Claire Continued

[the diaper mike]

go on

[JDL23]

Chapter Nine

Love is losing yourself in the arms of another, becoming dependent on the embrace of your beloved and finding peace in the crook of their elbow, resting your head on their shoulder.

Changing her cousin's dirty diaper was, Sarah reflected, not the worst thing in the world. It was unpleasant and a bit trying to say the least, but she could easily imagine a more terrible fate. And there was nothing wrong in bringing a smile to Jessica's face when she was put into a clean and comfortable diaper.

She threw out the old diaper and turned to flash a quick smile at her cousin. "Be right back."

A few steps brought Sarah to the living room, where her mother and father were putting on their coats for their night out with friends. This was the last night that Sarah and Jessica were going to be staying over, and they felt it would be best to try out their new "Baby game" while Sarah's parents were gone. Jessica had initially wanted to wait until they got back to Claire's house, but Sarah encouraged her to go for it this evening and see if it was worthwhile.

"You kids won't be too bored while we're out?" her mother asked as she slipped on her overcoat.

"Not really," said Sarah, folding her arms. "We'll probably just watch a movie or something and go to bed early. It's a long drive back to Claire's tomorrow."

Her mother nodded, for which Sarah was grateful. What she'd said was true, but of course she'd left out all the details about their real plans, like playing Mommy and Baby Girl, and having some fun with their diapers.

"Well, I guess then we'd better say our goodbyes now." Her mother threw her arms around Sarah and hugged her firmly. "You kids take care now."

"We will, Mom."

Her father came over and hugged her as well, though he held Sarah at arm's length to regard her. "Now, don't start any wild parties while we're out, okay?"

Sarah smiled fondly. "Just how wild do you think we could possibly be?"

Her father's reply was a light chuckle. "Well, there's always a first time. See you later, sweetheart."

It took only a minute or two for her parents to get out of the house, into their car, and onto the road. Then Sarah locked the front door and went back to her room.

Still lying on the bed, Jessica had kept her diaper exposed and was now sucking on a pacifier. She looked up at her cousin with puppy-dog eyes that made her heart grow warm and tender.

It was time to be a Mommy.

"Hey there, baby girl," Sarah whispered, bending down to kiss Jessica's forehead. "You been a good girl today?"

"Mmm," was Jessica’s reply, muffled by her pacifier. Her eyes fell shut as Sarah began to brush away some loose strands of hair.

"Then let's get started." Sarah looped her arms around Jessica's shoulders and waited for her cousin to do the same to her. Then she carried the younger girl down the hall and into the living room, where she'd surreptitiously placed a bottle of juice behind the couch.

Placing Jessica on her lap, Sarah reached back over the couch and came up with the bottle. She shifted her "baby girl" closer to her right shoulder and gave her a sip of apple juice. Jessica eagerly began to drink, occasionally giving Sarah a soft cuddle when she gulped down her juice. Sarah responded by pulling her into a tighter embrace and planting a swift kiss on the tip of her nose.

When she'd finished, Jessica pushed the bottle away and rested her head against Sarah's shoulder, letting her eyes drift shut.

"This feels kinda nice," she said, sounding very much like a nineteen-year-old girl despite looking and acting like a one-year-old. "You're a good Mommy, Sarah."

"Only because I have a wonderful girl like you to practice with," replied Sarah with a fond smile. Her hand snaked its way through Jessica's hair. "Now that you've had your bottle, what else should we do?"

Jessica tightened her arms' embrace on Sarah. "I'm pretty sleepy, Sarah. Would you mind if I just went to bed early? That way, if I wake up later tonight, we can still play before your parents get back."

"Or even after that," Sarah added with a smile, "if we're both in bed when they get back—not to mention as quiet as possible."

"Sounds like a plan."

---

Sarah was snuggled close to Jessica in her bed, with the lights turned out, when she heard her parents come home.

Jessica had quickly fallen asleep, and Sarah had drifted in and out for a while. But she held her breath as she heard the dim opening and closing of doors, and did her best to stay motionless when she heard the creak of her bedroom door sliding open and saw a shaft of yellow light from outside fall across her bed.

"Already asleep?" she heard her mother whisper. "How precious."

"Ahh, let 'em rest," her father murmured. "They've got a long trip tomorrow."

Her mother sighed and said, "All right."

Once the door was closed and their footsteps faded into silence, Sarah let out the breath she'd been holding all this time. Her lips curved into a gentle smile as she slipped her hand onto Jessica's lower back.

"You awake, baby?" she whispered into her cousin's ear. "You ready to play, you cute little girl?"

Jessica's eyes slowly slid open, as though she hadn't been asleep at all. "Yes, I am, Mommy."

