NyanAnne Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 I love this update thank you so much Link to comment
Baby Toni38 Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 Great update. You are a talented writer, please take all the time you need, keep up the great work. Link to comment
Mee Posted October 3, 2020 Author Share Posted October 3, 2020 On 9/30/2020 at 5:22 AM, Scarlet said: Great to see this back. This was a really good chapter. It was a great way to end the parents visit. Very sad to see that Emily lost her job but at least it seems like it was more circumstances surrounding her department rather than a specific failure of hers causing her to lose her job. Thank you for reading! Yeah, when one chapter comes to a close, gotta keep things going with a whole new development! And yep, no fault of Emily's, just unfortunate circumstances. Thanks for commenting! On 9/30/2020 at 9:34 AM, Bel George said: What a nice surprise to see a new chapter here. This is one of my all-time favourite stories and I'm so happy to read that it will be continued. Awesome and thank you for the kind words! AS far as continuation goes, it's always been the plan, just everyday life can make that difficult at times. On 9/30/2020 at 11:12 AM, Sarah Penguin said: yay Thanks! On 9/30/2020 at 11:25 PM, BabySofia said: I was excited to see this when I came home tonight! Looking forward to more! Thank you! I'm excited to write some more! On 10/2/2020 at 1:30 AM, sparky_dude said: Thank you for continuing. This may sound weird seen as I'm a new user but I have being reading AB/DL stores for a long time and this one has being my absolute favourite. I hope college treats and hope to see more as this story continues. (hear about the graphics card, give it a bit and they will be back in stock before you know it.) No, I totally get it. I've been really happy to hear from some people that have created accounts just to comment on the story; it really does mean a lot. Besides, if I hadn't started posting my own stories, I'd probably be a lurker myself. I'm hoping college pans out well, too, lol. Classes are fine for the most part, but predominantly online instruction just isn't really my thing. (Thanks for the encouragement on the graphics card; makes me wanna cry every time it disappears from my shopping cart T-T) 18 hours ago, NyanAnne said: I love this update thank you so much Glad to hear it! Thank you! 8 hours ago, Baby Toni38 said: Great update. You are a talented writer, please take all the time you need, keep up the great work. I don't think of myself as too great of a writer, but I'm glad people enjoy what I put out. Truthfully I think it could be fun to take requests at some point; it could be fun putting other's ideas to paper. Hey everybody; I'm stoic that there's been such a great response to a new chapter! Really, thank you so much! Before the next chapter comes, I had a tangent I felt like writing at one point, but it's not pertinent to the story, so I called it a half-chapter. If it is a xx.5 chapter, don't expect anything canon! This is not important to the story. It takes into account what's going on in the story at the moment, but it has no real progression; it's just a fun read. Thought of something funny, so I figured I'd include it. Let me know what you think! If you'd rather not see stuff like this, just let me know; maybe I can turn it into a more defined short with the same characters, just different/made-up scenarios. Either way, please enjoy! 29.5 Unpacking “Closed? For how long?” Joyce politely, although restraining agitation spoke over the phone. It was a Friday evening and work was finally over. It would have been an exciting night for what was to come tomorrow, but a sudden phone call was quickly changing that. She let out a deep sigh. “Indefinite? Well if it’s indefinite, I can expect a full refund, yes?” More silence as Joyce listened to the other end, yet her brow started to twitch. There was a visible frown on her face. She was rational to a degree, and this person on the phone wasn’t the true object of her aggravation, but damn if she couldn’t use the target practice. “Credit? If you’re closed for who knows how long, what do you expect me to do with a--!” She paused as her phone started to buzz. It was another call. From Emily. The mere sight of her name on the vehicle’s console was enough to calm her down and just as much fill her with worry. “I...” Joyce clutched her steering wheel with an exhale. “I’m sorry for losing my temper. Th...thank you for your help...” She ended the call, looking at the new incoming signal with trepidation. Her finger drifted slow and sluggish to the ‘answer’ button. It felt bad to think, but after receiving such a bombshell of news, it wouldn’t feel the worst to let the call ring unanswered... “H-hey!” She did her best to sound upbeat, though straining a smile to convince positive verbiage. Her incoming reply, however, spoke with excitement from a much more genuine place. “Hi!” Emily, replied. “Hey! So I was thinking...uhm, maybe if you’re okay with it, we could do takeout tonight? So we can focus on finishing our packing?” She ended her suggestion with a stifled giggle, and it stirred a feeling of unease in Joyce’s stomach. “...” Joyce didn’t say anything. What could she say? How was she supposed to phrase it? She’d spent the past two weeks talking this whole vacation up to Emily, and now it had just gone up in smoke? Even she wasn’t fully convinced. The money, the planning, the excitement...It couldn’t totally be gone, could it? Whisked away in the span of a minute and delivered unto by a complete stranger? “Joyce?” Emily patiently asked over the phone. “You still there?” “Y-yes!” Joyce quickly stuttered a reply. “Uhm...takeout? Y-yeah, let’s do that. Start searching for somewhere you want to eat from, okay?” “Kay!” Emily eagerly replied, and prior to this car ride, Joyce would have been ecstatic to hear her girlfriend so over the moon, but it’d so quickly turned into fuel for dread and disappointment. “Oh! And, we’re gonna have to do dessert, too…” Emily openly pondered as if it were a given. “Oh! Oh! Can we get milkshakes too? At that shake place?” “Mm...well...we’ll see...” It pained her to hear the excited giggle over the phone. “Alright, whatever you say…! Bye, see you when you get home!” Joyce said her goodbyes then hung up the phone. Had she not been driving on the road she’d be ready to slam her own head on the steering wheel. She was already calling another number, facing a whole new level of stress. “Sheila?” It didn’t feel amazing misusing her staff like this, but a secretary’s job is to manage their employer’s schedule right? Surely this counted somehow… “Y-yes...No, I apologize for calling you after I just left the office. You are welcome to refuse, but do you have a moment to check something on a computer for me? You can? ...Thank you, I really appreciate this...” There was some intermediary pause on the phone. “Okay, uhm, I need you to see if there’s any hotel waterparks that have vacancies this weekend...If you can’t find a combination, separate locations are fine too...” Truly, what Joyce valued the most about Sheila was her discretion and lack of questions, save for logistical ones. More silence, but a response did come. It wasn’t a good one. “N-nothing…?” Joyce asked over the phone, nearly her mouth agape as she was left in disbelief. “I knew things were getting worse, but… Safety concerns, yes.” She sighed once more. Sheila was about as best of a person as resourceful people got, which is why she wasn’t going to second-guess her status report. “Have a good weekend...” Joyce hung up. She was maybe another ten minutes away from home, and she still wasn’t emotionally prepared. . .. … She was already on the phone again. “Joyce?” Amy’s voice intrigued from the other end. “We usually don’t talk like this unless I’m during business hours? So, uh...good job?” “I need advice.” Joyce was quick to her point. “I planned a vacation with Emily to a waterpark and I was just called by the resort and they had to cancel our reservation due to...recent circumstances.” “Uhm, okay...As in, pointers for what you can do instead of going to the resort?” “No...” Joyce spoke with meekness. “I mean...I’m almost home and Emily doesn’t know yet...” “So you’re worried about how she’s going to take it?” Joyce visibly nodded, despite Amy only having ears to receive her. “Y-...yes...” Joyce could hear a stifled giggle from the other line. “Amy!” Joyce practically begged. “Please! I’m being serious. What if she gets upset? Or, or starts to cry? Or...” Joyce started to look more troubled and bothered as Amy seemed to laugh again. She did speak soon after she cleared her lungs though. “Joyce, take the tinted lenses off. Despite how you and I might like to dress her, she’s mature and old enough to handle some bad news.” “Maybe...but--!” “But nothing,” Amy plainly cut her off. “You’re getting yourself more worked up than this thing’s really worth. Don’t worry, I’m sure you can make your vacation from home plenty exciting.” Joyce could suddenly hear a meowing noise from Amy’s end. “Uh...but then again, age only signifies so much...Much like my grown furball that makes a scene the minute he doesn’t get his dinner!” Amy half-shouted away from the phone. “Sorry about that. By the way, let me know if you ever want to trade partners; I think Emily would make for a cuter cat than the one I’m stuck with now...” “Thank you...” Joyce ran a hand through her hair, already parked in the building’s garage. “Maybe I am getting worked up over nothing...” “Yep, anytime! Well, within reason. Another small piece of advice; at least treat her tonight to let her down gently...” “Already part of the plan...” Joyce mulled. She hung up. More than anything she hated the thought of disappointing Emily, but not getting to spend quality time with your girlfriend, clad in cute swimsuits and playing with her at a waterpark was a horribly close second. “Emily?” Joyce called as she shut the door, kicking off her heels. She could hear her naked feet patter across the hardwood floors. “Welcome...” Emily’s voice started to fade in the closer she got, as Joyce could hear her pace turn into a dash. “...Hoooo~me!” She cheered as she flung herself into Joyce. Joyce caught her as she twirled with a hug. As happy as Joyce was to see her like this, she remained stiff and awkward. Her heart was too tangled with the sin of killing this joy. Emily took a look at her face and stopped swinging in her arms. She gave her an almost scrutinizing look, branded by her signature cuteness. “What’s wrong?” Emily asked. She stood upright to a posture that dignified her concern. “I...” Joyce looked visibly upset. Too many things were going on in her head; the countless simulations of Emily’s possible reactions to her bad news. “I got a call on the way back from work...” “Uh-huh?” Emily squeezed her hands. “And…--Emily, please don’t be upset with me…! I’m so sorry! We spent all this time planning and building up to it--and now…” Before she could even state the issue she was already trying to apologize, rambling as Emily was completely taken aback. “W-w-wait!” Emily stammered, trying to calm her down. “I don’t even know what you’re apologizing for?” It was so out of character for Joyce, Emily almost laughed. Was she acting right now? Joyce sniffled. She had no other way than being direct. “...The vacation...we can’t go. It was canceled.” “Canceled?” Emily asked, confirming the word rather than the meaning. “What do you mean?” “On the way home I got a call from the resort; with everything that’s been happening, all the hotels and parks are closing...” “Wait...” Emily was just catching up. Her voice was soft and somber. “...So we can’t go?” “No...we aren’t.” Joyce sulked. “I’m so sorry...” They were both quiet, seemingly lamenting over the current circumstances. Joyce felt twice the force though, as no response from Emily was worrying in itself. Amy had given her rational thoughts and reasoning, but that seemed to be tossed out the window entirely when trying to put it in practice. “Well…” Emily rubbed her shoulder. “That kinda sucks, but I guess we can’t do much about it...” Joyce had been crestfallen with her eyes aimed at the floor, but Emily’s reaction to say the least had subverted her expectations. “You...what?” Emily had looked glum, but Joyce’s question made her look confused now in turn. “What? I was looking forward to it, too...I even called you and everything...” “I know, just...I was expecting you to be more upset...” Maybe not holes in the walls, shattered windows and complete chaos, but maybe something a bit more vocal? “Well, I am...” Her words made Joyce almost flinch. “But not at you, obviously. Besides, if everything’s closing, I guess it wouldn’t be a smart move to try and go anyway?” Emily reasoned with a level head. Joyce seemed relieved, but there was still a large degree of upset written all over her face. That sadness ignited into surprise though as Emily assaulted her lips with her own, made possible by Emily’s earnest feet which stood high off their toes. Joyce looked down at her to see an almost pouty look with exaggerated air puffs in her cheeks. Emily twirled her fingers, drawing imaginary circles in the air as she chanted. “Pain, pain, go away! E-mi-ly’s here to save the day~!” And she ended her ritual with a magical blast of love, flashes and light as lightning erupted from her fingertip, directly into Joyce’s heart! … Well, not really. But the emotion was still there. Sort of. Joyce gave her a confused look, and not being the reaction Emily anticipated, it only added to the silence and weirdness left in Emily’s little dance, leaving her to shrivel as her cheeks grew red. “S-...say something, at least…!” Emily pouted for real this time, now feeling quite embarrassed. “H...h...pfff--!” Joyce couldn’t help it now, laughing from her diaphragm. “Wh...what was that…?” She held her side as she laughed, wiping a tear from her eye. “Wha…?” Emily looked annoyed now, her mouth agape. “Dummy! Stupid! That was supposed to cheer you up!” “That...that was like one of those shows with the magic superheroes!” Joyce couldn’t put the words together as she tried to keep her laughter in check. In fairness, Emily’s actions were comparable to a magical girl… “Hmmf!” Emily gave her the 90 degree turn with her arms crossed. “Last time I ever try to cheer you up!” “No, no!” Joyce begged with her arms over Emily’s shoulders. “You gotta do that again!” She swallowed to clear her throat. “Thank you. You really did make me feel better...” “G-good...” Emily sufficed, making no further comment. No matter the means, Emily always seemed to turn a situation on its head, so far for the better. Though, Joyce was back to feeling sore. “Is there any way you can get your vacation time back?” “Uhm...there’s a good chance?” Emily offered, though she couldn’t say for certain herself. Seeing as a less than certain response already made Joyce look guilty, Emily considered it a good wager as opposed to giving a definite no... With another deft and effective move from Emily, she squeezed Joyce’s cheeks with both hands. “I. Want. Takeout.” Three simple words, to move things along and get Joyce out of her funk. Joyce could only give a defeated miff as she nodded her head. “So what did you want to get?” Some time later that night, oddly enough, Emily and Joyce were walking back into the apartment, half-empty plastic cups of shakes in hand. Emily was looking as content could be, sucking from her straw, whilst Joyce looked emotionally worn, although pleased herself to see Emily in positive spirits. In large part was the taste of the refreshing treat, naturally, but also successfully persuading her girlfriend to make it not just a dinner, but a dessert too. “We’re gonna have to learn how to make our own shakes for the time being,” Joyce sighed as they both sat down on the ledge to manage their shoes. Going to Shake Stop that night was a smart move for two reasons. One, it kept Emily in high spirits, and two, it’d be the end of Shake Stop until places started opening up again… “This whole thing really snuck up on us, I guess.” Emily shrugged, not really having much else than that. “Sort of...” Joyce half-agreed. Emily had plausible deniability, but Joyce didn’t exactly...Even though she was the head of her company, that didn’t mean she had a hand in every policy; too much to do, otherwise, but she has the corporate ear to listen in on these things. While she focused on the far and wide aspects of her business in tandem with her coming vacation with Emily, it really blinded her to the tethers of reality. “Hey, how about we unpack together?” Emily asked with an upbeat tone. “It’s fine, I can unpack for both of us,” Joyce waved off her offer. “Would you stop it already?” Emily groaned, hanging her hands off of Joyce’s shoulder as she used all her weight to jostle it. “It’s not your fault! It sucks getting our expectations blown, but I never blamed you for a second! How could you have known this is what would have