The NIght and Day Difference

[robehouse]

"That's a good idea." April said. 

Samantha started to put her finger in her mouth then quickly pulled it out, wiping it on her shirt. She didn't want Jason to think she was a baby. 

[Ishigreensa]

Jason had caugher her pulling her finger out of her mouth and wiping it looking guilty.

He sighed.

He pulled over at a convenience store, got out of the car and opened her door.

"Samantha?  What's wrong, honey?"

He reached in, undid her belt, and picked her up.

"You don't have to be so scared, baby.  You didn't do anything wrong as far as I could tell."

He looked over at April.

"Did she do anything wrong?" he asked her.

[robehouse]

Samantha started shaking and crying as Jason pulled off the road in front of a store. When her daddy did that, it meant Samantha would be getting a spanking. 

She started crying as Jason opened the back door and picked her up. 

"Please don't spank me! I didn't mean to be naughty." Samantha blubbered.

April looked at Jason and then at Samantha. 

"Samantha, what did you do?" April said, a little anger in her voice. 

Samantha just cried in Jason's arms, not answering. 

[Ishigreensa]

Jason shook his head at April and turned back at Samantha.

"Honey?  What did you do, baby?" he asked a lot more gently.  "You don't look like you did anything bad, baby."

He got into the backseat and put her in his lap.

"No one is going to spank you right now, baby.  I am just worried because you look really scared for some reason, baby."

He hugged her and rocked her.

"April, she didn't do anything.  She's just scared," he told the mom once he was rocking Samantha.

[robehouse]

Samantha calmed down a little as Jason held her. She sniffled and looked down.

"I was naughty. I put my finger in my mouth and I'm not allowed. Daddy says I'm not a baby, but sometimes I do it by accident. Please don't be mad." Samantha cried.

 

April nodded at Jason. She wondered what he was going to do since Samantha admitted to being naughty.

[Ishigreensa]

Jason shook his head.

"You were just nervous, honey," he told her.  "If your parents don't want you to put your finger in your mouth, then we'll try to help you to remember not to do it, but there is no reason to be scared just because you accidently put in there when you get nervous, baby."

He looked over at April.

"Are you really that concerned about her finger that YOU think she should get a spanking or something for that?" he asked her.  "Because honestly, when a kid does something like that, rather than chewed out or spanked, what they are really needing is assurance that everything is okay.  She's not doing it to make you mad.  She doesn't want to suck her fingers at her age because she knows it's not what big kids do and it embarrasses her when she gets caught at it is.  But, you are the mommy.  If you have to spank her, I won't stop you, but I won't like it, either."

[robehouse]

Samantha nodded as Jason talked to her. She was glad she wasn't going to get spanked.

"I know she shouldn't get spanked for that. She rarely does. She gets punished in other ways." April explained.

[Ishigreensa]

Jason frowned.

"Just for sticking her fingher in her mouth?" he asked April.

He hugged Samantha closer.

"I'd like it if she wasn't in trouble this time," he said.  "I mean, she's your kid and you have your own ways, but I was hoping she'd have fun today, and I don't see how she's going to have fun if she's worried about being in trouble.  Can we let her slide this one time?"

He looked up at her pleading in his eyes.

[robehouse]

"That's a babyish habit and she needs to stop it." April said. 

Samantha cowered in fear as Jason held her and listened to her mother and Jason talk. 

April frowned and looked at Samantha.

"I guess we can forget it this once. Are you going to act like a big girl at the restaurant, or a baby?" April asked Samantha. 

"A big girl, mommy." Samantha answered. 

[Ishigreensa]

Jason sighed and nodded.

"She would stop if she felt comfortable," he mumbled.  He wondered how much the little girl was abused verbally at home.

He looked from her to April.

"Actually, I think she should just act like a baby.  You said she's eight years old, right?  Is it so bad if she acts like a baby for one night even at the restaurant?"

[robehouse]

 April didn't hear Jason mumbled.

"I guess not. It's up to you. Samantha, it's okay to be a baby tonight. Don't worry about spanks or being yelled at. But just for tonight." April said. 

"Okay mommy." Samantha said. 

Samantha slipped her finger tentatively in her mouth,  looking from April to Jason. 

[Ishigreensa]

Jason smiled at Samantha and hugged her.

"It's okay, baby."

He helped her back into her seat and buckled her in.

"We'll be at the restaurant soon, honey.  Uncle Jason wants you to be comfortable and happy, okay?"

He got back in the driver seat and started to drive again.

Looking over at April, he said ina  low voice.

"Why is it so important that she grow up from sucking her fingers?" he asked.  "Most parents want to keep their children babies as long as they can, so they are not quite as strict about it though they do offer advice to their children that it's better not to do that."