Sarah grinned. "Well, I think I've got a paci for a sweet little girl like you." She reached into her pillowcase and took out the pacifier that she'd hidden there when they went to bed. It would have been a disaster if her parents had peeked into her bedroom only to glimpse Jessica sucking on a pacifier in her sleep.

She slipped the pacifier into Jessica's mouth and pulled her into a tighter hug. The younger girl snuggled against her cousin's breast, the way a newborn would with its mother.

That comparison wasn't lost on Sarah. "Does my baby girl want her midnight feeding?"

Jessica stared, having noticeably stopped sucking on his pacifier. Sarah could well imagine what she was thinking—it was wrong, it wasn't natural, it simply was too absurd to even consider.

And she could also imagine the counterarguments—there was little point talking about absurdity when it came to a nineteen-year-old girl in diapers; this was a gift being offered entirely out of one's own body and soul; and this could be done once, in the spirit of play, and then never brought up again.

All those thoughts were visible in Jessica's eyes when she looked up at Sarah and said through her pacifier, "Mommy, can I have some milk?"

"Of course, dear." Sarah slipped off the top of her nightgown and unhooked the clasp to her bra, exposing her breasts. She took Jessica into a lower position, continuing to hold her tenderly as her "baby girl" hesitantly put her lips to a nipple and began to suck as she'd done with the pacifier.

A surge of ecstasy welled in Sarah's heart. She felt like a young woman and an old mother, both a child and an adult. And she knew that the gentle motion of Jessica's feeding at her breast was the connection all mothers ultimately had with their children.

Jessica continued to feed until she fell asleep, and as Sarah did the same, a final thought passed through her mind—

She wondered if her Aunt Claire had ever felt this kind of a connection.

[sgt_mad_cow]

What a great chapter can't wait for more keep up the fantastic work.

[the diaper mike]

go on wow please

[diaperangel]

UHMazing chapter! I love, love, love, love your work! Please keep it up!

[JDL23]

Added a new option to the poll, so readers can pick "Claire and Andrea" for their favorite character interaction.

New post tomorrow! Stay tuned, all ye faithful readers (and a warm hello to any new ones)!

[JDL23]

Chapter Ten

Love is the deep breath you take before a plunge, or the role you play for the sake of your beloved—overcoming fear in the name of joy.

Claire was amazed in how much she'd let go of her inhibitions over the course of a single evening—a very romantic evening, granted, but an evening nonetheless.

She'd kept up her passive role, being totally obedient to Andrea's commands. But she was never harsh to Claire, showing no acrimony in her tone or her touch. Every caress, every whisper, was gentle and thrilling. And the past few hours together had been full of surprises: tickling and spanking, playing out rape fantasies and mother-daughter roleplaying games.

It was the last of those games that Andrea was now gearing up for, but this time in the role of Mommy, with Claire as her Baby. And so she stood over Claire, who lay nude on the bed, wearing a yellow summer dress and holding a diaper in her hand.

"You just knew it was going to come down to this," Andrea said with a grin. She began to unfold the diaper, keeping her eyes fixed on Claire. "I mean, haven't you ever been tempted to try one on, after changing your niece so many times?"

Claire blushed and turned her gaze away. "Well, sure. But it's not that big a deal. And I certainly wouldn't try it if I thought Jessica might take offense."

"Fair enough." Andrea stretched out the now-unfolded diaper and gestured for Claire to lift her legs up.

The diaper was slid under Claire's bottom, and as she lowered herself onto it, she felt another thrill run through it. But this ran deeper than anything she and Andrea had been doing all evening—it was the thrill of something she'd done for Jessica and Sarah, but denied herself. Now she felt the padding come up between her legs, watching Andrea take her time as she held the diaper in place and taped it up, and Claire found herself staring in wonder at the diaper she was wearing.

Her diaper, she thought blankly. For years, it had always been "Jessica's diaper," and more recently, "Sarah's diaper." But now this diaper was hers to wear—and use, if Andrea desired it.

Taking her seat on the bed next to Claire, Andrea reached behind the pillows and took out a soft blue blanket. She wrapped Claire into the blanket and pulled her into her lap—which wasn't easy considering that they were both roughly the same size, so Andrea could only manage to get her girlfriend's upper body over her lap.

"What an adorable baby you are," Andrea exclaimed. She bent down to kiss Claire on her forehead; the other woman responded by teasingly sucking her thumb.

Slowly, Andrea began to rock Claire in her arms. Humming out her mouth was a faint lullaby, which Claire recognized as something like the one she'd sung to Jessica on those first terrible nights together, when she'd been more of an infant than a nine-year-old girl. Hearing that tune again was strangely comforting, though she'd never imagined she’d be on the receiving end.

Claire let her eyes fall shut, and drifted off into a state of rest that wasn't quite sleep. Dimly, she could still perceive the warmth of the blanket, the soft melody Andrea hummed, the crinkle and padding of the diaper she wore, and the tender lips that kissed her every so often on the forehead.

