they just didn’t care anymore and the older generation being the type to like shopping in physical stores. She had even tried to sign a few of them up for a subscription service to just deliver the goods at set intervals but they were pretty adamant on coming in person. Probably just an excuse to do something other than sit in their nursing home watching black and white westerns. There was an odd smattering of randoms looking to try something out before purchasing too, more rare but they usually already knew what they were looking for so Ashley’s aid was unneeded aside from pointing out which aisle they’re looking for. They did have a large array of display items, who they were displaying them for Ashley couldn’t tell. Oversized strollers, car seats, high chairs, and cribs meant more so for their clientele with special needs charges. Some of them were quite intimidating looking with a bevy of restraints and attachments for what Ashley assumed were volatile use cases. Ashley’s aunt owned the store more as a passion project. She was pretty well off from other assets and businesses so this store was just a drop in the bucket. Having so much money tied up in inventory and displays wouldn’t hurt her bottom line in the slightest so Ashley was kept around to keep the shelves dusted and storefront presentable. She had heard there was some tax right off to have an open to the public storefront as opposed to just a warehouse. She didn’t understand taxes enough and was only a year into her business accounting degree so it was all beyond her. She was sure her aunt, being as savvy as she is, had a good reason. There had been one meek looking girl that came in and bought a pack of diapers earlier, her quota for one customer per day met now. Ashley had developed a small eye for it but she couldn’t exactly tell if the girl was wearing a diaper or not with the short skirt the girl had on. She may have said two words in the entire visit and practically ran out of the store clutching the pack of thick nighttime diapers to her chest and jumping into the backseat of the car that took its time to leisurely pull away. It was kind of odd looking back on it now but who was Ashley to judge someone’s needs. The girl was about Ashley’s size, actually maybe a bit bigger but she preferred to say she was an equal. Ashley for all intents and purposes was bordering the classification of midget, or little person, she couldn’t keep up with what the actual politically correct term was these days. Something about having her hormone receptors blocked, there was some long winded medical term that got thrown around a lot that always slipped her mind. It had dramatically stunted her growth leaving her at mere 4’ 10”. It didn’t help that she was flat as a board and her platinum blonde hair that she preferred to keep short constantly got her mixed up as being much much younger. She had taken a lot of bullying for being the “runt” in her youth, from her peers intentionally and her teachers unintentionally. Maybe they were taking pity on her by lowering the bar but it wasn’t from her lack of trying. Highschool had turned around for her when she got to try out for cheerleading. Being a whopping 80 pounds, she was the perfect flyer to be tossed around for the fancy aerial maneuvers. She had lost her passion for cheerleading by the end of it though, most of the prettier girls got full ride cheerleading scholarships for college while she had relied on her academics. Although she had the skill she didn’t have the looks, however shallow that may be, to be a career cheerleader. That and most of the cheerleaders definitely fit the mean girl trope a little too well and Ashley did her best to avoid being stereotypical. She glanced at the clock again, another 4 hours and 50 minutes to go. She could only internally self reflect for so long. Her brain was actually wired that way from the factory, ADHD that is. She was much more mellow now having learned how to function with the constant need to do something even if it was doing something else in the middle of a task. If she hadn’t been chewed out multiple times by her aunt watching the security cameras, she’d be on her phone. Nothing like doom scrolling to distract the ADHD mind with 20 different genres of media randomized and optimized for your swipe. That “doesn’t look professional” though so she browsed through the few available websites not blocked on the computer. YouTube only allowed 5 and under channels, so that was only a last resort. She did have a soft spot for some of the cartoons but that didn’t really scratch the ADHD itch right now. Of course all of the social media sites were blocked. Nothing particularly interesting allowed aside from a few sites that had either been allowed because they were business adjacent or hadn’t been blocked yet because her aunt hadn’t seen the traffic. Her stomach gave a little grumble with the fast approaching lunch break. One saving grace was Elise and Gary. They worked in the back packaging online orders and managing inventory for the most part, probably just because there wasn’t a whole lot to do up front. As far as Ashley could tell, they had been working here since the store opened 15 years ago. They were both still young, probably started when they were Ashley’s age and had never left. She had asked them about it once and they both had just said because of the benefits and perks, whatever that meant. They were both what appeared to be power lifters in Ashley’s eyes. Elise was built like an Amazon, probably 6 feet tall if she had to guess, olive skin and black hair, Asian descent maybe. She was essentially the exact opposite of Ashley. Well endowed, tall, excellent physique, everything Ashley could dream of in a partner. Gary was a hunk but also a nerd, he pretty much built the website and manages all of the inventory. He’s huge, 6’ 4” tall and probably 250lb of muscle. The very subtle hints of grey just starting to touch his beard and hair. They both seemed very protective of her at times. Usually they’d come to hang out with Ashley and have lunch with her or if they had a short reprieve from the seemingly endless packages. Elise more so than Gary but he occasionally came up to chat with her if he needed a break. Not that Ashley was complaining to have Elise as company. She would be loathed to openly admit it but she had a bit of a crush. She had logicked herself out of being hopeful because of their 13 year age difference and Elise being such a bombshell she was way out her league but the daydreams never hurt. On her first day she hadn’t brought a lunch of her own and was intending to just grab some fast food from a neighboring joint. They both were appalled and looked at her like she had shot the family dog. They started packing her lunches and snacks, it was almost like clockwork when one would come out and give her some morsel of baby carrots, maybe some crackers and cheese, already de-stemmed grapes, a tidbit of information on the macros and a pre-sliced apple. They were pretty fun honestly and were definitely a pro to the job. Ashley being openly bisexual didn’t cause any problems as both Elise and Gary were openly lesbian and gay respectively. Maybe that’s what they meant by perks. Ashley’s aunt frequently donated to pride events and didn’t have qualms in the slightest about the community. There was far less strife about it nowadays but a friendly company had its ways of keeping employees around. Ashley kicked back from the desk and stretched a bit before standing, the computer wasn’t going to provide the scratch she needed. She figured she could do a lap around the store for the third time that day. Usually she’d do small sections just to get up and move but she was a little curious about the diapers the girl had bought earlier so she moved towards the diaper section. Normally she avoided them, it made something inside of her nervous or maybe it was anxious. She didn’t know either way but they had sort of felt like a drug, something that could be a problem or addiction if indulged. There was a sort of taboo about wearing them but not needing them that had triggered at least one small fantasy that she tried to push down. There was a sort of excited thrill building in her stomach, it was deep, raw, nearly primal. She didn’t know why she was intrigued, but there was some draw. If Ashley knew anything just from her own condition, she knew the girl that had come in earlier was an adult like her, maybe even a little older than her. That thought had been intriguing despite her best efforts to suppress the curiosity. ‘If those diapers fit that girl then they’d probably fit me too…’ was the thought that crossed her mind. There was honestly more variety than she remembered, granted she had only ever explored haphazardly, never really looking at the options in an attempt to find something specific. The variety had been overwhelming, like there were more options than seemed realistic or necessary. In her mind a diaper was a diaper, why were there so many options, what did one brand do differently than another when it came to disposable undergarments. She glossed over most of the stuff she saw from the other regulars, she was familiar with the boring plain white depends. The diapers the girl had bought were a solid powder pink, she didn’t get a great look at them but amongst the variety there were only a few pink options amongst the sea of white. She finally singled them out near the end of the aisle on the bottom shelf. It was more noticeable now seeing the hole in the neatly faced shelves that Elise or Gary maintained. She approached slowly like they were a snake that might jump out and bite her and squatted down to eye level with the packaging. ‘B2B Timid Little 10 pack, $54!’ Ashley read the price tag and was a little shocked at how expensive they were. Up close and without someone looking like they were about to sprint out the door in a panicked rush she could see the printed design a little better. There was a quilted appearance with little hearts filling the squares and what appeared to be ruffled lace patterns. The package had a large heart with the style name on the front, looking at the ends of the package she could see that the diapers had a similar heart with ‘BABY’ in the center. It was so infantile… so humiliating… so exhilarating. ‘Why would an adult wear something like this?’ she contemplated internally. She could feel herself getting hot in the cheeks and the warmth in her stomach was sinking lower and lower. ‘What if I wore something like this?’ The thought hit her like a freight train out of nowhere. The humiliation of being reduced to a baby, incapable of making it to a toilet or wetting the bed. All of the adult responsibilities being washed away by a simple undergarment. Even the most mundane adult task of going to the bathroom being stripped away. Thoughts flowed through her head faster than she could process them and before she knew it, she was reaching for a package. They were heavier than she expected and despite being tightly sealed in plastic she could tell they were quite soft. She looked over a shelf at an adjacent diaper package and saw a 24 pack that was similar in size to this 10 pack which meant these would definitely have much more padding. Even in the wrapping, she could tell the diapers had a thick plastic backing unlike the fragile appearing paper backed diapers that were popular with the elderly customers. “Hey, ready for lunch?” Ashley nearly exploded at the simple question from Elise who had somehow materialized standing over her. She let out a loud “eep” like she had been caught doing something she shouldn’t be doing and the package of diapers was almost launched into the air. If her heart wasn’t racing before it sure was now. “Pretty cute aren’t they?” Elise asked innocently. “I just stocked them last night.” She added. “U…um yeah, they are kinda cute.” Ashley stammered. “A girl came in earlier and bought a pack so I figured I could help you guys out and face the inventory so that it stays uniform.” She lied, a good lie, an innocent lie. In the moment she felt she had to protect her dignity and hide her curiosity with the taboo feelings festering inside of her. “Come on, I brought you chicken parm, I think Gary is trying to win you over to the dark side with corndogs so be warned. If you were trying to bulk…” Elise commented and Ashley started to zone out as she started to ramble about macros or something. She quickly put the package of diapers back on the shelf, lining them up a little haphazardly with the other two packs and rose to her feet to follow after Elise. Gary had already flipped the sign on the door to let would-be customers know that they’re taking their lunch break and had already taken up position in his usual chair in the break room. Even if it was just a microwaved dish, the room smelt of Elise’s fantastic cooking. True to Elise’s concerns, Gary let Ashley know that he had a corn dog for her. Her polite decline got a “bummer, lost again to the true cook” from Gary who shirked it off like it was her loss before taking another bite of his corn dog. There were already two cleaned off sticks in his Tupperware and four more untouched dogs to go. Ashley didn’t know where he put it all at times but had been assured he could burn those calories in a matter of hours. Elise used a fork to touch a scoop of the pasta to her lip to make sure it was warmed enough but not too hot. Maybe it was a habit, a tease, or maybe it was flirting, Ashley didn’t know, but Elise frequently did this for her. Another frequent from Elise came immediately after testing the temperature. She offered up the fork to Elise to take a bite. At first she thought she was just teasing her but it was a frequent enough event at this point that she usually just caved. Today was different though. Ashley was having flashbacks to the diapers as the fork was offered up to her. That loss of adult anonymity which burned her cheeks up again. “I can feed myself, you know.” Ashley bashfully said, turning away a little to hide her blush. “Come on, just one bite.” Elise countered as she pushed the fork forward again, presenting the delicious smelling chicken parm to Ashley once more. She caved. She always caved for Elise. She brushed her short hair back behind her ear and leaned forward to accept the offering. It was delicious as all of Elise’s dishes were. She chewed for a moment, relishing in the non-frozen food dish that she was living off of at home in summer bachelorette life. As she swallowed she noticed Elise prepping another fork and soon it was offered up to her again. “Come on, you said one bite.” Ashley was turning a new shade of red and her lip naturally curled into a pout despite her best efforts to break that childish habit. “I know. I lied. Come on, just one more and I promise I’ll let you eat in peace.” Elise said as she jabbed the fork forward again. “It’s really good isn’t it, I added a few extra seasonings this time.” Elise prodded. She caved again, this time a bit more aggressively snatching the food from the fork then holding out her hand to demand the fork. “It is really good…” Ashley commented as she chewed. “Manners, you shouldn’t talk with your mouth full.” Elise teased as she handed over the fork and glass Tupperware for Ashley. “God, aren’t you two cute.” Gary said as he took another bite of his corn dogs. “Oh shut up meat head.” Elise shot back before Ashley could swallow and throw in a chastising remark. “Last I checked you’re worse than me, counting calories and watching your “macros”” Gary fired back, making his own air quotes around “macros.” “It’s beneficial to maintain the proper physique. Some of us don’t have the metabolism of a 14 year old boy that can eat anything and not have to worry about tipping the scale.” Elise bickered. “Yeah yeah, anyways…” the conversation devolved into work talk. Some large order needing to be assembled to be shipped out. Blah blah, Ashley was more invested in her serving of chicken parm. “Oh yeah, Ashley said a case of those new diapers already sold.” Elise said. Ashley coughed up her food a bit, taken off guard by the comment of those diapers already selling. She reached for her water and Elise gave her back a few pats. “Wrong pipe?” She innocently asked. “Yeah…” Ashley managed to say after clearing her throat. “Well that’s good. Didn’t think registering as their new dealer would pan out so quickly.” Gary replied. “Right? As I was telling the boss, it’s a growing market and community.” Elise and Gary devolved into more shop talk as Ashley pushed her food around a little and ate a little more slowly. “When are you going to get the rest of the line out and all of the other products.” Gary asked which piqued Ashley’s interest a bit. “I’ll probably put a couple of lines that aren’t selling on clearance or maybe send them out for donations to the elderly home to make room. Then I have to go through one of the clothes racks, those heated vests haven’t been moving since it’s summer so that will make room for the onesies.” Elise explained. Ashley’s mind was a little stuck on the mention of onesies. She had no idea what community they were talking about that would require adult diapers and adult onesies so she was a bit lost. “Think you can help me out after lunch Ashley.” Elise pulled Ashley into the conversation but she was a little lost in thought at the moment. “Ash?” That got her attention, the little pet name that she hated hearing in school but coming from Elise it felt fitting. “Um sure, not like I ever get a ton of customers anyways.” She finally responded. “Great, I’ll go start bringing the boxes up front then.” Elise said before standing and putting her Tupperware away in her lunch bag. “I guess I oughta get back to it myself then.” Gary said, standing and stretching then throwing away the 7 corn dog sticks. Ashley had a little internal chuckle that he also ate the one he had brought for her. She finished quickly after they both left. Her mind was going a million miles an hour thinking about what she had agreed to. She didn’t know if she could handle being that close to her most recent object of fascination and her heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest. She packed the Tupperware away in Elise’s bag and moved to go help her out. Elise was in the middle of wheeling out a fourth stack of boxes on a dolly and grouping them together near the diaper aisle. “Hey, if you want to start breaking these out of their boxes while I bring up the rest, that'd be a huge help.” Elise said as she moved back to the warehouse to get more of the new inventory. Ashley just gave a silent nod of approval before going to get her safety plastic box cutter from the customer service desk. Her hands trembled a bit as she moved one of the boxes down from the stack. She had to take a deep breath before she sliced through the tape on the box and another before she folded the tabs over. Her heart raced as more of the same pink diapers came into view. These were just a larger size but the same print. She started pulling the diapers from the box and stacking them in the aisle. She moved to the next box which produced another set of pink diapers that were cloth backed and much thinner than the first set she stumbled onto earlier. She kept moving through the boxes and breaking down the cardboard to be recycled while Elise brought more boxes out and then started to make room on the shelves, removing the less popular lines to make room for the mountain of new inventory. She only became mildly numb to the diapers but every new pattern had her flushing anew. Ashley did have to hand it to her aunt, when she went in on something she went big. Now was just going to be the challenge of making it all fit in the store. There had to be dozens of boxes left to go, and the variety of printed diapers already unpacked was enough to dominate an entire side of the aisle by themselves. There had to be ten different patterns of diaper prints in an array of thicknesses and types. Everything from diapers that seemed even thicker than what she had previously found heart pounding, to pull-ups, trainers, and even covers in cute prints. Her cheeks were rosey red the entire time and Elise noticed. “How about you go get a drink, I know you’re not used to all of this heavy lifting like I am.” She commented upon seeing Ashley’s cheeks and the slight pant caused by her heart racing. Ashley just silently nodded and went to get her water bottle. Her head was swimming with thoughts as she tried to straighten out her lines of thinking. She didn’t need diapers, she was pretty confident of that, having been out of them for as long as she could remember. But there was a draw towards them. She wanted diapers. The revelation struck her hard and she took a moment to sit down in her chair. Why did she want diapers? What purpose did they serve her? What escape did they provide that was drawing her in so aggressively? She didn’t know how to put it into words yet and it felt overwhelming. Elise approached to give her an update. “Man, we need to get you to the gym girl! Tuckered out after only this much? I’m going to take down a few shelves so we can put some hangers up for the trainers and diaper covers. Take a minute and I’ll help you start putting the diapers up on the shelves before we tackle the other boxes.” Ashley was surprised with how easily Elise could openly talk about this stuff like it wasn’t anything new to her. She had been working at the store for a long time so it probably didn’t phase her as much as it did Ashley she reckoned. She took a couple of more minutes to cool her head then confidently stood back up to help. That confidence lasted all of ten seconds when she approached Elise who held out a package of the next size up from the diapers that started this internal debacle. “I’ll help out with getting your diapers put up then I have to run to the bathroom real quick.” It was so nonchalant and indirect but the words struck Ashley like lightning. They weren’t “her” diapers, they were just the task that she started. She knew that Elise didn’t mean it in that way but having them labeled “hers” made her chest thump. Elise swung the diapers her way to get her attention again and to get her to take the pack and set it on the shelf. She almost seemingly flinched like the diapers were trying to get her but quickly moved into action to take the pack from Elise with a quick “right, sorry.” Tag teaming the shelves went quick and they quickly had them all up and displayed. Ashley was a little winded from Elise’s pace but all of the disposables were neatly stored now. Elise took off to the bathroom and left Ashley alone with the diapers. She just looked over the variety for a few minutes, it was kind of a lot to take in. Everything was neatly organised on the shelves thanks to Elise’s guidance on how to place them in order. Near the top was what Elise had called the daytime diapers. Slightly thinner and cloth backed. It increased in capacity towards the bottom where the “nighttime” diapers were. The thicker plastic backed options. Ashley turned around and looked at the regular diapers and the pattern was the same with increasing absorbency in descending order. That seemingly OCD pattern that Elise would come up with. Her eyes wondered back to the pack she had been holding initially. Their pink printed plastic backed thickness teasing her. The pack was still a little haphazardly place, especially now that all of the others were displayed so perfectly. She crouched down again and readjusted the package so that it lined up like the rest. “You seem pretty interested in those pink ones.” Elise said, again, seeming to materialize out of thin air and startling Ashley to the point that she let out another screech of fright. “Do we need to put a bell on you? You move like a ghost! They were just crooked. I know your OCD butt would’ve done the same.” She justified as she stood back up, feeling a warm spot in the crotch of her panties. “I’m going to hit the bathroom too real quick” she said before heading towards the employee restroom. She locked the door behind herself and quickly undid her belt and pulled her jeans down. Sure enough, that little fright from Elise had startled her to the point of soiling her panties a little. Nothing major that could be seen on her jeans but she sat on the toilet to relieve herself and wadded up some toilet paper to dab away the dampness in her underwear. ‘Stupid, stupid, stupid’ she began to chastise herself. ‘You spend a couple of minutes around some stupid diapers and all of a sudden you’re stupid little baby pissing herself.’ She wanted to cry, she had all of these emotions boiling and festering inside of her. Crying felt like a good way to let them out but she pushed them back down and bottled them up. She didn’t want to ruin her makeup, no matter how minimal it was, and she definitely didn’t want to have to explain to the ever perceptive Elise why she had been crying. She finished her business, pulled her pants back up in a mildly better state than they had been moments before, washed her hands, gave herself a small pep talk in the mirror and exited to get back to work now that she had recomposed herself. Elise had moved onto the fabric and loose garments next. She handed Ashley a hook for the pegboard where the shelves had been previously, a handful of clip style clothes hangers you’d usually use for pants, followed by a stack of training pants that followed the theme of the Timid Little diapers that had her so worked up. A large heart with “baby” printed across the front identical to the disposable diapers renewed her blush and broke the composure she had just gotten back. They were thick cotton and even modeled the diaper tapes. In fact, some of them were even Ashley’s exact size. ‘Should’ve taken a pair of these with me to the bathroom.’ Ashley thought before ingesting that internal statement. ‘Stupid, you don’t need training panties, even if they are cute.’ “Are you just going to stare at them or hang them up? They are pretty cute I have to admit but there’s a whole line we have to get up.” Elise broke Ashley’s newest daze who quickly jumped to action, clipping the hanger onto the garments. A couple of each size were quickly hung up as Elise unpacked the next box and handed the items to Ashley. That was followed by the matching diaper covers, and then actual more adult undergarments like bra and panty sets but printed with the same patterns of hearts, lace and diapers tapes. Those were followed by bibs, and even bottles and pacifiers scaled up to adult proportions to complete the display. Ashley was in a tizzy by the diversity of the garments and accessories and there were more theme lines to complete. She checked her watch and they still had two more hours to go. The next themes went substantially faster now that they had found a rhythm. That was about when Gary came out. “Phew. Finally got that large order out the door.” He gave a small stretch and swung his arms like he had been working out, for all Ashley knew he was just based on the strain she was feeling after making it as far as she had. “Wow, look at all this. You’ve made some great progress already. Didn’t think the boss was going to go this extreme on new inventory.” Gary said as he perused the newly displayed inventory. Again, another person who was not completely shocked by the fact they were unpacking adult diapers and garments that looked like baby diapers. Or really any of the items that had come out of the pile of cardboard that was now taking up a corner of the shop space by itself. “Well, if I know anything about Auntie B… I mean Aunt Bethany, she has flair for the dramatics and loves going all in. I’m sure she’s a nightmare in Vegas.” Ashley joked which got a good chuckle out of the two staff members that had known her for almost as long as Ashley had been alive. “Well since you’re all done back there, can you help us out up here? If we’re quick we can get this all wrapped up before taking off today and we won’t have to worry about it on Monday.” Elise said as she opened another box and extracted a Timid Little themed onesie and showed it off to Ashley and Gary. ‘It’s so cute!’ Ashley screamed internally as her mind was coming to terms with all of this. She nearly fainted when Elise spun it around in her hands to check it out herself and exposed the ruffles across the bottom. In fact now that she was looking at it, it looked perfectly sized for her. Elise handed it to her to put on a hanger and Ashley couldn’t help but to stop and stare at it for a moment. ‘Extra small, this would probably fit me perfectly.’ Was the thought she had as she examined it. If Elise and Gary noticed her lingering eyes they didn’t say anything and just went about clearing off a clothing rack and unpacking the remaining boxes. Ashley was starting to process the want that was blooming inside her. She wanted to be cutesy, she wanted to let go of the adult responsibilities, she wanted to be cared for even if it meant going back to that simpler time of wearing diapers and onesies, of just being a baby. It was a complex realization that she didn’t fully understand. At the same time her internal self-deprecation went all in, telling herself it was stupid, it was just a fantasy, no one would actually be into this kind of thing, it was a ridiculous desire, she was dumb for even thinking about it. A brutal battle was waged in her psyche as she continued to diligently work and try to keep up with the two power lifters putting her meager athleticism to shame. Maybe it was her upbringing, growing up fast, constantly having to defend herself against the external threats brought on by her diminutive stature. She had been tomboyish growing up because it was practical and her parents were very practical. Jeans and tshirts, short hair, mostly gender neutral clothes now that she reflected on it. Barbie’s and dolls were a rarity and were quickly replaced with puzzles and books. She wondered if her mom had kept them in storage somewhere after she had “outgrown” that phase and been moved on to academic and brain stimulating outlets. She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t at least a little jealous of the girls who got to wear pretty dresses, play princess, wear cute clothes. She understood that dressing that way would only make her look even younger now but was that so bad? Those simpler times of not defending herself against the would be bullies. Her mind wandered as she worked. Each new garment that came out of the boxes spiked a new intrigue but mostly anything pink or frilly. She had day dreams of the pink shortalls, the long thigh high socks, the ruffle bottomed tights. She was lost in thought and the process of examining an article momentarily, putting it on a hanger, then displaying it on the rack. Her train of thought was only broken when she reached back for the next article and the only response was “that’s it, you did great Ash. Thanks for all of your help.” From Elise who had a big smile. The few words of praise and that little pet name sunk in. She had to turn away before her renewed blush gave her away. “Even with some time to spare.” Gary said as he looked at his watch and did some more stretches now that the task was complete. “I’m going to go wash up real quick.” Gary said before heading towards the bathroom. “It’s almost like a whole new store with all of this color.” Elise said as she took a moment to peruse the new inventory. She stopped at the clothes rack and pulled out the exact onesie Ashley had been eyeing. Unhooking it and holding it up. It was even Ashley’s size, not even remotely close to what Elise would need to fit her chiseled titaness form. She put it back on the rack and picked up the pink shortalls next and then another onesie covered in pink hearts. Ashley’s face felt like it was melting as one by one Elise examined almost every article of clothing Ashley had considered on herself. “It’s all just so cute. I don’t think I have the body for it necessarily but it sure is adorable. What do you think about this?” Elise asked as she held up the first onesie again. Ashley was speechless for a minute. Her brain reeling for words that in its currently fried state could barely find. “It’s… uh, um, it’s uh kinda cute… I guess.” She finally managed. ‘Nailed it. Shoot me now.’ Elise approached Ashley with all of the confidence in the world and held the hanger up to her Ashley’s neck, letting the onesie drape over her chest as if she was wearing it to get a visual. “Well isn’t that just precious.” She said with an almost devious smile that threatened to devour her. ‘Too much!’ Ashley’s brain short circuited and popped a fuse. Next thing Ashley knew she was on the floor and Elise was cradling her head in her lap. “Guess we worked you a little too hard huh?” Elise said with a smile so disarming that Ashley almost turned pudding right there, her voice so calm and soothing that Ashley felt tiny. ‘God! Is she flirting with me?’ Ashley thought to herself. ‘There’s no way, she’s like 32 and I’m like barely 19, there’s no way she’d be into a scrawny little cheerleader like me when she’s built like a goddess.’ “Hello, earth to Ashley. You okay princess?” Elise said, trying to get Ashley out of her own head. “You passed out for a second there. Are you okay?” There was genuine worry on her face. “Uh, um, yeah. It happens sometimes when I… when I overwork myself.” Ashley replied. ‘Smooth played that off well, I almost told her it only happens when I get overwhelmed or overly excited.’ “Is it vasovagal syncope?” Elise asked. “Sudden drops in blood pressure leading to fainting spells.” She clarified for Ashley who looked confused. Legitimate medical terms well beyond her memory capacity, symptoms being more so what she remembered. “Uh yeah, I think that’s what the doctors called it. It happened more when I was younger though, it’s been awhile since I’ve fainted like that.” Ashley said. “I know an acquaintance with the same condition.” Elise said. “Let’s get you some water.” Elise easily maneuvered Ashley around and stood up before helping Ashley stand. Her legs still felt a little wobbly after the faint, in fact, they were actually wobbling. Elise took note of it almost immediately and crouched down a little to be on the same eye level as Ashley. “I’m going to pick you up okay? I don’t want to hurt your feelings, I know it can be a sore subject but I want to get you over to your chair so you can sit down.” Ashley would agree that being carried is a sore subject for her. Being small as she was, some of the bigger kids liked to pick her up knowing she was an easy target. She had been thrown into the pool a number of times in gym class in junior high. Probably just dumb boys flirting and being bullies about it but she didn’t have many fond memories of being picked up. Elise on the other hand was being gentle with her, asking for permission like it was sexual consent. It disarmed Ashley completely and she gave a small nervous nod. Ashley quickly found herself hoisted up into Elise’s arms. Her legs naturally wrapped themselves around her waist and Elise adjusted her grip to support her bottom while Ashley’s head naturally nestled into her and her arms wrapped around to hug her neck. Elise didn’t so much make a strained grunt or noise as she easily carried Ashley the short 20 feet over to her small register station and sat her down in the chair. “Light as a feather.” She said with another disarming smile. Elise grabbed the large thermos cup from the desk and held it up, presenting the straw to Ashley to drink from. “Take a few sips please. Might just need to get some fluids in ya.” Elise said “I can hold it myself.” Ashley tried to protest as she lifted her arms to accept the cup but in doing so felt how sluggish and slow the movements were. It was like her muscles were still in the process of rebooting and she caved and leaned forward a bit to take the straw and down a few sips. “Take it slow, big gulps of cold water could shock your core and make you feel sick.” Elise explained as Ashley took a few more sips. Gary then reappeared from the bathroom after washing up a bit. “Did I miss something?” He asked innocently. “Nothing much, Ashley just fainted. Probably just worked her too hard is all.” Elise explained the current state of affairs probably a bit too calmly for the situation because Gary’s response came fast and panicked. “Fainted!?” He took what seemed like two strides toward them and was at Ashley’s side opposite of Elise. “Are you okay? Do we need to call an ambulance? The boss will have our necks if Ashley got hurt because we pushed her too hard.” Elise had moved her hand to Ashley’s neck prior to Gary’s minor breakdown. She specifically had two fingers on Ashley’s pulse and felt it increasing at the same pace as Gary’s breakdown. “Calm down Gary, you’re projecting onto Ashley and scaring her. It’s okay, she’s fine. You seem to forget that I have EMT training too. She’s going to be just fine.” Elise said. “Right! Sorry, I’ll let you handle this and go start to get the shop locked up.” Garry said as he left. The fingers on Ashley’s neck monitoring her pulse were warm and the gentle contact felt almost ticklish. She couldn’t stop herself from curling up into Elise’s hand that gently cupped her chin. “Let’s get some sugar in you as well, might just have a bit of low blood sugar as well.” Elise said as she reached for the jar of candy on the counter and pulled out a pink cotton candy sucker. She took her hand back for a moment to unwrap it then brought it back to monitor her pulse while offering the lollipop up to Ashley’s lips. ‘How did she know the cotton candy was my favorite?’ Ashley thought to herself as for the first time she didn’t resist leaning forward a bit and accepted the offering. “There ya go, good girl. You’re starting to get some color back in your face.” Elise commented. Ashley could definitely feel the color in her face now as her cheeks started to burn again while her tongue shifted the lollipop over to her cheek. ‘Stop calling me a good girl, I can’t handle the praise.’ Ashley thought as the two words echoed in her head and raised goosebumps across her arms. “Alright, you seem pretty stable now. I’m going to go take out this trash and get my stuff real quick. You stay right here for the time being and if you need anything just ask.” Elise said, which got a small nod of agreement from Ashley. Elise leaving her side felt…bad? It didn’t feel good. She was so sensitive and gentle that Ashley’s guard had been lowered enough to just accept the help and treatment. The steady presence, the calm reassurances, the soft voice that delivered kind praises. Ashley’s body wanted to reach out and pull her back but her defenses were going back up. Her adult persona was taking over again and she hesitated long enough that Elise had already slipped away by the time she thought about pulling her back. Now the internal voice started again. ‘So stupid, getting so worked up about just a onesie that you fainted. And you made Elise and Gary worry about you. It’s just a onesie and some stupid diapers. Besides, the chances of Elise being into you are about zero. She just likes teasing you and you have no chance with someone like her when you look like someone like you.’ Ashley really wanted to cry. It felt fitting but she stuffed those emotions back down and held back those tears despite her eyes starting to water up a bit. She instead chose to watch from her chair as Elise broke down the boxes and condensed them into a single box stuffed with all of the garbage. ‘I should really help her. I’m fine now.’ Ashley thought as she watched Elise efficiently condense the packaging. Ashley stood up to go help but Elise caught the movement out of the corner of her eye. “Do you need something?” Elise asked gently but directly before Ashley was even fully standing. “Um, I was just going to help you finish up.” Ashley said bashfully. “Nuh uh, you stay right there. If you’re going to have to drive home after work, you’re going to need your strength and I don’t want to have to worry about you making it home safely.” Elise said. “Besides it’s not enough work for two people, I’ll have it done in a jiffy.” Gary had supposedly finished up shutting down the warehouse because he came back and started carting out the garbage that Elise had already condensed. The tag team duo had all of the garbage shuttled out to the dumpster in a matter of minutes. ‘They really do work so well together. If I didn’t know otherwise I’d say that they make a great couple but I can see they have at least a really great friendship.’ Ashley pondered from the sidelines. Gary had grabbed his bag and was heading out the door shortly after waving goodbye to Ashley and Elise. Something about having to get to the gym for a training session so he couldn’t stay too late. “Feeling better?” Elise asked as she approached with her and Ashley’s bags that she had retrieved from the break room. “Yeah, much better. You sure know your stuff. The sucker really seems to have done the trick.” Ashley replied “That’s good. Now let’s get out of here, it’ll still be here Monday.” Elise said as she handed Ashley her purse and guided her to the front door. It was always those subtle little pushes and guidances from Elise that made Ashley’s heart flutter. ‘Can your crush on Elise get any worse?’ Ashley thought to herself. ‘Just stop thinking about it. It’ll never happen. Especially since you’re too chicken to even take a shot.’ Ashley literally face palmed herself from the internal thought train. “You okay?” Elise asked, hearing the smack and turning around. “Um, yeah, I uh, just forgot my water bottle in there.” Ashley said as she looked for an excuse and actually had forgotten to bring her bottle with her. “I gotta get home and feed the cat or he’ll tear up my furniture.” Elise said. “But you have shop keys too, just be sure to lock up and set the alarm from your phone.” “Right, sounds good. I’ll see you Monday?” Ashley said feeling a little fidgety. ‘Here’s your chance, take a shot.’ But she didn’t, almost physically couldn’t bring herself to say the words. “You will indeed. Enjoy your weekend.” Elise said before walking away towards her SUV with a wave over her shoulder. Stumbling In Chapter 1- The beginning (Elise) ‘15 more minutes.’ Elise told herself as she moved another box to the shipping bay. 15 minutes before lunch and then she could finally go see Ashley again. Not that anything was really stopping her but she didn’t want to feel like a helicopter. The girl was so innocent and adorably cute it almost hurt to scroll through the pictures she had saved mentally. Her petite frame, the beaming smile when she allowed herself to flash her pearly whites, the blushes she had when she was put on the spot. ADORABLE! She had been working at the store for two weeks now and today marked the completion of the third. Friday, the day that usually dragged on but today was a good day. She looked over at the mountain of boxes that had been delivered on Wednesday. She had already unpacked one to display for an impatient friend the previous day, she had the bill of lading after all and knew which one contained the ABDL diapers her friend was after. They were living out a fantasy that Elise hoped to join some day. Her little coming into a store to buy a pack of diapers for herself. It was a classic ABDL trope and her little loved the humiliating side of things no matter how much she denied it. Elise had staked two of her bonuses on the massive order now sitting by the warehouse. Bethany was the best employer she could imagine. She was open minded about all communities and Elise had approached her about hers after an age of deliberation. It was a nerve racking meeting, to open up about yourself in that way, to expose your inner fantasies to another. Bethany had agreed to try it out. Elise couldn’t tell but she could’ve sworn that Bethany hinted at also being part of the community that she was so infatuated with, at least in some aspects. The deal was, if they didn’t see a good ROI after buying in they would terminate the line of apparel, gear, and most importantly to Elise, the diapers. Every quarter, Bethany would take 75% of the revenue generated by the store and split it between Gary and Elise. She reasoned that the money was better off going back into the economy than sitting in some over-inflated bank account collecting dust. After all of the bills it typically amounted to quite a handsome bonus for Elise and Gary. For that, Elise was eternally grateful. Bethany was a sort of role model for Elise, and a mentor. She constantly helped Elise through navigating stuff that school never prepared her for. Buying her first house, navigating the stock market and investing, survival and beyond that thriving. Bethany could write a course on how to make it but she decided to take Elise and Gary under her wing to help them be successful. In fact, she wanted everyone around her to be successful, that’s why she had brought Ashley on as the front cashier for the summer so that she could get some real world experiences. She had paid out of pocket for Elise’s EMT license, something she had wanted as her initial career goal, and had even helped Gary set up a care home for his special needs older brother. Bethany never joked, when she said that Elise and Gary were like the children she never had, Elise took that to heart. The deal Elise and Bethany had made was for two of the quarterly bonuses to be put into ABDL inventory and marketing. The online sales were good for the rest of the business so they set up, sort of secretly, a secondary LLC through the warehouse for the new venture. Gary didn’t flinch at making a second website mirroring the first, he loved that nerdy stuff. He took Elise’s input on all of the cutesy designs and gave her access to populate it with all of the pictures and descriptions since she knew more about the subject matter. Gary was aware of Elise’s caregiver and ABDL side. A night of heavy drinking had divulged many secrets years ago and Gary supported her like an older brother. Gary had even been intrigued by the ABDL diapers with their printed designs thinking it was a good venture for the business to broaden their scope and reach. Elise shuffled the last box for the day’s orders to the loading dock. She handled most of the smaller orders that went direct to consumers while Gary handled the large bulk orders that went to care homes, hospitals, and retirement centers. That meant that she had the rest of the day to play with the ABDL stuff and getting it displayed on the shop floor. ‘5 minutes to lunch. It probably would hurt to go check on Ashley.’ Elise thought before she gave Gary the heads up that it was lunch time. He was in the middle of loading a pallet for a large order of supplies but looked like he could use a break. He gave her a thumbs up and she took the queue to head out to lunch. She went to the employee break room first and stuck her dish in the microwave so that it could warm while she retrieved Ashley. One of Elise’s growing favorite things to do was sneak up on Ashley. She wore athletic shoes most of the time so she could be comfortable but they also lent themselves to being light on her feet and quiet. She found Ashley in a place she had not initially expected to find her. She was squatted down at the end of the diaper aisle. In particular, she was crouched in front of the ABDL diapers she had displayed last night for her friends. A jolt of electricity shot through Elise as she watched the girl pick up, then set down, then pick up again the pack of pink printed diapers. ‘Is Ashley an ABDL!’ Her internal voice screamed as she watched Ashley manipulate the pack of diapers in her hands, analyzing every inch of them. She approached quietly for her favorite part. “Hey, ready for lunch?” The sight of Ashley exploding in fear like a child caught red-handed was to die for. Her cheeks were flushed red with a blush that could light a cigarette. “Pretty cute aren’t they?” Elise asked innocently, but she was really trying to gauge Ashley’s reaction. A lot of ABDL’s were highly closeted, they rarely ever broadcasted their fantasies for fear of being labeled a weirdo. “I just stocked them last night.” She added, trying to keep Ashley talking. “U…um yeah, they are kinda cute.” Ashley stammered in her adorable embarrassed way. “A girl came in earlier and bought a pack so I figured I could help you guys out and face the inventory so that it stays uniform.” That’s a lie Elise almost called it immediately. ‘You’re curious aren’t you? You want to know what a diaper feels like. You may have experimented before but between price and hiding in the closet you’ve never been this close to the real thing.’ “Come on, I brought you chicken parm, I think Gary is trying to win you over to the dark side with corndogs so be warned. If you were trying to bulk that’d be a good option with all of those carbs from the bread but the protein weight is too low for you to gain anything in terms of muscle. It really bothers me that he gets to eat anything he wants and can turn it into muscle at the drop of a hat.” Elise knew Ashley wasn’t listening to her. The first time she had seen the girl’s eyes gloss over was when she began to ramble about macros. It was an easy way to fill the empty noise while allowing Ashley to think to herself so that she didn’t feel uncomfortable in the silence. The microwave had finished warming Ashley’s serving of lunch so she popped hers in while she brought Ashley the dish. To think, she had thought going down a few doors to get fast food on her first day was a viable lunch. It was the fast track to gaining weight and the disgusting ingredients that they used was never going to fly with her or Gary who was a health food nut in training. She had started packing a lunch for Ashley too and including a bevy of healthy snacks to deliver throughout the day. She occasionally would have Gary bring one of the snacks out to her, again so that it didn’t seem like she was hovering, but she knew Ashley was probably bored to tears sitting at the customer service kiosk in a store that saw maybe 50 in person customers a month. The snacks would at least give her some calories and a reprieve from the boredom. Gary had picked up that Elise was interested in Ashley on day one. He had called her out on it in the privacy of the warehouse and had made Elise promise that Ashley’s wishes were top priority. That was a given obviously. Her caretaker side only cared about what was the best for her partner, even if it was only a potential partner or a one way crush. Elise was moving on to her second favorite thing to do with Ashley. She swirled up a proportional bite of noodles for Ashley and checked that it wasn’t too hot. She presented the fork to Ashley as she did most days. If it was up to her, she’d feed Ashley her entire meal and skip lunch altogether. She knew it was pushing the line of forcing her own fantasies onto an unwilling participant but she couldn’t help herself. Today was different though. Ashley was extra blushy and her usual retort of “I can feed myself, you know.” Felt more forced, like she didn’t actually mean it. “Come on, just one bite.” Elise offered as consolation. It was their usual song and dance. She caved. She always caved. It was so sweet having Ashley accept the bite. The way she pushed her hair back behind her ear, the way she snapped forward and snatched the bite she was craving while trying not to be embarrassed. Elise knew she shouldn’t but she couldn’t stop herself as she loaded the next fork while Ashley chewed. “Come on, you said one bite.” Ashley was turning a new shade of red and her lip naturally curled into a pout that melted Elise on the inside. “I know. I lied. Come on, just one more and I promise I’ll let you eat in peace.” Elise said as she presented the offering forward. “It’s really good isn’t it, I added a few extra seasonings this time.” Elise prodded at the tenderness that Ashley presented so well. She caved again, this time a bit more aggressively snatching the food from the fork then holding out her hand to demand the fork. It was adorable when Ashley had these displays of adult confidence while doing little things. “It is really good…” Ashley commented quietly while she chewed. “Manners, you shouldn’t talk with your mouth full.” Elise took the opportunity to tease as she handed over the fork and glass Tupperware for Ashley. “God, aren’t you two cute.” Gary said as he took another bite of his corn dogs. Elise’s gaze could’ve burned a hole right through him. She didn’t need a wingman trying to sell her to her crush. “Oh shut up meat head.” Elise shot back. It was venomous and the message was ‘shut up before I strangle you with your stupid corndogs.’ “Last I checked you’re worse than me, counting calories and watching your “macros”” Gary fired back, making his own air quotes around “macros.” The message was clear that he didn’t care about Elise’s little game with Ashley of cat and mouse. He could see the picture from the outside and knew they were into each other. They just both were completely oblivious and unwilling to accept their chemistry. “It’s beneficial to maintain the proper physique. Some of us don’t have the metabolism of a 14 year old boy that can eat anything and not have to worry about tipping the scale.” Elise bickered. “Yeah yeah, anyways, I just have to finish up the order for Whispering Pines care facility. They almost tripled down after their first order. They’re really impressed.” Gary began. “I’ve finished off all of the direct to consumer orders for the day so I have a bit of free time that I’ll need to fill up.” Elise explained. Her eyes flicked to Ashley who had completely dissociated from the shop talk. “Oh yeah, Ashley said a case of those new diapers already sold.” Elise said to bring Ashley back into the conversation and see her reaction. The girl choked on her food at the mention of the diapers. ‘She has to be an ABDL, she’s so oblivious to it though’. “Wrong pipe?” She innocently asked as she handed over Ashley’s water bottle. She was tempted to give her back a few taps but held herself back. “Yeah…” Ashley managed to say after clearing her throat. “Well that’s good. Didn’t think registering as their new dealer would pan out so quickly.” Gary replied after Ashley had re-settled. He knew that Elise was in the middle of her flirtatious ambiguous game. “Right? As I was telling the boss, it’s a growing market and community. I’m really impressed with the quality and the designs are perfect. There’s probably 25 boxes to unload but I’ve already got them in the system. Should only have to put them on the shelf and we’re ready to go.” “When are you going to get the rest of the line out and all of the other products.” Gary asked, playing along with Elise’s game, both of them noticing Ashley’s glazed eyes regain focus at the mention of more product. “I’ll probably put a couple of lines that aren’t selling on clearance or maybe send them out for donations to the elderly home to make room. Then I have to go through one of the clothes racks, those heated vests haven’t been moving since it’s summer so that will make room for the onesies.” Elise explained. They did have quite a bit of inventory that was either outdated or had been popular with customers that no longer shopped with them for various reasons but mostly because they didn’t need them anymore sadly. Ashley’s blush renewed at the mention of onesies which flipped a switch for Elise. “Think you can help me out after lunch Ashley.” Elise pulled Ashley into the conversation but she was a little lost in thought at the moment. “Ash?” That got her attention, the little pet name she had started using innocently, she loved the way the girl snapped to attention when she heard it. “Um sure, not like I ever get a ton of customers anyways.” She finally responded. “Great, I’ll go start bringing the boxes up front then.” Elise said before standing and putting her Tupperware away in her lunch bag. She was excited, beyond excited. She had been able to subtly rope Ashley into helping her out and she’d be able to witness Ashley’s reactions personally. With food in her belly and renewed energy, she moved quickly. She had got a few of the stacks of boxes moved up front by the time Ashley finished her lunch and came to help. It would be good to get her something to do other than sit there bored to near death. Bethany was a huge proponent of “no phones out while on the clock.” Not exactly a problem in the back where they stayed busy but she wished she’d cut Ashley some slack with how dead the storefront was most times. Hopefully that will change a bit with the new products. “Hey, if you want to start breaking these out of their boxes while I bring up the rest, that'd be a huge help.” Elise said, giving some direction to Ashley. She practically had the bill of lading memorized at this point and was strategic with how she had been bringing the boxes out so that everything would line up. Call it OCD but Elise would call it efficiency. Ashley just gave a silent nod of approval as Elise moved through the swinging doors for the next stack. She already knew what box Ashley would probably be opening and was excited to see her reaction. Ashley was almost unmoving as she held the pack of diapers. ‘She’s hooked’ Elise thought as she set the next stack down. Ashley’s eyes were always focused on the next design she pulled out analyzing and exploring. She finally had all of the boxes brought up front and started working on re-sorting inventory. She knew which lines needed to come down, which could be reduced to one or two display cases with the remainder of the inventory in the back warehouse, and which lines could be donated and got to work. Her eyes frequently fell on Ashley who was always in the middle of looking at a pack of diapers like she was shopping for herself and weighing out the options between different bottoms. The items just so happened to be diapers. Ashley had already made her choice though. Elise saw her eyes wander back to the timid little diapers already on the shelf. It seemed to be Ashley’s standard she was comparing against. She gave herself a small smirk of approval. “How about you go get a drink, I know you’re not used to all of this heavy lifting like I am.” She commented, she knew it wasn’t from over-exertion but from getting worked up about all of the diapers. She watched as she walked away, she was a little pigeon toed and her walk didn’t have the grace and fluidity of an adult. It was staggered and uneven and she didn’t swing her arms in sync with her steps. ‘She’s slipping down whether she notices it or not she’s entering a little space mindset and regressing.’ After a moment of reprieve and a sip of water she returned. She was more fluid now, her trance-like state having dissipated from the short disconnect. Elise desperately wanted to scoop her up and put her in a chair to just sit on the sidelines to watch but knew Ashley wouldn’t go for it and she wanted to see more of that regressed mindset. “I’ll help out with getting your diapers put up then I have to run to the bathroom real quick.” Elise knew the choice of words she used. Contextually one would assume it was just the given task. But the blush that returned to Ashley’s cheeks and the small smile meant she took it in the way that she was claiming ownership. She offered up a pack of diapers for Ashley to put on the shelf. The larger size of the diapers Ashley had been monitoring this entire time. She didn’t take them immediately so swung the diapers her way to get her attention again and to get her to take the pack and set it on the shelf. She almost seemingly flinched like the diapers were trying to get her but quickly moved into action to take the pack from Elise with a quick “right, sorry.” Tag teaming the shelves went fast and they quickly had them all up and displayed. Ashley was a little winded from Elise’s pace but all of the disposables were neatly stored now. Ashley had been more focused after they got away from the pink printed diapers. ‘Seems like she’s settled on her preferred choice.’ She thought to herself as she looked at the display of color entering the store. Elise took off to the bathroom and left Ashley alone with the diapers. She didn’t particularly need the bathroom but she was dying to check something on her phone. She sat down and pulled her phone out and opened up her spreadsheet. She knew she was a bit OCD to have dozens of spreadsheets tracking everything and she opened her ‘NURSERY’ spreadsheet. She typed in the search bar ‘timid little’ to check her inventory. She had been buying ABDL products for years and tracked everything down to the last diaper. She had a full pack of the nighttime diapers on hand already stocked in the changing table. She also had two packs of the lighter duty daytime diapers. Her diaper bag had two left from when she had babysat for her friend Kelly and her little Jasmine. She took a mental note to restock the bag to its typical four and maybe throw some pull-ups in the mix and a nighttime spare to be prepared. She closed the app and opened the live feed from the shop security cameras. Her and Gary had access just in case the security system had a false alarm so they could check without having to come down to the shop. Bethany was pretty hands-off with this business for the most part since Elise and Gary handled everything for the most part, even their own payroll. Ashley was exactly where Elise had expected to find her, crouched at the end of the diaper aisle looking at the diapers she couldn’t keep her eyes off of. She wrapped up and washed her hands. ‘Twice in one day, how lucky can I be.’ Elise thought to herself as she moved silently back to Ashley. “You seem pretty interested in those pink ones.” Elise said, standing right behind Ashley. She nearly exploded again at the fright which made Elsie grin mischievously. “Do we need to put a bell on you? You move like a ghost! They were just crooked. I know your OCD butt would’ve done the same.” Ashley shot back. Elise had intentionally been holding herself back from adjusting them just to see Ashley’s interaction with them, it did pain her OCD admittedly but the thrill of Ashley’s blushy little face held her back. “I’m going to hit the bathroom too real quick.” Ashley announced as she rose and waddled away in the adorable little walk that Elise was coming to recognize as Ashley’s small side coming out. Her walk was a little more bow legged this time and Elise recognized the discomfort. ‘Oops, might’ve gone a bit too far with that second jump scare.’ She grinned to herself, knowing Ashley had made a wet spot in her panties. Elise moved on to sorting through the rest of the boxes, scrolling through her mental list of the packages. ‘Training pants would be good to put up next… hehe’ she internally giggled. ‘And with Ashley’s little accident it’ll be so cute to see her blushy little face when I hand her a pair.’ She hand over all the hangers and hooks they’d need to put on the pegboard at the back of the display shelves to hang the garments as well as a pair of training pants in Ashley’s size. Elise could see the gears turning in Ashley’s head and the subtle shift of her legs as she was reminded of the supposed wet spot in her panties. “Are you just going to stare at them or hang them up? They are pretty cute I have to admit but there’s a whole line we have to get up.” Elise broke Ashley’s newest daze who quickly jumped to action, clipping the hanger onto the garments. Elise metered out the garments and Ashley hung them couple of each size were quickly hung up. Elise stuck to the theme and produced matching diaper covers, and then actual adult undergarments like bra and panty sets but printed with the same patterns of hearts, lace and diapers tapes that Ashley was swooning over. That was followed by bibs, and even bottles and pacifiers scaled up to adult proportions to complete the display. Elise enjoyed Ashley’s reactions to each new item that completed the set. She had to analyze each item but Elise paced herself to let Ashley enjoy it. The next themes went substantially faster now that they were past the inject of Ashley’s fascination. ‘She probably has a humiliation kink. That’s why she is so fascinated with the ‘BABY’ text boldly displayed’ Elise thought to herself as she analyzed Ashley’s psyche. Then Gary came out to join the fray. “Phew. Finally got that large order out the door.” He gave a small stretch and swung his arms. Elise knew that the order he had packed could’ve easily been drawn out for the rest of the shift but he wanted to participate in the newness of the product line. “Wow, look at all this. You’ve made some great progress already. Didn’t think the boss was going to go this extreme on new inventory.” Gary commented. “Well, if I know anything about Auntie B… I mean Aunt Bethany, she has flair for the dramatics and loves going all in. I’m sure she’s a nightmare in Vegas.” Ashley joked which got a good chuckle out of Elise and Gary. They knew for a fact that Bethany was a problem gambler. Elise loved the innocent little moniker Ashley had for their aunt. “Well since you’re all done back there, can you help us out up here? If we’re quick we can get this all wrapped up before taking off today and we won’t have to worry about it on Monday.” Elise said as she opened another box and extracted a timid little themed onesie, dying internally at Ashley’s adorable face lighting up at the sight. Elise handed it over to Ashley to examine. She did have to hand it to Ashley, she had adorable tastes. The ruffles on the rear were to die for and the pink matched the blush on Ashley’s cheek. She started clearing the clothing rack with Gary which gave Ashley enough time to realise it was in her size and fantasize about it. Ashley snapped back to reality as Elise moved to start emptying more boxes. She hung the garment but Elise had noticed how long her eyes lingered on it as she went to work hanging everything else that was handed to her. Elise figured that Ashley, in all of her tomboyish charms, actually wanted to enjoy the more feminine side of life. The cutesy things, the pinks and pastels, internally she wanted to be a girly girl. It was probably some of her upbringing favoring the simplicity and ease of boy clothes but she probably missed out on the cute dresses and skirts. Her small stature and frame also probably voided a majority of those aspirations. Elise knew how cruel kids could be, being the opposite of Ashley but an outlier to the average, Elise had heard her fair share of ‘giraffe’ insults. Ashley probably avoided the girly girl items because it would only make her an easier target to the bullies of the world. Elise felt for her but she wanted Ashley to enjoy that side of herself. As Elise dug through the boxes she started imagining the outfit combinations she could put on Ashley. There was such a great variety and everything seemed perfect for Ashley. Even some of the black options would suit her in a gothic Lolita kind of way that had Elise day dreaming of Ashley in a full blown petticoat and maid uniform. She was lost in the though as she reached the bottom of the final box. “That’s it, you did great Ash. Thanks for all of your help!” Elise said enthusiastically to the girl who was waiting for the next item to examine and hang. ‘Praise kink, check.’ Elise thought as she saw Ashley go a little mushy at the words of encouragement. “Even with some time to spare.” Gary said as he looked at his watch and did some more stretches now that the task was complete. “I’m going to go wash up real quick.” Gary said before heading towards the bathroom. “It’s almost like a whole new store with all of this color.” Elise said as she took a moment to peruse the new inventory. She stopped at the clothes rack and pulled out the exact onesie Ashley had been eyeing. Unhooking it and holding it up. Ashley’s eyes were wide. Elise knew that Ashley was smitten with the onesie in her hands, she had even chosen the one that would fit Ashley, more so of an announcement that she agreed Ashley would look perfect in it. Elise perused the remainder of the racks, stopping to examine every article that had given Ashley pause. ‘She is helplessly adorable.’ Elise meandered back around to the first onesie again. “It’s all just so cute. I don’t think I have the body for it necessarily but it sure is adorable. What do you think about this?” Elise asked as she held up the first onesie again. “It’s… uh, um, it’s uh kinda cute… I guess.” She finally managed to formulate words. Elise loved the subtle teases that plucked at Ashley’s heart strings. Elise approached Ashley with all of the confidence in the world and held the hanger up to her Ashley’s neck, letting the onesie drape over her chest as if she was wearing it to get a visual. “Well isn’t that just precious.” She said with an almost devious smile that threatened to devour her. She knew she shouldn’t have, the girl was so worked up and so oblivious to the flirting that it was a bit too on the nose but she couldn’t help herself. “Oh crap.” Elise said as she saw Ashley’s eyes glaze then flutter and her body start to go limp. She easily caught Ashley and lowered her to the ground then moved to rehang the onesie before crouching next to Ashley and put her head in her lap. ‘Vasovagal syncope. She was too worked up and I flipped the breaker on her.’ Elise noted internally. If she hadn’t had her EMT training she would’ve been more worried but she knew it wasn’t a massive problem and that Ashley would wake up on her own momentarily but she was still internally panicking. “Guess we worked you a little too hard huh?” Elise said with a smile. Her own panic subsided and going into caregiver mode almost involuntarily. “Hello, earth to Ashley. You okay princess?” Elise said, trying to get Ashley out of her own head. “You passed out for a second there. Are you okay?” There was genuine worry on her face despite her best efforts to mask it. “Uh, um, yeah. It happens sometimes when I… when I overwork myself.” Ashley replied. ‘Or when you’re overstimulated and overexcited.’ Elise added in her head “Is it vasovagal syncope?” Elise asked, already knowing the symptoms. “Sudden drops in blood pressure leading to fainting spells.” She clarified for Ashley who looked confused. Elise only knew the medical terms because she had studied them, most only knew the symptoms though. “Uh yeah, I think that’s what the doctors called it. It happened more when I was younger though, it’s been awhile since I’ve fainted like that.” Ashley said. “I know an acquaintance with the same condition.” Elise said. An online friend from the ABDL forums she chatted with from time. “Let’s get you some water.” Elise easily maneuvered Ashley around and stood up before helping Ashley stand. Elise took note of Ashley’s wobbly legs almost immediately and crouched down a little to be on the same eye level as Ashley. “I’m going to pick you up okay? I don’t want to hurt your feelings, I know it can be a sore subject but I want to get you over to your chair so you can sit down.” She knew that someone of Ashley’s stature probably had some trauma about being picked up. Ashley gave a small nervous nod. Elise knew she was nervous, but she could see the worry melting away slowly. Elise lifted her with ease. She might’ve been 90 pounds at worst. A walk in the park considering her usual gym sessions target weights double that or more. Ashleys legs naturally wrapped themselves around her waist and Elise adjusted her grip to support her bottom while Ashley’s head naturally nestled into her and her arms wrapped around to hug her neck. Elise was just happy that Ashley couldn’t see her face. Her smile would’ve given her away immediately. She was so adorable! She moved the short distance to the small register station and sat her down in the chair. “Light as a feather.” She said with another disarming smile after just barely managing to mask her glee. Elise grabbed the large thermos cup from the desk and held it up, presenting the straw to Ashley to drink from. “Take a few sips please. Might just need to get some fluids in ya.” Elise said. She knew that Ashley going down like that would take a bit to regain her muscle control. “I can hold it myself.” Ashley tried to protest as she lifted her arms to accept the cup. Elise gave her a knowing look of ‘not right now you can’t, just accept the help’. She held the cup for the momentarily defeated Ashley as she drank. It was blissful, she seemed even smaller now in her weakened state and she was more agreeable to the aid being presented to her. Elise knew that Ashley probably spent a lot of time trying to prove she could it on her own and had developed a sort of independence necessity. “Take it slow, big gulps of cold water could shock your core and make you feel sick.” Elise explained as Ashley took a few more sips. She wouldn’t mind it but it’d probably break the girl if the sudden shock of cold water ended up on Elise or the floor. Gary then reappeared from the bathroom after washing up a bit. “Did I miss something?” He asked innocently. “Nothing much, Ashley just fainted. Probably just worked her too hard is all.” Elise explained the current state of affairs probably a bit too calmly for the situation because Gary’s response came fast and panicked. “Fainted!?” He moved fast, if Elise didn’t know any better she would assume that Gary had some caregiver energy in him and he was soon at Ashley’s side opposite of Elise. “Are you okay? Do we need to call an ambulance? The boss will have our necks if Ashley got hurt because we pushed her too hard.” Elise had moved her hand to Ashley’s neck prior to Gary’s minor breakdown. She was monitoring Ashley’s pulse to make sure everything was alright. Gary was exasperating the issue with his worry. “Calm down Gary, you’re projecting onto Ashley and scaring her. It’s okay, she’s fine. You seem to forget that I have EMT training too. She’s going to be just fine.” Elise said to calm both of them down. “Right! Sorry, I’ll let you handle this and go start to get the shop locked up.” Garry said as he left. Her pulse stabilized again. Then her own pulse shot through the roof when Ashley nuzzled her cheek and chin into the palm of her hand. All she was missing was cat ears and a purr as she seemed to melt into the touch. ‘Is she flirting with me!?’ Elise nearly exploded but kept her cool, noting that Ashley with a cat ears headband was a must. “Let’s get some sugar in you as well, might just have a bit of low blood sugar as well.” Elise said as a distraction from her own blush. ‘Pink cotton candy, that’s the most frequent wrapper I see in the trash can up here when I empty them.’ She took her hand back for a moment to unwrap it then brought it back to monitor her pulse while offering the lollipop up to Ashley’s lips. ‘This is to die for!’ Ashley leaned forward to accept the sucker and took it between her teeth so gently. Elise just wished she could offer up a bottle or pacifier like this too. “There ya go, good girl. You’re starting to get some color back in your face.” Elise commented, watching the blush return at the praise. ‘1000% has a praise kink.’ As Elise noted the goosebumps on Ashley’s arms. “Alright, you seem pretty stable now. I’m going to go take out this trash and get my stuff real quick. You stay right here for the time being and if you need anything just ask.” Elise said, which got a small nod of agreement from Ashley. She didn’t want to leave but knew it was approaching closing time and she should help Gary out. Elise noted the abandoned puppy look on Ashley’s face and almost went back but she couldn’t coddle her forever and always despite her wishes to do so. ‘Make it quick, you played with Ashley all afternoon setting up the new inventory. Just push a little longer and you can get back over to her. Gary and Elise had worked with each for long enough that words weren’t always necessary. They knew what the other could accomplish and Elise was moving as fast as she could which drove Gary to push a little bit harder than normal to match pace. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Ashley standup. She wasn’t about to let her help with so little left to do and just coming off a fainting spell. “Do you need something?” Elise asked gently but directly before Ashley was even fully standing. “Um, I was just going to help you finish up.” Ashley said bashfully. “Nuh uh, you stay right there. If you’re going to have to drive home after work, you’re going to need your strength and I don’t want to have to worry about you making it home safely.” Elise said. “Besides it’s not enough work for two people, I’ll have it done in a jiffy.” Gary had supposedly finished up shutting down the warehouse because he came back and started carting out the garbage that Elise had already condensed. It didn’t take long to wrap up before Gary had grabbed his bag and was heading out the door while waving goodbye to Ashley and Elise. ‘Musclehead needs more gym time, must be strong like ape.’ “Feeling better?” Elise asked as she approached with her and Ashley’s bags that she had retrieved from the break room. “Yeah, much better. You sure know your stuff. The sucker really seems to have done the trick.” Ashley replied. “That’s good. Now let’s get out of here, it’ll still be here Monday.” Elise said as she handed Ashley her purse and guided her to the front door. Elise loved to gently guide Ashley along like that. ‘Say it! Just say it already. Ask her out! Get to know her some more. Maybe you can help her navigate the ABDL stuff that seems so foreign yet so alluring to her.’ Elise monologued internally. Elise was locking the door when she heard a soft smack“You okay?” “Um, yeah, I uh, just forgot my water bottle in there.” Ashley replied. A truthful lie but not the whole truth Elise recognized. “I gotta get home and feed the cat or he’ll tear up my furniture.” Elise said. “But you have shop keys too, just be sure to lock up and set the alarm from your phone.” Elise lied. She wasn’t in any rush to get home. She just need some privacy in the shop to do a little shopping herself. With all of the new inventory she was dying to pick out a few things for her nursery, not that she needed much really. She was also curious to see what Ashley was really up to. “Right, sounds good. I’ll see you Monday?” Ashley said while fidgeting nervously. ‘She’s going to go shopping too through all of the new inventory. Now I’m dying to know what she’ll get. No, you shouldn’t snoop. You already know what she’s interested in anyways.’ Elise thought. “You will indeed. Enjoy your weekend.” Elise said before walking away towards her SUV with a wave over her shoulder. She decided her shopping spree could wait till Monday or tomorrow if she was feeling antsy.

Chapter 18 – Afternoon Play Date I woke up a few hours later in a bad mood. Not only was my nappy now cold and damp, but I felt the pressure in my bowels and needed to poop. I was still trying to get used to messing myself but knew that it wouldn’t be a pleasurable experience. I sat up in the crib and managed to get into a squatting position. I took a deep breath and gently began to push. To my surprise, I started pooping almost instantly. I winced as the warm gooey mess began to spread inside my nappy. However, I realised that something felt a little bit odd. It was then I noticed that I had stopped pushing but was still pooping. The mess seemed to easily slide out of me. After I had finished (or assumed I had) I started worrying. I knew that I had almost no control over my bladder…what if it was the same with my bowels. The thought of becoming fully incontinent started to upset me. I could feel tears forming in my eyes and before I knew it, I began crying. Streams of tears seemed to flow from my eyes uncontrollably and down my cheeks as I bawled loudly. I suddenly heard Christina and my mother from the bottom of the stairs. ‘Sounds like the baby’s awake’, I heard Christina say, ‘did you want me to go?’ ‘It’s alright, I don’t mind going’, replied my mother, ‘he probably needs changing’. I then heard footsteps as my mother made her way up the stairs. ‘It’s ok sweetie’, she called out, ‘mummy’s coming’. As my mother walked into the nursery, I couldn’t even imagine the sight that she could see. There I was, her twenty-one-year-old son, wearing a bonnet and mittens, sat in a crib and crying because he needs his messy nappy changing. I didn’t even have any doubt in my mind anymore. I was a baby. ‘I’m here, don’t worry’, smiled my mother. She came over and let down the side of the crib. I instantly wrapped my arms around her and held on tightly. I started to calm down slightly knowing that my mother was here and she would take care of everything. ‘Shh shh shh’, she hushed, ‘it’s all ok now’. My mother reached over and stretched open the back of my nappy. ‘Ooh dear’, she cooed, ‘I think we’re ready for a nappy change’. She helped me out of the crib and led me over to the changing table where I hopped on and laid down. My mother reached over and put a dummy into my mouth before getting the changing supplies out. I noticed her eyes widen as she opened up my nappy. ‘Wow’, she exclaimed, ‘I thought your stinky nappies were bad enough when you were a real baby’. I blushed as she began wiping my bottom. I couldn’t shake the fear that I was feeling about losing control of my bladder and bowels. I wanted to tell my mother. As I attempted to take my dummy out, the thick mitten on my hand made it difficult to grab onto. Despite laying down, I was able to spit it out. However, before I could speak, my mother picked my dummy back up. ‘Ooh dear’, she cooed as she put it back into my mouth, ‘we don’t want to lose that’. I gave up trying to tell her and sucked on my dummy as she taped on a clean nappy. As I sat up on the changing table, my mother put her hands underneath my armpits and picked me up. Once again, I was amazed that she could carry me. I wasn’t the heaviest person in the world but it was still pretty astonishing. ‘Come on stinky bum’, said my mother, ‘I’ve got someone I’d like you to meet’. She began carrying me out of the nursery and down the stairs. I could hear Christina talking to someone. I began to panic and worried that it might be Samantha. If she saw me like this then there would be no way that she would ever go out with me. However, as we reached the bottom of the stairs, I saw someone that I didn’t recognise. She had jet black hair and green eyes. ‘You must be Jake’, she grinned as she noticed me. I looked at Christina in confusion. ‘This is my sister’, said Christina, ‘her name is Jessica and this is her daughter Lacy’. I looked over to the corner of the room where a playpen had been set up and in it was a little girl who looked about one or two years old. ‘It’s nice to meet you’ smiled Jessica, ‘my sister has been telling me all about you’. I blushed at having a stranger see me dressed like a baby. ‘Say hello Jake’, instructed my mother who was still holding me tightly against her waist. I waved at her and did my best to talk through my dummy, ‘hewwo’. ‘Aw, you really are a little cutie, aren’t you?’ cooed Jessica. ‘Everything ok upstairs?’ asked Christina. ‘Oh yes it’s fine’, replied my mother, ‘Mr Stinky came to pay us a little visit, that’s all’. I could feel myself dying from embarrassment and wanted to hide in my crib and never come out. My mother walked over to the play pen and lowered me into it. ‘I’m just going to pop you in here for a bit whilst I get to know your Auntie’s sister’, said my mother. Christina came over and put my cuddly dinosaur and building blocks into the play pen for me to play with. I would have preferred my colouring book but with the dummy in my mouth, I couldn’t say anything. I sat helplessly and watched Christina as she walked away to join the grown-ups while I was stuck inside the play pen with toys and a real infant. Lacy barely even acknowledged that there was a ‘big baby’ sitting in her play pen and seemed content playing with her teddy bears. To stop myself from dying of boredom, I picked up my stuffed dinosaur and pretended to make him walk. He actually looked pretty funny as he bounced around. I started to see what else I could make him do. I held the dinosaur in the air and made it look as if he was flying. Before I knew it, I was getting pretty engrossed and actually found myself having fun with my stuffed dinosaur. I have no doubt that the adults were occasionally looking over and admiring the two babies playing in their play pen but I didn’t care. After around twenty minutes, I started to smell something foul. I could recognise that smell anywhere. It was a messy nappy. I quickly panicked and began shuffling from side to side to see if I could feel anything inside my nappy. I felt clean which was a relief but then I looked over at Lacy who had an uncomfortable look on her face. The grown-ups had noticed the smell as well and they walked over towards the play pen. ‘Phew someone stinks over here’, exclaimed Christina whilst waving her hand in front of her nose. ‘I think Mr Stinky is still in the house’, chuckled my mother. I was pleased that for once, I wasn’t responsible for the smell. ‘Is it you Lacy?’ asked Jessica as she looked down at her daughter. Lacy looked up at her mother and smiled, ‘poopie’, she giggled. ‘Come on then smelly bum’, said Jessica and picked up her daughter, ‘we’ll put you down for a nap as well’. I felt slightly embarrassed that Lacy was going to have a nap in the crib…the same crib that I slept in. I also felt slightly awkward that Lacy had remained so calm about her messy nappy whilst I had cried over mine. It made me feel like I was even more of a baby than she was. With the bonnet on my head and the mittens on my hands, I certainly looked like a new born. ‘Stand up Jake’, said my mother. I did as I was asked and stood there helplessly while she inspected my nappy to see if I needed changing. She confirmed to everyone else that I was clean. ‘Aww good boy’, cooed Jessica. I blushed and sat back down in the play pen. ‘I’ll come and help you’, said Christina as she went upstairs with Jessica and Lacy. I spat my dummy out and turned to my mother. ‘Can I get out now?’ I asked her. ‘No sweetheart’, replied my mother, ‘you stay there and be a good boy whilst I go up and see if they need any help with Lacy’. I sulked and remained in the play pen as my mother walked upstairs. It wouldn’t have been so bad if I was able to do some colouring or at least watch Bluey. However, it didn’t take long before I was distracted by my cuddly dinosaur again and I soon forgot about being in the play pen. After a while I started to crave my dummy. However, as I attempted to pick it up, it fell out of my hand. Trying to pick things up with whilst wearing mittens was proving to be a challenge. I tried again and again but just couldn’t do it. I even attempted to use both hands to pick it up but even that seemed to fail. I started to gently sob before beginning to cry uncontrollably. It seemed like crying was my way of getting attention from the adults. I couldn’t quite explain it but I was started to struggle with my emotions and crying seemed to come easily to me. Jessica then walked down the stairs and into the room. She saw me crying and walked over to the play pen. ‘Aw, what’s the matter little guy?’ she asked. I quickly felt very silly and pathetic. ‘I…I…I want my dummy’, I sobbed. ‘Aw it’s alright’, cooed Jessica as she leant into the play pen and picked up my dummy, ‘here you go’. As she popped it into my mouth, I instantly stopped crying and a small smile emerged from behind my dummy. ‘Fankyou’, I gurgled. ‘You’re welcome sweetheart’, she replied, ‘I like your dinosaur’. I giggled and showed her how I could make him walk and fly. ‘Oh wow, look at him go’, beamed Jessica, ‘you’re such a clever boy Jake’. I started to feel warm and fuzzy inside. Jesscia was actually pretty cool. As my mother and Christina came down the stairs and into the living room, I was finally allowed to get out of the play pen. They sat down on the sofa whilst Jessica sat down in the arm chair. Out of necessity, I once again found myself sitting on the floor. ‘We’ve been having a little discussion upstairs’, said my mother, ‘I think we’ve found a solution’. ‘A solution to what?’ I wondered.