happened?” Joyce frowned, reflecting deeply. “I...I know, but it still doesn’t change what happened...” “Maybe not,” Emily agreed, though to the minimum extent. “But you’re doing that thing again. You keep holding yourself to an impossible standard!” “Because you deserve my 120%...” Joyce sulked, who despite even being in a melancholic state, could somehow still flirt with Emily as if it were like breathing. “Well, I dunno, turn it down to like a 119% or something?” Emily giggled. “119.9.” Was all Joyce said in response, looking to contemplate her power consumption and yield efficiency… “Point 9-9-9-9-9-9-9…!” She trailed with the repeating digit up until her mouth couldn’t afford the vocalization, what with her lips being busy with Emily’s. Emily lasted as long as she could, pulling her lower self away and finally her lips right until the very end. “Come on, let’s go unpack.” Emily coaxed her girlfriend with tugging hands. Thankfully Joyce was willing, and came of her own accord. With physics as a witness, the numbers simply did not support Emily’s strength and her ability to move someone like Joyce. So to clarify a small detail, it was by means of emotional persuasion Emily moved Joyce, not physical. There in the corner they were, sitting primed and ready to go, close if not completely ready. Two large suitcases stood against the wall, about to be gutted and hollowed for who knows how long. They’d been given life through the possessions Joyce and Emily stored in them, yet now were to be put to death by the disappointment of reality. Emily tugged hers onto its wheels and guided it over to the bed. “You said you wanted to finish packing tonight?” Joyce asked as she looked on with skepticism. With an angled look bordering on doubt, she couldn’t help but notice the overstuffed kind of look there was to her bag. “I hope you weren’t planning to pack much else?” “Just a couple..nnnn…! Tid-bits!” Emily tried to stay nonchalant as she physically exerted herself to lift her luggage onto the bed. “I feel like a bomb is gonna go off once we unzip that thing...” Joyce inched a bit closer, oddly tempted by her own morbid curiosity, played to much more ‘G’ rated levels. “I just wanted to make sure I didn’t forget anything...” Emily spoke as she tried to get the zipper around the corner of the suitcase. “You know I’d have made sure we have the essentials?” Joyce reminded her, trying to hide her smile as she watched Emily struggle. Funny enough, before all this was even set into motion, Joyce had considered offering Emily to pack for her. Though, not so funny, Joyce was also considering that she would have been overbearing at that point. Finally the zipper was undone and the top cover almost popped up like an overstuffed stomach trapped inside a button-up one size too small. As the forces of nature settled Emily’s pile of luggage to an equilibrium, her mountain of clothes sat well-above the edge of the suitcase by the time they stopped expanding. “New rule: you only get to pack when I’m supervising.” Joyce said in a matter-of-fact kind of voice, looking quite unimpressed with the mass of clothes. “What? It was gonna be for three whole days!” Emily barked back, pulling a few shirts out. Joyce blinked in disbelief as she came to her senses, finding it worse than she initially thought. Jeez, you’re right! When I looked at your pile I assumed it was for five! Nope. Nope. No, no, no, no. Nada--never again!” She wagged her finger at Emily. “I hereby reserve the right to manage your packing for all future trips and vacations.” “Haaaa?” Emily mouthed back in confusion as well as humorous shock. “It’s not that bad?” She looked at her mountain of clothes, then back to Joyce. “Is it?” “At least I can sneak all the cute panties and skirts I want in your luggage, now!” Joyce answered with enthusiasm, making Emily frown, though grin a tiny bit. But, Emily was no quitter. She wasn’t going to back down without a fight. “Yeah? Well...then if you do that, I won’t pack any ‘surprises’ anymore!” With a haughty noise of satisfaction, Emily turned her head with a smug grin. “Oh?” Joyce did perk up at the mention of that. She raised her brow. “Surprises? Wanna elaborate?” “Wanna let me pack my own bag?” Emily countered, feeling herself on the high ground despite being the one having to look up. “Well frankly, a few more trips with you and I think the threads on that suitcase will be ready to tear, so...” She trailed, yet giving Emily an obvious answer. An answer she wouldn’t accept. “No deal, then!” Emily plainly rejected. “Since when did I teach my girl to be such a businesswoman?” Joyce chuckled, entertained by the persona. “Come on, though! Tell me! You have my curiosity. What surprise?” Joyce smiled eagerly. “Not. Gonna. Tell!” Emily snickered, happy to see that the shoe was on the other foot for once. Now she was the one to do the teasing! She’d be the one in control, and soon after, she’d become the mommy, turn Joyce into the baby, put her in the nursery! And then--! Emily’s eyes were as wide as saucers as she saw Joyce tossing things aside from in her bag. “Wait! No, nooo!” Emily had immediately lost her tone of superiority, trying to get in the way of Joyce and her bag as she whined like an indignant toddler. “Stop! Stooop!” Emily, who had felt so superior, was now back to being at rock bottom. The one thing she didn’t anticipate, which was her most obvious downfall, was indicating that she already did pack one of those little ‘secrets’. In other words, if Emily didn’t want to talk, all Joyce had to do was look through her bag to see for herself. “Let’s see what you packed…!” Joyce couldn’t hide the excitement as she shifted through shirts, shorts and bathing suits. Emily meanwhile was at an arm’s length, being kept that way by Joyce's hand, minding her girlfriend’s whining so little with different priorities in mind. “Stop! It’s supposed to be a secret! You’re gonna ruin it!!” Emily tried to bargain, to get her field advantage back, yet Joyce was getting dangerously close to the bottom of the pile. With no other smart idea, and already whining like a panicked child, Emily could only resort to those kinds of tactics. Backing on her heel to reposition, Emily stepped away from Joyce’s hands and rushed her directly from behind. Shaping both her hands like hooks as she curled her fingers, Emily sunk her fingers in between Joyce’s slacks and underwear, tugging them down with all her weight. “E-Emily?!” Joyce suddenly gasped as she felt something happening from behind, to her behind, and she paused the illegal baggage inspection to clutch her behind. “Wh-what the hell are you doing?!” She couldn’t help but laugh at the bizarre maneuver, but was an odd sort of panicked as well. “Oh, look! They’re purple today!” Emily comically remarked, catching a nice view of Joyce’s rounded bum and the detailed and intricate underwear they were in. Though, as much of an upset Emily was causing, unfortunately it didn’t affect Joyce in the way she attended. “F-fine!” Joyce laughed, albeit blushing a small bit, and decided that the sacrifice was necessary. And so she pretended to ignore being pantsed whilst she went back into Emily’s bag. Damn it! Emily was very much at the end of her rope. A few more seconds and she’d find what she packed! Think...think…! Joyce had come close to the bottom, and while she hadn’t fully realized it yet, she was beginning to see the shape of something defined with a bit more rigidity than shirts and pants would have...Right before she could solve that mystery though, she’d suddenly slipped back and had her chin hit the comforter and mattress. It wasn’t exactly her best plan, but a plan nonetheless. Emily with triumph had taken Joyce by the ankles and pulled her out from in front of the bed. “You little weasel!” Joyce spat viciously with playfulness as she was far too driven now. If Emily was working this hard to avert her, then that could only speak to the pleasures she was about to find! She was about to stand, but Emily tugged again, aided by the minimal friction there was between the hardwood floor and the sleek smoothness of her slacks. But right before she’d been pulled from the bed completely, she’d grabbed part of Emily’s suitcase, ending the grand battle once and for all as its remainder of contents spilled on both Emily and Joyce. Where is it, where is it?! Emily’s mind was racing as she scrambled on the floor, tossing her stuff aside. True to Joyce’s joke, it certainly looked like a bomb had gone off in the room. As Joyce sat there, partly naked from the waist down, save for her panties, she pulled one of Emily’s bikini bottoms off her head as she collected herself. Then her brows rose in surprise as she looked down at her lap. Sitting squarely there was a… “What do we have here?” Joyce asked with a devious grin, and Emily’s heart sank once she saw what she was holding. Emily groaned, slumping into a shy, fetal position, sitting on the floor with Joyce. “When did you sneak this out of the nursery?” Joyce probed as she looked upon Emily’s ‘secret’ with fascination. Emily was too red around the cheeks to respond properly. “I j-just wanted to make it special…!” Emily pouted, wanting to leave right then. So much for making it a surprise. Joyce bit her lower lip, never expecting this. Emily had teased a secret, but she was expecting maybe a skimpy outfit, or a cute swimsuit she bought! But instead she went straight for Joyce’s sweetspot; she knew exactly how to please her. Joyce’s emotions were ready to burst, she wanted to say so much…! Emily squeezed herself tighter once she heard the squeal. “Emily! Oh my gosh! This is too cute!” Joyce laughed as she wrapped her arms around her. “La-la-la-la!” Emily blocked out her ears. “I can’t hear you! I can’t hear you!” “D’awhh, come on!” Joyce nuzzled her cheek with hers. “You’re so adorable! I never thought you’d pack a diaper on your own!” Joyce was in blissful disbelief. She always considered herself to take the lead. She gave the bashful Emily a long-drawn kiss, who still looked pouty. Finally Joyce was smiling less, letting her expression tone down some. “Are you really angry with me?” She asked. “Yes...” Emily sulked...But shook her head. “...No. I lied. I’m not...Just embarrassed...” Yes. Somehow, for some reason, Emily packed one of her diapers in her suitcase. Frankly she’d been tormenting herself over the decision for almost the past week. Joyce was coming home late most nights and only wanted to relax, and not to mention they only saved this kind of play for the weekends. If they were going on vacation for the weekend, they would have missed another mommying opportunity. So...after enough time to wear away her reluctance, Emily decided to maintain the fun of their trip, as well as keep the magic they had behind closed doors… “I...I thought you’d get homesick if we couldn’t do what we usually do at home...” Emily murmured, glancing at the diaper in Joyce’s hand. “Thank you for thinking of me.” Joyce smiled, sharing another kiss. “But...frankly, I’m kinda glad I found out now, assuming the trip was still on.” Joyce admitted, almost apologetically. “Why’s that?” “Well...truthfully, I don’t think I’d wanna stop after just one diaper,” Joyce giggled. Emily took a pause though, realizing she could have awakened the mommy inside of Joyce for the remainder of the vacation. “Rest assured though, I wouldn’t ever do something like that unless you gave me permission.” She smiled confidently. “Mm...” Emily pensively agreed, feeling like she dodged a bullet now. “Well...” She started to say, surveying the mess around the room. “At least I’m unpacked now?” The sudden humor caused Joyce to give a small snort of laughter. “Let’s unpack yours now.” Emily stood up, walking to Joyce’s bag. “Oh! Uhm, actually, I can take care of that.” Joyce waved her off simply. “There isn’t much, and I don’t wanna get it confused with everything you have everywhere...” She casually explained. “Uh-huh...” Emily nodded. “I see.” Yes, she did see, as her eyes kept drifting to Joyce, then her bag. Joyce started to frown more concerningly with each glance. “Emily…? What are you--Emily! No!” It was Joyce’s turn to reach out and stop her perpetrator, yet history or some culmination of karma was doomed to occur once more. Before she could reach in time, Emily laid the bag across the floor and in one swift motion undid the zipper. “Now!” Emily giggled mischievously. “Let’s see what we have in--!” Her voice came to a halt as she flipped the cover over. She turned her gaze to a speechless Joyce. Joyce nervously smiled back. “Uh...hehe…?” Joyce had certainly been busy packing. Packing things that had nothing to do with her clothes. Diapers. An entire pack of them, along with wipes, powder, onesies, two Emily-sized baby bottles, her favorite pacifier, Pip…! “What the hell have you been doing every night?!” Emily bombarded her with questions. “You said you wouldn’t do this unless I gave you permission!” Joyce looked stunned as she slightly stuttered, not expecting to have her plan foiled so quickly. “W-well…!” She stammered. “I...I had to be ready incase if you did ask for it…!” “New rule!” Emily declared. “We each pack for EACH OTHER!” And in one swift motion, Emily lifted the package of diapers above her head, tossing them directly at Joyce. “Back to the nursery from whence they came!” Emily commanded. “Yes, boss~...” A guilty-sounding Joyce giggled as she walked away, diapers in hand, never minding to put her own pants back on. “Honestly...” Emily sighed to herself with disapproval. “Sometimes I feel like the mommy...” SHORT END. 16 6 Link to comment
Baby Toni38 Posted October 4, 2020 Share Posted October 4, 2020 Love it, I just love it. Link to comment
BabySofia Posted October 4, 2020 Share Posted October 4, 2020 I should be in bed, but enjoyed this addition! Glad to see more of these two characters! Link to comment
Quite-Tiff Posted October 4, 2020 Share Posted October 4, 2020 Emily and Joyce are too damn cute! ? Link to comment
Bluebird67 Posted October 4, 2020 Share Posted October 4, 2020 Loved this. But a .5 chapter is definitely calculated to bring out the whiny toddler in your readership: we’re sure the other .5 is still in the box behind your back - “Want More! Now!!!” Link to comment
YourFNF Posted October 4, 2020 Share Posted October 4, 2020 Love this... Also that pantsing scene has me wanting to see Joyce in a diaper now for some reason... ??*giggles* Link to comment
Sarah Penguin Posted October 4, 2020 Share Posted October 4, 2020 14 minutes ago, YourFNF said: Love this... Also that pantsing scene has me wanting to see Joyce in a diaper now for some reason... ??*giggles* Her Mom prolly has plenty you should visit her Link to comment
YourFNF Posted October 4, 2020 Share Posted October 4, 2020 9 minutes ago, Sarah Penguin said: Her Mom prolly has plenty you should visit her XD Link to comment