She knew, now, what Jessica had sought in her embrace all those years ago—and in all the years since. She knew what Sarah sought in her reversions to babyhood, where she could stop being an adult and cuddle up with her Mommy or Daddy as an adorable little girl. And looking into Andrea's eyes, she understood why her lover now relished getting her diaper changed—so intimate and affectionate were those moments that they could never be unpleasant.

"Do you like being my baby?" Andrea whispered, stroking Claire's face with the blade of her hand.

Claire nodded and popped her thumb out of her mouth. "Yes, I do, Mommy."

With a squeal, Andrea leaned down to plant another firm kiss on Claire's lips. Surrendering herself to that kiss, Claire willed her body to yield, so that the sensation reached all the way through her—including her bladder, she realized too late.

A sudden warmth spread through the backside of her diaper, which Claire would have also found sensual had she not been blushing with embarrassment. Andrea noticed this with a loving smile and another kiss on the forehead.

"All better now," she said, and unwrapped Claire from the blanket, exposing her half-naked body and fresh wet diaper.

Claire smiled and rubbed the front of her diaper, savoring the warm patch along her bottom. She looked over at Andrea and could already read her intention in her eyes. Intention became action, as she slipped off her dress and bra, so that she was left in her own thoroughly soaked diaper—just the same as Claire.

Their eyes met, and within an instant, their arms were flung around each other, lips locked in a series of lingering kisses. Andrea pulled back to reposition herself on top of Claire, so that both their diapers were touching front-to-front, particularly where they were wet.

Slowly, Andrea began to flex herself up and down against Claire. The way their diapers rubbed against each other was thrilling. Claire found herself gripping Andrea's shoulder with one hand and the bed sheets with the other. Her head tilted back, moaning except for the heavy kiss her lover planted on her.

They reached a climax, and Andrea fell shuddering against Claire. The two women lay entangled in each other's arms for a long time and said nothing.

---

"Andrea?"

She looked over at Claire and smiled. "Yes, dear?"

"I don't want to spoil the mood," Claire said with a downward shift of her gaze, "but I feel bad about keeping"—she waved her hand over the room—"all this from my girls."

"You think we should tell them the truth?"

Claire nodded. "They're both pretty mature. I'm sure they'll understand."

Andrea took a deep breath and let it out slowly, as though defusing whatever inner tension she might be feeling. "Okay, then. When do you want to tell them?"

"All soon as possible. Let's get packing."

[the diaper mike]

dam hot please go on

[Summertime]

As always a joy to read, thank for for another great chapter.

[JDL23]

Just as a heads-up for everyone, I plan to post the next chapter next Tuesday, but I'm going to skip the week after that and catch up on writing more of the story. That way, we can start the first week of the New Year with a whole new chapter!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all, and as always, thanks for reading!

[sgt_mad_cow]

JDL23 You can write chapters for Dec 22 and 29. The 5th of January is a week after the 29th.

[JDL23]

JDL23 You can write chapters for Dec 22 and 29. The 5th of January is a week after the 29th.

Yes, I know that. I'm saying there'll be a chapter for the 22nd, then a break for the 29th, and we'll be back on schedule by the 5th of January.

[JDL23]

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everyone!

---

Chapter Eleven

Love is being who you are without shame with those who care most deeply about—and the feeling you get when they accept you without shame.

Jessica and Sarah were just sitting down for breakfast when they heard the front door being unlocked. Their eyes met in breathless anticipation as they heard footsteps, and lo and behold, into the dining room came Claire and Andrea.

"Aunt Claire, you're back!" Jessica cried, running up to tackle her aunt in a hug.

Claire held Jessica tight against her bosom and smiled. "Hey, kiddo. Miss me?"

Sarah came up, offering less aggressive hugs to her aunt and Andrea. She pulled back and examined them both, seeing how relaxed and genuinely happy they were. It made a difference considering how anxious Andrea had seemed the first time Jessica and Sarah met her.

"How was your visit?" Jessica asked, still holding onto Claire by the shoulder.

Their aunt gave a tender—albeit hesitant—smile. "That's actually why we're back a little earlier than we expected. Let's sit down first."

The girls joined Claire and Andrea on the couch, so that Jessica and Claire were up against each other in the middle with Sarah and Andrea on each end. Claire began to idly stroke the side of her niece's face as she spoke.

"Andy and I have reached a new point as we were reestablishing our relationship. We've gone beyond being friends and roommates." Her eyes shifted back to Andrea, who nodded, and then refocused on her girls. "We're in love."

Sarah blinked. "You mean—" She swallowed. "You're a...?"

Claire nodded. "I believe lesbian is the appropriate term."