Brittney Giant houses with giant cars! Giant people talking to them like they’re children!. Giant diapers! And inside the giant house there was giant furniture, giant baby toys, and even more giant diapers! Madness! Pure madness! It was like Jack and the Beanstalk, but there were no beanstalks, no magic harps and no geese laying golden eggs! This whole place was a fever dream! It wasn’t a dream, however. Brittney knew that on an instinctual level. From the way her muscles ached, and how her head spun, with every step begging for her to just lay down and sleep. People weren’t usually that tired in their dreams. The grinding mechanized sound of a warehouse sized garage door sounded like a dragon’s roar to Brittney. Their escape from the mad mail lady had been far too temporary. “Hide!” She told her friends. “Where?” her husband, Drew asked. Why did she have to think of everything herself? She was the leader and the planner of their friend group. That only meant that she was very good at planning! Make sure Drew packed the sunscreen. Got some anti-nausea meds in case of sea sickness. Look for inexpensive hotels or interesting restaurants to eat at! That sort of thing. Who could plan for a goddamn alien abduction?! That’s what was happening. It wasn’t exactly a logical explanation, but it was the only paradigm that Brittney could wrap her head around. There had been a bright white light, and then they were in this weird place. Bam. Alien abduction. Or maybe the Matrix? She didn’t know. Brittney cleared her mind and thought about their surroundings. They had a laundry room with equipment big enough to get trapped in, a kitchen where every cabinet, door, and drawer was locked down, and a wide open playroom with a gate that would have taken at least two people to climb over. In a best case scenario one of them would be left behind and the other three would be going deeper into unknown territory. There were no good options. “Go into the kitchen. The table had a tablecloth on it. Climb up on the chairs. Use them and the tablecloth to hide.” “What about you?” Christy asked. “I only saw three.” “I’ll be bait.” Her friends looked at her as if she were insane. “We’ll do what we did a second ago. Ambush and run!” “Where to?” Tyler asked. The garage door had stopped. They didn’t have much time. Another quick roar and a crashing sound signaled that their prison had shut itself again. “Doesn’t matter yet! Go!” The quartet rushed out of the playroom, closer to the very door that might very well be heralding their doom. Her friends and husband jogged to underneath the gargantuan kitchen table. Christy climbed up into the first chair by herself and laid down flat. Drew needed a boost but managed. Tyler was having trouble, his newly applied padding was messing with his gait and movement. That, and Tyler was far from the most athletic among them. “Hurry,” Brittney hissed. She joined him and got down on all fours. “Step on me! Boost up!” Barefoot and naked save for socks and an adult sized diaper decorated like a baby one, Tyler looked more embarrassed for the help than for his garb. “Are you sure?” “Just go!” She braced and grit her teeth so that her second oldest friend could climb to relative obscurity if not safety. BEEP! A car horn sounded off, its echo amplified by the acoustics of an impossibly large garage. Brittney scrambled out from underneath the table. Whoever was coming didn’t need to know what their numbers were or see her coming out of a hiding place. THUD-THUD-THUD! BING-BONG! It also wasn’t the giantess that had attacked them a moment ago. That bitch was still at the front door. That gave Brittney some courage. This just might work after all. Just beyond the kitchen, the door to the garage opened wide, revealing an impossibly big and tall frame. Brittney couldn’t see the giant’s face, because they were carrying an imposingly large brown paper bag that obscured the majority of their face. “Hmmm-hmmm-hmmm-hmmm” The giant’s voice came in loud and clear ahead of her. It was a her by the sound of it. She was humming a simple but jaunty tune to herself, and leaving the door to the garage wide open. Brittney froze in the middle of the kitchen, waiting to be seen, but the new giant took no notice of her. “When my diaper’s on, I like it dry,” she sang to herself in a simple, sing-talk way. She sounded like an older woman too, if Britney were to guess. “And when it’s wet, I get upset.” Brittney’s stance was broken. She was forced to bolt out of the way, lest she be trampled by sneakers as big as her whole torso. Still singing to herself, the giant walked to a counter corner and placed the bag down and started emptying it. “When my diaper’s on, I like it dry. And when it’s wet, I get upset.” She was definitely an older woman, Brittney saw straight white hair and glasses straps. She wore a beige top and blue jeans and much like Brittney had a body that curved more outward than inward. Not ‘fat’ but what might be called ‘pleasantly plump’. “I want it off. I cry. Please change me!” From out of the bag she stacked up baby food jars sized to hold peanut butter, a bag of diapers that could have doubled as an air mattress, and packs of baby wipes that were almost pillows. “I want it off. I want it off. Please change me!” She shook her head to herself and chuckled. “Oh dear, even on my day off I can’t get those songs out of my-” THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD! BING-BONG! “Hm?!” She raised her head. “I thought they were just supposed to drop packages off and leave….” BING-BONG! THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD! “Comiiiiing!” She yelled out, and walked right out of the kitchen, oblivious to Brittney’s presence. “Just a second!” BING-BONG! BING-BONG! BING-BONG! “I’M COMING! I’M COMING!” Brittney unfroze and slinked towards the kitchen table. “Come on!” she waved the others down. Forget the ambush, they had distance and distraction on their side. “She’s moving to the other room. Now’s our chance!” All together they hoisted themselves off and back onto the floor. As one they moved out into the kitchen. “We need to time it so that we open the garage right as they start talking to each other,” Tyler said, waddling in the back. “Use the chaos…” “Agreed,” Brittney nodded. Drew led the way. “Maybe we can try stealing the car? We’d get a lot further.” BING-BONG! “We couldn’t even see over the steering wheel or reach the pedals.” Christy said. “They do it all the time in the cartoons,” Tyler said, unhelpfully. THUD-THUD! Brittney tried to put the kibosh on this idea. “How would we even break into it?” . Drew stopped and pivoted. He pointed up at the counter. Something shiny and metal was grouped by the baby supplies fresh out of the grocery bag. “I think she left her-” “Keys!” The giantess exclaimed. She ran back into the kitchen. “I forgot my-...” The quartet froze; people turned deers caught in headlights. Seeming shocked, the giant froze in the kitchen doorway, her jaw slack from surprise. To Brittney’s thinking, she looked old, but not very old. A few wrinkles and laugh lines, breasts that sagged more than they likely used to,, but nothing that would place her at retirement age. Late fifties to early sixties, tops. Almost like her mother. “Babies?!” she gasped. “How did you get here?” As a group, they ran for the open doorway. Better to prolong capture and create an opportunity. There’d be less space. What they didn’t count on was the speed of the giantess. A shadow passed over them while the older woman literally leaped and high stepped over their heads and slammed the door shut before them. If she was older than sixty-five, she was certainly spry. “No, no, no!” she said. “It’s not safe for you kids in there!” They skidded to a halt, skittered and reversed course. Tyler was tripping over the bulk between his legs and Drew was tripping over Tyler. Christy was trying to run backwards instead of turning around and had paid the price by falling over the back of her heel. Brittney, for reasons she couldn’t quite articulate, stood her ground. Running wasn’t working. They wouldn’t win a direct fight. Maybe talking would work. They looked a motley crew to be sure. Christy was in wet pants with two t-shirts tied around her waist. Drew was naked from the waist up. Tyler was one Kool-Aid mustache short of being a trailer park toddler. Brittney was the only one who still looked presentable. That’s why she decided to open her mouth. THUD-THUD-THUD! “It’s alright,” the old woman said. “Granny’s not gonna hurt you.” BING-BONG! “Is that your Momma out there? Is that why she’s knockin’? Do you want to go see her? Do you wanna go see Momma?” She started to bend over, her arms outstretched. “C’mon. Let’s go see Momma.” Standing upright and looking far more confident than she felt, Brittney spoke up. “We’re not babies.” The old woman stopped, and her expression changed to one of curiosity and wonder. “I beg your pardon?” THUD-THUD-THUD. Brittney repeated herself. “We’re. Not. Babies.” The color fell away from the old woman’s face. “You’re not?” “Tyler, say something geeky but smart.” Tyler was at a loss. “Like what…? Shakespeare?” “Sure.” “If we shadows have offended think but this and all is mended that you have but slumbered here while these visions did appear and this meek and idle theme no more yielding but a dream…” He rattled off the lines with machine automaticity. It lacked the whimsical overacting he normally did, but it made up for it in speed. The old woman’s eyebrows arched up over her glasses. “Poetry?” Poetry…but not Shakespeare. Something more universal, perhaps. “Drew. Math?” Drew was on it. “Uh…the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides.” Good thing she married a math teacher. BING-BONG! The giantess blinked in astoundment and mouthed “Wow”.. “Christy?” “Foreign accent syndrome is a rare but verifiable medical condition caused by damage to the speech centers of the brain, usually through trauma or stroke.” Christy said. It helped that Christy’s dad was an E.R. doctor and her mom was a psychiatrist. Asking ‘How was your day?’ always had interesting answers when they were kids. For her part, Brittney filled her lungs, folded her hands in front of her, and sang scales in an operatic voice. She was rusty, but she had gotten a scholarship with her voice. It was certainly more advanced than a simple three note nursery song. Come to think of it, if they managed to get out of this situation, the four of them would crush at any given restaurant’s trivia night. The giant was left with her hands on her cheeks and her mouth completely agape. “Satisfied?” THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD! BING-BONG! The continual interruptions at the front door captured the big woman’s concentration. “How…are…you…?” She shook her head. “Will you excuse me?” She grabbed the keys from off the counter and marched towards the source of the noise. The quartet were left back in the kitchen, wondering what their next move should be. “Did it work?” Christy asked. Brittney’s eyes followed the retreating giant into the play room and watched her high step over the barrier. “Maybe?” she said. “She’s listening to us.” “Yeah,” Drew said. “But why?” Speaking of listening, the four of them were able to hear half an exchange. THUD-THUD-THUD! The door squeaked open. “Yes?” The older giant said, sounding annoyed. They heard the postal worker say something back, but Brittney couldn’t make out the words. “Yes. I know,” their newest close encounter replied brusquely. “They’re mine. I’m taking care of them. Thank you for finding them for me.” More mumbling that they couldn’t quite make out. The giantesses were just far away enough so that Brittney and company could only eavesdrop on half of the conversation. “Then what are their names?” The intervening time had no words that any of them could hear. “Hm? Don’t know. Didn’t think so.” The giant who’d chased them in here stuttered something. “Hm? You what? Fine. Wait here.” Loud angry footsteps signaled their host’s imminent return. Brittney had to resist the urge to hide all over again. Tyler and Christy looked like they were having a harder time of suppressing that. Drew was edging more and more infront of her to the point where she had to nudge him away so she could see. The white haired giant stomped back into the playroom, and hooked briefly out of sight. She didn’t even make it into the kitchen, instead doubling back the way she came with something white and rectangular in her hand. They heard the door open up again. “Here’s a diaper. You’re welcome. Thanks for changing him. Goodbye!” The door slammed, and everything was quiet. “The fuck just happened?” Drew asked quietly. Brittney looked at him. “I…think she gave a diaper to the other one…” “Wh-?” Tyler said and cut himself off. “Oh.” He looked down at his waist in shame. “Got it.” Her subsequent approach was much quieter than the first. Her feet fairly glided back into the playroom. “Heeeeey,” she called out. “Are you kids still in there?” It was a silly question. Even with the distance between them, both parties were well within eyesight of each other. Watching one another. Each measuring the other up. “Ma’am,” Brittney spoke. “We’re not babies.” “Right. Sorry.” She walked to a tremendous yet comfy looking couch and sat down. “Can we talk? I’m not going to hurt you.” Brittney looked to her friends. “I don’t think we have much of a choice,” she whispered. Grimly, they all nodded. As a group they slinked forward, and the old woman waited, leaning on her knees, Brittney couldn’t help but feel as though they were entering some kind of diplomatic engagement. A negotiation of sorts. “So…” Brittney said, taking the lead. “So…” The woman said. “How old are you all? Really?” “Thirty-six” Brittney answered. “Thirty–seven,” Drew said. Tyler bashfully said, “Same.” “Thirty-five,” Christy finished. Brittney waited to see if there was a follow up question. “What about you?” “Just turned sixty last month,” the woman said. She frowned and narrowed her eyes. “How many days in a year?” “Three sixty-five” They all answered practically in unison. “Hmmm…” The old woman stroked her chin. “Me too. Me too.” She sniffed, then asked. “Got any I.D.?” “Do you?” Brittney retorted. The old woman chuckled, and then stifled herself. “Oh. You’re serious. Okay.” She took a wallet that was close to a small book. “Gloria Fitzsimmons,” Drew read aloud. “What’s a Scerya?” “That’s the state,” the giant explained. “States are like parts of a larger country and…” “We know…” Brittney cut her off. “We understand the concept.” The giant, Gloria Fitzsimmons, held up her palms in a defensive gesture. “Okay. Okay. Just making sure. I don’t know what you don’t know.” A beat. “May I please see your ID’s?” That was fair enough, Brittney reasoned. She reached into her pocket and pulled out hers. Christy and Drew did the same. “Here you go.” They handed the stranger back her wallet with theirs. Gloria squinted and examined the wallets. “I’ve never heard of an Illinoise,” she said, making the Elementary mistake of pronouncing the silent ‘S’ in Illinoi, “but these driver’s licenses seem very authentic. The dates match up too.” She used one hand to rub her forehead. “Wow, that’s wild.” “My…um…wallet…” Tyler said, shamefaced. “I think it’s in your front yard somewhere.” Assuming the other giant didn’t take Tyler’s pants with her as some bizarre form of trophy. Gloria gave the wallets back. “Oh don’t worry about it, dear. Pleasure to meet you, Christy, Drew, Brittney and…” “Tyler…” Tyler said, still looking awkward as anything. “Um…you as well, Gloria?” Drew offered, finding some courage. “Please, call me Granny,” she smiled. “Everyone does. Adults and children alike.” Brittney held her tongue. They all did. They’d have to think about that. “What’s with all the baby stuff?” “I run a daycare out of my home.” The giantess puckered her lips in thought. “Do you know what those are?” “Yes,” groaned Drew, growing more restless and impatient with the condescension. “Okay. Okay.” the old giant said again. “I just wanted to make sure. You’re very good at talking, very articulate but-” Brittney’s veins turned to ice. “That’s not the compliment you think it is. We’re not babies.” Gloria set her jaw and grimaced. “Can I show you something?” The giant asked. “What?” “Just a picture.” Her words were walking-on-eggshells careful. If the stranger outside the house looked at them and saw potential victims, the stranger inside the house was working on the assumption that they were scared strays that might dash away at the slightest provocation. “Can I show you a picture?” The others stayed quiet. Brittney was still calling the shots. “Sure.” The older woman rose from her spot on the couch and briskly walked around them and back to the kitchen. The quartet stayed where they were on the soft, foam floor mats. She noticed Tyler fidgeting nervously, his toes wiggling in his socks. Drew had his whole body turned towards the kitchen, wary of the giant. Christy was doing her best to look literally anywhere else. The old Granny returned holding the bag of diapers she’d entered with. “See this?” she pointed to the package. “What does this look like to you?” Brittney felt her mouth run dry. It looked like any old package of Huggies or Pampers one might see in the supermarket. It had the name of the diaper brand up top, with a happy baby posing in nothing but a diaper. The key difference was that the bubble lettering on the package read “Monkeez” and the baby crawling around on the front of the package wasn’t a baby. Babies didn’t have breasts.. “The fuck?” Christy said. “I don’t know about Illinoise,” Gloria said, tapping the package for emphasis. “This is what babies look like here. You say you’re in your thirties? To me, you’re maybe one. Maybe. At best.” Then she dropped the biggest bombshell. “Welcome to Earth.” “Earth?!” Tyler yelped. “What do you mean ‘Earth’?” “That’s the name of this planet.” Gloria said, innocently “Earth. Why? What’s yours?” Nevermind. This was a dream. This was a waking nightmare.

Chapter 9 – Consequences As we walked into the living room, Christina put the bags down onto the floor. I took my shoes off and followed slowly behind. I watched as she sat down on the sofa and made herself comfortable. She ushered me to join her. However, before I could sit down, Christina grabbed my wrist and pulled me over her lap so that my hands were touching the carpet and my bottom was sticking up in the air. The dummy fell out of my mouth and onto the floor. ‘What are you doing?’ I exclaimed. ‘If you’re going to act like a naughty child, then I’ll treat you like a naughty child’, Christina sighed. ‘What do you mean?’ I asked. ‘I can’t believe your attitude and rudeness’, she said, ‘there’s only one way to deal with that…a spanking’. ‘You’re not serious’, I scoffed. ‘You bet I am mister’, she replied, ‘a smack on the bottom is exactly what you need’. Christina then proceeded to manoeuvre my shorts down to my ankles before removing them. I quickly realised that she was being serious. ‘Wait. I’m sorry’, I said. Christina ignored me and gently undid the tapes of my nappy before opening it up to reveal my powdered bottom. ‘This is for your own good’, Christina announced. For a moment, there was silence. I wasn’t sure what was happening until… SMACK SMACK SMACK I yelped in pain as a stinging sensation suddenly hit me. I tried to get my head around what was happening. ‘You’ve been such a naughty boy’, bellowed Christina as she continued spanking me. SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK ‘Please!’ I begged, ‘I’m sorry Auntie’. ‘It’s too late for that’, Christina replied, ‘here was me thinking that you were going to be a good boy’. SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK Each round of spanking felt longer than the last. I began to cry as the stinging in my bottom began to feel unbearable. ‘Bad baby’, Christina said in a disappointed tone. SMACK SMACK SMACK ‘No more’, I begged again, ‘please Auntie. I can’t take anymore’. SMACK ‘I promise I’ll be a good boy’, I yelped with tears rolling down my face. Christina could see that I had learnt my lesson as the tears continued rolling down my cheeks. My bottom felt like it was on fire. However, before I could rub it, Christina quickly pulled up my nappy and fastened it back onto me. I was then told to stand up. As I frantically tried to wipe away my tears, Christina stood up. She took my hand and led me over to the corner of the room where I was told to face the wall. ‘Now, I want you to stay here and think about your behaviour’, she said sternly. ‘Yes Auntie’, I sobbed. ‘Maybe after a bit of time facing the wall, you’ll understand how rude you’ve been’, Christina said sternly. With that, I heard her take the shopping bags upstairs and I was left alone facing the wall. I desperately tried to rub my bottom but the padding on my nappy was too thick. I attempted to put my hands inside of the nappy but Christina had taped it on tightly. I could do nothing but face the wall and endure the pain of my very sore bottom. At a time like this, I desperately wanted my dummy just for a little bit of comfort. I hadn’t realised how much comfort I had been getting from a dummy but now I didn’t have it, I was craving it. After around ten minutes, I managed to get my emotions under control and eventually the pain started to ease off. I began to think about the trip to the pharmacy and wondered about my attitude. I came to realise that Christina was right. Despite my embarrassment, she hadn’t said anything to make me feel that way. My social anxiety had ended up getting the better of me instead. Christina had shown me nothing but care and love. She had even paid for my nappies out of her own money and in return I gave her nothing but rudeness. I suddenly felt really rubbish and understood now that my behaviour was unacceptable. I decided that from now on, I would try and be the best baby that I could be for Christina. I must have been facing the wall for almost an hour before I heard her voice as she entered the living room. ‘Come here please’ she said. I slowly turned around and walked over to her. ‘Something you’d like to say?’ she asked ‘I’m really sorry Auntie’, I apologised, ‘my behaviour was awful and I should have handled it better’. She nodded her head in agreement. ‘Do you know why I spanked you?’ she asked. I nodded my head, ‘because I had a bad attitude’, I replied, ‘I promise it won’t happen again’. Christina smiled, ‘I know it won’t’. I smiled back at her. ‘Now then’, she said, ‘you’ve had quite a busy morning, so what do you think that means?’ I already knew the answer and rolled my eyes. ‘It’s time for my nap’, I grumbled. Christina put her hands on her hips. ‘Remember what we said about our attitude?’ she reminded me. I quickly panicked at the thought of another spanking. ‘I can’t wait for my nap Auntie’, I cheered in my best baby voice, ‘me weally sleepy’. Christina grinned at my attempt at a baby voice. ‘Come on then sweetheart’, she said holding my hand, ‘let’s go and put you down for a nap’. As we walked into the nursery, I saw the familiar sight of the crib. When Christina let go of my hand, I joyfully skipped over to the crib and pretty much jumped into it. ‘Wow’, giggled Christina, ‘someone is excited for their nap!’ ‘I love nap time’, I smiled and attempted to look as cute as possible. As she tucked me in, Christina looked at me. ‘I appreciate what you’re doing but you honestly don’t need to try so hard’, she said. ‘I don’t know what you mean’, I grinned, ‘me just a wittle baby’. ‘Of course you are’, Christina replied and winked at me, ‘Auntie Christina is very forgetful sometimes’. She leant over and put my new dinosaur dummy into my mouth. I hungrily began to suck on it and couldn’t believe how much I had missed having a dummy. It kind of felt weird that it officially belonged to me. I never thought at the age of twenty-one that I would still own a dummy. Then again, I didn’t know any other people my age who still wore nappies and slept in a crib. As my mind continued to wonder, Christina closed the curtains and wound up the mobile. I quietly hummed along to the nursery rhymes coming from the crib mobile. Christina leant into the crib and kissed me on my dummy. ‘You are just too adorable’, she giggled. I grinned at her from behind my dummy, ‘night night Auntie’. ‘Sweet dreams darling’, she whispered before leaving the room. Despite not really wanting a nap, after the events of the morning, I was feeling pretty exhausted. Out of everything that had happened so far, being spanked had made me feel more babyish than anything else. However, just when I thought I couldn’t get any more babyish today, I wet myself. With the lullabies playing softly in the background, the comfort of the dummy in my mouth and the feeling of a nice warm nappy, I was asleep within minutes.

--- Chapter 50 --- Elizabeth jabbered the entire walk out of the hall of offices, observation, and consulting rooms. She explained the process, their operating hours, and handed Kelly some paperwork to review. They reached the exit, where a photo area and a camera were set up just before a wall of photos. Greg avoided looking at it, Kelly nodded and listened to Elizabeth, and Charlie stared at it. A wall of faces. Happy, beaming Amazons, holding miserable Littles who were trying to hide. There were a few rare smiling Little faces, but overall, it was a horrifying homage to a terrifying system. All with a mixture of obliviousness and maliciousness, depending on the Amazon. They passed through the main exit into the lobby, and Greg’s eyes flashed up to the statue of the male Amazon protecting the Little, and he clenched his jaw. He felt his cheeks burning, his heart pounding, and he could hear the scene with Jonathan playing in his mind, over and over again, muting whatever Kelly and Elizabeth were saying. He glared at the statue, wanting to punch that woman in the face and hold Jonathan… very much like the statue. Was this his version of fevering? Was he not immune to it like he thought? “Greg?” He inhaled sharply as he felt Kelly’s hand on his shoulder, and he turned, seeing the two women’s concerned faces. He frowned, his eyes falling to the ground as he gestured behind him. “Elizabeth,” he sighed, closing his eyes and grimacing as he heard an echo of Jonathan’s cries. “That woman in there… she hurt a Little like it was nothing.” “Was it Jonathan?” Elizabeth winced, and Greg’s eyes sprang open to glare at her. Her face twisted, and she shrugged her shoulders upwards in a form of a silent apology. “Yes,” Kelly offered softly, looking up at Greg with concern. “She was… very rough with him.” Elizabeth sighed as she lifted a hand to rub her forehead, frowning and nodding knowingly. “He’s very new… he came in at the end of the day yesterday. His job discovered he was hiding pull-ups in his locker, so they called us,” she explained quietly and bit her lip. “Mrs. Morris is a bit of an old school marm, but she’s also the Senior Director of Nursery Operations. She’s been around forever.” “I’d like to lodge a complaint,” Greg stated curtly as he placed a hand on Charlie’s back and looked down at him, but the Little brother kept his face downward. He told himself it was to play into the moment; show stress and fear to Elizabeth to hammer how awful that had been. But the reality was that Charlie, for all his knowledge and experience, had never been physically near this kind of treatment. He had always been privileged by his parents’ wealth and their protective attitudes towards him, and he could easily believe that they would have paid a hitman to murder someone if anyone had touched him like that. He knew about it, of course; Fulcrum had been very upfront and clear about the worst case scenarios out there. And he had seen the end results plenty of times: broken Littles that jumped at sudden noises, looked genuinely fearful like Lexi had when hearing anything akin to a threatening tone or countdown, and often in a near constant state of fight or flight. He bit on the pacifier, feeling a rush of something akin to survivor’s guilt. “Of course,” Elizabeth nodded as she pulled her posture into a more professional look and spun on her heel, walking over towards the entrance booth. The three shared a moment’s look before they followed, silently but for their steps echoing in the cavernous lobby. She grabbed a card from a rack of business cards on display and held her arm out towards him. “It’s for the Office of Care Standards – they’ll handle all formal concerns about staff conduct. You can file with them, and, uh… well, given your name, I bet it’ll be reviewed promptly.” Greg arched an eyebrow as he took the card, looking at Elizabeth, who smiled warmly. “Thank you,” he murmured, his face tightening as he presented the card to his brother. “Can you hold onto this for me, bud?” Charlie’s grimacing face softened as his eyes moved to the card and he slowly nodded, reaching out to take it and read it as he sucked on the pacifier. Elizabeth put a hand on her chest, holding back a full gush, but all the signs were there. “We’re going to get a hotel for the night,” the Amazon brother mumbled on the exhale, glancing to Kelly, who nodded. “Of course!” Elizabeth chirped and began walking them towards the elevators. “As I said, Sundays are much quieter, and we’re only open for visitors from 8 to noon. I’ve started all the paperwork, so we’re good to process the full Adoption tomorrow. I’ll be here at 7, make sure everything is set and ready before you arrive!” “Thank you,” Greg murmured, more or less running on autopilot. “Oh, and Kelly,” Elizabeth started as she turned, pointing to the paperwork. “There’s a sheet in there of all the supplies we found at her house, and what we’re using now. Diapers, powder, wipes, cream, food – all in there. Highly, highly recommend you at least get a week’s worth of what she’s used to before transitioning her to any other brands.” “Of course,” Kelly chirped forcefully, opening the folder she had been given, and Elizabeth flipped a few pages to the one she was referencing. “We’ll get everything tonight.” “Oh! And tell the hotel you’re Adopting - they’ll give you a discount! See you tomorrow!” The three rode the elevator and walked back to the car in complete silence. No sighs, no groans, nothing. Each of them was lost in their own thoughts, running on autopilot. Once everyone was in the car and the doors all shut, there was a long beat before Greg started the car and Kelly pulled out her phone. “Hotel?” she asked. “Yeah,” Greg agreed and looked back, flashing a smile at Charlie, who returned it, and backed the car out of the space. Out of habit, Kelly sorted the hotels by price, cheapest first and began reading off their options, which was the first thing to break the tension. “Motels?!” Charlie balked incredulously, and Greg immediately laughed. “Are we on the run?!” “I - well - I just -” she fumbled as she blushed, then laughed as she covered half her face with a hand. “Sorry!” “Flip it, damnit!” Charlie grinned. “Most expensive on top!” “How about closest?” Greg offered a compromise, since it was Kelly’s turn to balk at choosing the most expensive. “It’ll keep us downtown, and we can order food to the rooms.” “Fine, but I’m ordering lobster,” Charlie groused from the back, and Kelly giggled and proceeded to direct Greg towards the nearest hotel. Much to the Little’s delight, the closest hotel was rather high on the expense ranking as well, which was quickly evident when the car was greeted by a complimentary valet service. Although they hadn’t packed much, the valets proved a boon because Charlie wanted all of his stuffed animals brought up to the rooms. “It’s just one night, bud,” Greg complained as the bellhops began stacking the stuffed animals on the trolley. Both were Tweeners; the male was dragging the plush toys from the car while the female, giggling, placed them carefully in seated positions. “Don’t leave friends in cars,” Charlie pouted as he crossed his arms. “I’ll leave you in the car,” Greg grumbled with a grin, and Kelly gasped playfully, grabbing at Charlie’s head to cover his ears, who grinned back. It took over an hour to get settled, as the bellhops both unloaded the stuffed-animal parade and set up the crib (which he had zero intention of using), while the three lingered in the adjoining room that would be Greg’s and ordered dinner. Charlie popped into his usual routine, walking back and forth between the rooms to talk and perform for the Tweeners. He introduced each plush and told an entirely new love story of Bartholomew and Jessica Rabbit, then invited them to their wedding (which both of them graciously accepted the invite with grins and chuckles). Charlie liked interacting with Tweeners more than Amazons, because he often clocked a sense of relief from them. Sometimes the relief was that he saw them as Grown-ups and treated them as such; sometimes he thought the relief was that he wasn’t turning to them for help to escape; and on rare (but hilarious) occasions, the relief was that he was the nearby giant, Greg’s, diapered captive, meaning they were safe. There were likely other reasons, but it always felt like a unique experience with them. Granted, there was the occasional Tweener who would lean far too much into it and go into condescension, but it wasn’t like he wasn’t used to that. Overall, Amazons were delighted to the point of wanting to eat him (sometimes expressing as much), and Littles were often uncomfortable and put off by him. Tweeners were often the Goldilocks zone. “We’re done, sir,” the male announced a few steps away from the open adjoining door, while the female was holding Charlie’s hand and walking him up to the threshold. Kelly smiled open-mouthed at him and threw her arms out, causing him to sprint over to her and be enveloped by her embrace. “Thank you,” Greg nodded, tipped them, and saw them out the door. Once he shut it, he lingered for a long moment, then looked over his shoulder to see Kelly and Charlie staring. He pressed his lips together for a moment, then rubbed the back of his neck. “Dinner will be delivered soon.” “It might be a bit paranoid,” Kelly started in a low volume, glancing about the rooms as she scanned the gap under the front door, the vents, and looked suspiciously at anything technological. “But maybe we can, um, soundproof in the meantime. So that we can… comfortably talk once dinner is here.” “Good idea,” Greg agreed quickly, and the three set to task. Paranoid as it might be, no one questioned it, and everyone used their varying heights to claim a vector of the tasks. Charlie checked under the beds, the crib, and the couches for any bugs, and unplugged electronics along the way. Kelly gathered the excess towels and linens to stuff in the cracks under the front doors of both rooms. Greg checked and closed the vents, then checked the lighting fixtures. Dinner was delivered (no lobster) and eaten while the group distributed and reviewed Samantha’s papers. Charlie grimaced throughout his review, Kelly tried really hard not to make the sad sighs and noises that came with some of the details (and frequently failed), while Greg was rather impassive throughout… externally, that is. Internally, he was like a roiling sea of emotion; he would feel a deep sense of guilt in his stomach, then a fury and rage in his chest, and then something almost akin to grief. In some ways, he could recognize his friend in the commentary and in others… he couldn’t. When everyone had thoroughly read everything they wanted to, they all sat back in their chairs, staring down and periodically looking at each other. Eventually, Kelly was the first to talk. “So… she’s a crawler,” she awkwardly stated, glancing over to Greg, who grimly nodded. “Prone to babbling and gets extremely clingy to caregivers…” Greg nodded again, and Charlie turned his head to look out the massive window that looked out over Lake Mishigami. “Guys… what if she does have Maturosis?” Kelly asked quietly. Charlie immediately groaned as he threw his head back, and Greg looked at Kelly as if she had grown a second head. She immediately flushed, her shoulders flying up anxiously, and she waved her hands up. “I’m just saying –” “Kelly, it –” “Just ignore that,” Charlie demanded, waving a hand at Kelly. “That’s a work in progress.” “Charlie!” Kelly gaped. “You’re a recovering Amazon, I get it,” he grinned unapologetically, and Greg chuckled. “It’ll take time.” “Very funny,” Kelly scoffed playfully, rolling her eyes dramatically, but she was quick to return to a more serious tone as she looked at Greg. “I’m serious, though.” “I can tell,” Greg said as he arched an eyebrow and exchanged a look with Charlie. “I get that a lot of Littles are misdiagnosed,” she continued as she looked between the brothers and placed her hands on her chest. “And I’m… open to the idea that it’s… not real at all.” She winced, as it was hard to even say. The reality of an illness being faked to justify the treatment of millions of Littles was very difficult to wrap her mind around. “And from your experience, I completely understand dismissing it outright,” she continued as she swallowed, trying hard to choose her words carefully in hopes of the topic being given its due. “But just consider it. What if it is real, just very rare? And what if Sam does have it?” Neither was inclined to really consider the possibility, but they each didn’t want to hurt Kelly’s feelings either. Greg remained rather impassive, looking away as he tried to figure out how to frame his response in a polite way, but Charlie closed his eyes to hide his eye roll as he took a deep breath. “Maturosis bullshit aside…. there’s a valid point in there,” he admitted, gesturing to Kelly, who perked up. Charlie frowned at his brother. “The Sam you know might be gone, Greg. Then what?” Greg looked down at his lap, and his eyebrows furrowed. “She’s not gone,” he stated plainly; he couldn’t let himself believe that she wasn’t in there. He couldn’t abandon her a second time. Kelly and Charlie shared a worried look. “Greg…” the Little brother sighed. “She’s not gone,” the Amazon brother repeated sternly, his conviction in the matter beginning to raise his defenses. “Greggy,” Charlie pressed, a little annoyance leaking into his tone as he gestured to the paperwork. “She’s been through a lot, and she’s spent a week in that hellhole. It’s going to be a goddamn miracle if she’s not fully regressed.” Greg glared at Charlie, but the Little didn’t flinch and even narrowed his eyes in return. “She’s not gone,” he repeated yet again, sounding firmer in his conviction and edging near a warning in his tone. “What if she is?!” Charlie snarled, irritated at the stonewall his brother had become. “What if you do all this work, take on all this risk, and if you do this thinking you can help her – that you can have your friend back, and it turns you can’t! Then what, Greg? You’ve saddled yourself with a Little baby for the rest of your fucking life!” “Fine!” Greg snapped in return, throwing his arms out, and then tapped his fingers against his chest. “I have to do this, Charlie. And not just because of Axiom.” “Why?!” Charlie pressed. “You didn’t do this to her. You had your own life to lead. You both graduated and parted ways – that’s normal! So why do you feel obligated to her?” “Why don’t you?” Greg asked incredulously. “Why are you so against me helping any other Little but you?” “That’s not fair,” Charlie grumbled. “Isn’t it? You’ve been against me in helping Littles this entire time,” Greg complained, throwing his arms out, exasperated. Kelly, surprised to hear this, shot a look at Charlie, whose ears turned a little red. “From the outset, you didn’t like the idea, and even though I held up my end of the bargain about Axiom, you never followed through.” “I was busy!” Charlie defended quickly. Greg arched an eyebrow, clearly not buying that, and didn’t feel the need to verbalize it. “Whatever! I’ll answer that when you answer me first,” Charlie retorted as he crossed his arms. “Why?” Greg’s eyebrows furrowed as he frowned, then he glanced at Kelly, who grimaced a supportive sort of smile, and he rubbed the back of his neck at he looked down into his lap. He lingered in the silence as he fought his own internal dialogue that was resistant to probing it… but given how supportive the two of them had been despite the circumstances, he felt they deserved an honest answer. He closed his eyes as he took in a deep breath, and the words sort of just came to him. As if they had been just waiting for the right cue. “I’ve been thinking back to conversations with her,” he mumbled, feeling the echo of her small hand in his when they’d walk outside of the school grounds. “Our senior year, she… she kept asking me which schools I was applying to. Asked about their cost, whether they had scholarships, and what their acceptance rates were. Asked if I was going to live in a dorm or rent, and what the cost difference was. She asked me everything under the sun, and I… thought at the time it was out of curiosity. She was – is – very curious and talkative. I thought…” Greg grimaced as he felt his eyes water, and he lifted a hand to shield them. He felt a lurch in his system as his emotions knew what was coming before his brain or mouth did. Charlie’s face softened, and Kelly put a hand over her mouth. “She wanted to follow me, Charlie,” Greg whispered as he fought against the gripping sensation in his throat. His tone tightened, trying to prevent the words from coming out, but he pushed them out, “She felt safe with me. She wanted to follow me. But she… she couldn’t afford it… And I was too much of an idiot to see that.” The second the words were out of his mouth, Greg burst out into a sob and crumpled forward, covering his face with his hands. Charlie, startled, leaned back with his eyes widening, but Kelly didn’t hesitate. She jumped to her feet and bolted around the table to wrap her arms around Greg in a supportive hug. She shot Charlie a concerned look, who continued to sit, stunned…. Greg didn’t cry. Not like this. Not since he was a child, and even then, it had been extraordinarily rare. Greg removed a hand from his face and placed it on Kelly’s arm, and tried to sit up, but another wave of sobs forced him forward again. He tried but couldn’t speak. His entire body seized up as he tried to compel himself to stop, but it was proving impossible. He hadn’t consciously figured this out before this moment. When recalling his conversations with her, and now with the gift of hindsight, he had been piecing together the subtle clues she had given over their last year together. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he had figured it out, but it remained buried in his subconscious; the guilt that compelled him forward was a byproduct of that deep, unacknowledged realization, and now that he had given voice to it, the reality of it struck him deeply. Charlie’s shoulders dropped as he felt his entire body deflate, and he winced, closing his eyes as each sob hurt. It physically hurt him to hear his brother cry like this. After a moment, he pushed himself off the chair, walked under the table, and wrapped his arms around his brother’s leg. There was nothing else to say or do but let him know they were there for him and let him cry it out. While Greg took a shower after dinner, Kelly and Charlie reviewed the list of supplies Elizabeth had provided. This was an eye-opening experience for Kelly, who had never thought to scrutinize products before. She had naturally assumed crawler diapers were better cut and shaped to support crawlers, rather than to force crawling. This was, of course, how Charlie found out… “Nursing?” he blurted out as he grimaced at the note on the list, and Kelly let out an anxious laugh; she had hoped he had already read that when they read through the papers earlier, but apparently he had missed it. “They, uh, suspect that, uh…” she stammered as she shuffled through the papers, trying to find those notes. “That her anxiety was due to… missing… You know.” “Uh-huh,” Charlie rolled his eyes. “So, yeah, um, well, they said it’s ‘required’ so she can come off the medication,” she continued as her volume dropped, anxiously looking over at the bathroom. Charlie groaned, rubbing his palms against his eyes, and nodded. Kelly shoved the paperwork back into the folder as the water in the shower stopped. “But, you know, it’s really none of their business once she’s Adopted. So –” “They’re going to bring it up,” Charlie grumbled as he looked up at her and gestured to the bathroom. “You gotta tell him.” “Charlie, I don’t want to nurse her –” “I know,” he interrupted and put his hands up to reassure her. “None of us do. But it can’t be a surprise for him.” “But…” Kelly frowned as she blushed. “Then he’ll know about… us.” “He’s a big boy, Kelly,” Charlie grinned. “He can handle it.” She slunk down a bit on the couch, her face burning a little redder, and distracted herself with more shopping. Charlie chuckled, suggesting it was best to let Sam pick out her own stuffed animals (because, no, he wasn’t going to share). Greg was out and drying his hair by the time they placed the order, and Charlie raised his eyebrows at her expectantly. Kelly cleared her throat. “Hey, um,” she started quietly, lifting up the folder and looking over. “So, Greg, I thought… You should know…” In the considerable pause, her face got progressively redder, which caused Charlie to grin and look on the verge of bursting out laughing. Greg stepped over, arching an eyebrow as his eyes darted between the two. “They, uh… one of the requirements for her is… nursing,” she finished the sentence in a whisper. Greg slow-blinked, and Kelly put her hands up in defense. “We can just say yes and - and not do it!” “Yeah, sounds good,” Greg nodded after a beat, flashing Kelly a smile. “Thanks.” Kelly looked surprised, gaping slightly as she looked at Charlie, who likewise looked a little surprised. “That’s it?” Charlie asked curiously. “Are you asking me if I have any questions about you two doing it?” Greg asked flatly, his eyebrow once again arching as he grinned over at them. “Not a single one. In fact, I’d like to know less, thanks.” Kelly burst out into a relieved laugh as she lifted her hands to her face and nodded. “How’d you know?” Charlie snickered. “We adjusted the insurance to cover the medication,” he explained with a shrug, walking into the bathroom to hang up the wet towel. “That’s why it was free?” Kelly gasped, and Greg chuckled as he stepped out, nodding. “Technically, it’s a job expense,” he shrugged, and Charlie cackled as he leaned against Kelly. “That’s amazing,” he flushed up at her, and she smiled, leaning down to kiss the tip of his nose. She hovered afterward, and they shared a loving look. “All right,” Greg cut in as he stepped forward, waving a hand at them. “I’d say get a room, but you already have one, so… use it.” The pair giggled, both flushing slightly, and began to clean up the area on the couch. “And you’re… okay?” Charlie asked, and Greg shrugged as he sighed, descending into an armchair. “As much as I can be,” he frowned, scratching at his chin, noting he should have shaved before they left. “Nothing more to do but… sleep so tomorrow can come.” Charlie nodded as Kelly briefly walked between them, setting the paperwork on the table. The Little brother’s eyes fell to the carpet as he frowned, stuck between wanting to press a little more, which would be the more comfortable choice, or give the answer he owed. His mouth twitched, realizing he could do both, and he deflated slightly. “Listen, Greg, you - you didn’t fail her,” Charlie started, and Greg groaned, turning his head to the side as he shook it in disagreement. “Hold on, hold on –” Charlie requested quickly, putting his hands up. “Let me finish.” Greg looked at him, his lips thinning, but he nodded. “Everyone failed her,” Charlie sighed, lowering his arms. “The school taught her to see all Amazons as authority figures, rather than friends. They taught her to fear asking for help or admitting she was afraid. Her parents, her friends, and probably every other Little in her life probably warned her not to trust you. So she tried to hint, and… that’s just not how you work.” Charlie grinned at his brother, who offered a slight smile back. He glanced over at Kelly, who was standing still, trying not to interfere with the moment, and he waved her over. She smiled gratefully and returned to the couch. “So, sure, you failed her by not seeing those signs. And she failed to trust her instincts and just talk to you,” he continued with a shrug, but he winced as his shoulders rose up anxiously. “But… probably the worst one in the mix of all of this… is me.” “How?” Greg asked incredulously, shrugging and shaking his head, not sure he could count on a single hand how many times Charlie had met Samantha. “Because…” he sighed, bringing his hands over his face to rub his eyes, then run his fingers through his hair. “Because I was taught to protect myself and my own first at all costs. And… despite being out of that hell, I carried their lessons forward anyway. I’ve been so afraid of something bad happening to you that I… I didn’t care about her.” Charlie shrugged as he grimaced, the words tasting bitter in his mouth. “Every step of you trying to be there for her, or help in any way, I’ve just been trying to stop you. I’ve been holding you back from doing what is… objectively… the right thing.” Greg opened his mouth, but no words came. He stared at his Little brother as he began reliving all the times Charlie advised him to let her go, all the way back to when she first disappeared. “I’m sorry,” Charlie heaved, and he buzzed his lips, shaking his head. Kelly moved her hand to rub his back, but she thought better of it and set it back in her lap. Greg stared at his brother for a long moment of silence, then the corner of his mouth curled up. “I really appreciate that,” Greg admitted quietly before he very subtly shrugged his shoulders. “But I still need someone to tell me when I’m being dumb. And we all know Kelly’s not gonna do it.” Kelly and Charlie laughed at the same time, and Greg sat up a little straighter and his smile widened a bit more. “I could try,” Kelly added after a few laughs, which caused Charlie to cackle as he shook his head in disbelief and she curled her nose up playfully. “I could!” “You’d feel bad the second you said it!” the Little chortled as he pushed off the couch and held his arms out for Greg, who swept his arms down and picked him up in a big hug. “Goodnight, Greggy.” “Goodnight, bud,” Greg smiled warmly. Kelly gasped slightly as she jumped to her feet and made all haste to the other room. The brothers frowned curiously while Charlie was set back down on the ground and they wandered towards the adjoining doors. Kelly appeared by the time they reached it, a bright but nervous smile on her face as she held her hands behind her back. “Well, when you said to pack for overnight, I figured… well, I should pack everything,” she giggled nervously as she pulled a large, Amazon-sized white diaper from behind her back and held it out for him. Greg’s eyes widened as his face nearly instantly turned red, and Charlie let out a cackle as he stepped over the threshold into the other room. “Thanks,” Greg shyly croaked as he hesitated to grab it, but once it was in his hand, his eyes fell to the ground as he quickly put it behind his back. “Goodnight!” Kelly chirped as she stepped back and quickly shut the door, feeling awkward for making him feel awkward. Then, gasping as she realized something, she ripped open the door again, and Greg jumped, but otherwise hadn’t yet moved. “I’ve got discreet trash bags for both of yours, so just, uhhh, leave it in the tub for me, okay?” “O… okay,” he wheezed uncomfortably. “Goodnight!” she repeated and shut the door, flushing at Charlie’s snickering as he climbed onto the bed. “What – not gonna offer to change him yourself?” he jeered as he licked his lips. “Hush, you,” Kelly giggled as she approached him, and she began to unbutton her shirt. “Booger.” By 8, the three were checked out of the hotel and back on their way to DLS. No one had slept particularly well, so they were all dragging in their own ways and chugging an entire cup of coffee each (or milk-coffee for Charlie) in the car, then picking up another round (except for Charlie) to bring into DLS. The parking garage was busier than the day before, and that reflected in the lobby as well. Some people appeared to be ‘window shopping’, in that they were only here to stand before the massive curved glass wall to watch the Littles in the massive nursery, where the play area was directly in front of the windows for convenient viewing. Couples, families, and individuals stood in front of the glass, pointing at, gawking at, and gushing over the various Littles on display for Adoption. Charlie buried his face in Kelly’s chest so he could hide his grimace, while she and Greg made all haste to the reception window. “Greg Vankor, here for Elizabeth,” he stated, and the middle-aged woman did a double-take. “Oh, yes! Mr. Vankor!” she gushed, looking him up and down with a starry-eyed look, typing voraciously on her keyboard. “You’re here for sweet Little Samantha, right?” “Yeah,” he said, nodding as he glanced to his sides, trying to keep a low profile and hoping she would get the hint from his subdued voice; unfortunately, a woman near the booth perked up, looked over, and began craning her neck to see him. “Oh, I’m so happy!” the receptionist bubbled, pointing to an electronic signature pad. “Please sign in – Elizabeth is on her way. We’re all so happy for Sammy, she is SUCH a cutie! You’re getting a good one!” Greg only hummed in reply as he clenched his jaw, picking up the electronic pen and signing his name. As the receptionist continued on about how charming Samantha’s presence had been this week, Charlie perked up as his ears burned, and he looked over Kelly’s shoulder, seeing a wave of recognition begin to pour over the assembled crowd. His lips puckered; normally, he would eat that attention up. He loved the limelight and making a scene while in it, especially at a location he was uncomfortable with. It tended to make it more bearable. Unfortunately, he neither wanted to risk dragging out their time here nor make a scene that would impact their introduction to Samantha. So, smiling at those whose eyes were falling upon him, he opted for the quiet cuteness of waving at those looking. The cavernous lobby echoed with delighted gasps as hands rose, and so did the temperature of the room. “What are you doing?” Kelly whispered to him with a slight grin and kissed his temple. Grinning impishly in reply, as soon as she turned her head, he planted a wet, exaggerated kiss on her cheek. “MWAH!” he declared as he pulled back. The crowd broke out into a loud enough ‘AWWW’ that even Greg turned, and Kelly blushed, gaping at him as she giggled in the highest pitch he had ever heard. “Morning!” Elizabeth chirped as she opened the door, and the three of them bolted through it as quickly as possible. She glanced at the crowd briefly, throwing them a sympathetic look as she gestured down the now familiar hall. “Can I get you coffee? I’m on my third already.” “Yes, peas!” Charlie chirped honestly as he sat straight up in Kelly’s arms, now amped up and ready to bring on the full charm. Otherwise, Greg and Kelly were going to be anxiously grinding their jaws throughout this ordeal. “Ahhh, good morning!!” Elizabeth giggled as she reached her hand out and lightly drummed her fingers on Charlie’s leg. “Was that a yes to juice, I heard?” “Yes, peas!” he repeated with a giggle at her touch, pointing down to the sippy cup stuffed in the diaper bag. He was neither surprised she didn’t go with coffee, nor displeased that she at least offered something in compensation. “You got it!” she bubbled, bringing them into a different consultation room where she could fill his cup with orange juice and give the two said offered coffee. “Okay, so we’ve made sure to give Sam a nice, quiet morning. There haven’t been any outbursts, and she’s usually pretty anxious in the main play area, so we’ve had her in the quiet nursery with one of the nurses. If you’re ready –” she stopped, looking purposefully to each of them. “We can get you into a playroom right away. We allow up to thirty minutes.” “That…” Greg paused, blew on his coffee, took a sip, then nodded. “That sounds good.” “Great,” Elizabeth smiled warmly. She led them back out of the hall and past the private rooms, two of which were presently occupied. In the first room was an Amazon couple trying to play blocks with a Little boy who looked like he was trying to prove he could read from the books. The second room was a crying Little girl with a lone Amazon woman who was trying to comfort her by selecting various stuffed animals and shoving them in her face, causing her to scream louder. Elizabeth pointed to an empty room, informing them they’d be meeting her in there, and they followed the familiar path through the nursery doors from the day before – thankfully, there was no sign of Mrs. Morris. Elizabeth made a pit stop to inform a staff member in the playroom, asked for Samantha to be brought in, and escorted the trio to the playroom. “Okay, so,” she said as she clapped her hands together once. “I’ll be across the hall, finishing the paperwork, but I’ll have a live feed into the room. Please just call out for me if you need anything. A nurse will bring her; she can stay if you ask, but otherwise she’ll leave you alone with her. Any questions?” Greg shook his head. “Is there anything we should know? Do or do not?” Kelly asked as she scanned the room. “Can Choo-choo play in here?” “Absolutely!” Elizabeth smiled as she gestured around the room. “Everything is safe. The only thing not allowed is diaper changes of those in our care, for safety reasons. But feel free if Charlie needs one, in here, or we have changing tables in the bathrooms down the hall.” Kelly kissed Charlie’s temple and lowered him to the floor, where he gasped at the softness of the plush carpet. He made a note to tell Greg to replace the carpet in his nursery, realizing in that moment that it wasn’t squishy enough anymore. Once her hands released him, he immediately moved towards the toy cars and tracks set up, genuinely excited to play with them. He remembered playing with toy cars and tracks with Greg when he was about four, and they would set up massive, complicated tracks. He suspected their mother hid them away when she got tired of the tantrums he would throw anytime she dismantled their hard work (it took HOURS to set up, damnit!). Elizabeth stepped out of the room, and Greg put a hand in his pocket as he practically chugged the provided coffee while staring at the ground. Kelly reached a hand out on his forearm and smiled at him as she sipped. They glanced at the doorway as they heard the nurse approaching, cooing. “Someone wants to play with you, sweetie,” the Amazon gushed and gasped, giving an exaggerated ‘aww’ when there was only a whine in response. “It’s okay, baby. Yoooou’re okay.” Charlie pushed a car down the hill and grinned as he watched it race down, do a loop, and curve to the unfinished track, so it landed on the soft mat. He set to work, walking over to the bin of tracks to fix that, putting himself outside it so he had a good view of the door. “Here we aaaaare,” the nurse sang as she brought Samantha in, who was leaning against her in a frilly, smocked purple dress that didn’t quite cover everything by design. Her light brown hair was up in simple, relatively messy pigtails, and she had very fine bangs. Her face contorted anxiously as she bit on the pink pacifier and turned her face into the nurse’s neck to hide, who chuckled as she gave her reassuring pats on her back. “It’s been a quiet but anxious morning,” she explained to Kelly and Greg, only one of whom nodded. The nurse rocked from side to side as she approached the play area. “Look, sweetie, there’s someone here to play with you.” “Hi!” Charlie bubbled as he grabbed a piece of track and held it up. “I’m buildin’ a…” he paused as he feigned not knowing the word and held it up to the nurse. “Race track?” she offered with a smile. “Yeah!” he nodded and waved the piece around. “Well, Sammy, how about you help this Little boy?” she more declared than asked as she began peeling Samantha away from her, trying her best to keep the smile on her face despite the girl’s whining protests and attempts to hold on. After a few seconds, the nurse deftly maneuvered her out of reach, plopped her on the mat, and quickly took a large step back. Samantha let out a cry as she rolled onto her hands and knees to crawl after the woman, who gave Kelly and Greg an apologetic look before backing out of the room. “I’ll be back in 30, unless you call,” she said, pointing to a button on the wall, then booked it out of the room, shutting the door behind her. Samantha stared at the shut door on all fours for a few seconds before she rocked back onto her padded bottom and began hyperventilating through her nose, the pacifier bobbing frantically, and her eyes flooded with tears. Greg froze, staring down at her, seized by the reality of the situation. Charlie frowned, his eyes briefly darting to his brother as he felt his heart drop. Despite everything the paperwork said, perhaps Greg had still held out hope they would see each other, and it would be like old times. Charlie’s grip tensed around the racetrack. “Ohh, honey,” Kelly heaved as she stepped forward, kneeling to her. Samantha began to whine, looking nervously up at her, then her eyes flickered between Kelly and the door. The Amazon nodded sympathetically as she sat down cross-legged on the floor. “Samantha, right? That’s a beautiful name.” She reached a hand out, tucking a small tuft of the girl’s fine brown hair behind her ear. Samantha nodded every so slightly, nervously grabbing at the hem of her dress, and the pacifier bobbed a bit slower. “My name is Kelly,” she introduced quietly, angling her face down to get eye contact with the Little, and smiled at her. Samantha looked between Kelly and the door a few more times before putting a hand out on Kelly’s foot. She stared down at it as she nervously sucked on the pacifier, poking at the details of the shoe. “VROOM!” Charlie shouted as he pushed a car down the still unfinished track. This drew Samantha’s attention, causing her to twist behind her to look at Charlie, who beamed at her. “That’s Charlie,” Kelly explained softly, motioning to him, trying to be slow and purposeful without coming off condescending. “But I also call him Choo-choo. He’s a lot of fun to play with, but he’s also fun to watch, if you’d prefer. Maybe you and I can just watch him together… Whatever you’d like.” Samantha quickly nodded to the offer, twisting her body fully to sit facing the tracks. Kelly maneuvered around and sat behind Samantha, putting her legs out to flank her. Charlie smiled as he continued building his track, but made a few adjustments to start moving it towards Kelly and Samantha. After a few changes, he glanced over at Greg, who hadn’t moved since her arrival (and likely wasn’t going to unless prompted). “Geggie?” Charlie piped up, pointing to the box of track components. “Help peas?” “Oh, uh… sure,” Greg stammered as he blinked a few times, coming back into the moment and stepping forward to join his Little brother. Samantha briefly looked towards him, but kept her eyes low to the ground, and she curled up against Kelly. “That’s Greg, Choo-choo’s brother,” Kelly explained softly, pointing him out as he descended to the floor, looking into the box of tracks. Samantha nodded as she looked down at her feet. Kelly bit back any further commentary, not wanting to rush her or scare her with information about Adopting or probing if she remembered him. “No. Curve,” Charlie declined the straight piece his brother held out to him as he assessed the best way to get the track on a closed circuit, while getting the cars to pass close by the girls. “Ah, here,” Greg said as he grabbed the curved piece, keeping his focus on Charlie and on the project at hand to help calm his nerves. “But too many curves will slow it down, and it won’t reach the end.” “No,” Charlie countered with a bratty tone as he grabbed the track and connected it. “Yes,” Greg scoffed with a grin, gesturing to the vertical loop, then the horizontal loop before the curve. “If you’re trying to get it all the way back to the beginning, it’ll lose its momentum.” “Nuh-uh!” Charlie pouted again as he pursed his lips, stomping back to the bin to grab the next track on his own. He knew Greg was right (jerkface was always right about that), but that wasn’t the point. The point was to show Samantha that it was safe to argue with Greg and, more importantly, to say no. “I’m telling you,” the Amazon brother chuckled as he grabbed a car and put it at the starting position. “See –” “No!” Charlie demanded, waving his hands up in the air for Greg to stop, but he paused as he glanced over at Samantha, who had let out a giggle at their bickering. Kelly’s face lit up at them and gave an encouraging nod. “Oops,” Greg feigned with a grin at his brother as he tapped the car, and it began racing down. “NO!” Charlie bellowed as he stomped his foot on the track, holding his ground until the car collided with his foot. “Issnot ready!” Again, Samantha giggled, leaning back against Kelly as she visibly relaxed. Everyone flashed varying-sized smiles, encouraged by this, but proceeded without fanfare. “Well, I know it’s not done,” Greg rolled his eyes, gesturing an open palm to the clearly unfinished track. “But we should test the track so far, because right now, it’s not going to make it. It needs more velocity. Maybe more –” “Feeeerocity!” Charlie declared, grinning impishly, deciding to lean more into the banter since it seemed to relax Samantha. He threw his arms up into the air and let out a Gojira roar, waddling over to the unfinished end with his track piece in hand. “Velocity, not ferocity,” Greg snorted, sifting through the box to see if there was a component of the track that added speed. “It’s physics, bud.” Charlie made a mocking, wordless motion with his mouth as he connected the curved track passing by Kelly’s foot and turned to her with a grin, but his eyes fell on Samantha, who had gone silent and was wide-eyed, staring at Greg. His breath caught in his throat as he waited, watching her as her mouth slowly opened, and once the pacifier fell out, her small, quiet voice finally spoke. “Greg… or… eee?”

Chapter 17 – Baby Blues Christina began putting the shopping away whilst my mother sat me down on a blanket in front of the television. It felt slightly belittling that I wasn’t even allowed to sit on the sofa and had to remain on the floor. ‘A little birdy told me that somebody enjoys watching Bluey’, she grinned. I blushed and began to feel awkward. However, as the theme tune to Bluey started to play, I smiled and actually felt excited to watch it. ‘You stay here and watch Bluey like a good boy while I help Auntie Christina with the shopping’, instructed my mother. It didn’t even bother me that my mother was starting to baby me again. As long as I was watching Bluey, I was happy and content. I continued watching episode after episode whilst the two women put away the shopping. I could hear them talking and laughing and wondered what they could have planned for me. I sat up slightly and adjusted my seating position to get more comfortable. However, as I sat back down again, I felt my nappy squelch. It was an odd sensation and I moved around some more. Once again, my nappy began to squelch. I stretched open the front of my shorts to see a big yellow stain on the front of my nappy. To my horror, I realised that I had wet myself again. This morning I’d had a few seconds warning before peeing but this time, I couldn’t even remember doing it. ‘Maybe I was just distracted by Bluey’, I thought. However, the more I began to think about it, the more I started to panic that I was becoming incontinent. Despite, having a dummy in my mouth, I felt myself beginning to sob. It wasn’t long before the dummy fell out of my mouth and I began to cry loudly. Christina and my mother quickly rushed in from the kitchen. ‘What’s the matter sweetie?’ asked Christina concerned. I continued crying and couldn’t even speak. The thought of being incontinent was terrifying. My mother walked over and stood me up. Without any warning, she pulled my shorts down to my ankles to reveal the soaked nappy. ‘I thought that might be the problem’, said my mother. ‘I’m sorry…I…I..I…’ before I could get anymore words out, my mother placed the dummy back into my mouth. Despite sucking on it, I continued to sob loudly. Suddenly, my mother placed her hands under my armpits and lifted me into the air. As my shorts fell away, my gut instinct was to wrap my legs around her waist. As I did, she adjusted her arms and wrapped one arm around my waist and the other arm underneath my nappy. I managed to stop crying as I went into slight shock. My mother had always been strong but I had no idea that she could still carry me. Even Christina looked surprised. ‘Come on darling’, said my mother and kissed my cheek, ‘let’s go and get this icky thing off you’. With that, she began carrying my up the stairs. I rested my head on her shoulders, completely defeated. I looked at Christina who was following behind. When we entered the nursery, my mother carried me straight over to the changing table and laid me down on it. Christina began to get out the changing supplies whilst my mother undid my wet nappy and opened it up. I sighed with relief as she raised my legs and began wiping my bottom with a cool baby wipe. ‘Aw, is that nice?’ cooed my mother. ‘Yeth Mummy’, I babbled from behind my dummy. It was strange. I had felt awkward having my mother baby me before but now I was beginning to feel more comfortable around her. Maybe it was her motherly instincts, but when I was crying, she had instantly recognised what the problem was and was now taking care of it for me. I suddenly realised that I didn’t just want Christina, I wanted my Mummy as well. After taping on a clean nappy, I had a big smile on my face. ‘Aw, that’s better, isn’t it?’ my mother smiled. I nodded my head. ‘Now then’, she said, ‘we’ll get you some lunch and then I’ve got a little surprise for you’. I was slightly sceptical but excited to find out what my surprise was. After heading down, I was allowed to sit in front of the TV and have a sandwich and a Bluey cookie which tasted delicious. It was embarrassing at the time, but I was really happy that Christina had bought the cookies. I just prayed that Samantha hadn’t realised that they were for me. I was praised for clearing my plate before my mother turned off the TV and was ready to reveal my surprise. ‘I’ve been doing a bit of shopping myself this morning’, she said excitedly. I was curious about what she had bought. Christina sat down the sofa and looked equally intrigued. My mother popped outside to her car and returned with a large shopping bag. ‘Wow, it’s like Christmas’, giggled Christina at the sight of the large bag of gifts. My mother sat down on the sofa next to Christina whilst I remained on the floor, looking up at the two ‘grown-ups’. ‘First of all’, said my mother, ‘this is for you Christina’. She reached into the bag and pulled out a bottle of wine. ‘What’s this for?’ Christina asked. ‘It’s just to say thank you for looking after my little bundle of joy’, she replied. ‘That’s so kind of you’, said Christina, ‘thank you’. My mother then turned to me. I had a feeling that I wouldn’t be getting any alcohol. The first item she pulled out was a stuffed dinosaur. ‘Aw, he’s cute’, smiled Christina. ‘I thought it would match his romper’, replied my mother before handing the stuffed toy to me. I accepted it awkwardly and placed it next to me. I didn’t exactly want to play with a stuffed dinosaur but my gifts were only just beginning. The second gift she pulled out was a collection of numbered building blocks. ‘These will keep you busy’, my mother giggled. I once again awkwardly thanked her for my ‘useless’ gift. My mother then pulled out a colouring book along with a set of new crayons. I had to admit that I was quite excited about having a new colouring book as I had almost finished my other one. ‘That’s it for the toys’, smiled my mother, ‘these last three gifts are more of a necessity than anything else. I watched eagerly as my mother pulled out a set of 10 dummies. Each one was a different colour and had a farmyard animal on the front. ‘Ooh aren’t you a lucky boy’, cooed Christina. Although it felt slightly patronising, I enjoyed using a dummy and so it felt like a gift that I would actually use. My mother then took out two packs of the adult nappies that I was used to buying from the pharmacy. ‘I thought these would come in handy’, chuckled my mother. ‘Ooh yes’, agreed Christina, ‘you can never have enough nappies with this little one around’. I blushed at her comment but I could hardly argue. I went through a lot of nappies. ‘One more to go’, said my mother as she pulled out a package. I wasn’t sure what it was until she turned it around to show me. ‘Ta da’, she exclaimed, ‘what do you think?’ My jaw dropped as she showed me a package containing a large blue baby bonnet with a matching pair of mittens. ‘Wow, where did you find mittens in Jakes size?’ asked Christina. ‘You just need to shop in the right places’, winked my mother. ‘I’m not wearing those’, I said. ‘Jake!’ said Christina firmly, ‘don’t be so ungrateful. Your mother has spent a lot on these gifts’. I felt myself slightly cowering and felt like a little kid who had just been told off by an adult. ‘Sorry’, I apologised. ‘I didn’t realise how much stuff I’d bought’, my mother joked, ‘I’ll be needing to get Jake a playpen for all these toys’. The two women laughed. I didn’t like the idea of having a playpen. I was in my crib for long enough each day as it was. ‘Did you want to play with your toys, Jake?’ asked Christina. Before I could reply, I suddenly let out a loud yawn. ‘Aw, I think maybe we’re ready for a nap first’, smiled my mother. I was starting to get used to my afternoon naps and felt a bit sleepy. Christina headed into the kitchen to make me up a bottle while my mother led me upstairs. As we entered the nursery, she quickly checked my nappy. To my relief, I had managed to stay dry although I feared that I would wet myself whilst I slept. I made my way over to the crib but was stopped before I could get in it. ‘Hang on a second’, said Christina as she walked into the room, ‘I think this would be a great opportunity to test these out. She held up the blue bonnet and mittens which made me cringe with embarrassment. ‘Excellent idea’, replied my mother as she took them from Christina and opened them up. I looked at them closely. They looked like they were made from a soft material like silk or satin. ‘Hold out your hands sweetheart’, instructed my mother. As I did, she placed one of the blue mittens over my hand and tied it on using the thick ribbon that was attached to it. It felt snug but not too tight. She then proceeded to do the same with the other hand. After finishing, I looked at my hands and realised that I had now lost all control of my fingers. My mother then took the bonnet and placed it over my head before fastening it under my chin. Although, I couldn’t see myself, I felt very silly and could only imagine how babyish I looked. Afterwards, I was instructed to climb inside the crib. My mother tucked me in and wound up the mobile whilst Christina closed the curtains. As the side of the crib was locked into place, Christina handed me my bottle that was full of warm milk. ‘Have a nice nap sweetie’, she smiled. My mother looked down at me and admired her handywork, ‘night night my little cutie’. The two women then left the room. I attempted to drink my bottle but it slipped out of my hand. The smoothness of the mitten made it very hard to hold onto anything. I eventually found that the only way I could drink my bottle was to hold onto it with both hands like a real infant. As I started drinking the warm milk, I felt a dampness in my nappy as I began to uncontrollably wet myself once again.

Chapter 28 Katie woke up feeling groggy. She rolled over and saw James fast asleep in the bed next to her and the sky was still pitch black out of the bedroom window. She had no idea what time it was. As she rolled over she felt her nappy was much thicker than it was when she went to sleep, indicating she had wet herself in her sleep again. As she rolled back over to face the wall her head landed on something hard. She picked it up and realised it was the dummy she had been suckling on before going to sleep. She instinctively placed it back in her mouth and started to smooth herself. Within seconds she was back asleep. Next thing Katie knew she was being shaken awake by her mum, dummy still in her mouth. She opened her eyes to see her mum smiling standing over her. The bottom of her nightie had been lifted up revealing the now fully soaked nappy. She must have wet herself a second time in her sleep. “Right let’s get your nappy changed and get you ready for the morning sleepyhead.” Sophie said lovingly. Without waiting for a response from Katie, Sophie lifted her daughter’s legs into the air and started unfastening the saturated nappy from around her daughter’s bottom. Next came the wet wipes that shook Katie awake with how cold they were. After a few wipes Sophie was obviously happy that Katie was clean. She lowered Katie’s legs back down and walked over to the unopened pack of nappies they had purchased last night in Lidl. Katie heard the plastic bag rip open and then her mother started cooing about them. “Oh my god, these are so cute” she said looking the nappy over in her hand. The nappy had a big cartoon elephant in the front with monkey nuts and elephant foot prints either side of it all the way down the nappy. At the top of the nappy at the front and back was a blue background with white fluffy clouds scattered about within the blue space. Sophie started stretching the nappy out and making sure there was no kinks in the padding. “legs up and lets see if these fit” she said and Katie did as instructed. Sophie positioned the back of the nappy underneath Katie’s bottom, she lowered her legs down and pulled the front of the nappy up to confirm that the nappy would fit. She lowered the front back down and applied cream and powder before fastening the nappy shut. Katie couldn’t feel any difference in size between this nappy and the size 9 nappy pants she had been wearing most of the summer and definitely were bigger than the swim nappies she would be in this afternoon. Sophie asked Katie to sit up and removed her nightie. Katie was now sitting on the edge of the bed wearing just her nappy. “Before I get you dressed i want to remind you of the rules going forward. These nappies are for everything and don’t even think about asking to use the potty. You threw a tantrum like a toddler last night and then messed and wet yourself like one so I think it’s only fair you’re now in nappies like one. I will check and change you when i see fit. Do not ask for a change, if you do then you will wait for at least an hour. At the moment it’s only your nappy and toilet habit that we are treating like a toddler. Any back chat or misbehaving means we start treating you like a toddler. I don’t want to do that but that up to you. If you behave and do everything your meant to, then maybe you might win some potty privileges back earlier than the two and half weeks you’ve currently got to wait to start your training again.” Katie sat there, nodding her head and sucking her dummy confirming her understanding of the rules. Katie was adamant that she was not going to let herself get in any worse state and with the potential to get out of nappies earlier she was determined to do everything her mum wanted. Sophie selected the clothes for Katie to wear that morning. She pulled out a pink and lilac floral T-shirt with the phrase “grow like a wildflower” in the bottom right hand corner with matching pink and flowery cycle shorts. Sophie left Katie the clothes at the foot of her bed and left the room allowing Katie her to dress herself. Katie pulled on the cycle shorts first and they did nothing to hide the bulge of her nappy. If anything they compressed it and made it more obvious. She looked in the mirror and realised she was still sucking the dummy. There was no need for it and her mum hadn’t told her to keep it in so she decided to take it out and leave it on her bed side table. She got the t-shirt and pulled it on. Thankfully it was slightly over sized and as she turned around to see the back of it, the shirt covered the nappy bulge. She then put on her flip flops and headed into the living room where the rest of her family were waiting. Sophie disappeared back into Katie and James’s room with Katie’s bag and returned after a couple of minutes, the bag appearing fuller than when it went into the room. Katie looked quizzically at her mum. “Changing supplies” Sophie said matter of factly answering Katie’s unasked question. “Nappies, wipes and change of clothes in case of a blow out or leaks.” Sophie reeled of the items in the bag as if it was normal for someone of Katie’s age to need these items. Katies head dropped as the family left the hotel room and headed out for breakfast. Katie caught a glimpse of the potty that had been brought for her only yesterday now being left behind as it was no longer needed. Another sign of the mess of a situation she had got herself into. The family made their way into the buffet restaurant for breakfast. Katie felt that everyone had their eyes on her as she walked next to her mum while she chose a table. Once sat down Stuart and James went off to select their breakfast items leaving Sophie and Katie at the table. “Mum,” Katie said, “These shorts don’t hide my nappy very well.” She opened up about her concerns with how visible the nappy was. “Well after last night I don’t think you’re in any position to ask for your nappy to be discreet as it’s very obvious you need them. Also to help prevent leaks we need something to keep the nappy in place and not let it sag down too much when you’re wet or dirty. The cycling shorts well help do that. The alternative is I look to find some baby grows in your size, but i thought you would prefer the shorts.” Sophie spoke again very matter of factly. Katie just nodded her head and as James returned to the table she got up to choose her breakfast. She pilled up her plate with bacon, egg, sausage, mushrooms, hash browns and tomato’s. She poured her self a glass of apple juice and downed it in one. She poured a second glass and took it to the table, sat next to James and started tucking in. As Sophie returned with her plate she looked at what Katie was eating and rolled her eyes. The thought of cleaning that off her daughter’s bottom later on did not appeal to her. Much to Sophie’s annoyance Katie went up for second helping this time coming back with a plate full of fruit and pancakes and another glass of apple juice. Once everyone was finished the family went and selected some sun beds for the day. The laid down there towels and relaxed until it was time for Katie and James to head off to the kids club. Before leaving the sun loungers Sophie without warning, but as discreetly as possible, lifted up Katie’s shirt, pulled back her shorts and checked her nappy. It was dry and clean. Without saying a word Sophie rearranged Katie’s clothes back to normal and took her hand to lead the way to the kids club. When they got there the doors were already open and children were already inside. Sophie signed James in and he ran straight in expecting his sister to follow quickly behind. However Sophie kept hold of Katie while she was signing her in. Before letting her run off and joining the other children she spoke to the staff member on the door. “Just so you are aware, regarding her additional needs.” Katie didn’t like where her mother was going with this. “We have decided that she is not ready for potty training so she is back in nappies full time.” As Sophie said this Katie caught the faintest glimpse of a giggle escape the young boy before he regained his professionalism. “So do not let her go to the toilet and if she needs a change give me a call and I will come and collect her.” “OK, thanks for letting us know” the young male staff worker said. Sophie let Katie’s hand go and Katie ran into the club hoping to avoid any more of that conversation. As she got into the room she spotted James and Peter sitting at a table. She headed straight for them. “Hey!” Peter cheered as Katie joined them. “Where did you go last night? You said you were going to the toilet but then never came back.” James shot Peter a look as if to say he’s just put his foot in it. Katie looked down and didn’t say a word. Peter knew what that meant. “Oh” Peter said, hiding a smile. Although he didn’t like what this was putting Katie through he couldn’t help but find her cute and the thought of bottom being padded just made her cuter. The next person to join them at the table was the last person Katie wanted to see. Jenny. “Did I seriously just hear what I think I did?” She said loudly. She lifted the back of Katie’s shirt and revealed the cycle shorts that did nothing to hide the padding. “It’s true!” She shouted with glee. “Little Katie back in nappies. Not ready for potty training yet!” Shock and embarrassment lead to Katie wetting herself. The padding obviously expanding underneath the shorts. “OH MY GOD!” Jenny exclaimed “She’s actually just wet herself in front of us all!” “That’s enough!” Peter shouted at Jenny as Katie started to cry. Jenny dropped Katie’s top and just started laughing before walking off and joining another group. The young staff member who had been signing the children in came over to Katie. “Your mum has given us permission to check you. Do you need a nappy change?” He asked. Katie didn’t say anything but just allowed tears to fall down her cheeks. “Come with me” the young staff member said and lead Katie away from Peter and James and over to a female colleague. He explained the situation and what he had over seen and heard and thought that Katie might need a change but wanted to check before calling her mum. Katie just stood there sobbing while she was being spoken about. “Ok, let’s check this nappy then.” The young worker announced and without hesitation lifted Katie’s top up and pulled down her shorts just enough to reveal the slightly damp nappy. On inspection it was clear that while she had wet herself she was not in need of a nappy change. Katies clothes were returned to their normal state and she was told to rejoin hr friends. Peter and James didn’t mention anything about what had just happened and encouraged Katie to take part in the session. Katie settled down slowly but surely and soon started enjoying herself with her brother and friend. They were making arts and crafts when Katie felt that all too familiar cramps from her stomach. She looked at the clock on the wall, there was still 35 minutes left of the session. She didn’t want to mess herself in the kids club but wasn’t sure she could hold this back that long. She tried to push it to the back of her mind but every cramp came on worse than before. Every glance to the clock made it seem time was slowing down. She let out a fart and just managed to hold back her bowels. Another glance at the clock, 20 minutes to go. This was getting desperate. Eventually it got too much for Katie and with another huge cramp her body involuntary pushed the load into her nappy. Tears again flowed as more poop hit the back of her nappy. The smell instantly filled the room. The young female worker came over and pulled the back of Katie’s shorts back and the nappy waistband to see the mess Katie had made. The staff member looked at the clock. “Only ten minutes, you’ll have to wait. There is no point in calling your mum with so little time left.” It didn’t take long for Jenny to start making noise. “What a stench, where is that coming from?” She walked over to Katie, and sniffed her bottom like you would a toddler you suspected might have had an accident. “OH MY! She’s actually messed herself! She should be in the baby club not with the big kids.” Jenny made enough noise to make sure everyone knew what was happening. “Jenny, return to your group now!” The staff member shouted at Jenny and she quickly returned to her group as not to get into trouble. Katie was so uncomfortable for the last 10 minutes of the session, she didn’t dare sit down and tried her hardest to move as little as possible. Eventually the hell came to an end and Katie could see her mum waiting to pick her and James up. When it was Katie and James’s turn to be let out the young male worker explained the situation to Sophie. “No need, I can smell her from here.” Sophie said. “Right let’s get James back to dad and then we can change that dirty bum of yours” Sophie took Katie by the hand and lead her to the sun beds. During the walk the mess in the back of Katie’s nappy shifted about and Katie could feel it with every step she took. After dropping James at the sun beds with Stuart, Sophie picked up Katie’s changing supplies and lead her to the reception toilets to change her nappy. The same scene awaited Katie as her very first day at the hotel. Sophie pulled down the changing mat from the changing table and laid it down on the floor. Sophie slipped Katie’s pink dummy in her mouth and instructed her to lay down on the mat. Katie did as she was told and obeyed every order her mum gave her. Sophie lifted Katie’s legs up into the air and pulled her shorts down to just below her knees and lifted her shirt up to just above Katie’s belly button leaving the heavily soiled nappy fully on show. Sophie lowered Katie’s legs back down and ripped the tapes of the nappy open. As soon as the tapes were released and the front of the nappy dropped down onto the changing mat the stench filled the room. “I might have to start choosing your meals for you if i have to clean it up off your bottom later on” Sophie said. “All that food you had at breakfast this morning and now look at it all over your bottom” The fresh air hitting her skin seemed to have an effect on her. With the nappy open but still underneath her, a small amount of urine escaped from her bladder involuntary. “I forgot that used to happen when changing your nappies as a baby, the fresh air always caused you to do a little wee. Good job I hadn’t removed the nappy yet” Sophie smiled lovingly at Katie while she reminisced about Katie’s early years. Sophie got to work cleaning the mess up from her bottom. Wipe after wipe, minute after minute went past as sophie tried to get Katies bottom all clean. Another nappy was stretched out and placed underneath Katie’s bottom, a reminder that she was now expected to use her nappy. Sophie returned Katie’s shorts over the freshly applied nappy, removed Katie’s dummy, threw the used nappy away in the bin. She took Katie’s hand and again led her to the sun beds. Katie felt so small she didn’t say a word from being picked up from the kids club, all through the nappy change and back to the sun beds. She sat down on the sun bed, looked out at the pool and just started crying. Sophie returned Katie’s shorts over the freshly applied nappy, removed Katie’s dummy, threw the used nappy away in the bin. She took Katie’s hand and again led her to the sun beds. Katie felt so small she didn’t say a word from being picked up from the kids club, all through the nappy change and back to the sun beds. She sat down on the sun bed, looked out at the pool and just started crying.