[robehouse]

Samantha nodded at Jason and let him put her back in the car and fasten her in. She calmed down as she continued to suck her finger. 

April sighed and nodded. 

"You're right, and I would let her suck on her finger or thumb, but her daddy expects her to be a big girl and gets really angry if she acts like a baby by having potty accidents or sucking her finger." April answered. 

[Ishigreensa]

"Aw!  She wets her pants a lot, does she?" he asked April.  "Have you taken her to see a doctor about it?"

Of coruse, Mike had not.  He told April that Samantha was just doing it on purpose for attention.  Of coruse, there was the problem taht she could only go when he let her, so that lead to more accidents that even a kid with a little kidney problem would have.

He looked up in the mirror.

"Well, as long as we can get away with it, I don't see any reason that daddy has to know that little Samantha couldn't hold it.  Do you, April?"

[robehouse]

"No. Mike insists she's doing for attention, plus he says we don't have the money. He seems to find the money for beer though." April answered. 

"No I guess we don't have to tell him, even though Mike will probably call and ask about Samantha." Agreed April. 

[Ishigreensa]

"Just tell him that she was behaving herself as best she could and that you corrected her when she did something wrong," Jason offered.  "I mean, if you remind her that Mike wouldn't want something, then that is correcting her even if not in the way that Mike wants it done...., right?"

He smiled at her.

Soon enough, they were at the restaurant, and Jason got out of the car and reached in and picked Samantha up.

"It's okay, baby.  You keep your hand where you feel comfortable, sweetie.  To me, and eight year old is a baby anyway because at eight years old, you do sort of still need your mommy or someone you trust near you, don't you?  You don't like ot be left alone for more than an hour without knowing where your parents are, do you?"

He rubbed her back as he held her.

"And I'm going to carry you into the restaurant just like an eight year old should be if she feels worried enough to be sucking her fingers, honey."

[robehouse]

"Yes, I suppose so." April said. 

Samantha let Jason pick her up and listened to him,  still sucking on her finger. 

"Yes sir." Samantha said, briefly removing her finger.

Samantha laid her head on Jason's shoulder. 

[Ishigreensa]

Jason carried the cute little girl into the restaurant and walked along the side of April.

"So, how many days did you say Mike will be gone?" Jason asked.  "Maybe we should take Sammy somewhere fun together so she can enjoy herself before he gets back."

As they got into the restaurant, Jason adjusted Samantha's position so he was comfortable with her against his chest, and he rubbed her back.

"Are you hungry, baby?" he asked her in a whisper.

[robehouse]

"I think he'll be gone another week, but I'm not sure. It depends on what his boss has him doing. Mike rarely tells me anything about his job." April answered. 

Samantha let Jason hold her and didn't fight when he moved her. 

"Yes sir." Samantha said when he asked her if she was hungry. 

[Ishigreensa]

"Well, that's not very good for a relationship," Jason observed.  "Basically, it gives him all the control, and doesn't really show much trust in you nor gives you much time to think how best to spend the time you have with him.  It's no wonder you feel the way you do, April."

He rubbed Samanths's back as they waited for a table.

"We'll get you something to eat soon, baby," he whispered to her.

[robehouse]

April shrugged her shoulders. Mike made all the choices, deciding what to do, where to go, and when to go. He expected April to just accept it. 

Samantha nodded and laid her head on his shoulder. Her stomach rumbled. 

[Ishigreensa]

Jason saw her shrug, and nodded to himself.  It was no wonder she was so easy to please.  It was like Mike had somehow subdued her into thinking that a male should always decide.  Maybe her troubles went back to before she got married, he wasn't sure.

He sat down with Samantha in his lap and kept patting her back while they waited for a table.

"Sammy?  What happened at school today?" he suddenly asked her thinking she most likely had little chance to talk about school at home.

[robehouse]

 Samantha shrugged her shoulders. She wasn't sure what to tell Jason. 

"I don't know. We worked on our writing and math,  I played outside for awhile. Oh, and I didn't pee my pants today." Samantha said. "At least not at school."

[Ishigreensa]

Jason frowned when she said that she didn't pee her pants today.  He had not expected it to be so bad that it was affecting her school life.

"You poor little girl," he said rubbing her back.  "I knew you had a hard time at home and wet your pants earlier because you were nervous about meeting me and what not, but I didn't know you were having trouble at school like that."

He stroked her hair.

"Does daddy get mad if you wet your pants at school?" he asked her.  "And do you have any friends at school at all?"

[robehouse]

 Samantha nodded. 

"When I pee my pants at school I have to go see the nurse. She calls daddy and let's him know I wet my pants and I get spanked if he comes home from work in time." Samantha informed.

"I have one friend at school. Her name is Julie." Samantha said.