An uncomfortable silence stretched across the living room. Sarah noticed that Jessica didn't seem to be reacting to the news at all—her eyes were fixed on some distant point. No doubt she was thinking about the past, going over her memories of Claire when she'd started living with her, and there wasn't much of a distinction between the young woman and the young girl she'd cared for.

"How did you two..." Sarah whispered, "you know... figure it out?"

"I guess you could say something just clicked between us," Andrea replied, her voice strong and steady. "I have to confess that I was always a little attracted to Claire, and I guess my feelings just came out when they did."

"And it hasn't been great for us in the romance department, you must admit," added Claire. She spread her arms in a modest shrug. "Think of it as us settling down in our old age."

Sarah nodded; she could understand that, even if she was too young to appreciate it as they did. "So where does that leave you, Jess...?"

Her voice trailed off as she saw the look of consternation on her cousin's face. "Jess?"

Jessica blinked, then shook her head. "What?"

"Are you all right?" Claire asked.

"I just—" Jessica bit down on her tongue and grimaced. "I don't want to put this the wrong way, but I really don't know how to feel about this." Her eyes drifted up to Claire's curious gaze. "I'm not mad or anything. I just don't..." She worked her mouth a few times, then shrugged helplessly. "I don’t know how to respond."

"Take as much time as you need, darling," Claire said softly. She bent down as though to kiss her niece on the top of her head, but paused halfway and settled for another stroke down the side of her face. "In the meantime, I've asked Andy to stay with us for the next week. Just to give her an idea about life in our little home."

"That sounds like a good idea," Sarah said, cracking a delicate smile.

Andrea coughed politely into her hand. "Well, uh, I think we should get started. I may or may not need some help, Claire."

Claire nodded, then turned back to her nieces. "You kids are going to find out about this one way or another, so I feel it's only right to reveal this now."

"Reveal what?" asked Jessica.

"Show them, Andy."

Andrea gave a hesitant smile of her own as she slowly unbuttoned her jeans and pulled them down. Sarah was amazed to see the top of an Abena X-Plus diaper sticking out—a slightly wet Abena, she noted from years of experience.

Jessica was dumbfounded. She stared right at Andrea, looking her up and down as though she couldn't make herself believe what she was seeing. Working her mouth a few more times, she managed to get out the words, "You, too?"

Claire nodded. "Come with me and I'll explain everything."

---

The rest of the day went without incident. Jessica and Sarah had watched Claire help Andrea change her diaper; they couldn't help smiling at the older woman’s slight embarrassment, having gone through and watched the process so many times themselves. Then Jessica had gone off to her classes, Sarah to work, leaving the two older women to enjoy a quiet afternoon.

After a light dinner and watching a movie on TV—Casablanca, which happened to be Sarah's favorite—the four women decided to get ready for bed. Claire and Andrea worked on unpacking their luggage as Sarah and Jessica put on their night clothes and changed each other's diaper. They came into Claire's room, where they found their aunt doing the same for Andrea.

There was a look on Jessica's face that gave Claire pause as she finished taping up her girlfriend's diaper. She frowned and then slid a careful glance at Andrea. "Jess, if it's not too much trouble, would you mind letting Andy sleep in your room for tonight?"

Her niece frowned back. "Can I sleep in here with you then?"

"That's the idea," said Claire, offering a quick wink. She turned back to Andrea. "If you're okay with it."

The redheaded woman shrugged it off. "Fine by me. I'll let the two of you get some quality time."

Claire smiled and pulled Andy in for a kiss—not on the lips, since she doubted her nieces were ready for that, but firmly on the cheek. Andy returned the kiss just as discreetly and smiled as she and Sarah took their leave.

A moment later, Claire and Jessica were under the covers, with the lights turned out and their arms tight around each other. It felt so much to Claire's mind like the first night she'd held Jessica after rescuing her from the abuse—and the first night she'd held Andrea in a similar fashion. Even now, her hand was absently running itself through her niece's hair, cradling her tenderly against her bosom.

"Are you all right, sweetheart?" Claire whispered.

Jessica shifted her head up and nodded. "Just a bit tired."

"From your trip?"

"And everything else we've been doing."

"I see." Keeping one arm around Jessica's shoulders, Claire brought her other arm down to brush her hand on the girl's lower back, hovering over the waistband of her diaper. "And you're sure there's nothing at all you feel like talking about?"

Jessica shifted again, but with more evident anxiety. "It's just weird, that's all. Seeing you and..." She licked her bottom lip and blinked. "Well, seeing you involved with someone else."

"You think you and Sarah get to have all the fun?" Claire retorted with a smile. "I've had more romantic moments than you’ve had dry diapers, sweetie."

This remark only served to bring a pout to Jessica's face. "Hear that? That's the sound of my sympathy for you walking out the door."