I had started reading bound but hadn’t gotten very deep into but now I feel like I need to go finish it. I’ve been a fan of fallen princess for a while and maybe that’s why I wanted to do the split POV subconsciously? I had just finished rewatching some romance animes where it’s painful to be the viewer knowing they got it for each other and if they just said it then things would be so much easier. Kinda wanted to capture that vibe but also I’m going move it forward a little better than 12 episodes and no confession. Thanks everyone for the kind words. Going to to post the next chapters here in a minute. Chapter 2- Ashley’s Experiment Ashley unlocked the door again and went back into the shop to get her water bottle. She paused as the diaper aisle caught her attention. Even in the dim lighting of the few security lights overhead, the newness of the colors caught her eye, something that she wasn’t used to yet. She looked back over her shoulder and saw that Elise was already pulling away. The parking lot was empty. There was a pull. Almost like she had been magnetized and her body started to move towards the diaper aisle. Each step felt incredibly slow but also incredibly fast as her heart raced. Before she knew it she was in front of the pastel pink diapers. She squatted down to the level of the thick baby printed diapers. Her hands moved forward and grazed the plastic packaging. It felt like electricity coursed through her body as she picked up the package. Then she set it back down with an actual “no, I couldn’t.” Talking to herself. But then she was picking it back up again. Then setting it back down as emotions warred inside of her. Finally she justified that she had the money for it just sitting in her account, no other major expenses to worry about, so she picked up the package one more time. Her heart felt like it might beat right out of her chest as she stood back up and started to walk towards the register. The clothing rack caught her eye next. “In for a penny.” She justified as she moved towards it, knowing exactly where she was headed. The onesie felt even softer now and the large “Baby” text across the chest matching the diapers stirred things inside of her. It was adorable but humiliating to think about openly brandishing the statement across her chest. Her warring thoughts almost had her turning back as she took the onesie off the hanger. She was still sucking on the stem of the lollipop Elise had given to her and as the papery sticking began to saturate with her saliva she had a thought of the pacifiers she had put up. She quickly moved back to them and grabbed one to match. As her worries were subsiding and she was letting the excitement take over, she began treating it like a shopping spree. She also grabbed a baby bottle, a pack of pink thigh socks, and a large bow hair band that was reminiscent of her cheerleading days. She was practically skipping as she went back to the register, logged back in and scanned the items. The price tag shocked her and she almost gave up before she remembered. In the discount section of the point sale, next to the senior citizen discount that she frequently applied was the employee discount. That brought everything down to just above cost. One of the perks Ashley assumed the other two were talking about, although she wasn’t sure what they’d use it on. A much more manageable price tag flashed on the register and Ashley swiped her credit just as she realised her blunder. She had scanned all of the items, used her employee discount, and used her credit card. That means there would be traceability on who made the purchase. The register finished spitting out the receipt as Ashley began to wallow in the dread of Elise or her aunt finding out what she had bought. There was no going back now since it would be logged in the system even if she cancelled the order. ‘Surely Auntie B doesn’t monitor the transactions that closely, let alone Elise.’ Then she remembered the cameras and almost went white. There was footage of her actually skipping around carrying a package of diapers, picking out a onesie, and shopping for cute accessories. ‘My life is over.’ Ashley thought as she quickly grabbed the receipt and a large bag to stuff her purchases into. Unfortunately for her the pack of diapers did not fit in any of the bags they had. That meant the fantastical fear she had had was coming to real life. She was going to have to openly carry a package of bright pink diapers out to her car which was parked in the back of the parking lot so that customers would have easier access. She almost backed out then and there but there was already so much evidence of her transgressions. Even the fact that there would only be two packs of diapers on the shelf left was evidence enough to raise suspicions with Elise who had caught her staring at them more than once. “Nothing to it but to do it.” She reasoned out loud and steeled her resolve as much as she could. She picked up her purse, her water bottle, the bag of accessories and finally the package of diapers. She readied her shop keys and moved towards the door. Encumbered as she was with all of the items, relocking the door was a bit of a challenge but she managed after a bit of fumbling and readjustment. Thankfully the parking lot was empty still and she began the trek to her car. Walking with as much confidence and purpose as she could muster without breaking into a sprint which would seem more unnatural and out of place and would draw more attention she reasoned but she so desperately wanted to run to her car. She made it and unlocked the doors and practically threw the items into the back seat. Letting out a sigh of relief as she had conquered the scariest part of the mission so far. No one seemed to be staring at her and her dignity was intact. “Now all I have to do is get home and hope no one notices the purchase or camera feed.” She told herself as she got into the driver seat. She armed the security system from her phone. Hopefully the push notification it sent out to all of the employees when the system updated status would go unnoticed by Elise as she had taken quite a bit of time to get to this point, nearly 30 minutes had passed since Elise had left. The drive home felt agonisingly long. But also short somehow as the thrill of the potential in her back seat caused her heart to flutter almost uncontrollably. Autopilot had taken over as Ashley drove, lost in thought, the war in her head waging back and forth as she berated herself for making such a stupid mistake as being, for all intents and purposes, caught buying the baby stuff. She hadn’t been confronted about the purchase but there was that lingering thought in the back of her head that someone was going to find out she intended to dress up in a baby outfit and diaper. The desire was humiliating and she didn’t know why it was so exhilarating at the same time. She couldn’t figure out why it called to her. At the moment, the positive voices were outweighing the negatives. She pulled into the driveway and opened the garage door to park next to her mom’s crossover. It was a modest house, nothing over the top like her aunt’s mc-mansion, but comfortable middle class. Her parents had both worked her entire childhood, being a single child was at times a bit lonely and her parents hadn’t really been ready for kids when they had her. Now they were well off enough with a few rental properties that they managed thanks to her aunt's guidance that they were essentially retired at 50. She closed the garage door with the remote hanging from her sun visor before she got out of the car. She was trying to be stealthy after all and didn’t want the prying eyes of the nosy neighbors spotting her new purchases. She took a deep breath and decompressed for a moment after the door shut all of the way. She grabbed her purse and water bottle from the cup holder and carried them into the house, setting them down along with her dangly keys on the island. She returned to the car after another deep breath and went to get the bag of accessories and the diapers. Sitting unassumingly on the floor of the backseat she approached the diapers like they were a coiled viper ready to strike out at her. She finally grabbed them and carried them into the house and practically ran up the stairs to her bedroom. Her parents hadn’t changed the room at all in the past year since she had been away at college. Realistically the campus was only two hours away by car. She could return home at any time and her mom had assured her the door was always open to her. She had made a few trips back, mostly holidays or breaks, long weekends etc. but she wasn’t coming home every weekend like some of her dorm mates. She set the purchases down on the bed and stepped back. She had the items now but what was she supposed to do with them? Was she just supposed to put it on and prance about the house carefree in a diaper and onesie? What was the point of it, why had she even bought them? She pulled out her phone and laid on the full size bed to do some research. She first googled “Back 2 Baby”, the brand for everything she had bought. They seemed quite popular as she found their website and a bunch of reviews. She opened the link and was greeted by a well developed cute site. She found all of the products she had purchased as well as all of the stuff they had unpacked. They even had other stuff that followed the cutesy themes like cuffs and mittens. She blushed seeing the item pictures with models wearing the garments she had bought. The diapers she had bought were considered nighttime heavy duty diapers, that aligned with how they had organized the shelves at least. She closed out of the website without doing much more perusing solely because she had the inventory to browse in person. One thing that had struck her was “age play.” She googled that next to get an understanding of the purpose behind the items. She spent the next half hour diving into it. Some of it seemed sexual in nature and some of it didn’t. Ashley felt the warmth between her legs growing as she saw more and more diaper models so she recognized there could be some sexual enjoyment to be gleaned from it. At first she thought it might be a little predatory but assured herself that her aunt would not be involved in anything of that nature and delved a little deeper. ABDL kept popping up. She read the acronym out loud to herself “Adult Baby Diaper Lover.” She didn’t know what that meant for her. She was an adult, but baby she wasn’t sure about yet. She glanced at the diapers and understood that part but she wasn’t sure if she was a “lover”, she hadn’t even put them on yet. The “yet” thought stirred her a little as if it was an inevitable about to come soon. She did a little more research but was more so spinning her wheels. She started to research more diaper models and her Instagram started feeding her more and more. It wasn’t a huge community but there was enough to make Ashley feel less singular in her desire to wear diapers. She rolled over and knocked the bag of accessories off of the bed, the items spilling out onto the floor. The sight of the onesie stirred her again and she got up to put everything back. She held the soft fabric for a moment, then she unfurled it and held it up to examine it. The excitement was rising in her again and fueled by all of the pictures she had seen of models wearing the same outfit she decided to commit to trying it out. She felt icky after building up a sweat at work so she decided a shower was in order first. She stripped naked and crossed the hall to her bathroom. She was home alone after all and after months of being in a dorm for college it was a bit liberating to walk around in the buff freely. She turned on the shower to let it warm up. She didn’t feel particularly hungry tonight so she decided to brush her teeth and get it out of the way. It was a bit of bummer having an early Friday night but the excitement was getting the better of her. Since puberty had been delayed for her, she didn’t grow much hair on her body aside from eyebrows and her head that is. But she did have a little fuzz growing at her panty line that she decided a quick swipe of Naire would remedy. She gave a few minutes to feel the burn then jumped in the shower to rinse off. It was one of the fastest showers she had ever taken, normally spending at least 20 minutes just soaking in the warmth but tonight she was in and out in 10 minutes. She thought she had heard a crash during the shower so she made a note to go check that out after. It was a quiet neighborhood so it probably wasn’t anything to worry about. Drying herself off with the towel while she crossed back over to her bedroom. She dropped her towel and moved closer to the bag and began to lay the items out on the bed. She placed the pacifier and bottle off to the side and then laid out the onesie front and center with the long socks next to it and the bow hairband above it. The pack of diapers was still sitting there untouched and she moved a bit closer to them almost cautiously. She steeled her resolve and tore the package open at the perforated seam, allowing the full top of the package to slide off. She had seen that they were scented and quickly her nose was greater with the sweet smell of cotton candy. She carefully extracted one from the package, making sure not to pull out the whole bundle as they were tightly squished together. The plastic backing felt firm to her fingers but had just the right amount of give. The large heart with “baby” was front and center to her eyes now. The pink seemed even more vibrant up close and the pattern across the surface was to die for. She gingerly unfolded it and the elastic leg gathers, as she had been conveniently informed of the nomenclature for moments ago in her searching, stretched a little as it was opened up. The plastic made loud crinkling noises as the material flexed under her fingers. She unfolded the wings of the diaper and saw the thick padding in the necessary area. There was the reinforced landing pad for the tapes, also a term she was recently made aware of and the tapes themselves on the back wings. It truly was sized for someone her size, an adult. She laid the open garment on the bed as her heart beat wildly at the sight of the infantile garment waiting for her. She had a problem. A massive problem actually. She had no idea how to put a diaper on! Sure she had done it a couple of times babysitting but it was sloppy and they leaked each time she did it. Not to mention, that was putting them on a baby, a different person, not putting them on herself. She grabbed her phone and noticed she had missed a call from her mom and had a couple of text messages but those could wait. She opened up her search engine and typed in ‘how to put a diaper on yourself.’ Luckily there were plenty of how toos on the subject and she clicked the first video. ‘Step one, apply lotion to the skin to create a protective barrier.’ Ashley paused the video and went back to the bathroom to get her bottle of coconut lotion and began to apply it liberally. First to her would be diaper area then spreading out the excess to her stomach and legs. ‘Step two, open up the diaper and fluff it out a bit. It may be a bit compressed from packaging so to ensure maximum capacity it’s recommended to shake it out a bit to break loose the compacted stuffing.’ Pause. Ashley had it already opened up but hadn’t fluffed it out yet. She gave it a few shakes like the lady in the video and it seemed to grow a bit bigger and get even fluffier. ‘Step three, it may be easier to lay down for inexperienced users. You’ll want to apply a healthy amount of baby powder to prevent chaffing and rashes.’ Ashley paused the video again. She knew she had an old bottle of baby powder somewhere in her room from her cheerleading days. Most of the cheerleaders used it to minimize sweat shine and chaffing in their singlets. She found the small travel bottle after a moment of digging in her junk drawer and grabbed her phone and the diaper from her bed. She laid the diaper out on the floor and then took a deep breath before laying down on top of it. The padding seemed to invite her in. It was soft and comforting in a way, almost like she had been missing it. She opened up the powder and began to shake the contents of the bottle out onto her privates. The video had recommended bringing her ankles up and trying to get your backside then spreading the powder out with your hands. Ashley was flexible enough to pull off the maneuver and quickly spread the powder around a bit before brushing her hands together to clear off the remnants that clung to them. ‘Step four, sealing up the diaper. For women it’s a bit beneficial to keep the front a bit lower for the tapes. Start with the bottom tapes and pull them up towards your belly button on both sides. Then, pull the top tapes down at a slight angle to help lock the diaper onto your hips.’ ‘This is it’ Ashley told herself, a 17 year streak without diapers being ended by a compulsive desire to be small again. She followed the instructions from the video and brought the front of the diaper up between her legs. She readjusted a little then used one hand to smooth the wing down and one hand to find the first tape and pull it loose from its storage position. She brought it up and pulled it snug while straightening out the front wing before pressing it down on the landing strip and sticking it in place. The leg gather hugged her thigh comfortably so she repeated the process on the other side. She finally pulled the last two tapes snug onto her hips and she was sealed into the first diaper she’d worn in her adult life. ‘Final step, straighten out any creases in the leg holes and makes sure the fabric isn’t folded in on itself, that would break the seal. You’ve now put on your own diaper. Thanks for watching.’ She finished the video and straightened out any of the bunched up material then sat upright. The bulk was dramatic. She reflexively squished her thighs together to test the padding. The squishy lining brushed against her skin so menacingly, begging to be used. She realised she hadn’t gone to the bathroom since leaving work. ‘I probably won’t use them anyways.’ She reasoned in her head seeing how she had managed to put the diaper on by herself; she could take it off to go to the bathroom then put it back on if she wanted to. She moved to stand up and found it difficult, having to roll to her side a bit to get her legs under her. The bulk of the diaper made her stand a little bow legged to account for the new mass between them and she found herself having to waddle to move. She waddled back over to the bed and picked up the onesie, admiring it again for a moment. She pulled the tags off because the chances of her openly returning it were zero. It went on like any old t-shirt or even her old cheerleading singlets. It was the perfect fit for her. In fact, it also seemed to be fitted to account for the bulk of the diaper. She struggled a bit to get the three buttons snapped together in the crotch by herself and the new snaps seemed to take quite a bit of force to get put together. She was flexible enough to contort in a way to reach them, laying down on the bed to get a better angle. Once they were though, the onesie seemed to pull the diaper up and compress it to her skin and cradle her loins even more. It was snug in all of the right places and with the diaper felt extremely comfortable. She didn’t have much need for a bra due to her lack of a chest. She really only wore them to protect her nipples which at times were overly sensitive. The soft fabric rubbing against her chest had them standing at attention. Maybe it was the thrill of the outfit, the demeaning text across her chest and the blatantly obvious diaper beneath it denoting her as a baby and being dressed as one that stirred the taboo emotions inside of her. She pulled her hair back over her ear and pulled on the large bow headband next. She made a couple of adjustments based off of feel to make sure it was sitting squarely atop her head. She laid back on the bed to pull the socks onto her legs. The diaper made bending at the waist a little more difficult than she had planned for so getting the socks on was a little challenging, noting that next time she should put the diaper on last. Their warm embrace around her thighs felt heavenly in the cool air-conditioned space of her room. She could see herself snuggling up like this with her blanket and getting comfortable quite easily. She waddled over to her standup mirror in the corner to take in her new visage. She looked so small and innocent. She felt so small and innocent. The ensemble as a whole was adorable and it made her feel vulnerable. It was her secret that she enjoyed this. She was admiring herself from a few different angles when she heard a few more thuds from downstairs. She couldn’t tell if it was downstairs necessarily as the neighbors had been renovating next door for what felt like her entire life. That reminded her that she had heard a bang earlier when she was in the shower that she had meant to check out but had been too carried away to do so. She was about to leave the sanctity of her bedroom when she remembered she hadn’t drawn the curtains on the large bay window that faced the street or the curtains that shield the back patio door. She reasoned to herself that the chances of someone looking into their window was slim. But that nagging 1% chance had her nervous and she took a few steps back from the door. She was going to undress despite all of the effort she had gone through to get dressed, check everything out then get dressed again. Then she reasoned that she could just get her robe from the bathroom and go check it out and not have to get undressed. The decision was made for her however as her bedroom door swung open. She nearly gave herself whiplash as her eyes snapped to the door and locked on to Elise’s dark green eyes.

Bill had always been a bit of an odd duck. He had known this since he was young. He was fascinated by the stories his family would tell about Littles being abducted, dressed in dresses and diapers, and paraded in public. His parents had been so proud of how attentive he was to these warnings. He was glued to every word and could recite facts about these stories with incredible accuracy. When he got into high school, he was the edgy teen who would share some of the worst stories he could find on MistuhGwiffin or send photos of diapered Littles he found on social media. This initially gained him many friends, as the teenagers would sit around, snicker at others’ misfortune, and feel as if they were somehow better prepared to avoid that fate. But as they all got older, many started to keep their distance from him or get tired of his “obsession”. His parents still applauded him for his diligence. His mother liked to say he was like the meerkat that stood at attention, keeping watch on behalf of all Littles close to him, and alerting them of the dangers out there. But Bill had a secret. One he had kept since he had his first erection while listening to these stories. Bill was a masochist. And not just any kind of masochist. Nooo. Anytime he found someone online who seemed like him, they hit that point of discomfort where even they thought something was a bridge too far. He was obsessed with the idea of getting plucked off the street, stripped naked in front of his peers, diapered, and dolled up for all to see. He had implausible fantasies of getting forcefully breastfed on the spot – well, implausible in that Amazons didn’t just magically start lactating within minutes, which he knew now thanks to obsessive research… but if he could find one who was already lactating? That was possible. And that was his new fantasy. He had visions of getting ready for an important speech, only to be forcibly diapered and have to convince the audience that what he had to say was still important, then helplessly fill the diaper (he was still storyboarding the why; training chocolates?). He had visions of a crazy Amazon wanting a Little baby girl, deciding he fit the bill, and dressing him in frilly dresses and bonnets, and entering him into Little beauty pageants. He was fascinated by Amazon spankings. He wanted to know how painful it was, and every time he tried to imagine it, he had an erection. There weren’t many accounts of it online, since most Littles who had been spanked by an Amazon didn’t have internet access. He had found some Littles that had been spanked by Tweeners, both consensually and not, which seemed like the sweet spot for those with a normal, healthy desire for pain. But as stated, Bill was odd. He didn’t crave a light touch. According to the darkest research, an Amazon of considerable height and/or muscle mass could potentially kill a Little by spanking at their full, unhindered strength. Now, Bill wasn’t suicidal – he didn’t want to die at all, let alone by spanking, but that fact? The idea that they were so strong they could hurt him that badly? It did something for him. Something he couldn’t quite name, or put into words, because it wasn’t logical; it was all physical. He had wrestled with how to navigate this urge in his life for as long as he could remember, and made choices to prove to himself he could be better than his sexual urges. He took online courses in accounting to try to join a boring sector of work, but quickly realized he could not keep up with his Amazon counterparts, a fact that he had enjoyed a little too much for a little too long. He very briefly thought about getting into writing, but quickly found not only was he not good at it, but all he could think to write for was his own fantasies anyway. And, unsurprisingly, he couldn’t finish any of the stories, as he finished in other ways. So he landed in tech support. He was working for a rather progressive company that catered to folks of all sizes and allowed everyone to work remotely. He had been at this company for six years now and was adored by management because he never complained about his treatment. Amazons would catch on that he was a Little quickly by the sound of his voice, and condescend to him throughout the remainder of the call. And he loved it. He loved it when they failed to mute and complained to their colleagues that they were talking to a baby. He took great satisfaction when they demanded to speak to his manager, because he had the chance to ask why and receive an earful about his qualifications. His manager, a balding, very subdued Tweener, praised Bill up and down for his incredible patience and calm demeanor in the face of brutal commentary. And best of all, he never asked for apologies, never gloated when he resolved the issue, and never needed thanks. Sometimes, he would prolong the problem, despite knowing the fix, just long enough to get reamed out and threatened with getting put ‘in his place.’ That’s where Bill was at this day, arching back in his chair, grinning like a madman as an Amazon woman had immediately detected he was a Little, and had already ranted for a good minute or so before turning her ire towards him to question his maturity. When he didn’t rise to her level or defend himself, she had temporarily calmed down. “What was your name, Little boy?” she growled. Whatever you want it to be. “William, or Bill, Marshe. Marsh, with an e at the end,” he stated clearly and calmly, wanting to make sure she had all his information correctly. Maybe she would look him up. Maybe she’d follow through on her threat and come to his door. He shifted in his chair and pulled at his pants that were taut due to his erection. “Well, Billy, I don’t think you can help me, and I think this company should be shut down for employing minors,” she fumed, and he could hear her pacing in the background. You can say babies. “They don’t employ minors, ma’am. I am twenty-nine,” he replied factually as he closed his eyes and waited to bask in her commentary. “You are a LITTLE!” she shouted at him. And a naughty one at that. “Yes, ma’am,” he agreed in a dreamy tone. “Get me your manager, now. If you can, that is – or a parent, if your Mommy or Daddy are around.” He placed a hand on his chest. He was in love. “No, I live on my own, ma’am,” he replied and gave a pause, hoping she might jump on that. But when she didn’t, he frowned and leaned towards his screen, clicking to open a message to his boss. “I can happily transfer you to my manager. I just need to give a reason before I can do that.” “Billy,” the Amazon warned in a very teacher-like tone. “Just transfer me.” Yep, he was in love. “Of course, one moment,” he said as he put her on hold and called his manager instead. “Wuh oh,” the Tweener said, answering and chuckling. “Who is it now?” “A lovely Miss Deadra would like to speak to you about getting support from me, sir,” Bill grinned. “We didn’t get very far on her issue.” “Sounds about right,” came the chuckling response. “Send her over.” “Thanks, sir,” Bill replied before clicking the transfer button. He stared at the profile he had up of Deadra that was limited in its information - it just gave him the basis of what was necessary to resolve her problem. What company she worked for, her name and title, her technical equipment, and typical software. “VILITAS?!” he bellowed in surprise as he rocked forward, close to the screen. She worked for Vilitas! It was a fashion brand that catered exclusively to the Adoption of Littles market and was the brand for frilly, poofy, insanely girlie dresses. It was one of his favorite sites, and it was a very luxurious brand. All of the dresses were made of silk, handmade lace, or other premium fabrics, with so much crinoline in the skirts that each dress was guaranteed to show the diaper beneath. Now, to be clear, Bill didn’t want to be dressed in any of that. They were like a little girl’s idea of a princess dress, but on Amazonian crack. But that was the point. They had bonnets, bows, frilly little socks… You name it. If it suited a little girl’s idea of being a fairy princess, or an Amazon’s idea of the cutest fucking doll in the world, they had it. AND she worked at a branch in his city! Quickly, he pulled out his phone to look her up and, unsurprisingly, she had several social media profiles. He set to task cyber stalking her immediately. She was very pretty, but in a semi-severe way. Intimidatingly pretty, with just the right features to make her look strict. A slightly downturned mouth, sharp brown eyes, an angular jaw, and a slightly upturned nose. She had shoulder-length, wavy reddish-brown hair, and she frequently wore aviator sunglasses that gave off a cop vibe. She also had large breasts that she was not afraid to show off. He gasped – he knew that cafe! He clicked on it to make sure, but yes, he knew it. It wasn’t that far away. Quickly, he typed to his boss that he was going to take a lunch break and signed off. He took care of his erection first, then left his apartment. Standing across from the cafe, Bill pulled his phone out to look at the photo. He grinned; this was absolutely it. But during the transfer from his home network to the outdoors, the page was stale, and when he tried to click to the next page, the entire profile refreshed. He grumbled, but froze as he stared at her latest post. ‘I swear, these ’progressive’ companies would hire a newborn if they could get away with it. What is wrong with people these days?!’ Bill sighed happily and crossed the street with a pep in his step. He needed to see her. He needed to see his strict, Dommy Mommy Goddess. Maybe it wouldn’t happen today, but he could establish a routine here. It wasn’t far, about a ten-minute walk, and that gave him enough time to have lunch and linger to establish himself. He approached the counter, flushing but smiling widely at the stares as he approached, quick to note he was the only Little. An Amazon man, young, maybe 19, turned around and dramatically looked down at Bill. “Good day, sir!” Bill chirped enthusiastically, taking another step closer to the counter. “Hey,” the man greeted warily, his eyes scanning for a Mommy or Daddy, undoubtedly. “Are you, uh, lost?” “No, sir,” he chuckled, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a wallet. “May I please order?” “Oh,” the giant mouthed, once more scanning the cafe, then shrugged. “Sure. What can I get ya?” “Can I get a small coffee, but only half filled, the other half with cream? I can do it myself, if it’s, uhhh,” he paused as he scanned for the self-service counter where sugar and cream were often put out, and he found it; he felt a twinkle of glee at seeing a lack of a step stool. “Nah, I got ya, dude,” the Amazon grinned as he punched in the buttons, charmed by Bill’s tenacity. “Anything else?” “Do you serve lunch? Or anything that is acceptable as lunch?” Bill asked as he craned his neck at the pastry display. This place did not cater to Littles in the slightest, and it was charming, for lack of a better word. He felt like he was inside the lion’s enclosure at a zoo. “Sort of depends,” the giant shrugged as he stepped over to the display case, squatted to get a better look at the options, and hummed. “Everything’s in big portions, so I’m sure any of this will fill you up.” The man paused, made eye contact with Bill through the glass, and gave a slight grimace. “No offense.” “None taken!” Bill smiled and nodded. “It’s a good point. How about the least spicy or bitter thing you’ve got?” “Heh,” the man chuckled and nodded, opening the glass sliding door and pointing to a large muffin. “We get complaints about this one all the time. Too sweet. It’s a greenberry muffin.” “Sounds perfect, thank you,” the Little nodded eagerly and opened his wallet, feeling a warmth in his cheeks as he heard the titters and giggles this interaction was eliciting from onlookers. “Want me to warm it up?” “That’d be nice, thanks,” Bill said warmly as he went up on his tiptoes and held his card high over his head. “Susie, looooook,” a nearby Amazon cooed, and the other gushed, “Awwww!” “Sorry, man,” the giant murmured as he took the card, offering a sympathetic smile, but Bill said nothing. He just smiled widely back, choosing to focus on the gushing of the women nearby over the pity from the man. “What’s the name for the – ah, you know, I’ll bring it to you.” “Oh, no, no, please,” Bill quickly refuted as he put his hands up in a ‘stop’ motion. “I’m happy to pick it up. Bill Marshe, with an e.” “Heh,” the giant chuckled again, handing the card back to him. “Okay, Bill Marshe with an e, I’ll call you when it’s ready.” “Thank you!” he beamed, stuffing the overly large card (from his perspective) into his wallet and walking over to a small empty table for two. He took the leg and pulled it out slightly, and an Amazon blonde leaned over from her table and ‘psst’ him, then pointed towards the stack of booster seats. “They have booster seats,” she explained with a warm smile. Bill glanced over, feeling his face flush red, and he rubbed his index finger under his nose. “Thank you, ma’am,” he said with a nod and smile, then gestured to the chair. “But I’ll try without first.” She inadvertently let out a giggle, one that showed she thought that was a silly response, but she put a hand up to her mouth and nodded, flushing as she returned to working on her laptop. Without a thought to it, he nodded in appreciation and climbed up into his chair, pulling out his phone to triple-check that this was the cafe. As he did, he paused in his reflection, looking up to see two Amazon heads quickly look away. He felt a surge of… not regret, really, but something akin to post-nut clarity (delayed, in this case). The thing about fantasies was that they stopped. It was all consensual in his head, even though the fantasy was centered around non-consent, and there was a means to stop and live his life as normal when he wanted. Plus, he had to wonder, would living a life of humiliation 24/7 get old? Would he wake up one day, dolled up and diapered, and have lost all interest – Bill cleared his throat as he adjusted his position. Damn, he didn’t think he’d get another erection so quickly. Quickly opening another tab, he scrolled his favorite bookmarked page to handle these kinds of moments: the obituaries. What? It worked!! He frowned as he read the life of an 82-year-old man who had died in his sleep, and he stared at the old wrinkly face for a few seconds, then scrolled to the next. After about three profiles, he was back to normal. He scratched at his neck as he stared down at the picture of an old lady, picking up where he left off. It wasn’t like he could guarantee an outcome, either. This Amazon might lobotomize him with cartoons, and losing all self-awareness and shame would absolutely destroy the fun. He grimaced, kicking himself for listening to his dick and being so impulsive. “Deadra!” the Amazon barista greeted. Bill’s entire body jerked, and his phone jumped a few inches in the air, which he then tried to catch, and failed. His phone clattered to the floor, and his entire body froze in panic. “Hey Phil, how’s it going?” a familiar voice greeted warmly back. “Hey,” whispered another voice, and Bill looked at the woman who had pointed out the booster seats, her arm stretched out towards him, holding his phone. “You okay?” “Oh,” he mouthed, nodding a few times as he took the phone and smiled politely. “Yes, thank you. Thanks. Uh… thanks.” The blonde giggled, but her eyebrows turned up sympathetically. “Are you okay?” she repeated. “The usual?” the barista named Phil asked. “You know it,” Deadra replied. “Yes,” Bill nodded as he swallowed, pushing through the panic. “Yes, just…” He looked down at his phone and felt a spark as he lifted it up. “Saw someone I know had died.” “Oh, that’s awful,” the blonde frowned, putting a hand on her chest. “I’m sorry for your loss.” “Thank you,” he smiled. “Bill!” the barista called out, but that wasn’t where it was going to end. He could practically hear Phil rearing up to say the rest. Gasping, Bill launched himself off the chair and tried to speed-walk to the counter as fast as Little-humanly possible. Don’t say it, don’t say it, don’t say it! “Marsh! With a e!” Phil chuckled, beaming proudly as he remembered, holding up the coffee and warmed-up muffin, and, upon approaching, felt wide-eyed and panicked, as if he were being pushed forward by an invisible force while time slowed down, and the large, reddish-brown-haired woman slowly pivoted with an arched eyebrow towards the barista. “Billy?” she asked in a tone that made his legs seize; it was a warning. Like a teacher trying to warn her student before he did something dumb. Or a parent who was front-loading a warning to their child ahead of an activity or interaction. It was both a question of whether or not it was him, and a tone that said it better not be you, mister. …Which was the goddamn sexiest tone anyone had ever used with him. Ever. “Bill,” Phil corrected good-naturedly as he leaned over the counter and handed over the drink and muffin to the red-faced Little, whose entire mouth had gone dry. “Right? You said Bill?” “Y-yeah,” Bill replied with a stiff nod, his eyes glued to the cup in his hand, but it was blurry. In his peripheral vision, he could see Deadra’s picturesque, voluptuous frame and the low-cut shirt that emphasized her beautiful, pillow-sized breasts. He both wanted to piss his pants right there and be swept up in her firm embrace, and run as fast as his legs could carry him back home. He forced a swallow and gave another nod to Phil, flashing a grateful smile as he slowly regained some composure. “Bill.” “Marsh,” Deadra hummed with a grin on her tone, and she took a step forward, then slowly began to lower her front face to meet Bill’s eye level. He couldn’t help but look, though he looked at her breasts first, then her eyes. She smirked. “With an ‘e’.” “Yes,” he squeaked. “What a cute little mnemonic,” she complimented with a chuckle, reaching a hand out to correct some of his hair that had gone astray as her eyes scanned him like a predator did her prey. “Do you come here often?” “Ohhh…” he breathed unsteadily, his eyes tracking her fingers. “No, just… dropped in… on a whim.” “Lunch?” she asked, her eyes moving from the muffin to him. “Yes, ma’am,” he gulped. “Mind if I join you?” No. Nope. Never. Nope. Stop. Don’t you fucking – “Not at all!” he bubbled and anxiously laughed, gesturing back to his table, which had been taken by someone else in his absence. “Oh, uhhh –” “I have the perfect spot,” she mused as she stood up, her heels giving her more height she certainly didn’t need over him, though they did give her legs a nice shape. “Here you are, Deadra,” Phil said as he held out his coffee, shooting a questioning look to Bill, but the Little didn’t see it. He was staring at his muffin, paralyzed with adrenaline that couldn’t choose between thrill and fear. It was both. “Thank you, Phil,” Deadra stated in a sultry tone, though it wasn’t directed at the barista. With one hand holding her coffee, she placed the other on the back of Bill’s head. “Come on, Billy. Let’s get you a booster seat.” He made a noise, but his lips felt glued shut, so it stayed in his throat. He shook his head slightly, then quickly nodded when he felt her push to guide him forward, and began to walk beside her towards the stack of booster seats. Fuck. What had he done? Fuck, what an idiot. He was a goddamnit idiot. Every step was another round of swearing. Another step was chastising. Another step was clocking how turned on he was. Another step was swearing. “Oh, uh, I only have a few, uh, minutes for my break,” he said, stumbling as they reached the booster seats and Deadra grabbed on, humming curiously in response. “I, uh, I work from… home.” “Do you?” she asked dismissively, knowingly. Oh god, just diaper me already, Mommy. “Yeah,” he affirmed, not realizing he was following her to another table without her leading him, since both hands were now full. “I’m, uh,” he swallowed, glancing around the cafe, but everyone was involved in their own conversations or activities. “In tech support.” “Ooh, that must be interesting,” she feigned, setting her coffee down, then the booster seat. Okay, Billy – damnit! – Bill, this is it. You’ve had your dance with danger, now get the fuck out! “It is!” he bubbled as his chipper energy returned in force. “I get to talk to interesting people all over the world who do really important stuff!” “Yeah?” she asked, sounding much like someone who wasn’t really listening, but trying to be supportive and pretend. She reached out, taking his coffee and muffin from him, and set them on the table. He laughed nervously at her tone and nodded, stepping forward to boost the chair. “Oh yeah, it’s –” He was cut short when he lost all words, feeling her hands grab him from behind and lift him off the ground. All of his limbs froze, all of his skin turned bright red, and he didn’t remember to breathe again until he was set in the booster. “Oooohh,” he heaved as he regained sensation in his arms, his shoulders lifting to his ears as he heard nearby giggles. “Greenberry,” she noted with a grin as she slid the muffin within Bill’s reach. “Yeah, Phil, uh, recommended –” “Mr. Phil,” Deadra corrected with a nod. Bill swallowed as he stared her square in the eyes. In general, he usually used titles when interacting with and speaking about others. In any other scenario, he would have apologized and begun using Mr. for Phil. But here, in this Amazon’s presence, staring into her piercing gaze as he felt like the smallest man in the world, he felt she was piercing through his common sense and caressing that forbidden part of him. The part he had locked behind online anonymity, and kept always at a screen’s length. The part that lived in stories and fantasies, that feared what it would truly be like in person… And now that he was in it, he felt like a starved and dehydrated creature, staring at an oasis and trying to convince himself to return to the desert. No way. He needed a taste. He needed a dose of the real thing. He suddenly needed to see her angry. He cleared his throat and gestured over to the kindly barista. “Phil said they get –” “Mr. Phil,” she repeated, with a greater pause between the Mr. and the Phil. “Well,” Bill shrugged as he looked at the muffin and pinched off a chunk. “He didn’t tell me to call him that.” “I’m telling you,” she scolded as she pulled back her shoulders, her perfectly manicured eyebrows pinching together in disapproval. “Fair enough, Deadra. Mr. Phil –” “Miss Deadra,” she hissed as her cheeks flushed with anger, and she sat up a little straighter. “Oh, you’re not married, Deadra?” At that moment, Bill realized… he needed help. And apparently, so did Deadra. She blew air out of her nose in a kind of laugh as she placed her forearms on the table. Her right shoulder rose a bit, and she flexed, causing her collar bone to be accentuated for a split second, before she laid her breasts upon the table, and she leaned forward. The left corner of her mouth smirked up, and her lips pursed. “Oh, Billy,” she teased in a low, breathy voice. “You really think you’re a big, brave boy, don’t you?” “Yes, ma’am,” he whispered shakily, pulling his legs together as he felt his blood begin to rush. “I bet it’s exhausting,” she chuckled, leaning ever so slightly closer. “Trying sooo hard to be responsible. Show everyone just how mature you are.” She bit her lower lip, looking like she was on the verge of jumping across the table to eat him. His breaths were unsteady as he wrestled with the throbbing in his crotch and the panic in his chest. "Is baby Billy feeling exhausted? Maybe could use a little nap?" Finally, he broke eye contact as his eyes averted to the floor to gauge if he could jump. The thing was, he knew from obsessing over the stories, running didn’t help. Running and making any kind of spectacle actually made things worse. But it was a catch-22 of sorts… would politely continuing this conversation or slowly and calmly walking away really help? Would these giants really see that as the mature choice and see her as some kind of predator? There were stories of an Amazon who would lie on the spot, proclaim something ridiculous, and the Little would panic and deny, thus creating a spectacle anyway. Either way, the downside of obsessing over these stories was that Bill’s brain knew what got his penis excited, and like the tempted addict he was, he did the bad thing. He did the thing he knew he shouldn’t. He pushed off the booster seat, landed on the ground, and tried to break out into a run. Six steps. He got six measly steps before her long, nail-studded fingers grabbed him by the waist of his jeans. “It’s okaaay!” she cooed. “You don’t need to pretend anymore.” “No - NO!” he bellowed immediately, lurching forward to try and escape her grasp. “I’m not pretending!” “You’re a big boy?” “Yes!” he squealed, his voice cracking as he whipped around to face her, his face feeling both burning red and somewhat pale. “So your undies are dry?” “Yes!” he yelped, looking horrified at her. Even if he had touched the muffin or his coffee (which he hadn’t), there was no way she could have poisoned it in the three seconds she had it. “Show us,” she demanded, inclining her head towards the crowd, who had all stopped reading, chatting, or typing to look at him. Oh no. His underwear wasn’t wet; he felt certain of that, but they were absolutely in tent formation. Thankfully, the idea of everyone seeing his erection did manage to reduce it slightly, despite still feeling a tingling of excitement. “If your undies are dry, I’ll let you walk out,” she said loudly and firmly. Confidently, in fact. What the hell? “O-okay,” he blustered as he took a step towards the bathroom, but his affirmation was apparently permission for her to manhandle his pants. She bent down and roughly pulled his jeans down, causing him to yelp in surprise. While many craned their necks to look, Deadra let out a chuckle, and some of the nearest Amazons clicked their tongues. “Poor thing.” Poor thing? For a moment, he thought perhaps they pitied her handling his pants (or more excitedly, perhaps they were commenting on the size of his penis!). But no, that would be too normal. Instead, as Deadra made a satisfied hum, Bill looked down in confusion to see a medium-sized wet spot. But it wasn’t urine. It was jizz. He had rocked back and forth between erections, and sustained one long enough that some had leaked out onto his underwear. “Nononono,” he quickly denied, shaking his head as he pointed, scanning the room. “That’s not urine. That’s - that’s semen.” Someone in the cafe squeaked uncomfortably, and another giggled anxiously. “I’m sorry for the interruption, everyone,” Deadra called out to the cafe. “Do you need a diaper?” someone called out, and the woman’s face lit up. “Oh, that would be lovely!” “IT’S CUM!” Bill bellowed, to more awkward laughing, though more now shook their heads in disgust. The Little let out a squeal as he tried to flee Deadra’s approaching hands, but with his pants roughly sitting around his calves, he tripped. He was caught and in her warm arms before he could hit the ground. “Oopsie!” she grinned, ripping his jeans off over his shoes easily as she hoisted him up to her hip. “Not here, silly. You don’t get changed on a dirty, public floor.” A few nearby Amazons chuckled as the most distant ones were beginning to return to their activities. “Here,” a woman offered as she stepped up to Deadra, holding out a brand-new, thick diaper with monkeys on it. “Thank you so much. How much do I owe you?” Deadra asked as Bill let out a kind of cringing noise while he tried to find any slack in her arms. “I don’t need a diaper! It’s not urine! Smell it!!” Tongues clicked. Heads shook. Deadra’s arm tightened around him in a type of warning. “Don’t worry about it,” the woman dismissed quickly, waving a hand, and then winked. “Consider it my congratulations gift to a new Mommy.” “Thank you,” Deadra breathed, a flush coming to her face, and she proceeded to walk Bill towards the bathroom. “No, I need to get back to work!” Bill declared as he squirmed, his fear squarely on being uncertain that this sort of wish fulfillment was truly what he wanted. It was scary and exciting. The future was terrifying, in both good and bad ways. He rambled on about his work, his apartment, his life – one of the suggestions online had been to try to get an Amazon to see you as a whole person, empathize with you by letting them get to know the real you. Granted, everyone dismissed this as feasible, suggesting it only gave them more reasons you were failing as an adult, but his brain was firing out all the suggestions he had ever read and heard. He had wanted this – but he didn’t! He dreamed of this – but he didn’t! He hissed as he was laid on the cold changing table, and he felt his full erection return. He had stared at pictures of Littles in this position online for hours, from oblivious Amazons who thought they looked cute. It was just an exposed and defenseless position; buckled in, forcefully laid out for all to see. Deadra snickered, seeing this before she pulled his boxers off. “Someone’s a little happier than he’d like everyone to think,” she teased. “I am not!” he squeaked, his voice cracking. “Of course not,” she chuckled bemusedly as she unfolded the diaper, her eyes inspecting his hairy genitals and legs. “Mommy will get you a stroller first so you can nap. It’s going to be a long day, baby.” “Please - please, I have money,” he begged, as if she were some kind of kidnapped person looking for a ransom. “I know, baby,” she replied calmly as she slid the diaper beneath him. “Mommy will handle all of your big boy things. You don’t have to worry about that anymore.” “Deadra, I –” THWAP-THWAP! Bill let out a gasp in euphoric shock; she had lifted him by the ankles and spanked him twice in rapid succession. He could tell it was of little effort to her, but the stinging and pain sent shockwaves through him of paralytic delight. “You will call me Mommy, Billy. Do you understand?” she asked firmly as she folded the diaper up, pinning the front to his erection with one hand, and with the other, she grabbed the tapes. That did it. Pinned to the table, with a beautiful, stern giantess demanding her call her Mommy, her hand on his erection through thick padding – he let out another gasp as he came and his entire body shivered, which turned into a nod. “Good baby,” she purred, a satisfied smirk on her face as she unbuckled the restraints and brought him into her arms. Spent, blushed, and rather satisfied, he lay his chin on her shoulder and relaxed against her. He had a mildly goofy smile on his face as they exited the bathroom, and she gave his diaper a firm pat, as if the cafe’s audience needed the resolution demonstrated. Though in fairness, many did gush, cover their mouths, blush, and fawn at the sight of him. His cheeks couldn’t get any redder, though they tried, and he couldn’t find the energy to act embarrassed. The goofy smile lingered as his entire body relaxed in pure bliss. It must have been an unusual sight for them to see a Little enter a bathroom, screaming, and come out so relaxed and happily diapered. He could see the wonder and curiosity of how she had done it in their eyes. The look of joy to see such a success story. Even Phil, the barista, looked on curiously, as if trying to piece together a puzzle… but the moment he and Billy made eye contact, the Amazon beamed a sudden, wide, exaggerated smile, and waved. “Bye-bye, buddy!” Life was good. In fact, it was wonderful. Deadra was the right kind of Amazon Mommy monster for him. Her first order of business, after the usual hair-softening and body-hair-killing first steps, was his bladder and bowel control. Thanks to the rigorous training chocolate regimen, he was fully incontinent after one month, and he had enjoyed that humiliating process. He did retain some level of bowel control, but she was loosening that up through consistent rounds of suppositories and enemas. She was tough on discipline and very free with spankings, and he was finding all the right buttons to push. She hated him using her first name; it was his cheat code when he felt an itch, and depending on when and where he said it, she might be rougher than usual. But she cared enough about him to never take it too far… though she could. And sometimes, he swore the look on her face said she was tempted. That was exciting. She had no care for his privacy, as expected, but living it was like a dream. Mommy knew everything. Every step he took was known and watched over, and she could swoop in to stop him just before he threw a block at the TV or tried to go up or down the stairs. She had begun to prefer handling him from place to place and rarely gave him the chance to walk freely because he would take off and try to run or hide from her. She had started doing this after he found a really good hiding spot, and she could not command him to come out. She tried to count down, forcing him out of fear, but nothing. She had tried tempting him with treats; nada. Nothing worked because the angrier she got, the better. That day, she had spanked him so hard that he couldn’t walk for two days. He crawled everywhere, and for those two days, he said “I love you” to her more than he had since he was first Adopted. She had also been quick to begin breastfeeding, and, thanks to compliments on her first time in public, she made it a regular public affair. His favorite was when strangers would come up and talk to her about him, never once acknowledging or greeting him, while he eagerly nursed and filled his diaper. Life was good. And it got better. After her month-long maternity leave, she returned to Vilitas, where Billy would stay in a work-provided daycare that was free for her, provided a few (amazing) stipulations: the Littles could be dressed in prototypes for testing and workshopping their newest designs, and used as models for official material. Much like at Billy’s old job, he quickly found himself loved by the staff. While all the other Littles (especially the boys) were hesitant, grumpy, fussy, and threw tantrums at these prospects, Billy basked in the humiliation. At first, he put on airs of resistance out of habit, but quickly, he became the good Little model who did what he was told. Because they told him to, and he had no choice. Being back in a work environment, he somewhat began to miss “normal.” Sucking on a bedazzled pacifier, Billy would stare out at the people nearby working on their computers, and he lamented that mundane activity. But within a week or so, he realized he could replicate mundane activities, such as playing quietly in a playpen, stacking blocks, playing with animal figures, or reading the same book about how the cow goes moo for the 50th time, and how diapers are actually really great for the 100th. It was no different than telling someone to turn their computer off and on again. Repetitive and mundane. What Billy had failed to really absorb was how Deadra had found his frequency of erections unsettling over the last few months. Early on, she gloated to her friends about how she didn’t need vibrating diapers or green goo; her good Little baby just adored his diapers! Everyone was jealous! He was mortified! And turned on! But after a month of that, she had begun to pivot. She started trying measures to control it. This was new and exciting. She bought the paralytic spray to numb his genitalia, which Billy found rather hot. He would even sing the tune with her. “One spray a day, keep the naughty away!” they sang together, and Billy could giggle, but Deadra fell quiet. He would spend hours adjusting himself and humping, finding arousal in his brain at how he couldn’t feel anything. It scratched a similar itch to a cage, though he wouldn’t have minded her trying that too, but unfortunately, she didn’t take the hints he dropped about that very well. Recently, things had begun to escalate. Billy would act naughtily, Deadra would spank him, and he would enjoy it; she would spank him harder, and he would enjoy it more. She’d threaten him with cartoons, and he would sob, saying he’d be a good boy, and things would calm down for a few days… then it would start up again. She put him in a baby bouncer swing and threatened to leave him in his mess for hours, which made him blush and fall quiet, but he bounced happily. She broke down and changed him after an hour, and she could tell he was disappointed. Billy was having the time of his life. Deadra was growing increasingly uncomfortable. “Mommy!” Billy bubbled as he waved his arms towards her, the pacifier falling from his mouth as the crinoline dress he was modeling bounced. He had an old-style bonnet that arced high over his head and was decorated with daisies, and the dress was a pretty white, baby pink, and baby blue mixture of silk layers with lace trimmings. It was the day’s modeling outfit for the coming summer line, and he wore the matching, frilly pink diaper cover with it. One of the other Littles scowled at him as he skipped towards her in the large, shared play area, and Deadra flushed, smiling at him and shaking her head as she put her hands on her hips. “Maggie, what is this?” Deadra chuckled, reaching out to grab the rim of the oversized bonnet to inspect it. “It’s so large! It’ll smack into the top of a stroller!” “Oh, I know,” the Amazon named Maggie said, laughing and rolling her eyes. “It’s this year’s avant-garde look. It’s not actually for sale but meant to catch someone’s eye in a magazine. But Little baby Biiiilllyyy heeeeere,” she sang as she leaned forward, putting her hands on her knees and smiling widely at him. He shrugged his shoulders up shyly and blushed. “Is SUCH a good sport about it! I promised him he could keep it if he was good.” “Oh, no, please,” Deadra denied quickly, waving a hand in the air. “It’ll sit on a shelf.” “Mommy, she promised!” Bill complained quickly, huffing and crossing his arms indignantly. It would be the perfect thing to shove on his head when he was naughty. Why would she say no?! “Hush, baby, the Grown-Ups are talking,” Deadra ordered curtly, and Billy sealed his lips. He loved that tone. Maggie stood up to turn back to his Mommy, who shook her head. “Honestly, keep it here. Maybe it can be reused in future photo shoots. Or, maybe we could donate it to a photography studio. They adore our donations.” “That’s fair,” Maggie agreed quickly and reached a hand down, pulling at the ribbon to untie it from Billy’s head, and removed the weighty monstrosity. “Mommy,” Billy whined, but was cut short; in the blink of an eye, not only was a pacifier shoved in his mouth, but he was up in her arms. He blushed as she loudly patted the diaper cover, then pushed the many layers of the dress up against his back so she could pull the cover and diaper back to peer in. “You know, these things are a blessing and a curse,” she noted as she chuckled. “They contain poopy smells well, but then –” “They contain them too well!” Maggie finished, and the two women cackled like it was the funniest thing in the world. Billy shifted in his Mommy’s arms and realized he had indeed messed and not noticed. He sucked on the pacifier as he flushed, wondering how long ago that happened. “Let me change him, and I’ll get this dress back to you,” Deadra noted as she stepped towards the changing table. “Whenever’s fine,” Maggie waved off dismissively. “Bring it back tomorrow if you’d like. He’s quite comfortable in it.” “Yes, he is, isn’t he?” Deadra murmured more to herself than anything, and Billy smiled impishly as he was placed on his back on the table. After work, Deadra drove the car far longer than her usual commute. Billy didn’t mind. He liked that she didn’t consider him when making decisions. It made him feel small and worthless. He shifted in his car seat, feeling the smooshing of the diaper cream as he suckled on the pacifier and swayed his matching princess booties from side to side. The diaper cover was still on, and he put his hand on it, smiling at how smooth the silk felt, then pressed it against the already wet diaper. Mommy had sprayed his penis with the paralyzing spray, and he grinned, rubbing his hand into the swollen material and only feeling it against his thighs. After a few minutes of this, he felt a gurgle in his stomach, telling him he was hungry. Looking up at the windows, he could tell they weren’t near home. Good. Maybe she’d stop and breastfeed him somewhere new. Somewhere busy. “Mommy?” he asked as he pushed the pacifier out. “Mommy, I’m hungeee.” “I’ll feed you when we get there, baby.” “Get where?” he asked in a slight gasp; something in her tone made him think it was new. “You’ll see,” she smiled, and he squealed happily. His favorite places were either baby-focused, like near a playground, where everyone would talk over him and act like he was nothing, or adult locations where he became the center of attention because Littles were scarce. Today, he was hoping for the first one. He had been the center of attention during the photoshoot and could use some time to feel ignored.**** Another five minutes and the car was parked. Billy grinned maniacally, eager for the surprise that awaited. Deadra pulled him out of the car seat, giving his diaper another check, and hummed in acknowledgment, then grabbed the diaper bag. Billy put his hands on her cleavage, giving it a squeeze as she let out a chuckle. “Just a minute,” she half-explained, half-chastised, and Billy nodded while licking his lips and began looking around. It was surprisingly… dull. It was an old strip mall in desperate need of modern updates, yet the businesses looked like they were still in use. He cocked his head to the side at the line-up of business names, as none of them read exciting or babyish. There was a tax firm, a printing store, a specialized grocery store, a tanning salon, a community center, and a bicycle repair shop. Deadra walked straight towards the community center. Billy frowned curiously, his head swiveling from side to side as he took in every aspect. Once through the glass doors, they saw a circle of chairs in front of them, with a makeshift nursery at the far end of the room. A kindly older couple greeted Deadra, shook her hand, and greeted Billy, who waved back silently. “Is it okay if I feed him before everyone gets here?” she asked, gesturing to a chair. “By all means, you can whenever! Everyone is a parent, or grandparent, here,” the man smiled proudly. “Mommyyy,” Billy whined as he grabbed at her shirt. “Oh, don’t pretend you’re embarrassed,” she scoffed, setting the diaper bag down next to a chair and then taking her seat. He wasn’t. But this felt more private than he’d like. Still, pushing his lip out in a pout, her dismissive demeanor tickled a different fancy, so the moment was now acceptable. She pulled her low-cut shirt down and under her left massive breast, revealing the lacy, light purple nursing bra. The cover hooked at the center, which she easily jimmied open and pulled back, tucking the flap under her armpit. Billy rocked backward in her arm and opened his mouth, but awaited the appropriate adjustment. Deadra watched carefully as she lifted and lowered her breast over his face, careful not to block his nose (which she had done several times, and each time, Billy failed to inform her until he was near passing out). She smiled warmly at him as he began to suckle, and she leaned down, kissing his forehead before she sat back up again and began patting his diaper as encouragement. “Have you ever been to one of these before?” the older woman asked softly, as if Billy was sleeping and she didn’t want to wake him. “No, never,” Deadra replied curtly, then let out an awkward laugh. “Truthfully, I’ve always… thought this whole thing was a little… ridiculous.” “Oh?” the woman hummed, not sounding at all surprised. “Yeah, it just struck me as so… soft, and weak,” she replied uncomfortably, shifting in her seat. Billy opened his eyes to look up at her, curious to hear this tone in his strong Mommy. “I’ve always believed in tough love.” “We know only what we were given,” the woman replied sympathetically, and Deadra frowned, looking off in the distance for a moment, then nodded. “So what prompted you to join, then?” “I - I’ve been… well, I’m a relatively new Mommy,” she began after biting her lip. “It’s been a few months now, and my Little Billy is - well, he’s taken to everything so well.” “Oh, he’s a boy?” the woman asked, clearly surprised given his frilly dress. Billy blushed, smiling as he squirmed in his erotic discomfort and closed his eyes again. “Oh, yes, I work at Vilitas,” Deadra chuckled, giving a few harder diaper pats before turning to the normal drumming. “They provide daycare and have the babies test and model the newest stuff. Billy loves it.” “I see, I see.” “And, really, I know I should be grateful,” Deadra continued, pursing her lips. “I’ve had so many friends struggle with their Littles ones for months before they’re all settled in. So many horror stories of non-stop screaming, insistence on maturity —” “The first stage of Maturosis is very tough,” the woman stated, and Billy grinned; Mommy didn’t believe in Maturosis. She just didn’t think Littles were mature enough to be anything other than a baby. “Right,” Deadra murmured uncomfortably, her hand pausing in the pats for a moment. “I was prepared, but surprised that he really took to everything well. He really is a good baby.” No. No, he was a naughty baby. “Ow!” Deadra exclaimed as Billy “accidentally” bit on her nipple, and she forcefully smacked her hand on his diaper in a semi-spank, though the diaper cover paired with a wet diaper really took the brunt of it. Shame. “Don’t bite, baby, or Mommy will remove those teeth.” He shuddered in horrified delight and nodded. “Oh, dear,” the woman sighed, putting a hand on her arm. “We don’t - erm, well, we’ll talk about that in a minute. Do go on.” “Right… the problem is, my Little Billy likes things a little… too much,” Deadra mumbled as she blushed. The woman chuckled knowingly. “He seems to do things on purpose to be punished, and he - he enjoys it.” Billy grinned as he continued suckling; of course, she knew. How could she not? She was his Mommy, and she knew everything about him. When he was pulled from her breast, he let out a grumpy pout, but she swapped him to her right breast, silently placed her breast gently on his face, and he quickly continued, relaxing as he sighed and felt his diaper warm, swell, and increase in weight. “Well, there’s a great spray —“ “Tried it,” Deadra sighed. “He humps until he can feel it again.” “Oh, heheh,” the woman chuckled awkwardly. “There are some powders to lower his sex drive —“ “Tried it,” she sighed again, shaking her head. “He’s still on them, but they aren’t working.” Damn. He didn’t know that, but he was both proud of her and himself in that moment. “I have a long list of things that have been suggested to me. Castration —“ Billy hated that idea, but the threat caused a twitch in his penis. “Cages–“ Yes, Mommy, cages are a good next step. “I even looked at hypnosis cartoons —“ “No-no-no,” the woman quickly interjected, but Deadra huffed. “I know,” she grumbled. “Billy doesn’t need help regressing, and he’s terrified of those things anyway. Still… every option I choose just seems to make it worse. I’m worried my punishments are just… escalating things.” “How do you normally punish him?” “Spankings, mostly,” his Mommy said as she gave a firm love pat on his butt. “Well, that explains it!” the woman tittered. “You’re giving him love pats while he feeds, but spanking him when he’s naughty — he thinks your hitting his little tooshie is love!” Deadra gasped, then yelped as Billy bit down again on her nipple, but this time it wasn’t on purpose. She glared at him, and her hand instinctively moved to strike his butt, but the woman reached out, placing a hand on his Mommy’s arm. “No, dear, we don’t spank here,” she explained firmly with a shake of her head. “Not only are you confusing him, but it can also really hurt.” Billy froze as his eyes moved from the greying stranger to his Mommy, noting a strange look on her face. He was still latched on, but wasn’t suckling anymore; something was off. “Sometimes… he crawls if I’ve spanked too hard,” Deadra recalled softly… regretfully. The woman frowned and nodded. “It’s why we really stress no spanking,” she explained. “It’s so easy to lose control, and it can have awful, lasting consequences.” Billy unlatched as he gasped. No spanking… There was only one group he knew of that did something like this. That had organized groups, and advertised the soft and gentle treatment of Littles… No! NO! “Little Voices has all kinds of ways to help and encourage good, healthy behavior, and none of it involves causing pain.” “Mommy! Mommy!!” Billy cried as he grabbed at her bra and shirt, pulling to get her attention. “Calm down, baby, it’s okay. I won’t take your teeth,” Deadra reassured him softly, her eyes looking down at him apologetically. He froze, staring at her face in abject horror. “Don’t worry, Billy,” the woman cooed as she leaned forward and patted his shoulder. “We’ll help you and your Mommy have a good, pain-free life together.” Billy gasped. Billy teared up. And Billy broke out in wails.

Chapter 27 is now up. Once again any feedback is more than welcome and actively encouraged. Chapter 27 Katie felt like she was being marched through the hotel. She kept her head down trying not to make eye contact with anyone. As she left the hotel reception and felt the evening air on her damp skin she jolted her head up to see her surroundings. Her mum was leading her out the hotel and into the Bulgarian streets. “Mum!” She shouted “where are we going?” “Well as you’re proved you definitely need your nappies and you’ll be in them for another two and a bit weeks i think its best we buy some more. I noticed some in Lidl the other morning that I hope fit you.” Sophie said calmly. If she was angry at Katie for her latest accident she didn’t let it show. “But mum, I’m wet and messy, can’t you clean me up first?” Katie couldn’t believe she said those words, and almost like she was now use to being in this state. “No, with you in this state then there can be no argument that you need the nappies I’m going to be buying for you. After we have brought the new supplies we will go back to the room and get you ready for bed and clean you up then.” Sophie gripped tighter to Katie’s hand as they crossed the road. They entered Lidl and went straight to the aisle they had been in the previous day selecting a potty that Katie was no longer going to have a need for. The aisle was stocked with lots of different size nappies and pull ups, baby wipes and nappy sacks. Baby food and bottles, dummies and teething toys. As it was late the store was pretty empty but anyone who was there knew exactly why and who these purchases would be for. Sophie picked up a pack of nappies. Katie glanced at the pack. There was a young boy, who looked about 3 or 4, sitting and leaning to the side wearing a white top with a nappy clearly on show. A big number 8 in a red circle joined by the xxl size with a number 18 in a drawn nappy next to the red circle indicating that there ware 18 nappies in the pack. She placed the pack under her arm and moved along to the baby accessories. “Pick a pack of dummies.” She said matter of factly to Katie. “But I don’t need a dummy. I’m not a baby!” Katie pleased with her mum. “I didn’t say you were, though right now it doesn’t quite look that way.” Sophie said looking her daughter up and down. “They keep you calm when I’m changing you. As I’ll be changing you a fair bit going forward we need more than one in case anything happens to the other one. Now pick a pack or I’ll pick one for you.” Sophie, whilst not shouting, was speaking in a firm tone and Katie just wanted to be out of her accident as quickly as she could be. She started looking at the dummies on the shelf. They all came in packs of two and most had cartoon animals printed on them. Then out of the corner of her eye she glimpsed a bright pink colour. It was two pink dummies with a white button in the middle. One said little princess and the other had a cartoon drawn crown. She picked that package up and gave it to her mum. “They’re cute” Sophie said as she took the dummies from her daughter. “Let’s pay for this and then well head back and get your little stinky but changed” she said as she lead the way to the checkout. The young Bulgarian boy working behind the checkout didn’t say anything about the state Katie was in or the purchases the were making but Katie could swear she caught him smirking as Sophie paid for the nappies and dummies. They left the store and started walking back to the hotel. As they walked Sophie started to tell Katie what to expect for the rest of the holiday and beyond. “Going forward you will wear what ever is chosen for you by whoever is in charge. No arguing. You will be in taped nappies and you will use them for all your toilet needs until I decide you’re ready to try pull ups again. That wont be till after the two and a bit weeks are finished but I may not grant you pull ups straight away. If you misbehave or continue to throw tantrums like you did tonight then that shows me you’re not grown up enough for potty training. I will check you and change you when i think you need it. Do not tell me you tink you need a change or you’ve used your nappy as that means at least an hour until you get changed. I will not treat you like a baby or toddler however there may be situations where you will have to be. I need to sort out a babysitter for you as when we get back i have to go to work. I have a friend that works at a daycare, I may have to end you there but I’ll try not to. These nappies look a bit thinner than the Tesco ones so you will probably need changing and checking more often during the day. We will keep the Tesco ones for night but at least you’ll have a cute design to wear during the day.” Sophie winked at Katie at that comment. Did she know about the conversation she had with peter the other day about not liking the plain design of the Tesco nappies? “Ok mum” was all Katie could reply. She looked down at her shorts, stained dark by her urine, and feeling the mess in the back of knickers and felt like she couldn’t argue with any of the rules her mum was implementing. Then she remembered that her mum thought she had an idea something may happen tonight. “Mum” she started talking in an inquisitive tone “at dinner you said you had an idea something would happen. Is this what you thought might happen? And why?” “Not quite this but i did think you had a lot of dairy tonight and it might upset your stomach. I did think or a least hope that you would have made it to the toilet or use your potty for it though. I didn’t want it in your pull up or your knickers. Why didn’t you ask to use your potty if you were struggling to hold it when the toilets were occupied?” Sophie asked. Katie froze, it didn’t even cross her mind to use the potty. It would have been mortifying to use it but it would have been better than being put back in nappies. Her head dropped. Another mistake a toddler wouldn’t have made. Sophie took Katie’s silence as acceptance of the new rules. They were soon back in the hotel and back in the room. “Stand in the shower and I’ll undress you.” Sophie instructed her daughter. Katie silently, and with her head bowed, took herself off to the bathroom and stood in the shower cubicle. Sophie entered the bathroom carrying a pack of nappy sacks and Katie’s new pink princess dummy. She went to the bathroom sink and ran the hot water over the nib on her dummy in an attempt to sterilise it before turning to look at Katie. She held out the dummy for Katie and obediently Katie open her mouth and let her mum place the infantile device in her mouth before rhythmically suckling away on it. Katie was defeated and had no arguments that she didn’t deserve or even need this. Katie followed her mums instructions to the letter. Starting by lifting her arms so she could slip her T-shirt off her. The Sophie removed Katie’s shorts revealing the heavily stained and messed Disney princess knickers. They were once pristine white, now stained yellow from urine at the front and brown from the mess that Katie made in the rear. Tears silently fell from her eyes as she realised just how bad the accident was and the implications it would have going forward. Sophie placed the shirt and shorts in a nappy sack and tied it up before placing it with the other laundry she needed to do before traveling home. She pulled down the knickers and Katie looked down to see the state they were in. There wasn’t a single bit of cotton that wasn’t darkened by urine or covered in a layer of her own mess. “WOW” Sophie said as she to saw the state of them. “Well at least yo can’t deny you need your nappies now. I’ll just throw these away. Not worth trying to save them.” And with that she placed them carefully in a nappy sack to make sure none of her daughter poo transferred onto her hands, and placed them in the bin next to the toilet. Sophie started running the water and once it got to a nice warm temperature started washing her daughter up. It took a long time for the water to start running clear from around Katie’s bottom, indicating that the mess was no all removed. Sophie took time to lovingly and carefully wash the rest of her daughter including her hair. While the situation was not ideal Katie quite liked her mum when she was being this diligent and loving and she sucked rather happily on her dummy as the warm water washed over her. Soon Sophie stopped the water flow and held out a towel for Katie to step into. Katie stepped out the shower and Sophie wrapped the towel round her and gave her a big hug and a kiss on top of her wet head. Sophie let go of her daughter and lead her into her bedroom. Sophie removed the towel and placed it on the bed. “Lay down on the towel for me sweetheart and I’ll get you all ready for bed.” Katie did as she was told. As she lay down on the towel her mum wrapped her up moving the edges of the towel into the centre of her body and the gently massaging her to make sure she was all dry. She unwrapped her daughter from the cocoon of her now wet towel, removing it from underneath her body and balling it up on the floor. She left Katie laying on her bead and went over to the draws to select some nightware for Katie. She returned holding one of Katie’s night time nappies, A white Tesco Junior Plus nappy, and a pastel pink nightie with a cartoonish ballerina drawn on the bottom left corner with grey stars dotted around her. Katie looked at the nightie and rolled her eyes. “You can’t say these are for babies as this is actually your size look” Sophie said as she showed Katie the label indicating that it was for ages 11 to 12. Despite what the label said it still looked very much in the character of toddler designed clothes. Sophie started opening up the fresh nappy and stretched it out and got rid of any folds in the padding making sure it would work to its full potential. “Bottom up” she cooed at her daughter. Again Katie did not hesitate to follow her mums instructions and allowed her to slip the nappy under her bottom. After a quick repositioning of the nappy Sophie let the front hang down while she applied powder and cream to her daughter. Once she was happy her skin was all protected from what Katie’s body was going to throw at it over night she pulled the front up and tapped the nappy shut. Katie quickly patted the nappy to make sure she was happy with it. Sophie then asked Katie to sit up and she slipped the nightie on over her head. The hem fell to just bone Katie’s knees and completely hid the nappy from sight. That was until she moved and the rustling of the nappy was almost deafening. “Sit at the end of your bed and let me brush your hair, make sure it doesn’t get tangled and dries nice and straight.” Sophie told Katie. Katie shuffled to the end of the bed and her mum positioned herself behind Katie and started brushing her daughter’s hair. “Do you understand what this means going forward darling?” Sophie asked. Katie wasn’t sure where her mum was going with this so looked round with a confused look on her face. “Well, when we return home there is only three weeks left of the summer holidays until you start secondary school. For the first two of them you will be in nappies. To not be wearing any protection at all you have to e clean and dry for a full week. That means when we start potty training again you will need the perfect week straight away to avoid starting school with either a pull up or a nappy.” “I am surprised at this as I thought the accident at the park was just a one off but you seem to have had more accidents than success over the summer holidays. Let’s hope for the perfect week to end the holidays and you can e back in knickers again for school. However I wont let you embarrass yourself at school by letting you wear knickers when you’re not ready to.” Sophie said as she finished brushing Katie’s hair. “Time for bed little one” Sophie said as she opened up the covers for Katie to crawl in. Her nappy making a loud rustle as she did so. “Sweet dreams little one.” Sophie kissed Katie good night and left her alone in bed still suckling away on her princess dummy.

Chapter 38 “Ouch!” Lucas yelped as the bristles worked their way through another knot in his hair. “Goodness, Lucille, stop squirming!” Charlotte tutted, continuing to run the brush through, over and over again. She was making sure to eliminate every little tangle and crease. “Mmmmn…” Lucas made an indistinct whining noise as he attempted to shuffle out of Charlotte’s lap - a futile effort, as he knew by now that the grip of an Amazon was stronger than any restraint. He was going nowhere. She shook her head and continued brushing. “Mommy just needs to get your hair all nice and tidy, okay?” He crossed his arms and pouted, looking ahead to the mirror before them. There, he saw himself all dolled up in his Mommy’s lap. He had been dressed in easily one of his most “Princessy” outfits - certainly since his official debut to the public. A flouncy white and pink dress, covered all over in frills and bows, with short, puffy sleeves and a skirt which did even less than usual to hide his diaper. He wore white socks which climbed up his thin legs, higher than usual, reaching his knees and ending in a lace trim. Pink Mary Jane shoes covered his feet and matched the hue of his dress. He saw his golden locks shimmering in the morning light. It had been steadily growing from the length that it was set to at the clinic, now reaching just past his shoulders when untied. It was the longest his hair had ever been, by far, and he found the sensation cumbersome and at times overstimulating. He could only hope that Charlotte had a limit to how long she wanted it. “There, that should do it. Wasn’t so bad, was it, little miss fussy-pants?” He grumbled to himself as she got to work on styling his hair now that it was neater. He was already cranky from being woken up and bathed so early, and still a little woozy from his early breastfeeding and purée. Angie’s milk always sat in his tummy just a little rougher than Hazel’s - who knew different milk could make such a difference to his gut? “Where’re we going again?” He asked, the end of the sentence trailing into a yawn. “Oh, it’s very exciting, baby,” Charlotte smiled, adopting the slower and more sunny tone she usually spoke to him with. “We’re going to a big building where lots of people work. One of them is a very nice woman named Miss Nichols. She’s going to be taking lots of pictures of you! Isn’t that fun?” “Pictures…? Why?” “Because you’re cute as a button!” Charlotte poked Lucas in his abdomen, near his armpit, prompting him to squirm around in her lap again and stifle a giggle. “Mommy could just eat you all up! Yes she could!” Charlotte allowed herself to indulge in full mommy-mode for a moment as she lifted Lucas into the air and began peppering his face with kisses - on his forehead, his cheeks, his nose, and a few strays on his lips, not that Charlotte seemed to mind. Getting kisses from an Amazon was one of his least favourite things in this dimension - there was something so unpleasantly smothering about a giant pair of wet lips pressing against you. “Ah! Quit it!” His protests were useless. He just had to wait for Mommy mode to subside. “Angie?” Charlotte called out. Lucas was confused, as it was just the two of them in the nursery. Then he realised she was directing her call towards the baby monitor near his crib. “Will you come down and finish with Luci’s hair? I have to finish getting ready.” Suddenly the baby monitor made a chime, and through it came Angie’s voice, like a walkie-talkie. He didn’t even know it could do that. “Right away, your Highness!” She sounded like she was doing 5 things at once on the other end. Charlotte planted one more lingering, wet kiss on his forehead and then plopped him unceremoniously into his playpen. She leaned down on the other end of the mesh and placed her hands on her knees to look down at his level, giving Lucas a clear view down the front of her dress to her cleavage. “You sit tight for a minute, baby. Angie will be right down.” She smiled down at him and promptly took her leave from the nursery, shutting the door behind her. That was another quirk of Charlotte’s - even after he escaped from her (not so) watchful eye with Juliette, she seemed more or less content to leave him unsupervised, something Hazel almost never did. That being said, the playpen had long since proven itself to be near impossible to escape - though he had often wondered about building some kind of toy-ladder to escape. He looked to his side. There, he saw his unicorn, Tiara, staring at him. He picked her up and looked into her sparkly eyes. “Pictures of me… what kinda pictures? And what for?” He wondered aloud, though directed the question at Tiara. She stared back silently… obviously. Not like she could respond. Though for whatever reason, Lucas found himself imagining what she’d say if she could. “Well, you are pretty famous!” Her voice was airy and whimsical. Or it would be… if she could talk. “Don’t remind me.” “Everyone wants pictures with you, Lucille! Remember the zoo?” He thought back to how everyone stared at him, and those girls had the gall to come up and ask for a selfie with him. “Who takes a selfie with a baby?” He asked Tiara sarcastically. “…Not that I am one.” He started to imagine her response, a giggling quip, but then realised the irony in making that statement with what he was doing. He set Tiara on the ground next to him with a humph, upside-down on her head. Then, after a moment’s thought, he adjusted her so she was sitting upright. “Hello, Princess!” Angie announced as she entered the room. She seemed slightly out of breath and had a thin layer of sweat on her brow, no doubt running around panicking about work as she usual did. She reached in to grab Lucas from the playpen, her glasses slipping down the bridge of her nose as she leaned. “Let’s get that pretty hair finished up!” — Angie, despite her nerves, was pretty good at styling hair. She had tied much of his hair into two tight braids, which wrapped around his head and were held against it by a headband, designed to appear like a Princess’s tiara, dotted with glittering rhinestones. It was a more involved and refined look than his usual pigtails, and he found the intricate ways his hair had been braided and tucked somewhat uncomfortable. Between that and the outfit, he was certainly looking among his most princessy today. As Angie carried him downstairs, he decided he had to know why. “Miss Angie?” “Yes, Princess?” “Mommy said they’re taking pictures of me today… how come?” “Oh, it’s nothing to worry about, your Highness. They just want to get some photographs of you being yourself, so people know what to get for their own babies.” “Huh?” “It’ll all make sense when we get there, Princess. Let’s just get you buckled… if I can find that darn strap…” Angie began to fumble around in the back seat of the limousine, struggling to find the right straps for Lucas’ car seat for several moments. He thought about her answer - from the sound of it, he was being photographed for some kind of public thing, like a campaign or advertisement. Surely that couldn’t be the case… they were celebrities, yes, but they were royals. Wasn’t there some kind of rule against that? It had to be something else. He could only hope. “There it is!” Angie breathed a sigh of relief. She brought the buckle to the centre of Lucas’ chest, and clicked in the first strap, running along his waist, and then the second, which went up between his legs. The three-point strap ensured he was tightly secured in the car seat, and Angie and Charlotte took their seats in the back alongside him shortly afterward. Lucas yawned again as the car started moving. “How long will it be?” He asked the two Amazons. “We don’t know, sweetie.” Charlotte leaned forward and popped a pacifier into Lucas’ mouth - this one was again more ostentatious than his usuals, boasting a large pink gemstone on the shield. “Don’t worry, it’ll be fun.” “Bu’ I’m tiiiwed…” he whined. Charlotte glanced at Angie and flashed her a quick gesture with her hand. Angie unzipped the diaper bag sitting on the seat next to her and rummaged about in it for a few moments. After a moment of building nerves, she retrieved Lucas’ tablet, screen illuminated in its bright rubber case. “You want your tablet, Princess?” She asked. Lucas eyed it for a moment, and one glimpse of the app display was enough for him. He reached out his hands and began making grabby motions. “Tabwet!” The rest of his car trip was spent playing a game about matching animal sounds to the correct animals. — Hazel tapped her fingers nervously on the table. She looked around - nobody yet, save for the other customers. She sat alone at a table of an Avalir breakfast cafe, having opted for the outdoor patio to take advantage of the sunshine forecast for that morning. She was dressed in casual attire, similarly to how she dress on her trip to the zoo, and felt no more comfortable in it than she did that day. It was strange how much she had come to feel like her work uniform was like a safe space for her. She checked her phone - 9:13am. They were late, as always. Why were they always so late? Hazel had been there early. It wasn’t hard. Just after she checked her phone, it buzzed. The screen illuminated with a text. Olivia: heyyy we’re running a little late !! did u get table ? She rolled her eyes. Typical of them to text that they were running late after already being nearly 15 minutes late. She typed a reply. Hazel: Yes I’m waiting Olivia: okay be there soon ❤️ She locked her phone. It was hard to believe she and Olivia were sisters sometimes… Hazel was composed and driven, but Olivia was… not. She loved her, of course, but it was clear the two had little in common… which was sort of the case for all of her family, really. Finally, at 9:36, Olivia arrived - though Hazel heard her before she saw her. “Hazel! Over here!” She turned her head to greet her sister. Olivia had brown hair like Hazel, though she kept hers shorter, almost in a bob cut. She was wearing large sunglasses with rose gold frames and a stylish outfit - boots, skirt, neat leather jacket. Olivia was always a bit of a fashionista. Behind her, and dressed far more modestly in a cardigan and long skirt, was Hazel and Olivia’s mother, Evelyn. Her hair was longer like Hazel’s, with streaks of grey running through the deep brown. Her face had subtle crow’s feet, laugh lines - the kinds of wrinkles which tell you a person has had a good life. Hazel rose from her seat to greet them, and the three women exchanged hugs. “Hi, mom. How was the flight?” “Oh, not too bad. Traffic out of the airport was a little crazy though…” “That’s the big city for you,” Olivia replied, then turned to Hazel. “How’ve you been? Me and mom saw you on the TV! Some debut show they put on, huh?” “You looked lovely, dear.” Evelyn added. Olivia nodded. “Uh-huh. Very professional, as always. I still can’t believe they have you in that old-fashioned maid’s getup, though.” “Well, it’s tradition, so…” Hazel answered. Olivia placed a hand on Hazel’s arm. “Me and mom have been DYING to hear all of the work gossip! You’ve barely called since the new royal landed.” Hazel nodded. “Yes, work has kept me busy, but I’m doing very well. But, uh, how about we order first?” “God, I’m starving. I’ve had nothing but airplane food. Gag.” Olivia opened the menu and stared at the options ravenously. “Yes, we can talk about work after… it’s just so good to see you again, Hazel.” “You too, mom.” Hazel smiled. Things were going well so far… she just had to hope they’d stay that way. — “Time to put the tablet away, sweetie!” Charlotte grabbed the tablet from Lucas’ hands and he watched as it was put back inside the diaper bag. It felt like he’d barely had any time on it at all, and he had half a mind to start whining for more. Unfortunately, the limo came to a stop shortly afterward, and he was unbuckled from the seat and lifted out by Charlotte. Angie pulled a handkerchief from her blouse pocket and wiped the layer of drool which coated his chin after his play session. Lucas rubbed his eyes in a bit of a stupor after. Thoughts bubbled in his head. Where are we again? Where’s Nana? I’m tired. My dress is pretty. Sparkles! I miss my tablet. I miss Nana. I’m tired. At least Mommy is soft today… Waiting for them in the VIP parking area was a young man, trendy by the looks of it - his hair was gelled, his ears pierced and his designer clothes were very well tailored. He approached Charlotte and Angie, flanked by assistants behind him. Likewise, the ever-present royal security detail made their own presence known as they parked next to the royal limo. “Welcome, your Highnesses, welcome! It is an honour to have you as our guests. My name is Sebastian, and I’ll be showing you around, as well as introducing you to Miss Nichols and all the rest of the CrinkleCare team. If there’s anything I can get for you, please do not hesitate to let me know.” “Lovely to meet you, Sebastian. This is Angie, my assistant for the day.” Angie curtsied as best she could with the added encumbrance of the diaper bag slung around her. “And this little lady must be our star for the day! It’s an honour, Princess Lucille.” Lucas suddenly stopped staring into space to meet this stranger’s gaze. “Say hello to Sebastian, Lucille!” Charlotte bounced him to attention, and he broke from his dreamy haze, snapping back into reality like waking up from a waking nap. “Um… hewwo.” He spoke from behind his jewelled pacifier and waved meekly. “She’s simply darling. If you’re all ready to go, I would love to get things started. Please, right this way.” Sebastian and his entourage led the way, and the royals and their entourage followed. Lucas was at the centre of it all, and it was one of those rare moments where he truly felt his status. Surrounded by a reception party, a maid, and very serious looking security guards, all while covered in gemstones and a dress that probably cost more than his entire life savings in his home dimension. Life really comes at you fast… They made their way from the parking area to the front lobby of the building they were in. It was vast and had a modern decor, with large sculptures hanging from the ceiling. Lucas looked up in awe - it felt like seeing the castle for the first time again, only with a sleek modern edge. “This building is the beating heart of the entire CrinkleCare operation - along with all other companies under the Cradle International umbrella. When it comes to the Little care industry, we pride ourselves in being second to none.” Sebastian narrated to the group as they moved through the lobby, acting as a kind of corporate tour guide. “Little care industry”. Those words were more than a little unnerving for Lucas. Here he was, stranded in this foreign dimension and at the mercy of people who he didn’t know, and he was apparently part of an “industry”. Like he was just some object, a commodity. He shuddered a little bit, instinctively gripping Charlotte’s dress a little tighter for security. Charlotte was too engrossed in the tour to notice. “Yes, I saw CrinkleCare’s name come up more than a few times when I was first researching adoption. And several other Cradle companies, as well. You have quite a reputation!” “Indeed we do, and one that was hard earned. And our operations are not solely commercial - we also have a charitable branch, First Steps, which helps match Littles who are unfortunate enough to be out in the world without caretakers to homes that will keep them safe.” This was just getting better and better. Although dressed up in flowery language, everything Sebastian just said sounded like some kind of kidnapping service. He knew by now that this world had an even uglier side to it that he - mercifully - had not been exposed to. Being here, and hearing this, was making him feel closer to it than he had in some time. He felt his heart beat faster had his hands grow clammy. He gripped Charlotte’s dress tighter, and began to bury his face in her neck (despite her powerful perfume), to at least feel for a moment like he was safe from all of it. “Poor things… I can’t even imagine.” Charlotte squeezed her Little a bit tighter. “It sounds like you do wonderful work here.” This was going to be a long day, Lucas thought. — This was going to be a long day, Hazel thought. Breakfast had come, they had eaten, and already Olivia was getting on Hazel’s case. “So, tell us about work!” “Work… is work. It’s good.” “Work is work… hello, Hazel! You work for the King and Queen! That ain’t nothing. You don’t have any juicy gossip?” “I’ve been working for the royal family for years! There’s not really anything left to tell.” “Barely!” Olivia scoffed. “You’re sooo bad at calling. And we see you like, once a year, max.” “Now, Olivia, that’s enough. Hazel works very hard, no need to prod her about it.” “Thank you.” Hazel sighed. “And honestly, that hard work got us through some very hard times. All that money you sent home… I really can’t thank you enough.” “It wasn’t that much, mom…” Hazel blushed. She knew that this topic would come up. She hated the spotlight, the attention. “It made a big difference at the time, I’ll tell you that much… I had no idea how I was going to keep things afloat after your father passed. You getting that job was a real lifeline.” “Really, it’s okay.” There was a silence as they finished up the rest of their breakfast. But true to form, Olivia broke that silence. “But I bet the new royal keeps you on your toes, huh?” Hazel sighed. “Most of my duties relate to the Princess, yes.” Olivia continued. “A Little in the royal family… wild times we live in. Feels like when we were kids the royals wouldn’t have been caught dead near one.” “I think it’s lovely.” Evelyn interjected. “Even if they come from elsewhere, Littles should be treated like anyone in the kingdom… within reason, of course.” “Yes, I agree. And thankfully, Queen Charlotte is also very forward-thinking on the matter.” Hazel nodded. “What’s she like? The Princess, I mean.” Olivia asked. That was a complicated question. “Oh, she’s wonderful. Attentive, playful…” “…Smelly, I bet.” “Olivia!” Evelyn tutted at her daughter. “What? She’s a baby! Am I wrong?” She wasn’t wrong, Hazel thought, but something about the attitude always irked her. Olivia had a way of taking nothing seriously - and normally, that was something she could deal with. But Little care, and caring for the Princess especially, was something that Hazel took very seriously. Although Olivia clearly recognised that Hazel did an important job, her sister’s little jabs and immaturity about it always rubbed her the wrong way. “It’s alright, mom. To answer your question, Olivia, yes, she’s a baby, and yes, she poops. So I change her. It’s not a big deal.” Olivia mock-gagged. “Couldn’t be me. They’re cute from a distance, but I’m in no hurry to get my hands dirty. My friend Courtney’s roommate got a Little - Rowan or something. This one time we were going out for drinks, getting ready at her place, and he messed himself and started crying. I nearly did too, he stunk up the whole apartment!” She laughed at her own anecdote, which Hazel didn’t find particularly amusing. It’s not like Littles can help it… “Well someone’s gotta do it. Doesn’t bother me one bit.” Hazel said flatly. “That’s right. And you didn’t exactly smell like a bunch of roses when you were a baby, Olivia.” Evelyn remarked. “Yeah, but you potty trained us, mom. Try doing that for a Little.” “True, they are different… my retired friend Janice adopted one recently. She was cute as a button, but she was a real biter. A quick trip to the doctor fixed that. Although she still tries to gum you.” “Sounds like grandma.” Olivia replied, and she and Evelyn shared a laugh, but Hazel didn’t join in. “How is grandma?” Hazel asked, wanting to get off the subject of her job. “Not bad. Her hip is still troublesome, but the retirement home is doing wonders!” “Another perk of Hazel’s diaper changing money.” Olivia snarked. Hazel sighed. So much for getting off that topic… “Can we just talk about something else?” She asked. “Alright,” Evelyn began, suddenly changing posture and looking Hazel in the eye. “So… when are you going to find a boyfriend?” Oh god. This again. — “Okay, now that you’re all comfortable, feel free to wait here until Miss Nichols is ready for you. She should be here to greet you all shortly.” Sebastian and his team left the room after giving a bow to Queen Charlotte and Princess Lucille. That left them, alongside Angie and a single royal security guard at the door, alone in the lounge. It was stocked with all of the essentials while the waited to get started - a full fridge, TV, couches, and a spacious playpen for Lucas. Angie placed him into it and switched on the TV for him. Pippy & Pals, of course. Meanwhile, Charlotte began sipping on some of the complimentary wine that had been left out, some expensive vintage no doubt. Lucas watched as she enjoyed herself. It got him thinking - all of this commotion, the welcome party and the fancy lounge, was all for him, yet he couldn’t enjoy it. It was unfair, like everything else. But Lucas, partially from his lack of sleep and partially from his tablet session earlier, was feeling feisty. He was feeling like if he wanted something, he should have it. Then he remembered back to a few days ago, after his ballet recital. When he was riding the high of his performance, he remembered thinking to himself - if he was a Princess, why couldn’t he capitalise on it? Why couldn’t he be a spoiled brat? Make demands because he can? It’s only fair. Alright then. They wanted a Princess, they’d get a Princess. Today, there’s no Hazel. Angie is a nervous pushover, and Charlotte is frequently inattentive. This was the perfect time to test the theory. To see what he could get away with, as long as the Bigs felt like they were getting what they expected from him. The whole plan reminded him of Juliette - or “Ninja Turtle” - on their secret mission together. Her confidence, her adventurousness - in a way, he’d come to admire Juliette. She was small, like him, and often taken not very seriously, like him, but she was undaunted. Unapologetically herself, and uncompromising in her mission to just have fun. He figured he should continue the tradition and give his plan a codename... Operation Prissy. Something like that. Lucas began stacking wooden blocks with letters on them as he mulled away this new plan of his. It was going to be a thin line to walk, being demanding while still acting the way they “expected” him to behave. He tried to spell “Prissy” with the blocks as he stacked them, though in Amazon script it said in actuality “Plrihhu”. His spelling clearly still needed work. A knock at the door sounded. The security guard at the door looked through the peephole, then after a moment, unlocked the door to allow in whoever stood beyond it. The door opened, and from outside a woman in a neat, professional blazer and skirt entered the lounge. Her hair was immaculately styled, and elements such as earrings, a necklace, and makeup gave her a striking presence. She gave a low bow, executed with all the right posture, before the royals. “Your Highnesses, warmest welcomes to CrinkleCare. I’m Trisha Nichols, chief of marketing. I’ll be running today’s shoot… I can’t tell you how excited we are to have her Highness on board… it’s going to be simply fabulous.” That was fast… guess Operation Prissy is in motion.