Mee Posted November 22, 2020 Author Share Posted November 22, 2020 30 - It's just Soda “Emmy, hun-bun, come on!” Joyce called by the front door. She was already dressed in her heels, slacks, blouse and donned a black overcoat. With a handbag slung over her shoulder and a hand actively supporting the strap, she was clearly ready to go at a moment’s notice. “Coooming~!” A loud and earnest kind of voice replied from the other side of the apartment, sounding much more direct than a typical person might. It didn’t carry the baggage of stress or overcomplicated thought, seemingly unfiltered in its unbridled nature. Joyce tried to purse her lips, though the day’s events were a bit too exciting to keep up a front. Her stern attitude sputtered into a grin as she failed to hide a smile. Though, trying to take her little girl’s word for what it was, her heels clicked across the hardwood floor as she made her way to the kitchen. The sound of a fridge opening and closing, followed by the slunking and shifting of aluminum as it swung little by little from the plastic handle secured in Joyce’s hand. Just then a blur of black hair, plaid and plastic crinkles raced by Joyce like sound itself. “I gotta go get my lunch!” The girl shouted on her way by, nearly slipping and sliding with each step from her socks. Though, if Emily moved like sound, then that’d put Joyce at the speed of light, who with her other free hand caught Emily by the scruff of her collared shirt. “Not so fast, speedy pants. Already got it.” Joyce handed her the lunch box with a smile. Rather than taking it by the handle, Emily happily received it with both hands. “Thank youu~!” Emily smiled a toothy grin as she looked down at the painted design. Rainbow kitties, stylized in the cartoon sense, exploding in all directions from the corner like a nuclear weapon of cuteness; so cute that if the Geneva Convention were a matter of emotional warfare, you might find this lunch box on it. Though, potential war crimes aside, Emily’s grin as she looked down at it turned into a puzzled, or complicated expression. Now Joyce wasn’t finding it so hard to suppress a smile. “You said you liked that one, didn’t you?” “I do...” Emily muttered, maintaining her judgmental look at the lunch box. Joyce raised a brow. They’d spent nearly twenty agonizing minutes at the store trying to pick out the “perfect” lunch box. Even if it was feasible, out of principle and values, Joyce was steadfast in limiting Emily to one lunch box only. Ultimately, it had come down to the rainbow kitties or super hero monkeys, and they made doubly sure to confirm it was the one Emily wanted… “We spent nearly half an hour,” spare Emily the facts; embellishment seemed appropriate, “picking out the right lunch box, didn’t we?” Joyce put a hand on her hip, lightly scolding her. Emily kept her gaze toward the floor, puffing her cheeks the ever slightest. She dragged out her words as it fell on the cusp of a whine, akin to a toddler’s pout. “Uh-huh...” “Besides, didn’t you say you liked the kitties?” Joyce’s words gave her something simple to grasp onto, a talking point she could easily spring her simple desires from. “Yah, but the monkeys were--!” A finger was pressed to her lips. “Honey, we’re gonna use this lunch box for now, okay? If you really don’t like it a week from now, we can talk about getting a different one, alright?” But truthfully, Joyce figured a matter as serious as the design on Emily’s lunch box to be as minor as whether she needed Crayola or MotzArt brand crayons, given the same amount of time to take its course… “...Fine...” She continued to pout as her arms fell by her sides like weights tied to rope, the lunch box hanging from her hand. “Ah-ah?” Joyce tutted, clearly wise to the beginnings of a tantrum. “What was that?” Emily looked at her sheepishly, already with a change in expression, closer to fear, incited by the tone Joyce took with her. “N-nothing!” Joyce had been through this many times with her. Particularly it was never about the words Emily used, but rather the tone she chose to use them in. “Come on,” Joyce smiled, deciding to table the reminder for good behavior, believing she’d drilled enough of that already. “We still need to get your sneakers on!” Emily was the first to scurry to the shoe area, already lighting up at the sound of another new accessory of hers. Swish swish swish. Joyce couldn’t help but have an elated feeling well within her. It was always her running that sounded the cutest… She trailed behind, thinking fondly of how their current lives were, fantasizing about-- “--Emmy!” Joyce half-shouted, though a bit more urgent and surprised than anything else. Emily, on all fours as she scours the slate floor, shoes strewn all about, turned her head back to Joyce, completely oblivious to what the matter might be. “Huh?” “Don’t you ‘huh’ me, missy!” Joyce tried to sound direct, though it was no secret she had a low tolerance to Emily’s cuteness. “You can crawl on the wooden floors inside the apartment, but not the shoe area! Your pretty outfit is going to get dirty!” A pretty outfit and being dirty were two concepts fundamentally at odds, hence why a ghastly expression overtook Emily’s face, as she practically sprung off the floor like it was lava, bending and leaning over to inspect herself like a spider was crawling underneath her skirt. “Am I dirty! I didn’t mean to! I wanna look nice for the first day!” And all subsequent ones to follow, ideally. And in her panicked motions, she managed to flash her skirt as she tried to do the impossible in looking at the back of it by turning 180 degrees, expecting it to be waiting for her. “Nope, clean as a whistle.” Joyce determined from the side, able to see her from every angle in her rapid motions. Though, in being able to observe from afar, she could feel her own suspicions about something else on the rise… “I was just tryna look for my shoes...” Emily explained in a mumble, interlocking her fingers bashfully. True to her word, unfortunately, Emily had been looking for her shoes. What was once a land of peace and order, happily married pairs of shoes had been cruelly separated and torn apart by the manic hands of the toddler tyrant known as Emily. With every shoe either acquainted with themself or another random mingler now, flung all over the shoe area, Joyce could only sigh, having no one to blame but herself for expecting such a high strung girl to be anything but that on her first day. “We put them in one of the shoe bins, honey. Remember?” Joyce spoke with a kind and gentle tone. But before Emily could give anything else the “Midas effect,” Joyce slid one of the cloth bins out from the 3x3 shelf of cubbies, revealing a pair of bright pink and white sneakers. A squeal of joy erupted from the younger-seeming girl as she eagerly bounced on her heels as Joyce took them out. “I wanna put them on! Let me do it!” Emily eagerly begged, though already sitting herself down on the edge of the wooden floor as she kept kicking her feet. “Let me show you how to do the first one, okay?” Joyce said, rather than asked. Tearing velcro filled the immediate area as Joyce pulled off the strap, grabbing the tongue of the shoe and stretching and flexing it some, just to begin that broken-in kind of feel that’d help her foot fit in easier. And as a pair Joyce fed Emily’s foot into the sneaker, whilst Emily pushed forward with hers. Though, what was its own form of cuteness was her overcompensated form of coordination, because even though it had no reason to, Emily’s other leg stuck out nice and straight too, as if she couldn’t operate her legs separately. But either way, there was that satisfying push beyond the horizon once the foot slipped in nice and snuggly. Still being new shoes, Joyce patted the bottom of her clean sole, indicating to put her foot back down. “Now make sure you pull the strap out to tighten the shoe, okay?” Joyce instructed while she performed, keeping the explanation simple and clear. “Then when you feel like it’s snug enough, fold it back over and on top of the other strip.” She finished the first shoe for Emily, as promised. “Not too tight?” Joyce asked. Emily shook her head. “Good. Now show me what a big girl you are and do the second one.” Joyce initiated the little test by setting the second shoe by her foot. Earnest and eager, Emily took the other shoe and tried to imitate Joyce’s actions, albeit a much more abbreviated approach. She didn’t take the care of undoing the velcro strap, nor trying to make the shoe any roomier beforehand. That, and she held the shoe in such a way that she wasn’t doing her foot any favors in trying to push it in. After a couple seconds of grunting frustration, Joyce stepped in. “Do you want a little help?” “Y-...yes please...” Emily muttered, dropping the shoe back down with a blush. She crossed her arms annoyingly so. “Come on, now, you’ll get it...” Joyce gently encouraged. “Let’s do this one together. How about I get the shoe on you first?” Undo the velcro strap, flex the tongue, slide it onto Emily’s foot. “Now it’s your turn.” Joyce had her take over. “Pull the strap out and up, right until you think it feels snug enough. Got it? Good. Then, bring it back over and put it right on the fuzzy strip. And...there! Good job!” Joyce gushed with overenthusiasm, showering her with praise. Emily sat there as she shuffled her hands between her legs, too silly to contain all that influx of praise and pride into such a tiny body. “Such a good girl,” Joyce said once more. “And before we go, I just need to check one last thing...” Emily watched innocently as Joyce leaned in closer to her, but her look changed into a frown and a blush once Joyce flipped her skirt. “Mommy!” Emily complained in a strained voice. She looked to jump a little in place as Joyce did something between her legs. “I’m sure you don’t want to leak on your first day of daycare, honey?” Joyce spoke as she slipped her finger between Emily’s inner thigh and crotch of her slightly yellowed diaper. “Only a little...” She commented to herself, pulling it back out then fixing Emily’s skirt. She stood Emily up, slipping a pink backpack over her shoulders. Damn, she looked cute. Joyce would be hard-pressed to have any more compliments for the other kids combined compared to the endless ones she had for Emily. “Let’s review...” Joyce muttered some more to herself. “Dressed, lunch box, shoes, change of clothes, checked her diaper...” At the end of her list, Joyce’s arms fell at her sides. She leaned down to kiss Emily on the forehead. “My gosh! You’re going to have so much fun!” “...Can I bring Pip with me?” Emily suddenly asked. She sounded worried, and nearing tears. Her excited expression seemed to have faded almost instantly, now face to face with reality, that being her inevitable journey to daycare. “Emmy…” Joyce started, taking a knee to look up to her with both hands on her shoulders. “We talked about this: you are going to be absolutely fine today, okay? I know the first day is always scary, but you’re going to make so many new friends and meet all the nice workers!” Having something less than a ‘yes’ was bringing on the sniffles and whimpers. “Besides,” Joyce changed her tone from encouraging to deductive. “If I’m not here, and you’re not here, who is gonna watch the house? I dunno about you, but I’d feel a lot better knowing Pip was protecting all our stuff while we’re gone. Wouldn’t you?” “Y-yeah...” Emily nodded sadly, swinging her leg aimlessly. “If you ever need to talk to me today, all you need to do is ask one of the nice ladies, okay?” Hell, it pained Joyce to think that it wasn’t a double standard. The kids got to call the parents as they pleased, but Joyce couldn’t reach out to Emily if she wanted. The parents get nervous, too… Emily nodded again, seeming slightly better, but only by a modicum. “Come on, sweetpea, let’s go have a fun day!” Joyce encouraged once more, leading Emily by the hand to the door. And as she touched the knob, she heard a faint beeping. Turning her head, Emily was gone, and the beeping grew louder. She turned back forward, and the door was gone too. So was the entire wall. All she saw was an empty void, followed by more beeping. Beep. Beep. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP! BEEP! “Nngyaa!” Joyce groaned in her bed as she finally came to. She reserved herself to lightly slapping the snooze button on her phone rather than punching it, likely the difference between a few minutes more or less of sleep, and a broken phone. She sighed, staring up at the ceiling from her bed. What a nice dream...she thought to herself longingly. So real, yet so...imaginary. Exhaling, she rolled over to find her sleeping beauty still fast asleep. “Sho cute...” Joyce spoke in a syrupy voice as she puckered her lips, kissing Emily on the forehead. “Just a few more minutes for you...” Joyce decided in a lowly whisper, carefully slipping herself out of bed. Maybe more than a few minutes, as the steamy hiss of the shower started from the bathroom. During work days, she didn’t use the main bathroom very often. As luxurious as the spacious bath was, and how fun the ceiling panel could be, it just felt like too much of a process for such a minute detail in the weekday. That, and she knew her showers needed to be quick and to the point; how could you not want to just soak in a shower like that? She sighed as she lathered her hair, still troubled by the night’s closing events, and nervous about the future… Everything is going to be fine. That’s what Joyce wanted to say, yet from her past discussions with Emily, it seemed to have wavered her certainty… Looking at things objectively, Emily losing her job wasn’t a financial loss; it wouldn’t affect their way of life or access to entertainment and pleasures. But rationally, Joyce knew it was more than that, though only to such a degree. She hated to admit it, but it felt like the first time she’d reached a point where she couldn’t fully empathize, namely because she’d never experienced this sort of thing, hence the trouble of fully grasping her loss. Joyce was trying earnestly, though her selfish part just wanted Emily to...to just shut up so she could make it all better! Under the guise of a steamy shower, Joyce let a groan escape her. Obviously it didn’t work that way, and obviously Joyce was being ridiculous. Whatever Emily was going through, it was expected and perfectly justified. That, and it was a clear reminder as to why Joyce couldn’t take the simple approach in drowning her in love and affection. It made for a great lubricant, but it made no direct effort to digest reality… What kind of recourse was there for this? She’d be lying if she said having more free time with Emily wasn’t a treat, but even Joyce knew with her limited views that Emily’s concerns vastly overshadowed a mere silver, and highly debatable, lining. A thought had crossed her mind. What if she got Emily a job at her own company? Obviously it could be done without issue. Yet, how did real estate work translate to a medical product manufacturing company? But even before that, how did she know if Emily would even accept the job? She furrowed her brow thinking about that. What was good for Emily, but not for Joyce, was her pride. Time and time again Emily had tried to refuse Joyce’s generosity, but did always concede in the end. Taking a job given to you on a silver platter, which truthfully you may not even be fully qualified for, is a much harder deal to sell… And given the way even Joyce hesitated over it, maybe it wasn’t a good idea at all. The worst case scenario would be that not only does Emily refuse it, but she’d feel insulted as well. She came back into the room with a towel wrapped around her torso and another around her hair. She watched the sleeping girl, feeling her heart ache just to watch. “How am I supposed to help you, sweetheart…?” Joyce quietly whispered, tracing her finger behind Emily’s exposed ear. Every option she had either felt like further disaster or simply prolonging an issue that shouldn’t be ignored. From Joyce’s perspective, Emily being out of a job made little difference to anything. Emily’s feelings about being out of a job was what mattered. If they could solve that, everything would be fine, even if it didn’t include getting a new one. Surprisingly, Emily began to stir on her own as she stretched in bed. She opened her eyes to see Joyce looking down on her with a sad expression. “Morning...” Emily yawned, wiping a sleepy tear from her eye. “What’s wrong?” She asked. “I’m just thinking, that’s all...” Joyce said, unwrapping the towel from her hair. “Are you sure you don’t want me coming with you today? All you need to do is give the word and I can make time fo--” “I’m fine, but thank you.” Emily started speaking and it hushed Joyce almost immediately. Joyce nodded, but didn’t look happy with her answer. You say you’re alright, but why do you have to look that way when you say it…? Emily yawned once more before speaking again, still peacefully resting her head on the pillow. “Do I have time to shower before Charles gets here?” “Of course you do,” Joyce answered without a second thought, kissing her on the temple. She stood back up from the bed to start getting dressed. “...So if we begin to consider our options on how to proceed, shareholders in mind, it’d be best that we have our teams refine the material cost for the frames...” A representative of some sort rambled from the front of the room, most executives in attendance, lined around the table. All were at least remotely attentive, however give anyone the mundaneness of back-to-back meetings for hours on end and you’d be bound to catch their attention slipping a little if not a lot. And among those heads dressed in suits, blouses or blazers, right at the very center end was a familiar brown head of hair, sitting mostly upright. Having nearly a perfect profile view of her boss, her head supported by the finger guns angled beneath her chin as she looked forward, that sense of preoccupied thought was written all over her eyes. It probably wasn’t obvious to most, but, for the money that she made, it had to be clear as day to someone like Sheila. “Ahm...Ms. Summers?” A voice politely asked, causing Joyce to take a longer blink than normal, including Sheila’s own hyper focused thought being broken. How silly of her; getting so lost in thought about her boss getting so lost in thought… “Yes?” Joyce replied in a neutral tone. Her voice hadn’t made her sense of disinterest totally obvious, yet you could tell she wasn’t fully invested. Still, her face, form and stature commanded authority. Somehow despite looking so boredly idle, there was some kind of aura or atmosphere she created. Being only a representative from one of the company’s research teams, he wasn’t quite up to snuff with experience on conversing with the higher-ups. That very atmosphere was starting to eat away at him. “I...uhm, about the material cost and efficiency for our...for the beds...” “Do it.” Was all Joyce said. The way she spoke, you’d have almost expected it to be accompanied by a hand wave just to send the poor employee off. The man nearly stuttered. “Are you sure, ma’am? It’d set prototyping back by at least--” “Then if prototyping delay is of concern, why would