Claire chuckled and pulled Jessica in for a hug and a kiss on the forehead. "Oh, my darling. My precious baby. You'll never have to compete for my affection." She leaned close to Jessica's face, almost to where their noses were touching. "You know why I'm with Andy? Because my poor, frail heart wasn't enough to contain all the love I have for you and Sarah. I had to go and borrow someone else's."

Jessica cracked a smile and dropped her head against her aunt's chest. "I think it's cute that you think that sort of talk works on me."

"If you think that's cute, you should've seen me in a diaper."

If Jessica's head had been able to snap up any faster, Claire surmised it would have flown right off. "What?"

"You heard me."

"I... you..."

Claire grinned and pulled her niece in for another kiss—this time on the cheek, right where she'd kissed Andrea goodnight. "It's a little complicated, but... Andy and I were experimenting with our relationship. After helping her get changed and doing all sorts of things around the house for her, she wanted to repay me by playing Mommy for a night."

"So her idea of repayment is to baby you?" Jessica shook her head. "No, before we even get into that—you wore a diaper?"

"I did, and I even wet it, too." Claire smiled through the gloom at her stunned niece. "Now I see why you and Sarah take such delight in them."

Slowly, almost glacially, a smile crept over Jessica's perplexed face. She pulled herself even deeper into her aunt's embrace. "So you really enjoyed it?"

"Very much so." Claire kissed her tenderly, this time on the lips. "And I did it because I love you. And Sarah. And Andy. You're all the reasons I'm alive and happy." A feral grin split her face in the dark. "To have a life with such wonderful and stunningly beautiful women is more than I ever ask for."

Jessica smiled. "I love you, too, Aunt Claire."

She lifted one hand and rested it on her aunt's bosom. Claire responded by leaning down to brush away the hair from her niece's face and then slipped down the top of her nightgown, exposing her breasts.

There was some shuffling under the covers, and it wasn't long before Jessica had tacitly agreed to start nursing Claire's breasts. Claire sighed and moaned quietly, never bothering to hide the smile of joy and love on her face as she regarded the content face her niece made while having her fill of milk. It was tender beyond anything they'd ever done, and yet, Claire couldn't help but wonder why they hadn't tried it before. They were close enough to be mother and daughter, after all, and she'd always had that favorite dream of giving birth to Jessica and raising the girl as her own biological child.

So how could this intimate act be wrong, if that were the case? Claire had no answer for that, nor did she want one. She was too content to adore Jessica as she nursed, and as they fell asleep in each other's arms, Claire had time to give her niece one last goodnight kiss.

[Summertime]

Another great chapter, many thanks. Have a great Christmas

[the diaper mike]

do go on please

[JDL23]

Please, remember, folks that there won't be a new chapter this coming Tuesday, but there will be one the week after. Thanks for your patience, and Happy Holidays!

[lil_mikey]

happy holidays yourself, been loving the story, cannot wait till next Tuesday.

[JDL23]

Happy New Year, everyone! It's good to be back!

---

Chapter Twelve

Love is the confession of one's sins to the world, to your beloved, and to yourself—to stand humbly and repentantly before everyone, ready to be made whole once more.

Jessica was pacing nervously in front of the glass doors at the West Terminal, watching people coming in and out of the massive airport. She saw tired faces, smiling faces, and anxious faces—but none of them was the face she most wanted to see.

And then, slipping out of the crowd with his backpack slung over his shoulder, was the man she'd been waiting to see.

Before he could even get out a hello, Jessica had flung her arms around Ryan and was laughing. "You're home! God, I've missed you!"

"Nice to know I’ve been missed," said Ryan, weakly smiling back. "You look terrific, Jess."

"And you look like you need something to eat," she shot back. "Not to mention a very long nap, young man."

"Now that's what I'm talking about." Ryan threw his arm around her shoulder. "Lead on."

---

There were few things that Jessica could make competently, and spaghetti with meatballs was one of them. Add to that a bottle of red wine and some candlelight, and the end result was a fairly quick and simple, yet entirely romantic, dinner for Ryan. He dug into his food with great delight, even though most of the cuisine he'd sampled during his trip through Italy had been some variation of pasta and beef.

Jessica continued to help by cleaning up the dishes and preparing the bed for Ryan. She'd hesitated on her way to the bathroom when she saw that Ryan hadn't gone to sleep, but was waiting for her on the bed.

"Get some rest," she said. "I just need to pop in here for a bit and get changed."

"Before you do that," said Ryan, without any of the tender smiles he'd favored her with throughout the evening, "I need you to hear something. Something important."

Jessica nodded and joined him on the bed. She couldn't help noticing the weight that seemed to be pushing down Ryan's shoulders and neck—and the reluctance that kept his eyes from meeting hers.