Richard has his designation and is taken to the next stage of the process. --- I am only able to write as much as I do thanks to the generosity and support of my subscribers. Writing is my only source of income and it is because of these people that I am able to do that. It allows me to keep the lights on and puts food in my fridge. My subscribers get early access to all my stories, and access to around 30 EXCLUSIVE stories that are only available for my subscribers along with other benefits. If you are interested in supporting me and getting these benefits please consider checking out one of my subscriber pages. Thank you ❤️ https://reamstories.com/elfy https://subscribestar.adult/elfy --- Instead of being pushed back into his chair, Richard felt a weight leaning on his back and pushing him against the desk. Zoe, acting as if this was a daily occurrence for her, slid her chair backwards and grabbed a few important documents before Richard’s hands started thrashing about. He grunted and swore but with the two men holding him down he was completely immobilised. “I was hoping we could skip this stage.” Zoe said with a sigh, “Your immaturity is even worse than the report suggested.” Richard could hardly believe his ears. They were calling him immature for resisting being humiliated and sentenced to a life of infantilisation, it seemed pretty acceptable to resist. He growled and issued vague threats that he had no hope of fulfilling and everyone, including Richard, knew as much. As he swore at the guards, at Zoe, and at the system, he still had tears rolling down his face. Without any preamble, Richard suddenly felt his pants being pulled down. He gasped and tried to kick away the hands, but he was physically outmatched. It wasn’t long before his ass was exposed. He squirmed but the hands would not be moved. He was trapped. Reality was starting to hit him, and it felt like a knockout blow. “Stop it!” Richard cried out, “You can’t do this!” Evidently, they could. Richard felt a hand smack against his butt. He squealed and felt himself going red as he started to sob in defeat. It wasn’t just some horrible nightmare; he really was going to be treated like nothing more than a baby from then on. More blows landed on his ass, but he barely reacted as he sobbed on the desk. Richard was still being spanked when Zoe walked back around the desk and sat down in her chair. She took a moment to straighten some papers and then picked up her phone. Richard looked up at her, wincing as another spank landed on his cheeks. Through the snot and tears that was covering his face he watched the young woman dispassionately hold the receiver to her ear. “Yes, could you send Richard’s parents to my office please.” Zoe said, “They should be in a car in the parking lot. If you can’t find them, putting out an announcement on the loudspeaker system should do it. Thank you.” Richard put his head on the desk face down. The spanking stopped as swiftly as it had started but now his pants and underwear was unceremoniously stripped from his body. They were tossed into a pile in the corner. As the guards let Richard slump back into his seat, he instinctively covered his private parts. With his face a deep crimson he continued to sniffle and blubber. “Richard, this is a shock, so I will overlook that you tried to assault a government official.” Zoe said, “But the decision is made. You are a Little. The sooner you accept it the happier you’ll be.” Richard sniffed back the tears that were still rolling down his face. He raised one hand to wipe at his eyes whilst using the other to try and maintain his modesty. The way Zoe looked at him had changed, he already saw it. He was no longer an equal in her eyes, no longer someone worth listening to. He was a Little, a baby, someone whose opinion mattered very little, if at all. He ducked his head, defeated. “Guards, take him to the next stage.” Zoe said. Richard felt the hands on his shoulders clench slightly. He looked up at the men who seemed to tower over him, their grip certain enough that he wouldn’t be going anywhere they didn’t want any time soon. “Son, you can either get up and walk out of here with us or we carry you.” The older of the two guards said. Richard looked up at him. He had that same unquantifiable look that Zoe did. A look that let Richard know that he was no longer like them, that he wasn’t Big anymore. A brief flicker, the last dying flame, of resistance made him consider trying to break free, but it fizzled out in seconds. He looked down and nodded his head. He slowly got to his feet, his knees feeling weak. “Have a good day.” Zoe said as Richard turned away from the chair. If it wasn’t for the seriousness of the situation, Richard could’ve laughed. Richard kept his hands clamped over his privates as he was led out of the office. He whimpered and dragged his feet as they emerged into the hallway, the guards flanking him tightly. He saw people walking, going about their days. Most of them seemed to work at the Designation Office as they barely gave the half-naked Richard a second look, some were other young people who were wide-eyed and nervous, and then there was… “Richard!?” Sandy’s voice came from a door Richard had just passed, “What’s going on?” Richard turned away. He couldn’t look the young woman in the face, not when he was so exposed, not when his face was so red and streaked with tears. He noticed that Sandy didn’t seem overly distraught, she must’ve been designated Big. “Move along.” The guard nearest Sandy said. “But…” Sandy started. Eager to get away from the situation, Richard started walking faster. He let out a little sniffle. If he felt that embarrassed being seen by a person who he had only shared a handful of minutes with, how on Earth was he ever going to face his family. Just the thought of them seeing him, knowing they would have to look after him going forwards, was enough to make him feel like he was going to throw up. “Richard, you didn’t get made a Little, right?” Sandy called down the corridor. “In here, please.” The guard said as he pushed open a non-descript door. Richard allowed himself a second to glance back and see Sandy staring at him, her mouth was wide open, in her hands she carried a certificate with an obvious green stamp on it. He stepped over the threshold and hung his head, more than anything he wished he was about to walk out of that place with a similar document. One that said the next day would be just like the one previously. “Who have we got here then?” An older woman, sitting at a computer on a desk in the corner asked as she stood up. “Richard Divey.” The guard said. Richard hadn’t noticed the younger guard pick up the paperwork, but it was handed to the woman to look over. The woman, presumably a nurse, looked over the papers and then up at Richard’s sorry looking form. “You guards can wait outside.” The nurse said, “This Little one isn’t going to cause any problems, is he?” Richard didn’t immediately answer. He thought he could overpower the nurse and there was a door on the other side of the room that he could maybe get through… but then what? He would be lost inside the building with every guard looking for him. He knew what being designated Little meant, there was no escaping it no matter how much he begged or fought. He shook his head and looked down at the ground. “Are you sure?” The bigger guard asked, “He was a little excitable in the interview room.” “I’ll be fine.” Nurse replied, “The poor thing is just scared.” Richard couldn’t deny that. He was very scared, even now he could imagine his parents being taken to see Zoe and told what had happened. He could see his mom looking as upset as the one in the lobby, the one watching her newly baby boy being dragged out the exit. He could picture his dad trying to remain strong and stoic. It was nearly enough to start him sobbing again. “Alright.” The older guard said after looking at Richard, “But if there’s any trouble, call out and we’ll be here in less than a second.” “Just remember…” The younger guard leaned in close to Richard, “If you try to hurt the nurse or run away, you will be in some very serious trouble. Understood?” For emphasis he seemed to push his hip out a bit. Richard looked and saw something holstered, whether it was a taser or a gun he wasn’t sure, either way he knew he had nothing left to fight for. He’d lost the moment he stepped foot in Zoe’s office. The guards left. Richard remained stood in the centre of the room with his hands cupped over his genitals and, for the first time, looked around the room. In many ways it was similar to the nurse’s office he had seen at school a few times over the years. A clean white space with cabinets and counters along most of the walls. There were some posters about first aid and how to spot early signs of certain conditions. It was the object in the centre of the room that Richard found himself trying to avoid. Each time his eyes fell on it he felt his heart race and his throat tighten. The long table wasn’t unlike a regular nurse’s table. Except that, underneath this one, on shelves running its full length, were diapers, wipes and powder. He stared at one of the folded up white diapers and felt his legs shaking. The idea that he would soon be wearing one, that he would wear nothing but diapers as underwear for the rest of his life, was nearly overwhelming. “OK, Richard, I need some information from you.” The nurse said, then she looked up and seemed to realise something, “Oh, where are my manners? I haven’t told you my name. I’m Brianna.” “Richard…” Richard replied without really thinking. His eyes were still on the diapers, and he wondered if he had been too hasty in writing off an escape attempt. “I know, sweetie.” Brianna said with a compassionate smile, “I need a few measurements from you, just a basic health check.” Richard was in a state of shock as Brianna proceeded to direct him this way and that. His height was taken, then his weight, she checked his blood sugar, his reflexes, listened to his heart and a whole list of other things. Richard kept hoping there would be something that undid everything that had happened that morning, that there was one measurement that would show what a mistake it had all been. Unfortunately, he was given a clean bill of health. “Alright, no point putting it off any longer.” Brianna said as she patted the changing table a couple of times. Richard swallowed anxiously. He was still doing his best to cover himself up, even though his modesty would count for nothing before long. He watched as Brianna pulled a diaper out. The white rectangle looked so big, but as she unfolded it and laid it out on the changing table it only got bigger. It looked like it would swallow him whole. “Can… Can I go to the bathroom first?” Richard asked. He did kind of need to go, but it was more of an attempt to put off the inevitable than anything else. “Well, I don’t think that will be necessary, do you?” Brianna said with a little chuckle. It struck Richard that he would probably never use the toilet again. It should’ve seemed obvious as soon as he was pronounced Little, but now he thought about before he had left the house that morning, when he had sat on the toilet to do his business. He’d had no idea that would be the last time. His thoughts turned to what it would be like to do what he did on the toilet into the diaper instead and he started to feel light-headed. “Come on, it’s alright.” Brianna walked over. She put one arm around Richard’s lower back and guided him forwards, “Everything will be fine.” “It won’t.” Richard moaned as he stumbled towards the changing table. “Change is always scary for Littles but you’ll be used to it in no time.” Brianna continued, “I remember when Jimmy, my son, was designated Little. It took a bit of a time but he’s perfectly happy now.” “Y-Your son?” Richard asked. He sat on the edge of the table and Brianna lifted his legs causing him to lay back. “Yes, he’s been Little for… Goodness, must be ten years now.” Brianna said. “What does he do?” Richard asked. He was hoping to hear of some loophole, to find out that Jimmy was living a relatively normal life despite everything. “Watches his cartoons and plays with his toys mainly.” Brianna said fondly. “That’s it?” Richard asked. “Well, we sometimes go to the park or the toy store…” Brianna continued, “He likes that.” Richard stopped listening. There was no secret to be found. Jimmy had spent the last decade living as a complete baby. Richard thought back to when he was eight-years-old and Jimmy had been designated Little. He tried to imagine all that time in between where Richard was growing up and Jimmy was, essentially, frozen in time. It was not comforting to think that he had that in front of him. To think that Brianna could watch her own son go through that and be a nurse doing the same thing, he wondered just how callous the nurse was. “Now, lift up.” Brianna said as she tapped the side of Richard’s thigh. Richard hesitated. These were, potentially, his last moments without a diaper. As soon as he did as he was told and had the new padding taped on to him, that would be it. He bit his lip, hesitating. “Don’t make me call the guards back in here.” Brianna said quietly, “Trust me, they aren’t as gentle as me.” Richard closed his eyes. He arched his back and lifted his hips from the table. He could feel Brianna’s hands against him and heard a faint crinkle as the diaper was placed underneath his butt. When he received another tap on the side he slowly lowered back down. When he felt the new padding underneath him, he felt his mind go blank. It still felt like an impossible nightmare coming to life. “There we go.” Brianna said cheerfully, “Not so bad, is it?” Richard said nothing. He certainly didn’t tell her that he wanted to jump off the table and run off to never be found, that the padding felt like an irritant against his skin. He kept his eyes closed, just trying to delay the inevitable for even a few more seconds. “You’re going to need to move those.” Brianna said as she tapped Richard’s hands, “Trust me, you haven’t got anything I haven’t seen before.” Richard whimpered audibly as he moved his hands away from his privates. It all still felt too much like a nightmare to be real, and he wasn’t helped by the feeling of the cottony interior of the diaper coming up and over his crotch. The tapes were like four locks, each one designed to keep him away from adulthood. He covered his face with his hands and wept. “All done.” Brianna said as she went over to the sink and washed her hands. “W-What happens now?” Richard said through his tears. “Well, I think your Mommy and Daddy are going to be signing some documents for a while.” Brianna said, “So we’ll take you to the holding pen until either they collect you or put you up for adult adoption.” “Adoption!?” Richard quickly sat up and immediately regretted it. The diaper crinkled loudly underneath him. He looked down to see it puffing up with air trapped inside. “If they decide they don’t want to look after you.” Brianna stated simply, “It can be terribly taxing looking after a Little.” Richard was aghast. He didn’t think his parents would just abandon him, but could he be certain? Did any parents want to have to start looking after a baby again? He felt fresh concern as he thought about the prospect of being sent to live with strangers for the rest of his life. --- If you liked this update and want to see the next update RIGHT NOW you can do so here: https://reamstories.com/page/lpjgftb4y2/story/mozb40hx8a1381/chapter/mq3j38xz59dc2a4 https://subscribestar.adult/posts/2529848

So a bit of history. I have been a DL since probably 2014. Going through the usual binge purge cycles etc. Moving year later wearing nappies started to become a struggle mentally and physically. I had acceptable this side of myself. The conflict was do I wear or dont. I would get to a point that couldnt anymore and start weering. My wife knows this side of me. She was sort of supportive but wouldn't get involved. More like tolerate it. Move forward to a month ago and I decided im tired of this anguish and internal fighting. So I wrote a letter to my wife. I decided that im going 24/7 for minimum of 3 months. This was to see if i can live this lifestyle 100%. In the letter I included every detail I could think of. I even used AI to gelp formulate the letter. I left nothing to chance. I gave the letter to my wife one saturday morning. She understands why Im doing this and has accepted it. Even though she is holding me to the 3 months. She still stated firmly thst she will not.participate. Which I am fine with. But as most of us who have partners that wont become involved wish they would. So 33 days later, I have been in nappies the entire time. No matter what situation I have been in. I am wetting so automatically now that I feel the wetting happening but I dont feel the build up. The wetting just happens. I do not go #2 as I hate the cleanup. So I have worked a system to be able to pull my. Nappy down to go to the loo and then pull it back up. I have had to use nappy covers which are actually cloth pocket nappies. They work really well as nappy covers. Night time is still a battle but I have now worked out a system to wet on bed in a semi conscious state. From a personal point of view. I feel so much happier. I feel more in control of my life. I dont get so angry so quickly any longer. I handle stress much better. The sensory side if things. I have this like internal happiness feel a lot of the time. I dont masterbate any longer and my sexual drive has been pushed more toward my wife more than before. So from my perspective. Going 24/7 has been a really positive move for me.

Chapter 10: Just Between Us At first, I was relieved. I wasn’t a baby anymore. I’d finally be treated like a real adult, and I wouldn’t have to ask my mom’s permission for every little thing. This was the first time I ever had that much independence, and in theory, it’s what I’d always wanted. But the reality hit almost immediately: I was completely on my own. It wasn’t like New York, where I could catch a bus on the corner. The nearest stop was a mile away, and the bus only came every forty minutes. It didn’t feel like my parents would help me find a job, and I didn’t think I could find one on my own. Even if I did, what if they wanted to interview me in person? How was I supposed to get there? What was I supposed to do about food? Uber wasn’t an option, and I couldn’t exactly walk to the store. My mom hadn’t just stepped back; she’d left me stranded with no real way to get anywhere. As much as I hated that stupid car seat, it was still the only practical way for me to get anywhere. I didn’t have any idea what I was supposed to do. Mom made it clear that she wasn’t going to feed me anymore, and that scared me more than anything. I had a meal plan in college. My mom wasn’t going to let me move to New York unless we found a place that included meals. At home, she had always handled all of it. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner just showed up. I never had to think about where any of it came from, or how it ended up in front of me. I’d never cooked. I only knew how to put stuff in the microwave. I never had to buy groceries. I bought snacks, but that was mostly junk food. I didn’t really know what I needed. I’d never used Instacart, and I didn’t even realize grocery stores delivered. On paper, New York should have prepared me for this. I lived alone, held down a job, paid rent, and made it through six years without my mother in the next room. But my life there only worked because everything important was already set up for me. It wasn’t really a life; it was survival. Dartmouth fed me. The boarding house fed me. Public transit took me where I needed to go. Work gave me structure, and once I learned the route, I just repeated it. I didn’t build a life from scratch; I survived inside one that had already been built for me. What my mother expected now was something completely different. She expected me to know how to run a household, buy food, plan ahead, solve problems, and do it all without asking for help. New York taught me how to endure isolation and routine. It didn’t teach me how to be the adult she suddenly expected me to be. My parents’ house was big, but it never felt open. Our rooms were upstairs, along with the nursery, the playroom, and my mom’s office. We were never allowed inside my parents room. The door was always closed, and to this day, I still don’t know what it looks like. My mom’s office sat right next to the nursery and playroom, so it always felt like she was just outside the door. For most of my childhood, Chris had his own room. I have a vague memory of him being in the nursery, but I was very young. Charlotte and I each had our own crib in the nursery until she was seventeen. Then Mom converted the playroom into Charlotte’s room. When I got out of diapers, Chris was still living at home, so I had to stay in the nursery. Mom removed the rails, but that was the only thing that changed. It was still a crib, in a room meant for a baby. A few months later, Chris moved out, and I moved into his room. I slept there, kept my things there, and lived there, but to my mom, it was never really my room; it was still Chris’s room. After I moved out of the nursery, she restored it to what it had been, like she planned on using it again. We may have slept upstairs, but we lived downstairs. That’s where the kitchen was, where the TV was, and where we spent most of our time. Off to the side was a part of the house we never went into. My dad’s den was over there, along with the guest room. Since the den was off-limits and the guest room wasn’t for us, we were never allowed in that part of the house. To be honest, it felt awkward breaking through that barrier. I didn’t understand why she put me in the guest room. Going back to my old room would have made more sense. That’s where I slept, and where most of my stuff was. But in my mom’s mind, it was still Chris’s room, and one day he’d come back. That was never going to happen. She’d chased him off years ago, but she couldn’t bring herself to admit it. When I finally stepped into the guest room, it felt strange. I wasn’t supposed to be in that part of the house, and now that’s where I lived? In a lot of ways, the room was nice, but it felt like a hotel room. The queen-sized bed took up most of the space. There was a small desk, a TV, and closets hidden behind sliding doors. A window looked out over the backyard, and there was even an ensuite bathroom. It was the first time I had ever had a bathroom to myself. But that part of the house felt cut off from everything else. Dad was the only one ever there, and he stayed shut away in his den. At first, the distance felt like relief. I was finally free from my mother’s control. But the longer I stood there, the more that feeling changed. This wasn’t freedom, it was exile. I was in an abandoned corner of the house with no one to help me. I tried to make the room feel like mine, but it didn’t. Nothing about it did. A few minutes later, my mother came in, dropped the box I’d shipped from New York at my feet, and left it there like a delivery. She didn’t ask any questions or offer any advice. She just said, “Here’s the stuff you brought from New York. Bring down anything you left in Chris’s room. I’m throwing out whatever is still there.” I didn’t know what to make of my mother’s new approach. A few hours earlier, I was still her baby. The constant nurturing and attention might have seemed loving, if I were a baby. Since I wasn’t, it felt sinister. But the second she agreed to treat me like an adult, all of that disappeared. I wasn’t her child anymore; I was just someone she had to deal with. What scared me most was that my mother didn’t take half measures. In our family, diapers meant we were babies. That was the rule. The second we were back in them, she treated us like babies and did everything for us, right down to the smallest detail. Then, the moment she decided we were ready, all of that stopped. From that point on, she expected total competence. No help. No patience. No allowance for failure. That was the rule. If we didn’t do it right, immediately and without complaint, we failed. This was just the next version. She gave me what I wanted, but without her structure, and I was terrified! I wanted freedom, but I didn’t want to be dropped without any help. It felt like she would watch me fail and never lift a finger. For as long as I can remember, I wanted my mother to be like everyone else: a normal mom who let her children grow up. But she was never like that. Even after I stopped wearing diapers, she never stopped being my mom. In college, she called almost every day. When she visited in New York, she always walked me back to my boarding house before returning to her hotel. I told her it wasn’t necessary, but she always gave the same answer: “The world is never going to see you as an adult, so I have to make sure you get home safely.” That was what made this feel so wrong. However twisted her version of love, it was still the only kind of mothering I knew. This was the first time she had ever stopped mothering me, and she had done it all at once. The woman standing in front of me was still my mom, but I hardly recognized her. Then I realized I was still wearing the diaper Rachel put on me. I went through my bag for underwear, but it wasn’t there. Without thinking, I called out, “Mom, what happened to my underwear?” Mom answered, already annoyed. “What?” “Where’s my underwear?” “Why are you asking me?” I replied, “There were some in my bag, but they’re gone.” “Those? They were rags. I threw them out.” I looked at her. “What am I supposed to do?” She shrugged. “Figure it out yourself.” After that, I was furious, but mostly at myself. I had barely started, and I was already failing. I was still in the diaper, and it was wet enough that my mother might have changed it if she had bothered to check. I asked myself why I hadn’t used the bathroom. Maybe it was stress. Maybe it was habit. Whatever the reason, I couldn’t ignore what it suggested: I wasn’t even potty trained. That doubt left me frozen. If I put on underwear, I could tell myself that I was trying to be an adult. But I was scared I’d have an accident, and maybe Mom would seize on that as proof I was never ready for any of this. On the other hand, wearing protection felt like I was giving up before I even started. This was the first time I had ever gone straight from diapers to underwear without being potty trained again. Every other time, Mom made me start over, like it was my very first time. She sat me on a little potty chair and watched while I did it. I got a star when I did it right, and when I earned enough stars, I could wear Pull-ups. If I stayed dry in my Pull-ups, I got to wear underwear. Now, it didn’t seem to matter whether I was wet, or dry. I was completely on my own. In the end, I chose the safer option. I hated what it implied, but I told myself it was only temporary, just a precaution until I got used to using the toilet again. I ordered some underwear from Amazon and, after a moment’s hesitation, another package of Pull-ups, just in case. My next immediate issue was food. I didn’t have any food, and even if I did, I didn’t know how to cook. Ordering a pizza was the obvious choice, and on paper, probably the right one. But it still felt like one more way I was failing. When I got overwhelmed, I always went for the easy option. So, I ordered a pizza. It wasn’t as good as what I got in New York, but even bad pizza is good. I also ordered a two-liter bottle of Coke. There was an NFL playoff game on that night, and for a second, this didn’t feel so bad. With pizza, Coke, and a game on TV, I was set for the evening. But even that thought made me feel childish. Those weren’t adult decisions; they were the choices a kid would make if no one was watching. I could watch the game without worrying about my mom’s reaction, drink as much soda as I wanted, and stay up as late as I could. When the pizza came, I carried it into the kitchen to get a plate and a glass for my Coke. Mom looked up and snapped, “What are you doing?” “I need a glass for my Coke.” She sighed. “I suppose that’s fine, but you really should get your own dishes. Just clean up after you’re done.” My dad got home midway through the game and disappeared into his den to watch it. Normally, none of us went in there unless he called for us. We weren’t even supposed to ask. I stood there for a second, wondering if that rule still applied. Everything else had changed so fast that it was hard to tell what still applied and what didn’t. Finally, I made myself speak. “Dad, can I watch the game with you?” He mumbled, “Why not.” I sat with him through the rest of the game, holding onto this stupid little hope that maybe, now that we were alone, he’d finally say something about what was happening. I didn’t need him to fix it. I just wanted him to acknowledge it. Maybe ask if I needed anything. But he never did. We only talked about football. I called Charlotte after the game ended, because I didn’t know what else to do. I was overwhelmed and desperately wanted to talk to someone. Her face appeared on the screen a second later, already surprised. “Reggie?” “Yeah.” “Wait, how? I thought Mom had your phone. Why are you still up? I thought you had an early bedtime.” I hesitated. I didn’t know how much to tell her, but she was probably the only person who’d understand. I stumbled over the words, trying to figure out how to explain it. “Mom put me back in the nursery, but we went to Dr. Olson today.” “You did? Why?” I looked away from the screen. “Mom said she wanted to find out what was wrong with me.” I swallowed. “She told Dr. Olson I’d regressed so much she had to put me back in diapers.” I paused. “Which isn’t fair. Mom didn’t even give me a chance.” Charlotte’s face tightened, but she didn’t interrupt. That’s the nice thing about FaceTime—I could tell she understood without saying anything. After a second, she asked, “What happened?” “Well, Dr. Olson told Mom to stop treating me like a baby. She said I’m never going to grow up if Mom keeps doing this.” Charlotte looked genuinely surprised. As far as either of us knew, Dr. Olson and Mom had always been on the same side. She asked, “She did? I never thought Dr. Olson would go against Mom.” “Me too.” Charlotte looked stunned. “Wait—did she actually say you were an adult?” I shrugged. “Not really. She said losing my job and coming back home messed me up, and that Mom needed to back off and let me be more independent. She made it sound like I did this on purpose.” Charlotte gave a small, knowing nod, but she didn’t say anything. For a second, I had the uneasy feeling she thought Dr. Olson might be right, but neither of us said it. Then she asked, “So how did Mom take it?” I shrugged. “I don’t know. It was weird. One second she was being Mom, and the next she just... wasn’t.” Nobody bore the brunt of Mom’s sudden changes more than Charlotte. She nodded. “That’s what Mom always does. Whenever I got out of diapers, she went psycho on me. It was like the second I wasn’t a baby anymore—she expected me to be perfect.” I shook my head. “No, this is different. Mom’s ignoring me. She’s barely said two words to me since I got home.” Charlotte hesitated. For a second, she looked like she wanted to believe me, but something in her face said she didn’t. Then she asked, “Really? Did Mom make you sit in the car seat?” I blushed. “Yeah, but she said the car doesn’t know how old I am.” Charlotte nodded, like that answer told her everything she needed to know. “Sounds like Mom to me.” I shook my head. “No, it’s more than that. She’s treating me like a tenant, and she wants me to pay rent.” “Seriously? That’s what I wanted when I moved back, but she wouldn’t take my money. I hoped she’d treat me like an adult, but she didn’t.” I let out a short laugh, but there wasn’t anything funny about it. I said, “She won’t even cook for me. I have to cook for myself.” “What? Do you know how to cook?” “No.” Her expression tightened. “But Mom loves feeding people!” I replied, “I know. That’s not the worst part. I have to get my own groceries.” Charlotte frowned. “Well… yeah. Adults get their own groceries.” I shook my head. “No, that’s not it. She won’t take me to the store.” Charlotte gasped. “What?” “She says I have to figure it out myself.” “Reggie, you don’t drive. How are you supposed to get food?” I shrugged. “I don’t know. I can’t even take an Uber.” “Why not?” “Drivers won’t take me. They think I need to be with an adult.” Charlotte stared at me for a second. She hadn’t thought about that, but most people don’t until I tell them. Then she nodded. “I guess you’ll have to do Amazon or Instacart.” I honestly didn’t know they did that. “They deliver groceries?” Charlotte’s face went blank. “What do you mean? Of course they do.” I think that was the first time she realized how little I actually knew about taking care of myself. I couldn’t hide it after that. “I’ve never bought groceries.” “Are you serious?” “Yeah. I’ve never needed to. I’ve always had meal plans, so I only went to the store to buy snacks. I don’t even know what I’m supposed to get.” Charlotte leaned into the screen. “Reggie! Mom’s setting you up to fail. I can’t take you to the store tomorrow, but I can take you Wednesday. Until then, order enough to get you through one day. Get some frozen meals and cereal—just the easy stuff. Then on Wednesday, I’ll help you get what you actually need.” She paused, then said more quietly, “And Reggie, even if it doesn’t seem like it, trust me, Mom is watching. Don’t make it easy for her.” I heard what Charlotte was saying, but it didn’t feel true. Mom hadn’t just stopped treating me like a child; she was completely ignoring me. And I didn’t think Charlotte fully understood what it was like for me. We’d both spent years in the nursery, but it wasn’t the same. Charlotte didn’t spend as much time in diapers during the day, and as far as I knew, she hadn’t worn them in over ten years. As overbearing as Mom could be, I would’ve taken that over being completely abandoned. I gritted my teeth, but I didn’t say anything. Charlotte looked at me and asked, “Okay, so tell me what happened?” I looked down and said, “She put me in diapers and treated me like a baby.” Charlotte gave me a look. “Reggie, I know that part. I want to know what she actually did.” I hesitated. Deep down, I knew she was right, but I wasn’t ready to talk about it. I mumbled, “It’s embarrassing.” Charlotte held my gaze. “Reggie, I know it’s embarrassing, but you can’t keep this to yourself. I’m the only person who really knows what this is like, and I should’ve told you what Mom did to me.” That threw me. Even though we were close, we had never talked about any of this. To be honest, I didn’t really know what it was like for her either. She was still in the nursery, still wearing diapers, when she was seventeen. I was only eleven, and I knew I was too old for them. But that was all I really knew about her experience, and I thought that was what she meant. I still didn’t think she understood what it was like for me. I sighed. “Okay, I’ll give you the highlights.” I told her about the playpen, Mom making me do tummy time, and then having Stacy come over to babysit. Charlotte looked startled. “Stacy? Isn’t she in high school?” I shook my head. “No, not anymore. She goes to UC Santa Barbara.” Charlotte nodded slowly. “Wow! Good for her. I still think of her as a kid.” She then added, almost as if she was talking to herself, “It’s weird having a babysitter that’s younger than you.” For a little while, Saturday actually felt better. I said, “Mom even let me stay up late to watch the end of the football game,” as if that was supposed to prove something. Charlotte looked at me. “What happened last night? We came over, but Mom said you were tired and had gone to bed.” I looked back at the screen. “Did she say bed?” “No, but I know you don’t like hearing about your nursery and crib. So, what happened?” “I was watching the Niner game, and the Eagles took the lead. I got mad and threw my pacifier.” I blushed. “I thought they were going to lose.” Charlotte shrugged. “Didn’t they win?” I nodded. “Yeah, but I thought they were done. I didn’t find out they won until tonight’s game.” I paused. “Anyway, Mom said I was overstimulated. She took me into the nursery and wrapped me in a blanket so tight that I couldn’t move my arms or legs.” Charlotte’s face changed. “She did that to you?” She shook her head. “I hated it when she did that to me.” I was confused. “Wait. Mom did that to you too? When did that happen?” Charlotte looked away. For a second, I thought she wasn’t going to answer. Then she said, very quietly, “It was during Covid. Right after things opened up.” I asked, “What happened?” Charlotte’s mouth tightened. “I mean... it’s kinda my fault.” She didn’t look at me when she said it. Mom had this way of making us feel like whatever happened was always our fault. I didn’t want her to shut down, but just like when she asked me, I wanted to know what really happened. I replied, “I knew about the bedtime, and some of the other stuff, but I didn’t know she did… that to you.” Charlotte let out a breath. “At first, Mom was good. I told her I wasn’t moving back unless she treated me like an adult. I wanted to pay rent, but she wouldn’t take my money. And for a little while, it almost felt normal. Then she started picking at everything. Little stuff at first. Then more and more. Before I knew it, she was just... Mom again.” She took another breath. “Once things opened up, I wanted to go out with friends. Mom didn’t think it was safe and wanted me to stay home.” It still didn’t make any sense. As far as I knew, Mom only put us in diapers when we had accidents or wet the bed, and she didn’t treat us like babies unless we were wearing them. This sounded different. It sounded like she got mad and put her back in the nursery as punishment. I asked, “Wait, so Mom put you back in diapers because you went out?” Charlotte gritted her teeth. “Not exactly. We live so far from everything, so I drove to the bar. I’d had a couple of drinks, but I wasn’t drunk, and Mom lost her mind when she found out I drove myself home. She said I was clearly not responsible enough to be an adult, and when I tried to argue, she pulled out the same line she used on you. She said I was overstimulated, and the next thing I knew, I was wrapped in a blanket and lying in a crib.” I stared at her. “I didn’t know.” Charlotte’s eyes filled. “Reggie, it was humiliating. She had Becca’s little sister babysit me.” Her mouth twisted. “Do you have any idea what it’s like to have some teenager change your diaper?” I shrugged, “Stacy?” Charlotte nodded. “Yeah. Then Mom had me start over from the beginning. She even dragged out the same little chair I used with Kristy.” “How long did she keep it up?” Charlotte let out a short, humorless breath. “A couple of weeks, I think. I wasn’t working, so the days all blurred together.” Her mouth tightened. “But some of it didn’t stop when the rest of it did.” “What do you mean?” She went pink and looked away. When she finally spoke, her voice was barely above a mumble. “Reggie, I still wet the bed. I never stopped.” “Wait. But Mom let you out of the nursery when you were in high school. How did that happen?” “Back then?” she asked, and I nodded. “After I started high school, I told her I wasn’t a baby anymore, and that it wasn’t fair for her to keep treating me like one. I begged her to give me a chance, and I promised I’d take care of everything myself. She wouldn’t even know if I had an accident. It took us almost three years, but with Daddy’s help, we convinced her to give me a chance.” She blushed. “But this time, she didn’t trust me. She made me sleep in the nursery until I moved in with Dennis.”

Chapter Fifty-Two: Cold This wasn’t happening… this wasn’t happening… Disoriented, muted, and panicking, Adam closed his eyes as he felt a lurch in his stomach. He wasn’t ready to find out how vomiting out his nose felt, so he put all of his effort into controlling it. He grabbed the Amazon’s suit jacket as he curled forward, trying to focus and will himself to calm down, or at least not let his panic forcefully eject his breakfast. The effort caused his entire body to break out into a sweat, and he began to shiver, but it was working, though it also rendered him unable to keep awareness of his surroundings. He felt and smelled the open air for a few seconds, and by the time his brain recognized it, he was descending into a car, which he could tell from the sound of the car doors. Adrenaline jolted through his body, causing him to open his eyes as wide as possible. For a moment, he had dared to hope they were taking him to a known vehicle — his grandfather’s, maybe. But no. The nausea caused a clench in his gut as he anxiously looked around at it. It was old. Low tech. Dirty. Grey cloth seats, with tons of stains and some rips. The suited Amazon had entered the back and unceremoniously dumped Adam into a car seat. The blonde was not immediately restrained, so he jumped to his feet and grabbed the door handle. His shaking hands found purchase on the worn plastic handle, and he rocked back with all his might and weight, which successfully pulled the handle fully open — but the child safety lock was on. “Ey!” the suited Amazon barked and reached out, grabbing Adam’s shoulder and pulling him back into the car seat. Adam let out a pained shout as a stinging shock reminded him that it was the arm the other Amazon had roughly pulled, and he groaned into the inflated bulb as he grabbed at his shoulder and dug his fingertips in, grimacing through the pain. His arms were navigated around as the suited Amazon buckled him into the seat. Just as the hand pulled away, Adam grabbed at it and looked up at him desperately, pointing to the pacifier; he was ignored as the suited man steadied himself between the front passenger seat and the rear as the car peeled out of the parking lot. 『 Check him for trackers, 』the driver spat, glaring briefly into the rearview mirror and then quickly jerking the steering wheel to the left. The man flew forward, pressing his hands against the window of the car door next to Adam, hovering an inch over him. The blonde stared at the tie for only a second, then grabbed it and gave it a yank, gesturing once more to the pacifier. 『 What am I looking for? 』the suited man asked as he sneered at Adam, grabbed the top of his tie, and pulled it out of his grasp, causing a fabric burn sensation in his hand that he tried to yelp from, but the inflated bulb absorbed the sound. The Amazon began inspecting Adam, running his hand through Adam’s hair, along the backs of his ears, then working his way down the Little’s body. 『 No idea, could be anything. You’re going to have to change him before we get there, 』the driver explained as he roughly turned again, weaving through traffic and choosing turns at the last possible second. 『 What? Why? 』the man scoffed, sneering as his eyes inspected the diaper before his hand did; Adam grimaced when the man’s fingers pressed against the padding, curling his legs in, a momentary flash of kicking his hands away tempting him. It was semi-wet, which the blonde barely clocked, unsure exactly when that happened.『 He’s fine. 』 『 Because of his mother, you idiot, 』the driver hissed, continuing to roughly weave through traffic.『 She could have put tracking tech on him. 』 『 In a diaper? 』the backseat Amazon grumbled, shaking his head in disagreement. Adam’s breathing quickened when his mother was mentioned, and he glared at the back of the driver’s head. Perhaps he had known subconsciously before hearing that, but it was all clicking in his head that this was targeted. They knew Mung, apparently enough to fear him. They had known Jae-yung was his son and that Joomi was his mother… he tried to clamp his jaw over the inflatable bulb, wanting badly to clench his jaw in anger, but it was futile. Breathing an annoyed sigh out of his nose, his eyes moved between the two as he began taking in every little bit of detail he could about them. Would it matter? Would he get the opportunity to do anything about it? He didn’t know, but it felt like the smart thing to do. He was going to memorize every detail possible. It gave him something to focus on other than his pain. The driver had two scars from this angle and was the man who had grabbed him from the tunnels. He had a chunk of his right ear missing and a prominent scar that ran across his right knuckles. He was right-handed. Mustache, goatee, and a pierced ear (left). The one touching and inspecting him had smoker’s breath, yellowing, crooked teeth, light-brown eyes, and was clean-shaven. He had a round face. His lips were chapped, his Adam’s apple was prominent, and his upper lip sneered a lot - right about where a scar was. His hands were cold, and he was sweating. He was nervous. Good. Asshole. He leaned between the front seats to grab a plastic bag, and Adam stared at the logo: a wireframe, an unbroken line forming the shape of an owl, with its eyes forming the double-o in the word ‘Sanhoo’. He was surprised to see the word in Albionic lettering, but he didn’t think far beyond that; he kept his focus on every detail, hoping something would present itself as useful, if not now, then for later. Adam tried to lean away from the guy, but there was no room to go, as the large hands began pulling at his shirt and getting a lay of his outfit. He groaned when he saw the onesie, and if the blonde could have smirked at him, he would have. Or maybe not. His emotions were all over the place; his eyes watered as his conflicting emotions battled for center stage, and his hands gripped the belt nervously – then it hit him. Little Boja! He didn’t have Little Boja! He let out a long, mournful groan as he tilted his head upwards and closed his eyes, tears streaming down his cheeks. He had nothing. Nothing from home but these clothes, and he was about to lose them, too. 『 Hey, kid’s crying, 』the smoker said with an air of concern. 『 No shit, 』the driver scoffed. 『 Get him changed first, you can breastfeed him later. 』 The smoker glared at the back of the driver’s head as his lip sneered, and he growled something under his breath. He unbuckled the restraint, shooting Adam a warning glare, and quickly ripped off the pants. Adam let out a muffled yell as he patted the smoker’s hand and pointed to the pacifier again; this time, he made an exaggerated sniff, and thankfully, upon hearing the obstruction that was the quickly forming snot, it clicked. The man gave a nod as he reached forward, grabbing the gripper, and he paused, staring at Adam. “No scream, okay?” he warned, and the blonde nodded ever so slightly. After a frown and a nod, he clicked the gripper, and the bulb shrank; Adam let out a relieved sigh as he pushed the pacifier out with his tongue, swallowed the drool that had accumulated under it, and rubbed his jaw. Without warning, the shirt suddenly lifted over his face, and he gasped slightly, before the shirt was roughly pulled over his head and his arms were dragged with it. He grabbed at the pacifier clipped to the shirt and tried to pull it through the shirt’s sleeve, shooting a pleading look up at the man, who arched an eyebrow. It was just a pacifier and a normal one at that. The Amazon pulled the pacifier from Adam’s hand and inspected it thoroughly, looking for any sign of technology. Looking down at the inflatable one in his lap, he held it up and pointed to the obvious mechanical components he was very familiar with, trying to prove that his was normal. Unfortunately, this appeared to make the Amazon more suspicious. He sneered slightly as he grabbed the inflatable one and compared it to the other. He let out an annoyed sigh as he shoved the normal one into the shirt and pants, balled it up, and dropped the inflatable one into Adam’s lap. The blonde nervously looked up at the suited man, who was now tugging at the cream onesie fabric, searching for any signs of technology. 『 Looks fine, 』he said as he leaned forward to roll down the window and shoved the clothes and pacifier out of the moving car. 『 They’re just clothes. 』 『 Wrist band, 』the driver pointed out. The smoker cursed, grabbing Adam’s arm, ripping off the blue band, and throwing it out the window, too. “Where are you taking me?” Adam asked as soon as the window was rolled up. The smoker looked down at him, then towards the driver. 『 Pretend you don’t understand, 』the driver instructed. “I understood that,” Adam growled, glaring at the driver’s ear. The Amazon next to him reared back slightly in surprise, and the driver grumbled something under his breath. “Just be good,” the Amazon next to him said hesitantly, eyeing Adam warily as he buckled the carseat restraints once again. Aargh, fuck. The momentary satisfaction of catching them off guard hadn’t been worth the long-term implications or the risk. It would have been better to stay under the radar and let them talk over him. He clenched his jaw and closed his eyes, turning his head as far away from the smoker as he could. After a moment’s breath, he lifted his hands to his face as it twisted in agony, seeing the flash of Jae-yung getting pushed and the last look he gave before disappearing down the slide… Hearing an echo of Joomi calling out for him. He hadn’t said goodbye. He and Jae-yung had just run off to play. He hadn’t said he loved her at all today. Hell, he hadn’t said he loved Boja in… too long. His entire face turned red, and he felt the tips of his ears burn as he broke out into a sob. He pressed his palms against his eyes, and he slammed his head back into the cushion of the car seat. The smoker tried to put his hand on Adam for comfort, but the blonde jerked his arm away and screeched out as he kicked his legs in the air. The Amazon put his hands up, mouthing something, and sat back in his seat. Adam clenched his jaw as he grabbed the front of his onesie and tried to reel the emotion back in, but it was too late. He was able to keep the noise contained through holding his breath or yelling into the crook of his elbow, but the tears flowed consistently, and his nose began to drip. He lifted the collar of the onesie to wipe at his eyes and nose, then used his hands to wipe it on the car seat upholstery. The inside of the car remained silent, save for Adam’s sniffles and heavy breathing, for a good twenty minutes as they navigated tight roads until they reached an industrial-looking sector. By this time, his face was sore from crying and rubbing, and he could feel it was stinging and likely very red. The driver parked outside a building and dialed his phone, but didn’t put it to his ear; he typed a few numbers, then hung up. He turned, making eye contact with the smoker Amazon, who frowned sympathetically. Adam’s nostrils flared as he whipped his head in the opposite direction and glared up at the window, letting out a string of curses in his head and insulting the man every way possible. After about thirty seconds, the car pulled into the garage, and the driver let out a relieved sigh. 『 All right, let’s set up, 』he announced as he tossed a look back over his shoulder, then exited the car. The other man nodded and unbuckled the car seat. “What’s going on?” Adam gasped as he looked up at the clean-shaven man and grabbed at his hand. “Jebal?” It was the form of please that was considered begging. He had first heard it from Jae-yung, and he had leveraged it with Kang without knowing its full implications. Since then, he had come to understand that it was meant for urgent, serious situations and was used by those of lower status to plead with someone higher up. If it wasn’t for the seriousness of the moment, he might find it amusing how casually Jae-yung used it for the smallest of requests. The Amazon’s eyebrows furrowed in surprise, then his eyes looked up as he tracked his partner in crime (literally). He clenched his jaw, then looked down at Adam. “You stay with us for a time,” he explained quietly with a heavy accent. “Make sure no, uh,” he paused, waving a hand in the air as he tried to find the right word. “Uh… follow. Then you, uh, get pick up.” “By who?” Adam breathed in a panic, his eyes widening as his reddened face managed to turn pale. “Don’t know,” the Amazon frowned as he put his hands around the Little’s chest and pulled him out of the car seat. Adam clenched his hands into fists and his jaw tightly; he believed him, but it wasn’t the answer he wanted. Pair that with being held by this man who reeked of cigarettes, his face contorted in disgust and pain, and he shivered as he pointed to the ground. “I can walk,” he declared while sounding like he was trying to offer. The man grunted and grumbled as he slid across the backseat, sitting Adam on his leg, and opened the door. The Amazon looked at the ground, mumbled something under his breath, and pulled the Little up as he stood. Glaring downward, he could understand why; they were in some kind of industrial garage, and the ground was filthy and littered with tools, buckets, and junk. Still, seeing the logic of the choice didn’t make the circumstance any better. He surveyed the area as the Amazon walked over to the other, who had already set up a netted playpen in the center of a makeshift living room. There were two misshapen, stained sofas with a folding tray serving as an end table, facing an old television that looked older than Adam. The first man gestured to the playpen, and Adam was quickly dumped in it. He blinked, staring at the… nothing that was in it. Then shivered. The ground was concrete and cold, and the thin plastic floor of this cheap playpen gave him no insulation. “Hey, can I…” Adam asked as he stood, crossing his arms over his chest to conserve body heat. Both Amazons looked over at him. “Can I have a blanket or something? It’s really cold.” The two men looked at each other. 『 Where are the clothes? 』the goatee one asked. The clean-shaven one cursed as he retrieved the bag from the car. Adam continued to shiver, keeping his arms pressed against his chest as tightly as possible, looking between the one in charge, who grabbed two beers from a janky old fridge, and the other, who walked the bag over to the playpen and dropped it in. 『 Fucking change him, 』the one in charge growled as he gestured a beer towards him. 『 Why is he still in that? 』 『 It’s clean, 』 the other sighed as he reached in, grabbing the bag again before jamming his hands under Adam’s armpits and lifting him up. 『 It’s a normal onesie, and she wouldn’t put a tracker in a diaper. That’s dumb. 』 『 I didn’t ask for your opinion, 』the man grumbled as he plopped backward onto the couch, setting down one beer on a nearby table and opening the other. 『 Just do it. 』 Adam’s jaw clenched, glaring down at the bag as he was carried over to the couch, regretting having said anything. He should have just suffered through the cold; then maybe whatever harm came to him would bite them in the ass for letting it happen. He was laid on his back on the couch, and the Amazon sat down next to him, peering into the bag. Adam crossed his arms and pulled his legs in, still shivering. The Amazon curled his nose up as he pulled out a pink footie pajama set. Adam stopped breathing as he stared at it. It was the worst kind of girly. It was cherry blossom-themed, but that detail quickly left his mind as there was a decorative frill up the center alongside the zipper, and when the Amazon spun the thing around, there were 3 rows of frills right across the butt. Undoubtedly, they would flare up and be accentuated by a diaper. “No,” Adam said as he shook his head and pointed to it, his head shaking ‘no’ while still shivering. “No, no, no.” “Ehhh,” the Amazon grimaced as he looked into the bag and pulled out a sample pack of diapers, a pink pacifier, and a headband with a gaudy, massive bow. He tossed Adam a sympathetic look that informed him there was nothing else in the bag. “Nope. Nope. Happy to freeze to death, thanks,” he declined rapidly, turning his body to the side to slide off the couch, but the Amazon caught him. 『 It’s just this pink shit, 』the man complained as he pinned Adam down on the couch with one hand and held up the pajamas with the other. The other one groaned and let out a string of curses, chugged the remainder of his beer, and slammed it on the end table. 『 Do I have to spell every fucking thing out, you fucking idiot? They’re looking for a boy, so we dress him up like a girl. 』 『 They’re looking for a blonde. Isn’t this going to draw more attention? 』 Adam’s eyebrows rose in surprise. Perhaps smoker asshat wasn’t so bad after all. 『 Put the bow on, and they’ll think his hair is dyed, 』the other shrugged. 『 But… 』the smoker stopped, contorting his face.『 He’s a boy. And he doesn’t want to wear it. 』 『 It’s not like he’s got any ladies to impress, 』the other chuckled as he stood up and stretched.『 What’s it matter to him? 』 Adam’s face began to turn red as he glared at the ceiling. The smoker shrugged, having no reply to that, and released his hand from the blonde’s chest, moving his hand to unsnap the onesie. Taking this opportunity, Adam began thrashing and kicking at his hands, which caused the Amazon to rear back slightly. He jerked his body to his right and fell to the ground, catching himself with one hand, and tried to make a run for it despite the cold and his state of undress. Much like in the gym, he didn’t get very far; massive hands grabbed his shoulders and lifted him up, tossing him back onto the couch. “NO!” Adam shouted, followed by feral growls as he tried throwing punches and kicking again. He didn’t know why it mattered to him so much, but it felt like something he could control or reasonably deny. In a series of events where he could do practically nothing to help himself, this felt… achievable. 『 That’s it, 』muttered the other man who walked towards the fridge. “Come on,” the smoker grumbled as he maneuvered his cold hand under the onesie to pin Adam down again, and used the other to pull it off. He grimaced and winced as he was kicked, slapped, and clawed at, but it did very little to slow him down. “You’re dead, you know that?!” the Little snarled, feeling a fiery burn in his chest as he sneered at the man, trying to dig his fingernails into his hand. He meant it, too. While in a much calmer space, Adam did not like Kang’s violent solutions, and he would never approve of them… But in this moment, he relished it. Whatever happened to him, these were dead men walking. Or, at least, that’s what he was going to tell himself to get through this, and whatever was next. “When Eomma finds me - when my grandpa finds you - you’re fucking DEAD!” The Amazon hesitated as he stared at Adam, but it was unclear if he was taking the blonde’s threats at face value or if he was just surprised he was swearing. Either way, it was satisfying. “YOU’RE DEAD –” In a flash, the inflatable pacifier was in his mouth again, and the bulb once more took up every space in his mouth possible. 『 Yeah, yeah, 』the other Amazon dismissively replied, rolling his eyes and waving a hand as he walked away. 『 He’ll calm down in a minute. 』 Adam blew air out of his nose, growling and making any kind of noise possible, still kicking and punching. 『 Who’s his grandfather? 』the other asked with a tone of concern. Adam blew a laugh out of his nose and glared victoriously at the smoker… until he realized the inflatable bulb had a distinct taste to it. His eyebrows furrowed as he let the taste sink in. 『 Who cares? 』the other shrugged dismissively. Adam’s eyes widened as he finally recognized the taste, and he immediately began to panic. His hands moved to the pacifier as he tried to grab at it, then patted at the man’s hands in desperation, but the pleas went ignored. The smoker asked another question, probing further as to the details of this mission, but Adam was far too distracted to really listen. Without a power source, some voltage through his spit, he couldn’t use the tooth spike, but he started rubbing his feet on the couch anyway; maybe, maybe with enough static electricity… after a few desperate seconds, he touched his lip… but nothing. He let out a frustrated yell and began pulling, tugging, and struggling against the pacifier, even trying to force his spit upwards through his nose to get the paste out. But it was futile. There was no way to spit it out, and the tingling on his tongue had already begun. He closed his eyes as they began to water again, slamming his head against the couch in frustration. The smoker fell quiet, lost in thought, continuing to undress Adam by pulling the onesie over his head, then moved on to his diaper. He knew to expect relaxation and giddiness, so when he felt a tingling in his hands, he nodded. It moved to his feet, and by then, he wanted to smile, but the pacifier prevented it. He still felt cold, which was progressively getting worse as he lost more clothing, but it didn’t feel as bad as before. He lay on the couch, naked, for a good minute while the old diaper lay on the floor and the Amazon struggled to unfold the much thicker diaper one-handed. Adam took in a breath as he squinted at it – it had a weird shape to it. The leg cuffs had a dramatic fanning out towards the back, and he arched an eyebrow curiously. He tilted his head to the side, and he slowly realized there was a logical benefit to his drugging. Well, two benefits, really. The first was that he could actually tell himself there were logical benefits to things like this, and his anger, if he was angry at that, was muted and distant. Like a Little in the back of the room, with an inflated pacifier in their mouth, unable to be heard. The second was that in moments where he would otherwise be panicking and trying to fight everything, he could instead observe. He let out a muffled laugh, and he turned his attention back to the man, who took Adam’s laughing as a good sign and removed his hand from his chest to stretch out the diaper. 『 See? Much better, 』the other laughed as he lifted his beer in the air in a toast to himself. The smoker nodded in agreement, and Adam stared at the man’s face. As the Amazon leaned forward, he lifted the Little by the legs and slid the diaper underneath, taking each step very slowly, appearing unsure or unpracticed. Adam let out a giggle as he reached his hand forward and poked the hole between the shirt buttons, where he could make out the man’s tattoos. “You like tattoos?” the Amazon smiled, unbuttoning a few to show more of his tattoos before he continued taping on the diaper. Adam nodded as he stared at them and lifted his hands to open the shirt more, and he stared at the tattoo of a tiger. Boja… No, the tattoo tiger’s eyes were yellow. Boja’s… “I have no association with the tiger branch.” Adam let out a giggle as Boja’s words echoed in his mind, and he nodded again. The tiger branch… They were… Japok? His eyelids fluttered as they began to struggle to stay open, but they were pinned to the tiger. Darkness and blurring crept at the edges of his vision, but his focus on the tiger kept it sharp as his arms were handled first, tucked into the pink, ruffly pajamas, then his legs. Boja… Eomma… Ziiiip. The Amazon gave a satisfied smile at himself, seeing the job done – well, almost. He tugged the flowery headband over Adam’s head with the large flower facing forward, and then the smoker gave a proud nod. The two began to talk and move around, but it had turned into background noise as Adam struggled to stay awake. His entire body felt far too heavy to move, and any movement he made cost him a considerable amount of the little energy he had left. The darkness grew, and he succumbed to it, drifting off into a calm sleep where his dreams were a jumbled mess. He sat petting Little Boja, who turned into Boja, who turned into a massive stuffed Little Boja. He dreamed of being at his ceremony reception again, surrounded by giants all murmuring and chatting, as he crawled through the legs without a care in the world. In between these disorienting visions, his eyes would flutter, threatening to awaken. Each time, he could only catch a different voice, a different smell, or his body being handled and moved. Then he’d fall back into the land of confusing images, such as being held in Joomi’s warm embrace, only to be set down on the netting of the gym and begin to fall through, hearing her scream his name. This shifted into Jae-yung turning into a bear, getting admonished by Bak, and returning to his normal, grinning self. Chana pulled a rabbit out of the moon and began to play cards with it. On and on it went… Throughout all the visions, Kang was always there. Never engaging in the dream, never commenting or reacting, but ever present. He groaned as the nonsensical firings in his brain were giving way to reality. His tongue was the first thing he could feel, and it took a good few minutes to realize he could move it freely. He began to run his tongue over the roof of his mouth and then slowly smack his lips, his eyelids still feeling too heavy to open. He let out a small moan as he began summoning the energy to fully wake up, his hearing sharpening. 『 I don’t understand, 』a familiar feminine voice replied, sounding more incredulous than confused. 『 You don’t have to. He’s waking up, 』a masculine, nasal voice replied, though it sounded more like an order. The woman hummed, and Adam fluttered his eyelids open, feeling the approaching footsteps. The apparatus he was in shifted and swung, flying through the air as he took a deep breath, then let it out in a breathy huff as the carrier was placed on a firm surface. Adam heard the unclicking of the restraints, and he fluttered his eyes open, which then shot open wide as he gasped, seeing the familiar face of Seo-ya. “My, myyy,” she cooed in a teasing tone, her eyes tracking the flower headband, then down to his pajamas as she smirked. “Don’t you look adorable.”

This is a big chapter. I want the conflict between Reggie wanting to be treated like an adult and his need for comfort to build in this chapter. Chapter 9: Dr. Olson Dr. Olson’s name still tightened something in my chest. She almost always sided with my mother, even when she dressed it up as medical advice. Going to her didn’t feel like help. It felt like the next step in something that was already going wrong. I knew this would be bad. I just couldn’t imagine what worse would look like. Mom led me to the car, opened the back door, and said, “Get in, honey. I need to buckle you into your seat.” I hated that seat. Being strapped into a child’s car seat was humiliating. I whined, “Do I have to? Can’t I just sit in the regular back seat?” “No. You know the rules. I’m tired of you whining about it. You’re too small, and the law says you need a car seat.” “That law is for kids under eight.” “So what? You’re not big enough for a regular seat.” “But I’m not eight.” Mom sighed. “Enough. Stop being fussy. The car doesn’t know how old you are, and I’m not arguing about this. Mommy says you’re riding in the car seat, so get in.” I wasn’t going to win, and the longer I dragged it out, the worse this would get. I climbed in and let Mom buckle me into the car seat. Then she slipped a pacifier into my mouth and said, “Since you’re fussy, suck on this until we get to Dr. Olson’s office. Mommy expects you to behave when we get there.” Dr. Olson’s practice was one suite in a larger medical complex, the kind of low-rise building with a row of offices and specialties under one roof. The whole complex was always busy, with people constantly coming and going. It was a long walk to Dr. Olson’s office, and I didn’t want anyone to see me like this. It got even worse when Mom unfolded the stroller. She let me out of the car seat, steered me toward it, and said in a sing-song voice, “Sit down. Mommy needs to take you to the doctor.” “Mom, I’m not a baby. I’m not sitting in that stroller.” Mom didn’t hesitate. “I’ll stop treating you like a baby when you stop acting like one. Mommy let you walk yesterday, and you went straight into the road. Get in the stroller.” I was losing, and I knew it. No matter what, nobody would see me as an adult. All they would see was a little boy in diapers throwing a tantrum on the way to the doctor. My mom would explain it away, and everyone would believe her. I reluctantly climbed into the stroller and whined, “People will see me.” “I don’t care. You can’t run into traffic from a stroller.” The closer we got to the building, the more I felt like I was on display. Some people noticed. We had to take the elevator to the second floor, and an older woman joined us. She looked at the stroller, then at me, and said, “He looks a little big for that, doesn’t he?” Mom barely reacted. “It’s for safety. He tends to run off, and this keeps him safe.” The woman nodded as if that proved her point. “Well, you do what you have to, I suppose. Young mothers today make everything so complicated. When my children acted up, they got one swat and learned not to do it again.” She looked at me again, then added, “Though I suppose grandmothers have to work with whatever rules the parents give them.” Mom gave her a polite little smile. “Something like that.” The woman glanced at the diaper bag hanging from the handles. “Honestly, I think half the problem these days is that people baby children too long. Big strollers, special snacks, diapers till kindergarten. Then everyone wonders why they don’t listen.” I stared at the elevator doors and said nothing. She went on, “My grandson tried running off exactly once. After that, he knew better. Children need firmness, not all this gentle-parenting nonsense.” Mom just smiled politely until the doors opened and let us out. Dr. Olson’s office was part of a large pediatric practice, with several other pediatricians working under her. The waiting room was bright and child-friendly, with little tables and toys for kids to play with. Since it was such a large practice, there were always lots of kids waiting to see a doctor. Most of them were preschoolers, or even younger, but some were elementary-school age. Even though the waiting room was busy, the stroller made me stand out. The little kids didn’t care, but a few mothers glanced over, and the bigger kids just kept staring at me. Stacy told me that some of her friends had been jealous when they saw me in my stroller. I couldn’t understand it, but maybe that was why they were staring. Mom checked us in. The receptionist glanced at the screen, then at me, and did a quick double take before handing my mother the paperwork. She said, “Dr. Olson will see you in a few minutes, just have a seat.” Mom found a seat and asked, “Do you want to stay where you are, or go play at the table?” I wasn’t about to sit at a children’s table, and I wasn’t in the mood to move. “I’ll stay here.” I stayed put and sucked on my pacifier until Dr. Olson called for us. When they finally called us back, Dr. Olson came out to the waiting room, which never happened before. Usually, a medical assistant took me back first. Mom stood up with me, but Dr. Olson stopped her. “Linda, I need to see Reggie privately. You’ll have to wait out here.” Mom looked startled. “What? I’d like to know what’s going on.” Dr. Olson explained, “I understand, but Reggie is technically an adult, and I need to see him alone, especially given the situation we’re dealing with.” My mom hesitated. “Okay, Debbie. Just let me know what you find.” Dr. Olson sighed. “Linda, you know I can’t do that. Just trust me.” Mom pressed her lips together, then looked at me. “All right. Reggie, be good for Dr. Olson. Don’t give her any trouble.” Dr. Olson led me through the doors and into the hall herself. For the first time since I got home, I felt a flicker of relief. She had sent my mother away. She was speaking to me, not over me. Maybe it would be different this time. She brought me into an exam room and shut the door behind us. She said, “Sit down, Reggie,” and for once it sounded like she meant me. Not my mother. Not the chart. Me. I sat on the paper-covered table and waited for her to say something reassuring, or at least ask what had happened in my own words. Then she pressed a hand against my diaper, frowned slightly, and asked, “Reggie, why didn’t you tell me you were wet?” Just like that, I felt like the same little boy my mother thought I was. I shrugged. “I didn’t think it mattered.” Dr. Olson sighed and turned to her assistant. “Let’s get him changed before we weigh him. I want an accurate weight.” Her assistant looked close to my age, maybe even younger. But she was 5’9”, which in my family might as well have been gigantic. I liked looking at her, though I wasn’t really sure why. A moment later, she came over and introduced herself. “Hi, Reggie. My name is Rachel. Let’s get you changed, and then we can get your weight.” She looked at me and added, “It’s hard to believe you’re really twenty-four. That’s older than me.” I blushed. “I know. I’ve dealt with it all my life.” Rachel winced. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said it like that.” I asked, “And none of this seemed strange to you? The diapers, all of it?” Rachel hesitated. “Dr. Olson warned me ahead of time.” “What did she tell you?” Rachel shifted her weight. “She said your mom has a... specific way of handling things. I’m not sure I understand all of it, but if Dr. Olson thinks it’s necessary, I guess there’s a reason.” I cried, “It’s not! I don’t need diapers.” Rachel didn’t look convinced. “I don’t know, maybe Dr. Olson will agree with you.” I pulled back as she continued. “Please don’t, I don’t need this.” Rachel hesitated, looking uncomfortable. “I’m sorry, Reggie, but this is how we’re supposed to handle it. If you come in wearing one, I have to put a clean one on you.” She paused, then added more quietly, “I’m not trying to embarrass you.” She changed my diaper, and then I stepped onto the scale and watched it settle at sixty-five pounds. Rachel said, “Sixty-five pounds.” I remarked, “My mom weighed me last week, and I was sixty-two.” Rachel frowned slightly. “Home scales aren’t as accurate as this one, but either way, that’s still underweight.” Then she led me to a small waiting area and said, “Let’s wait here for Dr. Olson.” That part was strange. Usually, they left patients alone in the exam room, but Rachel stayed nearby, not exactly hovering, just lingering like she didn’t quite feel right walking away. A few minutes later, Dr. Olson came in, and Rachel gave me a small smile. “Okay, I’ll leave you with Dr. Olson, and thank you for being such a sweetie.” The door had barely closed behind her before I said, “She talks to me like I’m five.” Dr. Olson gave a small shrug. “I’m sorry, but I’m not surprised. Between your size and the diapers, it’s hard for people not to see you as a child.” I wanted to push back, but this wasn’t the moment. I needed Dr. Olson to understand that none of this was necessary. Rachel was only trying to be nice, and even though the maternal tone got on my nerves, I was grateful that she stayed. Dr. Olson asked, “All right, Reggie. Tell me what’s been going on. What made you come in today?” I replied, “I’m only here because my mom brought me. What did she tell you?” “She said you lost your job, came home in a pretty vulnerable state, and that she put you back in diapers because you weren’t using the toilet independently.” I protested, “That’s not true! She never gave me a chance. She started treating me like a baby the minute I got home.” Dr. Olson gave me a measured look. “Reggie, there’s no need to get upset.” She let that sit for a moment, then said, “Let’s start with the basics. Before you came home, were you still wetting yourself at all?” I hemmed, “Not really.” Dr. Olson gave me a steady look. “Reggie, don’t hedge with me. Your mother told me you arrived at her house wearing a wet Pull-up. Is that true?” I couldn’t make myself say it, but I nodded. Dr. Olson held my gaze. “All right. Then you were already wet before you got to your mother’s house. She also said your Pull-up was leaking when you got there. Is that true?” “No!” “Then someone is lying. Is it you or your mother?” I knew Dr. Olson would repeat anything I said to my mom, so I backed down. “It didn’t happen until she put me in timeout.” She frowned. “Why would that happen?” “I was mad, and I wet my pants.” “So, you still have accidents when you’re stressed.” I admitted, “Kind of, but I was doing better. Before last week, I’d gone almost six months without an accident.” It felt dumb saying it like that. Six months without an accident wasn’t much of an accomplishment for a twenty-four-year-old. Dr. Olson paused, studying me as if she’d already decided what mattered and was only sorting out the order. Then she said, “How many times this week?” I replied, “Three, I think. But that was on the plane. We were landing, and I didn’t want to use the bathroom.” I expected her to ask why. Instead, she said, “I see. Then why were you wearing one in the first place?” Heat rushed into my face. “Because I had an accident at the airport.” “Why?” “They weren’t going to let me on the plane, and no one believed me when I told them I was an adult.” I meant to sound calm, but it sounded like I was whining about it. “Okay, so you had an accident because you were upset. You said you were doing better. Were there any others last week?” I didn’t want to tell her the truth, but she pressed, “Reggie, I need the truth.” I looked down. “I had one after they laid me off.” “Was that because you were afraid of what came next?” I nodded. “Was that the only one?” I shook my head. “There were a couple more that night.” Dr. Olson’s expression softened. “I’m sorry, Reggie. That must have felt overwhelming.” Relief flickered through me, brief and foolish, before she added, “But why didn’t you change your Pull-up before you left for your mother’s house?” I just shrugged. I’m not sure I knew then, and I’m still not sure. I ask myself that question all the time. Maybe none of this would have happened if I had changed my Pull-up at Charlotte’s house. Maybe that was the moment Mom saw me as a helpless baby. But deep down, I don’t know if it would’ve changed anything. Personally, I think she planned this all along. She was going to do this, no matter what I did. Dr. Olson didn’t push. She just wrote something on her pad and asked, “Why do you think you wet your pants when you’re under stress?” I couldn’t stop the bitterness and snapped, “I don’t know, you’re the doctor. You tell me.” If she heard the edge in my voice, she didn’t react. She just kept going like I hadn’t said anything. “I’ve always thought there was a psychosomatic piece to this. Stress gets into the body. Sometimes it comes out in ways you can’t stop, no matter how hard you try.” She went on in the same matter-of-fact tone. “You’re sixty-five pounds. That’s about ten pounds below where I’d want you. I’m concerned about your eating habits. What were you eating in New York?” I shrugged. “I don’t know. Mostly pizza, sometimes hot dogs.” She let out a quiet sigh. “So basically junk. What were you drinking?” “Soda.” “How much?” I was ashamed of how much soda I drank. I knew it was bad for me, but I liked it. “I don’t know, like two or three a day.” She gave me a look. “That’s too much for anyone, especially you. Any alcohol?” I shook my head. “No. I tried it a couple of times, but I don’t like it.” She nodded once. “That’s good. In your condition, alcohol is very dangerous.” I asked, “So, do you think my mom’s right? That I’m just supposed to let her do this? That this is what I’m supposed to be now, or something?” Dr. Olson didn’t answer right away. She just sat with it for a second. “No. I think your mother needs to remember that you’re an adult. And I think you need to remember that too.” She looked at me for a moment, like she was trying to see past what was right in front of her. “Why did you go back home?” I gave a small shrug. “Because I didn’t have anywhere else to go. I lost my job, and nobody takes me seriously. How am I supposed to get another one when everyone who sees me thinks I’m just a kid?” Dr. Olson nodded slowly. “That makes sense. I’ll admit, I hadn’t really thought that part through. From the outside, going back to your Mom felt like a strange choice, especially knowing the history there. I felt the same way when Charlotte moved back after Covid. But no; your mother should not be treating you like this.” I swallowed. “Can you tell her that? She’ll never believe me.” Saying it out loud made me feel small. Dr. Olson nodded. “Well, if it’s all right with you, I’ll have your mom come in and we can tell her.” I nodded, “Yeah, please do.” Dr. Olson left, and for the first time since any of this had happened, I was alone without being confined in my crib or highchair. I could have just gotten up and left. My mom might have tried to stop me, but that would have created a scene, which I knew she wanted to avoid. Part of me wanted to run, but I was afraid to make things worse. And underneath that, I felt a twinge of hope. I wasn’t sure my mom would listen to Dr. Olson, but it was the first real hope I’d had, and I couldn’t quite let go of it. A few minutes later, my mom returned with Dr. Olson. Dr. Olson told her, “Please, have a seat.” My mother sat beside me, close enough to make me uneasy. Dr. Olson folded her hands and spoke in a calm, measured voice. “I understand why you’ve been handling things this way, but I think it’s time to give Reggie more autonomy. Reggie is an adult, and he needs to be more independent. I don’t believe that will happen if you keep treating him like a child.” My mother’s expression barely changed. “Debbie, I gave him a shot. He was out there in New York on his own, and look what happened. He came home underweight, wet, and not taking care of himself. I’m sorry, but I’m not just going to hand him more freedom and hope for the best.” Dr. Olson sighed. “Linda, I understand why you’re worried. And to be frank, I’ve had concerns about Reggie’s maturity for a long time. I wish he’d stayed closer to home, because it would have been easier to keep track of him while he was in college. Fortunately, most of his doctors kept me informed, so I’ve been aware of some of the difficulties he’s had since he left. Some of what you’re seeing may be stress related. When people, especially children, get overwhelmed, they often regress to an earlier stage that makes them feel safe.” My mother frowned. “Are you saying Reggie wants this?” I blurted out, “I don’t want this. I’m not a baby!” My mother turned sharply toward me. “Reggie, hush!” Dr. Olson met my mother’s eyes. “I don’t think this is deliberate on Reggie’s part. It’s not that different from what we see in young children after a major change, such as a divorce, a move, or a new sibling. They may start wetting the bed, or lose ground in other areas. For Reggie, losing his job and coming home were major disruptions. Given his history, I can understand why he regressed, but the severity of it is extremely concerning.” Dr. Olson was comparing me to a child, and it felt like she agreed that I should be treated like one. Before I could stop myself, I shouted loud enough for the whole office to hear, “I’m not a baby!” Mom snapped back, “Then stop acting like one.” She turned to Dr. Olson. “Debbie, I’m so sorry about that.” Dr. Olson sighed. “It’s all right. In some ways, that proves my point. This kind of reaction is understandable in a child, but Reggie is not a child. He’s an adult, and he needs to start acting like one.” My mother drew a slow breath. “Debbie, I’m just trying to keep him safe. If I step back too fast, who do you think will end up dealing with it? Look at him. He’s a rail, and he can’t even make it to the bathroom by himself.” Dr. Olson nodded. “I know. And I understand that this has always been your approach.” Mom nodded. “Yep. In my house, if you act like a baby, I’ll treat you like one.” Dr. Olson gave a small, restrained smile. “And under different circumstances, that might eventually work. But we don’t have that kind of time. Keeping him safe is not the same as keeping him small. The more you treat him like a child, the harder it is for him to become an adult.” “So, what should I do?” Dr. Olson replied, “Ideally, he would already be living on his own, completely independent of you and Chuck. But I don’t think that’s realistic.” My mom chuckled and nodded in agreement. “What is realistic is a different kind of relationship. If you can shift away from a parent-child dynamic and toward something more like landlord and tenant, Reggie can start living more independently, with you and Chuck close enough to keep an eye on things if they start to go off the rails.” My mother sighed. “That’s what Chuck says too, but I’m just not comfortable pushing him out of the nest.” Dr. Olson nodded. “Linda, I hate to say it, but Chuck is right. He’s been right about this for a while. It’s time for Reggie to leave the nest.” My mom sighed. “I guess I’ll give it a try.” She turned to me, and her tone went flat. “Come on, Reggie. Let’s go.” The shift in my mother’s tone was so abrupt it took me a second to process. She was sharper, colder, and more distant. She folded up the stroller and headed for the car without even looking back. I had to jog to catch up. At the car, I headed for the front seat, thinking maybe she really was going to treat me like an adult. She said coldly, “Get in the back.” “But Mom, Dr. Olson said I should be treated like an adult.” “I know, but it’s my car. You’re too small for the front seat. Get in the car seat.” “But—” She cut me off. “But what? I’m not having this argument. You can sit in the car seat or walk home. I don’t care which one you choose, but you’ve got one minute to decide.” There wasn’t really a choice. I couldn’t take a bus or an Uber, and it was too far to walk. I climbed into the car seat, and Mom said flatly, “Buckle up.” Mom didn’t say anything on the way home. The silence was deafening. After we got home, she parked the car and went inside without even waiting for me. Unsure what to do, I unbuckled myself and went in after her. A few minutes later, Mom came downstairs, handed back my wallet and phone, and said, “Sit down. We need to talk about the rules for our new arrangement.” The word rules put me on edge. Rules were never good in our house; they were always cold and unforgiving. I sat at the table, and my mom stood nearby, towering over me. “Sit down. We need to be clear about how this is going to work. Dr. Olson wants me to treat you like an adult, so that’s exactly what I’m going to do. From now on, you are living here as a tenant, not as my child.” She said it calmly, like she was explaining office policy. “I’m giving you two months without rent so you can get yourself situated. After that, it’s five hundred dollars a month. You’ll stay in the guest room, and I expect you to keep it clean. If you use the kitchen, you clean up after yourself. If you use the washer and dryer, you do your own laundry. After eleven o’clock, I expect the house to be quiet.” She folded her arms. “You’ll have space in the refrigerator and pantry for your own food. I will not be shopping for you, cooking for you, or reminding you to do basic things. You are too old for that. As long as you follow the rules, I won’t interfere in your life.” I looked at her. “You’re really not going to cook for me?” She shook her head. “No. Tenants buy their own groceries and cook for themselves. But you can still have dinner with us on Sunday, when Charlotte and Kristy come over.” I realized Mom wasn’t going to feed me anymore, and I had mixed feelings about that. It meant she wasn’t going to treat me like a baby, but it made me nervous. I didn’t know how to cook, and I liked my mom’s cooking. I also didn’t have any way to get to the store. I don’t drive, and I can’t take an Uber. I pleaded, “Can’t you just take me to the store so I can get groceries?” Mom replied coldly, “I’m not a chauffeur. If you need groceries, you’ll have to figure out how to get there yourself.”