you propose something that would cause that exact issue?” Joyce curtly cut him off. Sheila quietly pursed her lips from the sidelines, silently typing her notes. She’s rarely seen her boss like this, but has seen enough to understand the gist. Disinterest, agitation; even from day one she would know something is obviously going on, only nowadays she’d know what to guess as possible stressors. “Well...that’s because...” Clearly she’d fried him with a simple, however curt, contradiction, seeing as it was backed by the weight of an entire company packed into every verbal punch Joyce could throw. Everyone’s gazes fully turned once the executive’s chair pushed itself back from the table, Joyce standing on her feet. She adjusted her blouse, letting out a small sigh. “Unfortunately, I have other engagements I need to attend to. Thank you for the informative presentation. You have my input, and I’ll leave it to the rest of the board to make the final decision.” Her parting words sang like the classroom equivalent of an unexcused student walking out on a teacher’s class. There were a few goodbyes exchanged in small amounts, but really no other words than that were mentioned. Joyce was the first out of the board room, quickly followed by Sheila with a laptop held to her chest while she tried to unzip the case slung over her shoulder. While working under Joyce has never been a day-to-day repeat of the last, at least within the scope of a week, a month or two, there was enough of a trend to be called predictable. Not so much a pattern to perfectly map the future, but a circle of odds she’d know she could find her boss in. But of course, just like probability suggests, if an expected outcome is not certain, there creates the possibility for an unexpected one. It happens, every once and awhile, but it’s a rare chance for a reason. But reason hasn’t meant much at all, as of late. What happened outside of her boss’ working life was generally a nonfactor. A change in mood, slight shift in her tone during her meetings; amount of overtime spent at the office. Everything was a tell for how she was feeling and doing. Most importantly, it was all by some cause within the office, within the work and business. Sheila didn’t watch in the creepy, stalker sense. Put simply, you start to notice a person more the more you spend time with them. “Sheila,” Joyce talked as they walked, “what else do I have planned for today?” The human part of Sheila rathered she herself didn’t share. Her boss didn’t seem to be in a pleasant mood right now, yet she understood the need to detach herself from the implications of her job. “An hour from now you have one last meeting with one of our partners, and until then you requested that I remind you to finish the last of next month's reports.” And out came a heavy exhale from her nose. They were headed back to her office, where she could at least destress a little. Once they reached her office, Sheila followed inside for regular debriefing which would follow after every meeting. However, what Sheila understood best about doing her job for Joyce was that sometimes, doing her best was by not doing her job at all, or at least in the way she was supposed to. So rather than a typical debriefing… “...Ms. Summers, is there anything you’d like to talk about?” Joyce sat in her desk, slumped, massaging her temples. If it wasn’t clear in the meeting, now was as evident as ever to signal her stress and how much it was plaguing her. “Sheila...” Joyce started to speak, though continued to stare off into space. “Sheila, have you ever lost a job before?” Sheila’s eyes widened. She was calm and collected, but on the inside a little panicked. “Ms. Summers, if there are any issues regarding my work ethic or ability, I can assure you that I…--” “N-no.” Joyce stammered, cutting her off. “I’m sorry; that came out poorly. You do just fine, Sheila. This isn’t about you. I...someone I know is having some trouble at the moment.” So not to make a scene, Sheila shared her sigh of relief with only herself, securely in her own head. “I see...” Sheila nodded. “Unfortunately,” yet fortunately to herself, “I can’t say that I have faced a situation like that...” A few questions pegged Sheila’s mind though. Was this friend a poor worker? Did they deserve to lose their job? Causation for firing affected levels of sympathy, for Sheila, at least. Joyce tapped her finger on the desk with a steady beat. “Though...I’d still be willing to hear you out?” Sheila offered. “...This person I know recently lost their job. It wasn’t her fault, just...unfortunate luck…” Sheila didn’t show much sign of it, though she was feeling a difficult expression. She offered to listen, though she did not promise her capability to offer much advice. “I guess I just don’t know how to help them, and it’s frustrating...” Joyce sighed once more. “Anything that I think of just doesn’t seem like a good solution.” “Well, with all due respect, Ms. Summers, in your position, I suppose I would remind myself that I can only do so much for another person at my own expense… What I mean to say is that if someone else’s grief is affecting you just as much, you may need to distance yourself.” “I can’t just do that...” Joyce shook her head slightly. Distance wasn’t an option; she didn’t want it to be. Given the full picture one might call Sheila inconsiderate, but of course Joyce wasn’t being fully forthcoming about who this person was. “She means a lot to me.” Sheila nodded her head, though remained silent. “...Would getting a new job help her feel better?” “That’s what I think...” Neither seemed fit in a position to give advice nor receive it. While Sheila held good intentions, it was unfortunately a start she couldn’t see to the end. “But that’s unrelated,” Joyce broke the oddness in the air by interrupting the note she had left it on. She exhaled again, yet her focused thought diffused into a kind smile. “Thank you for always putting up with me.” “O...of course.” Sheila answered back, reaffirming herself. “Would you like a debriefing of the meeting?” “That would probably be for the best...” Joyce said as she started to gaze out the window to her side. Though, she furrowed her brow and turned back to Sheila. “Earlier, I...think I may have came off as a tad bit grumpy...” “Another one...” she woefully demanded, brushing the other empty glasses to the side. The silent man raised a brow as he polished a glass in hand with a white rag. “Sure you wanna roll that fast?” “Another one.” Emily repeated, staring off into an endless abyss. With a sigh, he shrugged, walking over to a tap, filling the glass three quarters to the way, the difference made by frothy bubbles. And the world then through the eyes of the sorrowed, sullen girl was tinted brown as she stared through a lens of unhealthy coping and self-harm. She was so slumped over, not even her eyes stood above the glass. Her walk of shame out of the office was dreadful. Despite the deal being sealed well-before she even set foot in the building that was her former workplace, every step with her belongings in hand left behind a sense of lingering attachment; hope, that this might all be one big misunderstanding, or some kind of mistake. But, seeing as it was the middle of a working day and Emily was nowhere to be found in that building, rather a quiet bar, it said enough in the way that her incessant demand for refills spoke to her despair. There was a small bubble in her chest, and seemingly all the turmoil was causing it to swell. So much that it felt like her chest was going to burst. Soon she’d have a crater inside herself that’d leave her looking just as ruined as she felt. It was getting bigger pressing outward from every direction, soon she’d-- A loud belch came from the small woman as she flung back from her lazed slouch along the counter. No more bubble. Well, maybe she wasn’t physically being affected, but certainly emotionally so. The door to the bar opened, but Emily hardly paid it any mind. Frankly, she fit the stereotype exactly for an adult lost in midday drinking. At this point she considered herself no better than any other person equally as down in the dumps, yet that didn’t mean she wanted to wallow in her own filth. A few more drinks, then she’d go back home… Home. Emily grimaced a slight bit at that. What a freeloader she really was starting to be. “Damn, two people in the middle of the day?” Emily could hear the bartender chuckle. “Seems like today is a weird day.” “What she’s having, please.” A female voice answered back, above Emily’s head and out of her sight. She didn’t give much of a glance the stranger’s way. “Sure thing,” he replied, turning his back to them for a moment, but returning with a glass. From the corner of her eye, Emily could see one of the empty glasses she championed beside her slide a smidgen closer to her immediate vicinity. Diffracted through the glass was the sight of the woman’s hand resting on the countertop. “Thank you,” she said to the act of having a drink be placed in front of her. She lifted the cup to her lips and gave it a sip, yet quickly scrunched her face as she sat it back down. “Wait, uhm, I think there’s something wrong with this drink...” The bartender gave her a look of confusion. “Wrong with it? I poured yours from the same tap as hers.” He nodded to the dejected Emily. “What brand is it?” She asked. “It tastes like soda, or something.” He cracked a grin at her confusion. “That’s because it is.” “What?” She said back in minor disbelief. She paused to look over the carbonated beverage, then sighed as she pulled it back in for another sip. “I guess that’s my fault for trying to drink in the middle of the day...” “...Sorry...” Emily murmured from her seat, turning the woman’s gaze. “Huh? What do you mean? Not your fault I felt like teasing my sobriety a little. If anything you steered me onto the right path, so...well, thanks for that.” “Mhm...” Emily nodded, quiet apart from sipping her drink. “You’re welcome to stay quiet on the matter, but what might have you looking so glum?” “Everything.” Emily blankly replied. Half the reason she barely thought of a worthwhile answer was attributed to this person being a complete stranger. She likely wanted some tunes to pass the time while she drank. “Mm...I see.” She nodded, pausing to take a sip. “Well, what’s been the most recent thing? My husband always likes to say talking things out can help; especially for our daughter, and me. It’s crazy how those little balls of energy can manage to light their own fuse...” And Emily sat there for a moment, feeling still just as glum, but not feeling any further driven into her shell. It’s not like reliving the past could make her present day any worse in the literal sense. “I lost my job as of yesterday. I had to pack up all my things today.” Emily finally spoke, also somehow convincing herself to sit up relatively straight. She turned to look at her inquiring stranger. Ginger was the closest you could call it, albeit less fire in her hair, and her skin not so pale. Though, she radiated an odd kind of ‘Joyce’ vibe, but not the way you might expect. Rather than the matronly lover, Emily saw the business, analytical part to her. It carried that same tinge of lightheartedness, but it was safely tucked away. “I’m sorry to hear that,” she paused to sip, “what did you do?” “Nothing, I don’t think, at least...They just let me go. My whole department went…” “So they let you go? They didn’t fire you?” Emily nodded. Even if it couldn’t get any worse, this discussion still felt like she was grinding her face against the status quo. “What are you doing here?” Emily asked, suddenly flipping the script. It may seem rude, but she was willing to do anything to keep herself off the spotlight. The woman raised a curious brow. “Me?” She took a sip of her drink while keeping her eyes on Emily. “I’m on a business trip right now.” Given the odd answer which didn’t seem to agree with the facts, Emily only gave a brief nod. “Uh...huh...” “Officially, at least,” she finished her sentence, even though the time she left between her words qualified it as two separate statements. “But, from one stranger to another, if you ever hear from someone that their business trip ended early, and it’s nothing malicious, that probably means something went south...” Emily tried to look invested, yet felt still behind the eight ball. Rather, she thought more of how Joyce might be able to relate a bit more to this person. Judging by the blazer she wore, it certainly felt that way. “Sorry, I’m being vague, aren’t I?” She suddenly called herself out. “I was on a business trip meant to last a week, but one of the people I needed to meet had a family emergency. It was either spend four more days in Texas, or come home. Frankly, I can’t stand being away from my husband and daughter for too long...” She spoke while briefly reminiscing. With something finally relatable to play herself off of, Emily responded. “Sorry to hear that. Was it important business?” “Sort of; meaning, I had to see where it went before deciding how important it was. I’ll have to get back to you on that two months from now,” she chuckled. Emily made a small noise of agreement as she half-missed the humor in her leveled tone. Did Joyce ever have business arrangement issues like that? None that Emily knew of in the present day. Granted, not that Emily was much of a judge, but she wagered Joyce’s level of stature set a high standard for the working world around her. Dealings with her were probably so important, they may even trump family… “It’s likely far too early to ask, but have you considered what new job you might be searching for?” She asked Emily. “Not in the slightest,” Emily shrugged. “I worked in real estate, but it was all computer work; nothing as complicated as it was tedious...” She may have been selling herself short a little, but her kind of work certainly didn’t take a degree. After a month of training slash supervision, she was just about fully housebroken. Finally, Emily went back to her mug of soda. “Well, have you considered modelling?” Emily suddenly sputtered as she choked on her drink. Did she hear this woman correctly? “M-mo--what?” The woman hadn’t shown much of a reaction other than neutral and inquisitive. “Modelling? Posing in outfits and having pictures be taken of you? Why not?” “W-well...” Emily started, at an odd loss. The concept was so at odds with her mundane self, taking the suggestion seriously enough just to find legitimate fault with it was hard enough. “I don’t exactly think I’m model material, and...yeah, I dunno, I’m just not pretty, or whatever.” She silently mulled, now thinking to herself. Not a natural born goddess like somebody I know… The woman appeared to have listened, yet responded with a shrug. “The business isn’t exactly gated in the way you might think. Sure, looks are important to a fair degree, which you could clear, but it’s more so the financial backing you have to get yourself in the door...” “No thanks,” Emily curtly replied, finally seeing her angle. “I don’t feel like playing pretend model, and I’m not paying for any phony photoshoot...” She blinked, then chuckled. “Hm? No, no, I’m not trying to sell you anything. I was just making a suggestion, that’s all.” Emily was already flagging the bartender to pay. However, right before he stopped in front of her, the other patron called his attention. “Her’s is on me. All of it.” Emily looked over to her, confused. “What? You don’t have to pay for it; I’m not interested in your ‘business’ or whatever.” “I told you I’m not a con artist,” she laughed, “and it’s the least I could do for someone out of a job.” “Well, it’s fine. I can pay for it myself.” Emily fired back, indirectly demanding for the bartender again. Just because she was out of a job, that didn’t mean she couldn’t safely pay for some sodas. And truthfully, she’d had an excess of savings lately, seeing as she rarely found herself needing to pay for anything...Joyce. “Come on, now, there’s no need to be so prideful. You kept me from a buzz, after all?” The woman continued to insist. “Well I don’t need some haughty stranger trying to sell me a scam and buy me drinks!” Emily snapped, leaving a few bills on the counter, then marching for the exit. Everything about today sucked, and the last thing she needed to add to that were mental shakedowns and profiteers. There wasn’t room for a response as Emily was gone. When Emily walked back into the apartment she could already hear the sound of kitchen ongoings. Surprisingly, but also not so surprisingly, considering her personal outing, Joyce was home before her. “Heyo~!” Joyce called from the kitchen. “I couldn’t find you all over the apartment except for your office stuff! Didja do anything fun?” “You didn’t call me?” Emily asked, poking her head in, half of herself getting closer to communicate with Joyce, and the other trying to smell whatever was in the pot above the stove. She shook her head. “I figured you might want some alone time to yourself.” Joyce said. She kept it at that. Frankly, when she couldn’t find Emily in the apartment she grew a bit worried, but then came the reminder that she couldn’t be a complete mommy 24/7. That, and she had to learn the unfortunate truth in supporting others. Until they’re the one to call you, the best action is no action at all. Emily nodded, staying pensive, but then returned to her first question. “I went to a bar ‘cuz I felt like drinking some soda...then some weird lady tried to pay for my drinks… I’m gonna go shower.” And at that, she excused herself. Though, simultaneously, Joyce’s rosy smile was stunned as she nearwell sliced off her own finger along the cutting board. “Wh-what?!” She spun her head around. “Someone tried to buy you drinks? Who?!” Her mind was racing as she chased her into the hall. Distance? Inaction?! Who the hell thought of advice as stupid as that? She let her girlfriend drop off the grid for half a day and she’s already being fished by other predators?! Grabbing her by the shoulders, Joyce turned Emily around, looking both clueless and surprised at Joyce's worried and urgent expression. She looked starved for answers. “H...huh?” Emily cracked a confused and nervous grin. “Don’t you ‘huh’ me!” Joyce frowned. “You said someone was hitting on you at the bar! What was that all about?” Hit on? Emily furrowed her brow. “Nobody hit on me, I just said someone tried to pay for my--” “S...same thing!” Joyce cut her off. “You didn’t accept their offer, did you?” “N-no...” Emily fumbled with her response. She kept her look aimed towards the floor, trying to cover her face. And Joyce, who watched from above, seeing her mask her expression, used her acute reasoning and the will of her heart to judge the girl. “You did!” Joyce exclaimed. “N-nuh-uh…!” “Then why do you sound like you’re ready to cry? Be honest with me! I’m not mad...but I don’t want you flirting with other--!” Emily couldn’t take it anymore, and she did burst with tears, though not in the way Joyce expected. Rather than a look of remorse or guilt, instead it was gut-wrenching laughter. “E...