"It's about the trip," he said slowly. "I know I've told you plenty in my e-mails, but..." His tongue darted over his bottom lip, and Ryan slowly pulled his gaze toward his girlfriend. "Something happened. Something that I didn't want to put in an e-mail."

"What was it?"

Ryan still could barely look at her when he said, "I... think I cheated on you."

Jessica remained very, very still. "What?"

"It was in Prague," Ryan explained, his tone never shifting from its melancholy air, his face never meeting hers. "Colin and I were at this party—I don't know whose house it was. This place was huge. It had tons of alcohol, tons of techno music, and tons of European girls looking for a good time."

When Jessica didn't say anything, Ryan shook his head and continued. "There was this French girl, Suzanne, and her boyfriend Gerard. Colin introduced us and then got sidetracked by a bunch of Romanian girls. Well, I remember starting to chat with Gerard, and then Suzanne came and got me another drink..." He bent his head even lower, as though the memory itself was too heavy to carry even in his thoughts. "Next thing I knew, I was in a dark bedroom, and all three of us were naked. I was on top of Suzanne, and Gerard on top of me, and everything was just one terrifying blur—"

His voice cracked and Ryan fell silent, leaving Jessica with a distinct mental image of her boyfriend being forced into some drug-induced three-way with a pair of malicious Frenchmen. She shut her eyes against that image, but it endured, and she knew that the names Suzanne and Gerard would never again sound pleasant to her ears—

And then Ryan was talking again in that pitiful tone. "...wanted to tell you once I woke up alone the next morning, but I didn't want to—" He bit his lip. "I did not want to gloss it over in an e-mail." And at last, his eyes looked directly into hers. "You of all people deserved to know the truth, and I didn't want the fact that I was several thousand miles away to be an excuse for avoiding you when you found it."

Jessica answered all that with a very quiet, "I see."

She was angry. She was sad. She wanted to hit him. She wanted to curl up on Claire or Sarah's lap. But most of all, she wanted to take this moment of guilt and agony, crumple it up like a paper ball, and burn it forever.

But she couldn't—the pain was there, unavoidable and unrelenting.

It's only pain, she told herself. It hurt when I lived with Mom at the end. It hurt when I came to live with Aunt Claire. It hurt when I found out about Claire and Sarah, or about Claire and Andy. I can get through this. I will get through this.

"This is a lot to take in," she told Ryan, who watched her intently. "I get that you didn't want to lie about it or try to pass it off, and I respect that." Jessica let a smile come to her lips. "Deep down, I forgive you. Deep down, I accept you and your honesty. But on the surface, well..."

"I understand," Ryan answered, sounding much calmer and less self-pitying. "And if you think I deserve any kind of a punishment—dump me, mock me, anything like that—then I accept that, too." His hopeful expression began to darken once more. "Believe me, I didn't expect to get over this easily."

Jessica nodded. "Well, in all honesty, I think you've done a better job at punishing yourself than anything I could have done." She shuffled over to the headboard of Ryan's bed and lowered herself onto her back. "But you really think you need to be punished, then maybe I'll start by having you change a very wet diaper."

"On the contrary, Jess," Ryan answered with the ghost of a smile, as he crept toward her like a timid puppy, "nothing could please me more."

[Summertime]

Welcome back and a great start to the New Year.

[the diaper mike]

go on wow please

[diaperangel]

I can't believe she forgave him! That really must take a lot...

[JDL23]

I can't believe she forgave him! That really must take a lot...

She says that "deep down" she forgives him. He's not getting off that easily...

As always, your feedback is both appreciated and encouraged, dear readers, even if it's just to say "Good job!" or "Can't wait for more!" So stay tuned for next Tuesday's installment.

[JDL23]

Chapter Twelve

Love is the recognition of yourself in another's eyes, and in turning that recognition into a mutual feeling—the basis of a family, no less.

Sarah sat down next to her aunt and regarded her nine-year-old cousin: shivering and silent, wearing a t-shirt and a skirt that barely covered the Pull-Up underneath, with a plain white pacifier in her mouth. Such a sad thing she was, filling Sarah with both pity and revulsion.

"Would you like to hold her?" Claire whispered into her ear. Her arms were wrapped tight around her younger niece, but her eyes were fondly gazing at her eldest.

Sarah nodded and took her cousin Jessica into her lap. The little girl shifted and gave a tiny whine, but the teenager soothed her with a hug and a kiss. She looked into the girl's eyes and began to see that spark of life inside—the pre-teen girl behind the mild infant, the one Sarah had spent countless hours playing with and babysitting, just as she was doing now.