Next chapter is up now. I have written another and editing this so hopefully have that up next weekend. As always, let me know your thoughts and any feedback. Chapter 26 Katie rushed to the toilet, not because she had a need to use it, but to remove her pull up and put on a pair of knickers for the first time in weeks. She had made the deal with her mum that if she had an accident tonight after putting on the knickers she would have to spend the rest of the holiday and the two weeks on there return to the UK in nappies. She went into a stall, removed her shorts and pull up and looked at the knickers. The six Disney princess all staring back at her. These were much more childish than she would have liked but they were cotton and non absorbent. They felt like the most grown up thing in the world right now. She slipped the cotton briefs up her legs and into position. It felt weird to Katie not to have the feeling of padding between her legs. She pulled up her shorts, bundled up the pull up and threw it in the bin. She promised herself she would never have to wear one of them again. She returned to her mum who was sat at the table overlooking the children’s disco. “I think I’m going to dance with Peter, see how he feels being the only one in pull ups!” “Ok, but remember he was just trying to be nice earlier. I really hope you succeed with this!” Sophie called out to Katie as she ran down to the children dancing. Katie grabbed Peter by the hand and started dancing with him. That were in the middle of the cha cha slide when she leaned in and whispered to him. “Looks like you’re the only one in pull ups now!” “Really, how did you convince your mum you didn’t need them? You’ve gone from full on nappy and toddler mode last night to no protection tonight! That’s crazy!” Peter said. “She said she wasn’t forcing me to wear them and that it was my body that was making me wear them. So she offered me a deal. No pull up tonight. If I don’t have an accident tonight then I never have to wear a pull up again unless I have an accident on another day. If I have an accident tonight I’m in nappies for the rest of the holiday and two weeks when we get home.” Katie was obviously very pleased with the terms of deal and confident in keeping herself dry and clean for the evening. “That’s risky after the last few days you’ve had.” Peter said. He must have realised how upset that comment made Katie as he quickly added “but I’m sure you’ve got this!” The party music continued and the two of them danced together for a while. Once the music finished Katie took Peter’s hand and lead him to where her mum was sat. “Mum, can I go play with Peter?” She asked hopefully. “Of course you can.” Sophie smiled and let her daughter run off to the playground with her friend. James came running up behind them and Sophie just nodded to let him know he too could join his older sister in the playground. Katie enjoyed running around and playing with Peter and her brother James. She felt like she didn’t have a care in the world. With no awkward padding between her legs she was free to move as she wanted without fear her nappy or pull up would show. She did notice a couple of times Peter’s waistband showed above his shorts but he didn’t seem bothered by it and no one said anything. After about 20 minuets of playing a familiar but unwanted sensation hit Katies stomach. The cramp hit her stomach unexpectedly and she was almost doubled down in pain. She knew she needed to head for the toilet and quick. She didn’t have time to waste. She shouted out to Peter who was at the top of the slide that she was going to go to the toilet and would be back. Katie moved as quickly as her legs would carry her. She cramped again and thought with every muscle in her body to keep her pants dry and clean. The playground was next to reception and she knew the toilets there would be less busy than those by the night time entertainment so she made a beeline for them. The automatic doors slide open and she rushed towards the toilets. As she got there she noticed a cone and a barrier preventing access to the toilets. She looked around panicked and made eye contact with the gentleman behind the reception desk. “Sorry, they are closed for cleaning.” He said smiling, though Katie did not feel it was the time for smiles. “If you go up the stairs they lead to the entertainment toilets” as he said this he disappeared behind the counter as if to say that is the end of the conversation. Katie, now almost running, head up the stairs. Three floors to be climbed before she made it. She started the climb, the pain she was in made each step feel like she was conquering Mt Everest. She made it up the first flight. Could she make it? Every step gave her both confidence that she would but also the pain grew with every step conquered. She hade made it up past the second landing. She could see the toilets from where she was. One old lady was waiting to go in but apart from that there wasn’t a queue. As she took another step the door opened and the old lady took the vacant stall. There were two toilets for the ladies, while both were occupied there wasn’t a queue. Katie was certain she was going to manage to hold it and prove that she didn’t need the protective underwear her mum had put her in since the beginning so summer. She approached the top of the stairs and the second stall door opened and a teenage girl vacated the stall. That was it, nothing was stopping Katie from making the toilet. She was a big girl and she was about to prove it. Then just as she finished climbing the stairs a mother with two young girls came from the bar and took the vacant stall completely unaware of Katie and her desperation to use the toilet. She got to the top of the stairs and was now first in line for whichever stall came vacant first. She could see her mum and dad sat at the table enjoying the evenings entertainment. She was now bouncing up and down and rocking back and forth. She was definitely doing a very obvious potty dance. Sophie looked up and across at the bar and noticed her daughter in distress. She stood up and started walking over to her. Before she could get there though Katie was doubled over in pain again and this time her body betrayed her and instinctively pushed to relieve the pain. It pushed out a big mass of slightly loose poo into Katie’s pristine white knickers. To make it even worse her bladder gave way and Katie didn’t have any fight left in her and just let everything out. Tears flooded her face as urine flooded her shoes and more poo was pushed into her knickers. Katie was a state and sobbed loudly, only bringing more attention to herself. Sophie scooped Katie up in a hug and gave her a big kiss on the top of her head. “There there,” she cooed to her daughter. “I’m sorry i was right that it’s not me that’s making you wear nappies. Now let’s get you sorted out.” Sophie took Katie’s hand and lead her out of the puddle of urine she had created and headed back down the stairs towards reception and out of the hotel.

Richard is a young man in a world where, at eighteen, everyone is designated as either a Big or Little. It's a big fork in the road and Richard has always downplayed the idea of "preparing" for it. As soon as it walks into the Designation Office he finds himself regretting his lack of preparation. Once he is designated, he has a lot to learn about his new life. --- I am only able to write as much as I do thanks to the generosity and support of my subscribers. Writing is my only source of income and it is because of these people that I am able to do that. It allows me to keep the lights on and puts food in my fridge. My subscribers get early access to all my stories, and access to around 30 EXCLUSIVE stories that are only available for my subscribers along with other benefits. If you are interested in supporting me and getting these benefits please consider checking out one of my subscriber pages. Thank you ❤️ https://reamstories.com/elfy https://subscribestar.adult/elfy --- The Designation By Elfy “Good luck, son.” Dad said. “You know we’ll love you regardless of what happens.” Mom added as she leaned down from the passenger seat to see Richard out of the car window. Richard looked back at the car and raised a hand to wave and then turned to face the Designation Office. He was far from the only one, there were a lot of people walking in and whilst most were walked out again, some were wheeled instead, in large strollers with varying expressions on their faces but usually ranging from complete shock to horror. “I’ll see you in a bit.” Richard said as he casually walked away from the car. They had driven into the city for this. Arriving at the one Designation Office in their region, one of many families coming for the mandatory classification of a loved one, it was a day few looked forward to even if few had reasons to dread it. Richard, newly eighteen-years-old as of a week previously, hadn’t really felt any particular anxiety about what was to come. He was confident that he would get the result he wanted to hear. He may not have been the most diligent student and sometimes he had made mistakes but, if nothing else, he knew the odds were in his favour. Many more people received good news rather than bad. That was what Richard’s sister had repeatedly reassured him anyway. That more people came out happy than not. Kate had spent a lot of her teen years exasperating her parents by going to the many protests against Designation. It was something she felt passionate about, to the point of nearly getting herself in serious trouble a few times. She was fifteen years old, three years younger than Richard, but she was much more switched on to what was happening politically. She’d been annoying Richard when he was trying to relax and watch TV, constantly showing him pamphlets and reading off tips she’d found online for passing the Designation. It didn’t matter how many times Richard told her he would be fine, she just looked at him with concern and tried again to reach him. The large concrete building was imposing. It looked like City Hall with steps leading up to giant columns and big oak doors guarded on either side by armed men. They looked bored as they watched the people going in and out, everyone knew the trouble was far less likely to come from those entering the building compared to those leaving. To say some were disappointed with what they were told inside would be an understatement. For the first time, Richard started to feel some butterflies in his stomach as he walked up the steps. The main lobby was humming with attention. On the far side of the hall was a desk with a couple of young women standing behind it, pointing people to the places they needed to go. Richard joined one of the queues and tried to look as unbothered as possible. He looked up at a poster on the wall that showed a cartoon image of a baby along with the caption “Every Little Helps” and then some text about the benefits of Designation. “Here alone?” A man asked from the queue next to him. “My parents are outside.” Richard replied to the stranger. He looked away, hoping to dissuade further conversation. “Good idea.” The man replied, “If things go wrong, they can…” “Nothing is going wrong.” Richard said firmly. The man smiled and nodded his head a few times before striking up a conversation with someone else in the queue behind Richard. As he waited, the queue long and not moving particularly quickly, a middle-aged woman walked up and down the lines handing out leaflets. “Thanks.” Richard said as he took one. “Good luck.” The woman replied with a motherly smile. Richard turned the leaflet over and looked at the front cover. The title made his stomach flip over. “Designation Little” and underneath was the text “What happens next?” There was a photo on the front of a man not to dissimilar to himself who was smiling and waving for the camera, a pacifier in his mouth and his crotch bulging with the clear outline of a diaper. Richard didn’t open the leaflet. He folded it up and put it in his pocket, not wanting to see it any longer. “Next!” One of the women behind the desk shouted. Everyone in Richard’s queue took a step forwards. There was an uneasy tension in the air that Richard didn’t like. He knew some of his friends had been worried about their own trips to the Designation Office, but the ones who had gone said it was easy, and they’d all been assigned Big. Richard had never been one to pay much attention to teachers, his natural intelligence was enough to just about give him passing grades, and, in particular, he didn’t listen when they talked about Designation Day. He wished he had paid a little more attention now, if only so he knew what was coming. There was a lot of noise and confusion in the large lobby. Richard turned this way and that as people hurried through different doors. Whilst the new adults that were there to get designated were the main source of people, they were far from the only ones. There were a lot of other services that the Designation Office took care of, though Richard couldn’t remember all of them, mostly he just remembered the adult adoptions. In particular, he remembered a conversation between two of his friends, Troy, the captain of the football team that Richard sometimes played on, and Charlie. “Would you rather go back home afterwards…” Charlie had asked when the three of them were hanging out one day, “Or go for adoption?” “Home.” Troy had replied after a few seconds of thought. “Really?” Charlie had seemed surprised, “I’m not sure I’d be able to face my family again.” “They’d take better care of you than some random people, right?” Troy said with a shrug, “What do you think, Richard?” “I think it’s a waste of time thinking about it.” Richard had replied, “It’s, what, two percent of people that get designated Little? I don’t see the point in worrying about things that won’t happen.” “You’re not worried that you…” Troy had started. “Nope.” Richard cut him off, “Not at all. And you shouldn’t be either.” Richard had remembered Charlie and Troy looking at each other before the conversation moved on to other topics. Charlie had been to the Designation Office a fortnight before Richard, he’d been assigned Big quite quickly apparently. They didn’t even bother with the test, just looked at his history and gave him the green stamp. Troy wasn’t due for his own trip to the Office for another month. As long as you set your Designation Day no later than a month after your eighteenth birthday there generally wasn’t any problems. Despite him saying he was confident, Richard had booked himself in on the last possible day, putting it off for as long as he possibly could. The queue was moving incredibly slowly. Richard shuffled back and forth on the spot and looked around at the other people in with him. There was an interesting mix between the confident and the anxious, it seemed to have a lot to do with body size. The taller and stronger people seemed, in most cases to be more confident. Richard had heard the rumours that being big and strong could make you more likely to receive the Big designation, but as far as he was aware, that was just an urban myth. The process took into account a lot of factors, most of which were already decided before you set foot in the building. The exact process and calculation was a closely guarded secret though, people could only guess what they took into account. “Next!” The queue moved forwards again. Richard looked at his phone. After half an hour he was finally nearing the front, he would be the next person to step forwards. He watched the person currently at the table, it was the young man who had tried to speak to him earlier. After giving his name, the person behind the desk started to type some things into the computer. Richard noted that the young man’s foot was rather rapidly tapping on the ground. “Good news.” The woman behind the computer said, “We’ve collated all the usual background data, and I can confirm your designation as Big.” “R-Really?” The young man asked. He seemed shocked, but in a good way, “Just like that?” “Congratulations.” The woman said with a professional smile, “Your grades along with extra-curricular activities put you past the threshold, there will be no need for anything more from you today.” “Oh, wow.” The young man let out a deep breath of relief. “If you want to take a seat over there.” The woman pointed at a seating area to the side of the room, “We’ll get the certificate and card printed out for you. Someone should come out and see you in about five minutes.” “OK, great.” The man had a skip in his step as he turned away, “Oh, thank you!” The woman smiled at him. As the young man started towards the seating area, he turned and looked back at the queues he had just left. He caught Richard’s eyes and gave a big smile and double thumbs up. Richard smiled and nodded back. “Good luck!” The man mouthed and he showed he had his fingers crossed. Richard repeated the gesture as the man turned and walked away. It was starting to get irritating that everyone was wishing him luck. That random guy didn’t seem all that special, certainly no different to himself, if he was waved straight through into the Big category without any other problems then surely Richard would as well. He must’ve been starting on a good footing at least --- If you liked this update and want to see the next update RIGHT NOW you can do so here: https://reamstories.com/page/lpjgftb4y2/story/mozb40hx8a1381/chapter/mp980rxw2bcddc1 https://subscribestar.adult/posts/2494988

Richy's processing is completed and he is sent home. We then move three years into the future to find that his sister has a big day ahead of her as we see what Richy's post designation life looks like. --- I am only able to write as much as I do thanks to the generosity and support of my subscribers. Writing is my only source of income and it is because of these people that I am able to do that. It allows me to keep the lights on and puts food in my fridge. My subscribers get early access to all my stories, and access to around 30 EXCLUSIVE stories that are only available for my subscribers along with other benefits. If you are interested in supporting me and getting these benefits please consider checking out one of my subscriber pages. Thank you ❤️ https://reamstories.com/elfy https://subscribestar.adult/elfy --- “Guards!” Brianna called out, “He’s ready.” “Ready?” Richard repeated. “To be moved to the pen.” Brianna smiled. “Oh.” Richard was struggling to keep up. There were just too many thoughts going through his brain. “Here. Put this on.” Brianna carried over a plain red t-shirt. It was very similar to the one Richard had seen on the other person that had been designated Baby when he had been in the queue. It was awkward. Richard hadn’t let someone dress him for as long as he could remember. There was more than a little fumbling before the shirt was pulled over his head and down his body. Predictably, it didn’t cover his diaper. His diaper. HIS diaper. Richard found the words swirling around his head as the guards stood by the open door waiting for him. Brianna helped him off the table and he could immediately feel the difference to what he had been wearing previously. The padding pushed his thighs apart and when he moved, he could feel it all rubbing against him, which wasn’t to mention the noise. Each crinkle was deafening. “Could you take him to the pen.” Brianna asked the guards. Richard had his arm taken by one of the guards and he was led out of the nurse’s room. It was like trying to walk with a pillow between his legs, he kept trying to squeeze his knees together only to find that the diaper blocked that from happening. He was made to waddle back towards the lobby and, for a heart stopping second, thought he was going to be paraded in front of everyone else. Instead, the guards opened another door that led to a large room to the side of the lobby. Richard found a playpen with five other adults in it. All of them looked distressed. Outside of the pen there was a glass wall, and on the other side of that… “Oh God…” Richard moaned. He ducked behind the guard, desperate to not be seen. The other side of the glass partition was a lot of people, mainly couples, looking in and smiling. As Richard was led in, he saw that a lot of faces turned his way and he had to quickly drop his gaze to the ground as his face blazed from the humiliation. He didn’t understand what was happening, it was almost like a zoo. The gate to the playpen was opened and Richard was given a little push in the back to make him toddle inside. He turned around to see the gate being closed. The guards left the room shortly thereafter. Richard looked up at the glass again. It was strange he could see people talking to each other, laughing, smiling, pointing Littles out… but he couldn’t hear anything. “Help!” Richard shouted, “Help!” There was no reaction from the people on the other side of the glass. His shoulders sagged and he turned away. He wasn’t even sure what help he could expect. He had been designated Little and that was all that mattered. No one could do a single thing to help him. Richard slumped to the ground and looked around at what he now realised was a playpen. The space was large, and amply equipped with toys, which seemed somewhat optimistic if the current inhabitants of the playpen were anything to go by. There were five other people, all separated from each other as if they were each worried they might catch something. There was another young man on the far side of the pen. He had a red scarf around his neck and seemed almost comatose. Presumably the shock of having his life ripped away from him. There were two women, both looking morose and with scarfs around their necks, it took Richard a second to realise, because one had her back to him, that they were twins. Another young woman was against the side of the pen with her legs drawn up and hiding her face, which also unfortunately exposed more of her diaper. The final young man was nearest Richard. He was sitting with his legs open idly batting a ball back and forth looking strangely less affected than everyone else. Richard scooted a little closer to him. “They can’t hear you.” The young man said without looking up. “Huh?” Richard grunted. “The people, the… Bigs.” The man said with a sigh, “You were shouting. The glass is thick and soundproof.” “Why are they even there?” Richard asked as he tried to pull his shirt lower, “I’m Richard, by the way.” “Charlie.” The man replied, “And they’re there to adopt us.” “A-Adopt… but my parents…” Richard stammered. “Relax. Not all of us.” Charlie said, “Just the ones with red scarves.” Richard looked around the pen again and saw that there was a very clear difference between those with the scarf and those without. He suddenly realised that describing the pen as being like a zoo was wrong, it was more like a pet shop. The Bigs were prospective “parents” choosing Littles. “There seems to be a lot of us.” Richard said, “I thought it was only a few people who were designated Little.” “Yeah…” Charlie shrugged, “I don’t know. Maybe it’s bad luck, maybe they lie about the figures to stop young people rioting. Who knows…” Richard slumped down. He found himself subconsciously checking for a red scarf even though he knew he wasn’t wearing one. It must’ve been a good sign. Surely it meant that his parents hadn’t abandoned him… yet. “You seem very calm about all this.” Richard said. He was aware that he wasn’t screaming anymore either, he was exhausted from the struggle up to then. “Meh, I kind of expected it.” Charlie replied, “Not too bothered, to be honest.” ““Not too bothered?”” Richard repeated with a frown. “Yeah, it could be worse.” Charlie shrugged again. Richard was starting to regret talking to Charlie. At first, he thought he might have someone to share his pain, now he felt like he was talking to someone who had lost their mind. This was the worst thing that could’ve ever happened to Richard, and he was pretty sure the rest of the people in the playpen felt the same way. He decided that Charlie was probably lying to himself to get through what was happening. Before Richard could work out how to reply, or if he even wanted to, the door he had walked through previously opened. Richard looked up to see who the latest poor soul being thrown in with the others was. But it wasn’t another person designated Little, it was two Bigs. It was Richard’s parents. Richard caught a glimpse of them and immediately his eyes filled with tears again. He had a childish want for his mom and dad to fix everything, to tell the government that there was a mistake and that he was a Big. He could see from his mother’s eyes that no such thing was going to happen. Both Richard’s parents had very serious looks on their faces as they walked in. “Oh, Richy…” Davina said with a sigh. It was all Richard could take. He started loudly crying again. He couldn’t take his parents seeing him like this, it felt like the final nail in the coffin. He covered his face and started to wail louder than ever before. He was barely aware of one of the guards opening the playpen gate and his parents coming in. “Come on, son.” William said as he hooked his hands under Richard’s armpits and helped him to stand up, “Let’s get you home.” Richard stumbled forwards and out of the playpen flanked by his parents. His life had been flipped upside down and there was going to be an awful lot of adjusting to come. --- Three Years Later… --- Richy sat in his playpen. His diaper, wet from an “accident” in his highchair during breakfast, squished underneath him. There was a lot of activity in the house that morning. Richy was mildly interested as he sucked on his pacifier. One of the very, very few benefits of his position was the complete lack of stress in most things. He never had a deadline, he never had to look after anything, he wasn’t expected to do a single thing. It had been a little over three years since Richy had been designated Little and his feelings hadn’t changed at all. He saw it as a loathsome experience, a never-ending degradation that he had no choice but to endure. He tried not to think too far into the future anymore, it was liable to give him panic attacks. The worst part of it all, for Richy, as his family insisted on calling him, was watching his parents and sister start to look at him differently as time went on. When he was walked out of the Designation Office it seemed like his parents were as shocked as he was, the drive home had been in near silence apart from his sobbing. Over the days that followed his life was completely upended. There had been a near continuous stream of deliveries made to the house as everything he knew and owned was replaced. With each new baby item acquired, it was like Richy could see his family’s opinion change just a little more. After a few months they seemed to think that him being a Little was completely normal and fine. Richy still fought things, but by that stage his parents were finished with acting like he was an equal. Since then, each day had been monotonous. Richy rarely left the house, which he was grateful for because it was awful being seen as a Little by anyone. He woke up in his crib, had his diaper changed, was fed breakfast, played with toys, had his diaper changed again, ate lunch, nap time, more playing, diaper change, dinner, and then was soon after put back in his crib. It was mind-numbing. Richy didn’t talk much anymore. His parents didn’t like him doing it, anything beyond babbling or basic words would get a stern look. Sometimes, if he really got frustrated and pushed the boundaries, it would end up with a punishment, often a spanking, that left him in tears. He had been rebellious for the first month, he tried to fight everything that changed, but he was gradually worn down. His becoming more docile was sped along when the Designation Office sent inspectors to the home. The inspectors were very serious people. They visited Littles at home and assessed their environment, made sure they were being treated correctly, and made suggestions for improvements. In Richy’s case, they saw his continuing bad behaviour and issued a warning to the family. If Richy’s parents couldn’t get him under control, then he would be taken by the state and adopted by someone who could. That was a terrifying prospect for Richy. As horrible as it all was, it would’ve been worse surrounded by strangers, he was quite sure of that. Kate came into the living room and sat down on the couch. She had her shoes on and was looking at her phone, using her free hand to pick at her lip. She was clearly anxious, and it took Richy a moment to remember why. When it hit him, it was like a freight train. Kate’s eighteenth birthday had been a couple of weeks before; she was going to get designated. Suddenly the clear anxiety on her face made sense, she’d seen what being designated Little looked like after all, Richy couldn’t blame her for wanting to avoid it at all costs. “It’s time to go.” William, Rich and Kate’s dad, said as he held the car keys in his hand. “I don’t want to.” Kate replied. “I know, sweetheart, but you know there isn’t a choice.” William said to his daughter sympathetically, “I’m sure everything will be fine.” Richy, sucking on a pacifier, almost laughed. They spoke as if he wasn’t there, he knew that his input wasn’t wanted, heck, it was likely to get him in trouble. He wasn’t supposed to care about anything the grownups said to or around him. “Claire said it runs in families!” Kate said with an anxious frown, “I don’t want to… you know.” Kate was sweet, but Richy knew exactly what she meant. She didn’t want to end up like him. Her eyes flitted to his position in the playpen, she no doubt was picturing herself in there with him and how horrible it would be. Richy certainly wouldn’t deny that it sucked, though the company would be nice. “I’m sure that’s not true.” William said. “What if it is!?” Kate exclaimed. Richy watched his daddy sigh and then walk into the room. He sat down on the couch next to Kate and they shared a moment, he put an arm around her waist, and she leaned into the hug. Richy felt very much like he was intruding on a private moment. To make matters worse, his stomach was starting to rumble, and it had nothing to do with being hungry, it would be the high fibre diet he was fed everyday making his digestive system very quick, not helped by three years of ignoring signals that he needed the toilet. “We will love you no matter what.” William said softly. Richy could tell that it was scant comfort to his sister, but he could attest to his parents loving both their progeny. Despite how much harder he had made things for them by being designated Little, they still did their utmost to look after him, even if it meant doing things he greatly resented, even if he was having one of his “tantrums” as his mommy called it. Richy sat up on his knees, half bent over with his butt sticking out behind him. Before he closed his eyes, he saw Kate looking at him with fear, a worry that she was watching a portent of her future. Richy screwed his face up as he pushed with his tummy muscles, a routine he had gone through innumerable times in the previous three years. Nevertheless, it was still a process that brought him immense embarrassment and shame. Each dirty diaper feeling like confirmation of his place as a baby. In front of his dad and his sister, Richy reached out and held the bars of the playpen as he felt a momentary build up of pressure in his bowels. He let out the breath he had been holding as he felt his soft poop easily push out of his body, his mostly liquid and mushy food diet making his waste as soft as his diapers. It was all over after just a few seconds. Richy opened his eyes. Nothing seemed to have changed inside the living room, and yet the sticky feeling in the seat of his diaper told a different story. With a sigh, partly relief but mostly utter humiliation, Richy dropped back and sat on the floor, sinking into the mess he had created and feeling a small shiver go up his spine. His face was a bright red as he looked up at his family members bashfully. Kate looked like she was about to cry. “Oh dear.” William said quietly, “Don’t worry Richy, we’ll get mommy to come change you in a minute.” Richy had assumed as much. He had been very much encouraged not to ask for diaper changes. He was either supposed to get the attention of his parents by crying or simply wait for them to come check him. There was a minute or so of silence. Richy didn’t really know what to do, his diaper was starting to stink up the room, but Kate didn’t seem keen on leaving, he didn’t blame her. Eventually, it was Richy’s mommy walking in that seemed to unfreeze the moment. “Phew, smells like someone is overdue a change.” Davina said as she waved her hand in front of her face for dramatic effect. Richy thought she was exaggerating. It didn’t smell THAT bad, though he had to acknowledge he had become somewhat “nose blind” to himself. Davina turned to her daughter, “You two better get a move on, you know what happens if you’re late.” Kate took a deep shuddering breath and finally stood up. William followed and together they made their way out to the hallway. “Good luck.” Richy said quietly. “Thanks.” Kate replied without looking back at him. There were hugs and kisses before the front door opened, and Kate left the house. Richy stood up and looked through the front window as they made their way down the path, Kate already seemed to have shrunk into herself a little, like a threatened turtle retreating into their shell. He wished her luck. As much as it would provide him some comfort to have his sister in the same place as him, he wouldn’t wish the life he now had on his worst enemy. “Baby, you’re not supposed to be standing.” Davina said after she walked back into the living room. Richy quickly sat back down. The rules stated he wasn’t allowed to stand unless someone was holding his hand. As he landed back on his bottom, the mess in his diaper spread even more causing a shiver of disgust to go up his spine. “Well, you definitely need a change before your nap.” Davina said as she waved her hand in front of her nose, “But I’ll feed you your bottle first.” Davina left the room with Richy grimacing. He always hated when he was left in his poopy diaper for longer than absolutely necessary. He hadn’t yet got a diaper rash, which seemed like a miracle to him, but it still felt so gross. When his mom came back into the room holding a large bottle, she unclipped the lock on the playpen on her way to sitting back down on the couch. She patted her lap and Richy started crawling. It didn’t matter that it had been three years of crawling, Richy still felt embarrassed every single day. He was quite confident he would never learn to not be embarrassed by his position in society. When he was sometimes taken outside, which wasn’t often because of the tantrums he had, he sometimes saw other Littles that seemed very serene and accepting of their lives. He didn’t understand them at all. Richy climbed on to the couch with his bulging diaper swaying behind him. He turned over and laid down across his mommy’s lap, facing the ceiling and with one of her arms cradling his back. He found it difficult to meet her eyes. She had fully accepted and embraced his position, but far from making it easier, it seemed to make Richy feel even worse. In a well-practiced routine, Richy opened his mouth and soon tasted the latex tip of the bottle. The nipple, like the whole bottle, was much bigger than on an actual baby’s drinking device. It had taken some time to grow used to feeling it so far back on his tongue, but it was well short of his gag reflex or anything like that. He started sucking and soon felt cold milk bursting into his mouth. It tasted good, almost good enough to make him forget about the sludge he could feel pressing against his skin in his underwear. “Do you think Katie will be designated Little, baby?” Davina asked. Richy knew it was a rhetorical question. Something his mommy did to occupy her mind whilst waiting for him to fill up on milk. Richy didn’t try to respond, but he answered her in his head. He had no idea if she would be made Little or Big. He had never thought he himself would be designated Little, so he thought he probably knew less than anyone else. “Having two babies to take care of would be difficult…” Davina said idly, “We’re not made of money, your daddy has to work and just keeping up with you can be a challenge. I never expected to have to be doing all of this again. The government keep cutting the subsidies to help with looking after you too…” Richy was hearing things he never usually heard about. His parents usually made sure not to talk about anything grown up around him. It was the first time he had been hearing that his parents might’ve been struggling a little financially. “It’s typical, right?” Davina let out a little laugh and shook her head, “The men in suits create a burden for us and promise to help, and then… Oh, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be saying any of this here. Drink up, baby.” Richy was quickly filling up on the milk. He knew it was a special formula, just like the food he was given. All fortified with extra minerals and vitamins which meant he could get by on a mostly liquid and mushy food diet. On rare occasions he was given solid food, as a treat, and those days were like magic. Tasting those delicious foods he used to know rather than the bland baby food was like all his Christmases coming at once. “I don’t know if we could cope with two babies.” Davina continued. She wasn’t looking at Richy, instead staring into the middle distance as she held the bottle to his lips, “We might have to consider…” Davina trailed off. Richy swallowed his milk with increased anxiety, a fresh burst of warmth in his diaper highlighting his fear. Had his mommy about to say that one of them would have to be adopted? Richy hoped not. As bad as his situation was, he didn’t want to leave his family, and he was keen for his sister to stay as well. “It doesn’t matter.” Davina said as she shook her head a little as if coming out of a daydream, “We’ll cross that bridge if we come to it. I’m sure your sister will be fine.” Richy finished his bottle in silence. The nipple, previously clear but now a milky white, was pulled from his lips. He was left panting slightly and could feel the milk weighing heavily in his stomach. His mommy looked at the bottle to make sure it had all been drunk and then placed it on the couch next to her. For a few seconds she remained seated, idly patting Richy’s bulging rear. “Let’s get you changed and down for your nap.” Davina finally said. Richy scrambled off his mommy’s lap. His stinky diaper was stuck against his skin but at least his mommy reached out her hand so he could walk upstairs. It was a lot better than having to crawl. He toddled after his mommy, waddling in the wide-legged way that would be recognisable to any mother with a small child. The shame was still immense, but Richy had learnt not to complain lest he wanted punishment. He was taken up to his nursery, a sight which would’ve shocked him if he went back in time four years and showed himself. He wished he could, at least it might’ve jolted him into action and stopped him ending up where he was. The nursery used to be Richy’s bedroom. When he woke up some mornings, he still expected to see his desk and computer opposite his bed, his consoles in front the television and a mess of clothes on the floor. Instead, he saw the bars of his white crib, the changing table opposite, a box of toys that was open and their contents scattered around the room, and a playmat. The sinking feeling he got when reality stepped in and asserted itself always made him want to cry. In the early days, sometimes he had done just that. “Up you get.” Davina said as she patted the padded changing table. Her other hand reaching to the shelf underneath to pull out a fresh diaper. Richy climbed up on to the table with little difficulty and laid down, sighing as he the humiliating ritual began. It was always the same. A pacifier was placed in his mouth, and he stared up at the ceiling, imagining an alternative world where he had been designated Big. He listened to the tapes of his used disposable get pulled and then felt fresh air as it was lowered. He closed his eyes as he was cleaned. It was particularly bad when it came to what his mommy referred to as his “boy parts.” He was a young man, he had urges which he wasn’t allowed to satisfy, it didn’t mean he never found a way, but it was difficult and if he was caught, he would get in big trouble. All of that meant that, sometimes, when his mommy pinched the end of his penis and used it to make space to clean, there could be a reaction. Richy closed his eyes as he was slowly wiped clean. It always took longer when he was messy. Sometimes, when mommy opened the diaper, the results were so bad she would abandon the endeavour and take him to the shower instead. This time she settled for making some comments about how stinky he was and set about her task. It was a relief, at that point, for the messy padding to be pulled away, balled up, and dropped into the pail at the end of the table. The fresh diaper was slipped underneath Richy and powder sprinkled on top. He sighed and felt pleased to be out of the poopy diaper, trying not to wonder how long it would be before he was in another one. Whenever he started thinking about what his future looked like it made it all much harder to take. He was helped off the changing table and led to the crib, which he climbed into with a pat of encouragement on the rear. “Have a nice nap.” Davina said as she kissed him on the forehead and raised the bars. Richy sucked on his pacifier as he pulled his baby blue blanket up and over him. It was crazy, he thought, just how much his parents, his mother in particular, truly saw him as a baby. As if the day before walking into the Designation Office he had been a mature adult, and the day after leaving it he was a useless baby, like he was a completely different person. He rolled over to face away from her as she left the room, pulling the door to but leaving the baby monitor on. Naps had become part of Richy’s everyday life. He may not have wanted to sleep when he was told to, but his body had grown used to it. He didn’t much want to admit it, but he definitely did get crankier when he missed his nap and spent the afternoon feeling tired and irritable. His last thoughts were of his sister, Katie, who despite his reduction in status had still always treated him a little like an equal. He wondered exactly what kind of relationship he would have with his sister when she returned with her destiny decided. --- If you liked this update and want to see the next update RIGHT NOW you can do so here: https://reamstories.com/page/lpjgftb4y2/story/mozb40hx8a1381/chapter/mqdmgyyz79d54f5 https://subscribestar.adult/posts/2540939

Christy Some people thought in words. Others in pictures. Christy’s, however, didn’t process in either the visual or the auditory sense. Christy felt. Her brain took in all of the stimulus of her body and gave it feedback in the form of tactile sensations and raw unfiltered emotions. She could express herself in words and pictures, of course. She was good enough at translating the signals her cerebral cortex sent her into words that were understandable to others-it was part of the reason why she often knew what Tyler was saying when his speech skipped a few lines of dialogue down his own internal script- but it was like being bilingual. Just because she spoke multiple languages, didn’t mean she naturally thought in them. At present, Christy felt incredibly, perhaps indescribably overwhelmed. The skin between her legs itched and crawled uncomfortably, part because of the cooled urine that had soaked through and dribbled down to her socks, part because of the shame and embarrassment. Tyler had been diapered by a crazy giant. She’d needed one of those diapers without any provocation; before it had fully registered that they were in this strange land. What did that say about her? Would she have pissed on the motel floor? The weak link? The liability? Forever the kid playing catch up, even well into their thirties? That bit of circumstantial and over the top shame failed to’ compare to what had followed. A giant planet? People thinking they were babies? Diapers that couldn’t be removed? Baby furniture big enough to accommodate them and packs of off-brand Huggies with adult looking models on the front? Too much new data! Way too much! Everything was too familiar and too alien all at the same time. Then the old woman let that bomb drop. “Welcome to Earth.” “Earth?!” Christy’s husband yelped from the carpet. “What do you mean ‘Earth’?” “That’s the name of this planet,” the giant, Gloria, had explained. “Earth. Why? What’s yours?” No. This couldn’t be Earth. It couldn’t possibly be. They were from Earth. That’s where they’d come from. Such a stupid thing to have to argue. People didn’t have to specify that they were from Earth. Outside of science fiction, Earth was the only place they could be from. Christy thought she knew everything, but now was being told completely contradictory evidence by someone as though it were common knowledge and common sense. That and the wet pants and the room full of baby toys made her feel small in a way that she hadn’t felt since kindergarten at the latest. “That’s impossible,” Brittney said. “There’s no way!” “What do you mean?” The white haired giantess asked. “Does Earth mean something special where you come from?” Something was off. Her voice lilted in subtle ways that the others didn’t seem to pick up on. There was something simple and condescending about it. Not quite humoring them, but rather playing along. Christy twitched and shook her head, nervously. No. Not true. Not quite. “We’re from Earth.” Drew said plainly. “That’s our home.” “Hmmm…” the giantess frowned. “Curious. Coincidence?” She opened her mouth just a tad and snapped it shut. A monster trying not to lick its chops? An adult thinking better of saying something?. Or just someone searching for the right words; a thought half formed and let go? “If we’re from different worlds, why are we speaking the same language? Are you little people from a particularly advanced society?” Her suspicion didn’t reach her eyes. Getting into character. Playing pretend. Christy’s fingers clenched and her teeth grinded. She was back in school. Elementary school. Back when the teachers knew all the answers and wanted to gently lead you to the right one “We…” Brittney corrected herself. “I…hadn’t thought of that. So you’re speaking English? Not translating?” “English?” the big Granny repeated. If Christy had said something like that, the word would have tasted of unfamiliar medicine. But not too unfamiliar. “Is that your language? I like it. It sounds exotic. “Dimensional travel?” Tyler thought aloud. “Kodos and Kang maybe?” Their friends looked at him and then to Christy. Christy twitched again. She was having a hard enough time translating her own neural networks, to hell with Tyler right now. “Sorry,” Tyler corrected himself. “Simpsons joke. I’m nervous.” His otherwise naked body flushed pink. “Any chance you could help me get this diaper off, ma’am? It’s…stuck” Drew cut in. “What year is it? Who’s president? What country is this?” Gloria’s eyes dimmed at the sound of Tyler’s voice and sparkled at Drew’s. Her face, however sank in concern. “You poor things. I’m so sorry. To be so far away from home. I can only imagine how I’d react.” “We’re fucked.” Christy said. “We’re never getting home.” And deep down she knew it to be true. The old giantess looked like her heart was breaking.That much was true, too, deep down. “We don’t know that honey,” she said. Brittney looked like her hackles were about to raise up again but she was politely interrupted. “Sorry! I know you’re not babies. You’ve already convinced me.” That too was true, Christy could tell. “I just call everyone honey. It’s just how I talk. It’s an old people thing.” The explanation seemed to satisfy her friends. Christy was trying not to pace like a caged animal. This felt…off. Wrong. And it had almost nothing to do with her wet pants. Almost. “Where do we go from here?” Tyler asked. “I’m…I’m…” he let out a quiet yawn. He was tired. The adrenaline from their close encounter was wearing off and the fatigue from their mundane travels previously was setting in. The giant seemed to ponder carefully. Every muscle in Christy’s body tensed. Fear. Betrayal. Suspicion. “I think…you should…stay here…?” Drew asked what Christy couldn’t. “Why?” Gloria shrugged. “Because I’m not sure what else to do…?” She shrugged again and rose from the sofa and started slowly pacing. “Do I call someone? The press? The cops? Some kind of scientist? No. I don’t think so.” “Why not?” Christy voiced. Someone more qualified than a random Granny would be qualified to help. Confusion. Worry. Curiosity. Tyler scowled. “Do you wanna be on the wrong side of the glass at Area 51? Seriously, hon?” Despite being diapered, her husband’s rebuke felt even harsher than if it came from Brittney or Drew. He looked like a big baby. What did that make her if she hadn’t thought that far? Stupid. Insecure. Silly. Baby. Still pacing, Gloria looked down at her sneakers instead of the group. “Who would believe me?” she asked. “Thirty something’s from another world that look like babies? I’d get laughed at before they hung up.” “How about the mail lady?” Drew nodded.. “Christy attacked her and bit her face. Do babies do that here?” Shame. Fear of reprisal. Shyness. Christy hadn’t thought through her actions. She’d just acted on instinct. Her mouth still tasted vaguely of pennies but only when she thought about it. Granny giant stopped. “That’s how she got that mark on her face?!.” She covered her mouth and cursed quietly. Her voice went soft, but the group could still hear every word. “I told her I was looking after you all. What if she calls child protection services on me? You don’t have parents. I don’t have records like I do for my other children. What would happen to me?” Guilt. Blood pumping. Christy had done a bad thing. Hurt someone maybe. Not sure. “How would she prove it was us?” Christy asked, seeking a solution. Gloria looked at Christy. Really looked at her.. “Good point. It’s still my word against hers if it came to that.” A beat. Christy didn’t like the beat. Didn’t know why. Felt planned. “It’s not like they would ask you to testi…” The giant’s eyes lit up. She smiled. Beamed. “I think I might have an idea!” “What kind of idea?” Brittney asked. She was already positioning herself in front of everyone, instinctively protective. The big sister Christy never had. Gloria raised her hands up slowly and defensively; a gentle grandma trying not to startle some stray kittens. The mammoth woman stepped quietly back over to her couch and lowered her back down. “Hear me out.”. Four sets of mouths closed. “Stay here. With me. You can hide here and disguise yourselves as regular children while we work together to get you home.” She patted the top of the bag of diapers just in case her meaning was lost. Hope. Too good to be true. Caution. The inside of her legs stung and itched looking at the bag.. She hadn’t even worn maxi pads since middle school. The thing around Tyler’s hips looked much thicker than a pad. Ever practical, Drew was the first to question it. “Why would we need to disguise ourselves?” The giantess blinked as if the answer was obvious. She snapped her fingers several times, jogging her memory. “Drew? Right? This is a daycare. During the week I have children and their parents in and out all day. In before dawn, out after dusk, and everywhere in between. Do you want to be hiding all the time and have them asking why kids barely old enough to be toddlers are dressed like that?” She sniffed. “And no offense. I don’t think I have anything else here in your size. Do you really want to spend the next few days or weeks wearing only…that?” She levied a finger right at Christy.. “You do change clothes on your Earth, right?” There was logic. Certainty. Conviction. Timidly, Tyler raised his hand. “Do we have to u…” he stopped and self-corrected. “These are hard for us to remove.” Gloria’s smile was gentle. “If you need help getting to the po….” now it was Gloria’s turn to stop herself. “If you need help making it to the toilet, just tell me and I’ll take you.” A slight rosiness rimmed her cheeks as she realized whom she was talking to. “And it’s okay if you don’t make it. I have a feeling your bladders are a teensy bit smaller than mine.” She pinched her thumb and forefinger together. “Nothing to be embarrassed about. I’ll uh…turn on the shower and pop you in if you need it.” Thoughts were getting harder to translate into words. So tired. The foam padded floor was looking comfortable. Getting woozy. Adrenaline crash. “What do we do?” she asked the group, looking at a positively mortified Tyler. Brittney made the call. She always did. “We need sleep,” she said, looking fairly haggard herself. “Okay,” Gloria nodded. “I have a guest bed in the back of the house. It’ll fit all four of you. It’s Queen size. What a world where a queen size would fit all four of them. Good thing she didn’t say ‘crib’. Silently they conferred and agreed. “Okay,” Brittney said for them. Gloria stood up with the package of diapers. “Let’s go get you changed into your disguise.” She eyed them expectantly, though cautiously. “I don’t think that’s necessary,” Brittney started. The giant’s head pivoted towards Christy. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I know an accident when I see and smell one.” Caught! Exposed! Tears threatening! “I…” “It’s okay honey,” the older woman towering above them said. “It happens.” Tyler was wrapping his arms around her in a blink. “It’s okay,” he whispered in her ear. “It’ll be okay.” Trying to control herself, Christy hugged him back and looked over his shoulder. Drew raised his hand. “I’ll go first,” he volunteered. Brittney said nothing but she nodded. They were getting babied together. “Just hand me one and I’ll figure out how to put it on and-” “Me first,” Christy said clearly. “I’ll go first.” She didn’t want the others to pity her. Out of all of them, she was the one that literally needed the change. “Please.” The giantess took a knee. “Okay honey. Let’s go.” She opened her arm and scooped the woman up. Panic! Heart beating. High! Too high! She clung to Gloria. One leg after the other, legs closer to tree trunks hiked over the baby gate. Alone! Vulnerable! “Where are we going?” Christy asked. “I thought there was a changing table over there.” “I thought you’d want some privacy,” Gloria replied. “Do you want me to change you in front of your little friends?” Heat. Blushing. Silly. Little. She should have realized that. “No thank you.” They said nothing for the approximately ten seconds it took to traverse to the back of the house. Just odd awkward swallows and a trembling that wouldn’t completely leave Christy’s body. The powder blue room they stopped by had another baby gate. Mercifully, it was only so that the big woman could awkwardly lean in and snatch a package of baby wipes. The beige room across the hall had hardwood floors and a bed with a floral print comforter. Bed was an understatement. Closer to a bounce house that was high enough off the ground where if she fell off she might break her arm. A nightstand she could have tap danced on already had a bottle of baby powder the size of a two liter. Worry. Exhaustion. Paranoia. “Nothing to worry about,” the woman said as she laid Christy down on her back. “Nothing at all.” Christy couldn’t translate her own words quickly enough to prevent what came. The shirts she’d borrowed from the boys as a makeshift skirt came off along with her soaked pants and panties. “I’m sorry!” Christy said. “I’m really sorry!” She buried her hands in her face. “Nothing to worry about,” Gloria shushed her. “I’m a Granny and a Nanny. You don’t have anything I haven’t seen before.” Cold of an air conditioner. Goose pimples. The smell of stale urine! Cold! Wet! “Shower?!” Christy said. “Please?” Shower! There was supposed to be a shower! The giantess did not stop. Every wipe was like a freezing towel being dragged across her privates. “Maybe after you sleep,” Gloria said. “You need to get cleaned up and rested.” Old, long forgotten memories bubbled while the top corner of the diaper package was torn open, her ankles crossed and the biggest diaper she’d ever seen was slipped under her bottom. Tiny, squeaking noises, like a gerbil, came out of Christy while sweet smelling but cold powder snowed across her bottom and on top of her mound. “Do we have to use the powder?” Christy asked, peeking out from behind her hands. “Honey,” the granny said. “You’ve been standing in wet panties. The wipes help, but powder gets rid of the smell.” Christy’s face felt like it was melting. She turned her head away so she wouldn’t have to look the stranger in the eye. “Hm?!” Her eyes glimpsed the pack of diapers. The word ‘Monkeez’ scrawled in colorful bubble letters. A crawling baby smiling back at her from the package. “Baby?” Two firm presses just below her abdomen. almost knocked the wind out of her. Christy looked down. Just like Tyler, she was now thickly diapered, with bright primary colored baby monkeys tumbling and crawling around beneath her belly button. “Oh honey,” Gloria shushed her. “You’re not a baby. I know that. I’m just dressing you up so you look like one.” Truth. Certainty. “And I want you to be comfortable.” In a diaper. Wearing a diaper. But she was comfortable. It was a little like wearing a pillow on her butt.. Different. Not inherently bad. But different. What was familiar and bad was how Christy’s shirt and bra quickly followed her discarded panties next to her on the bed. The woman who had diapered her finished stripping her down to nothing else without a second thought. Out of reflex and lingering modesty, Christy hid her breasts as best as she could. “Oh ho,” the woman laughed. “You don’t have to be embarrassed. Like I said, you don’t have anything I don’t see everyday!” True. The baby on the package looked like a grown woman. And in comparison, Christy’s petite but perky breasts might as well have been flat next to the big woman. Her new host took the diapers off the bed, and peeled back the comforter. “Go ahead. Climb in. I’ll bring the others in one at a time.” Eyes burning. Tired. Weary. Confused. Christy looked at where the package had been at the foot of the bed; wondering if she’d seen what she’d thought she’d saw. “Okay…” Gloria took the baby supplies and Christy’s adult clothes with her. “Be back in a minute.” Quiet. Still. Muscles ache. Mattress soft. Sleep needed. Only anticipation and the fact that every time she moved a thin crinkling invaded her eardrums kept her awake. Three minutes. The granny returned with a blushing Brittney, naked save for her own diaper. Brittney crawled in beside her beneath the tremendous comforter.. “Hey,” she said. “Hey,” Christy whispered softly, feeling a bit more comfy. “Didn’t want you to be alone like this.” “Thanks.” Gloria remembered to pick up Christy’s wet clothes the second time around. “Would it really be that insulting to keep the boys in a crib?” she asked. “I don’t want them getting any ideas…” She sounded like Christy’s mother when her and Tyler started dating. “They’re our husbands,” Britney said. “We’re married.” Pee stained pants balled up in the crook of her arm, Gloria cocked an eyebrow. “All together?” “Kind of.” Christy yawned. “But not really.” “We’re two couples,” Brittney clarified. “But we’re all old friends.” ““Oh that’s right,” the old woman smacked her forehead lightly. “You and Drew had the same last name. Sorry. Used to siblings.” That seemed to settle that. She was on her way out before either girl could interject. “Back in a second.” Christy let out a yawn. “Where’d she change you?” Safer. With family. Relax. “Bathroom,” Brittney sighed. “Did she lay you down, too?” “Yup.” “Same.” Brittney pulled the comforter up to her neck. “That toilet is huge. We’d have to stand on the rim and squat to use it.” Footsteps signaled another approach. Drew was wearing nothing but a Monkeez. He kind of pulled it off, considering he was still in fairly good shape. The diaper was just a puffy speedo on him. Tyler looked the most like a baby out of any of them, proportionately. Things were quiet until her husband was brought back. He didn’t need changing, but Gloria slipped two fingers into the leg holes of his diaper. “Still dry…” the giantess said. Exhaustion was winning to attrition. Brittney remained silent and Tyler only managed a disgruntled ‘Heeeeeeey…” Gloria was out again as soon as he was tucked. “One last thing,” was all she said. “Are we gonna be okay?” Christy asked. For two eternal seconds there was no answer. “Yeah.” Brittney said. Lying to herself. She was lying. “This is weird. But we’ll get some sleep. Get our clothes washed. Go from there.” Christy was too tired to argue. Whisper-talking and half-tip toeing, Gloria came in with four very large bottles filled with something white sloshing inside.. “I thought you’d like some milk,” she said. “ Help you sleep. Keep you hydrated.” She handed them out. Four pairs of tired hands accepted them. Drew fidgeted with the cap to no success. Christy shook the bottle and saw the bubbles float up to the top. She popped the rubber nipple in her mouth and suckled. Warm. Creamy. Filling. Flavored. Just shy of a pumpkin spice latte. Delicious! “Sorry about the baby bottles,” Gloria apologized. “You all looked exhausted, and these are all I have. I have some sippy cups but they don’t hold as much and you can’t drink them lying down.” “Mmm-mmm-mmm…” Christy said in hum talk, roughly translating to “It’s okay.” The others took Christy’s enthusiasm to mean it’s safe. “Okay. I’ll see you all in a few hours. Get some rest,” Gloria backed out of the room, slowly closing the door with her. “I’ll go online and figure something out. Call if you need me.” Lights out. Quiet. Peace at last save for the rhythm sucking and the odd rustling. Memories. “Hey,” she murmured just before nodding out. “Does this count?” No one replied. Tyler was already snoring. Brittney was snuggling up next to her but her breathing had slowed. First in bed. Last in sleep. No. This didn’t count. Probably not. They were all diapered, but not all naked. Diapers had never factored into her silly little fantasy before. Why should they now? Christy felt her eyes getting heavy. She was still suckling down the sweet dessert when she passed out from fullness of belly and a seventeen hour day. Little did she know that this would be the last time she ever went to sleep, certain that her diaper would be in the same state it started in when she woke up…

--- Chapter 51 --- Greg froze, gripping a track piece from the box, feeling like his heart had leapt into his throat. The room became impeccably still as he slowly moved, feeling like the only person that could, and his eyes met Sam’s. They were still hazel. Still the same shape he had known. Still a sharpness and knowing in there. But they were wide and in shock, as was the rest of her face, which had paled as if she was staring at a ghost. Her mouth was hanging open, and his was too. After a long, painful silence, he found his words again. “Suh-man-tha.” She gasped, her mouth opening slightly more, and she leaned back. He kept eye contact, waiting, hoping she would say something. Anything. In this moment, he didn’t care about the optics. He would profess to everyone that would listen that she had been mistreated, that Maturosis was bullshit, and this entire system was cruel, if she asked. Whatever she wanted, he would do it. And although it wasn’t at the forefront of his mind, he could sense the fear that he fevered began to melt away. It was the same protective instinct he had for her when they were kids and the same instinct he had for Charlie; yes, it was due to their size, and conversely, it was due to his size. So in that way, it was fevering… but not in the way he and Charlie meant it. Greg kept his breathing shallow as he stared, trying to keep still and quiet, not wanting to miss anything she might say. But no words came. Instead, her jaw quivered first, quickly followed by a flush in her cheeks as she inhaled. Once her lip quivered, the rest of her face followed suit. Her lips flattened as her face contorted in pain. “Sam, I –” Greg started as he sucked in a breath, but the second her name came out of his mouth again, her shoulders rose up in surprise, and whatever control she had been holding onto broke. She burst out into a sob as she leaned forward, her fists tightening on the hem of her dress. A hand flew to Kelly’s mouth as she looked between the sobbing Little between her legs and Greg, whose hands began to shake. Charlie quickly looked at his brother, then at Kelly, then at Samantha. His lips thinned as he hesitated, wavering between stepping in and staying out of it; he wanted to give them space. Hell, really, he wanted this to be Greg’s moment. It’s not like he had ever known Samantha. Not personally, anyway; he didn’t give free Littles much consideration or attention, and they usually reacted to him much the same. He had waved at her a few times, but everything he knew about her had been from listening to Greg. So, on the one hand, it would be more meaningful to get Greg to snap out of his frozen state, sweep her up into his arms, and reassure her that everything was going to be all right (or, more likely, knowing him, he’d apologize profusely). On the other, as Charlie’s eyes tracked the camera in his periphery, he knew this wasn’t the place for that. Not in the way Greg would want it. And certainly not in the way she needed right now, which was genuine reassurance and warmth. And, however good-intentioned and careful Greg and Kelly might be in the moment, Charlie had learned through Lexi that it was very easy to misunderstand them and attribute their words and actions to the typical Amazon. If anyone here could effectively communicate with her right now, it was him. Gently and slowly, he crinkled towards her, stopping just inches from her feet. She pulled her legs in, trying to shrink into a ball, but as she wiped her eyes, she noticed Charlie’s shoes, and, blinking, she managed to look up at him as she tried to hold her breath to stem the sobbing. Her red face twitched as she was barely holding it together, and she looked at him questioningly. He frowned and, one knee at a time, knelt in front of her. “Mommy always said I gotta ask before huggin’,” he explained quietly (despite it being a bit of a lie), looking down for a moment before he offered a smile and opened his arms. “Issit okay?” She barely nodded before he launched himself at her, wrapping his arms around her and giving her the tightest hug he possibly could. She wrapped her arms around his waist and returned the hug, her own strength nowhere near his, but he could tell she was hugging as hard as she could muster. The second she grabbed a hold, she resumed her sobbing, but it was now muffled into his chest. They hugged for well over a minute as Samantha’s cries ebbed and flowed, peaking in their volume towards the end as she let out a long, mournful sob that she tried to muffle more by pressing her face into his torso. Greg and Kelly sat in silence, staring at the two Littles in a mixture of awe and grief. Each wanted to join, as they felt compelled to help in some way and wrestled with the instinct. Thankfully, as their eyes met, each of their hesitations reinforced the other’s choice to stay where they were. Deep down, they both knew that Charlie could be there for Samantha in a way neither of them could ever be. No matter how hard they wished that wasn’t true. “Sorry ’bout your Mommy,” he whispered to her as he sensed the energy in her cries begin to diminish, and he rested his cheek on the top of her head. “My Mommy’s gone cuz she’s sick so I live wif Geggie now… and he says you can come home wif us… If you wanna.” She took in a stuttering breath and held it, her fingers digging into him as if to hold on even tighter. “I’d like that,” Charlie soothed softly. “But he says you and I bof gotta say yeah.” She tensed again, somehow digging her fingers in more, and while he thought that might mean yes, he didn’t want to assume. And as tempted as he was to whisper to her more, in adult-sounding reassurances, between not knowing her level of stability, the sensitivity of the camera’s microphones, and being absolutely horrified by this place, his nervous system just wouldn’t allow it. So he waited, holding her tightly, his head resting on hers, and reflected how, if he were in her shoes, he would be suspicious, anxious, and scared. He wouldn’t know if he could trust it, or trust that he was truly being given a choice… an important choice, at that. He tried to imagine if Greg had never been born, and his parents were placed in a nursing home, and he met one of his old coworkers at the factory, like this. It wasn’t the same as this scenario by any stretch, but it was the closest he could think of. He tried to imagine if he would prefer being Adopted by someone he used to know, who knew him before diapers, or a stranger. He frowned, realizing he didn’t know the answer. He felt her nod before the word came out like a mouse squeaking, “Yes.” Charlie smiled, but he purposefully didn’t move on it right away. Something Amazons didn’t realize was how fast they often jumped into action, especially in the face of doubt, or worse, sadness. It was an overwhelming tactic they deployed to try to shock the Little out of their negative emotions, which often also signaled to the Little (as it also might with a child) that you’re not allowed to be sad; fussy and grumpy? Fine, that makes Amazon giggle in delight. Crying because of hunger or a messy diaper? Fix it as quickly as possible! Crying because a giant ripped you from your life and single-handedly ruined every hope and dream you ever had for yourself? No! Can’t have that! Whisk them away to a ball pit, shove a plushie in their face, or tickle them so their crying is at least paired with laughter! Be happy, damnit!! There were times he wished he could have heard these words, either for himself or to a fellow Little, so it felt good to say them to someone else: “You don’ hafta rush.” “I…” she sniffled as she finally pulled away ever so slightly so she could be heard better. “I wanna go.” As she angled her head up to look at Charlie, there was a pleading look in her eyes. “Now… peas.” Charlie nodded in understanding as he felt his throat tighten from a stinging guilt about how dismissive he had been of her. Of how often he had wished Greg would abandon the notion of seeing and helping her. If Greg had listened to him… “Kay!” Charlie chirped as he let the energy surge into his body, flooding over the guilt, and he smiled brightly up at Kelly, who smiled back. Still in Samantha’s grip and not wanting to break away from her, he twisted his body to look over his shoulder at Greg, whose eyebrows rose up in an anxious, silent question. “Geggie, she wantsa’ come home!” “Yeah?” The word breathily tumbled out of his mouth on an exhale as if he had unloaded heavy weights, and he smiled slightly. “Yeah!” Charlie bubbled as he squeezed into the hug, and Samantha hummed nervously as she squeezed back. “Can we go now? Peas? Now? Now-now?” “Of course,” Greg smiled as he took in a deep breath and sighed it out, pushing himself up to his feet. Kelly remained on the ground, beaming at Charlie, and just as Greg reached the panel on the wall, Elizabeth opened the door. “Oh –” “All ready to go?” she asked eagerly, brimming with excitement. “Yeah,” he replied as he slipped his hands into his pockets, swallowing. “Ready.” “Yay!” she exclaimed as she looked over towards Charlie, who gave her a big, toothy grin as she clapped her hands together. “Oh, I’m happy for you! Let’s get the paperwork done so the new Daddy can get his new baby home!” Greg felt a shiver run down his spine, and Charlie, after feeling Samantha tense up, let out a cheer as he shot his fist into the air, and Kelly let out a giggle, which successfully diffused tension and redirected attention. He gave Samantha a reassuring smile before reaching out to pick up the pacifier she had dropped; he held it out for her as he grabbed his own and shoved it into his mouth first. She quickly did the same, and the pair shared a nod. “All right, let’s get a-moving!” Elizabeth beckoned as she waved her hand and stepped into the hall. Finally released, Charlie ran over to Greg and raised his arms to prevent Greg from being forced to carry Samantha before either of them was ready. Perhaps it was overkill, but he felt like he was in the zone, and he wasn’t going to let up until they were out of here. He smiled as he was lifted into his brother’s arms, and he sucked on the pacifier as he looked down, trying to think of the next steps… his Adoption had been handled while he was drugged up in a hospital, so he didn’t know the official process. But he did recall that they would likely have to take one of those ‘happy family’ photos before they left. He kicked his feet idly, beginning to run through how to conceivably avoid that. Kelly got to her feet, and Samantha put her arms up towards her without hesitation. Lifting the Little into her arms, Kelly blinked in surprise at just how much smaller than Charlie she was, and lighter. Elizabeth giggled at the pairings and led the party down the hall, announcing to coworkers as she passed by that Samantha was getting Adopted. Biting her lip, Kelly looked at the Little, hoping to distract her from the announcements. “So, I understand that we live somewhere you are quite familiar with,” Kelly whispered as she tried in vain to pull the dress down over the diaper. Samantha looked at her, her eyes questioning. “Foresta?” Samantha took in a sharp breath through her nose and nodded a few times. “It’s a bit of a drive from here,” Kelly started, then looked up in thought and smiled. She was trying to ride the line of informing Samantha of what was going on ahead of time to be mindful of her anxiety, while also acknowledging the mind beneath the facade. “But you already know that.” The pair locked eyes again, and as much as humanly possible, Kelly tried to tell her with her eyes that she was going to be safe. Samantha nodded slowly, her eyes falling into thought, and as if suddenly exhausted, she sighed and relaxed, laying her head on Kelly’s shoulder. “We’ll be heading straight there once we’re done here,” she added gently, fighting the urge to overly touch and pet her, causing her chest to heat up from the inner turmoil. Touch was an easy way to communicate care, one she hadn’t needed to challenge herself on with Charlie, but she was worried about overwhelming Sam and what kind of message that would send her. “Okie dokie, please, take a seat,” Elizabeth said as she gestured to the couch in front of the large oak desk, behind which were two office chairs, one of which was already occupied by a heavy-set Amazon man. He wiped his hands on his pants and pushed off his chair, reaching an arm over the desk to shake hands with Greg. “Hi, I’m Edgar Grane. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Vankor,” his voice somewhat croaked, as if these were the first words he had spoken this morning. He cleared his throat before shaking hands with Kelly, and she and Greg sat on the couch. “We are honored you have chosen us for your Adoption needs. Now, I’m the Senior Adoption Officer on duty today. We always pair up with our junior members to make sure everything runs smoothly.” Elizabeth beamed as she took her place on the other empty chair. “Now, I understand Elizabeth has gone over Samantha’s minimal care requirements?” “Yes,” Greg replied with a nod as Charlie let out a giggle at his brother’s nervous, bouncing leg. “Good, good,” Edgar nodded in approval as Elizabeth organized the papers. He looked up to Kelly. “And you’re prepared to nurse?” “Oh, y… yes,” Kelly stumbled as she flushed, and she felt Samantha jerk. “I’m presently, uh… well, for Choo-choo –” “Choo-choo!” Charlie interrupted to mimic a train’s whistle, pulling his arm down as he said it. All eyes moved to him, giving Kelly a moment to recoil in her seat and take in a deep breath. Samantha looked up at her curiously, but Kelly averted her eyes, trying to focus on shaking off her nerves. Edgar smiled as he leaned forward slightly. “Are you a big fan of trains, buddy?” “Yeah!” Charlie affirmed with a large nod. “So many Little boys are,” he chuckled, leaning back in his chair, which groaned slightly under his weight. “All things with wheels,” Elizabeth added as she gave a few enthusiastic nods. “Cars, trains, buses. I’ve met a few who love garbage trucks!” Charlie burst into a giggle, immediately believing that any Little who was particularly in love with a garbage truck was likely imagining their Amazon would fall into the compactor. Elizabeth seemed pleased to have gotten a laugh out of him and shrugged her shoulders in delight. Edgar gave several approving nods before looking back to Kelly, returning to the original thread of the conversation. “Ah, yes, thank you. I understand it’s a personal question,” Edgar smiled and nodded, sliding papers around. “But it’s a listed requirement for her, so I needed the confirmation.” Kelly inclined her head, having recovered herself during the aside, though she continued to avoid looking down at Samantha, who was now inspecting Kelly’s clothes. Edgar grumbled a few things under his breath as Elizabeth pointed quickly to the papers he was looking for. “All right, so, she’ll be the second Little in the household, but this is your brother, not son?” he asked for confirmation, looking up to Greg, who nodded. “And what’s Charlie’s plateau?” Greg blinked as his mouth opened, ready to say he didn’t know, but he felt a rush of irritation as his eyebrows furrowed. “Why does that matter?” “Go, horsey, go!” Charlie giggled and kicked his legs at Greg’s leg that had stopped bouncing, as if it were a horse that needed encouragement to move again. The Amazon brother obliged and began bouncing his leg again, but his frown remained. Edgar took a breath as he leaned back, surprised by the question, and quickly shrugged. “It doesn’t, technically. It’ll just help frame advice and questions for check-ins,” he explained with half of his mouth curling up in a smile. He then placed his palms on the desk as he leaned forward, his eyes dropping to the Little in question, eyeing his shoes and legs. “Are you a good walker, champ?” “Yeah!” Charlie bubbled and nodded vigorously. “And runner!” he added as he turned to grin at Kelly, who blew a snort out of her nose and nodded in agreement. “Are you going to be gentle with Sammy here? She can’t run like you can,” he asked in a slow, measured tone. “Yeah,” Charlie nodded effortlessly, smiling widely as he turned back to the large man and envisioned an anvil falling on this guy’s head. “Great,” Edgar smiled, winked at Charlie, then gave a satisfied look at Greg before turning to the computer screen and keyboard and typing something out. Greg’s eyebrows tightened. “Okay, so, Illinimas,” Edgar sighed, lifting a hand to scratch his jaw. Elizabeth quickly grabbed a stack of papers and leaned towards her colleague to show it. “Here: the state release papers,” she offered softly. “Great, thanks,” he murmured, grabbing them and flipping through with an approving nod. “So cross-state Adoptions require a special release form, and we’ll be sending all of this paperwork to Illinimas DLS. They’ll do, uh, fewer check-ins.” Edgar’s eyebrow twitched, matching the disapproving tone. “They only commit to one call after 7 days. In the event that you are unable or unwilling to maintain Samantha’s Adoption, release of guardianship will have to be handled in Illinimas.” “That won’t be an issue,” Greg stated flatly, finding this process more grating with each passing minute. “Good, good,” Edgar replied automatically, but approvingly. Suddenly, his face lit up in an exaggerated fashion as he turned his eyes to Samantha, who had been busying herself inspecting Kelly’s shirt buttons. “Are you excited, Sammy?” The Little’s shoulders rose up slightly as she curled forward and leaned towards Kelly, who put her hand on her back. In the silence that followed, she slowly turned to look at Elizabeth first, who open-mouthed smiled at her, then to Edgar, whose eyebrows rose slightly higher. Silently, as she kept the pacifier in, she nodded. “Good, good!” he cheered, and he tapped on the desk, as if needing to make noise to keep her attention. Greg clenched his jaw. “You’re going to a good home, sweetheart. This lovely lady is going to be your Nana – can you say Nana, dear?” “Oh, that’s –” Kelly started. “Na-na,” he repeated slowly, then pointed to Greg. “And this fine gentleman is your Da –” “Can we move this along?” Greg interrupted, glaring at the man; both he and Elizabeth looked at him in surprise, and although his face flushed, he held his ground. “We have a long drive ahead of us,” he added curtly, and although he didn’t want to append his statement, he felt compelled to add a measure of politeness. He could practically hear both sides of his parents: his father pushing things along, and his mother adding the softer edge to keep up appearances. “But thank you for your… diligence.” “Of course,” Edgar replied with a slight heave of discomfort, but then he chuckled as a thought struck him. “Eager parents aren’t a new thing around here!” Edgar and Elizabeth chuckled together, nodding knowingly, and while Kelly let out a nervous laugh, Greg remained silent. Charlie grinned as he slammed his back into Greg’s torso and looked up at him; the impact drew the Amazon brother’s attention down, and the pair shared a smile. “Okay, this will take a few minutes of some boring stuff,” Edgar warned as he flashed a smile at Charlie and Samantha. Then, when he made eye contact with Kelly, he gestured towards the connected bathroom in the office and the assorted toys in a corner that looked like the kind found in a doctor’s office waiting room. “Just in case any changes are needed, or the Little ones get bored.” “Oh, uh, thank you,” Kelly replied as she looked down at Samantha and thought to check Charlie first. Greg leaned forward as he began signing the paperwork, and Kelly shifted Samantha to the far side of her lap so Charlie could slide onto her other leg. Angling her head, she did a visual check on both, then pivoted with squish checks between them; Charlie watched Samantha intently, noting she didn’t flinch or blush until she looked up at Greg… then her face turned red. He frowned; he had never known an Adopted Little who had known their Amazon before, but he knew exactly how he would have felt early on, being diaper-checked in front of his first family. As his eyes fell on her diaper, which he could tell needed a change, he presumed a declaration in front of Greg might mortify her. So, moving quickly, he did the only thing he knew that would absolutely pivot any attention from her to him: he closed his eyes and began to push. “Well, Choo-choo’s good, but I think Sa –” Kelly stated softly, but froze, staring down at Charlie as she knew that reddening face and could hear the pushing grunts. She gently pushed on his back forward to lessen the pressure on his butt as his diaper began to fill, mixed with a few unpleasant noises that came with his loosened poops caused by the unpleasant coffee he’d had at the hotel. Greg and Edgar glanced at him for a moment, then returned to signing while Elizabeth flushed, putting a hand up to her mouth. “Not anymore!” she giggled. “I guess not,” Kelly likewise giggled as she patted his back, finding his expression very endearing. The effort of pushing caused a sort of roaring in his ears, helping to drown out the laughter and commentary of his audience. After a few more seconds, he let out a relieved sigh as he sat back with the goofy smile on his face that always accompanied a satisfying poop. Samantha raised her shoulders up as she smiled shyly behind the pacifier, looking like she was holding back her own giggle. “We’ll be right back,” she announced to Greg more than anyone else, though Edgar and Elizabeth nodded too. Kelly looked between the two, trying to decide how to manage it, as she knew Charlie didn’t like walking in a messy diaper. “I can hold Sammy,” Elizabeth offered, and Greg paused in the middle of his signature; at least in high school, he had learned she hated that nickname, and each progressive use of it was like nails on a chalkboard in his mind. Still, he clenched his jaw and continued signing, hoping to just press through and get the hell out of here as fast as possible. “Oh, it’s okay, I might as well do both now before the big drive,” Kelly smiled and inclined her head in thanks. Charlie slid down from Kelly’s lap and onto the floor. He plastered a smile on his face, hating the mushy feeling as he did so, but it was the best option in the moment (it wouldn’t look good to force Sam to crawl after them). Holding Kelly’s hand once she had Sam and the diaper bag in tow, the three slowly walked towards the private bathroom. The second she turned the lock, he put his arms up and whined. “Mememememe,” he insisted as he jumped at her, wiggling his fingers. “Yes, yes, Choo-choo first!” Kelly giggled, setting the bag down on the provided table. She nearly set Samantha next to it, atop the table, but, worried there was a camera (despite, yes, knowing that would be illegal in a bathroom; paranoia was never logical), she crouched and set her on the ground. The Amazon offered Samantha a wide smile, then lifted Charlie onto the changing table. The pair shared a moment’s glance before Kelly pulled his pants off and set them to the side. She spent the time cleaning him up wrestling with what to say, if to say anything at all (aside from the fact that she had never handled diaper changes in a group like this, either, so it felt a bit rude to talk to Sam while cleaning up Charlie). She had also started to pick up on him using diaper changes to think, and his expression definitely indicated he was plotting, planning, or otherwise preoccupied. She hummed very quietly to make some noise in the room as she rolled up the messy diaper and pulled out a new one. “Kelly?” Charlie asked quietly as she stretched out the diaper to decrease the middle fold. “Yeeees?” she smiled at him. “Can we go to, um… Copper’s?” he asked as he tilted his head to the side. “Copper’s?” she echoed, unsure of what he was asking, but she noticed Samantha look up. “Yeah!” he chirped, smiling brightly. “For shakes!” “Oh! Uh, I don’t see why not,” she shrugged, taking his feet that were already crossed at the ankles and lifting him up to slide the fresh diaper beneath. “We’ll have to find it, or ask around –” She stopped as she looked at Charlie, who grinned, glad to see she caught on. “Ooooor,” she grinned in turn, looking down to meet Samantha’s eye. “Maybe someone can tell us where the nearest Copper’s is?” “Cob-ber’s!” Samantha corrected with a smile behind the pacifier, but she seemed to realize her correction wouldn’t sound like it with it in, and took it out to repeat, “Cobber’s.” “Cobber’s?” Kelly clarified. “Copper’s!” Charlie pressed with a snicker. “Cobber’s!” Samantha corrected again with a grin. “It’s called Cobber’s!” “I think –” Kelly lifted a finger in the air as she looked at Charlie, whose mouth was opening to continue the charade. “We can trust the person who’s been living here.” Charlie beamed at Kelly, feeling a burst of love in his chest. “Is really good!” Samantha bubbled, her face lighting up, and Kelly looked down at her with excitement, happy to hear her speak so energetically. But quickly, the Little took in a breath and looked down at her feet, wiggling her toes to see the movement underneath the booties. She appeared to stop herself from saying more, and Kelly frowned. “What’s good about it?” she asked curiously as she taped on Charlie’s diaper and shimmied his pants back on. “Shakes,” Samantha replied quietly, grabbing the bow on her bootie and tugging at it, but it didn’t untie because it was sewn on. As she tugged at the bow, her shoulders relaxed a little, and she smiled as she continued, “Burgers, and fries, and they take candy and mix it in shakes, or malts. And shakes can’t be malts, but malts are shakes with malt in them.” “I didn’t know that,” Kelly replied thoughtfully, having truly never given it thought. She had lost the taste for sweets years ago and wasn’t one to question whatever a Little asked for. She lifted Charlie up, who looked rather proud of himself (as he should), and she kissed the tip of his nose, then set him down. Smiling at Samantha, Kelly spread her hands towards the Little’s side, giving her a moment to realize what was going on, then she gently lifted her onto the changing table. “So what is malt, then?” “Isss ummm,” Samantha thought as she leaned back to lie down and looked up at the ceiling. “Like a powder, that is uhh –” Kelly smiled as she ripped open the first tape, and Samantha took in a sharp breath. It wasn’t until the second tape that the Amazon looked at the Little whose face suddenly looked different: she was more relaxed, less focused, and less aware. Blinking, Kelly leaned forward. “Samantha?” “Baah, guh!” Samantha giggled suddenly and began smacking her lips together. Kelly gasped as she leaned away from the Little, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. “Babababa!” Charlie’s head snapped upwards at the table as his eyebrows tightened in a glare, and he swallowed hard. He had heard babbling like that before, and his hands curled into fists. “Samantha? Honey?” Kelly faltered as her tone rose about an octave in concern and her fingers drummed on the girl’s knees, hoping to snap her out of whatever she was going through. “Gaah sasabagaa!” Samantha giggled unconcernedly. “Kelly,” Charlie pleaded quietly, trying hard to maintain his baby voice, but he was struggling. “I wanna go home. Now.” She looked down at him, and they shared a long stare as Samantha continued to babble nonsense. The confusion and worry on Kelly’s face only worsened as they stared until Charlie mouthed, “Hypnosis.” She gasped in horror, and her head snapped towards Samantha, who again giggled and raised her arms. Kelly stared down at her in disbelief for a moment, then she realized it was something she must have done or said. Looking down and around at the table for some clue or sign, her hands began to shake as they grew cold. She didn’t know what to do or how to help, and worried that any further action would make the moment or Samantha’s present condition worse. “Kellyyyy,” Charlie whined as he stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her leg and hugging it tightly in hopes of snapping her out of her spiral. “I wanna goooo.” “Right,” she whispered and nodded, repeating it to herself a few more times as she looked down at Charlie, then to Samantha. Swallowing, she quickly ripped off the other tapes, then gasped as she saw Samantha pause and stiffen as she had before. “The tapes,” Kelly mouthed, then looked down at Charlie as she repeated in a whisper, “The tapes…” Charlie grimaced, nodded, and lowered his face to glare at the ground as his jaw clenched. Kelly closed her eyes for a moment, took in a deep breath, and began to move as fast as humanly possible. Since it was just a wet diaper, she didn’t give rolling it up much effort or thought, wiped her down as quickly as possible, and forwent the usual diaper stretch. She, like Charlie, wanted out of here… now. Samantha’s babbling slowed as she was changed, and once in a new diaper and on the ground, she fell quiet. Charlie released Kelly and stepped away so she could wash her hands at the small sink, and he looked over at Samantha as she stared down at herself in silence. She moved her legs a bit, pressing them together and then spreading them out. She then lifted the dress’s skirt to look at the fresh diaper and ran her index finger over the stars printed on it. She pressed her finger on one of them. “Sam?” Charlie whispered as he stepped closer to her, and she looked up at him with tears and panic in her eyes. His mouth opened slightly, realizing she had lost that time when she had been triggered. “I - I -” she stammered, gasping as she searched for words. “Malts,” he replied with a half-smile, forced as it was, to try and spare her the horror of having to explain anything. There’d be time for that later… when they needed to tell Greg. “You were ’splaining malts.” Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at Charlie and nodded slowly; Kelly covered her mouth at the sink, holding her breath as she swallowed the surge of emotion that threatened to make her cry. “Oh… yeah,” Samantha whispered, slowly smiling as her eyes darted back and forth as if searching her memory, then nodded, seemingly having found what she needed. “Itssa powder… of milk and - and wheat. And… barley malt.” “Oohh, cool,” Charlie nodded, rocking back on his heels as he watched her carefully. “Cobber’s malts are really good,” she added as she twisted around to look for Kelly, who quickly removed her hand from her face and spun around to face the two and smiled. “Then let’s go get some,” she stated quietly, and all three of them nodded together.