--” Joyce was now in the dark, but affirmed herself. “Emily! It’s not funny! How could you? I thought we had…--” “Oh...oh my gosh!” Emily giggled, wiping a tear from her eye. “I’ve never seen you like this before!” “Like what before?” Joyce sounded agitated, unsure of what was going on, other than her girlfriend was laughing at her for figuring out she’d been fooling around with another woman! “So...so jealous!” Emily continued to giggle, nearly falling over, but instead falling into Joyce. “And you think cheating is funny?” Joyce bitterly retorted, not seeing the humor. “No!” Emily said with a joyous expression. “But I never cheated! They were just drinks, and I paid for them myself! You gotta let me explain!” Emily continued to laugh at Joyce’s expense, who was quickly starting to feel like an embarrassed fool. Joyce puffed her cheeks, casting her gaze to the wall. “W-well...say that sooner then!” She pouted, marching back to the kitchen whilst she dragged Emily who kept her arms around her waist. “Hahaha!” Emily couldn’t stop, “Th...thank you! This made my night!” She giggled. “And what do you mean? Buying drinks isn’t the same as cheating!” “Well I’m glad at least one of us found it amusing...” Joyce stayed playfully, though somewhat genuinely distant… Meanwhile, Emily composed herself enough to make a mental note: Joyce gets extremely jealous… And in Joyce’s head, she was very well thinking to herself, to hell with keeping the playing field mutual. She had half a mind to spank her bare bottom red, or stick that cheeky little nose in a corner for at least an hour...Though, she resolved herself to exhale through the nose. Maybe she got a little excited for just a moment… “I may have overreacted a little...” Joyce muttered. “Only a little?” Emily repeated, finding just a few more laughs in herself. Before Joyce could respond, her phone started to buzz. “You’re lucky. It was just about to be fifteen minutes in the...” Joyce started to chastise, then trailed as she looked at the ID. “Hello?” She spoke as she answered. “Oh! Michael, is that you?” While still on the phone, she shared a surprised look with Emily. “Of course I remember you! From the zoo! How could I forget?” She chuckled, as if there were never a bother in her head to begin with. “Come over? When?” 13 1 Link to comment
NyanAnne Posted November 22, 2020 Share Posted November 22, 2020 Oooo a new update this is lovely Link to comment
YourFNF Posted November 22, 2020 Share Posted November 22, 2020 14 hours ago, Mee said: “Come on, sweetpea, let’s go have a fun day!” Joyce encouraged once more, leading Emily by the hand to the door. And as she touched the knob, she heard a faint beeping. Turning her head, Emily was gone, and the beeping grew louder. She turned back forward, and the door was gone too. So was the entire wall. All she saw was an empty void, followed by more beeping. OMG this was an excellent fake out XD 1 Link to comment
Bel George Posted November 23, 2020 Share Posted November 23, 2020 I've longed for a new chapter for so long. Thank you very much for continuing this story. It is so exceptional here on the forum to find a more or less realistic story. A story of mutual love with adult main characters. I wish you a lot of inspiration and of course the time to further expand the story. I'm already looking forward to the sequel. Link to comment
AdultInnocence Posted January 23, 2021 Share Posted January 23, 2021 I hope everything is going well. Eagerly waiting for any updates, including any that state you are working on things Link to comment
Mee Posted February 21, 2021 Author Share Posted February 21, 2021 On 11/22/2020 at 12:05 AM, NyanAnne said: Oooo a new update this is lovely I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for reading and commenting! On 11/22/2020 at 12:21 AM, Guilend said: Yay I loved it Thanks for the kind words! I hope you continue to read and enjoy! On 11/22/2020 at 1:23 AM, Hopsalot said: I really love this story and I’m very glad to see another update, there’s a lot of fun things that were brought up in this chapter and I can’t wait to see how they pan out. I also really enjoyed the little teaser dream bit at the beginning. It took until the mention that they were going to drop Emily off at daycare that I realized it was a dream. Anyways 2 big thumbs up! Hello, thank you as always for the kind words! I'm hoping to add a couple more moving parts in the next few chapters, and I can't say for absolute certainty how that will affect some forms of more favored content, so I figured the dream bit might be a fun way to keep a reminder of what is involved in Joyce and Emily's relationship. I hope you continue to read and enjoy. As always, thank you so much! On 11/22/2020 at 2:02 PM, YourFNF said: OMG this was an excellent fake out XD Gotta pull back the curtain when they least expect it! Or when they do the most. Depends on my state of mind for how I interpret some of the things I write, haha. Thank you for leaving a comment! On 11/23/2020 at 9:04 AM, Bel George said: I've longed for a new chapter for so long. Thank you very much for continuing this story. It is so exceptional here on the forum to find a more or less realistic story. A story of mutual love with adult main characters. I wish you a lot of inspiration and of course the time to further expand the story. I'm already looking forward to the sequel. Sorry for the wait! I'm happy to hear that there's a niche in my story for you to enjoy. With regards to realism, I definitely think I stretch things a bit, and I can't say that I won't be doing it in the future, however for everything that does happen in the story I fully plan to ground it in the established reality as best as I can. For example, you won't be seeing any magic or what-not. That's a theme for a different story. Thank you for leaving a comment! On 1/23/2021 at 1:47 AM, AdultInnocence said: I hope everything is going well. Eagerly waiting for any updates, including any that state you are working on things Much apologies in getting back to this comment! It's essentially my on-going disclaimer than I can be delayed in my posting/replying activity. I can promise that I'm always reading though. The state of the story is healthy and content under wraps does exist. Thank you for being so eager to continue reading my stuff and being so invested in this story! Link to comment
Panther Cub Posted February 21, 2021 Share Posted February 21, 2021 Welcome back, Mee! Can wait for the next updates of Sheltered and Illegal Immigrant! Link to comment
anadra Posted February 21, 2021 Share Posted February 21, 2021 I'll voice my appreciation as well. Delightful story. Quote With regards to realism, I definitely think I stretch things a bit, and I can't say that I won't be doing it in the future, however for everything that does happen in the story I fully plan to ground it in the established reality as best as I can. I am personally very happy with the 'level' of realism so far. It's what I like to call plausible realism. Link to comment
AdultInnocence Posted February 21, 2021 Share Posted February 21, 2021 I will post here as well: You are alive! This is one of the stories I look forward to there being new chapters. I think everything in the story helps it develop, and taking something out would possibly change the flow. To be fair, there was a little bit of alcohol involved and sometimes that is just enough for things to go a direction they shouldn’t. even if they stop themselves before going to far, sometimes it’s just enough for the other to get an idea of what the one was wanting to say/due all along but was afraid to. Looking forward to the development between the two. If the parents visit again, I could imagine Emily breaking down for some reason or another, the nursery being found out, then everything having to be explained which would them make it all make sense. It would be quite embarrassing for Emily at first, when she finally recovers from whatever happened. You have done really well to show the conflict, put emotion in, and for us to get to know the characters a bit. If anything was revised, I would adjust Emily’s height in the first paragraphs to reflect more of someone closer to 5’2" as that would make it hard to reach the top of the fridge and fit better with the flow of the story. Here’s to looking forward to more! Link to comment
Mee Posted February 21, 2021 Author Share Posted February 21, 2021 31 - Moment of Pause “Just...just don’t hit any bumps, okay?” Emily pleaded nervously, practically a bead of sweat rolling down the side of her head. She clutched her charge and held it close to her arms, fearing for its dear life. “If you act like that, it makes me want to tease you, you know?” Joyce grinned, leaning her foot just a little more in tune to the engine’s growing hum. “Stop! Stop!” Emily shouted, and her cries were answered as Joyce eased off the speed with an amused laugh. “Emily, it’s just a bottle, not a bomb?” Joyce giggled. “Yeah, but it’s an expensive one!” Emily worriedly said, looking down at the luxurious item. “You don’t even know how much it is?” Joyce said, keeping her eyes on the road. “Because you wouldn’t tell me!” She retorted with an annoyed attitude. The day Joyce came home with it Emily had asked what it was, and her answer being a “small” gift to Michael and his wife for having them over. Well, Emily knew it to be expensive because if it hadn’t been Joyce wouldn’t have minded telling her the amount. In other words, responses like, “Don’t worry about it,” or “Not that much,” equated to a digit followed by too many zeroes for Emily’s purse. “Does it bother you that much?” Joyce asked, though looking no less chipper. Frankly this felt like a wonderful serving of karma for Emily’s little stunt about the whole “cheating” scandal. It’d been almost a week and it still made Joyce furrow her brows, thinking how gullible she’d been… “Mm...well, I hope they like wine…” Emily pensively spoke, looking down on the bottle. A dark crimson encased in a tinted glass, sealed by a cork wrapped in twine, shrouded by a paper covering, added with a present bow to boot. Joyce stole her an urgent glance. “Well don’t say that now! That wasn’t cheap, you know!” “See!? I knew it!” Emily hadn’t skipped a beat in her persecution, followed by more laughter from Joyce. Naturally she’d done it to get a rise out of the frazzled girl, and it felt great. “You’re gonna need to calm down there, munchkin,” Joyce rhythmically ran her thumb across the steering wheel, “otherwise you’re gonna be too tired to socialize when we get there?” “Maybe all I need is some of this fifty-thousand fun juice.” Emily mused. “Okay, it wasn’t that expensive. Two digits less, please.” “You didn’t pack me a weird bathing suit, did you?” Emily asked as she turned her head to the large canvas bag they had in the backseat. “Cross my heart,” Joyce swore. Though, that wouldn’t be for forever… Sure, getting to see Emily in a bikini was exciting, but her other side wanted to see what kind of kiddush one-pieces she could get her into. Which begged a new question: does Amy do bathing suits too? “...No diapers either, right?” “Definitely not.” Joyce didn’t play with the phrasing much at all this time. It’d unfortunately become a sensitive issue in not the way she liked. “...And in regards to that, I was thinking we should finally talk about that. Either tonight or tomorrow… Is that alright?” And it had certainly been a week since the Zoo incident; the reason for their small get-together today and the tension that remained behind closed doors. “Mm.” Emily nodded with agreement. It had become more of an awkward thing the longer they stayed away from it. Once again, neither felt any kind of animosity to the other, yet felt a need to establish themselves clearly. What one would acknowledge though and the other would never say was Joyce’s need to be fitted with a kill switch or speed bump. Mommy Joyce, particularly. But no matter what, what both wanted more than anything was to go back to the way things had been and continue progressing as they were. Somehow they’d lost the reigns and given themselves a scare. “It’s kinda weird, though,” Emily passively spoke as she looked out the window, “I’ve never been outside the city here.” “Yeah?” Joyce in tune responded. “I think I have a couple times. I thought about getting a nice house out here for a short minute, but in the end, I would rather staying closer to the company, and financials aren’t too big of a factor...” “Speaking of which, are we almost there?” Emily muttered, leaning into the GPS on the console. “Our Estimated Arrival Time is approximately three minutes.” Emily repeated verbatim from the screen. “Roger that, navigator.” Joyce smirked. They were driving up a winding hill right now. It was an interesting neighborhood; suburbs that hadn’t prioritized the quantity in housing over quality. Decently sized and spacious properties. Probably a few degrees less than the market Joyce might start to consider, but nice nonetheless. Clearly Michael and his wife did well for themselves. “I was a little surprised to hear from Michael so soon,” Joyce said. “Yeah, me too,” Emily agreed, “but it’s probably better this way. Otherwise we’d probably forget about them?” Nothing against Michael and Jackie, but that’s how relationships went. Leave them idle and you start to drift elsewhere. “A very fair point, especially when your only connection is having given couple’s counselling to the other?” Joyce chuckled. “True...” Emily said, not so warm to reliving the experience. “It’ll be fun to get to know Michael a bit more, though. Him including his wife; I think he said she was back home from business?” “What if she turns out to be like your...business enemy or something?” Emily asked in a mostly not so serious tone. “Not gonna happen, don’t worry,” Joyce laughed. “I don’t really see my competitors as enemies. More along the lines of...potential business partners with similar interests.” Emily only stared at her, letting the description soak in. “You sound like the business enemy...” “Well, it’s all a matter of perspective.” Joyce curtly replied, leading to giggles from Emily. “Regardless of what she does for work, which is very much unlikely the same as mine, I promise to play nice!” Emily gave an accepting nod. “Mmph.” She approved, as if she were the new authority figure in their dynamic. “I’ve raised you well.” “Raised me? We’ll see who raises who when I toss you into their pool...” Joyce muttered with a sneaky grin. Though her playful tone shifted almost immediately. “Oh look! We’re already here.” She said as they rounded the final curb. Coming into view was a nicely sized two-story home, paired with a double garage and a large, green front lawn. A tall white fence ran along the perimeter of its backyard. “It seems kinda stereotypical? In a good way.” Emily remarked about the home. It looked nice, especially the bottom trim of rock and mortar along the base of the house. “Well, stereotypical for an above average middle class home, I guess.” Joyce agreed. Joyce pulled