"I love you, Jess," Sarah whispered into her cousin's ear. "I love you so very much—"

With a blink, Sarah stepped out of her thoughts and back into the present day. She was again a twenty-two-year-old woman, but still standing in Claire's bedroom. It had been barely two minutes since she'd gotten home from work and still had on her blue skirt and lime-green blouse, when she'd come into her aunt's room for a change.

She was still examining her thoughts when Andrea came into the room with a smile. "Hey, Sarah. How was work?"

"Oh, fine." Sarah gave her a hug and a returning smile. "Don't mind me. I, uh, just came in here to change my diaper."

Andrea nodded. "Would you like me to help?"

"Sure!" An unguarded laugh came out of Sarah. "I mean, I can manage it on my own pretty well, but if you want to help take off the old one and put on a new one, that'd be great."

"Let's do that. On the bed, please."

Sarah lowered herself onto her aunt's bed and hiked up her skirt, revealing her wet diaper to Andrea. The older woman smiled and moved over to the dresser she now shared with Claire, where she kept her own supply of diapers. She came back a moment later with a clean Abena diaper, a bottle of talcum powder, and a packet of baby wipes.

The first part went by fairly quickly. Andrea quickly removed and rolled up the old diaper, tossing it into a wastebasket. Sarah, meanwhile, speedily wiped herself off and gently spread some powder across her abdomen and her bottom, which wasn't as easy for her since she'd had more experience doing it for her cousin or her boyfriend, but she did well enough.

Andrea hesitated when she reached for the diaper. She tilted her head and gave Sarah an embarrassed smile. "Hope you don't mind I'm using a different brand. It's a bit thicker than the kind you and Jessica use."

Sarah shook her head. "I've actually never tried it, though Jess has. But I think I'd like to."

"Then here it goes." Andrea lifted up Sarah's legs with one hand as she slid the diaper underneath. She pulled up the front and gently fastened the four tapes onto it, then guided her hands around the diaper to make sure it fit properly all over. When she was done, she gave Sarah a warm smile and patted her new diaper on the bottom.

Wiggling on the bed, Sarah regarded the Abena with a pleased grin. "This feels nice. Like a big cushion. Thank you, Andy."

"You're welcome, dear."

The older woman turned to leave, but Sarah sat up. "Would you like me to return the favor?"

Andrea blushed as she looked back over her shoulder. "Oh, you don't have to do that."

"I know."

"It's sweet of you to ask, though."

"I know."

A brief silence followed, punctuated shortly thereafter by Andrea's softly-spoken, "Well, I suppose, since you were nice enough to offer..."

---

A few moments later, Sarah and Andrea were curled up together on the bed, their diapers more or less exposed, when Claire came into the room.

She put her hands on her hips and grinned. "Well, isn't this a pretty sight! And I thought I couldn't be any more in love with either of you!"

Andrea smiled back. "Just helping each other get changed. Speaking of which, when's Jessica going to be back?"

"Oh, not tonight." Claire sat down on the foot of the bed. "She's picking up Ryan at the airport, and as I understand it, she'll be keeping him company and won't be back until tomorrow."

"So we have a whole night to ourselves." Andrea pulled Sarah closer into a hug. "Just the three of us."

Claire caught the gesture and met her girlfriend's steady gaze. "What exactly are you thinking, Andy?"

"That since you've invited me into your family," Andrea said teasingly, "we need to start acting as a family. So tonight, I say we let Sarah see what it's like to have two Mommies instead of just one."

Sarah did a pretty good facsimile of a little girl's eager smile. "I get to have two Mommies? Yay!"

Claire laughed. "That doesn't sound like a bad idea at all. So we'll have an expanded version of our 'Baby' game."

She reached out to pull her niece from Andrea and into her own arms. Sarah curled up as tightly as she could in her aunt's embrace and let her eyes fall half-shut.

"I love you, buttercup," Claire whispered, her eyes contentedly closed.

Sarah giggled. "You haven't called me that in a long time."

"I'm trying out new names for you, my little peach cobbler."

"Sounds more like you're ready for dinner, Aunt Claire."

"My little biscuit and gravy."

"Okay, Aunt Claire, you can stop now."

"My little corn on the cob."

"Seriously. Just stop."

---

Andrea and Claire took turns being "Mommy" to "baby girl" Sarah that evening. Claire dressed up Sarah so that she was wearing only a soft blue t-shirt and diaper, with her hair done up in pigtails. Meanwhile, Andrea cooked dinner—a roasted chicken with potatoes, gravy, and a light salad.

When it was ready, she took Sarah into her lap and tucked a napkin into her shirt like a bib. Andrea began to feed pieces of chicken and salad to Sarah just as Claire told her to do, watching with a big smile on her face as the young woman gobbled each piece from her hand. Claire picked at her own meal while she watched the two of them playing and thought about all the times she did just that with Jessica.