Chapter 20 – Full Time Baby Like most mornings, I woke up and could instantly tell that I had wet myself in the night. However, this time I didn’t feel sad or upset. I had finally started to come to terms with the fact that I was incontinent and needed to wear nappies. I sat up in the crib and allowed my dummy to fall out of my mouth. I held onto to the crib rails and waited patiently for Christina to come in. It didn’t take long before I heard her coming up the stairs and walked into the nursery. ‘Morning pumpkin’, she beamed as she opened the curtains. ‘Morning Auntie, I replied as I adjusted my eyes to the sunlight. She walked over and let down the side of the crib. I got up onto my knees to assume the diaper check position. ‘What are we dealing with today then?’ Christina grinned. ‘Just a wee wee Auntie’, I replied. ‘Ooh ok’, she said, ‘no poo poo this morning?’ ‘Nope’ I assured her. Christina raised her eyebrow at me in suspicion. I smiled, ‘you’d better check just in case’. I didn’t think I had messed myself but at this point it was hard to tell. Christina stretched open the back of my nappy and confirmed that I was clean. After my nappy check, I headed over to the changing table and laid down. ‘When is Mummy going to be here?’ I asked. ‘She should be here just before lunch time’, confirmed Christina. I missed my Mummy and couldn’t wait to see her. ‘What are we doing today?’ I asked. ‘No plans today’, replied Christina grinning, ‘you can just enjoy being a baby all day’. ‘I’d like that’, I giggled in response. After my revelation last night, I was ready to embrace my baby life more than ever. I began wiggling my legs in excitement. ‘Keep those feet still mister’, Christina chuckled, ‘auntie needs to get this dry nappy on you’. I held as still as I could whilst she powdered me and fastened on a new nappy. Afterwards we headed downstairs where I was fed a bowl of cereal before being washed and dressed for the day. I had only my nappy and romper on but it felt like I was wearing enough, especially with the bonnet and mittens as well. I sat down on the blanket with a dummy in my mouth and began using my new colouring book. Christina put an episode of Bluey on the television. I had already seen the episode but was more than happy to watch it again. I started colouring a picture of a bunny rabbit holding a flower. I wanted to make it a really nice picture for my Mummy. For the first half an hour, I would occasionally shuffle around to check if I had wet myself. After a while, I stopped bothering and just allowed my body to do what it wanted to do. I was just starting my second picture when there was a knock on the door. I started panicking and began having my recurring nightmare that it would be Samantha at the door. The thought of her seeing me like this was terrifying. Christina past me and smiled. ‘Don’t worry sweetheart’, she smiled, ‘it’s only your Mummy’. My eyes widened with delight as the door was opened and my Mummy stood there in the doorway. As she walked in, I couldn’t help but rush over to her and embrace her in a bear hug. ‘Ooh someone’s pleased to see me’, giggled my mother as she returned the hug. I looked up at her and attempted to speak but the dummy seemed to have overtaken the inside of my mouth completely. ‘Mmphmmph’, I muffled from behind my dummy. ‘Aw, so cute’, chuckled my mother after hearing my incoherent speech. At that point I might as well of started going ‘goo goo ga ga’. I rushed over and picked up my colouring book that I was excited to show her. ‘Wow Jake!’ she exclaimed as she looked my picture, ‘did you do that all by yourself?’ I nodded my head and grinned widely behind my dummy. ‘Aw you’re so clever’, she cooed. I quickly ran back over to the blanket and began working on another picture. My mother and Christina started chatting to one another while I sat and did my colouring and watched Bluey. After a while, Christina announced that it was lunch time. I was a bit grumpy when she turned off the TV but I was feeling pretty peckish and so I didn’t mind too much. As usual, when we walked into the kitchen, I headed over to the highchair and allowed Christina to strap me into it before clicking the tray into place. I wondered what we were going to eat. As Christina tied on my bib, I watched curiously as my mother scooped something into a plastic bowl before placing it in the microwave. I waited patiently in the highchair while Christina made some sandwiches for her and my mother. As the microwave pinged, she came over and took the dummy out of my mouth. ‘What am I having for lunch?’ I finally got to ask. ‘Your favourite’, my mother giggled. After removing the plastic bowl from the microwave, she placed a small spoon inside and brought it over to me. As she placed it down on the tray I was confused. It looked like some kind of tomato soup but it smelt sweeter. ‘What is it?’ I asked intrigued. My mother walked over and picked up an empty jar. ‘It’s sweet potato and vegetables’, she cheered. I instantly understood what was happening and felt mortified. ‘You mean…it’s baby food?’ I exclaimed, ‘I’m not eating that’. ‘This used to be your favourite meal when you were little’, explained my mother, ‘you would always clear your bowl when I gave you this’. ‘I’m not a real baby anymore’, I argued. ‘I know you’re not sweetheart’, replied my mother, ‘but I’m curious to see if you still like it’. ‘I don’t want to eat it’, I said sternly. ‘You could at least try it’, Christina chimed in, ‘your Mummy has bought you that as a nice treat’. It felt like the worst treat in the world. I would rather be breastfed again than have to eat baby food. ‘Just try a little bit’, smiled my mother. Being locked inside of the highchair, I didn’t have a lot of other option. I sighed and attempted to pick up the plastic spoon that was sitting inside the bowl of orange goop. However, once again my mittens stopped me from doing anything by myself. I looked up at my mother defeated. ‘Could you…erm…feed me please?’ I asked whilst blushing. Most of the time I was fed my meals anyway but having to ask to be spoon fed felt very belittling. ‘Of course I can’, grinned my mother. She took hold of the plastic spoon and stirred the baby food in the bowl before scooping up a big spoonful of orange mush. ‘Open wide sweetie’, she cooed. As the spoonful of goop came towards me, I could do nothing but open my mouth and accept it. I wrapped my lips around the spoon as my mother gently pulled it away, leaving me with a mouthful of baby food. There wasn’t much for me to chew and it seemed to slide down my throat pretty easily. I was then left with the after taste. It was mostly bland although I could taste a slight sweetness which I guessed came from the potato. ‘Good boy Jake’, my mother said softly, ‘here comes the next one’. I watched as she scooped up another spoonful and guided it into my mouth. This time I kept the food in my mouth a little longer before swallowing it. I was too embarrassed to say anything but it actually didn’t taste too bad. I opened my mouth again before my mother had even scooped up another spoonful. ‘Someone’s eager’, chuckled Christina. ‘Aw, you see’, smiled my mother, ‘I knew you would still enjoy this’. I didn’t respond and waited patiently for my next mouthful. After eating spoonful after spoonful, the bowl was finally empty. My mother picked up my bib and used it to wipe my mouth. ‘I’m so proud of you for finishing all of your din dins’, my mother cooed. ‘Thanks’ I replied awkwardly although I did get a certain kick out of being praised. My mother removed my bib and let me out of the highchair. She put the dummy back into my mouth before holding my hand and leading me into the living room. I felt slightly confused as neither her or Christina had eaten their lunch yet. However, as we walked over to the corner of the room, I saw the play pen and knew exactly where I was going. With the dummy in my mouth, I couldn’t complain and could do nothing but allow my mother to help me get inside of the play pen before taking a seat and getting comfortable. ‘Play nicely with your toys sweetheart’, said my mother, ‘we’ll just be in the other room if you need us’. After she left the room, I looked around the play pen and saw my cuddly dinosaur from yesterday along with my building blocks. I was frustrated that I couldn’t do my colouring and would have to resort to playing with baby toys. I sighed and started to put my building blocks in order. They were numbered 1-10 and I was able to do it within a few seconds. I attempted to stack my blocks and make a tower. Despite my best efforts, the mittens on my hands made it extremely difficult to stack any more than three blocks at a time. The fact that I was struggling to play with a baby toy felt very demeaning and I eventually gave up. I knocked down my small tower in frustration and threw the blocks out of the play pen. ‘I hope you’re playing nicely in there’, I heard my mother call out from the kitchen. I suddenly froze and felt just like a little kid who knew that they might be in trouble. I stayed quiet for a few moments until I heard my mother and Christina carrying on their conversation. My cuddly dinosaur smiled at me from the other side of the play pen and I remembered all the fun I’d had with him yesterday. I smiled and reached over to grab him. However, as I did, I let out a fart. This was followed by the back of my nappy expanding and I instantly knew that I had messed myself. I grabbed my dinosaur and gingerly sat down in my mess. It wasn’t long afterwards that I felt my nappy becoming damp as I started wetting myself. I had come to terms with being incontinent but it was still a strange sensation to suddenly have a dirty nappy out of nowhere. I couldn’t help but smile as I realised just how much of a baby I had become and how I was now fully dependant on Christina and my mother. For the next half an hour, I played with my dinosaur and enjoyed trying to make him do a back flip. Finally, I heard my mother and Christina get up from the dining room table and make their way into the living room. ‘Phew!’ exclaimed my mother, ‘smells like we’ve got a little stinker in here’. By this point, I was getting used to messing my nappy so much that the smell didn’t even register with me anymore. ‘Look at the mess in here’, giggled Christina as she saw my building blocks everywhere, ‘such a messy baby’. She turned to my mother, ‘I’m happy to tidy up down here if you’re alright changing him’. ‘Yes, that’s fine’, replied my mother as she looked at her wristwatch, ‘it’s time for his nap anyway’. I was perfectly happy playing with my dinosaur and didn’t want a nap. ‘Mmmmph’, I tried to complain but forgot about the dummy in my mouth. I spat it out but my mother instantly put it back in again. ‘Keep that safe sweetheart’, she cooed. Now I was getting irritated that I wasn’t even allowed to speak. ‘Mmmph Mmmph’, I said desperately but the dummy continued to muffle my words. I began to sob out of frustration before the tears began flowing and I started crying. ‘Aw, I think someone’s getting a bit cranky’, chuckled Christina. ‘Come on stinky bum’, said my mother as she lifted me out of the playpen, ‘let’s go and change your nappy and then you can have a nice sleep in the crib’. - I continued to gently sob through my nappy change and desperately wanted my dinosaur. My mother hummed softly as she cleaned my bottom before applying a clean nappy. I was then led over to the crib and tucked in ready for my nap. ‘I’m afraid I have some bad news’, said my mother as she locked up the side of the crib, ‘I have to work tomorrow so I won’t be able to see you’. I sucked on my dummy and continued sobbing. ‘I think Christina has something nice planned for you tomorrow though’, she said before gently kissing my forehead, ‘night night pumpkin’. After she left the room, I looked up at the crib mobile. Seeing the animals gently turn around while the lullabies played actually calmed me down and I was finally able to control my emotions. There was now only one question on my mind. What did Christina have planned for tomorrow?

Chapter Fifty-Four: Supplemental ‘Captain’s Log: Day One in new, hostile territory.’ ‘The indigenous alien population, who are giants in comparison to my stature, have a predisposition to see me as an infant of their species. In my attempts to make contact with them, I mistook height for supremacy amongst their kind, and the giantess I thought was their queen turned out to be a mild-mannered inventor in an oppressive criminal regime. While my life has been turned upside down and my crew has been forced to continue the mission without me, I have made the best of my circumstances. At least, I thought I had.’ Adam grinned as he swayed his feet from side to side in the baby carrier, the training pacifier stuck in his mouth, which once again felt glued to his teeth. It had been almost forty-five minutes since Seo-ya had forced it in and set the hour-long timer, and he was enjoying the reframing of his life in the form of a Star Trekking captain’s log. It was a good way to cope. He had burst into tears the second the words came out of his mouth, and he hadn’t had the wherewithal to assess the Amazon’s reaction. She had pivoted him into the spanking position, but apparently changed her mind, and he was instead thrown into the baby carrier he had arrived in. It was a surprise, in hindsight, but in the moment, he had simply broken down and subsequently cried his eyes out for about ten or so minutes until he went numb. So, the humor arrived to pull him from the depths of despair. For her part, Seo-ya had left him alone and was walking around the house setting up the high chair and other baby accoutrements in preparation for his stay. By the time he took stock of her, she seemed annoyed but calm. So, normal for her. Shik was nowhere to be seen. ‘In my efforts to improve the giantess’ quality of life, and she, mine, we inadvertently started a chain of events that has upset the careful balance of power in this criminal organization. As such, I have become a hostage in an attempted power grab, and I find myself in an unfamiliar and hostile land, with two giants that appear to be coupled. They are horribly disfigured and rendered hideous by their personalities –’ No, no… it had to be something better. Something science fiction-like. He looked up at the ceiling, continuing to happily kick his feet, much to the annoyance of his great aunt, who glared, huffed, or growled anytime she took stock of his happy-go-lucky state. ’*Their prolonged exposure to the toxic gases native to this planet, greedogen and pridelium, has rendered them horribly disfigured and unrecognizable amongst their kind. These gases seep out from deep within the planet’s crust through the local porous rock they used to make their home, exposing them daily to its toxic effects. Luckily for me, these gases are quite light and quickly rise well above my head. For now, that is the one thing saving me from suffering the same fate as these ugly, power-mad, and greedy husks of whoever they once were.’ He blew a laugh out his nose as he relaxed his bladder for the second time since chugging the bottle of water, yet the diaper, bulging against the pink pajamas and the carrier’s restraints, continued to swell, with no sign it was maxed out yet. ‘I must find a method to free myself before these creatures succeed in their fiendish plot, and all before I succumb to the toxic gases of… Moronica.’ Adam burst out laughing despite it not being that funny; it felt good to laugh. He rocked his head back, grateful that some of the laughing was able to leak out at the corners of his mouth. Seo-ya shot a glare over at him as she dumped a mixture of leftovers into a food processor. She clicked a button, and the loud grinding noise began, giving her the freedom to stomp over to him with a snarl on her lip. “This is not playtime, Adam,” she chastised, placing her hands on her hips and glaring down as she loomed over him. She had placed the carrier on the floor, likely to make sure he was aware of just how small he was, but the joke was on her: one doesn’t live with Joomi without learning to accept one’s lack of height by comparison. “Sowwee,” he lied around the pacifier with a wry smile, swaying his feet still, but just a tad less energetically than before. She narrowed her eyes at him, her lips thinning in the process. The grinding of the food stopped just as she rolled her eyes up, took in a deep breath, then forced a smile as she tapped her index fingers on her hips. “I understand,” she mused as she crouched down in front of him, tapping her fingers on the bottom of his foot. “It’s silly of me to expect a mature response from you, isn’t it?” Adam stared at her for a moment, then shrugged. He wasn’t willing to cede his maturity verbally to her, even though it likely wouldn’t change anything. It was a thread of defiance he could reasonably hold on to, even if, performatively, he would have to lean into infantile behavior… he could tell himself it was strategic. As it always was. “Well, your auntie was hurt by the mean words you used,” Seo-ya continued, seemingly ignoring the shrug and going with whatever she had answered in her head on his behalf. “But I understand you’ve had a hard day. And apparently, someone’s Mommy didn’t teach him how to express himself properly when he’s upset.” He narrowed his eyes. She grinned with a glint in her eye. “That’s okay, baby,” she cooed as she took hold of his pink, fuzzy foot and gave it a light squeeze. “Your auntie will teach you.” “I’m hungwee,” he stated as curtly as possible, though with the training pacifier in, he was very aware that he sounded far more pouty than annoyed. Seo-ya gave an amused chuckle as she pulled out her phone, then arched an eyebrow at the countdown of his time out. He craned his neck to get a view of the numbers and swore he saw it was under five minutes, but she quickly pulled it away from his view. “You’re almost done with timeout, then you’ll get dinner,” she stated, reaching out to press two fingers to the front of the diaper. He jerked slightly, though he was pleasantly surprised that she hadn’t pushed hard enough for him to feel her fingers (or was the diaper just that thick?). She smirked and stood up, walking over to the kitchen to manage whatever monstrosity she had blended together. His nostrils flared as he glared in the opposite direction. His thoughts and emotions were spiking radically about how he wanted to handle her, Shik, and this entire situation. He would bitterly decide he was going to do everything he could to sabotage them and/or piss them off, only to remind himself not to put himself at risk and calm down. He would decide to try and “help” in a way, only to turn it against them at an opportune moment, but he feared that moment would never come, and in the meantime, he had just been compliant and helpful. The worst of his thoughts were those of self-harm… they weren’t genuine feelings or desires, but acted as revenge fantasies that would truly foil Shik’s plan, since his being safe and unharmed was a key component to being a good bargaining chip. He took in a sharp breath through his nose. Holey shirts… that was potentially a major safety net of his. Presuming Shik intended to keep up Japok’s vice grip on the government, he would need Joomi’s cooperation after the takeover. No matter what, pissing Kang off was a given in this situation, but keeping Adam safe meant Shik could barter with her after the takeover. It would also explain why he’d heard, twice now (at least, he thought so) that he needed to be kept safe. Adam’s blue eyes snapped over to the skeleton in a dress, and he smirked. So, she couldn’t hurt him too much, or she’d be risking her husband’s plan. Perhaps that was what stayed her hand with spanking. He chuckled darkly as the pacifier beeped (as did Seo-ya’s phone) and released its death grip on his teeth. He pushed it out of his mouth with his tongue as he lifted his hands to massage his lips and jaw in an attempt to mask his grin. “Well done, baby!” Seo-ya sardonically chirped as she approached the carrier, reaching her bony fingers in to remove the restraints and lift him out. He grimaced slightly, feeling the hefty sag of the very saturated diaper clinging to his hips and fighting gravity. His face contorted more when she placed her hand on it, pressing the squish against him, and the dampness of that area became sharply evident and uncomfortable. She gave it a knowing pat and squeeze as she walked him over to the high chair, and set him in it, quick to buckle him in and slide the tray into place. Adam stared at the glass jar of grey slop and let out a sigh. “Can I try your mandu?” he asked in a defeated tone as he watched her dig the rubber-tipped spoon into the jar. He knew the answer, at least at present, but he figured it was worth trying all the same. She looked surprised, tilting her head to the side as she looked up in consideration. Then the corner of her mouth turned up. “I don’t know,” she hummed as she leaned forward, aiming the spoon for her mouth. “Maybe. If you’re good.” He stared up at her, understanding the meaning beneath: be good, get real food. Be bad… he stared at the glop, grimacing slightly, unsure what she had pulverized, but he could tell it wasn’t going to taste good. “Open wiiiide,” she sang and circled the spoon in the air. Exhausted and just ready to let the day end, he closed his eyes and opened his mouth. ‘Here comes the plaaaane,’ echoed Joomi’s voice in his head. He jerked slightly as he felt the spoon enter his mouth, and he closed his lips around it, flashing a smile as he envisioned Joomi’s exaggerated expression when she did the plane. The slop was awful tasting, and he quickly realized it was mostly ground-up rice from the taste, but the smile didn’t fade; instead, he could hear Joomi’s giggle that always followed him rolling his eyes. He swallowed the goop quickly and opened his mouth again, eager to hear her again. ‘Here comes the plaaaane.’ “Good baby.” Seo-ya’s words shattered the moment as another spoonful went in, but he closed his eyes tighter and swallowed, opening his mouth again, praying the woman would just shut up and enjoy watching him suffer through her slop. ‘Here comes the plaaaane.’ He smiled again, accepting the next spoon in silence. Seo-ya chuckled a few times, but otherwise kept going, and Adam swallowed each spoonful quickly, needing the sustenance but trying his best to ignore the flavor, and eagerly replaying her voice and laugh again, and again in his mind. As if in the blink of an eye, the jar was empty, and Adam smacked his lips, grimacing at the flavor as he had to open his eyes and return to the grim reality. “That was very good!” Seo-ya complimented with a measure of disbelief, dumping the jar and spoon into the sink. Adam rolled his eyes when her back was turned and looked around the area, trying to get a better sense of the layout of the home. It also finally struck him how modern everything was, in sharp contrast to his house. Whereas the decor at home was warm, with blended old Goryeoan art and aesthetics, this was cold and sharp. There was some Goryeoan art, but it was modern in style, and what little traditional style they had was kept behind glass cabinets. As he spun to twist the other direction, he was greeted by her dress as Seo-ya reached her arms in to unbuckle and pull him out of the chair. He sneered when she once more checked the state of the squishy and heavy diaper, and he busied himself by looking over her shoulder. He arched an eyebrow at the glass wall that ran across the dining room and looked out into a courtyard that he estimated was at the center of the house. It reminded him of the same center courtyard at Zhang’s. “Why do so many houses have a courtyard at the center?” “For privacy, dear,” she explained rather dismissively, glancing her head back at the same wall he was looking at; he pursed his lips, about to rant to himself about her inability to expound on anything, but she gave a small shrug as she walked towards the stairs leading to the upper floor. “It’s a traditional way to have a garden and outdoor space that wasn’t visible to the outside world.” He frowned curiously, surprised she gave any kind of answer, much less one that was plausible. “Like for playing?” He regretted it the second the words came out of his mouth, realizing how childish it sounded, and her chuckle confirmed it. “Yes, like for playing. Littles could happily stumble about without worrying about being sn —“ she stopped, taking in a breath akin to a small gasp, and she cleared her throat. “Without worrying about anything.” Adam stared at her and noted she was avoiding his gaze. “Auntie?” “Yes, baby?” “Can Eomma come live here until it’s safe?” Seo-ya stopped walking, and her jaw dropped slightly. It seemed obvious she had a ‘no’ at the ready, but not the reason. He curled his hand resting at her shoulder into a fist, confident it was out of her line of sight, and focused on keeping the rest of his body still and relaxed. He needed this to come off as a genuine, innocent question. “No, honey,” she replied quietly after a short delay. “Why not?” “She just can’t,” Seo-ya grumbled as she adjusted him on her arm, turning down a sleek white hall, and she blew a sharp sigh out of her nose. “And call her ‘Mommy’.” “Why?” he asked incredulously, his upper lip sneering as he felt a flash of irritation that she ruined an opportunity for a genuine moment. “Because she’s your Mommy, baby,” Seo-ya hummed as she turned sharply into a room, and Adam was rendered mute by the scene of a full-blown nursery before him. Shockingly, it was rather classy and very sleek, with minimal theming and personalization. All the furniture was sleek, shiny white, and the accents were black, grey, desaturated blue, pink, or green. He had a flicker of hope. Surely it would not go unnoticed that Shik had purchased an entire nursery set and supplies leading up to his kidnapping. “This is usually our guest nursery, but until things settle down, it’ll be yours.” Damnit. Of course they would have already had a full nursery set up “just in case”. She walked him to the changing table and laid him down, placing the strap over him without hesitation, and he rolled his eyes, turning his head to the side to look at a row of stuffed animals on the floor, leaning against a storage box. There wasn’t a tiger, but he quickly realized that was a good thing; he didn’t want to feel like he was cheating on Little Boja with another tiger. “Eomma means Mommy,” he stated plainly as she maneuvered around the straps to unzip the pink pajamas. “Yes,” she agreed with a nod, pulling each leg out one at a time. “So why does it matter if I say Eomma or Mommy?” “Because I can hear the difference in your tone,” she smirked as her eyes met his, and his eyebrows furrowed. She chuckled, slowly ripping off the four tapes, one at a time; he felt a lump in his throat as he shivered, an awful sort of déjà vu. “Language is a funny thing, dear. We have a lot of different ways to say the same thing, and our brains don’t choose the words we use at random.” He breathed out a small sigh of relief at the fourth tape ripping off, despite knowing he’d be exposed to her, but it was slightly more preferable to remaining in that piss-soaked diaper for any longer. As he got sight of it, he grimaced slightly; it appeared to be the exact same one he had been put in by the kidnapper… this morning. If his skin could breathe its own sigh of relief, it felt like it did in that moment. “So when you say ‘Eomma’, it’s just a word for you,” she continued, rolling up the massive pink diaper, seeming smugly satisfied with herself as she belabored the point. Adam understood her from the first response, but she just had to overexplain. “No different than calling her by anything else. But you say Mommy… that means something to you.” He had a bevy of responses at the ready for her, but he thought twice about it, not sure he wanted to engage her wrath while he was strapped down and pantless. He turned his head back to the side to stare at the stuffed animals again as he rejected a fair amount of replies before coming to one, and looking back to Seo-ya, who was folding out an overnight diaper, still looking rather pleased with herself. “But Eomma means something to her,” he replied quietly, realizing he was also telling himself this. He had already gone through that recognition of the language barrier, acting like some kind of shield in his mind. But he had been undergoing a secondary realization on the same topic now that he was thinking back… He had started to use Eomma more because she responded better to it. “Of course it does,” Seo-ya chuckled, lifted his legs, and slid the thick padding beneath him. “She‘s fluent in both languages.” Adam arched an eyebrow as something struck him; he hadn’t heard anything about her and Shik having any children, and there were practically no photos or portraits in the main living area. “Have you ever been a Mommy?” Seo-ya’s eyes snapped to him and narrowed, which told him everything he needed to know. Quickly, she shook her head and averted her eyes, her eyebrows furrowing as she briefly ran a wipe over his genitals and inner thighs. “No, baby,” she said curtly, tossing the wipe in a nearby trash. “Ohh… that makes sense,” Adam murmured a bit louder than he intended, but he had wanted to make sure she heard it. Her lips thinned as she moved to fold the diaper up to tape shut, but thought twice and grabbed diaper cream. “What makes sense?” she questioned in an annoyed tone, but sounded genuinely curious. “Oh, nothing,” he chirped as he shrugged the best he could under the straps, nearly bursting out in a laugh at the glare she sent him. “Adam,” she warned as she squeezed a large portion of cream into her hand. “Yes, Auntie?” he smiled. “What makes sense?” she repeated, her eyes repeating the warning in her tone. He licked his lips as he stared, once more juggling between the more impulsive and inflammatory option, and – “That you’ve never been a Mommy,” he blurted out before his brain could stop him, and he shrugged again. “So you don’t understand.” “Excuse me?” she practically growled. Adam closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the flashes of Boja giving him a deadpan stare, Jae-yung failing to hide his grin (and not really trying), and the ever-so-slight grins of both Mung and Kang. Was it an accurate rendering of their reactions if they were here or listening? Boja, yes, definitely, but the rest were figments of his imagination, allowing him to enjoy the moment in his mind without outwardly showing it to Aunt Bones. “I just mean that… well, it’s not all about me,” he explained flippantly as he opened his eyes, losing a bit of his defiant energy as he looked upon her severe face. His heart skipped a beat; he had struck a nerve, for sure, and now needed to (or… wanted to) soften the landing. “Yeah, sure, there’s a lot of taking care of me, making sure I’m clean and, uh, dressed –” he paused, staring down at his still exposed genitals now coated in cream; he smiled nervously. “But, uh, I get to do things too. I get to make Eomma feel good by using the name that means something to her, and play silly games with her if she’s feeling down. I get to help, too.” He tried to genuinely beam at that, but it fell as he looked upon Seo-ya’s face, and he gaped slightly. Her expression had softened, and her eyes looked distant, as if she were… actually listening to him. Which, for a beautiful second, felt like a victory. But as her eyes moved away from him, looking up in thought, her cheeks suddenly flushed as she smiled down at him, sending a shockwave of fear through his body. The smile was genuine, and something in her face signaled a shift in her that he was deeply uncomfortable with. “That’s very sweet, baby,” she offered up softly as she taped the diaper on. “Uuhh, well, no, it’s…” he stammered as he shivered, goosebumps breaking out all over his body. Jerking his head to the side, he jutted his chin towards the stuffed animals. He needed a subject change, pronto. “Can I - I have one? Please?” “Of course,” she smiled, tucking his legs back into the same pink pajamas, which she eyed like a hungry predator. He shivered again, tempted to blurt out every swear he knew to break the spell he had apparently cast on her, but he had also experienced enough forced pacifiers for a lifetime. He swallowed hard, wracking his brain for a middle-of-the-line solution as she unbuckled the restraints and lifted him up, giggling at the outfit, and lifted him to her face. His face instantly paled as she drew him in, and he closed his eyes as his entire body tensed up, curled in, trying to avoid it, but alas… Aunt Bones kissed him on the cheek. Only because he turned his head. “Bleeeeecchhh,” he groaned out as he grimaced, and the Amazon chuckled, bending over and placing him on the ground on all fours. She patted his diaper, which sent him into another shiver. “Go on, pick one out, baby,” she cooed. “Fffffudge,” he growled under his breath as he sat back and stood up, only to find that the way the diaper’s leg holes were cut caused the thick padding to jab into his thighs, making standing extremely uncomfortable. He looked down, adjusting his stance every which way, but no matter how wide or awkward he stood, the pressure of the padding was forcing his legs forward. “It’s a crawler diaper, dear, like what you were wearing before,” Seo-ya commented flippantly as she placed a hand on his back, gently pushing him to coax him back to the ground. “But that’s not what I normally wear,” he complained, groaning as he steadied himself with one leg forward to fight the pressure, both of the diaper and her hand, but it was getting difficult. “It was what —“ “It’s what we have,” she shrugged. “I’ll order something else if you go through these.” “But Auntie, I –” “Pick out a friend, baby,” she instructed, her tone still soft, but she was starting to edge back into her normal register, which was encouraging. “But I can walk –” he pressed. “Adam,” she warned. “This thing sucks!” he snapped, clenching his jaw and glaring down at the padding monstrosity. “Adam!” she snapped as her hand forcefully pushed him to all fours, and he let a growl, glaring down at the carpet. “Do not use that word. Now pick out a friend, or I’ll do it for you.” Glaring up at her, he was at least satisfied to see a frown and a warning eyebrow arch in response. He huffed and crawled, sneering and snarling the entire way until he reached the line-up. He rocked back onto his butt, sat upright, and arched an eyebrow down at the diaper, noting it felt like a full seat cushion beneath him. Letting a grumble die in his throat, he assessed the row of fellow inmates – no… he grinned slightly, picturing them as a line-up of possible criminals for a witness to point out. ‘Will the, uh, sheep turn to the right, please?’ he imagined announcing over a speaker as he reached out, grabbing the white-and-blue sheep and turning it profile. He blew a laugh out of his nose, but when Seo-ya lightly chuckled behind him, his nostrils flared in irritation. He quickly scanned the plushes until his eyes fell upon a purple kangaroo… who had a pouch. He frowned curiously as he grabbed her, briefly running his thumb over the pouch. A pocket! She actually had a pocket! It wasn’t very wide or deep, and he didn’t have anything to hide or carry yet, but if and when he did, he could stuff it in her pouch. It was something. He smiled at her, ignoring the buzzing annoyance in his head that it was purple, twisted towards Seo-ya. He held the kangaroo up slightly, and his great aunt nodded, looking rather delighted as her massive hands zoomed towards him and plucked him from off the ground again. “Great choice! You’ll have to give him a name,” she purred, drumming her thin fingers against his back as she walked him straight to the crib. “It’s a –” he was about to correct her that males didn’t have pouches, but he realized he didn’t want to draw attention to it. Looking up at the ceiling, he hummed in thought and finished his sentence, “Hopper.” “Hopper? That’s his name?” she asked as she lowered him into the crib. “Yeah,” he nodded, eyeing the kangaroo and giving it a slight smile. Hopper the Hoarder. “Hopper.” “That’s a cute name, baby,” she complimented and patted him on the head. With her bony hands off of him, she stood up and adjusted the mobile above him, a glint in her eye as she looked down at him and shook it. Adam blinked as the sound in the room dulled for a moment, and he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. He could hear the jingling of the shapes in the mobile, some sounding like bells and others like rattles, but it was muted in a way similar to noise-canceling headphones. Periodically, Joomi had put them on him in the lab when particularly loud sounds were ongoing to protect his hearing, or he would use them when he wanted to concentrate (or just listen to his shows without interruption). Similar to him, Seo-ya looked confused. She looked at the mobile, then down at him, and shook it again while staring at him. Just as the sound in the room had begun to return to a normal volume, it dipped again; once more, somewhat muted. He squinted at her in confusion. Clearly, she had been expecting something to happen. “Everything… okay, Auntie?” he asked hesitantly, his own voice sounding a bit bizarre to him, too. “Yes…” she clearly lied, and her voice, too, sounded muted. She shook the mobile once more for good measure and reached a hand in, placing her fingers beneath his chin and lifting it slightly to look directly at his pupils. She was searching for something in his eyes, and he let out a nervous laugh, awkwardly casting his eyes from side to side, unsure of what to do. Seo-ya mouthed a word in her native tongue that was either too quiet to hear from the muted effect, or she hadn’t spoken at all, but either way, it wasn’t translated. She forced a smile as she pulled her hand away and clicked a button on the mobile, causing it to spin very slowly. “Good night, baby,” she replied in her best confident voice, but she failed; she sounded confused and distracted. “Goodnight,” he replied in kind. She lingered for a moment, staring at him as her eyes searched for something, and when she didn’t find it, she frowned. The distracting thoughts followed her to the door, where she turned off the lights, looked at him one more time, then shut the door. Adam sat staring at the shut door, looked up the mobile, then back at the door. He grimaced in confusion as he flopped backward to lie down and stared up at the mobile as he squinted at it. Slowly, as the sounds of the room and air around him returned to normal, it finally dawned on him, and he smiled widely while putting his hands behind his head. ‘Captain’s log, supplemental… I think the earpiece might be protecting me from more than just hypnosis… and the first field test appears to have been a success.’

This is very similar to the previous chapter just Elise’s POV if you’re picking a side to read from. Will hopefully have the next chapter up today as well. Chapter 3- Committing and explaining (Elise’s POV) Her face was adorable. If Ashley's mother hadn’t been on the phone she would’ve squealed seeing that potty face. It was unexpected and she was only 90% sure that Ashley had had an accident but her body was hot. It felt like every nerve was firing at the same time with how overwhelmingly cute Ashley was dressed how she was. The silence was nearly deafening. Elise could only hear the thud of her own heart beating in her ears. She had to focus outwards and back on the girl in front of her. Ashley was hyperventilating, probably trying to stave off a blackout. Her breathing slowed only minorly before Elise saw the tears puddle in the corner of Ashley’s eyes. She was moving before she even processed the thought and had her arms around Ashley as her body gave the first heave. She pulled her into her chest and stroked the back of her head as she whispered to Ashley. ‘You massively screwed up Elise. You invaded her safe space. You have to make this right and quickly.’ She easily hoisted the girl into her arms. Ashley naturally locked on and Elise moved her hands to her rear to support her as her wails were muffled by Elise’s shoulder. Elise noted the diaper, sure enough Ashley had wet herself. She didn’t care about the snot and tears pooling on shoulder as she began to gently rock Ashley and move around the room while she whispered into her ear. Anything and everything to inspire confidence back into Ashley who was just learning about this world. She knew Ashley was breaking down because she was afraid of being judged for being curious about this. Elise knew from her own fears of opening up about herself whether it was coming out to her family, or meeting Kelly in person for the first time. She had come to the resolution that the opinion from those closest to her were all that mattered and right now, Ashley didn’t know what her opinion of her was. She was afraid Elise wouldn’t understand. Ashley felt lighter than she expected, maybe it was the adrenaline bolstering her strength, maybe it was just the mental concept of how small Ashley appeared that tricked her muscles. No matter what, she continued to softly bounce Ashley and move around the room. “Shhhh it’s okay.” Gently whispered into her ear calmed her for a moment. “Everything is just fine.” Relieved some of the tension in her muscles. “I’ve got you.” Seemed to ground her sobs and relax her worries. Elise knew Ashley was internally beating herself up but she was here to comfort and support. Whether it was Elise’s words or just plain exhaustion, Ashley began to calm. Not fully of course, she was still prickly and sensitive, but her body had just gone through a workout both emotionally and physically. Her eyes were adorably puffy from the tears and there was a noticeable pool of snot and tears on her t-shirt’s shoulder but that was a small price to pay for her blunder. “Feeling a bit better?” Elise asked softly and close to Ashley’s ear. She knew how adrenaline seemed to mute the world and she could feel Ashley’s heart still beating rapidly against her chest. She moved over to the bed and sat down with Ashley still in her arms, now straddling her and sitting on her lap. “I’m sorry for barging in like that. It was exceedingly rude of me.” Elise started. “I had no intention of startling you like that or of witnessing something you may have wanted to keep a secret. Would you care to know why I’m here?” She asked and got another small nod. Elise began to explain the events that lead up to this point and finished her explanation with: “And that's how I ended up here. Again, I’m so sorry for barging in the way I did. I was partially worried about you with your mom chattering away all of the terrible potentials and being distracted with the phone that I didn't think to knock or announce myself. I was also letting my feelings get in the way of my actions and not acting appropriately.” “Thank you.” Ashley whispered back, her voice was small and a bit scratchy. “I forgive you.” “Now. Can we talk about this?” Elise asked gently as she moved her hand down Ashley’s back with a reassuring pressure, a small bit of excitement slipping into the question. “I can start if that makes you more comfortable.” She added to assuage the hesitance in Ashley’s demeanor. Ashley only waited for a second to respond, a slight bit of enthusiasm to have Elise start the conversation. “Alright, I’ll go first then.” Elise began. “First and foremost I want to put it out there that I think you’re beyond cute. Both in regular work attire, and this.” The blush was to die for as Ashley buried her face to hide. “I have been crushing on you since the day you started working at the shop. Maybe I was afraid our age gap would push you away and I have certain… desires and tastes, that I was afraid would hurt you. I am sorry for testing the waters the way I have. I was honestly scared that I would push you away and felt myself latching on to you without your knowledge or consent.” She knew she should be honest and build this bud of a relationship on a healthy foundation of trust. It was less difficult to express her feelings than she thought it would be, maybe it was because Ashley was so disarmed dressed how she was. “I… I like it.” Ashley meekly replied before hiding again. “I was mildly aware but I’ve been pushing boundaries that require conversation before pushing.” Elise continued. “I am a caregiver. I have a sort of need to take care of someone. It’s not exactly a sexual pleasure but more so an adjacent pleasure for me. What I’ve been doing is akin to forcing myself onto you. It may not have seemed like it because it can be played off as kindness but I am living out my fantasies through you without your consent. For example, feeding you at lunch today I massively crossed a line I shouldn’t have with myself, and for that I am sorry.” She knew what she was doing was wrong but she couldn’t help herself. The apology was a load off of her own shoulders. Ashley was quiet for a moment as she tried to process all of the new information being dumped on her. “Sorry, I’m kind of… new to… this… you might need to explain… a lot” Elise followed her eyes down to the onesie as she gestured. “How new?” Elise questioned. “Maybe 8 hours…” Ashley meekly responded. “You mean this is your first time trying ABDL attire or your first time experiencing this in general?” Elise asked, partially stunned by how deep Ashley had dove for someone who didn’t even know this was an option. “In…in general…” came the quiet response. “Bless your innocent pure little heart.” Elise squeezed Ashley, a pang of her innocence striking her heart. “Alright. I guess there’s some explaining to do then and we are both on different pages of a very, very thick book. Where do you want to start then?” “Um, can you explain “caregiver” for me?” Ashley asked with a blush. “Oh boy, we’re going to need to be comfortable.” Elise said before shifting back on the bed so that she could lean up against the head board. “Is it okay if you lay down in my lap?” She asked and Ashley moved over to her. The adorable little shuffle to crawl into her lap was to die for and Elise knew how delicate Ashley’s state of mind was at the moment. She didn’t need to guide necessarily, more so catch Ashley at this point. “Alright. I guess starting from the top and to the best of my understanding, there’s no set in stone rules so this is just my interpretation and standards. A caregiver is someone who seeks out a companion they can care for in the capacity that they would if they were of a mindset younger than their physical age, commonly this person is called a little. It’s a nurturing and protective role. I’ve known what to call it for maybe 15 years, since I was still in highschool and had started working for your aunt part time. It was even harder to figure it out back then and there weren't all of the outlets like there are now.” Elise started to explain. There was a lot, a mountain of topics to cover realistically, she decided she would start on the simpler side of things. “What’s a “little”?” Ashley asked. Elise had to pause and regroup. She knew a lot of the ins and outs of this dynamic to the point it was almost second nature to her. Introducing someone who hadn’t even known of the dynamic yet decided to crawl into a diaper and onesie on whim was going to be difficult. “You. Well not necessarily, but you could fit into the role of a little. It doesn’t mean you have to be physically little, although you are preciously so, there are fully grown men and women that are littles too. It’s more of the mindset and headspace. You don’t necessarily have to regress mentally but some do. Some, like yourself, and I’m not saying that you do, have an infatuation with objects or attire that make them feel small.” Elise tried to explain without going into hour long details and trying not to offend Ashley. Ashley’s blush renewed at being called out. “So you’re okay with… this?” “Yes, very much so. I’d think you’re oblivious if my hints today went over your head… they went over your head didn’t they?” Elise was partially baffled by how oblivious Ashley was but that was part of her charm. “You even passed out over a hint that went a little too far.” She sighed quietly to herself. “How was I supposed to know anything about any of this? I thought I was one of maybe a couple of dozen people that would look at a pack of diapers with “baby” boldly printed across the front and end up putting one on until a couple of hours ago. I pretty much tripped, fell, and got back up as a “little” apparently.” Ashley said, getting a little excited and shifting in Elise’s arms. Elise could tell from the subtle wince that the diaper was cooling off and becoming slightly uncomfortable. “Well you don’t have to put a label on it right away. You can be whatever you want to be. A sort of role of a caregiver is giving that safe space for someone to regress or to enjoy that side of themselves.” Elise continued. “Yeah….” Ashley replied. Elise felt her ease down into her arms and get a little more comfortable. “Well you can be whatever you want to be, there’s no reason to force a title or define it this quickly. In my own rush and stupidity I assumed you were already aware of this side of yourself but a lot of ABDL’s have some level of distrust exposing this secret. There is a sort of stigma associated with liking diapers and infantile outfits. It’s not for everyone and I’m sure you imagined people being harsh about the subject. Don’t get me wrong, there are some bad people out there that would manipulate the purity of this lifestyle into a negative light. I assure you I don’t have any fascination with minors and the cute outfits and diapers are just a very useful and adorable tool.” Elise clarified. She knew how niche the kink was and she knew how brutal people outside could be from just their small glance into it. At a very surface level it could look bad but with an understanding it’s a very caring and loving relationship. “Sooo, what do you gain from a caregiver point of view. It sounds like just work. It doesn’t sound sexual, at least not like sex sex…” Ashley ask, her cheeks flush, but clearly becoming more comfortable about opening up to Elise. “It can be sexual in some cases and scenarios. It’s roleplaying at its base form really. For me it’s the dominant role. I take power that is entrusted to me to reduce the adult responsibilities of another. Granted, I’ve never actually had an IRL partner per se…” She had never committed to a CGL relationship. Sure, she had dated off and on but she never truly opened up about her one true passion. Maybe that was what strained some of her previous longer relationships, keeping this side of herself suppressed and hidden. “But there are plenty of scenes that can be made sexual. For me it’s the power of reducing a consenting adult to their younger form. Diapers are a basic mechanism of stripping away an adult ability that is routed at a young age through potty training. The outfits, as cute as they are, regress their physical appearance and further enforce the dynamic.” Elise explained. She really wanted to emphasize how cute Ashley was but didn’t push it. “Of course there are scenes like MDLG, mommy domme little girl, that the regression is more forceful in nature. It can also tie into bondage that traps a little in that role for a scene. Just like BDSM boundaries, rules, and expectations are laid out first before starting a scene. You can establish safe words or gas pedals to accelerate a scene. It’s not necessarily scripted like a movie but as both partners dive into a scene their characters follows along. There’s more stuff that is sexual in nature that would tie directly to the themes but similar philosophy of regression as the focus and tool to strip power from a little.” She continued, getting a little excited and word vomiting it felt but there was just so much she wanted to explain and share with Ashley. “So if I was a little, would you be my mommy?” Ashley asked then covered her face with her hands to hide her burning blush when she realised the context. “Yes, I would happily.” Elise answered immediately. Her cheeks blazed at the thought of the title she dreamed of earning. “Would you expect me to… use my diapers?” Ashley asked meekly. “If it was a scene you were agreeable to I would have no issue with you using diapers for their intended purpose.” Elise was direct but hid her enthusiasm. “Number 1?” Ashley asked. “I would encourage it fully.” Elise proudly responded. “Number 2?” Ashley quietly asked. “Totally okay if it’s something that you feel you’re up to.” Elise knew that would be a difficult bridge for Ashley to cross but she could handle it. “What if… what if I… what if I already did a number 1.” Ashley was practically whispering at this point and Elise almost missed the question but grinned a little to herself when she processed it. “I’d probably say that the nighttime diaper you’re wearing can handle much more than that. But, since it’s your first time. I’d be more than happy to give you a change if you wanted it.” Elise responded as she started thinking about the idea of a diaper change. “Did you know… that I… had an accident?” Ashley was so blushy and timid it was almost painful for Elise. “Of course I did. Your potty face was so cute I almost squealed with your mom on the phone.” Elise was blunt which made Ashley freeze like a deer in headlights. “Stop teasing me! It was an accident!” Ashley turned back around and pouted. Elise was enjoying the adorable little pout and the gentle teasing. “I know it was an accident.” Elise assured her. “It’s just a good thing that you were wearing your protection when it happened.” She couldn’t help pushing the tease a little more. ‘Oh, little too far.’ She noted internally as she felt and heard Ashley’s breathing pick up again. She rubbed small circles on her back to comfort her. “Sorry for teasing. You’re just so cute I couldn’t help myself.” Elise whispered in her ear. She knew she had Ashley hooked. “I do have to say. For a first timer you pulled out all of the stops. I couldn’t have picked better myself and I’m the one who placed the order! Just look at how adorable you are.” “Ssss…stoooppp, you’re making my cheeks hurt.” Ashley blushed and smiled more at the praise. “Do you have a bit of understanding of the dynamic now? The draw? I gain a blushy little girl who can’t help herself. You get someone that appreciates and admires your blushes.” Elise said, only getting a small nod of agreement from Ashley.

Chapter One Hundred & Seventeen: Part Six By five o’clock, December had changed the kitchen. The golden ribbons of mid-afternoon were gone from the bay window now, replaced by the blue-gray hush of early evening pressing softly against the glass. Jacksonville did not go dark the way colder places did. Not with snow against windows or frost sealing the edges of the world. But winter still arrived in its own quiet way—cooler shadows, damp air, a pale strip of fading light sitting low over the backyard while the pool reflected the first dim silver of evening. Inside, the Goldhawk kitchen glowed warm. Under-cabinet lights softened the marble counters. The pendant lamps above the island burned low and golden. The house smelled like dinner now, which felt almost miraculous after the day it had been forced to hold. Pan-seared chicken thighs, with a red wine reduction, roasted potatoes. A little garlic. A little butter. A little smoke from where Bryan had gotten distracted and let one edge crisp too long before rescuing it with a curse under his breath and a scrape of the pan. For Bryan and Lilly, dinner had been adult and improvised and better than it had any right to be. For Paul, dinner had been different. Simpler. Safer. Chicken strips from the air fryer, cut into bite-sized pieces. Roasted potatoes cooled and split open so they were soft enough to manage. Now Paul sat between them on the padded banquette beneath the bay window. Bryan on his right. Lilly on his left. Paul in the middle. Not as a centerpiece. As the safest place. The arrangement had happened naturally. Bryan slid in first, then Paul was guided into the middle with slow hands and soft voices, then Lilly settled beside him. All of them looked softened by exhaustion, but they moved around Paul with more confidence than they had at noon. Paul sat with his baby-blue terry cloth bib tied around his neck, the fabric already marked with evidence of effort. A streak of sauce near the edge. A smear of potato. One small orange stain from the juice he had insisted on trying too quickly earlier and had not quite managed. His bandaged hands rested on either side of his plate. Not perfectly coordinated. Not steady. But used. That mattered. He had fed himself pieces of chicken and potato with clumsy determination, fingers working too hard for each bite, grip uncertain, movement jerky and sometimes too wide. He wasn’t an infant. That was obvious in the way he watched them, in the flashes of recognition behind his eyes, in the moments where his expression carried eighteen years of life even if his body was currently choosing something much younger. But he wasn’t coordinated either. Food missed his mouth. Chicken landed in his lap twice. A potato piece stuck to the bib. Still— He had eaten. Not yogurt. Not oatmeal. Not purée. Real food. Texture.Taste. Choice. That had made Lilly quietly emotional enough that she had looked away twice. Bryan had noticed both times and pretended not to. Now only the last spoonful remained. Black beans and corn. Lilly had warmed them because she wanted something nourishing, something colorful, something that felt like dinner rather than crisis management. Paul had accepted the first two bites only after deep suspicion and significant theater. So Bryan had become theater. He scooped up the last spoonful now and lowered his voice into the softer, playful tone he reserved for Paul when Paul was little enough to need the world simplified but not so little that Bryan could imitate Lilly’s full baby talk without feeling absurd. “Alright, buddy,” Bryan said, holding the spoon like a tiny race car at the edge of the plate. “Last lap. Engine’s ready.” Paul looked at the spoon. Then at Bryan. Suspicious. Interested. Bryan made a low car-engine sound under his breath. “Vrrrrrrr…” Lilly pressed her lips together to keep from smiling too widely. Paul’s eyes followed the spoon. Bryan moved it in a tiny circle, then across the table, careful not to make the movement too sudden. “Here comes the black bean speed machine.” Paul’s mouth twitched around the pacifier clip hanging against his bib. The pacifier itself rested on the table now, set aside during dinner but within reach. His eyes tracked the spoon with surprising seriousness. Bryan leaned closer. “Open garage?” Paul’s mouth opened. Small at first. Then wider. Bryan zoomed the spoon gently toward him. “Vrrrrrm—delivery!” Paul accepted the bite eagerly. A little too eagerly, almost catching the spoon with his teeth. Bryan pulled it away just in time, grinning despite himself. “That’s it.” Lilly immediately brightened beside him, her voice slipping into the tender, coaxing cadence that had carried them through the day. “All gone, sweetheart,” she praised, tapping the empty plate lightly. “You made all gone.” Paul looked at the plate. Then at Lilly. Then smiled. Proud. Unmistakably proud. It broke something open in both of them. Not enough to hurt. Enough to breathe. “Yes,” Lilly said warmly. “All gone. Such a good job.” Paul reached backward almost immediately, hand searching for the bottle beside him. The plastic bottle with easy-grip handles was filled with pineapple, orange, and beetroot juice, the color bright and jewel-like in the warm kitchen light. He caught one handle with his right hand, missed the left, adjusted, caught it, then lifted it toward his mouth with both hands. “Slowly,” Lilly warned gently. “Slow sips, Mister.” Paul did not do slow. He drank greedily, large pulls one after the other, eyes half-closing with pleasure as though the sweetness was the first uncomplicated good thing the day had offered him. Bryan opened the dishwasher at the island and began loading plates, though his head remained turned enough to watch. “Easy, pal,” he said. Paul kept drinking. Lilly reached toward the bottle just as the first cough hit. It startled him. A wet, sharp little cough that made his shoulders jump and his eyes widen. He tried to keep the bottle, but Lilly’s hand was already there, gentle but firm, removing it without making it feel like punishment. “Okay, okay,” she soothed. “Too much, sweetheart. Too much at once.” Paul coughed again, face crumpling with surprise and offense. Lilly pulled him toward her immediately, turning him carefully so his chin draped over her shoulder. Her left arm supported him across the back, mindful of the ribs, while her right hand began firm, steady pats between his shoulders, then slow semicircles. “There we go,” she murmured. “You’re okay. Mommy’s got you.” Paul coughed once more. Then burped. Small but loud. The sound echoed absurdly in the elegant kitchen. Bryan paused with a plate halfway into the dishwasher. Lilly froze for half a second. Paul blinked against her shoulder. Then another burp came. Louder. Bryan’s mouth twitched. Lilly’s eyes widened dramatically. “Oh my goodness,” she said in soft, exaggerated wonder. “Was that hiding in there?” Paul made a tiny muffled sound against her shoulder. Not quite a laugh. But pleased. Lilly continued rubbing slow circles along the back of his romper, keeping him at a safe angle. “That’s better. That’s much better.” Bryan resumed loading the dishwasher, shaking his head faintly, but the small grin had returned. Paul relaxed more heavily against her, the tension leaving his shoulders in degrees. Lilly reached for the cloth napkin beside her and wiped the juice that had dribbled upward along his chin during the cough, then dabbed gently at the edge of his mouth. “There we are,” she cooed. “All cleaned up.” Paul’s hand reached back toward the bottle again. Of course it did. Lilly caught the motion before he could reclaim it. “Oh no, sir. Mommy’s turn.” Paul made a small protesting sound. Not distressed. Just offended. Lilly shifted him more securely against her chest, leaning him back so his body rested safely into her, his head turned slightly to avoid pressure on the injured side. The movement was practiced now, careful, all the softness of comfort wrapped around the precision of someone watching ribs, hands, breath, and mood at the same time. Bryan looked over from the island. For a moment, he stopped cleaning. Lilly held the bottle herself this time, bringing it back to Paul’s mouth with slow intention. “Little sips,” she whispered. “Nice and slow.” Paul accepted it. This time he didn’t gulp as wildly. Not at first. Lilly controlled the angle, letting him take smaller pulls while she murmured low nonsense sounds and gentle praise against his hair. “That’s it. Slow, sweet boy. Good job. Nice little sips.” Paul’s eyes fluttered. The tension that had been gathering in his face after the coughing faded. His hands drifted to the bottle handles, but Lilly kept her fingers over his, guiding rather than taking over completely. There it was again. The balance. Help without erasing him. Support without deciding everything for him. Care without swallowing the small bits of agency Mindy had told them to protect. Paul drank more slowly now, tucked into Lilly’s chest, his body heavy and warm against her. His bib was stained, his hair messy, his hands bandaged, his world narrowed for the moment to juice and breath and the sound of Bryan loading dishes nearby. And Lilly felt the ache of it. Not shame. Not embarrassment. Not even grief exactly. A deep ache that came from loving the whole of him at once. The injured eighteen-year-old. The scared little version. The boy who had written Big in messy crayon. The person still inside all of it, trying to return in pieces. Bryan moved around the island quietly, cleaning up the strange split dinner that had become the evening’s reality. Their plates held traces of pan-seared chicken thighs and red wine sauce. Paul’s plate held ketchup smears, crumbs from chicken strips, crushed potato, and several vegetables that had lost the battle but not the war. He loaded the dishwasher, rinsed a cutting board, wiped the counter, and thought about how absurdly grateful he was. Bryan glanced back. Paul’s eyes were half-lidded now, face soft with the post-dinner heaviness of someone whose body had been through too much and still accepted comfort. The bottle rested between his lips, held by Lilly’s steady hand. Her cheek leaned gently against his hair, her voice low and rhythmic. “Such a good job. Tummy’s gonna feel better now.” Paul made a small contented sound. Bryan swallowed. There were moments in life that should not have been beautiful but were. This was one. Not because the situation was beautiful. It wasn’t. It was unfair and complicated and medically frightening and emotionally brutal. But the care was beautiful. The way Lilly held him. The way Paul let himself be held. The way the kitchen, for all its luxury, had become nothing more important than a place where a wounded person could be fed safely. Bryan shut the dishwasher quietly. He crossed back to the banquette and stood beside them. Paul’s eyes shifted up toward him. Heavy. But aware. Bryan lowered his voice. “Good dinner, buddy.” Paul’s mouth moved slightly around the bottle. No words. But a tiny proud sound. Lilly smiled into his hair. Bryan reached down and brushed his thumb gently across Paul’s temple. “Yeah,” he whispered. “I know. Big win.” The knock came just as Bryan reached for the towel beside the sink. Three soft taps against the front door. Not loud. Not sharp. But enough. Paul startled. Not completely. Not into panic. But his body still heard the world before his mind did, and the sound moved through him like a small shock. His shoulders lifted. His eyes widened. The bottle slipped slightly from his mouth where Lilly still held it, and one bandaged hand reached instinctively for the front of her tracksuit. Bryan saw it immediately. He was beside them before the fear could grow roots. “Hey,” he said softly. One warm hand settled on Paul’s shoulder. Firm enough to be felt. Gentle enough not to trap. “Buddy, nothing to be scared about.” Paul blinked up at him. Still hazy. Still little. Still trying to decide whether the sound belonged to danger. Bryan lowered his face closer and softened his voice into that careful father tone he had been learning all day—the one that borrowed from baby talk without turning Paul into a joke. Simple. Warm. Safe. “We just have a special visitor coming to see you.” Paul’s brow furrowed faintly. Bryan gave him a tiny smile. Then booped him lightly on the nose. “Boop.” Paul froze. The seriousness of his face cracked. Just a little. A muffled sound came from him. Not quite a laugh. But close enough that Bryan felt it in his chest like sunlight. Lilly removed the bottle gently and wiped the corner of Paul’s mouth with the edge of the bib, smiling despite the exhaustion clinging to her. “Special visitor,” she echoed. “Very special.” Another soft knock came. Paul turned toward the hallway. Not frightened now. Curious. That was better. Curious was a miracle compared to where they had started. Bryan helped him sit up fully, one hand behind his back, the other finding Paul’s hand. Paul’s fingers curled around Bryan’s automatically, trusting the offered support before his legs had decided what they planned to do. “Up we go,” Bryan said. He guided him carefully to his feet. Slow. Steady. One movement at a time. Paul’s legs wobbled under him like a signal returning after a storm. His knees bent too much, then locked briefly, then softened again. It was not walking in the way Paul walked when he was himself, shoulders back and stride confident, filling a room with the easy athletic grace that used to belong to him without thought. “That’s it,” he murmured. “I’ve got you.” Paul took one step. Then another. Cautious. Slow. His bandaged hand gripped Bryan’s fingers harder than it needed to. His face carried intense concentration, the kind usually reserved for complicated things, not crossing the kitchen. The romper gave him freer movement than the sleeper had, but his body still moved with the heavy uncertainty of someone learning the floor again. Lilly watched from the banquette. Her smile faded into concern as Paul’s breathing changed. Not distress. Fatigue. Small but visible. The day had already taken too much from him. “Bryan,” she said gently. He looked over. She nodded toward the carpeted living room. “Just sit him on the mat. I’ll get the door.” Bryan followed her gaze, then looked back at Paul. Paul had stopped moving, leaning slightly into him, eyes beginning to unfocus with the effort. “Yeah,” Bryan said softly. “Good idea.” He guided Paul the last few steps into the living room, then lowered him carefully onto the Safari mat in the center of the plush carpet. Bryan smiled at her, grateful, and gave Paul’s padded bottom a few extra loving pats through the romper. “You did such a good job, buddy,” he praised softly. Paul landed with a soft padded thump, legs folding in front of him, one hand reaching immediately toward the nearest toy as if the mat itself had reminded him what came next. Paul glanced at him. Then reached forward and picked up one of the rattle cars. Within seconds, he had forgotten the door. Or at least moved away from fear. His bandaged fingers found the wheels, and he began spinning them against his palms, fascinated by the soft clicking sound they made. Wheel. Click. Pause. Wheel. Click. Pause. His head dipped with concentration, pacifier bobbing faintly as he studied the simple cause and effect like it was enough. Bryan stayed a beat longer. Just watching. Then hurried back toward the kitchen, remembering hospitality because Martina was coming, and Martina had known him too long for him to greet her empty-handed. He pulled the carrot cake loaf back out from where Lilly had covered it earlier, the glaze slightly set now, the walnut crumble catching under the warm lights. He arranged it on the tray with small plates, then added three cups of coffee, cream, sugar, and napkins folded hastily but with effort. In the middle of the tray, he set Paul’s glass Safari-themed bottle, filled again and prepared differently this time—ice added to cool it, a swirl of vanilla mixed through to soften the flavor into something gentle and treat-like. He looked down at the tray. Three coffees. Carrot cake. One bottle. Family, he thought, had become a strange table setting. Then he lifted it carefully and headed back toward the living room. At the front door, Lilly opened it. Martina stood beneath the porch light. For one second, she did not step inside. She looked at Lilly first. And whatever composed thing Lilly had been holding together shifted under the weight of being seen by someone who had known this family before the current crisis had words. Martina wore Jacksonville winter evening comfort the way only she could—upscaled, warm, effortless. A soft ivory cashmere turtleneck sweater that draped elegantly over her frame, tucked neatly into tailored charcoal wool trousers that skimmed her curves with quiet sophistication. A patterned scarf in deep burgundy and gold rested at her throat, and small gold hoops caught the porch light when she leaned forward. Her hair was pulled back neatly, but not severely, and her eyes carried that familiar sharp softness—ready to comfort, ready to scold, ready to cook, ready to fight someone if needed. “Lilly.” That was all. Then Martina opened her arms. Lilly stepped into them. Not carefully. Not politely. She folded into Martina like someone who had been holding her breath for hours and had only just found a place to put it down. Martina held her. Tightly enough to matter. Gently enough not to crush what was already bruised. “Ay, mi amor,” Martina murmured near her hair. “Qué día. What a day you had.” Lilly nodded against her shoulder. No words came at first. Martina rubbed one hand up and down her back, slow and sure. “You’re standing,” she whispered. “That counts.” Lilly gave a fragile laugh into the hug. When they finally pulled apart, Martina kept one hand on Lilly’s arm. Then she inhaled. Her eyes sharpened. “Oh,” she said, looking past Lilly into the house. “That smell.” Lilly blinked. Martina pointed down the hall with mock seriousness. “Roasted chicken?” Bryan arrived with the tray just in time to hear it. He set it carefully on the entry table beside the living room archway and lifted one hand with a modest little shrug. “That aroma would be me,” he said. “Just a little something I cooked up.” Martina turned to him. For a moment, the humor warmed the space. Then she walked straight into him and hugged him too. Bryan accepted it with both arms. This hug lasted differently than Lilly’s. Less collapse. More history. So when Martina hugged him, it was not just comfort. It was witness. He closed his eyes for half a second. “Thank you for coming.” She pulled back just enough to look at him. “Of course.” Then her eyes narrowed playfully. “And I remember, Bryan. Cooking was a team effort.” He smiled faintly. “Was it?” “Yes,” she said. “I was the team, and you showed effort setting the table a time or two.” Lilly laughed. Bryan actually did too. Small. Brief. But real. The sound moved through the entryway like a candle being lit. Then—From the living room came a little giggle. Tiny. Muffled. Followed immediately by the unmistakable sound of blocks tumbling across the carpet. All three of them turned. Martina’s expression changed first. Softened. Alerted. “¿Ese es él?” she asked quietly. “Is that him?” Bryan nodded. Lilly’s face warmed, even through the worry. “He’s getting better.” Bryan added, “He’s coming back in waves.” Martina listened to another small clatter from the living room. Another muffled sound. Not a cry. Something almost delighted. Her mouth softened. “Ahora mismo,” she said gently, “he sounds like a little boy.” Bryan nodded. “He is right now.” Lilly stepped closer to Martina before they moved. “Just… don’t be upset if he doesn’t warm up right away. He didn’t recognize Mindy at first. He may not understand right away, or he may get shy.” Martina nodded once. No offense taken. No fear. “Then we go slow.” Lilly nodded, relieved by how simple Martina made it sound. Together, they walked toward the living room. Bryan carried the tray in behind them, coffee scent mingling with carrot cake and the fading warmth of dinner. Lilly moved first, not to shield Martina from Paul, but to give Paul the continuity of her body entering before the new person. Bryan followed beside Martina, watching both of them at once. Then Martina saw him. And stopped. Not dramatically. Not with shock. With memory. Paul sat on the Safari mat in the center of the living room, surrounded by the small safe world Bryan and Lilly had built around him. Soft blocks sat scattered across the carpet, one tipped on its side near his knee. The rattle car rested in his lap, one wheel still spinning from where he had flicked it. The television glowed softly behind him with bright, harmless color. The pacifier rested in his mouth again, the matching clip secured to the front of his romper. His bandaged hands moved more slowly now, tired but intent. He looked smaller than she expected. Not physically, exactly. Emotionally. Folded down. Softened by exhaustion. Protected by layers of care that told the story before anyone explained it. Martina’s throat tightened. Because for a second she saw him at five. Not because the image was the same. It wasn’t. Paul was grown now. Long limbs. Broader shoulders. The face of a young man softened by regression and trauma but still not a child’s face. And yet— The feeling was familiar. The small safe space. The toys gathered near. The careful adult voices around him. The way Bryan stood nearby like a guard and Lilly moved like a lighthouse. Martina had been here before in another version of this family. After Rachel. After loss. After a little boy learned too early that people could disappear. Her eyes stung. But she did not let sadness take the first step into the room. Paul deserved better than pity. Bryan stepped forward slightly. “Buddy,” he said softly. “Can you say hello to—” He did not finish. Paul looked up. His eyes caught on Martina. At first, nothing. One second. Then two. His gaze sharpened in a way it had not sharpened for anyone new that day. The pacifier shifted in his mouth. His whole face changed. Recognition did not arrive cleanly. It arrived like light under a door. Then all at once. “Mmmph-tee-nuh.” Bryan froze. Lilly blinked. Martina’s hand flew to her chest. Paul leaned forward on both hands, eyes fixed on her. “Mmmph-tee-nuh.” His voice was muffled by the pacifier, the syllables trapped and rounded, but urgent. Clear enough to break the room open. “Mmmph-tee-nuh.” Bryan looked confused for half a second. Lilly did too. Then Paul’s pacifier slipped from his lips, caught by the clip against his romper. His mouth opened again. Louder. Clearer. “Ma-tee-nuh!” Martina’s face crumpled into joy so fast she barely had time to hide the tears beneath it. “Sí,” she breathed. “Sí, mi amor.” Paul made a small excited sound. “Ma-tee-nuh!” She opened her arms instinctively, expecting—if she expected anything—that Bryan might help him stand, or Paul might reach, or maybe he would freeze and need time. Instead he dropped forward onto his hands and knees and began crawling as fast as his thickly padded tushie could carry him—diaper crinkling loudly with every eager movement, the romper riding up slightly in back. His bandaged hands padded across the carpet, knees working in clumsy determination, the heavy padding giving him that unmistakable babyish waddle even on all fours. The rattle car toppled from his lap. One block rolled away. His bandaged hands slapped softly against the carpet as he moved toward her, knees dragging against the mat first and then the plush carpet, his whole focus locked on Martina as though she had become the only thing in the room. For one stunned second, Martina did not move. Then she dropped to her knees. Right there on the carpet. Arms wide. “Ven aquí,” she whispered, voice breaking. “Come here.” Paul reached her in a tumble of limbs and soft fabric, not graceful at all, nearly overshooting and collapsing into her lap. Throwing his arms around her neck with all the uncoordinated joy of a child who had just found someone deeply familiar and safe. Martina caught him carefully, mindful of Bryan’s warning, arms going around him with instinctive precision—protective but not crushing, joyful but not careless. “Ma-tee-nuh!” There was no mistaking it now. He knew her. In whatever part of him was forward. In whatever tender, regressed, frightened place he had retreated into. He knew Martina. She held Paul against her and laughed through the tears she refused to fully let fall. “Hola, mi principito,” she whispered, voice thick with love. “Estoy tan feliz de verte otra vez.” Then she turned her face and planted a loud, wet kiss against Paul’s cheek. Paul squealed. Not a cry. A squeal. Small. Delighted. Completely little. Completely real. Martina hugged him tighter, careful of the ribs, one hand cupping the back of his head, the other spread warm across his back. “Ay, mi niño,” she murmured. “I missed you too.” Paul burrowed into her neck, still chanting softly, less clearly now. “Ma-tee-nuh… Ma-tee-nuh…” As if saying her name made her stay. As if names were anchors. As if recognition itself was a rope thrown into deep water. Bryan’s hand found Lilly’s. She grabbed it immediately. Martina stayed on the floor. Not because there wasn’t room on the couch. But Paul had not let go of her yet. So Martina stayed. She sat cross-legged on the plush carpet, careful and balanced, with Paul folded against her as best as his grown body and current state allowed. He was not truly small enough to fit in her lap the way memory tried to insist he once had, but regression had a way of rearranging scale. Somehow, with his head tucked near her shoulder and one arm hooked loosely around her neck, he seemed both too big and impossibly little at the same time. Martina adjusted around him without making it obvious. One hand supported his back. One hand stroked slowly between his shoulders. Paul’s pacifier rested back in his mouth now, clipped neatly to the front of his romper, bobbing faintly whenever he made one of those soft contented sounds that weren’t words but still meant something. His bandaged hands drifted lazily—sometimes touching Martina’s scarf, sometimes patting her sleeve, sometimes curling against her collarbone as though checking she was still real. “Ma-tee-nuh,” he murmured again, muffled and smaller now. She smiled down at him. “Sí, mi principito,” she whispered. “I’m here.” Paul smiled around the pacifier. Then tucked his cheek against her. Bryan sat carefully on the edge of the cream sofa, close enough to reach the coffee table, far enough not to crowd Martina. Lilly sat beside him, one leg tucked beneath her, body angled toward Paul even while her eyes remained on Martina. The carrot cake loaf sat between them on the tray, three coffees cooling beside it. Paul’s Safari bottle rested near the edge of the table where he could see it if he looked, though for the moment his entire world seemed to be Martina’s necklace, the fringe of her scarf, and the warm certainty of her arms. The television still played softly in the background. Bright puppets. Simple songs. Safe colors. Enough sound to give Paul something harmless to float inside. Enough cover for the adults to speak carefully beneath it. Martina looked up at Bryan and Lilly. Her expression changed. Still warm. Still full of love. But more focused now. “Tell me,” she said softly. “How is he doing in this… wave?” She did not say Paul’s name. Bryan noticed. So did Lilly. Paul did not. He was busy rubbing the edge of Martina’s scarf between two bandaged fingers, fascinated by the texture. Bryan leaned forward, elbows near his knees, coffee untouched in both hands. “Better than this morning.” Lilly added, “More responsive. He’s tracking us again. Reaching. Eating. A few words.” Martina nodded slowly, continuing the gentle rhythm of her hand along Paul’s back. Paul’s eyes were half-lidded now, cheek pressed into her chest. He seemed calmer with her voice vibrating beneath him. “He knows me,” Martina said quietly. Bryan’s mouth softened. “He knows you.” That mattered more than any of them wanted to admit too loudly. Martina’s hand paused for only half a second before resuming. “Is he understanding more than he can say?” Lilly nodded immediately. “Yes. Mindy thinks so.” Bryan added, “She said not to measure progress by normal conversation. Recognition. Choice. Tolerance. Those are the signs.” Paul shifted, making a tiny bothered sound when his knee caught against the edge of the mat. Martina adjusted him slightly, supporting him without fuss. “There,” she murmured. “Cómodo. Better.” Paul settled. Martina glanced up again. “And emotionally?” Bryan exhaled slowly. That question was harder. He looked toward the television, not really seeing it. “Raw.” Lilly’s fingers tightened around her mug. Bryan searched for language that would not cut through the room and find Paul. “There are some executive-level decisions,” he said carefully, eyes flicking toward Paul and then back to Martina, “that we’re eventually going to need to consult with everyone around.” Martina understood immediately. Her face sharpened. Not confused. Not asking. Bryan continued, choosing every word like crossing broken glass. “There’s a fight available. Several, maybe. Legal. Administrative. Public if it comes to that. But I don’t know…” He stopped. His jaw flexed. “I don’t know if the fight is worth what it costs him.” Lilly looked at him. That was the first time he had said it like that. Not we’ll fight. Not I’ll make them pay. Not the fury that had carried him through phone calls and clenched fists and pacing hallways. This was the father beneath the executive. The man who could win a fight and still lose his son’s fragile peace in the process. Martina shifted carefully, keeping Paul settled against her, then reached one hand toward Bryan. He leaned forward and took it. Her hand was warm. Firm. “For the people we love,” she said softly, “it has to be worth it.” Bryan looked down at their joined hands. Martina’s thumb moved once over his knuckles. “But,” she added, voice quieter, “we must also know what kind of fight love is asking for.” The room went still. Not silent. Sesame Street continued softly. Paul breathed against Martina’s chest. Some toy rolled slightly where his foot nudged it. But the adults heard the sentence land. Martina looked down at Paul. Her face softened with a pain that had nothing to do with fear. “Ver a este dulce niño así…” she whispered, almost to herself. “Holding this sweet boy in my arms is a blessing and a curse.” Lilly’s eyes filled. Martina continued, voice steady but thick. “A blessing because he still knows me. Because he came to me. Because I can hold him, and he lets me. That is a gift.” She swallowed. “But a curse because I know this gift is only here tonight because other people were selfish.” Bryan’s gaze lifted. Lilly went very still. Martina did not say the name. She didn’t have to. They all felt Marcus enter the room without being invited. The family connection. The damage. The cruelty that had spiraled through teenagers, adults, institutions, and loyalties until Paul was the one on the floor trying to piece together reality with rattles and puppets. Martina’s voice lowered. “And that selfishness is becoming a fixture in my family.” Paul shifted. Not from the meaning. He didn’t catch the meaning. Only the change in tone. Martina immediately softened her hand against his back, humming once under her breath. “Shhh, mi niño. Nada. You’re okay.” Paul relaxed again. Bryan’s expression hardened. Not at her. For her. “No,” he said. Martina looked at him. Bryan leaned forward, fierce now, decisive in a way that cut through exhaustion. “None of this is on you.” Her eyes glistened. He kept his voice low for Paul, but every word carried weight. “None of it. Not you. Not the people who actually showed up for him.” The Spanish came to him awkwardly but intentionally, chosen because he didn’t want certain meanings to sharpen too clearly in Paul’s hearing. “Tu hija (your daughter) is not the one who did this.” Martina’s face moved at that. A tiny fracture. Lilly reached for Bryan’s knee, silently grateful that he had said it. But Martina shook her head. “No.” “Martina—” “No,” she repeated, more softly. “Some of it very much is my fault.” Lilly leaned forward immediately. “No, it isn’t.” Martina smiled sadly. Not agreeing. Not dismissing them. Carrying something older. “Love is a stupid thing,” she said, “as much as it is wise at times.” Bryan’s face changed. He understood that sentence. Maybe more than anyone. Love had made him strong. Love had also made him blind in places. Love had kept him alive after Rachel. Love had made him bury pieces of himself until Lilly found them years later and insisted they were still worth saving. Martina looked down at Paul again. “I see this,” she whispered. She paused. Paul’s eyes had opened slightly, looking up at her without knowing why she sounded sad. His brow wrinkled. Martina bent and kissed his forehead. Soft. Warm. Lingering. Paul blinked. Then giggled. A tiny muffled burst of sound. His bandaged hands lifted and clapped together clumsily once. Then again. Not coordinated. Not loud. But delighted. The sight nearly undid all three adults at once. Martina smiled down at him through shining eyes. “Sí, sí,” she whispered playfully. “Besos are funny, huh?” Paul clapped again, pacifier bobbing. Bryan looked away for half a second because the joy hurt worse than grief in some ways. Martina kept her hand on Paul’s back but looked up again. “This,” she said, voice quieter, “was caused in part by who I am with. Who my family will be with. And I am upset that I have caused you all such pain.” Lilly moved before the sentence had fully settled. She left the couch and came to sit on the carpet near Martina, close but not crowding Paul. Her movement was slow enough that Paul only glanced at her, then returned to patting Martina’s scarf. “No,” Lilly said. Martina opened her mouth. Lilly shook her head. “No. I need you to hear me.” Martina went still. Lilly’s voice trembled, but it did not weaken. “You did not cause this. You came here. You called it cruel. You showed up. You held him without flinching. You are not the person who needs to apologize for what happened.” Martina’s eyes filled fully now. Bryan continued, because once Lilly, he realized how badly he needed to say it. “Yes, it hurts. Of course it hurts. There are apologies that need to be made. There are people who need to look at what they did and say it out loud and not hide behind confusion or youth or loyalty or pressure.” Bryan’s mouth tightened at that. Lilly glanced at him, then back to Martina. “But you are not the one who needs to carry their apology for them.” Martina inhaled shakily. Bryan joined them on the carpet then. Slowly. Carefully. He sat close enough to Martina to be part of the circle, not so close that Paul felt surrounded. Paul noticed him and gave a tiny happy sound, then leaned back more heavily against Martina as though content now that everyone important had moved down to his level. As Bryan continued. “You were there when he was little and angry and confused. You were there when he asked questions I couldn’t answer. You were there when I didn’t know how to do any of it. So don’t sit in my living room and tell me this is your fault because someone adjacent to you made choices you did not make.” Martina’s chin trembled. Paul looked up at her again, sensing the shift. “Mmm?” She smiled down at him instantly, smoothing the concern from her face for his sake. “Estoy bien, mi amor,” she whispered. “I’m okay.” Paul studied her. Then lifted one hand and patted her cheek. A clumsy little tap. There. Comfort. Martina closed her eyes. They all saw how some part of him recognized distress and reached toward it. “Oh, sweet boy,” she whispered. The gesture was not “big” Paul exactly. Not fully. But it belonged to him. That instinct. That tenderness. That unbearable reflex to comfort people who loved him, even from inside his own storm. Lilly leaned closer, voice soft. “See? He knows you’re safe.” Martina nodded, tears slipping now despite her efforts. “I know.” Paul patted her cheek again, then looked pleased with himself and clapped once more. Bryan laughed under his breath. “Yeah, pal. Good job.” Paul smiled toward him. A small crooked smile around the pacifier. Chapter One Hundred & Seventeen: Part Seven Lilly looked toward the untouched tray as her & Bryan returned to the couch. The carrot cake sat there like it had been waiting patiently for the room to remember it existed. Cream cheese glaze had settled into thick white ribbons across the top, walnut crumble catching the warm living room light, the loaf slightly imperfect where Bryan had cut from it earlier in uneven slices. She glanced at Martina, still seated on the carpet with Paul tucked against her, and offered the gentlest version of hospitality she could manage. “Would you like coffee and a slice of cake?” Martina looked up from where Paul was fiddling with the fringe of her scarf, her smile soft and grateful. “Yes,” she said. “That sounds perfect.” Lilly stood carefully, moving slowly enough not to disturb the fragile peace that had settled around them. She cut Martina a slice, placed it on one of the small plates, then poured coffee into a cup and added cream the way Martina had always taken it, because some memories stayed even when entire lives changed around them. She returned with the plate first. Martina shifted one hand to accept it. And that was when Paul noticed. His eyes widened. Not dramatically. Not with full awareness. But with unmistakable interest. Cake. His gaze locked onto the slice like the rest of the room had vanished. Before anyone could react, his bandaged hand shot out—not smoothly, not gracefully, but fast enough to surprise all three adults. He pinched a tiny piece from the edge of the cake, mostly frosting, and shoved it into his mouth. Everyone froze. Paul froze too. For exactly one second. Then his eyes lit up. The cream cheese frosting hit him first. Sweet. Tangy. Soft. Perfect. His whole face changed with the discovery. Martina looked down at him, startled, then immediately began to laugh. Paul did not wait for permission. He went in again. This time, bolder. A bigger scoop. Still clumsy. Still too much frosting and not enough cake. But successful enough that he looked deeply pleased with himself as he pressed it into his mouth and smiled around it. Lilly laughed first. Then Bryan. Then Martina, who lifted the plate slightly out of reach with mock offense. “¡Ay, ladrón de pastel!” she exclaimed, eyes bright. “We have a cake thief.” Paul stared at her. Not understanding the full sentence. But absolutely understanding her tone. He giggled. Muffled. Sticky. Proud. Bryan stepped forward, smiling in spite of himself. “Alright, cake thief. Come here before you rob Martina blind.” Paul’s face changed immediately when Bryan reached for him. Not fear. Protest. He curled harder against Martina and made a muffled sound around the pacifier that came out as a wounded little complaint. “Mmm-no.” Bryan lowered himself slightly, keeping his voice playful and gentle. “I know. Martina has cake. Very strategic place to sit.” Paul clutched at Martina’s scarf. Bryan slipped both hands under him carefully, mindful of ribs, hands, and the fact that Paul was now sticky with frosting. Paul whined. “No-no, Daddy…” The words came muffled and unhappy, his body resisting the transition with tired little frustration. Bryan didn’t force speed. He paused, held him close, and kissed the side of his head. “I’ve got you,” he murmured. “Not taking you far.” Still, Paul complained all the way as Bryan lifted him from Martina’s lap and brought him onto the couch. Not onto Bryan’s lap exactly. Bryan sat and opened his legs enough to settle Paul safely between them, Paul’s back resting into his chest, his legs stretched out awkwardly on the cushion in front of him. It gave Paul contact without trapping him. Support without pressure. A small seated nest. Paul huffed. His brows knitted. A frustrated whine built in his throat. “No-no, Daddy…” Bryan reached toward the tray. Tore off a tiny, safe piece of cake. Held it near Paul’s line of sight. The whine stopped. Completely. Paul looked at the cake. Then at Bryan. Then back at the cake. Bryan raised an eyebrow. “Would this help negotiations?” Paul nodded immediately. Bryan’s grin widened. “I thought so.” He placed the little piece into Paul’s waiting hand, helping guide it because the bandaging made his grip awkward. Paul got it into his mouth with only minor frosting damage to his chin and looked instantly satisfied. Lilly shook her head, laughing softly as she handed Martina a fresh slice of cake and her coffee. “There. Replacement slice for the victim of the crime.” Martina accepted both with regal dignity. “Gracias. I shall recover.” Paul looked over at her, cheeks still sticky, and giggled again. For a few minutes, the living room felt almost like evening. Not normal. Not fully. But evening. Martina sat on the carpet with coffee and cake. Lilly returned to the couch beside Bryan, close enough that her thigh touched his. Paul remained between Bryan’s legs, leaning back into him, occasionally accepting tiny bites of cake and then looking toward the television as Cookie Monster made a mess of his own. It was ridiculous. It was delicate. It was a family quietly choosing joy where they could find it. Martina took a sip of coffee and sighed. “Perfect.” Bryan looked amused. “That surprised you?” “No,” she said. “But I like reminding you when something is good. Keeps you humble.” Lilly smiled. Then, because the room had softened enough to hold something ordinary, Martina began talking about the holidays. Not the difficult parts. Not the people whose names could sharpen the air. Just the place. “We will be in Orlando for a few days,” she said, carefully general, her coffee cup warm between both hands. “North of the city. The in law’s family estate is… well, it is too large, honestly. One of those places where you walk from one side of the house to the other and forget what you went there for.” Bryan chuckled quietly. Martina continued, eyes warming as she pictured it. “But the gardens are beautiful. That is the part I love. They have these long stone paths through palms and hibiscus, and there are orange trees near the back, not many, just enough that in the evening you can smell them if the air is right. There is a man-made lake beyond the lawn, with a little waterfall built into the far side. It is not natural, but at sunset you forgive it.” Lilly leaned into Bryan slightly, listening. Martina’s voice softened as she described it. “The water turns gold first. Then pink. Then purple along the edges. And the waterfall catches the last light, so for maybe five minutes it looks like glass breaking slowly. I like to sit there with coffee before everyone gets too loud.” Bryan glanced toward Paul. Paul had gone quiet, sucking slowly from his bottle again now, eyes heavy but content. He was not following the conversation in any adult way, but the tone of it seemed to soothe him. Lilly smiled faintly. “That sounds beautiful.” “It is,” Martina said. “Especially before opinions arrive.” Bryan made a sound under his breath that was almost a laugh. Lilly took the opening and let herself imagine something beyond the house too. “We’re still hoping for Utah,” she said. Bryan looked at her. Not surprised. More like relieved she could say it out loud. Lilly’s eyes brightened slightly as she continued. “The cabin is already booked. Kim and her family are meeting us there. There’s supposed to be fresh snow by the weekend, and Savannah has already sent me three messages about mistletoe and hot chocolate like she’s planning a Hallmark movie invasion.” Martina smiled. “That sounds like Kim’s family.” “It does,” Lilly said. “There’s this big fireplace in the main room. Bryan found the place because it has a kitchen large enough for everyone and a view of the mountains from the dining table. Paul was excited about the snow. Even if he can’t do much with the ribs, he wanted fresh air. Blankets. Movies. Maybe a little snowboarding later if the doctor cleared him, though now…” Her voice trailed. Bryan gently touched her knee. “Still hoping,” he said. Lilly looked at him. He nodded once. “Still hoping.” Paul shifted between him, half-turning toward the bottle, and Bryan adjusted automatically, holding it at a better angle.For a moment, the future was allowed to exist without being terrifying. Then Martina finished the last of her coffee and set the cup down. The shift came naturally. Gentle. Careful. She looked from Lilly to Bryan, then down at Paul. “So,” she said softly. “Tomorrow.” Lilly’s body tightened slightly. Bryan’s hand stilled around the bottle. Martina noticed and smiled. “There is not a reason for me to say no.” Lilly exhaled. But Martina wasn’t finished. “Unless…” She leaned slightly, catching Paul’s gaze. “Mi principito,” she said softly. “Do you want to spend the day with Martina tomorrow?” Paul pulled away from the bottle. A little wet sound followed, and Bryan lowered it quickly before it dripped onto the romper. Paul looked at Martina. Then smiled. “YES.” The word came out bright. Little. Happy. Clear enough that all three adults froze before they smiled. Bryan looked at Lilly. “Well,” he said, voice warm with something that might have been relief if relief didn’t still hurt. “That settles it, doesn’t it?” Lilly’s hand went to her chest for a second. “He gets a say,” she whispered. “He got one,” Martina said gently. Lilly nodded, blinking quickly. “We’ll pack his diaper bag and backpack tonight. Extra clothes. Comfort items. Food list. Med schedule. Pain timing. Mindy’s notes. The notebook and crayons, just in case he reaches for them.” Bryan nodded along. “Bottle.” “Pacifiers.” “Wipes.” Martina smiled softly. “I know how to pack a bag, querida.” “I know,” Lilly said quickly. “I’m just…” “Being Mommy,” Martina finished. Lilly looked down, then smiled despite herself. “Yes.” Paul shifted beside Bryan. A subtle change first. Then an earthy smell began to surface. Not overpowering. But unmistakable. Bryan paused. Looked down. Paul sat very still. Too still. His face had gone just a little red, eyes turned toward the television with suspicious intensity. Bryan’s mouth pressed into a line. Lilly noticed his expression. “What?” Bryan glanced at Martina, then at Lilly, then down at Paul with exaggerated tenderness. “I think,” he said gently, “we have a stinky boy who needs a change.” Paul blinked. Lilly sighed softly, already half-standing. “Bryan, maybe a bath before bedtime.” Bryan nodded. “Yeah. I think that’s our cue.” He began to shift Paul forward, preparing to stand. But Martina lifted a hand. “Nonsense.” Bryan stopped. Lilly looked at her. Martina reached for Paul’s bottle. “Have me feed the rest of his bottle. You two get what you need and start the bath. Then come back and get him.” Lilly hesitated. “Are you sure?” Bryan echoed it. “You’re sure?” “Yes. I am sure.” Then she softened, turning her attention to Paul. “Come here, mi dulce,” she cooed, English and Spanish blending into something warm and familiar. “Martina has your yummy bottle. Ven, come drink, little prince.” Paul looked at her. Then nodded. No hesitation this time. He slid forward from the couch awkwardly, landing with a soft plop onto his padded bottom on the carpet. If he noticed the mess, he gave no sign of it. His entire focus had shifted to Martina and the bottle. He crawled back to her, slower now, tired after food and cake and attention, but determined. Paul reached her and lowered his head into her lap as though the arrangement had always existed. Martina settled one hand behind his head, guiding him gently, then slipped the bottle back between his lips. “There we go,” she whispered. “Despacio. Slow.” Paul drank. Small pulls now. Sleepier. Martina hummed softly under her breath. A lullaby in Spanish. Old and low and sweet, the melody carrying the kind of comfort that did not need explanation. Bryan and Lilly stood for a moment too long, watching. Martina looked up. “Go.” Lilly almost did. Then stopped. She leaned forward slightly. “Martina?” “Yes?” Lilly’s voice changed. Quieter. More deliberate. “I need to ask you a favor.” Martina’s hand kept moving gently through Paul’s hair. “Anything.” Lilly glanced at Paul, then chose her language carefully. “Can you send tu hija over tomorrow? Any time she’s able.” Martina’s eyes lifted more fully now. Bryan looked at Lilly too. Lilly continued, voice sincere and steady. “I’d like the chance to talk with her. Just talk. No pressure. No ambush. I just… I know what it feels like to let a man set you on a path for a while that you don’t like. A path you don’t even realize you’re walking until you’re already too far down it.” Martina’s expression softened. Lilly swallowed. “She can take the advice or not. That’s her choice. But I’d like to offer it. Woman to woman. Not because I’m angry at her. Because I think maybe someone should.” For a moment, Martina said nothing. She looked down at Paul, drinking sleepily in her lap, then back to Lilly. She heard the sincerity. Not judgment. Not superiority.Not vengeance. Concern. “That would mean a lot,” Martina said quietly. “To both of us.” Lilly nodded. “Thank you.” Martina’s voice warmed. “No. Thank you.” Bryan touched Lilly’s lower back gently. “Bath,” he reminded softly. Lilly blinked, then nodded. “Right.” They left together toward the master bathroom, gathering what they needed, turning on warm water, laying out towels, checking temperature, pulling the evening routine into place. The house moved around them again with quiet purpose. On the living room floor, Martina continued humming. Paul drank until his eyes drifted nearly closed. One hand rested on her knee. The other held weakly to the edge of her scarf. By the time Bryan returned, the bath was ready. He stood in the archway for a second, watching them. Her hand stroking his hair in slow, practiced lines. It looked like memory and present laid over each other. For once, Bryan did not feel the need to explain anything. He stepped closer, making his voice playful and soft. “Alright. I’ve got everything ready for my little stinky boy.” Paul’s eyes opened halfway. Suspicious. Bryan crouched and reached toward his side, wiggling his fingers. “Gotcha.” He tickled gently. Not near the ribs. Only the safe soft place beneath Paul’s arm. Paul squealed, releasing his grip from Martina’s neck and curling away with a muffled giggle. Bryan used the moment to gather him carefully, lifting him up and over one shoulder with practiced ease, supporting him fully. Paul immediately protested. “No, no, no go!” The cry came small but urgent, his arms reaching back toward Martina. Martina stood at the same time, smoothing her trousers and moving close enough for him to see her. “Oh, mi principito,” she said softly. “You need to get that stinky bum all nice and clean.” Paul’s face crumpled. “And then sleep,” she continued, touching his cheek gently. “So tomorrow we can play again. ¿Okay, little prince?” Paul still looked ready to whine. Martina did not give him time. She planted a kiss on one cheek. Then the other. Wet. Loud. Ridiculous. Paul blinked, startled out of protest. Martina smiled and gently slipped his pacifier back into his mouth. “There,” she whispered. “All better.” Paul’s mouth worked around it. His protest dissolved into a reluctant little nod. Bryan kissed the side of his head. “Good boy.” Martina hugged Bryan carefully around Paul. Not too tight. Just enough. “You call me if anything changes tonight.” “I will.” Lilly appeared near the hallway. “I’ll walk you out.” Bryan nodded, adjusting Paul securely against his shoulder. A few loving pats landed against Paul’s padded behind as he turned toward the master suite. “Bath time, buddy.” Paul made a small sound into Bryan’s shoulder. Not happy. Not miserable. Tired. Lilly watched them disappear down the hall before turning back to Martina. The goodbye at the door was quieter than the arrival. Still warm. Still full. But steadier now. Martina squeezed Lilly’s hands. “Tomorrow,” she said. “Tomorrow,” Lilly echoed. Then Lilly closed the door gently behind her and stood for a second in the entryway, letting the house settle again. By the time she reached the master bathroom, steam had softened the mirrors. The tub was filled with bubbles. Not too deep. Not too hot. Just warm enough. Paul sat in the bath with Bryan kneeling beside the tub, one hand supporting him whenever he leaned too far. Plastic boats floated near his knees. A little shark bobbed against the bubbles. A yellow rubber duck drifted in a lazy circle, bumping once against Paul’s hand. He touched it. Watched it move. Then pushed it away. Bryan smiled faintly and ran a warm washcloth gently over Paul’s chest and arms, careful around bandages and bruising, speaking in low murmurs every time he moved. “Arm up a little. Good. That’s it. Easy.” Paul obeyed in fragments. Sometimes lifting. Sometimes not. Sometimes forgetting what was asked. Sometimes simply staring at the duck as though it contained the answer to the entire day. Lilly knelt behind him with a small cup, wetting his hair slowly. “There we go,” she whispered. “Nice warm bath. You did so much today.” Paul’s eyes lowered. The bath made him quiet. Not withdrawn like morning. Just softened. She worked shampoo gently through his hair, fingers careful and tender, avoiding any sudden tilt that might pull at his ribs. Bryan washed one forearm, then the other, his touch practical and loving in the same breath. On the bathroom floor, the Safari changing mat waited. Laid out neatly. An overnight Safari diaper. Three boosters stacked beside it. Plastic pants. Cream. Powder. Safari pajamas folded and ready. A quiet roadmap for the next transition. No rush. No shame. No spectacle. Just care. The last image of the day came through the nursery tablet. Not in the nursery itself. On the screen. Small. Blue-tinted. Quiet. Paul slept inside the rail bed beneath the soft dim glow of the night-light, curled on his right side the way Mindy had recommended, one arm tucked around Batman and the other resting near Long Knight. The Safari pajamas were visible at his shoulder where the blanket had slipped slightly, clean and soft after the bath. His hair, washed and dried gently by Lilly’s careful hands, lay messy against the pillow in damp little waves. He looked peaceful. Not healed. Not back. But peaceful. And after the day they had survived, peaceful felt like something sacred. The mobile above him was off now. No lullaby. No motion. Just stillness. The sound on the tablet picked up the faintest rhythm of his breathing, soft and uneven but steady enough that Lilly stood beside the bed in the master bedroom and watched it for longer than she needed to. Bryan was already across the room, moving more slowly than usual, his body finally admitting what his mind had refused to acknowledge all day. He was exhausted. The kind of exhaustion that did not come from lack of sleep alone, but from staying regulated when panic wanted to take over. From holding Paul through screams. From smiling through rattles. From making race-car noises with a spoon because beans and corn suddenly mattered more than dignity. From standing over a rail bed while his son begged him not to go. Lilly set the tablet down carefully on her nightstand. Angled toward her. Close enough to reach. Close enough to check. Close enough that part of her could remain in the nursery even after leaving it. She had changed after Paul’s bath, finally peeling herself out of the wrinkled sage tracksuit that had carried too much of the day. Now she wore black booty shorts and a soft black nightie that fell loosely over her body, the fabric simple and comfortable, her hair pulled back messily from her face. She looked less polished than she had that morning. Bryan slipped under the covers bare-chested, wearing only flannel pajama bottoms, the waistband sitting low on his hips, his shoulders tense as he leaned back against the pillows. The room was dim except for the bedside lamps, warm light painting soft gold across the sheets and the dark wood furniture. Outside, Jacksonville had settled into full evening, the windows reflecting only shadows now. Lilly stood for one more second by the nightstand. Looking at the tablet. Paul shifted faintly on the screen. Bryan watched her. Then reached out. “Come here.” His voice was quiet. Not demanding. Not even coaxing. Just open. Lilly looked at him. For a moment, she seemed torn between the bed and the tablet, between wife and mother, between the room where she was needed now and the room where she feared she might be needed any second. He simply held out his hand. Lilly took it. Bryan pulled her gently toward him, guiding her onto the bed and into the curve of his body. She settled against him with a slow exhale that seemed to leave from somewhere deeper than lungs. Her back met his chest. His arm wrapped around her waist. For a few seconds, neither of them spoke. They just existed. Together. Alive at the end of it. That alone felt impossible. Bryan reached behind him and picked up a small bottle of massage oil from the nightstand, one Lilly hadn’t even noticed he’d set there. The glass caught the lamplight as he warmed a little between his palms. Lilly turned her head slightly. “Bryan…” “I know,” he murmured. She didn’t know what he meant by that. Or maybe she did. He knew she was still listening for Paul. He knew she felt guilty being touched when her son was in a rail bed down the hall. He knew she had spent the day being hands, voice, body, nurse, mother, advocate, meal planner, emotional interpreter, and crisis manager. He knew there was a version of love that took care of everyone else until it forgot the person doing the caring still had shoulders that hurt. So he lifted the hem of her nightie gently. Not rushed. Not hungry in a way that asked anything from her. Careful. Reverent. He drew the fabric upward just enough to bare her back and shoulders, the black lace of her bra visible beneath the soft fall of the nightie gathered near her chest. Then his hands settled at the base of her neck. Warm. Oiled. Steady. Lilly’s breath caught. From the sudden realization that she had been holding herself rigid for hours. Bryan began slowly. Thumbs pressing lightly along the tight muscles at the base of her skull, then down the lines of her neck, across the slope of her shoulders. His touch was sensual only because it was intimate. Sensitive because it listened. Every movement asked rather than took. Every stroke seemed to say: I see you. I know you hurt too. Let me carry something. Lilly’s eyes closed. Her head dipped forward. “Oh,” she whispered. Bryan leaned closer, lips near her ear. “Too much?” She shook her head. “No. It’s…” Her voice broke softly. “Good.” He continued. Slow circles along her shoulders. Long strokes down her upper back. Careful pressure where tension had gathered into knots beneath her skin. Lilly’s hands rested loosely in her lap at first, then one reached back and found his knee through the blanket. She held there, grounding herself to him the way Paul had held Bryan’s hand in the rail bed. The parallel moved through Bryan quietly. Father. Husband. Anchor. He had never felt more necessary. Or more afraid of failing. “You did good today,” he said softly. Lilly let out a small breath that almost became a laugh. “I don’t know what good means anymore.” “It means he ate.” Bryan’s hands moved down her spine. “It means he laughed.” Another slow press. “It means he knew Martina.” Lilly’s eyes opened slightly. On the tablet, Paul slept. Bryan’s voice lowered. “It means you kept meeting him where he was, even when it hurt not to ask him to be more.” That one found her. Her chin trembled. “I wanted him back so badly.” “I know.” “I still do.” “I know.” Bryan leaned forward and kissed the top of her shoulder. Not to silence her. To stay with her. Lilly swallowed. “When he said ‘yes’ to Martina, I thought… I don’t know. I thought maybe that meant he was coming back faster. Then I watched him in the bath, and he was so little again. So quiet.” Bryan’s hands paused for half a second. Then resumed. “He is coming back,” he said. “Just not in the order we want.” Lilly looked toward the tablet. “Waves,” she whispered. “Waves.” Outside, the house settled. A quiet creak. The faint electronic hiss of the monitor. Bryan worked slowly along her shoulder blades, his palms gliding with patient pressure. Lilly leaned back into him more fully now, her body trusting the bed, trusting him, trusting the night for at least a minute. This was not them forgetting Paul. This was them remembering each other. Because tomorrow would ask things of them. Paul would wake in whatever state his nervous system allowed. Work would still exist. The school would still exist. The legal questions would still wait like stones beneath the surface. But tonight, in this dim room, Bryan and Lilly were not just caregivers standing over a crisis. They were husband and wife. Two people who had chosen each other before the day broke open. Two people still choosing each other after. Bryan’s hands drifted to her lower back, then returned upward, unhurried. Lilly’s breathing deepened. “Tomorrow scares me,” she admitted. Bryan nodded against her hair. “Me too.” “I’m afraid he’ll wake up and be gone again.” “I know.” “I’m afraid he’ll wake up more aware and remember everything.” Bryan closed his eyes. That fear was worse. Little Paul hurting was one kind of agony Paul himself returning to the full memory of being erased was another. Bryan wrapped one arm around Lilly’s waist, pulling her closer against him. “Then we do what Mindy said.” Lilly’s fingers tightened over his knee. “Small choices.” “Small choices,” he repeated. “No school unless he brings it up.” “No school unless he brings it up.” “Ask, don’t decide.” Bryan kissed her shoulder again. “Ask, don’t decide.” Lilly turned slightly then, enough to look back at him. Her eyes were tired. Red-rimmed. Still beautiful. “Are we going to be okay?” Bryan looked past her for a second to the tablet. Paul sleeping. Then back to Lilly. He did not offer false certainty. He had too much respect for her for that. “I don’t know what okay looks like tomorrow,” he said quietly. “But I know we’re not doing it alone.” Lilly held his gaze. “Martina.” “Mindy.” “Kim.” “Each other.” A small smile touched her mouth. “And Paul.” Bryan’s expression softened. “And Paul,” he said. “Whatever version shows up.” Lilly turned more fully into him then, and Bryan let the nightie fall back loosely over her shoulders before wrapping both arms around her. She tucked herself against his bare chest, one hand resting over his heart. On the tablet, Paul shifted again, a tiny movement beneath the blanket. Both of them looked. Waited. He settled. Still asleep. Lilly exhaled. Bryan held her tighter. “He’s safe,” he whispered. “For now.” “For now is enough tonight.” She closed her eyes. Bryan rested his cheek against Lilly’s hair. “We’ll face tomorrow,” he whispered. Lilly’s voice came sleepy now, but steadier. “Together.” “Together.” The tablet glowed softly beside the nightstand. Down the hall, Paul slept peacefully inside his rail bed. And in the master bedroom, beneath the dim golden light, Bryan and Lilly held each other like the first promise of morning had already begun.