into the long driveway before killing the engine. Both got out, and Emily was closer to the path leading to the front porch, but she lingered by the vehicle, waiting for Joyce. With the mention of swimming, both Joyce and Emily opted for something more poolside, that being sandals, exposed shoulders, sunglasses and shorts. “Actually, I haven’t swam once since I came to this state,” Emily suddenly admitted. “Really?” Joyce was a little surprised. “Are you excited to get a chance to go back in a pool?” “Kinda...” Emily pivoted her sandal-clad foot off the ground with her toe, as if to vent her poorly hidden feelings. “...It’d be kinda nice...” “I’m glad to see you looking forward to something~!” Joyce commented with a kiss on her cheek. “W-well, you’re gonna swim too, right?” She asked. After all, it wouldn’t be cool unless the cool kids were doing it. “Who’s gonna lift you up when your feet don’t touch the bottom?” Joyce asked, though the joke became apparent faster than Joyce could keep a straight face. “Bleeeeh~” Emily replied, in the form of a wet, flapping tongue. Joyce slung the canvas bag over her shoulder and walked with Emily to the front door. They rang the bell and waited patiently. “She’s here! She’s here!” A faint voice came from inside the house. Joyce and Emily shared a look with each other, trying to discern it. Suddenly, Joyce was tapping Emily on the shoulder. “I’d hate to blow her cover, so try not to make it obvious, but...” Joyce pointed Emily’s gaze to a window accompanied by curtains, only one end looked moved to the side, as a tiny pair of eyes stared from within. As Emily leaned back to get a better look, the eyes vanished and the curtain fell back into place. “Whoa--what? Jackie! Slow down! You’re gonna make me trip and break something!” A familiar voice chastised from inside the home. Finally, they heard the knob turn and the door opened to Michael greeting them. “Hey you two! Emily, Joyce, glad you guys could make it!” “Thank you for having us,” Joyce thanked him, “Should we come in through the front or around the back…?” Michael waved the notion off. “Come on in, we can head into the backyard from inside.” He opened the additional glass door on top of the wooden one for them. “Pardon the diabolical Jackie Bomb that went off in the living room. Try not to look on the way by; it isn’t pretty...” And as the ashamed tour guide explained, they did pass by the entrance to the living room, which certainly did look...out of sorts. Toys were scattered everywhere, and so were some of the throw pillows kept on the couch. Emily could also hear some kind of cartoon coming from the tv. “Where is Jackie, by the way?” Emily asked. “We thought we heard her...and saw her.” She added the last point with a small laugh. “Well, I figured it wouldn’t be a big deal if we told her you two would be coming over the weekend for a small pool party, but apparently a week wasn’t enough to get it out of her system.” Michael sighed with a chuckle, reminiscing with questionable feelings. “Sorry in advance, Emily, but Jackie may be very well glued to you. We’ll keep her on a leash as best we can, though.” “No problem…?” Emily answered, wondering why she got the special warning. But giving it some more thought, maybe because she met Jackie first and had some one-on-one with her… “Joyce, sorry to say she seems to have a fixation on Emily. I’m sure she’ll be excited to see you again too, though?” Joyce played it off nicely, laughing as she said, “Don’t worry, I promise not to take offense!” In spite of her fondness of babying Emily, that didn’t extend to being a huge fan of kids. She’d never dislike a child without reason, including Jackie, but the thought of them didn’t put her over the moon. The closer they got to the kitchen, a conversation could be heard. “Jackie, you need to stop tugging on my pants!” A voice complained. “But…! Can you come with me?” Jackie could be heard begging. “I need to finish setting up the snacks, honey. You’re perfectly capable of saying ‘hi’ on your own. Go on now, shoo!” She chastised her playfully, chuckling as Jackie could be heard making a whining noise. And as Michael, Joyce and Emily entered the kitchen, it came to no one’s surprise when they saw the scene. Just as the voices and tone described, Jackie was clutching the woman’s pants, now hiding herself behind them with half an eye peeking at Emily and Joyce. “What are we gonna do with you, you little monkey?” The woman laughed. She looked up and turned to the three other adults. “Oh! You two must be Emily and Joyce! I’ve heard so much about...” She continued to smile at their entrance, though she looked at a loss for words once her eyes fell on Emily. Then after a confused pause, her expression lit up again.”Ah! I remember you!” She laughed to herself while the only other person in the room who could be capable of understanding was Emily. “Huh?” Michael looked between Emily and his wife, Joyce in a similar fashion. “Hon, you two know each other?” Apparently it got to the woman quite a bit, because she was wiping her eye. Emily stayed quiet though, suddenly feeling quite embarrassed. “We saw each other at a bar almost a week ago! We didn’t exactly end on good terms though...funny how things work out.” “G-good to see you again...” Emily felt sheepish, and quite regretful over the way she acted the first time. She really wasn’t counting on seeing her again. “I’m sorry about what I said--!” “Oh? That?” She waved her hand dismissively with a smile. “Don’t worry about it. You had your reasons,” she looked at Michael to give him the abbreviated version, “I chatted with her for a little bit and offered to pick up her tab, but I guess I must have sounded like a shady conman with some of my comments...” Now Joyce was starting to feel a bit more clued in, taking in the realization that this was the woman from the bar Emily went to… Red hair...nice figure...good looks...stable financial income? She was right about to give her a narrow gaze until her inner voice of reason walloped her brain. Idiot! She’s married! How is she going to steal Emily from you?! “So you two already met?” Michael asked Emily. “Sort of...” Emily said awkwardly, hoping dearly they wouldn’t have to go into any more detail about how bitchy she was being. She didn’t see much of a profiteer anymore, rather a cheery wife and mother. “We never exchanged names, though.” “It’s great to finally meet you, I’m Joyce.” Joyce was the first to extend her hand, “I had heard some pretty interesting things about that day!” Joyce laughed, though not even herself knew if it was truly genuine. “Sorry if you heard anything bad about me, I’m promise I’m not as bad as I might have seemed,” she returned the shake, “I’m Carol. And, I know you’ve already met her, but this is our little fireball, Jackie, who won’t seem to come out from behind my legs?” True to her word, the six year old remained terribly shy. She made a vocal pout as she stayed behind cover. Carol gave a loving sigh, leaning in to give an audible whisper. “Honestly, this little monster stretches my pants twice over every time she meets somebody new!” “Uh, it’s nice to meet you, Carol…” Emily spoke up as she came forward, “officially, this time.” Emily stuck out her hand. Carol smiled once more, returning her gesture. “Likewise, Emily.” Though, to Emily and Joyce’s surprise, she tugged on Emily’s hand, pulling her in for a brief hug. While Emily tried to comprehend what had happened, Carol let out another laugh as Joyce blinked. “Sorry, sorry!” Carol lamented, letting her go. “I figured there might have been some tension left over from our first, unofficial meeting. That, and I don’t want you to get the impression I’m all business.” “Uh...it’s alright,” Emily did her best to laugh it off. As Emily stood there between Carol and Joyce, her back to the latter, she could feel herself in the way of a targeted gaze. She turned her head, expecting to see some kind of fury, but instead it was a rosy smile from Joyce. Emily had an inkling of something in her mind however. She’s...jealous?! “Now, if my wonderful husband could do me the pleasure of removing this tiny terror from my legs, I’ll be almost done with our snacks!” And in turn, Michael managed to get ahold of Jackie as she squirmed in his arms, pouting the whole time. “Come on Jackie, don’t you want to say hi to Emily and Joyce again?” Michael sighed as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “You wouldn’t believe it,” Carol added as she spoke to them, “Jackie could not stop for a second about you!” She said to Emily. “The whole week it’s been about how much fun she wanted to have with you! Even when one of her friends came over she managed to infect them with curiosity, too. You’re like a mini celebrity to her.” She laughed, as Emily sort of did too. It was a bit odd to be obsessed over like that, but given it was through the scope of a child, it became more endearing than anything else… “Well, I thought knowing you’d be off the market, I was safe, but maybe I still need to be on the defensive?” Joyce countered with a small joke. Carol found it funny, but Emily wasn’t sure whether she trusted Joyce’s intentions. “That reminds me!” Emily finally spoke up. She held the bottle wrapped in a bow forward. “We wanted to get you two something for having us over...” “Really?” Carol gave a surprised look, but accepted the bottle while reading the front. “Really, you two didn’t have to do that... Oh, honey! Look! It’s a bottle from Carmine’s!” She looked back at Joyce and Emily. “We can’t take something like this - it must have cost you a small fortune!” “Please, we insist,” Joyce stayed her friendly self, “I’m a bit of a regular there anyways, so if you think about it, getting you a gift also puts me in good favor with the owner?” “Jeez,” Michael made an impressed whistle as he looked at the bottle’s date. “I don’t suppose we could trade the bottle for a reservation there instead? We tried for our last anniversary, but we weren’t expecting such a long backlog for reservations…” “I couldn’t find anyone in my circles close enough to get us in...” Carol sighed. “Well, next time you’ll have my number?” Joyce chimed in. “I’m sure I can figure something out for you down the line.” “Don’t joke,” Carol went back to a little more cutting and organizing on a large wooden platter, “we’ll actually take you up on that!” “I’m counting on it,” Joyce happily replied. She hoisted the canvas bag back over her shoulder. “I don’t want to move the party, but is there somewhere we could set our bag down? Emily and I haven’t changed into our bathing suits yet...” “Of course! If you go back down the hall, on your right you should see the opening to the bathroom. You two can change there. Michael and I need to do the same, actually, and so does Jackie.” She set her stuff down, walking to her husband and accepting Jackie into her arms. “Sorry folks, the diva’s feeling a bit shy at the moment...” She excused herself with her daughter in arms. Emily looked back at the platter. It looked divine. “Oh wow, an antipasto platter?” Joyce asked Michael, admiring the handiwork. “It all looks so good!” She commented. Closely packed and dressed in varied assortments of meats, cheeses, olives, crackers and more. “Well, especially now considering the gift you two just gave us, it’s the least we could do,” Michael said, seeming to revere their gesture much more than his own. “Either way, it all looks really good!” Emily finally commented. She tugged on Joyce’s hand, “Wanna go change now?” Joyce nodded. “Sounds like a plan, my little diva,” she grinned, leaving Emily puzzled over the verbiage as they walked to the bathroom. “Any complaints if we change at the same time?” Joyce asked right before closing the door. “Wait,” Emily’s complacent look dropped, “you mean...I’m gonna see you...naked?” Joyce furrowed her brow. “Well, yeah...you didn’t seem to mind before when I...” Then she saw the grin on Emily’s face. “You’ve been teasing me an awful lot, you know that?” Joyce tried to hide her smile as she already started to strip. “What can I say? Gotta make up for lost points. I feel...reinvigorated.” She spoke with a feigned distance in her star-struck eyes. “Hmm. Well, I’ll be needing to think about how I can knock you down a few pegs again...” She spoke deviously as she unhooked Emily’s bra, then turned for hers to be undone the same way. “And hey,” Emily stopped to look at Joyce in the eyes, “remember to play nice?” “I promise. I was just...getting the rest of it out of my system. Wouldn’t you be surprised if someone you felt threatened by hugged me the first time we met?” “So you do feel threatened by her!” Emily accused, trying to stifle a laugh. “She’s married, Joyce! To a guy!” “I know, I know! I was being...irrational.” She read her lines off the ceiling. “You know that about me already. She can’t surprise me anymore. Besides, she seems nice; I’d like to get to know her more.” Emily paused, as if to try and discern whether or not it was a lie. But it wasn’t, or either Emily could not discern well enough, because she let her off the hook. “I believe you. And another thing to remember,” Emily said, pressing her bare self against Joyce, “I only belong to you!” Joyce had raised her brows, but her look tempered into a tender smile, one Emily could feel with absolute certainty. “Yes you do,” she kissed her on the head, “And you’re the only one I take orders from.” She finally pulled out their bikinis. Understandably, Michael was the first one to be outside by the in-ground pool when Joyce and Emily came out. Joyce carried towels for both as they sat down in some chairs next to Michael surrounding a table. In its center was a long pole, and above that was an expanded umbrella to shield them from the bright sun from above. “Oh wow, I knew it was going to be a nice day, but the stars really did seem to align...” Joyce commented. “Right?” Michael agreed. “It feels like you can’t make weather-dependent kinds of plans, otherwise Murphy’s Law rears its head...” “Sorry we’re late!” Carol announced her arrival as she brought Jackie out in arms with her. Carol was in a two-piece as well, whereas Jackie was in a one-piece. Pink, polka dotted with mermaids patterned all over. Joyce fought hard not to sigh. Definitely need to get Emily something like that… “Jeez though, it’s been so long since I’ve even gone near a pool,” Emily briefly ranted, “I’m practically ready to be a mermaid if it means I can swim again!” Of all things to happen, no one expected it to be the turn of Jackie’s head, a wide, glowing smile. “You like mermaids too?” Emily suddenly paused with surprise. “Uhm, yeah! I like them a lot. Do you too?” “Yeah!” Jackie vigorously nodded. Taking advantage of the moment, Carol was able to let her go. She scurried over to the seat next to Emily, climbing in. “Do you like Ariel?” She eagerly asked. “O--...of course I do!” Emily said, suddenly nervous about how much her mythical sea life knowledge was about to be called into question. “She’s my favorite mermaid!” Though, she hadn’t a clue what other ones existed, if any… Jackie giggled, seeming overjoyed to hear this. “Me too! I like Ariel cuz she has hair like Mommy’s!” Hair like her mom’s? Like Carol’s? Oh, duh. Red. Emily made an agreeing noise. “That’s a good point. They both do look kinda similar...” Carol then came back out with the platter of delicious looking food. After another quick trip inside, she was coming back out with cups of ice water. Emily had been saved from her interrogation once Carol sat down in the chair Jackie was in, opting to keep her in her lap. “I would offer to try out that bottle you two brought, but for the sake of sensible thinking and safe decisions, maybe when we don’t need to worry about driving that night?” Carol smirked, leading to mutual agreement. “So Joyce, you’ve gotta be pulling our leg, right?” Michael asked as she grabbed a small ball of mozzarella. “You said you’re a regular at Carmine’s? We can’t even manage to go once!” “Mm, well...” Joyce paused to finish swallowing, “It started first as a business dinner, but I guess I had a chance meeting with the owner that night. I said I was a fan of the food so he insisted that I come again. So I did, talked a little more, and it wasn’t so hard after that getting to go again. Also, the food was good, so I may have invested a little...” Emily from the sidelines raised a brow. A little? “But, I guess I’m a regular for the owner. It’s a little embarrassing, but they sort of know my face there.” “If we do somehow manage to go, you’ll have to go with us,” Carol added, “you seem like you’d get the red carpet rolled out for you every time you go! And Emily needs to come too, of course!” “That definitely sounds like fun,” Joyce smiled. “Can I come too?” Jackie chipperly added. Joyce gave a difficult response, which was an awkward smile, unsure of how to phrase her response. It needn’t be said, but Carmine’s was closer to a business dinner establishment than a regular restaurant. Kids weren’t much of a thing there… “I don’t think you’d like it there