Once dinner was over, they proceeded to the couch, where Claire sat with a bottle of apple juice in her hand. Andrea deposited Sarah into her lover's arms, and sat down to watch Claire give her niece the bottle. They were curled up as close as could be on the couch, smiling and content even though the only thing happening was the sight of a girl drinking from a baby bottle.

When she'd finished, Sarah handed the empty bottle to Andrea and nuzzled the side of her aunt's neck. Claire responded with a kiss on her forehead and then held Sarah out to look down at her.

"I've a surprise for you," she whispered, reaching up to undo the buttons on her blouse.

Sarah immediately realized what it was and glanced at her aunt with surprise. "So you know about what Jess and I were... doing...?"

Claire nodded. "And I'm not ashamed to say we did a little ourselves. It seems only fair to let you and me share a similar experience." She leaned closer. "If you want to share this with me, that is. You only have to say no and it won't happen."

"But I do!" Sarah exclaimed, then fell silent. "At least, I think I do." She looked over at Andrea, who still sat against Claire, hands folded in her lap, gazing expectantly at Sarah. "What do you think, Andy?"

"It's your body and your decision," Andrea replied with a tender smile. "And for your information, I've done this with your Aunt Claire, and it feels wonderful."

"Thanks, love," said Claire, shifting in her seat to give Andrea a quick kiss. She turned back to Sarah and pulled her close to her now-exposed bosom. "Well?"

For a moment, Sarah didn't do a thing. Then she scooted up on her aunt's lap and put her lips to the nearest breast. Claire began to stroke her hair as Sarah began to suckle her, feeling the milk wash away the taste of apple juice in her mouth.

"Oh, baby girl," her aunt cooed, reaching down to rub Sarah's back. "My lovely, lovely little baby girl, whom I love so very, very much, yes I do!"

Andrea laughed and put a hand on Sarah's stomach. "Does that feel good, baby?"

Sarah looked up and smiled despite the nipple in her mouth. She closed her eyes and continued to nurse, feeling like the loved little girl they told her she was. The milk that flowed into her was as warm as the arms that held her and as soft as the diaper she wore between her legs.

The diaper, she knew, would be warm, too, once she let herself wet it, but that would be a while from now. So Sarah laid back and enjoyed her aunt's embrace and the attention of her two "Mommies."

---

Getting ready for bed was just as playful. Claire helped Sarah and Andy change out of their wet diapers, and then the two older woman slipped into their nightgowns. They escorted Sarah into bed and pulled the covers over each other, so that the three of them were snuggled up together in the darkened bedroom.

"It's funny that I'm rarely alone at night anymore," Claire commented as she put her hand against Sarah's cheek. "I've had Jessica in bed with me most often than not, and then there's Andy, and now there's you. My darling Sarah."

Sarah smiled and ducked her head against Claire's breast. "Well, it's rare for me to be spending the night with you like this, Aunt Claire, but I like it."

"So do I," Andrea whispered, joining hands with Claire and leaning over to kiss Sarah on the cheek. "This feels nice, Claire. Just the three of us, being... well, a family."

"Isn't it?" Claire reached past Sarah and took Andrea's face in one hand. They moved in for a kiss, and when they pulled away from each other, Claire bent down and took Sarah's face in her hands. She paused for a moment, doing nothing except smiling, and then leaned down to kiss her niece gently on the lips.

Sarah accepted the kiss and pulled back to see her aunt staring fondly. A sudden blush came over Sarah's face, and she ducked her head again toward Claire's breast.

"No need to be shy, sweetheart," Claire whispered, wrapping her arms around her niece. "You're just so beautiful that I have to find new ways of showing my affection."

"And again, that's why I'm here." Andrea responded further by sliding her arms around Sarah's waist, pulling her into half an embrace that Claire was completing. Sarah felt warm between the two of them, but she couldn't say it was unpleasant. Almost like being in the womb, if she could only curl up into a fetal position.

"Go to sleep, angel," said Claire, brushing back some hair from her niece's face. "We'll give you plenty of time to get up tomorrow for work."

"Do I have to? Can't I just stay with you?"

"I have to work, too, my little cupcake. But don't worry. I'll be thinking of you all day long."

"And Jessica will be back with us tomorrow night," Andrea murmured softly into Sarah's ear. "She'll be here to play with the three of us."

With a slow sigh, Sarah relented. "Okay, but tomorrow's going to be extra fun if we get Jess involved, all right?"

Claire smiled and leaned in for another kiss, this time on Sarah's cheek. "It will, dear. I promise. Now, go to sleep."

Sarah nodded, feeling a weight on her eyes as she put her head against Claire's breast for the last time. "Good night, Aunt Claire. Good night, Andy."

"Good night, Sarah, my love."

"Pleasant dreams, sweetie."

[the diaper mike]

go on please

[babytom2]

Good stuff