Chapter One Hundred & Seventeen: Part Three Lilly’s hand moved with purpose, firm and almost impatient as she worked the fluffy towel through the dark silk of her freshly washed hair, squeezing moisture from the strands in slow, assertive passes. It was obvious this wasn’t her first shower of the morning. The first one had been to clean herself. The second had been an attempt to wash off what the hallway had left behind. It hadn’t worked. She could still smell it in flashes. Blood. Vomit. Fear. Not really in the air anymore. In her memory. The kind of smell that lived behind the eyes. She stepped out of the master bathroom wearing the muted sage-green lounge set she had grabbed without thinking, the soft half-zip sweatshirt hanging loose but clean against her frame, its wide collar slightly open at the throat, the matching wide-leg pants moving quietly around her bare feet. It was comfortable, casual, still somehow elegant in that effortless way Lilly always managed, even when exhaustion had hollowed out the space beneath her cheekbones. The outfit looked like control from a distance. Up close, it looked like survival. She crossed into the kitchen with the towel still in one hand and stopped dead. The morning was still there waiting for her. Not the good morning. Not the hopeful one. The ruined one. The single bowl of oatmeal sat half-tipped near the island like something abandoned mid-disaster, thick beige mush congealed against the marble, banana slices sunken and limp, blueberries burst into dark purple bruises across the surface, raspberries collapsed into red smears that had dried tacky along the rim. The spoon lay half-submerged, coated in cold oatmeal so thick it had crusted around the handle. Beside it, the blue terry cloth bib sat crumpled and stiffening, streaked with dried oats and berry stains, one corner folded over itself where someone—Bryan, probably—had tried to gather it quickly and then simply couldn’t finish. A breakfast that had never become breakfast. A morning that had cracked before it could become ordinary. Lilly drew in a long breath. Held it. Let it out slowly. Her eyes closed for only a second, but behind them the hallway returned with perfect cruelty—Paul on the floor, glass everywhere, the white Jaguars jersey no longer bright but streaked with vomit down the front, his hands cut open where he had crawled through shards without feeling them, his face wet and twisted in a grief so total it had stripped language from him. She could still hear the sounds he made. Not words. Not really. Cries. Whines. Fractured syllables. A desperate, broken “Mommy”, “Daddy,” swallowed by sobbing. The kind of sound that made the adult mind irrelevant because the body heard it first. Her hand tightened around the towel. The regression after the Jaguars game had frightened her. The hospital moment had gutted her. But those had felt like storms he was trying to hide inside until someone came with shelter. This felt different. This felt like the storm had not only found him, but rewritten the map back. His big side hadn’t just stepped aside. It had vanished so completely that Lilly had spent the last two hours terrified of saying the wrong thing into the silence it left behind. She opened her eyes. The kitchen blurred slightly. Then she saw the coffee. A fresh cup sat waiting on the island, steam still curling gently from the surface, dark and fragrant, placed on a folded napkin. Crayon marked the napkin in Bryan’s large uneven handwriting, the letters pressed harder in some places like he had written it quickly while listening for Paul in the other room. "Sorry, couldn’t clean up. He needs me. Left you a fresh cup. It’s gonna be one of those days. Love every bit of you." Lilly picked it up with careful fingers. Read it once. Then again. And the breath that left her this time wasn’t a sigh. It was almost a laugh. Almost a sob. Something in between. She pressed the napkin to her chest and held it there, standing barefoot in the wreckage of an interrupted breakfast, hair damp, eyes swollen, and loved so specifically that it hurt. Bryan hadn’t had time to clean. Hadn’t had time to sit. Hadn’t had time to breathe. But he had made coffee. He had left words. He had remembered she would come back to this room eventually and need proof that someone had seen her too. “Damn you,” she whispered softly, smiling through the ache. “You beautiful man.” Her eyes drifted to the microwave clock. 10:00 AM “My God…” It had only been two hours. Two hours since they had finally gotten Paul out of the hallway. Two hours since Bryan had carried him shaking and nearly nonverbal into the nursery. One hour since they had made the the decision to wake him; he couldn’t sleep all day, he would be up all night, he needed to eat something, and then they made the decision no parent wanted to make, but sometimes had to: low stimulation, soft light, no explanations yet, keep him safe first and let meaning wait. Then after breakfast Bryan had put him back in the baby-blue fleece sleeper because it was soft, yes, but also because it fit snugly enough to slow him down. The thought made Lilly’s stomach turn even now, not from shame, but from the brutal practicality of care after panic. Before the triple-thick protection Bryan had changed him into, before the fleece had been zipped and settled carefully around him, Paul had been trying to crawl away from everything—glass, letter, touch, reality itself. They couldn’t risk him bolting if the terror reignited. Couldn’t risk stairs. Couldn’t risk tile. Couldn’t risk him adding more pain to the broken rib or his injured hands opening again because fear taught his body to move before thought could catch up. So they had built a smaller world. Temporary. Soft. Contained. A place where he could be scared without becoming unsafe. Lilly turned toward the nanny-cam tablet lying illuminated on the marble. The screen glowed like a small window cut into another reality. And there— The darkness gave way. Not to joy. Not yet. But to something survivable. Bryan sat on the soft foam mats in the nursery, dressed in his apricot lounge set, the sweatshirt slightly wrinkled now, pants bunched at the knees from sitting on the floor too long. He looked expensive and exhausted, ridiculous and beautiful, like a man who could sit in a boardroom at nine and build a safe world on the floor by ten without caring which version of himself looked more impressive. His hair was messy from Paul’s fingers. His face carried the drained pallor of someone who had already spent everything and kept finding more. Across from him, Paul sat low to the ground in the baby-blue fleece sleeper, the fabric soft and snug around him, the pale color making him look younger in a way that made Lilly’s throat tighten. His hands were bandaged where the glass had cut him, fingers awkward and protected, palms wrapped carefully enough that he couldn’t easily reopen the wounds. His face was still blotchy from crying. His eyes heavy. Distant. The pacifier moved slowly with his breathing, not playful, not cute, not performative—just regulation. A tool. A rhythm. Something his body could understand when words had failed. Between father and son rested a soft foam ball. Bryan rolled it gently. Slow. Predictable. No surprise. No demand. The ball bumped lightly against Paul’s knee. Paul looked down at it for a long second. Too long. Bryan waited. That was the part that undid Lilly most. He waited like the entire world could wait with him. No rush. No encouragement that asked too much. No false cheer. Just presence. Paul made a small sound, a faint whine low in his throat, and pushed at the ball with the side of his bandaged hand. It rolled crookedly back toward Bryan, barely crossing the mat. Bryan caught it like it was a championship pass. His face changed instantly. Not exaggerated enough to startle Paul, but bright enough to let the moment matter. “There it is,” Bryan said softly through the tablet speaker, voice gentle and low. “That was good, buddy.” Paul didn’t smile. Not really. But something in his shoulders loosened. A fraction. A microscopic surrender. Bryan saw it. Lilly saw Bryan see it. And that was where the tears came nearest. Because Bryan looked proud. Devastatingly proud. Proud of a ball rolled two feet across foam. Proud of a son who had been directing scenes beneath a pergola yesterday and now needed the entire morning narrowed down to one soft object moving back and forth. Proud and hurt and terrified. Lilly leaned one hand on the island, watching him through the screen as if the tablet were the only thing holding her upright. This was what love looked like after the pretty language ran out. Not grand speeches. Not rescue. Not fixing. A father sitting on the floor in cream loungewear, rolling a ball back and forth with his eighteen-year-old son because that was the only bridge sturdy enough to hold right now. Paul whined again, softer this time, and the sound moved through Lilly like a blade. Bryan shifted closer, careful not to crowd him. “You’re okay,” he said quietly. “Daddy’s right here.” Paul didn’t answer. Couldn’t. Wouldn’t. His eyes stayed on the ball. Bryan rolled it again. Paul watched. The mobile turned slowly overhead, casting soft shadows across the soft teal walls, the room built to be safe now carrying the weight of something far heavier than safety. The sleeper, the foam mats, the soft ball, the dim light—none of it erased the fact that Bishop’s Gate had reached into their home and detonated him before breakfast. Lilly thought of the letter upstairs. The official language. The false kindness. The way adults wrote words like dignity and transition when what they meant was we are done making space for you. Her jaw tightened. Then her phone rang. The vibration startled her so badly she nearly knocked the coffee over. It buzzed across the marble beside the tablet, bright and insistent, breaking the spell of the small glowing room. Lilly looked down. The caller ID filled the screen. Kim ❤️ For one second, Lilly didn’t move. Then something steadied inside her. Not peace. Not yet. But certainty. Kim’s name did that. It rooted her. Pulled her out of the helpless watching and back into motion. Some people entered your life as comfort. Some arrived as history. Kim was both. Lilly picked up the phone, still holding Bryan’s crayon note in her other hand, the towel forgotten over the chair, the coffee cooling beside her, the nanny-cam still glowing with father and son on the floor. Her thumb hovered over the screen. In the nursery, Bryan caught the ball again and smiled like the world depended on it. “Kim…” she said, and the name came out almost broken. Outside the Vanburne estate, the storm was beginning to loosen its grip. Rain still clung to the tall glass panes in trembling streaks, but beyond the three large windows of the master bedroom, the clouds had started to thin just enough for pale winter light to press through in soft silver sheets. The grounds below looked freshly washed—dark green lawns shining under the retreating rain, palm fronds heavy and dripping, the stone pathways slick and reflective as if the whole estate had been dipped in glass and set carefully back into place. Inside, warmth held. The master bedroom opened into calm luxury—cream walls, high ceilings, heavy drapes pulled back from the windows, and the faint scent of cedar, lavender, and expensive laundry detergent drifting from the walk-in closet beyond. She wore dark fitted jeans tucked neatly into sleek black ankle boots, a black turtleneck hugging her frame beneath a soft grey wrap that draped around her shoulders like a cashmere cloud. Her hair was pulled back low and polished, not fussy, not overdone, just elegant in that Mama Kim way—southern warmth wrapped in quiet authority. She looked like the kind of woman who could pack a ski wardrobe, calm a crying child, direct a contractor, and scold a grown man into better judgment without raising her voice past “darlin’.” The closet itself was nearly its own boutique. Tall shelving rose along both walls, pale wood and glass-front cabinets reflecting the wide central island beneath a gold geometric chandelier. Folded sweaters sat in exact stacks. Linen boxes lined upper shelves. Shoes were arranged with museum-like precision. Towels and travel wraps rested in creamy rows, while drawers with brushed gold handles waited beneath the glass-topped island. At the far end, one large window overlooked the rain-washed property, light spilling across two open luxury suitcases waiting on the island like the first act of a holiday migration. Clothes had already begun to fill them. Cashmere sweaters. Base layers. A few winter coats folded with care. A wrapped gift tucked into one corner. Kim reached into a garment bag and lifted out an elegant white-and-red wine sundress, the fabric light and fluid, romantic enough for dinner and easy enough for a resort afternoon if the Utah weather surprised them. She smoothed it with both hands before placing it carefully into one of the suitcases. Then she turned her head toward the bedroom and called out, voice sweet as honey but sharp enough to carry. “Charles Vanburne, you better not leave your packin’ to the last minute, darlin’. This won’t be like the trip to Aruba, and it sure as sugar won’t be like Iceland.” Somewhere beyond the closet, Charles gave a muffled response she couldn’t quite make out. Kim laughed to herself, warm and low. “Mm-hmm. That’s what you said last time, too.” She reached for another folded garment, but her eyes caught the screen of her iPhone where it sat face-up on the glass island. Four missed calls. Her smile softened into curiosity. “Well now,” she murmured, picking it up. “Who’s the busy bee lookin’ to interrupt the queen mama while she’s packin’ up her hive for the holidays?” Then she saw the name. Lilly. Kim’s heart gave one quick flutter before the rest of her caught up. Four missed calls from Lilly did not mean fashion advice. It did not mean packing questions. It did not mean a recipe, a joke, or a funny story about Bryan pretending he didn’t need five pairs of shoes for Utah. Four missed calls meant something had happened. The room seemed to quiet around her. Kim tapped the screen and redialed. The phone rang once. Twice. Then Lilly answered. “Kim…” Just her name. That was all. But the way Lilly said it filled Kim with warmth and dread at the same time. Because Lilly was strong. Polished. Capable. Sometimes too capable for her own good. She could hold a room together with a smile, hold a family together with one hand, and still make people believe she was fine even while the ground cracked beneath her. But this voice— This was not fine. This was Lilly trying not to fall apart before she had permission. Kim’s hand lowered slowly to the edge of the suitcase. “Oh, sugar,” she said gently, her Georgia softness rounding every syllable. “Talk to me.” Back inside the Goldhawk kitchen, Lilly sank onto the island stool like her legs had finally remembered they were tired. The relief that moved across her face was immediate and almost painful. Her shoulders lowered a fraction. Her hand wrapped tighter around the coffee Bryan had left for her, though she still hadn’t taken a sip. The towel remained draped over the back of a chair. The ruined oatmeal still sat near the sink. The nanny-cam tablet still glowed on the marble, showing Bryan and Paul in the nursery, the small moving image soft and heartbreaking beside the ordinary mess of morning. Lilly swallowed, trying for casual and failing before she even finished the first sentence. “Hey… what are you up to?” Kim heard the attempt. Heard the crack beneath it. And because she loved Lilly, she played along just long enough to give her somewhere safe to land. “Well,” Kim said, moving slowly around the suitcase now, voice intentionally light, “Charles and I just got back after droppin’ Mya at school and William at daycare. Heavens, it is nice to be empty nesters for the next five or so hours, let me tell you. I love those babies with my whole soul, but quiet? Quiet is a luxury item.” Lilly let out a small breath that almost became a laugh. Kim continued, gentle but watchful. “Now we’re just startin’ to pack for Utah. I’m tryin’ to keep your Uncle Charles from actin’ like socks and toothpaste magically pack themselves.” A pause, softer. “What about you, sugar? You, Bryan, and Paul all packed up?” Lilly looked toward the nanny cam. Paul’s small shape shifted on the screen, not speaking, just tracking the ball Bryan rolled slowly across the mat. Bryan caught it when it came back crooked and praised the effort like Paul had done something heroic. “Yes,” Lilly said quietly. “We finished Sunday night.” “That’s good.” “Paul… he actually took the lead on dinner last night.” Kim’s face softened at once. “Did he now?” “Yeah.” Lilly’s voice warmed for one fragile second, clinging to the memory because it still felt real even after the morning tried to steal it. “He asked Bryan if he could roast the chicken. And Bryan helped him spatchcock it because of the ribs, but Paul did the rub himself. Root vegetables, pan sauce, Yorkshire pudding. He was so proud, Kim. He looked like himself.” Kim closed her eyes briefly. “Bless his heart,” she murmured. “That force of nature finds a kitchen and a stage anywhere he can, doesn’t he?” Lilly smiled through the ache. “He does.” “And what about today, honey?” Kim asked, voice still gentle, still open. “Did that force of nature get himself back to the stage? Give you and Bryan a little time together?” The question landed exactly where Lilly had been trying not to look. Her mouth opened. Closed. Her brave face cracked at the edges. “Well…” she started, and the word trembled. “Actually, the plan was for us to call the school today. To talk through what a return would look like after winter break, with accommodations and timing and… all of that.” Kim stopped moving. In her closet, one hand still rested over the white-and-red dress. “But?” she asked softly. Lilly pressed her fingers to her lips for a second. “But the school made the decision instead.” Kim’s expression changed completely. “What?” Lilly tried to hold it. She really did. But the sentence had been living under her skin since the hallway, sharp and hot and impossible, and the second Kim’s voice gave her permission, it broke loose. “Those bastards, Kim,” Lilly whispered, and then her voice cracked. “They decided to remove him from school completely. They sent him a diploma and some award in a glass frame like he was already gone. Like they were… packaging him up. Making him finished.” “Oh my…” Kim’s hand went to her chest. “Lilly, I’m so sorry. How did you break the news to Paul?” “We didn’t.” The silence after that was immediate. Heavy. Kim’s voice dropped. “Oh heaven’s no.” Lilly closed her eyes. “He found out first.” Kim turned slowly and sat down on the cushioned bench beside the closet island, the open suitcase forgotten in front of her. “That boy is not exactly an expert when it comes to dealing with upsettin’ news.” “No,” Lilly said, and the word collapsed. Then the sobs came. Quiet at first. Contained. The kind that hurt more because she was still trying not to let them take over. “It was a nightmare, Kim.” “I’m here.” “His stress levels just… hit their limit. Bryan and I were in the kitchen. We heard him scream. We heard glass shatter. When we got to the front door, he was on the floor surrounded by shards from the frame, and his hands—” Lilly stopped, breath catching hard. “His hands were bleeding. He’d cut them as he drove his plams into the glass.” Kim’s eyes closed, pain moving across her face. “And he’d thrown up all over himself,” Lilly continued, voice shaking harder now. “His chest, his jersey, the floor. It was like his body just rejected everything at once. He was shaking so hard, Kim. Not crying like himself. Not yelling like himself. Just… gone. Hard, fast, terrified. He regressed so deeply we couldn’t reach him.” The word hung there. Regressed. Kim didn’t flinch from it. She knew enough to understand it was not a spectacle. Not a habit. Not something small. It was a nervous system seeking shelter wherever shelter existed like all those weeks ago inside the nursery of her home. “What did y’all do?” Kim asked. Lilly looked back at the tablet. Bryan was still there, still rolling the ball, still waiting for Paul to respond in whatever tiny way he could. “Bryan tried to cradle him first,” Lilly said. “His first instinct was just to get him off the glass, get him safe. But Paul fought loose. Not like he was fighting Bryan. He was just… fighting everything. He couldn’t hear us. He crawled into the living room, bleeding, shaking, making these sounds—God, Kim, I don’t think I’ll ever stop hearing them.” Kim swallowed. Lilly wiped at her cheek with the heel of her hand. “I found the letter. Bryan and I read enough to understand what had happened, and by then Paul was on the carpet. He was still trying to crawl away, but he didn’t even know where he was going. So we sat down on either side of him, and Bryan pulled him in. This time he didn’t let go.” Her voice softened. Broke differently. “Not rough. Just… certain. Like he was telling Paul’s body, ‘You’re not going anywhere dangerous now.’ And I held his hands. I had to keep them still because they were bleeding and he didn’t understand. Bryan rocked him and rocked him, and we stopped trying to explain. We just tried to calm him.” Kim’s eyes filled, but her voice stayed steady because Lilly needed steady. “That was right, sugar. Safety before sense.” Lilly nodded even though Kim couldn’t see it. “We called Mindy. She’s coming this afternoon for a house call. She said keep things low stimulation. Keep him safe. Let him come back slowly.” “That sounds right.” Lilly’s breathing shook. “But the worst part…” Kim went still again. “The worst part was after.” “What happened after, honey?” Lilly’s eyes moved to the cold oatmeal. The crusted spoon. The stained blue bib. The evidence of a second disaster disguised as breakfast. “When he finally fell asleep, we let him rest. Then Mindy said we needed to try waking him gently and get something in his stomach because he’d thrown up so much, and he still needs food with the meds.” Lilly pressed her hand to her chest, like the memory had lodged physically there. “Kim, he wasn’t Paul when he woke up. Not even the little version we’ve seen before. Not the one who wants comfort and then slowly resets.” Kim sat quietly on the edge of the cushioned bench in her closet, one hand resting over the soft fabric of the sundress she’d forgotten to pack, the other holding her phone tighter now. Lilly sat at the island, fingers wrapped around Bryan’s coffee mug though the warmth had long since faded. The nanny-cam tablet still glowed beside her like a second heartbeat—soft nursery light, pale blue fleece, Bryan kneeling on foam mats, rolling a small ball toward a boy who looked far younger than the weight of eighteen years should ever allow. Kim could hear Lilly breathing. The kind of breathing people did when they were still holding themselves together out of obligation. “What happened next, sugar?” Kim asked carefully. “After y’all got him settled?” Lilly stared at the tablet for a long second. Then exhaled. “We woke him up.” Her voice lowered immediately, almost reverent with grief. “And Kim…” She swallowed hard. “He didn’t want to move.” Kim’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?” “I mean…” Lilly rubbed her temple. “He wanted to stay in bed. Completely. It wasn’t stubborn. It wasn’t teenage attitude or him shutting down emotionally. It was like…” She struggled for the words. “Like his body forgot.” Kim went quiet. Lilly continued. “We tried to get him to sit up and he just…” Her hand drifted downward in demonstration. “Slumped.” The word landed heavily. “He couldn’t hold himself there. Bryan sat behind him in the rail bed trying to support him, and Paul would stay up for maybe three seconds before just folding back down into the mattress. Like gravity suddenly weighed twice as much.” Lilly’s throat tightened again. “At first we thought maybe it was the sleep sack. You know, because it’s snug and restrictive. We thought maybe he just felt trapped in it.” Kim nodded quietly even though Lilly couldn’t see her. “So Bryan and I took it off.” Lilly laughed softly once, humorless. “And nothing changed.” Her eyes flicked to the nanny cam. Paul was still on all fours, still quiet, still drifting between engagement and retreat. “Nothing changed,” she repeated softly. “He just… laid there.” The memory visibly hurt. “His eyes were open, Kim. He was awake. Looking at us. But he just looked… overwhelmed by existing.” Kim pressed her lips together. “Oh, honey…” “We had breakfast ready because Mindy told us we had to try,” Lilly continued. “So Bryan just…” Her voice softened. “Reached down and carried him.” Kim smiled sadly. “Of course he did.” “From the playroom to the kitchen,” Lilly said quietly. “Just picked him up like he weighed nothing.” And in Lilly’s mind, she could still see it. Bryan carrying his eighteen-year-old son through the hallway like time itself had fractured. Paul curled loosely against his chest, bandaged hands tucked awkwardly inward, his cheek resting against Bryan’s shoulder. No resistance. No embarrassment. Just exhaustion. And fear. “He sat him down on one of the island chairs,” Lilly continued. “And Paul moved a little, like he wanted to slide out or fold down again, but Bryan…” Her lips twitched despite herself. “Bryan was very gentle,” she said. “He kept both hands on Paul’s shoulders and just…” Lilly smiled faintly through the sadness. “‘Nope. Sit up, buddy. We gotta try.’” Kim could practically hear Bryan saying it. “And while Bryan kept him sitting,” Lilly said, “I tied his blue terry cloth bib around his neck.” Her voice cracked slightly. “That nearly broke me, if I’m honest.” Kim’s expression softened immediately. “Oh, Lilly…” “Because he didn’t even react. No eye roll. No embarrassment. Nothing. He just let me.” The silence stretched. Then Lilly pushed through it. “I pulled up a chair across from him. Bryan stayed standing behind Paul, as we started trying to get him to eat the oatmeal. The yummy oatmeal,” Lilly added softly, the phrase sounding bittersweet now. “How’d that go?” Lilly let out one exhausted laugh. “Kim, it took five attempts.” “Five?” “Five,” Lilly repeated. “Gently bringing the spoon to his mouth. Every time.” Her hand mimicked the motion unconsciously. “His lips stayed shut. He’d turn his head a little. Or just stare past us. Not angry. Not fighting. Just… somewhere else.” Kim leaned back slightly, listening with her whole heart now. “We added vanilla,” Lilly said quietly. “Bryan mashed up the bananas better. Added blueberries and raspberries. We kept talking soft. Kept trying.” Then— Lilly smiled. A real one. Small, fragile, but real. “And on the sixth attempt…” She laughed quietly through her nose. “He stuck his tongue out.” Kim blinked. “What?” “Just…” Lilly demonstrated unconsciously. “Tiny little lick.” Kim’s mouth opened. “Oh, bless him.” “We both froze,” Lilly admitted, laughing softly now despite everything. “Like we’d just witnessed a miracle.” “And?” “We got a smile.” A tiny pause. “Tiny,” Lilly said. “But there.” Her eyes shimmered. “Then he opened his mouth.” Kim pressed her hand to her chest. “Oh thank heavens.” “And Bryan immediately starts doing this ridiculous choo-choo train thing.” Lilly even deepened her voice slightly in imitation. “‘Incoming breakfast express, buddy. And somehow…” Lilly shook her head in disbelief. “It worked.” The kitchen memory softened around the edges. Spoonful after spoonful. Slow progress. Bryan making train noises. Lilly praising every swallow like Paul had won an Olympic medal. And for a moment—Hope. “We were making progress,” Lilly whispered. “Real progress.” Then she paused. And giggled. Actually giggled. “Oh Lord…” “What?” Kim asked immediately. Lilly rubbed at her face. “He loved the vanilla so much…” Kim waited. “He stuck his hand in the bowl.” Kim laughed instantly. “No.” “Yes.” “Oh heavens.” “He just…” Lilly shook her head. “Scooped oatmeal into his hand and started licking his fingers.” Kim clapped a hand over her mouth. “Like a raccoon,” Lilly laughed weakly. “There was oatmeal all over his face and legs.” “And he liked it?” “He loved it.” Lilly smiled despite herself. “For a minute…” Her voice softened painfully. “It felt like he was coming back.” The sentence lingered. Until. Her smile disappeared. “Then Bryan’s phone rang.” Kim’s posture changed immediately. “What happened?” “It was Andre.” Lilly’s jaw tightened. “The call didn’t last long. But Bryan mentioned school.” Kim’s stomach sank. “Oh no.” “And Paul…” Lilly looked toward the nanny cam again. The ball rolled. Paul hesitated. Rolled it back. “…reacted.” The word came out fragile. “Immediately?” “Immediately.” Lilly swallowed. “The whining started first. Then crying.” Her hands curled slightly around the mug. “And Kim…” Her voice shook harder now. “It was his hands again.” Kim frowned. “What do you mean?” “He reached for the oatmeal.” Lilly closed her eyes. “Except he wasn’t trying to eat it.” Her voice dropped. “He slapped it.” The image flashed vividly. The bowl tipping. Oatmeal exploding across marble. Blueberries bouncing. Vanilla and oats everywhere. “It flew across the kitchen,” Lilly whispered. “And before we could stop him…” Her laugh came out broken. “He kicked his legs against the chair legs wickedly and then grabbed handfuls of the stuff and threw it.” Kim winced sympathetically. “Oh honey.” “I got oatmeal in my hair.” Lilly finally laughed wetly. “My face. My sweater.” Then quieter—“It was a full-blown tantrum, Kim.” Her voice cracked again. “And he still wasn’t saying anything.” Just cries. Whines. Broken sounds. Fear. “We didn’t know what was wrong,” Lilly admitted. “We didn’t know if he was scared or hurting or confused or stuck.” Her lips trembled. “Bryan just…” She stopped. Because even remembering it made something ache beautifully inside her. “He didn’t panic.” Kim smiled knowingly. “No,” she murmured. “That man doesn’t.” “He just picked Paul back up.” Lilly’s eyes filled. “And sat down on the kitchen floor.” She could still see it. Bryan sat cross-legged against the island. Paul curled against him, body trembling. Bandaged hands clenched. Face wet. Breakfast everywhere. Bryan holding him like the world could wait. “Bryan rocked him,” Lilly whispered. “Just held him.” Her voice lowered further. “And while Bryan told me to go shower the oatmeal out of my hair… that he’s got Paul and he’ll clean up after getting him settled.” She stopped. Emotion catching. “I heard him trying to meet Paul where he was.” Kim went still. Lilly’s eyes closed. “He said…” Her voice cracked. ‘We do not throw food. Especially not at Mommy. Even when we’re upset, Paul.’ A breath. ‘Buddy, can you hear me?’ Another. ‘We’re gonna get through this.’ Lilly’s lips trembled harder now. ‘But I gotta know you hear me.’ Her eyes closed. ‘Do you hear Daddy?’ Silence. Then— Lilly let out one broken breath. “And then quieter…” Her voice nearly disappeared. ‘Those fucking bastards.’ Kim didn’t laugh. Didn’t scold. Didn’t soften it. Because suddenly she understood. Bryan wasn’t angry at Paul. He was grieving. Watching his son disappear beneath pain again and having absolutely nowhere to put the helplessness except rage at the people who helped push him there. “Oh, sugar,” Kim whispered. “This was different,” Lilly whispered. “After the Jaguars game, after the hospital… it was like his big side took the backseat because the world got too loud. He needed shelter. He needed comfort. But this morning, it felt like the crash rewrote him for a while. Like the part of him that knows how to be eighteen just couldn’t get back to the front.” Kim’s mouth tightened, not in judgment, but in sorrow. Lilly kept going because stopping now would be worse. “We had to keep everything simple. Bryan changed him, got him cleaned up, got him settled into the soft sleeper because we needed to make sure if he panicked again, he couldn’t hurt himself rushing through the house. His hands are bandaged. He’s not talking. Just cries and little sounds. He’ll take the ball from Bryan. He’ll track things sometimes. But he isn’t… he isn’t back yet.” The last three words came out barely audible. Kim looked toward her closet window, where the storm outside had nearly stopped. “Oh, Lilly.” “I know he’s in there,” Lilly said quickly, almost fiercely. “I know he is. I saw him yesterday. I saw him laughing with Leo. I saw him cooking dinner. I saw him excited for Utah. I know he’s in there, Kim.” “I know you do.” “But I’m scared.” There it was. No polish. No performance. Just truth. “I’m scared this broke something we can’t reach fast enough.” Kim sat very still for a moment, letting that fear have air instead of smothering it with easy comfort. Then she spoke, soft and southern and sure. “Listen to me, sugar. That boy has come back from dark places before.” Lilly closed her eyes. “And he did not come back because anybody rushed him,” Kim continued. “He came back because y’all gave him a place safe enough to find the door. You hear me?” Lilly pressed the phone harder to her ear. “He found it yesterday,” Kim said. “He’ll find it again.” Lilly looked at the nanny cam as Bryan rolled the ball one more time. Paul watched it cross the mat. Slowly, with bandaged hands, he nudged it back. Bryan smiled. Not big. Not bright. But full of love so deep it looked like pain. Lilly exhaled, broken but breathing. “Okay,” she whispered. “Sugar,” she said gently, her Georgia warmth softening every edge of the question, “is there anything Charles and I can do? Anything at all? We can come over. We can bring food. We can take calls. We can sit with y’all. You know I don’t mind steppin’ into the storm if it means somebody gets to breathe.” Lilly wiped at her cheek, a small, exhausted smile breaking through the tears despite everything. “No,” she said softly. “Kim, you’ve already done so much.” “Mm-hmm,” Kim answered, not fully convinced. “That sounds like somethin’ a woman says when she’s too tired to know what she needs.” Lilly gave a wet little laugh, the first one that didn’t immediately collapse afterward. “Probably.” “Then I’ll keep askin’ until you figure it out.” Lilly looked down at the coffee Bryan had left her, then back to the tablet, then to the ruined oatmeal bowl still sitting near the sink like a witness. Something in her shifted—not away from the pain, but slightly beside it. As if her mind, desperate for a door out of the hallway memory, reached for the one question that had been waiting quietly in the background for days. “Actually,” Lilly said, her voice still rough, “can I ask you something totally unrelated?” Kim arched a brow in her walk-in closet, one hand now absently smoothing the edge of the open suitcase. “Well, honey, after the mornin’ you just described, I’m not sure anything qualifies as unrelated, but go on.” Lilly swallowed. “Do you know someone named Aunty Sam?” Kim blinked once. Then laughed softly, surprised enough that the sound carried through the phone like a small porch light flicking on in the dark. “Lord have mercy, Lilly Goldhawk. Talkin’ to you can give a woman whiplash. One second I’m ready to call in the cavalry, next thing I know we’re discussin’ aunties.” Despite herself, Lilly smiled. “I know. I’m sorry.” “Don’t be. Keeps me young.” Kim shifted on the cushioned bench, tucking one leg beneath her. “And yes, I can confirm that was Samantha reachin’ out. After I reached out to her first.” Lilly’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean you reached out to her? And how do you know her?” Kim’s tone warmed into something lighter, almost teasing, the kind of voice she used when she wanted to make a hard truth easier to hold. “Honey, when have you ever known this social butterfly not to have a number, a story, or somethin’ in common with every mama—or in this case, every aunty—with their own little ones in one way or another?” “Kim.” “I’m gettin’ there, sugar.” Lilly leaned back on the island stool, one hand moving around the mug for warmth she hadn’t fully earned yet. Kim’s voice softened. “Truth be told, I’ve been watchin’ your SMG series since you announced it all those months ago.” Lilly went still. “You have?” “Of course I have. What, you thought I was just out here ignorin’ you while you build somethin’ brave?” Lilly looked down. “It still feels strange sometimes.” “Brave things often do.” Kim paused, choosing the next part carefully. “And those videos your ‘wittle boy’ has been postin’…” She couldn’t help the small affectionate chuckle that slipped through, not mocking, not dismissive—just Mama Kim finding warmth where she could. “Well, honey, like you told me before, you think Paul’s story can help people. I do too.” “Except,” Kim continued, “in this case, I think Sam could help Paul. Or more specifically, someone Sam knows could help Paul. And maybe Paul could help that young man too.” Lilly sat up slightly. “Kim, what are you talking about?” Kim glanced toward the master bedroom door, making sure Charles wasn’t hovering close enough to hear every word, then lowered her voice into something more intimate. “I contacted Sam and forwarded her the link to your series. Told her to reach out if it made sense.” Lilly’s confusion deepened. “Why?” “Because Sam is the aunt to a young man who is very much like Paul.” Lilly’s hand tightened slightly around the mug. “Like Paul how?” “I don’t mean they share the same affliction,” Kim said gently. “Not exactly. Different history. Different medical road. But the recovery method… the emotional landscape… the way safety and regression become part of healing when life has overwhelmed the body and mind too severely.” Lilly stopped breathing for half a second. “You mean…” She hesitated, the word still foreign in her mouth, still carrying the weight of something she was trying to understand without reducing it. “Like Paul, he’s a little too?” Kim’s voice stayed kind. “Yes, honey. Andy is certainly a sweetheart.” Lilly closed her eyes, not in judgment, but because the word too landed harder than expected. Too. Not alone. Paul was not alone. Kim continued, lighter now but still respectful. “I’ve had the chance to meet him, and he is such a little cutie when he needs to be. But more than that, he’s a young man tryin’ to build a life around somethin’ most folks would rather misunderstand than learn about. And Sam?” Kim smiled. “Sam is simply awesome. Strong. Protective. Funny as sin when she wants to be. The kind of woman who has made peace with the fact that love sometimes looks different than the brochures promised.” Lilly’s throat tightened again, but this time the tears didn’t feel like they came from despair. They came from recognition. “You think we should meet her?” “I do,” Kim said. “I’d encourage you to meet Sam first. Woman to woman. Caregiver to caregiver. Then maybe, when it feels right, introduce the boys. Not because either one of them needs fixin’ by the other, but because there is power in lookin’ across a room and realizin’ somebody else has survived a version of your impossible.” Lilly looked toward the tablet again. Bryan had leaned closer now, speaking softly to Paul, his smile gentle and patient as he waited for another tiny response. “That might help him,” Lilly whispered. “It might help both of them.” Lilly pressed her lips together, emotion moving through her again in a quieter wave. “Thank you,” she said. “For keeping my family in your thoughts. Your prayers. Your actions.” Kim smiled warmly. “Oh, sugar. That’s what family does. And before you argue with me about whether we count as family, don’t. I’m not in the mood to be wrongfully corrected.” Lilly laughed softly. “I won’t.” “Good.” “And when we’re in Utah,” Lilly said, her voice finding a little more shape now, “I’m treating you. For everything.” “Well now,” Kim said, brightening. “I have been lookin’ forward to immaculate spa days in the mountains. Savannah’s already talkin’ about steam rooms like she personally invented relaxation.” Lilly smiled. “Of course. Savvy can come too. But…” Her voice lowered. “I also want time just for you and me.” Kim heard the shift immediately. “Do you now?” “I want an expensive bottle of red wine,” Lilly said, staring toward the window as if she could already see snow outside it. “Toast points. Caviar. No one needing us for at least an hour.” “Well, that sounds dangerously civilized.” “And then,” Lilly continued, quieter now, “I want you to tell me everything you know about Adult Babies.” Kim went still. Not judgmental. Just surprised. Her brows lifted slowly. “Well,” she said after a beat, “that is not where I expected the caviar to take us.” Lilly gave a small, nervous laugh. “I know.” “Why the sudden interest, darlin’?” Kim asked carefully. “I remember how firmly you wanted to keep your distance from that world. You wanted to focus on Paul’s healing, his dignity, the products and routines that helped him medically, without gettin’ tangled in labels or communities you weren’t sure about.” “I still do,” Lilly said immediately. And she meant it. Her voice steadied because this was one of the few things she had been thinking about clearly beneath the chaos. “I still want Paul’s healing at the center. I still don’t want to push him into anything. I still don’t want anyone reducing him to one part of his condition, or turning support into spectacle, or confusing treatment with identity before he’s ready.” Kim listened. “But looking at his life right now…” Lilly looked back at the tablet. “Looking at what he’s carrying. How scared he is of being alone in this. How much shame people keep handing him like he’s supposed to know what to do with it…” She swallowed. “I’ve been doing research. Carefully. Privately. And the more I learn, the more I realize there are feelings Paul may have that he doesn’t even know how to name yet. Some of them might be medical. Some trauma. Some comfort. Some identity. Some just… human.” Kim’s face softened. “And you want to be ready.” “I want to help him find balance,” Lilly said. “Not push him toward anything. Not pull him away from anything out of fear. Just… understand enough that when he finally has words, I don’t flinch.” The line settled between them. Kim’s eyes warmed. Lilly’s voice grew even softer. “I want him to know all his feelings are valid. Even the confusing ones. Even the ones that scare him. And I want him to know he’s not alone.” For a moment, Kim didn’t answer. Because she knew what that cost. Not curiosity. Love. Real love. The kind that went into unfamiliar rooms first so someone else didn’t have to enter them alone. Then Kim smiled. Slow and proud. “Utah,” she said simply. Lilly exhaled, almost laughing. “Utah” “Yes, ma’am. You and me. Red wine, toast points, caviar, and a conversation most polite society would faint over by dessert.” Lilly wiped beneath her eye. “Thank you.” “You’re welcome, sugar.” Kim’s voice softened again. “And Lilly?” “Yeah?” “You’re doin’ better than you think.” Lilly looked at the tablet one more time. Paul had gone still again, but Bryan hadn’t moved away. He remained on the floor, waiting with that same impossible patience. “No,” Lilly whispered. “We’re just trying not to fail him.” Kim’s answer came gentle, immediate, and sure. “That’s what good parents call love.” The words settled warmly between them. That’s what good parents call love. And for a moment, the storm inside the Goldhawk kitchen felt quieter. Outside, rain still clung to the oversized windows in silver streaks, but the worst of it had finally begun to pass. The sky beyond the estate softened from charcoal to pale winter gray, weak sunlight threatening to break through the clouds. Then— Jacksonville. Downtown. Came into foucs. Ten floors above the city. Floor-to-ceiling windows stretched across a sleek corner office where the St. Johns River shimmered beneath the fading storm clouds. Expensive dark wood. Clean lines. Law books untouched enough to suggest success came more from reputation than reference. And standing at the glass, one hand shoved into the pocket of his charcoal slacks, phone pressed hard against his ear— Andre Rowe. Bryan’s attorney. Jaw tight. Patience already gone. His reflection stared back at him in the window—controlled, polished, dangerous when angry. “For the love of God, Elena,” Andre said, voice low but edged sharp enough to cut steel, “what in the hell was that stunt by the school this morning?” Across town. Another office. Larger. Colder. The kind of wealth that announced itself through restraint. Black marble desk. Leather-bound case files. A skyline view that suggested power had long since become routine. Elena Vargas leaned back slowly in an oversized leather chair, one leg crossing over the other as red-painted nails tapped lightly against a fountain pen. Composed. Unbothered. Dangerously so. A faint smirk ghosted across her lips. “Good morning to you too, Andre,” she said dryly. “And by the way, what my clients did…” She glanced briefly toward the school file sitting open on her desk. “I consider an act of mercy given the situation.” Andre turned from the window. “The situation,” he repeated flatly, “was that Paul and his family were getting ready to contact the school this morning to discuss a return.” Elena didn’t miss a beat. “Well,” she said smoothly, “that’s not happening, Andre.” She reached for her coffee. “It’s best for everybody.” Andre’s stare hardened. “No,” he said quietly. “My clients and I would strongly disagree.” A pause. The kind lawyers measured carefully. Elena’s smirk deepened just enough to be heard through the phone. “Really?” she asked. “Would you say this little disagreement could be solved by a generous settlement…” Her voice lowered. “Or are we about to reach the level of legal arguments?” Andre said nothing at first. Outside his office, thunder rolled faintly in the distance. His eyes moved back toward the city. Toward the storm finally breaking. When he finally spoke, his voice carried the kind of certainty that usually meant someone had already made a mistake. “My clients,” he said carefully, “and I…” A beat. “Have all of our options on the table, Elena.”