anyways, Honey,” Michael jumped in. “No chicken fingers,” he said solemnly, to which incited a genuine frown from Jackie. She had lost interest entirely. “Mommy!” Jackie had already shifted her attention. “Can we go swimming?” “In a minute, honey,” Carol said as she pacified her with half a roll of sliced provolone and gave herself the rest. “Joyce, I’m sorry for putting the spotlight on you so much, but what do you do for work?” Joyce nodded as she chewed. “I run a medical company. Frontier?” Quietly, Emily gave her the side eye. Not only was this the first time she’d heard the exact truth herself, but someone she just met could get the answer out of her immediately? By now Emily had started to draw her conclusions, but it was still vexing in its own way… Michael lightly laughed as he took a sip of his water. “Stop joking - after that gift you gave, we really won’t know what you say is fact or fiction!” Joyce raised a brow, signaling her innocent confusion. “...You’re being serious?” Carol asked once more, and Joyce nodded. “I don’t want to make this all about me, but if you can’t take my word for it, you could always look me up...” The married couple quickly double backed though. “No, no! We believe you; we’d never call you a liar, it’s just...surprising,” Michael gave an astonished chuckle. “It’s kind of funny to think how one thing led to another. What were you two doing at the zoo?” “My parents were visiting for a few days and Emily and I came up with the zoo as a place for us to go.” Joyce explained. “Ah, that’s right!” Michael then remembered. “Emily mentioned something like that when we were talking.” He didn’t go into detail, which both Emily and Joyce appreciated. He had the politeness to not dig any further. As great as it was to meet him, their first introductions weren’t caused by anything good. “And Emily was fighting with Joyce!” Jackie suddenly said with an earnest tone, assuming her contribution to be helpful. “A-ahm…?” Joyce gave an embarrassed laugh, unsure of how to bridge off of that. Emily looked equally as stunned as well. “Jackie!” Carol admonished, “We don’t talk about things that aren’t our business to share.” “But I was there!” Jackie complained. “No ‘but’s,” Michael stepped in. Before Jackie could start to feel upset about being scolded, Emily hurriedly interjected. “It’s okay, really! It’s just a sort of...sensitive subject, that’s all.” “Sorry...” Jackie was the first to say, impressing her parents, even if she couldn’t look Emily in the eyes. “It’s alright.” Emily smiled. There wasn’t much point in being upset now. Not as if it could be taken back, and well...kids are kids. “Actually, come to think of it,” Michael pivoted, “Emily, I can’t remember. Did we ever talk about work? What kind of work are you in?” It was an odd instinct, but Emily’s surprise from the question left her looking at Carol for a split-second. “Me? I’m...in real estate.” Her answer was slow and to herself less than stellar. Still, Michael nodded. “That’s great. I mean, the market fluctuates, but there’s always gotta be some kind of property that needs moving, I guess? Are you someone that sells the houses?” He asked. “Not exactly...I was...” She was starting to feel a bit warm. Her own mind was talking her into this, yet she couldn’t shake the dreadful embarrassment in having to state that she was jobless. Regardless of the reason, what good did it look to declare yourself a jobless face living it up with a wealthy company head? “I do the office work.” Emily managed to speak, but didn’t find it hard to be brief. Uncomfortably so. Nevertheless, Michael eased the tension seemingly felt only by Emily as he nodded. “I can definitely relate to the office work. I do detailing work for an electrical company, but no matter the medium, there’s always the same middleman stuff we have to deal with...” He sighed right then, as if reliving the workdays that just transpired. “Meanwhile,” he looked at his wife with jealousy, “this one probably spends more time outside her own office than in it.” “You try driving and flying all over the place, five days a week, with weekends included.” Carol defensively said. “Well, now that we’ve all had a turn, what do you do, Carol?” Joyce asked, truthfully curious herself. “Me? I’m a bit more freeform, I guess, but I help invest in smaller and more...unorthodox establishments?” Naturally, the use of a big word garnered Jackie’s attention. “Mommy, what’s un...un-or-thoh-docks?” She asked. “It means not as common. You don’t see it often.” Carol answered, kissing her on the forehead. Joyce had asked and she wasn’t disappointed. Rather, spurred. “Really? Which kinds?” “Well...I’d be willing to discuss more, but...” And with her hand out of view from the small girl sitting in her lap, she quietly pointed at her. Joyce laughed, understandingly. “Actually, nevermind. Emily’s keeping me on a tight leash anyway; today is all play and no business, she said.” “Oh?” Carol’s tone rose in mischief. “I didn’t mean it like that…!” Emily made a small whine, giving Joyce the kind of look that felt quite cheated. And just as Joyce was thinking of another playful quip to say, Jackie had once more stolen the show. “Mommy…!” Jackie genuinely whined. “I wanna go swimming!” “Okay, okay,” Carol relented, lifting her out of her lap as she stood. As soon as she set her down, Jackie was already bolting for the shallow end of the pool, right until Michael called for her with a stern voice. “Jackie!” He said, freezing her in her tracks. “You know you’re not allowed in without your floaties?” And for Emily and Joyce, unbeknownst to Jackie’s personal stance on such a controversial matter, were quickly enlightened by the erupting whine from her mouth. “But Daddy…!” “Absolutely not, honey.” Carol affirmed the parental law. “Floaties first, then we can go swim.” “No!” Jackie shouted back, lightly stamping her foot. Carol set her hands on her hips. The visiting couple remained quiet, as was tradition for these kinds of things. It was always awkward having to watch a parent discipline their child right in front of guests. But before Carol could do any stern parenting, Michael elected the path of questioning. “Jackie, you’re always okay with wearing them; why not now?” Joyce much like Emily tried to mind their business despite sitting right next to it all, but she couldn’t help but make a discerning observation. The little girl, constantly as she maintained her objections, gave a not so subtle glance at she and Emily. “I...I’ma big girl!” Jackie said simply. “Yes, you are,” Carol agreed, “which is why big girls know to wear their floaties if they haven’t finished swimming lessons, yet.” “I don’t wanna!” Jackie pouted. “Then you don’t want to swim?” Carol countered. “No!” Jackie was already getting teary-eyed. “Then floaties it is.” Carol held her hand out. “Come on, we’ll go get your favorite pair.” The little girl sniffled as she took her mother’s hand and they started walking to the sliding doors. “Uhm...Carol?” Everyone turned their heads, well except for a bashful Jackie, to Emily. “If it’s okay...maybe I could use a pair, too?” Emily awkwardly chuckled. “After all, it’s been a while since I last swam...I might be out of practice?” Everyone seemed to be surprised, yet the constant outlier seemed to be quite curious. “Do you need floaties too?” Jackie asked Emily, turning her head. “W-well...” Emily looked yet again on the spot. “I guess it’s better safe than sorry?” “Emily, are you sure?” Carol asked, looking terribly apologetic. Above Jackie’s head all the adults could see her intent clear as day. “You really don’t need to...” “No! Honestly, I better play it safe. Don’t wanna drown in somebody’s pool, after all.” Emily breathed an exaggerated sigh of relief, stealing a grin at Jackie, infected by the look and mumbled a giggle. “Hmm...you make a good point, Emily,” Joyce spoke up next. “Mm...Carol? Actually, could you bring me a pair too, if you have them? I think I might have gotten a bit rusty as well.” Emily gave Joyce a brief look, who smiled. Carol seemed to have been caught off guard not once, but now twice. Michael seemed surprised as well. “...Alrighty, then.” Carol nodded. “Three pairs of floaties.” Then she looked down at Jackie. “See? Emily and Joyce don’t mind wearing them, why do you?” “No! No! I’ll wear them!” Jackie kept tugging on Carol’s hand, her attitude pulling a complete 180. They watched the mother and daughter go inside before turning back to themselves amongst the trio. “Thank you, you two.” Michael appreciatively smiled. “Even though she’s just a kid, Jackie can be self-conscious around others, especially people she wants to impress.” Michael said, especially looking at Emily. “Well...it’s only a pair of floaties,” Emily shrugged. “I can swallow that kinda pill if it makes her feel more comfortable.” Really, the thought only barely crossed her mind before she was already putting it into action. Granted, opting in for a kiddie look probably didn’t do great things for her “Adult Image”. A pair of lips kissed Emily’s temple. “What was that for?” “Nothing. Just proud of you.” Joyce grinned. And so it wasn’t much later on until Two women and one small girl were all donning inflatable floats wrapped around their arms. “They’re...snug...” Joyce said, looking at her arms. They didn’t fully reach her biceps and sat just above her elbows, seeing as they were kid-sized. Carol paused for a breath, who was currently breathing air into Jackie’s which did fit her as intended. What seemed to matter the most was that her smile was from ear to ear. “Don’t worry, my husband’s a great swimmer if you start to drown!” Carol joked. Joyce smiled back before saying to Michael, “Counting on you!” to which he gave a playful nod. “Jackie, stop fidgeting, you little rascal,” Carol said, finding her mouth being dragged every which way as the little girl couldn’t stop hopping around. She marveled at all the grown-ups taking after her. And how couldn’t she? She felt part of something now. “It almost feels like getting my blood pressure taken...” Emily commented on her own set, decorated in mermaid prints. Jackie had insisted Emily get her favorite pair. Which is funny to think about, that Jackie could have a favorite among things she seemed to hate… “At least yours fit pretty well,” Joyce observed, giving Emily’s a little tug. Unlike Joyce, Emily’s arms were just small enough to slide them up into place with a little finagling. Would it actually save her from drowning? Doubtful. But, would it keep her fashionable? ...Also doubtful. Emily stepped over to the edge of the pool, sticking just a toe in the water. And to her pleasant surprise, it was quite warm. “Is this pool heated?” Emily asked Michael. He nodded. “To quote my wife, ‘I wouldn’t be caught dead swimming otherwise’.” “I don’t think I’ve ever been to a heated swimming pool before...” Emily touched the water again in awe. “Okay, honey, all set.” Carol sufficed, giving her daughter a pat on the back. All four girls looked at the water. Carol said to Michael, “Coming in?” “Maybe in a minute,” he paused to eat a piece of cheese from the board. “Gotta make up for everybody’s share!” And in a sudden moment Emily saw the world around her turn sideways as she felt a moment of trance. It was a princess carry like the many she’d found herself in before. And there she was, in Joyce’s arms. Staring up at her with a blush, especially admiring her figure in her bikini. This all happened in the span of a couple seconds, and Emily blushed, flustered that she’d be making such a bold and romantic advance right now… “J-Joyce! Really? Righ--” But it was Joyce’s devilish smile that betrayed the fantasy. “Emily’s first!” And for just a moment, Emily had flown. She soared wonderfully high. High enough to wail from the bottom of her lungs to the top, enough to feel her heart drop for just a moment as gravity pulled her right back down. Then, wonder and amazement quickly swam away as the girl cannonballed into the water. Underneath the water everything was muted above, but Emily scrambled with waving arms and kicking feet as she swam to the surface. All she could hear were Jackie’s eager giggles and laughs. “Do me! Me next!” Jackie begged, hopping from toe to toe in front of Joyce. Joyce though gave her a confused look. “Do what?” “That!” She excitedly shouted, pointing at Emily. “That where?” Joyce turned her head, obviously playing dumb. “Like Emily! Over there!” She fully turned this time to point. And now with Joyce in her blind spot, the squeal of a six year old became the new tune as Joyce whisked her in the air and dropped her in the pool, aiming for the shallow end this time. The girl immediately bobbed to the top, courtesy of her floaties, and the rush of excitement already had her begging for more. “Is it warm?” Joyce asked. Emily could only stare with a fire in her eyes. “Hey Em, catch!” Michael shouted from behind. Emily turned in the water at the perfect time for a splash from something hitting the water to hit her face. A worthy cost though for what she had received. “Hm? What did you toss in?” Joyce asked Michael as he walked back from the small shed to his seat. “You’ll see!” But she didn’t see. Not until she felt it first. A sudden gush of water shot like a weaponized faucet at Joyce, starting at her midsection before traveling up to her chest and part of her face. Now Joyce was shouting in protest, shielding herself with a hand. Emily couldn’t stop laughing, now a super soaker in arms. Carol looked to be in love with the spectator’s seat right then, quietly stepping into the shallow end of her own accord. Joyce though put a hand on her hip, assessing the challenge before her. Not a moment more passed until she came diving into the water. A war had begun. “C-c-can we g-g-g-go back in th-the water?” Emily pleaded with chattering teeth, wrapped in a towel standing beside the outdoor table. “Unfortunately, the one drawback to having the heated pool,” Carol agreed with her own slight shivers. “BrrrRRRrrrrRRRrrr!” Jackie exclaimed with giggles, flapping her lips. Next, she started to open and close her mouth in exaggerated motions as she bared her teeth. “Look!” She excitedly grabbed Emily’s attention. “I can do it too!” She kept opening and closing her mouth, making sure to touch her teeth together each time. “D-do what?” Emily asked, looking puzzled. Michael chuckled, hoisting Jackie into the air from behind. “She means being a goofball. Looks like this little sea monster’s all pruned!” He said before playfully grabbing her hand, touching all her small, wrinkly fingers. Still, Emily moved over to Joyce to complain. “Why didn’t we bring those big towels?” She whined. “The ones that are big on me?” Joyce, who was getting the last few strands of wet hair away from her face, gave her an amused smile. “Duly noted, but those are our bathroom towels?” She reminded in a way to insinuate that the laws of the land did not permit such things. “Maybe they make those cape towels with the hoods for adults, too…?” And in that moment, before Emily even thought to oppose such childish things, her mind immediately leaned on the convenience of it. “Oh! Maybe we could ask Amy?” Joyce suggested. And this time, it wasn’t her putting on airs to get a rise out of Emily. “I just need to bring two towels next time...” Emily left it at that. “But until then, somebody needs to make like...an air heater or something. If they can heat a pool, they should heat all the outside stuff around it.” Every adult except for Emily within earshot - so all of them, raised an eyebrow. “Like a...heater?” Michael asked with a small laugh. Emily’s eyes lit up. “Yeah! Like that! Only...” She paused to realize what she was saying. “...Nevermind.” With another laugh out of the way at Emily’s expense, a new topic came up. “Oh, are you planning to have lunch with us?” Michael asked the two. “I know I didn’t give much info over the phone, but that’s what we were planning for.” “As long as we aren’t cutting into your time elsewhere,” Carol added. “Stay!” Jackie commanded, yet in truth disguised by her childlike tact, begged. “Please! Please!” Emily and Joyce shared a brief “why not?” kind of look before mutually nodding. “I don’t see why we wouldn’t?” Joyce decided. It was a resounding joy from the family of three, some more vocal than others (Jackie). “I think I’ll take me and Jackie in first, then,” Michael said standing from his chair. “Less hair on our heads to deal with. Have fun, ladies!” He bid them a temporary farewell as he ushered Jackie along and back into the house. Carol watched them leave with a smile before looking back at them. “Thank you, you two, for playing along with Jackie like that.” Emily smiled and waved it off. “Michael said the same thing; I don’t really mind.” “We don’t really mind?” Joyce butted in with a grin, making Emily feel apologetic. “Sorry...forgot.” Her sheepish attitude naturally gave the other two giggles as they sat down in the chairs while wrapped in towels. “Carol, I hate to admit it, but it’s been eating away at me…” Joyce looked at her with tingles