Richard is at the Designation Office and is asked to step to the side where we learn a little more about the society and the people in it. --- I am only able to write as much as I do thanks to the generosity and support of my subscribers. Writing is my only source of income and it is because of these people that I am able to do that. It allows me to keep the lights on and puts food in my fridge. My subscribers get early access to all my stories, and access to around 30 EXCLUSIVE stories that are only available for my subscribers along with other benefits. If you are interested in supporting me and getting these benefits please consider checking out one of my subscriber pages. Thank you ❤️ https://reamstories.com/elfy https://subscribestar.adult/elfy --- “Next!” The woman who had just helped the young man, now sitting at the far wall and talking to another stranger, looked up and smiled Richard’s way. “Hi.” Richard said with what he hoped was a friendly smile. “Name please.” The woman replied. Richard didn’t take offence, she was clearly very busy and needed to be as efficient as possible. “Richard Divey” Richard said. The young woman started tapping on the keyboard. Richard was hoping for that same smile that greeted the last person she had seen, but it wasn’t forthcoming. Instead of waving him off to the side, she kept typing, frowning a little, and then typing some more. The longer she remained silent the more anxious Richard was becoming. Richard was about to ask if everything was alright when a door at the side of the lobby slammed open. There were shouts and exclamations, the sounds of feet dragging on the floor and a struggle as two burly men appeared, pulling a smaller man into the lobby. The room fell into a hushed silence as it seemed everyone turned to look. “Get off me! No! There’s been a mistake!” The man was being practically wrestled into the lobby. Richard finally got a good look at him through the crowd and gasped. The young man was thickly diapered with nothing but an infantile red shirt covering his upper half. He was still swearing and lashing out as the doors opened again and a man and woman walked out. The woman was dabbing at her eyes with a tissue whilst the husband had an arm around her waist looking very stoic. “Mom! You know this isn’t right!” The young man yelled. “I… Baby…” The mother didn’t seem to know what to say and fell into more sobbing. The man and his parents were soon dragged out of the lobby and to the front door. Richard heard him pleading and begging for a second chance all the way until the door closed. He swallowed and turned to face forwards again. “Apologies for that.” The woman at the computer said, “As I’m sure you can understand, some people are less than pleased about their designation.” “Yeah…” Richard was shaken. He just wanted to get his Big designation and leave. He didn’t even want to stick around for the certificate, they could mail it to him. “One moment, please.” The woman said as she picked up a phone and pressed a few numbers. “Is there a problem?” Richard asked. The confidence he had walked in with had eked away the longer he remained in the building. “Yes, I’ve got a Divey here. Richard Divey… Yeah, just asking about the numbers on his file because… Uh huh… Yeah…” The woman was talking on the phone and clicking around the screen occasionally, “And they’ve been double checked?” Richard tried to ignore the anxiety that was twisting at his guts. She might’ve needed to clarify the numbers for any reason, he tried to convince himself, maybe they’re surprisingly good or something… “OK, thank you.” The woman put the phone down and turned to face the computer again. She typed a few things and Richard waited, “Alright, Richard, could you go and sit over there please.” Richard turned to see where the woman was pointing. It was the opposite direction to the young man who had been given the easy pass. The area the woman pointed to was where most of the young men and women were ending up, sitting and waiting to be called forwards through the doors beyond. “I… haven’t failed, have I?” Richard asked. A lump forming in his throat. “There is no passing or failing.” The woman’s professional smile was back, “Please, take a seat and you’ll be called in shortly.” “It’s ju-…” Richard started. “Next!” The woman called out. Richard backed away from the desk. He looked over to where the young man had been sat, he was already gone. Turning to face forwards, Richard took a deep breath and walked over to the bigger waiting area. There were a dozen people already sitting in the area that was screened from most of the lobby by cubicle dividers. Richard walked to an empty seat and sat down opposite a large television. He felt a little more at ease when he saw how many people there were, and how many of them weren’t too concerned. This was the usual process, not many people were designated Big or Little right away, most had to have at least a little testing and checking. At least he hoped that was the case. “Quite a scene, huh?” A woman said to Richard. She jerked her head back to where the Little had just been dragged out of the building. “Yeah…” Richard replied. He gave the woman his name. “Sandy.” The woman replied, “Well, at least it gives us a better chance, right?” “Does it?” Richard asked. “Yeah.” Sandy replied. She put her feet up on a table that had a pile of magazines on it, “Not many are made Little…” “Two percent, I think.” Richard muttered. “Exactly.” Sandy stretched out and yawned, “So they should see fifty of us before there’s another one.” Richard knew that odds didn’t work like that. However, it was a comforting thing to believe so he let himself fall into the comforting grasp of math that didn’t really make sense. He pulled out his phone and sent a text to his parents saying that he might be a little while. They had to tell Kate, Richard’s fifteen-year-old sister, what was going on. After the text was sent, Richard continued talking to Sandy for a little bit, he learnt that they shared the exact same birthday. “Sandy Freeman.” A bearded man had opened the door and called at the name. “That’s me.” Sandy said as she stood up. She looked down at Richard, “Good luck.” “You too.” Richard replied. Another person offering him luck… With nothing else to distract him, Richard turned to the television which seemed to be playing a dull informational video about what was going on. It had just looped to the start and a man in a suit, standing in front of a blue background was smiling at the camera. A graphic popped up showing his name to be Frederick Kline, apparently the Minister responsible for Designation. “Hello, I hope you are having a good day and an enjoyable experience in the Designation Office.” Frederick said. Richard scoffed, “This department has existed for over twenty years now and has resulted in the reduction of unemployment, a reduction in wastage and, most importantly, a reduction in crime.” Richard sat back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. These were the same justifications he had heard many times before, he knew there were opponents of the system that disagreed, but he didn’t care about politics. Any time someone started discussing anything vaguely political his eyes would glaze over. They started doing it right there in the waiting room, but he stared at the screen regardless, it wasn’t like he had much else to do. “When the government of the time published the Case Review, named after the Review’s organiser, Hattie Case, it sent shockwaves through society. It showed that certain behaviours could be predicted by looking at things such as grades and childhood behaviour. Furthermore, it suggested that some people benefitted from a reduction in responsibilities to make them happier, and their community safer.” If there was one thing Richard was aware of, it was that the Case Review wasn’t necessarily all it was cracked up to be. He knew the government relied on it and referenced it often, but he also knew that people had long held that the Review was flawed or biased. He didn’t know the reasons for the arguments though. “The government decided that radical action was required. After much debate, the Designation Department was opened up as a new office of state. It was charged with making society safer, a job it has taken very seriously ever since it’s formation. Thus, we have developed tests that can decide where best to categorise everyone when they reach the age of eighteen.” Frederick’s smile was strangely unnatural in the way that all politicians looked like they had to be taught how to do it as an adult, “If you are watching this, chances are you are currently in a Designation Office and soon to find your own place in our society, either as a Little or a Big.” Another man, with grey hair and bushy eyebrows, opened the door and called another person through to an office. Richard watched him go and wondered if the same thoughts that were occupying him was also going through the others’ heads. “It is important to remember that whether Big or Little, you are still considered an equal citizen. There is no…” Frederick paused, apparently looking for the right words, “Wrong way to be. Being designated a Little shouldn’t be viewed as a failure or bad thing, the same way that being designated a Big isn’t a success. It is simply who you were meant to be…” Richard’s mouth twisted in a small wry smile. He looked around and saw some of the others having similar reactions to the last piece of information. Richard shook his head and stopped paying attention to the TV. Everyone wanted to avoid being designated as a Little like the plague. It was for good reason. Frederick Kline may have said that everyone was still considered “equal”, but it seemed very much like some were more equal than others. Littles were forcibly stripped of their adult responsibilities. They weren’t allowed jobs, or to live on their own. From the moment of their designation, they were no longer considered an adult. Richard had seen documentaries and government produced propaganda showing Littles and it made his skin crawl to think about it. Kept in a permanent state of babyhood for the rest of his life, with no chance at appealing the decision or getting a reprieve. It would surely feel like getting a life sentence in prison. Many of Richard’s friends had spent a lot of time over the previous few years trying to sus out how the system worked to make sure they were safe. The simple fact was that nobody knew exactly what factors were taking into account, what numbers were plugged into the algorithm, or anything else. There were just rumours and suggestions. Their teachers would always stress how important grades would be to your designation, commercials for local sport would talk about how important those activities were to have on record. It felt like as long as Richard could remember he had been hearing people tell him how to get designated as a Big. “Strange…” Richard muttered to himself as he looked up at the ceiling, “How being Little is apparently fine and yet everyone is trying to tell you how to avoid it…” “Richard Divey.” The voice made Richard jump as he quickly stood up. Standing at the door with a clipboard was a young woman who seemed to be only a year or two older than Richard. As he approached, he saw that she had a nametag that said her name was Zoe. She gave him a professional smile and held the door open for him to step through. “Third door on the left, Richard.” Zoe said. --- If you liked this update and want to see the next update RIGHT NOW you can do so here: https://reamstories.com/page/lpjgftb4y2/story/mozb40hx8a1381/chapter/mpjlffindc0b642 https://subscribestar.adult/posts/2506320

Tyler Some people had quiet minds. They could open their eyes, take deep breaths, and think of nothing unless prompted to. It was pleasant. They were at peace. Tyler wasn’t one of those people. Always thinking. Always analyzing. Always wondering and playing things over again and again. Always searching for that next bit of mental stimulation; that next hit of dopamine. To get to sleep each night, Tyler laid his head down next to Christy and would tell himself an elaborate fantasy until his body gave in and the thoughts dissolved into an unrelated dream state. The only time Tyler wasn’t thinking were the rare times he was overwhelmed with emotion. Tyler totally felt emotion, he wasn’t a robot, and when he could talk for hours about any given subject, often quite animatedly. It’s just that the intensity of the emotion rarely outweighed the words constantly swirling around in his head. The world was never silent to Tyler. The words never went away. They could only be drowned out by the most intense of emotions: Blistering anger or despair. The most absurd and happiest of laughter. That precious second or two during orgasm. Right now, the words in Tyler’s head were on full blast. He, his wife, and their two best friends were in the middle of an idyllic American style suburb with fresh cut lawns, and nice clean sidewalks. This would be pleasant if not exciting except for the following facts: Tyler had no idea how they’d gotten there. They had been about to walk into a lonely motel room in the middle of the night when an atomic bomb level of light consumed them. Now they were here. That and everything was gigantic. The houses were a minimum of two stories tall, as were the doors. Cars in driveways looked to be as tall as monster trucks and much bigger. Mailboxes were practical flagpoles. Bushes were trees and trees were redwoods. They could each lay on the sidewalk width wise and not touch the road as long as nobody stretched their arms out past their heads. Displaced in time, space, and scale. Instantly Tyler’s mind raced to a dozen different fantastical references. A land of giants? Shrink ray? Another planet or plane of existence? Had they died and this was heaven? There was no rational explanation, so Tyler’s brain started considering irrational ones. “Help!” Christy screamed. “I…I peed!” The sound of his wife’s screams caused Tyler to snap his head around. “You..wh..?” He stopped short of asking for clarification when his eyes settled on her. His blushing bride, his highschool sweetheart, stood stranded on the sidewalk. Her bright rainbow colored tie dye shirt stood in contrast to the trail darkening her blue jeans and making a puddle beneath her sneakers. Christy had always had the bladder of a pea. When they were dating, Tyler would jokingly consider it a miracle when she sat through an entire movie without a bathroom break. Jokes about diapers abounded in the early days before Christy made it clear they were hurting her feelings. Presently, that old joke seemed extremely apropos. It just wasn’t funny anymore. The shock of everything had jostled something loose and left her looking like a three year old out of Pull-Ups too soon. She wasn’t crying yet, but her face was twisting every which way and her breathing was becoming more ragged. Adrenaline pumping, Tyler shoved any emotions he might have been feeling to the side. There was a problem to solve. Several actually, but this one was the most immediate and the most solvable. He walked forward and took her hand. “Come on,” he said gently. “Come here, hon. Come in the grass.” He led her off the sidewalk and into the front lawn. “Deep breath, Christy. Deep breath. It’s okay.” His head started swiveling, looking for outs and places of retreat. Christy was shaking. Trying to retain and regain composure. He wanted to make this better. Had to make this better. He kept looking around. Had their suitcases come with them? Initial scans said no. No extra clothes. No privacy. Try the front door? No. Jack never wanted to meet the giant for a reason. He opened his arms to give her a hug, but Christy held her palms out in front of her chest. She did not want to be touched. Damn. What else could he do? “Tyler,” Britney said. “Your shirt.” Something clicked. He stripped his shirt off. It was loose and baggy, just how he liked it. Tyler’s lizard brain noted the gut he was starting to develop, but that was so low on the hierarchy of needs that it didn’t move the needle. All the words in his head were busy analyzing Christy and the strange environs they’d been transported to. “Do you want me to tie it around, or do you want to?” Tyler asked. Christy sniffled, and reached out. “Give please.” Okay. She could talk without her voice cracking. That made Tyler’s heart rate lower ever so slightly. Christy took the shirt and wrapped it around her skinny waist, tying the sleeves behind her back like an apron. The makeshift flap covered her front. It didn’t completely obscure the damage past the knees, but it was a start. “Drew?” Tyler called behind him. “Little help?” “Yeah, bro.” Drew said. He was taking his shirt off and handing it over to Christy a second later. Drew’s shirt was smaller than Tyler’s but it stretched enough to allow Christy to repeat the process. “Thanks.” she said. The guys gave a neutral, “Welcome,” and Tyler started scanning the periphery. “It’s like that field trip all over again,” Brittney joked. That made the sob Christy was about to elicit turn into a sob.. “Yeah. Kind of.” Long story short, Brittney’s first period had come at a most inopportune time. That bit of nostalgia softened the humiliation Christy was currently experiencing. “What now?” Tyler’s brain went into overdrive. “The lights in the house look off,” he said. “But the garage door is open. No car, though. Those bushes,” he pointed to some big leafy ferns. “Come on.” He jogged over and waved his friends towards him to follow. The others followed him, seeming less sure. He crouched down and the others followed his lead. “What are we doing?” Brittney asked. “What’s going on?” Tyler just decided to remove the filter from his brain. “We don’t know where we are, how we got here, whether we’re small or everything is big, what time it is or anything. We are suffering from a critical lack of information. We have to treat this like the wild or a foreign country or an alien planet or whatever.” “We should be getting help,” Christy argued. “Try to talk to people.” He was glad she was less shellshocked, but Tyler couldn’t believe how naive she was being. Behind closed doors they argued fairly often, but now was not the time. Drew made the counterargument for Tyler. “I don’t think I want to talk to anybody big enough to live in these houses.” “Good point,” Christy said, lowering her head. Britney got a look of inspiration and started digging around in her pants pocket. “Phones!” Oh yeah! All four pulled their phones out and stared. “No signal…” Tyler said, his stare intense. This was not a good development. “Me neither.” Drew said. That was worse. “Same” Christy reported. And worse… “Fuck,” Brittney cursed. Yup. They were fucked alright. Their communication devices and portal windows to the world were just paperweights. Another absurdity jumped into Tyler’s brain. “What if we’re back in time?” “Then why are we tiny?” Christy asked. “I don’t know!” Tyler snapped. “I don’t know how time travel works, do you?!” “Jesus,” Christy said. “I was just asking…” A terrible impulse to snap back and bring up the state of her pants welled up in Tyler’s mind, but he pushed that aside. One thing at a time. “I don’t think it’s time travel,” Drew said calmly. He stood up and pointed over the bushes. “That’s a Honda Fit in that driveway across the street.” Okay. Fair. The surroundings seemed kind of DisneyLand fake, but it wasn’t exactly leave it to beaver 1950’s. Whatever that light was must have just shorted their phones out. Or… “Independence day…” Tyler blurted out. “It’s the plot hole from Independence Day.” Brittney and Drew looked confused. “What?” Crap. He’d done it again. His brain had leapt too far ahead in too many metaphors. What Tyler had meant to say was how his brain went to the plot hole in Independence Day regarding technology. Intergalactic traveling aliens shouldn’t need to use human communication satellites. Nor should their software be vulnerable to an earth made computer virus, likely written in a completely different code. “I think he means maybe we’re some place that doesn’t use the same networks and technology…” Christy was extremely fluent in Tyler. That and he’d the Independence Day talk with her at least once a year when his obsessions circled round to sci-fi tech and film loopholes. She understood the shorthand. “Yes.” Tyler said. “That.” “Well we can’t get any more information. And we can’t hide behind some bush for long.” They didn’t have that opportunity. “Shh,” Drew hissed. “I hear a car.” The quartet ducked down and put their hands over their heads as if bracing for a tornado. In the stillness of the front lawn, the sound of the car’s engine and the rolling of the wheels gently crunching over flecks of loose asphalt on the road was easy to hear from even far away. So was the light screeching of old breaks that needed replacing. It should have been a quick moment. Duck down, hold breath, wait for the noise to increase and subside in a few seconds. Then exhale.. It wasn’t quick. An engine revved. Wheels turned. Brakes squeaked. An engine idled. Then revved again. Rev, wheels, brakes, idle, rev, wheels, brakes, idle, rev. Each iteration got a little louder, a little closer. “What’s taking so long?” Brittney whispered. “I don’t know.,” Drew said. “It’s like they’re looking for someone,” Christy added. Terrible imagery took root in Tyler’s mind. Patrols and searches for invaders. Aliens. Little green and gray men. Government labs. Men in lab coats poking and prodigy the aliens with crude implements as if they were lab rats. Living dissection and autopsy. For Tyler though, it was him and his friends on that operating table. The words were being drowned out by fear. His mouth went dry. He heard his pulse in his ears. He was biting down on his tongue just for the extra sensory input that the pain brought; that extra little bit of control. He dug his fingernails into his knees, scratching and tensing, ready to pounce. An engine revved. Wheels turned and asphalt crunched. Breaks squeaked. The vehicle idled right by the mailbox. Mailbox! Something finally made sense. “Well hello there!” a chipper sounding voice said. The quartet looked up at the sky. A giant towered over them, smiling brightly. She was a black woman with short hair and a light blue shirt and navy blue shorts. Her breast pocket had the emblem of an envelope on it. A postal worker of some sort. The white mail truck with an identical logo directly behind her confirmed. Other than her size, and the fact that Tyler didn’t recognize the logo, the only thing else that stood out was the yellow satchel bag that hung from her shoulder. “Um…hello…?” Brittney spoke up. “How are you…?” Fuck! Why was Brittney talking! They should be running! Dashing! Attacking! Something? Didn’t they pay attention to any of the movies or comics Tyler was constantly talking about? At best they should be trying to make contact with some good hearted twelve year old like in E.T. “Are y’all playing hide and seek?” The giant asked. “Or are you lost? You look lost.” “We’re kind of lost…” Brittney said. Tyler’s mouth remained dry. His jaw stayed clenched and his muscles tensed even more. There was something predatory in the big woman’s expression. “Awwww,” The post lady said. “I’m so sorry to hear that, honey. It’s no fun to be lost, is it?” Her words were laced with condescension masked as sincerity. “Can I help?” “Where are we?” Drew asked. The massive mail carrier wagged her finger. “Ah ah. Didn’t y’alls Mommies and Daddies teach you any manners? Stand up straight. Look me in the eyes.” They all stood up. Tyler was the last to stand, instinctively turning himself sideways so that he could bolt. This was a trap. It felt like a trap. His friends were responding way too well to it. “Sorry,” Drew stammered a bit. “It’s been a hell of a-” “Language!” The woman cut him off sharply. “Good little boys don’t use those kinds of words.” Drew’s face hardened instantly. “Excuse me?” The postal worker ignored him and her head regarded Christy. “Oh my! Did someone have an accident?” Christy turned so red she looked like she was sunburned. Her eyes went wide and she got a deer in the headlights looks. “Is it pee pee or poopy, honey?” No one replied. “Awww, don’t know? That’s very common at your age. Nothing to be ashamed of” “Our…age?” Brittney repeated, dumbfounded. “How old do you think we-?” Through the fear, the words in Tyler’s brain pierced through. Something was going on. This was a set up. A trap. This woman wasn’t a woman. She was a snake getting ready to strike, and they were four terrified little mice. Tyler eyed the bag on her shoulder the way a cowboy might eye a holster. He’d known of letter carriers to have bags full of letters, but not usually the ones in mail trucks. Bags were for foot routes. The bag wasn’t the same navy blue as the post woman’s shorts; not in the same dress code or uniform. Army people had camouflage backpacks; and mailmen had navy blue letter bags. This bag with its soft yellow fabric, like a baby chicken’s feathers, was adorned with pastel pictures of dancing teddy bears. It looked full to the point of bulging, but Tyler had a distinct feeling that it wasn’t filled with letters. “And it doesn’t look like any of you are dressed properly. Did your Mommies forget this morning?” She leaned over the bush, finger crooked like a fang and aiming for the back of Tyler’s shorts. “Hold still. Let me check.” He smacked her hand away as hard as he could. “DON’T! FUCKING! TOUCH! ME!” He roared. The others looked to him, shocked at his intensity. This is what happened to Tyler when the words got drowned out by emotion. Either everything that came out of him was very very quiet, or very very loud. The woman stood up straight, and zipped open the yellow bag. Tyler’s eyes took in the sight of folded up white rectangles packed tightly together and his brain fired up memories of preschool and before; of Christy’s stepmom prepping for an outing with her half-sister so that the two teenagers could make out on the couch in privacy. “Alright,” the giant said. “We can play it that way.” The giant pounced at them over the bush, a lioness tackling a gazelle. Tyler’s feet took off before her feet had left the ground, but flat feet and being less than a natural athlete counted against him. A hand clamped around Tyler’s ankle and yanked his feet out from under him. Tyler fell forward, the soft grass cushioning the blow, but not by much. Behind him the giant was on her belly with a hand locked around his ankle, and a mixture of rage and sadistic glee in her eyes. Ahead of him were his friends dashing away.across the yard and to the side off towards another lawn. “Gotcha!” The giant said, smiling malevolently “Come here.” The ground beneath Tyler scraped against him hard enough to leave pink rash marks. He felt the giant’s other hand come down between his shoulder blades, pinning him to the ground. “HEL-!” The other hand released his ankle only to thunder down on his backside. Words came to an end, replaced by pain and panic with two or three swats raining down on him. A weak, pathetic scream issued forth from Tyler’s mouth. It hurt so much! It was like he’d been tased or something. How could a spanking hurt this much? The sky came into view as Tyler was flipped over onto his back. The mail lady’s hand let up off his back just long enough to pin him down by his chest instead of his back. Without thinking, Tyler tried to sit up, but was held firm. Mjonir was on his chest. The giant used her free hand to peel off Tyler’s shoes. “No, no, no!” Tyler yelled. He wasn’t thinking, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t talk. Tyler could always talk. Even in his sleep. The giant grabbed his ankle again and pushed his hips up over his head. The hand on his chest released just long enough to deliver a few more blows that knocked the wind out of him. “No, no, no, no!” Tyler mouthed the words, but his throat and vocal chords weren’t cooperating. Tears welled up in his eyes and spilled forth from the agony. The two monstrous hands grabbed the loose waistband of his shorts and underwear in one go then roughly yanked them down his legs and tossed them into the grass. Naked save for his socks, Tyler cried out. “Stop!” He begged. “Please!” His words fell on deaf ears. On her knees the giant mail carrier dropped the yellow bag onto grass and yanked out what was unmistakably a diaper. Tyler’s knees were pinned up against his chest, keeping him immobile and helpless to do anything but watch as she flapped the diaper open. A light breeze blew across his ass while the diaper was slid underneath him. His hips came down on impossibly thick padding. He was in a sunny suburb while a giant was trying to put a humongous diaper on him. It should be silly, but Tyler had never been more afraid in his life. It made no sense. Tyler’s entire brain was seeing a blue screen of death. Through the haze of disbelief and terror, Tyler wished that he needed to pee, just squirt something into this bitch’s face. Fast hands pulled the diaper up over his privates, and quickly adjusted the front before reaching for the tapes in the back. Fatigued from a day of travel, crying, and worn out from the first ass whooping he could remember receiving, Tyler could only lay there while two tapes were pulled snugly over the front of the diaper, sealing him into his plastic backed prison. Plastic backed? Something like that didn’t sit right with him. “There,” the giant dusted her hands together. She leaned over him so that her head was directly over his. “I bet that feels so much-YAAAAAAAAH!” The giant flailed reeled back and clutched the side of her face. Two hands, two human size hands, grabbed Tylers and pulled him up to a standing position. Drew and Britney were there with him. They’d come back for him! Blood seeped out from between the giant’s fingers while she continued to scream in shock. Christy scrambled to her feet from her back. She’d been knocked down when the mail lady started screaming. She spit blood on the grass and wiped her mouth. The blood wasn’t Christy’s. Quiet and frail until she wasn’t. God Tyler loved this wife. “Come on!” Drew barked at him. “Run!” Tyler’s legs took over for his brain and started sprinting as fast as he could. Drew was right behind him, literally pushing him along. It was hard to run like this. The giant diaper forced his legs apart unnaturally. It was like running with a pillow between his thighs, and his feet flopped and flapped on the grass, lacking all form or technique as well as the protective sole of tennis shoes. “Garage!” Brittney yelled. “Go!” In no position to argue, Tyler’s body did as instructed, his socks pounding on the paved driveway. “Stop!” the giant called out after them. Tyler tried to look back, but Drew yelled, “Go! Go! Go!” pushing him forward. The intense heat of the sun lessened into a cool shade while the group ran into the artificial cave. “Trapped!” Tyler panted. He ran to the far side of the garage and peered out. The giant was up and picking her bag back up. “We gotta run!” His voice was ragged and cracking, but the acoustics of the garage carried his message all the same. Deep in the very back of the garage a set of steps led up to a door. The steps were scaled up like everything else in this mad place, and had a wooden handrail next to them that could have doubled as a balance beam. “There!” Christy pointed. Right by the door was what looked to be a hard plastic rectangle, mounted into the wall. “Garage door button!” It was true. They had one that looked just like it back at home. Drew tapped Tyler’s bicep lightly with the back of his hand. “Give me a boost.” The men ran to the base of the stairs. They were steep, but not so steep as to be unclimbable. They just didn’t have that kind of time. Tyler turned around and steadied his hands on his knees. That gave him a good enough view to see a bloodied and very angry giant started to march slowly towards the garage with murder in her eyes. “Hurry!” He felt Drew’s shoe land on his back and groaned in discomfort when his buddy jumped up off his back to climb onto the wooden handrail. The pain of getting old and doing stupid shit would be nothing compared to a second round of behemoth spankings. “Got it!” Drew punched the black rectangle. The garage door roared closed with stunning alacrity; the motorized mechanism speeding it down to a slam instead of the usual steady slow grind. It was a good thing too because the giant who had diapered Tyler couldn’t have been more than teen feet from the threshold. The four stayed where they were. Once more everyone was holding their breath. Grunting. The doors shook and jostled lightly, but otherwise did not move. Pounding thuds reverberated on the other side. “You little brats!’ The mail woman howled on the other side. “Open up!” A bit of tension left the four. No one thought they were safe, but the most immediate danger was barred. Drew plopped down, swung his legs out over the side of the handrail, and dropped to the uppermost step. He could just barely reach the doorknob. “I don’t think it’s locked.” A twist of the wrist proved his correction to be true. “Let’s go,” Tyler said, as if anyone needed to be ordered. The other three caught up to Drew by crawling up the stairs, one by one. Tyler was still huffing and puffing from the exertion. His body was sore and tired, and adrenaline only took him so far. “You okay, babe?” Christy asked. Not really. None of them were okay. Tyler breathily replied “Yeah” anyways. They crossed the threshold into the house proper. Christy and Brittney slammed the heavy door behind them and Drew and Tyler looked around. “Laundry room,” Tyler said. Not exactly a Sherlock Holmes level deduction, either. To their right were a washer and dryer. To their left was an empty laundry basket. The appliances were big enough to climb into, and any one of them could have hid in the basket simply by curling up at the bottom and piling some clothes on. “What the fuck was that?” Drew asked the group. “Yeah. Why was she talking to us like we were babies or something?” Brittney wondered aloud. “Why are the diapers still plastic?” Tyler said. For the second time his companions stared at him with a total lack of comprehension. Drew and Brittney turned their heads to Christy. “No idea,” she said. His brain had done the thing again. “Look at this,” he pointed to the thing wrapped around his waist. “It looks like something we might have worn when we were babies.” That was accurate enough. The monstrosity was bulky and crinkled everytime Tyler so much as fidgeted. It was plain white, save for just beneath the waistband where the tapes were secured. Along the diaper’s landing zone were pictures of green, blue, and pink monkeys tumbling and cuddling with bananas in a repeating pattern. The monkeys themselves looked to be wearing diapers too. The aesthetic was straight out of the late eighties and early nineties before every diaper had some well known cartoon character or another on them. “True,” Christy agreed. “When my little sister was in diapers, they were more like cloth and had velcro for tapes.” “So?” Brittney asked. “Why does that matter? A diaper’s a diaper.” “Drew said he saw a Honda Fit,” Tyler explained. “Modern car. Why would there be modern style cars but retro style diapers? Also, isn’t it weird that a mail lady was just carrying around a big ol’ diaper bag? Who does that?” All the talk of diapers made Christy look extremely uncomfortable. No big surprise, considering she was still in wet pants. “Who cares,” she said. “Just take it off.” Tyler felt heat rise up in his cheeks. “But then I’ll be naked.” “We kind of already saw everything,” Brittney softly admitted. She looked away. “Sorry.” “Would you rather be in a diaper?” “Oh yeah,” Tyler realized. “Point taken.” They’d find clothes later. Tyler grabbed the tapes at his waist and tugged. They didn’t budge. He tried again and got nothing for his effort. He shifted so that his hand was on one tape and his other was on the waistband for leverage. The tapes might as well have been welded on. “It’s too sticky.” he said. “Christy? A little help?” Christy reached down, tried her luck, and found none. “They’re not budging.” A dark thought burst forward from Tyler’s mouth. “Maybe this is why they’re plastic.” Drew had no luck helping. Neither did Brittney. “Can you pull them down like underwear?” She suggested. “Waistband’s too snug,” Tyler reported, frustration building up. “It’s like a goddamn finger puzzle. Pulling down just makes it tighter. Fuck it.” he said. “I guess I’m just in a diaper for now.” BING-BONG! The chime of a doorbell made the four of them jump. A pounding thud against wood and the sounds of a woman shouting demands. The giant who had put this thing on him had found the front door. “Let’s keep going,” Brittney said, taking charge as she tended to. “We need to find a back door, or a phone, or a computer, or some clothes for Christy and Tyler.” “Or scissors to cut this thing off,” Tyler interjected, pointing to the diaper. “Yeah or that. We’re not going to find any of that here. That lady might be crazy, but other than size-” “And diapers,” Tyler interjected again. Details like this might matter when it came to getting home. “Other than that,” Brittney said, a bit annoyed, “Things seem to be normal. Let’s look around.” They all walked out of the laundry room into a kitchen that might as well have been a ballroom. BING-BONG! BING-BONG! BING-BONG! THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD! “We need to hurry.” Christy said, nervously. “Gotta find something.” THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD! “If she’s knocking, it means she’s not in,” Tyler said. “Doesn’t mean she’s wrong,” Brittney reminded him. “Fair.” Tyler turned around slowly in a circle. “Which drawer do you think has the knives?” It would be good to have a weapon. A steak knife could feel like a short sword at this scale. The drawers were just above eye level. He walked over to the nearest one, waddling slightly because of how the diaper forced him to move, and pulled on it. It gave more than the tapes had, but not by much. Beside the drawer handle, there was an inlaid circle with a grip inside it going straight up and down. Tyler could just make out the shine of a metal flap sticking up; a latch preventing the drawer from being opened. BING-BONG! Tyler reached in and tried to rotate the grip, but it was just as stuck as the sticky tabs keeping him in baby underwear. “This drawer won’t open.” THUD-THUD-THUD! “This one won’t either.” Brittney said. BING-BONG! “Did you try the latch?” Christy suggested. BING-BONG! “Yup,” Drew called back. “It’s not working.” THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD! “Let’s keep moving,” Brittney suggested. “There’s got to be something we can use.” THUD-THUD-THUD! BING-BONG! The moment they crossed that threshold out of the kitchen and into the next room a thousand words sprung back into Tyler’s brain; all of them roughly expressing the same notion of regret in different metaphors and degrees. Out from the kitchen was what could generously be described as a living room. It had soft brown carpet, a worn looking but clean couch and a television. It also had foam floor tiles laid out in front of said television with alphabet letters and shapes on them. Right next to the tiles was an infant’s floor gym with a frame that could have been used for a tent. In the corner to the right of the couch was a walker big enough to fit any of them. To the left was an archway but barring their way forward was a baby mesh gate that someone would need parkour training to get over by themselves. The wall to their right had filing cabinet sized toy bins The wall to their left had a changing table they would have needed a ladder to reach the top; its lower shelves stacked full with diapers and wipes. Tyler stepped further in. When he turned around, he saw the four gigantic highchairs placed up against the wall closest to the kitchen. “We need to get out of here!” “Wait…” Brittney said. “Listen.” They collectively paused and held their breath. “I don’t hear any…” Tyler’s eyes lit up in recognition. “Oh god she’s stopped knocking!” “Maybe that means she’s gone away…” Christy said hopefully. The roaring mechanical sound of a garage door opening up suggested otherwise.

I’ve said it before: nappies and bicycles go together like anchovies and ice-cream. Ok, upon reflection I’m not sure if I DID say that but I’ve certainly thought it. Whilst it’s not a topic of high rotation (did you see what I did there?), the oznl bicycle is still regularly dragged out of our garden shed-of-abandonment in order to menace the mobility-scooteratti of our sleepy seaside geriatric departure lounge. These jaunts are conducted in nappies because that’s how I roll (Did you see what I did there? Again?) I’ve definitely said before that the Rearz “Active Air” is the least-worst nappy for a 15km bike ride: even if its structural integrity fails out on the wide open road, all of the pee-soaked debris may be found in roughly the same place upon my return. I’ve subsequently decided that a wet “DPF Velcro diaper with extra padding”, whilst possibly not the worst nappy to take cycling, would certainly be a finalist. To be fair, the climate must shoulder its share of the blame. Unseasonable showery weather (it’s supposed to be the ‘dry’ season here) has been plaguing our days for weeks. I’d intended to duck out for some quick exercise early on in the day (when I would be relatively dry on the inside) but continual heavy showers made the roads treacherous and the riding miserable. Later in the afternoon however the sun burst through the clouds in time to set. Deciding to carpe what was left of the diem, I headed to the shed and retrieved my iron horse. It would have been around 4pm and so I was by then, fairly wet. Not catastrophically so and it wasn’t going to be a long ride anyway: maybe 10km. Thusly clad in my old “DPF diaper with extra padding” along with a Babykins cloth booster beneath Babykins encased white plastic pants I felt suitably sartorially elegant for the journey. I mean, I wore shorts over the top of that but yes but I was no Cadell Evans. I was no more than 400 meters down the road when I realised that the left leg of my shorts suddenly felt a lot cooler than the right leg. For people like us, that can mean evaporative cooling. Still, nil desperandum, a slight damp patch on my bum would be neither here nor there in the scheme of things. I rode on. At about the 1.5km mark my left thigh seemed VERY wet so I pulled over to investigate. My left buttock and thigh of my shorts was soaked. The definition of “damp patch” had clearly been reached and breached some hundreds of meters ago. It was not damp. It was wet. I briefly considered turning back but the opportunities for rides had been few lately and the semi-rural bike path down to the beach was largely deserted. My shorts were black (albeit even blacker on one side), the damage was done, the wind would be brisk and the likelihood of being forensically examined by passers-by was close to nil. As far as it was socially and legally possible, I tried to make sure my nappy was tucked inside my leg elastics (it seemed to be). So, I pushed on. It wasn’t like things were going to get any worse. But they did. At about the 3km mark I felt wee running down my left leg. Seriously? I stopped again and confirmed the diagnosis. The left side of my shorts was soaked and I had a wet leg. The wetness had migrated to the front. It looked like I had wet my pants in an unusual spot. The “DPF diaper with extra padding” although having cotton flannelette inner and outer liners relies upon a “poly, cotton, terry” insert for absorbency: at least that’s what their website says. I suspect that when they say “poly”, they mean “polyester”, a hydrophobic material that’s good for wicking but terrible for absorbency. The pedal-cadenced cycle of repeating compression and torque at my crotch had created a kind of washing mangle. The pee that had wicked its way in under compression, promptly wicked its way back out again. A puddle of wee was forming inside my plastic pants and with all of the movement going on, eventually that puddle would drain. It was less that my nappy was overloaded (because it wasn’t) but more that the action of bike riding was wringing it out. I was wearing a kind of sponge. In stark contrast to super absorbent polymers, there was no “one way” chemical locking device to keep the pee in my nappy once it got there. It could get out as easily as it got in. By now I had irredeemably and unmistakably wet pants but the light was fading and the iffy weather had discouraged the usual phalanx of active-wear-clad dragging their oodle-dogs about. “YOLO!” I thought and rode on. After a while, it seemed as though I wasn’t getting any wetter, if for no other reason that my nappy had been comprehensively wrung out. Soon I stood on the foreshore of a beach and surveyed the Neptunian majesty of a rough and spray-swept ocean beneath grey skies. I peed a bit because well, I wasn’t sitting on a bike and so there were no kinks in the hose. I realised it would all probably get squished out again on the way home but really, things couldn’t get any worse (well maybe, my socks were still dry) and it felt nice just to warm the nappy up a bit. The ride home was wet, cool and not particularly comfortable. I decided that my pee-soaked shorts deserved to enjoy the hot shower with me. They were soaked. It could have been far worse. Fate treated me gently in teaching me the folly of wearing a wet DPF Velcro diaper with extra padding on a bicycle but letting me experience the soggy consequences on a dark and gloomy day where tourists were rare and the interest in me minimal. Colour me educated.

Allow me to paint a picture, of how circumstances can conspire against someone... resulting in non-malicious consequences, but, still. So I went out again last night - I know, everyone here is shocked - to sit in the backyard of a good friend who had just opened his pool. He and his wife are in the shrinking cohort of people I associate with who, I assume, have no idea, and don't wish to have an idea as to the deeper intricacies of my wardrobe. So, I wore an Active Air, which offers a nice balance of invisible capability. I drank beer and wee-ed freely, and we were sitting outdoors on metal bar stools, so I didn't give much thought to the goings-on down there. Dave (of Dave & Anne) was with me, along with some other friends, and I had driven Dave to the party. When it was time to wind down, we called an Uber, and headed the short clip back to Dave's. Once there, because the best decisions are made at 1 AM when you've been drinking beer since about 8 PM, it was suggested that we could sit in Dave's backyard, and enjoy the fact that summer seemingly got turned on with a switch, the temperature having gone from 7 degrees, to 35 (C), in two days. And it's supposed to be 4 degrees on Wednesday. My family is clamoring for the pool to be opened, but I am resisting - we never use it in May, really, and there's lots of blossoms on the trees that will just end up in it. It could still snow - just saying. But I digress. I drank further beers on Dave's bar stools, and noted at one point, that there was some evaporative cooling going on around my derrière. My diaper had leaked, or, it had done that thing that cloth-backed nappies do, where it had sort of wicked dampness into my clothing, although a quick hand-feel suggested this was more leak than osmosis. Regardless, we were heading in to go to bed, so the shorts, and the onesie I had on under them, were destined for a plastic bag, and a trip through the laundry. I woke up this morning, in a BeDry, under my now-mandatory Kevlar plastic pants, and noted that I was moderately wet, but nowhere near needing a change. I took the plastic pants off, and pulled on my draw-string "nighttime emergency" shorts, to go join Anne in the kitchen for coffee. Dave joined us momentarily, and we started talking about our plans for the day. Dave then asked me if I could assist him in getting his daughter's, and Anne's winter tires out of the back of his truck, and into their garage. I said, "Sure, of course", but then considered my wardrobe. The shorts I would normally have put back on, were wet. I had jeans with me, but it's 35 degrees outside. The drawstring shorts I had on were not the best camouflage for a good-quality adult nappy, but, that chicken had long ago flown the coop, with Dave & Anne, and we were going to be primarily on their driveway, anyway... I just decided to roll with it. Dave & I headed out to the garage, with Anne following, as she was going to move some stuff around, to make room for the tires. Dave and I started unloading them from the truck - I was successful in being able to reach in from the side, and roll them to the tailgate, where Dave & I then took turns lifting them down, and rolling them into the garage. Once all the tires were inside, Dave went over to close the back of his truck, but then realized that a small plastic case with wheel locks in it, were sitting up at the front of the bed, in a difficult-to-reach position. Dave has a bad back, and climbing into the bed of his truck doesn't help, but I thought that I could assist, by stepping up onto the rear wheel, and reaching in from the side, to save him the climb, while saving me from having to climb up into the back of the truck, in shorts that I kept tugging at, because the draw string was doing a poor job of holding them in place, against the low-friction environment of my plastic underpants. So, I stepped up onto the tire, and reached over the side of the bed, straining to reach the little case, which was nearly perfectly centered in the back of the bed, and remained stubbornly just out of reach. I stepped back down, and scanned around for something to use to knock it towards the tailgate, but nothing was immediately at hand. Anne, seeing the struggle, came walking up with, of all things, a short feather duster, so I looked at it, said, "Here goes nothing...", and then leaned over the side of the bed again, and tried to direct the case like I was shooting a hockey puck, but of course, the duster had minimal structural integrity at it's tip, and I had to lean further in, to engage a heavier segment of the device's shaft, and in the process, I overbalanced, and tipped partway into the bed, managing to strike the object, before bringing my weight back over my feet. It slid down towards the tailgate, and Dave was able to reach in and grab it. I looked back at Anne, as I climbed down off the tire, tugging my shorts back up to meet my shirt, and she caught my eye, laughed, and said, "I got a bit of a show there, I'm not gonna lie!" My cheeks reddened, but I could see nothing but good humour in her eyes, so I said, "Bit of an occupational hazard..." and chuckled, while electing not to explain that I had the wrong shorts on for the job, and was down a onesie, because I'd wet myself prolifically, the night before...

Chapter One Hundred & Seventeen: Part One Through the slats of the California shutters lining the east bay windows of the master suite, where pale gold sunlight spilled in thin ribbons across hardwood floors and tangled sheets, painting quiet stripes over warm skin and rumpled blankets. For one fragile moment—Peace. Stillness. The kind that only lived in houses before the rest of the world woke up. Then— “M-Mommy…” The word cracked through the silence. Followed by a sob. “Daddy…” Another. Smaller this time. Pained. The baby monitor tablet lit up instantly against the nightstand, its soft glow cutting through the warmth of the room. And there— Onscreen— Paul. Still in bed. One arm stretched awkwardly across his chest, the other gripping at the blanket while tears streaked faintly down flushed cheeks. His body looked tense, protective, curled around pain rather than comfort. “My rib…” he cried quietly, voice shaking between breaths. “It really hurts… I want it to stop…” The peace shattered. Bryan and Lilly lay tangled intimately together. Their bodies were pressed close under the sheets, skin warm against skin—naked from the waist up at least, the evidence of last night’s passion still visible in the way Lilly’s leg draped over Bryan’s hip and his arm curled protectively around her waist. Bryan made a few low, gruff sounds of protest, his eyes still heavy with sleep as he tried to push himself up, instinct kicking in before consciousness fully arrived. “I’ll go,” he muttered roughly, already trying to move. “I got him…” But Lilly was awake. Fully awake. The kind of awake motherhood demanded. Her eyes moved immediately to the tablet, then back to Bryan, whose body still carried the exhaustion of the previous night—She leaned over. Pressed a soft kiss against his cheek. “Just rest a few more minutes,” she whispered gently. “I’ve got him.” Lilly’s hand slid softly across his shoulder, grounding him. “You were up late,” she murmured. Bryan exhaled slowly, sinking back into the pillows with a grateful nod, his arm tightening around her for one last second before he let her go. “Wake me if it gets worse.” “I will.” Lilly reached for the monitor, unmuting it softly. Her voice changed immediately. Gentler. Warmer. The voice Paul always responded to. “Hey, honey,” she said softly into the speaker. “Mommy hears you, okay? I know it hurts.” Onscreen, Paul sniffled hard, trying not to cry harder. Lilly’s chest tightened instantly. God. He was trying to be brave. Even now. “It’s gonna be alright,” she promised quietly. “Can you do something for me? Just give Mommy five minutes.” Paul wiped clumsily at his face. “You pwomise?” The word came small. Sleepy. Vulnerable. Lilly smiled despite herself. “I promise.” A pause. Then Paul nodded weakly. “Okay…” He popped his pacifier back into his mouth and began to suckle on it, the motion already calming him. The relief hit her immediately. Lilly stood carefully from bed. And immediately regretted leaving the warmth. The December chill found her fast. She reached for the cream-colored robe draped across the bench at the foot of the bed, wrapping herself in its softness and tying it loosely around her waist. The hem stopped high enough at her thighs to let her move freely, warm enough to fight the morning cold without feeling restrictive. Grabbing the tablet Lilly quietly shut the bedroom door behind her. The house was still. Dark. Only early-morning shadows and soft kitchen light stretched across the counters. She passed the nursery doorway first, deliberately not stopping yet. She set the monitor tablet down and rested it against the kitchen island while she moved quickly, practiced. Paul remained awake on screen now, calmer, curled beneath blankets with four plush figures tucked tightly against him—Batman, Robin, Batgirl, and The Long Knight crowded protectively around his chest like silent guardians keeping watch. Lilly smiled softly. “Oh, sweetheart…” She quickly prepped a bottle for Paul, adding a half scoop of vanilla protein powder and crushing half a pain pill into the milk before setting it to warm in the microwave. Dr. McGuinness’ voice echoed in memory. Wean him carefully. Seven days. By Wednesday, he’ll need to transition fully into oral pain management without the patch. Day five. Already day five. Lilly hated that. Hated pain management. Hated the balancing act between relief and worry. Because no mother wanted to see her child hurt—But no mother wanted dependency either. Half a pill. Crushed carefully. Mixed. Measured. Gentle enough to help. Not enough to linger. Her fingers moved automatically while her thoughts raced elsewhere. By Wednesday, just ice. Tylenol. Patience. And prayer. She hated that word lately. Patience. Because patience meant watching somebody you loved suffer while healing took its sweet, indifferent time. The microwave hummed softly. Outside, morning brightened. Inside, Lilly glanced again toward the monitor. Paul had settled slightly. Still awake. Still hurting. But calmer now. One hand clutching Batman tightly. The other absently rubbing his side. Trying to comfort himself. Trying to manage. Lilly gathered the warmed bottle and headed toward Paul’s room. She shook the bottle gently as she walked, the soft shhhk-shhhk of the liquid inside a familiar sound now. Just as she began to shake it, a memory from last night flashed through her mind—something warm and tender that made her steps slow for a heartbeat, a small smile tugging at her lips even in the middle of the morning rush. And suddenly—Last night came rushing back. Not the ballroom. Not the dancing. Not even Jason’s words echoing promises of home. No— The women’s room. Oddly enough. Because grief and memory never arrived where people expected them to. They just… found cracks. And slipped through. The memory opened softly. Warm gold lighting. Muted jazz filtering faintly through closed doors. The soft hum of women fixing lipstick, reapplying perfume, laughing between champagne glasses and holiday stories. Lilly stood near the mirror, still wrapped in the afterglow of the evening, one hand resting loosely against her clutch while chatting with two women from production—both effortlessly polished in ways studio wives and executives often became after years in the industry. One wore emerald silk. The other deep burgundy velvet. All soft smiles. Easy compliments. Stories about holiday travel and impossible school schedules. Then—A cry. Sharp. Desperate. Not loud enough to interrupt the room. But enough. Enough for Lilly to hear it. Really hear it. Her eyes shifted toward the far side of the restroom just as the door swung open wider. And what she saw stopped her cold. A young woman. Late twenties, maybe. Beautiful in the exhausted way only young motherhood could create. Autumn-brown hair twisted hastily into something that had clearly looked elegant three hours ago and now had surrendered a few strands around her face. Her outfit still carried money—soft cream knit layered beneath a tailored caramel coat dress, knee-high boots polished despite the evening—but practicality lived in the details too. Crossbody diaper bag. Hair tie around her wrist. One shoulder slightly slouched from carrying too much. And in her arms—A baby girl. Maybe one. Maybe a little younger. Tiny. Round-cheeked. Beautiful. Absolutely beside herself. The infant’s holiday dress had ridden up slightly from all the fussing—deep cranberry velvet with little puff sleeves, white faux fur trimming the collar and cuffs, tiny gold stars embroidered along the skirt. White tights covered chubby kicking legs, while one little patent shoe had somehow twisted halfway off. Tears streaked pink cheeks. Tiny fists clenched. Little body arching in frustration. Lilly’s heart did something painful all at once. Because God— She was adorable. But also— God. That cry. The exhaustion on the mother’s face. The desperation. Something inside Lilly softened instantly. Months ago— She might have smiled politely. Stepped around it. Offered sympathy from a distance. Now? Now something in her recognized the look immediately. Not identical. But familiar. The helplessness. The I’m trying of it all. Her mind flickered without permission— To Paul. One night. Earlier bedtime. A rough evening. Too overstimulated. Too sore. Too frustrated with the world to admit he needed comfort. He had laid there stubbornly at first, turned away from her entirely, shoulders tight beneath blankets. “I’m not tired,” he had muttered. Even though exhaustion practically poured off him. Lilly hadn’t fought him. Didn’t push. Didn’t argue. She had simply climbed onto the edge of the bed behind him. Gentle. Patient. Her hand moving in slow circles against his back. Soft whispers. “Shhh, my sweet boy… Mommy’s right here… everything’s going to be okay…” Quiet reassurance. The same rhythm over and over. Soon enough— The whining faded. The tension melted. Tiny frustrated sounds softened into breathing. Then sleep. Heavy. Safe. Peaceful. The memory left warmth in her chest— Before reality returned. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry,” the young mother said quickly, clearly mortified. “She just—she needs a change and a feed and she doesn’t wanna be put down and I swear she’s normally—” “Hey.” Lilly’s voice softened immediately. Gentle. Steady. “Don’t even apologize.” The woman stopped. Blinking. Lilly smiled softly. “I’ve experienced something… similar,” she said carefully, warmth threading through her tone. “Different age bracket, but trust me—I get it.” The woman exhaled so hard it almost looked painful. “Oh thank God,” she muttered. Lilly stepped closer instinctively. “I’m Lilly.” “Jamie,” the woman said quickly. “And this tiny dictator is Bonnie.” Bonnie answered with another tearful little wail. Lilly smiled despite herself. “Well, Miss Bonnie seems to have a lotta feelings tonight.” Jamie laughed weakly. “She absolutely does.” Then came the moment Lilly herself didn’t expect. “Do you want help?” she asked. Jamie blinked. “What?” “I can hold her while you get set up,” Lilly offered gently. “Only if you want.” The relief that crossed Jamie’s face was immediate. Overwhelming. “You sure?” “Absolutely.” Carefully— Jamie transferred Bonnie into Lilly’s arms. And immediately— The smell hit. Strong. Unmistakable. A baby who definitely needed changing. Months ago? It might have startled her. Maybe annoyed her. Maybe made her instinctively step back. Now— Now it just registered. Normal. Familiar in its own strange way. Lilly adjusted Bonnie instinctively against her chest. Rocking softly. Hand rubbing slow semi-circles against the baby’s back. The exact same rhythm. The same one. The same quiet patience. And slowly— Bonnie calmed. Tiny sobs softening. Breathing evening out. The small body melting against Lilly’s shoulder. Her little head eventually coming to rest near Lilly’s collarbone. Quiet. Safe. Jamie stopped halfway through unpacking supplies. Actually stared. “…How did you do that?” Lilly laughed softly. “Oh honey,” she said gently, “sometimes they just wanna know someone’s got ‘em.” Jamie looked like she might cry from gratitude and Lilly had to stop herself from realizing that wasn’t her talkin it was Kim's words in her voice. Had she finally earned the right to call herself mama? “I swear I’m not normally this much of a disaster.” “You’re not a disaster,” Lilly said immediately. “You’re a mom.” And somehow— She meant that with her whole chest. Carefully, once Jamie was ready, Lilly helped settle Bonnie down gently, protecting her little head without thinking twice about it. Jamie smiled so hard it looked exhausted. “You seriously saved me.” “Trust me,” Lilly said softly, stepping back toward the stall. “Somebody probably did the same for me once.” Lilly turned towards a stall, a few moments later, stepped out, and washed her hands. She almost left then. Almost. But caught one more small moment. Jamie feeding Bonnie afterward, no privacy blanket draped overhead, no embarrassment in sight. Just closeness. Comfort. Ease. “The doctor keeps pushing skin-to-skin,” Jamie said casually in passing with a small shrug. “Feeds, naps… all of it.” Lilly smiled. “Merry Christmas,” she offered quietly. Jamie smiled back. “Merry Christmas.” And then— Something shifted. Something old. Something buried. A memory. No— An echo. A voice she hadn’t heard in years. Soft. Warm. Blurry around the edges. But devastatingly clear all at once. “He’s gonna have the prettiest mommy in the whole world…” A laugh. Gentle. Young. Hopeful. “Gabriel… Mommy’s always gonna—” THUD. The memory shattered violently. Sound ripped through it. Real. Present. A quiet sob from behind the nursery door. Lilly blinked. Standing frozen in the hallway. Back home. Bottle still warm in her hand. Only now realizing—Her hand had moved. Rested protectively against her stomach. Without her even noticing. Slowly— She lowered it. Tightness sitting quietly in her chest now. Not pain. Not fully. Just… memory. Then she opened the door. And there he was. Paul. Still propped awkwardly in bed now, trying hard not to cry harder than he already was. Eyes red. Face flushed. Trying to be brave. And failing just enough to break her heart. Lilly crossed the room immediately. “Oh, sweetheart,” she whispered softly, voice instinctively dropping into warmth. “Mommy’s sorry. I was just getting your medicine ready.” Paul sniffled. “My rib…” “I know.” God. That voice. That hurt. She shook the Safari-themed bottle of warm milk gently, the liquid swirling inside. Forgoing the rocking chair entirely, she leaned over the rails and carefully removed his pacifier, slipping the nipple of the bottle into his mouth instead. Paul’s rhythmic sucking filled the quiet room, the soft glug-glug steady and comforting. His sobs were still present but less intense now, easing with every pull. Lilly cooed gentle baby talk, her voice low and loving. “There we go, my brave boy… you’ll feel so much better soon, I promise. Mommy’s right here.” Her right hand reached out, stroking the side of Paul’s right cheek in slow, soothing strokes before running her fingers through his hair a few times, the motion tender and familiar. “You’re gonna feel so much better soon,” she whispered softly. “Promise.” Her fingers drifted lightly through his hair again. “Just let the medicine help for a bit.” Paul’s eyes fluttered, the tension in his body slowly melting away as he drank. Lilly’s heart ached with a fierce, protective love. Paul was halfway through the bottle, the warm vanilla-protein milk sliding down his throat in slow, comforting pulls, when he turned his head. The nipple stayed firmly between his lips, so his words came out soft, gargled, and toddler-ish, the sounds muffled and slurred like his face had fallen asleep and was only just waking up. “Bweaffast?” he asked hopefully, the single word thick and lispy around the pacifier. “What’s for bweaffast?” Lilly smiled immediately. And not just because the question itself felt like progress. But because for the first time all morning— Paul’s thoughts had drifted somewhere beyond pain. Beyond fear. Toward something ordinary. Hungry. Hopeful. Human. Her chest tightened around the relief of it. Lilly reached over, smoothing a bit of messy hair back from his forehead, her voice naturally softening into the warm cadence she only used when she was trying to make the world feel safer. “Well…” she said thoughtfully, exaggerating the suspense just enough to coax a smile, “what about some nilla, nanners, and cinnamon pancakes? Maybe with some strawberries on top and sausages too? Does that sound good for my sweet wittle boy?” Paul’s eyes lit up even as he kept suckling the bottle. “Yessss,” he answered, the word drawn out in pure little-space delight, still thick and lispy around the nipple. “Yummy, yummy mommy.” He let the bottle drop onto the bed with a soft thud, then gently threw his left leg first, then his right, over the side rail of the elevated bed. Lilly was right there, offering both hands to him, her grip steady and reassuring as she helped him stand. Just as Paul reached back for the bottle, Lilly hooked a finger into the waistband of his safari pajama bottoms and gently peeled back the waistband of his nighttime diaper, peeking in the back to check for any messies. For the first time in a while, she didn’t find anything. A quiet smile tugged at her lips as she thought, His body is almost healed from the fight. The relief was real. But a quick press of her hand against the front of the diaper told a different story—it was soggy, heavy with overnight use. Still, it wasn’t urgent. He could definitely wait until after breakfast for a change. Paul turned around to look at Lilly, his pacifier dangling from the clip on his pajama top, the bottle now clutched in his left hand while the Batman plushie was tucked securely under the same arm. Lilly smiled at the sight, her heart swelling with that familiar mix of love and quiet purpose. She offered her hand again. “Come on honey,” she said gently, “you can keep mommy company while she makes breakfast and maybe you can color a pretty picture?” Paul nodded excitedly, his face lighting up with that pure, unguarded little-side joy. He eagerly took Lilly’s hand, the thick diaper giving him that unmistakable waddle as they headed out of the nursery and toward the kitchen together. Lilly’s mind was a gentle swirl of thoughts as they walked. She loved these moments more than she ever expected to—the simple act of guiding Paul through his day, meeting him exactly where he needed to be. The ambitious woman she used to be would have felt a pang of loss at how much her life had shifted, but now she felt only fulfillment. Paul’s regression wasn’t a burden; it was a tool, a safe space that let his nervous system rest so his body could heal. She and Bryan had talked about it late into the night, both worried that today’s visit from Leo might be too much too soon, but also excited that the little space might give Paul the emotional cushion he needed. We’re doing this right, she thought, squeezing his hand a little tighter. Morning sunlight spilled through the towering windows in ribbons of gold, stretching across the marble countertops and warming the pale oak floors. Somewhere beyond the backyard glass, December birds traded songs in the cool Jacksonville air, their distant chirping soft against the hum of life slowly returning to normal. Or at least— A new version of normal. Lilly guided Paul carefully into the kitchen, one hand lightly wrapped around his as his familiar pronounced waddle carried him toward the padded banquet bench tucked beneath the oversized breakfast nook. “There we go, sweetheart,” Lilly said softly, her voice naturally easing into the warmer cadence she used when Paul needed the world gentler around the edges. “Come on, my sweet wittle boy,” she cooed, helping him settle onto the cushioned bench. “Let’s get you all comfy cozy so you can finish your milkies while Mommy makes breakfast, okay? Such a good boy for Mommy.” Paul nodded, his eyes still soft and unfocused in little space, as he climbed slowly, careful of his ribs, Batman plush still tucked beneath one arm while the bottle remained securely in the other. He settled onto the padded bench with a quiet little sigh, the kind people only made when they were finally comfortable. Lilly smiled instantly. “There’s my brave boy,” she said warmly, brushing some sleep-tousled hair from his forehead. It was clear he was deep in little space this morning, the kind of safe, needy headspace that let his nervous system rest before Leo came over later. Both she and Bryan had been quietly worried and excited about today’s visit: worried it might push Paul too far too fast, excited that the regression might give him the emotional buffer he needed to face it without spiraling. Lilly moved with effortless purpose between drawers and cabinets, each motion practiced, graceful, lived-in. Stainless steel mixing bowl. The large whisk from the second drawer. Flour. Cinnamon. Baking powder. Eggs from the marble fridge drawer. The vanilla came next. Not extract. Not from a grocery shelf. The good kind. Vanilla beans suspended inside amber bourbon within a glass mason jar, steeped rich and fragrant from months of patience. Bananas. Fresh strawberries. Real maple syrup. Sausages waiting in butcher paper. Whole milk. Grapeseed oil. The familiar clatter of utensils and the soft hum of the kitchen filled the air, a comforting soundtrack to the morning. When she turned back a few minutes later, Paul was nearly finished. His bottle sat tilted upward while sleepy eyes followed her movements around the kitchen. “Aww, look at my big, brave boy. You did such a good job,” Lilly praised gently, warmth lighting her face as she crouched beside him. “Look at you, almost all finished. ” Paul looked mildly proud of himself. A little sleepy. A little pleased. The bottle lowered. “All done.” “Mommy is so, so proud of you, sweetie pie. Such a good job drinking every drop for Mommy.,” Lilly said softly, pressing a quick kiss to the side of his head. “That deserves something special.” She gently took the empty bottle away and returned moments later with it refilled with orange juice over ice. She helped fasten his Safari-themed bib around his neck, then set down a Disney-inspired coloring book featuring Aladdin, Hercules, Buzz Lightyear, Big Hero 6, and more, along with a small box of colorful crayons and a bowl of his favorite yogurt chews to keep his tummy full before breakfast. “Tiny tummy treats while breakfast cooks,” Lilly said with a wink. Paul looked at the bowl. Then the crayons. Then the coloring book. His entire face lit up. “Happyyyy,” he announced. Lilly laughed softly. “I can tell.” Soon the kitchen shifted into rhythm. The sound of whisk against steel. Eggs cracking. Bananas sliced into small coins. Milk pouring. Flour dust floating briefly through sunlight. Vanilla blooming into the air like memory itself. Cinnamon following close behind. Warm. Sweet. Comforting. Lilly poured batter onto the griddle, the chef-grade stove humming alive beneath eight burners while soft sizzling filled the room. The smell came quickly. Vanilla. Butter. Warm batter. The faint char of sausage beginning to brown. And every few minutes— She turned. Just to check. Paul sat in the middle of the padded bench completely engrossed in his own little world. Crayons scattered everywhere. Blue. Yellow. Green. Red. His coloring book lay open to Genie from Aladdin. The strokes weren’t careful. They wandered outside the lines. Blue crashing into yellow. Yellow streaking across Genie’s sleeve. Messy. Imperfect. Earnest. Like joy looked when nobody was judging. Paul was truly happy and content in little space at the table. The coloring book lay open in front of him, crayons spread out across the surface. He was busy coloring the Genie from Aladdin with blue and yellow crayons, his strokes messy and free, more like a toddler’s than a teenager’s. His eating habits matched—taking fistfuls of yogurt chews, some making it into his mouth, others squished between his fingers in delighted little bursts of color. Lilly turned back from the stove every so often, smiling lovingly. “Are you coloring a pretty picture for Daddy, my sweet boy?” she asked softly. Paul nodded hard. “Blue Genie.” “That’s a very handsome Genie.” Another sip of juice. Then—A loud burp. Shockingly loud. Paul blinked once. Looked surprised at himself. Lilly turned dramatically, hand over her heart. “Well excuse me!” she laughed warmly. “Goodness gracious, somebody had big burpies.” Paul giggled and just like that—The morning became lighter. By the time Lilly flipped the last three pancakes, banana slices already softening into the tops as bubbles rose and popped across golden batter, the sausages had just enough char curling along the edges. The coffee machine hissed. Steam rising. Then— Warm arms wrapped around her waist from behind. Bryan. Still half dressed for morning. Flannel pajama shorts hanging low against long legs. Black tank top stretched lightly across his chest. Morning stubble worn proudly. Sleep still lingering at the corners of his eyes. His cheek brushed hers. Rough in the softest way. A little scratchy. A little grounding. Completely familiar. He kissed her slowly. Sleepily. Like habit. Like devotion. Then inhaled. Not breakfast. Her. The scent of her skin. Vanilla lotion. Something wholly Lilly. Still, somehow after five years, enough to quiet every loud thing in him. “You smell better than breakfast,” he murmured. Lilly rolled her eyes softly. He kissed her cheek again. “I’ll handle the coffee.” He turned to the Nescafé machine, grabbing two cups and setting them below the dispenser. The hot liquid began filling them as the flashing light blinked. That’s when Bryan saw him—his son, sitting in the middle of the banquette bench, the crinkles and squish of his diaper unmistakable as he lightly bounced, unaware of Bryan or Lilly, completely engrossed in his own safe, soft, and happy little world. Paul was coloring outside most of the lines but smiling all the same. Crayons everywhere. Chews crushed slightly beneath little distracted fingers. Orange juice bottle resting nearby. Batman plush beside him. And smiling. No performance. No fear. No panic. Just… happy. The unmistakable crinkle of recovery still lingered beneath loose pajama fabric when he shifted lightly on the bench, entirely lost inside his safe little world. Bryan stopped moving. Coffee forgotten for a second. Because this— This was all he wanted. Not perfection. Not “back to normal.” Just this. A smile. A laugh. Safety. Hope. Be him “big” or “little” it didn’t matter. He just wanted his son back in pieces if whole wasn’t possible yet. And suddenly— Paul looked up. Saw him. Everything changed. “DADDY!” The shout bounced through the kitchen. “DADDY! LOOKIT! LOOKIT!” Paul waved the coloring book high overhead like he was flagging down a cab in Times Square. “SEE IT! DADDY SEE IT!” Bryan smiled instantly. “Buddy, I’m coming,” he said warmly. “Why don’t you clean up your crayons while Daddy grabs coffee?” Paul nodded seriously. Task accepted. Crayons gathered. Yogurt bowl scooted over. Coloring book held proudly against his chest. A few moments later Bryan slid into the bench beside him, setting coffee down. Without hesitation—He ruffled Paul’s hair gently. Then pressed the longest, warmest kiss against the top of his head. “How’s my guy feeling?” Paul leaned instinctively into him. “Ouchies feel better.” Bryan smiled softly. “Good.” Then he pointed. “Alright. Show me this masterpiece.” Paul’s eyes went wide with excitement as he started explaining in baby talk, the words tumbling out with enthusiastic lisps. He told Bryan an exciting story about Aladdin and the Genie, his hands waving as he described the magic carpet and the wishes. Just as Paul was finishing, Lilly interrupted, the smell arrived first. Warm cinnamon. Maple. Vanilla. Buttered pancakes. Sausage with just enough char around the edges. Fresh berries. She placed Bryan’s plate down first—stacked high with four banana pancakes, strawberries and blueberries spilling along the side beside three sausages. Her portions were a little smaller and included a hard-boiled egg, but the same overall. Paul looked confused, pointing to his tummy. “Hungry, mommy.” Lilly smiled. “Just one second, honey. I’ve got your plate coming in just a second.” She returned, setting down Paul’s plate. It was the same size as the others, but on a dynamic Batman-designed plate: Batman in a powerful flying pose with his cape dramatically spread, the bat symbol prominent on his chest, yellow accents, and a city background with bats soaring around him. Paul clapped his hands in excitement and hardly noticed how his food was already cut into smaller pieces. Lilly began “feeding” Paul small pieces of the pancakes, using a fork to guide them into his mouth. “Open wide for nummies, my sweet wittle boy,” she cooed softly. “Here comes a big bite for Mommy’s good boy.” Paul, still deep in little space, was only too happy to play along, taking the food willingly with delighted little sounds. Lilly alternated between feeding herself and Paul. When Paul wasn’t being fed, he drank from his bottle and then used his own hands to grab berries, squishing them between his fingers and giggling as they stained his hands red or blue. Bryan saw this and gently reminded his son, “We do not play with our food. It goes in your tummy or stays on the plate until Mommy or Daddy feeds it to you, okay champ?” Paul responded with a muffled, lispy “O’tay, Daddy,” the words thick and garbled around the large bite of pancake Lilly had just fed him. A few soft, syrup-glazed pieces of pancake tumbled out of his mouth and landed with small, sticky plops onto the front of his Safari-themed bib, leaving shiny streaks across the cheerful jungle animals printed on the fabric. He didn’t seem to notice or care, still deep in little space, chewing happily with his eyes bright and content. Bryan watched the sweet, messy moment and felt a wave of protective love wash over him. Without a word, he set his fork down, stood up from the table, and walked over to the counter. He returned moments later with a fresh package of baby wipes. Pulling several out, he knelt slightly beside Paul and began cleaning his son’s face and hands with tender, careful strokes, wiping away the syrup and crumbs with the same patience he’d shown through all the hard days. “There we go, buddy,” Bryan said softly, his voice warm and full of affection. “Let’s get you all cleaned up so you can keep eating those yummy pancakes like a big strong hero.” He glanced over at Lilly with a loving smile. “Don’t let your food get cold, honey. I’ve got him for a bit.” Lilly’s heart swelled as she watched Bryan take over, Bryan settled back into his seat and took the fork, spearing a small, perfectly cut piece of pancake. He leaned into the baby talk with gentle enthusiasm, making it fun for Paul. “Okay, my big brave boy, open wide! Here comes Batman, capturing another bad supervillain. Nom nom nom – he’s eating up all the mean guys!” Paul’s eyes lit up with pure little-space delight as he opened his mouth wide, accepting the bite with an excited “Mmm!” and a small giggle. “Hey buddy,” Bryan said gently, cutting another bite for Paul. “Daddy’s got something exciting to tell you.” Paul blinked up. Curious. Still chewing. Bryan smiled. “So… Daddy’s new job?” Paul nodded immediately. “New job.” “That’s right.” Bryan leaned back slightly, searching for words simple enough to land but true enough to matter. “Daddy’s gonna be working in an office most days helping lots of people with movie stuff.” Bryan smiled. “And guess what?” Paul tilted his head. “What?” Bryan’s voice softened. “Daddy gets to be home more.” The words landed. Paused. Shifted something. Paul blinked. Still. Thinking. Trying to process through softer edges. Simpler understanding. Then— “Daddy home?” Bryan’s chest cracked open. There it was. The real question. Not work. Not schedules. Not titles. Not responsibilities. Just— Are you staying? “Yes buddy,” Bryan said softly. “Daddy’s gonna be home more.” Paul stared. Waiting. Needing more. Bryan understood immediately. “One work day at home every week,” he explained carefully. “And if Daddy has to travel? Not for long. And if it’s really far away for too long…” He smiled toward Lilly briefly. “The whole family comes.” Paul processed that. Slowly. Emotionally. Then—Without warning—He moved. Fast enough to ignore the ache in his ribs. Throwing himself sideways against Bryan. Arms wrapping tightly around him. No hesitation. No words. Just instinct. Bryan caught him instantly. Holding him. Tight. Careful. Protective. And only then— Only in the quiet weight of Paul against him— Did Bryan realize what this was. What Paul had been carrying. Fear. Not spoken. Not dramatic. Not loud. Just— Silent fear. Fear of being alone. Fear of losing pieces of life faster than he could adjust. Fear of everybody eventually moving on while he stayed stuck. And somehow—Without saying it— Paul had apparently worried his dad might too. Bryan tightened his arms. Resting his chin lightly against Paul’s hair. “I’m right here, buddy,” he whispered. “I’m not going anywhere.” Across the table— Lilly stopped moving. Fork halfway lifted. Eyes burning suddenly. Because now she saw it too. The weight Paul had been quietly carrying. How many nights had he worried alone? How many moments had he smiled through fear? How many times had he watched Bryan leave for work wondering— When do I stop being worth staying for? Her chest tightened painfully. He’d been scared. Really scared. And hadn’t known how to say it. A tear slipped free before she could stop it. Bryan looked up briefly. Saw her. Understood instantly. Paul stayed curled against him a moment longer. Safe. Relieved. Like some invisible weight had finally slid off his shoulders. Then quietly— Almost shyly— Muffled against Bryan’s shoulder: “Love you Daddy.” Bryan closed his eyes. Emotion catching unexpectedly hard in his throat. “Love you too, buddy,” he said quietly. “Always.” Paul stayed nestled against his father’s chest for a long, peaceful moment, the hug a quiet anchor. Then, without warning, a soft, subtle shift happened beneath him. The thick Safari-themed diaper, already heavy from the night, quietly filled in the back with a warm, messy surprise. Paul didn’t make a sound—he was still too deep in little space, too content in the safety of his dad’s arms to notice right away. Bryan noticed first. The faint but unmistakable earthy smell reached him, and his eyes flicked down toward Paul’s backside. The back of the pajama bottoms showed a slight, telltale fullness, the fabric stretching just enough to reveal what had happened. Bryan’s expression softened with that familiar mix of protective love and gentle understanding. He didn’t pull away or make it a big deal. Instead, his eyes met Lilly’s across the table. Lilly caught the look immediately and gave a small, knowing nod, her own maternal instincts already kicking in. She had seen that same silent exchange countless times now. No panic, no judgment—just the quiet teamwork of two parents who had learned to handle these moments with grace and support. Bryan leaned in closer to Paul, keeping his voice soft and full of warm baby talk so it wouldn’t startle his son out of the safe headspace he was in. “Aww, looks like my wittle boy made a surprise in his diapee, huh?” he murmured gently, one hand still rubbing slow circles on Paul’s back. “That’s okay, buddy. Daddy’s got you. We’re gonna get you a nice fresh change, a quick shower, and some new clothes before Leo gets here. Sound good, champ?” Paul pulled back from the hug just enough to look up at his father. In that moment, his “big” side began to surface again, the little-space fog lifting as reality crept back in. A small, shy smile appeared on his face, but there was a hint of fear in his voice—nervous, hopeful, and brave all at once. “Leo…” Paul said quietly, the word carrying the weight of everything it meant. He swallowed, his eyes meeting both his parents’. “Dad… Mom… I think I’m ready. I want to go back to the play.” The morning light continued to pour through the bay window, warm and full of promise. Breakfast waited on the table, the smell of pancakes and sausages still filling the air, but something even sweeter lingered in the kitchen now—hope. Leo would be here soon. And for the first time in a long while, Paul Goldhawk was ready to face the stage again.

Part 4 What seems to have happened since this nappy wearing had become more than just a preventative measure, I’ve somehow slipped into being some kind of teen spokesperson for this type of thing. Weirdly all the stuff I’ve been given to wear has made me feel special, protected and comfortable. All words I’ve used in my reviews. I’m not sure if it’s down to being more at ease with the situation or mum’s, and I s’pose Avril’s, encouragement to make the most of my condition. Whilst I have this problem, and able to ‘talk’ about it, I can maybe go some way to alleviate other young people’s worries about anything similar they might be going through. According to the pharmacist, it was mum’s openness talking about it without any denial or embarrassment that made her think we were both ideal to break down some of the awkwardness others might feel. Avril told her that the company involved was using selected independent pharmacies as trial markets for their new products, which they hoped to release to wider general public once they knew if the items they offered would be successful. It was simply a trial period and all products used and reviewed by those selected would be at cost or free depending on what they decided to launch. Avril had been insistent to mum that our personal opinions would, in the long run, make a huge difference and therefore be incredibly important to both users and buyers of these products, which apparently is not necessarily the same thing. You would have thought that these companies would have done their research, and of course they had, but it was a growing area of unknown reactions. It would appear that no two teens with anxiety issues were alike and that finding a product to suit one would be the opposite of what the other wanted. Therefore, my input was crucial when others were afraid or too self-conscious to talk about such issues. There was an awful lot of denial going on by people who would have benefitted greatly from wearing protection. It’s amazing that in such a short space of time my opinion of what I thought I was doing had changed so dramatically. That was down to the words of mum and Avril... “This is important work”. # My night time nappies had become thicker, but somehow softer and gentler to wear and acted more as a sleep-aid rather than something simply to soak up piss. Even the special y-fronts had been a revelation; slowly absorbing my dribbly pee and yet, as they bulked out slightly, became nicer to wear. Even with all the running and tackling on the football pitch, they didn’t feel like I had on any protection at all. So that was an incredible benefit -simply forgetting I had them on. The thing was, although I knew they were just a slightly different design to a pull-up, they looked like they were meant for a guy who perhaps would have a problem admitting to needing such a perceived childish item. It not only worked well; it dispelled that guilt some have that they actually need help because of urinary issues (and perhaps teen boys are in the majority on that particular graph). However, I had been warned that the ‘would-be y-fronts’ wouldn’t hold a full urinary assault, only a relatively small amount but one that hopefully would give enough time to visit a nearby bathroom. The other drawback was that they were considerably more expensive to produce than the usual nappies or pull-ups. No doubt there is a female equivalent of me giving similar comments to her pharmacist. Of course, as Avril received more and more of my undoubtedly positive reviews and comments, she was finding more and more products for me to try. Soon it appeared that nearly all the surfaces in my bedroom were covered in things desperate for my endorsement. Well, that’s what it looked like and the bizarre thing was I loved the fact it was my opinion, my seal of approval, that was doing all this. I had easily slipped into this position and secretly (or so I thought) loved what I assumed was a very important but niche job. Mum told me that, according to Avril, it was a growing area of concern because teen anxiety issues were becoming more of a problem. Great swathes of young people were getting frazzled, not with just school work but social media acceptance and media portrayal in general. The amount of pressure to be something, or like someone, or be accepted by others, was immense. Whilst a reaction to all this stress – anxiety pants wetting, beds and undies was almost reaching epidemic proportions. Mum had said she’d noted with a great deal of pride, despite my initial reluctance, how I’d thrown myself into the work. She said my reviews were both personal and ‘laser sharp’ and that I’d become at ease with wearing all manner of nappies and protection. She saw this as a bonus and added that particular observation to her own comments from a parent’s perspective. ‘If the teen can accept the need for protection and is comfortable wearing it - that is the battle all but won’ That was one of the reasons that the products were not only practical for where they were needed but also offered a layer of comfort to help soothe unease. Soft, fleecy material offered such properties because they often carried a ‘memory’ associated with the material. A special blanket from childhood, a teddy or stuffed animal... something that would link back to a time in their life where being fretful was not a problem - a worry soothed by holding such an item. Of course this wouldn’t apply to everyone, that was why they were desperately trying new innovations and, again according to Avril, why the companies where so keen to get the feedback I was offering. She said they were not only pretty impressed that I’d picked up on that fact but also appeared to be ‘on board’ with the concept of ‘memory regression’ through the sensitive fabrics they used on each product they offered. However, throughout all this, my dick still dribbled and continually woke up with a soaked nappy. Thankfully my date with the doctor was looming large so maybe I’d get some kind of answer from him. The thing was, and this might have been picked up on by mum, I didn’t mind the thick, soft nappy every night. I suppose it was because I was usually wearing one most of the time these days and just got used to it being there... I think? # ‘Memory Regression’ was that something real or just an advertising slogan and more to the point, was I on board with it? Did I want to be regressed or was it more about a pleasant childhood memory – well, that was my take on it anyway. School was coming to an end for summer break but wearing protection hadn’t been the problem I thought it was going to be. Of course I still got the occasional comment from Terry but never anything nasty and as far as I could see, he’d mentioned it to no one else. All that had passed off without incident although my wetting continued but each item I’d been given to try out had proved pretty good at its job. Mum and dad were supportive; they were used to seeing me around the house wearing nothing but some new or improved nappy or colourful protective gear. Every spare moment I now had I spent thinking about this concept. I wore whatever they sent me and found myself happily commenting and incredibly enjoyed wearing the newest item. But, I had to ask myself if I was really appreciating it and if so why? Suddenly a thought crept into my head - was there something else going on that I wasn’t aware of but maybe should be? Yes, the ‘Memory Regression’ idea was plaguing my thoughts, was it a good or bad thing? I understood that for a person my age, or anyone who wasn’t a toddler but needed to wear a nappy for some reason, might have worries about such a product. There were social, personal and practical concerns that went with it, so, I could see the argument for a company offering such a ‘memory’ to take any social awkwardness out of such a ‘conflict of emotions’. So, the answer to the question I’d posed to myself earlier - I could see the benefits to that being a positive thing? Nevertheless, I knew from my own experiences using the products so far that I had come to love each and every item. Whatever title or description they wanted to use didn’t bother me - I got the company’s concept and quite liked it. Perhaps weirdly, I was wearing 24/7 and felt comfortable doing so and although I could see this as a ‘good thing’ I was beginning to wonder if I was becoming reliant on them. Was it possible that would lead to wanting them when I actually no longer physically needed such protection? So, was this reliance or ‘memory’ a bad thing? Perhaps I was lulled into accepting them because so far, apart from Terry, I had no reaction from others. All my other friends were oblivious to what I was wearing and Terry only commented on my being his “little baby brother” when there was no one else in earshot. Oh, and that was another thing, when he said that, I now quite liked the idea but I put that down to the fact that I was at ease wearing what I had to wear but of course, there was probably another, more obvious reason? # I was sitting typing all this info on my laptop but looked down at what I was wearing. It was nine o’clock at night and I had on a fleecy onesie, which was holding up a thick fabric nappy, which itself was surrounded by the soft, silky feel of a pair of baby vinyl pants. I say ‘baby’ because of the childish design they had all over them, which at first made me baulk at wearing such an item. All these different products were from their anticipated, ‘Memory Regression’ range, although, after other responses hadn’t been that positive about the slogan they were thinking of rebranding it to something more like ‘Dreamtime’ or something similar. Nevertheless, for me, the wonderful comfy fleecy nappy seemed the perfect accompaniment to the onesie and should, in fact, needed to be paired together. It was like I just thought it natural they should be worn as a set... and the onesie... Ohhhh... now that WAS an experience! I remembered this thought process going through my head at the time and didn’t think anything about it. I stood in front of the mirrored wardrobe and looked at myself – the reflection was clear; I’d become a teenage baby. A shiver of realisation and annoyance shook my body and I was just about to remove the lot when, out the corner of my eye I saw some other items on top of the chest of drawers. I walked over and there was a small Teddy bear (a thank you from the company) and amongst the powder and barrier cream containers was a purple dummy. It was that which had really caught my eye because it had stood out by its size. I hadn’t used a dummy since I was a toddler and I’d certainly not used this one, which was large enough for an adult. I don’t know why, or under what compunction, but almost without thinking I popped it between my lips and immediately started sucking. Surprisingly, all that I was wearing made sense. I needed the thick padding because I wet myself and I needed all the rest because it made me happy, comfy and secure. How could I not wear something that offered so much? I climbed into bed still sucking on that piece of plastic and silicon but it made me feel like I hadn’t felt before... and was that a taste of fruit? I wanted mummy to come and tuck me in and kiss me bye-byes. But, as I sucked I felt myself drifting off into a peaceful sleep all snug and protected with a lovely warm glow coming from my nappy. I was aware I was wetting myself but as I was in a lovely, happy dream full of colour and fun, it just didn’t matter. Bruce was curled up at the foot of my bed so all was right with the world. # Mum came in to wake me up for school. “I’ve called you twice,” she said by way of explanation “but you must have been hard.... what the....” She looked surprised. “Since when have you been using a dummy?” She was looking down at me as I was still taking in the morning and trying to fathom out what she was talking about. My pillow was soaked with drool and of course I could feel my nappy was equally wet. I tried to speak and it was only then I realised what she was talking about. “Ermmm” At that moment I had no response. Drool was dripping and making damp patches on the front of my onesie. I quickly pulled the dummy out as if I was guilty of some incredible gaffe. “Mmmmm,” she looked curiously for a moment and then started to leave, “You’re late, very late and have twenty minutes to get ready so... get a move on” I was still holding the dummy and wondering how and why I had used the damn thing. I vaguely remembered seeing it amongst all the other stuff on my dresser but, as far as I knew, I hadn’t put it there, and, judging by mum’s reaction, she hadn’t either, so had it just arrived unnoticed among the last batch? I had no idea why I’d slept late as that was most unlike me, I like to be ahead rather than rushing around. However, I had to admit I’d had probably the best and deepest night’s sleep for quite some time– I’d been relaxed, comfortable and my head had gone to a place of happiness the moment it hit the pillow. Oh, and something else I had the flavour of blackcurrant in my mouth. As I eventually roused myself I had to acknowledge that my style of pyjamas had become more childish. The comfy thick fabric nappy, playful plastic pants and joyful onesie (all comments I knew I’d made in my last review) had made sleeping, and peeing, an unfussy part of my night time procedure. The small teddy had also spent the night with me and I remembered happily hugging it as I sucked on the dummy. I felt really happy. Anyway, it was time to stir myself and get off to the last day of school term. Thankfully I had my uniform and stuff in general already laid out so after a quick release from my onesie and a wipe down, I slipped into a newly designed and much thinner disposable they hoped would be more convenient for daywear, less obtrusive. I was to be the first to try it out and mum hadn’t minded that some of the things the companies sent were disposables... so she’d changed her mind a bit as well. # “Morning Avril.” “Morning Susan,” the pharmacist greeted her favourite customer with a huge smile. The two had become firm friends and this was a social meeting for coffee. However, the dummy John had been sporting that morning was a bit perplexing and Susan wanted to know if she should be worried. After they’d ordered a couple of cappuccinos and settled down Avril sensed that there was something on her friend’s mind. There was a slight lull in conversation. “Susan, you look like something’s troubling you...” Susan shrugged, “Yes, well, this morning I saw that John was sucking on a dummy and, from his drool-soaked pillow, it looked like he’d been nursing on it most of the night. I’m not sure about this new development.” Avril took in what her friend was saying and then took a moment to respond. “Well, I don’t think it’s anything much to worry about...” She was happy at this turn of events and was thinking on her feet. “You don’t...?” “No love, I don’t. You see, all the latest ‘teen’ packs of nappies and disposables now include a free soother, dummy, paci, call it what you will because the feedback to the company has overwhelmingly supported the idea.” She smiled at her not overly convinced friend. “Although a teenager is highly unlikely to request a dummy, in many surveys it has been found to be the one thing that can almost immediately help reduce stress.” She saw Susan take an interest and the pharmacist’s face had brightened as she enquired, “First things first though, did he enjoy using it?” “Ermm, I think so but, well, he’s sixteen and it just didn’t seem...” “Look Susan, there are many reports and surveys that say that a dummy helps people relax. In Japan and other places in Asia, stressed out students and even company executives are taking to using them as an aide to reduce those times when the world, job and expectation are just getting too much.” “Really?” Was Susan’s surprised response. “As a mother you must remember using a dummy to pacify your crying child and the effect sucking on that little teat produced. Well, the company wondered if it might have an equal effect on our anxious teenagers but, because of social unacceptance and general teen angst, they would be unlikely to use one if they had to ask for it.” She watched to see if Susan was buying any this. “However, by providing one in the pack, there appears to be a primal urge, possibly because of a hidden memory of when they were a child, to suck and be relieved of any mental burden they may at that time be carrying.” “Hmmm, I suppose that makes sense.” Susan nodded. “Well I can tell you, judging from the first batch of reviews; both parents and kids seem to appreciate them.” She laughed lightly as the worry from her troubled friend began to lift. “It’s good that John has tried it, in fact, what colour is it?” “Um, purple I think,” indicated Susan. “Mmmm, blackcurrant... they are colour coded and made in several flavours to help with that initial taste. Most feedback has said that it has helped amazingly with sleep patterns, comfort, a relaxed mental state... it seems that a dummy is what everyone has been waiting for... and it was available all along.... so who knew?” She laughed at the absurdity of the situation. “So you think it’s okay for him, a sixteen year old, to be sucking on a dummy?” “Well, as I say, from what we’re seeing from feedback, it’s not only okay, it’s a much needed tool to help any stressful issues fade away. You see Susan, as we’ve spoken about before, there’s a lot of the fear and embarrassment that goes with teenage bedwetting, or damp undies, that actually makes things worse. So, if we can release them from that fear, although it doesn’t cure a ‘leaky tap’, at least doesn’t put added pressure for secrecy or shame on the situation.” “Mmmm, yes, I can see that... but it was such a shock to see.” “But Susan, tell me the truth, was it that much of a shock now you’ve got your boy to wear nappies and onesies... you’ve said in the past he looks cute when wearing a nice fitting nappy...” Susan shyly and guiltily shrugged and acknowledged that she did indeed find it all made her teenage son look damn cute. The added dummy, although a surprise, had made him look even more adorable so she wasn’t sure if she should be complaining or not. After all, that ‘cuteness’ had been a visual bonus and even though she felt guilty about it there was no denying her motherly feelings were in overdrive every time she saw him in something juvenile and adorable. “So, if he’s happy and you’re happy... and the bedding is being kept dry... I’d say that the products were doing what they were designed to do... wouldn’t you?” They chinked the cappuccinos together “Cheers, I suppose you’re right.” The two women settled down to talk about other things and make their friendship* that much stronger. * Meanwhile, several social media sites using their reports, reviews and conversations to promote the company’s range of products had been set up. Photos were added (though for privacy - not of the actual reviewers) to emphasise that these were real comments from real people. As a result the sites were seeing a huge daily upsurge in new and interested subscribers. As predicted, teenage anxiety was indeed a growing area to exploit. There was another thing that Avril had not told Susan... the dummy’s flavour was fairly addictive. This was nothing to do with the nappy company but a little side line that she and a ‘chemist’ friend was hoping to introduce. The teat was permeated with a new ‘soft’ drug not unlike a ‘fruity’ ecstasy... though not quite as mind bending but did leave a feeling of wellbeing, love and a wish for happier times. # tbc #