of interest. “What kinds of businesses were you talking about?” Carol nodded, but glanced at Emily for just a second. “Joyce, I don’t mind talking about it, but awfully bold of you when Emily has you on a leash, remember?” Joyce gave Emily what could only be akin to her own version of puppy dog eyes. With an upturned nose and an exaggerated ‘hmmf’, Emily turned her head. “Do as you please! I tried!” With her liability out the window, a corporate war spawning in the simple backyard of a suburban home was no longer her fault. She tried. With her daydreams out of the way though, Emily listened on with a bit of her own curiosity. “Now I feel a bit on the spot...” Carol pretended a nervous laugh. “But, really, it’s nothing as crazy as you think. I’m not some kingpin with a monopoly on the underground drug trade, or anything!” Emily and Joyce laughed, although inside Emily’s mind, a small voice seemed to tell her that the depths of business had no end in sight… “Like I said earlier, I tend to help build up...niche businesses in...niche markets.” Carol explained, albeit cryptically. Emily looked a little shocked before muttering, “D...drugs?” “No! Absolutely not!” Carol dismissed it entirely as Joyce was in stitches and Emily with reddened cheeks. She sighed before her smile came back in full. “Niche doesn’t mean illegal, you know!” She laughed herself despite the push-back. “To be honest, it sort of feels weird to talk about it with anyone outside the business, I suppose...” She pondered her own words for a minute. “Even to my own husband, he finds it strange, understandably.” “Well?” Joyce edged her along. “You’ve definitely built up the suspense now if you hadn’t already?” Carol briefly smirked, yet sighed as she opened it with a preliminary question. “Well...I guess for starters… Do either of you know what a...erm...fetish is? Like a kink or something?” Had the spectral plane been visible, an arching, static shock would have flashed the mother’s eyes as it sprouted between the two heads before her. Emily and Joyce almost simultaneously felt an odd jolt, as if they’d just seen an old friend from an old life suddenly trying to integrate with the new. In other words, it was a sudden sense of discomfort. “Mm...I think I have an idea?” Joyce gave her head the slightest tilt, opting for the sweet, plain vanilla, ignorant role. “I’ve heard of it before...” Emily muttered, “...I think?” Yet in truth, if there had ever been a pep talk to be had before situations like these, bless Emily, but Joyce would ask her to simply say nothing at all. Emily trying to lie about anything even remotely close to her interests, meaning sensitive emotions were involved, was nothing short of wishful thinking. But maybe Joyce was being too over analytical because Carol didn’t comment on it. “Well, I don’t want to go into much detail, for...reasons, but the gist is basically a specific theme, practice, idea - virtually anything, to be honest, that people might take to in a sexual sense.” “Like...roleplay?” Joyce suggested, once more playing the innocent facade. Carol nodded. “That’s an example of it. I’ve heard it can even be on the tamer side… But I’m getting off track. From a business perspective, market potential within any group of consumers is almost always going to be less than the actual size, and the same thing applies to these groups of people tending to their...respective kinks.” Joyce nodded, but Emily only blinked with a neutral look. It was almost surreal for the girl right then, imagining a conversation that involved Joyce, business, and diapers, quite easily two of her favorite things. But in the same sentence? Saying that Carol was talking about diapers definitely was a stretch, but didn’t it fall into that category of kinkdom? It could, but the more Emily thought, maybe not for them…? Meanwhile, in Joyce’s head she was experiencing something a tad bit different. Business and kinks; broad topics she wouldn’t mind peering into. That being said, what she and Emily had...she didn’t see it that way. It wasn’t a momentary pause for her to get her rocks off; Emily either. Joyce didn’t baby Emily for sexual pleasure. No, the much more adult side of things came from their relationship as adults. What they did as a mommy and daughter remained much more pure. Well...remembering their first “trial” night with Emily in diapers nearly made Joyce visibly frown. Unfortunately she crossed a line, trying to “rub” the pleasure into Emily via a wet diaper. Never again… “...And so,” Carol tuned back into their ears, “It works out that supporting many smaller...niche businesses, turns a good living. But, if anyone asks, I’m just a general investor.” She finished with a motion to lock her lips. “...You mentioned roleplay being a kind of kink,” Joyce said, “but what other kinds have you seen in your work?” “Well...” A breath of air escaped Carol’s lips as she thought. “One place was a ‘costume’ shop,” she said in air quotes. “Don’t get me wrong, it was -- high quality costumes, even, with...props. But meant for bedroom play, I guess.” Joyce nodded thoughtfully, though with a look that expected more. “Have either of you heard of something called B-D-S-M?” Carol asked. Emily was the first to nod, but Joyce came a bit slower. “See? Then you already know one kind of kink,” Carol chuckled. “But anyway, it’s of course something couples tend to do in the bedroom and at home, but there are gathering spots for stuff like that. These kinds of places charge you maybe a flat fee or an hourly rate to have access to their themed rooms, props and toys. They have a very...straightforward kind of name? Dungeons.” All things considered the specifics were spared, though even at the level they were Emily wasn’t entirely vocal about what she thought. Only to Joyce had she even mentioned a word about their own kind of play, yet now she was seeing it to the same degree, only in a business sense with a woman she’d just officially met. “Dungeons?” Joyce raised a brow. “I guess that matches the fantasy theme?” Carol’s eyes lit up as she drank from her glass. “Good point! Never thought of that! Oh! And another one -- it didn’t pan out, but there was this store having to do with giant animal costumes and fur...” It was an example that truly rang no bells for either Emily or Joyce, hence their confused look. “But I think you two get the point,” Carol transitioned with a wave of her own clouded mind. “Well, if I ever think of sprouting my own business like that, I’ll know who to call?” Joyce grinned. “Please, give me a call and every cent I can invest is yours!” Carol begged with a laugh. “Frankly I wouldn’t want myself at the head of that kind of operation,” Joyce spoke reflexively. “It goes without saying since I’ve said it once, but all that kind of stuff is beyond my scope of knowledge...” “But what it sounds like is investing yourself wouldn’t be off the table?” Joyce shrugged in defense of her opportunistic nature. “What can I say? If it looks promising...” “If you’d like, I’m attending a dinner party a few weeks from now? If you really are serious, I can put you through to some serious business opportunities?” “Oh? They just let anyone come? Especially for such...private stuff like that?” Joyce asked skeptically. “No, they don’t,” Carol said, “which is interesting in a way, considering vetting your investor pool is like shooting yourself in the foot... But it leads to a healthier relationship, knowing that there’s some mutual understanding to begin with. Either way, my word should go far enough to vouch for you.” “So it’s settled, then?” Joyce had a slightly giddy look, to which Emily rolled her eyes at. “Oh? Trouble in paradise?” Carol grinned with her eyes on Emily. “What?” Joyce whined at Emily defensively, to which she sighed. “When I said no business talks in the car, I was mostly kidding, but I didn’t actually expect you to do business while we were here!” “Uh-oh, somebody’s in trouble!” Carol laughed. “It would appear so...” Joyce agreed. “How about we exchange numbers before we leave after lunch?” “Sounds like a plan.” Carol nodded. Joyce looked back at Emily who was quiet, yet obstinate. “What?” Joyce exaggerated. “Not happy with that?” “Outta sight, outta mind...” Emily relented with her own smile. “No! They can sleep over!” Jackie begged as she continued to tug on Carol’s pants. Michael and Carol were seeing Emily and Joyce off at the door, but their time spent at the residence was the perfect amount for the once shy little girl to finally warm up to her guests. Emily tried to be the gentle voice of reason. “Jackie, as much as we’d like, we didn’t bring any PJs?” “I have some!” Jackie was quick on the rebound with hope in her eyes. Emily had tried, and her mouth hung slightly agape, finding her own response just as obvious...yet hard to place. Michael and Carol naturally stood above their daughter, smirking as their daughter tried to fight for the impossible. “Goes to show how much Jackie sees you two as friends more than just grown-ups.” Carol laughed. “Jackie, I don’t think they’ll fit in your PJs, sweetheart...” Michael said to her. “They can use Mommy’s!” Jackie then shifted tactics. “Joyce’d probably be fine...” Carol quietly remarked, though her words had been all used up once the unspoken said quite the opposite about the smaller Emily. “Not the point, though! Jackie, Emily and Joyce have their own home to get back to. We’ll see them again.” “Soon?” Jackie dearly asked. “Soon.” Joyce answered for Carol. “When?” Certainly, this girl did not seem to skip a single beat. “Alright,” Michael cut in, hoisting Jackie into the air. “Enough twenty questions out of you, missy.” “But I wanna know~uh!” Jackie whined in an exaggerated tone. “And you will once that information is declassified, private.” Michael asserted in a general’s tone. “What’s dee-classih-fide?” “I’m afraid that’s classified.” And then the frustrated giggles ensued, seeming to shift Jackie’s focus away. Carol came to their rescue, seeing them out the front door while Michael had Jackie in arms. “Bye Michael, bye Jackie!” Emily waved, and so did Joyce. “Thanks again for having us,” Emily said to Carol as they walked down the steps and over to the car. “Don’t even mention it. In all honest truth, it was mostly our daughter that kept a fire lit under Michael all week, so I’ve heard. She would not stop talking about you, Emily!” She laughed. “To be honest, I didn’t really know what to expect meeting you two, but I’m really glad for us to have met.” “Michael and I had talked about meeting again, but I guess it was sort of half-hearted at first?” Joyce similarly agreed, feeling less shy about admitting her reservations now. “Same here though, I’m glad this worked out.” “Glad you got business...” Emily murmured from the corner of her mouth. Joyce with a rosy smile gave a little giggle as she continued to face Carol. “Jackie’s such a nice kid. I’ve seen too many that have no real discipline... And speaking of which, I need to go give some to Emily after all these snide comments she’s been making to me today?” “Hah?! What?” Emily stammered. “Honestly, you two can’t catch a break, can ya?” Carol cracked up. “Anyway, Joyce, we’ll be in touch. Emily, lovely meeting you the proper way this time! Hope to see you both again soon! I better get back inside before Jackie can wriggle her way back outside. Drive home safe, you two!” And with Carol seeing them off from the steps as they pulled away, the get-together was over. “That was fun,” Joyce was the first to say. “Would it have been fun if you didn’t get invited to an investor’s dinner?” Emily cracked. “Of course it would have.” Joyce answered plainly. Then, after some pause, “Just...without some glow to it...” “Uh-huh?” Emily giggled before her tone made a slight shift. “More importantly though, I can’t believe what kind of work Carol does...I sorta got the chills when it hit so close to home...” “You too?” Joyce chuckled. “Gosh, it’s somewhat of a joke, but it seems like even when we take every kind of precaution, that kind of stuff always seems to find its way back to us...” “Haunting of the babydom...” Emily sighed, already with an imaginative name in mind. “And hang on, that investor thing Carol invited you to, are you really gonna go?” “I don’t see why not? Maybe I’ll find something I find interesting.” She wasn’t well-versed in kinks, and especially not when it came to business. “Yeah but it’s all kink stuff… All I mean is that you tend to mention about keeping the really sensitive stuff private and separated from your career. Wouldn’t it be bad for your reputation if someone recognized you there?” In a world where Emily had no shame, the only thing stopping Joyce from giving Emily a leisurely diaper change wherever they may be in public was guarding her own business image… And Emily’s own embarrassment, of course... Joyce nodded thoughtfully. “It could certainly cause issues, but being called out as an investor for that type of thing wouldn’t necessarily be damaging. Slightly surprising, at best. I thought about it a little more, but it’s a good thing that they vet their investors for these kinds of things. Not only does it keep interests at heart, but it does add a layer of privacy to it.” “As long as you’re okay with it.” Emily said back, holding Joyce’s wellbeing above all else. From the driver’s seat she smiled and with a free hand squeezed Emily’s thigh. “Thank you for worrying about me!” Emily puffed her cheeks with a slight blush as she turned her gaze to the passenger window. “Well...you’d do the same for me...” “Absolutely. No matter what.” Both sat on either end of the corner to the couch in the living room, sharing in the silence, save for the faint noises from the city streets far below. Joyce and Emily seemed pensive as they sat there, somewhat formal and struggling to figure out what they wanted to say. “I figured this’d be a good time as any to set us back on track...” Joyce said. “Mm.” Emily nodded. “Emily, I--” “Wait!” She blurted out, cutting Joyce off. “I...I wanna make it very clear before we talk about this stuff. I know you’re a lot more worried about how we do this now...and you being my mommy… But, I said it before: whenever I was being your baby, I never had any real issues with it. Nothing I wanted to address. What I wanted to make clear was when we weren’t in that headspace, sometimes it’d feel like it bleeds over. So, I don’t wanna put any limits on what we do when we’re intending to do it. Just...outside of that space.” Joyce held a look of silence and surprise, taking it all in, right until she burst. “Hah...thank goodness.” She sighed with relief before collapsing somewhat into the couch. “I said so before, didn’t I?” Emily reminded, scooching a little closer across the couch. “You did, but...I dunno, part of me still thought we might have to reshape what we intended to have. But no,” she sat back up straight, looking more serious. “I completely agree with you. I don’t want you taking any responsibility for this; it’s my fault for being too...motherly when I’m not being a mother, but a girlfriend.” “However,” Emily raised an important finger into the air. “Let it not be confused with being cutesy,” she explained in a professional, exaggerated manner. “The defendant is more than allowed to continue that.” Joyce couldn’t stop laughing. “Duly noted! No more jokes right now though, I want to treat this seriously. It’s important to me that we both feel like we’re respecting each other's boundaries. Emily, at the end of the day you are my number one priority, so what you say goes. I promise to do better when we’re both acting like adults, but I don’t want you to hesitate in calling me out when I’m doing something I shouldn’t be.” “Just call you right out?” Emily asked. “Yes. I don’t want to put you in an awkward spot.” “But...I guess I was thinking about that too. I guess you could call it a safeword, maybe...” A safe word, meant to be the hard stop or red switch that’d cease any type of kink play. “You want a safeword?” Joyce asked, neutral in tone, but truthfully with her own sort of reservations. In her mind that kind of association almost immediately tainted what they had. In any other case it made perfect sense and she saw no harm, rather, encouraged it. That was for kinks and fetish play though. Was that what Emily saw this as…? “Sort of...” Emily answered. “But not for when we’re a mommy and baby!” She quickly corrected herself, remembering just what they had meant to Joyce. “If there was ever a problem then, we can just talk to each other in the moment… I mean a safeword for when we’re in public, when we are just Emily and Joyce. Maybe a discreet way of letting you know that you’re doing something that bothers me…or when I’m bothering you. “So a safeword...for when we’re both adults?” Joyce clarified, a bit confused, seeing that to be the exact opposite scenario where you’d want to have a hard-stop like that... In any other traditional sense, wouldn’t the safeword be in the private sector and the casual talks in the public one? Joyce tried not to crack a grin. It was only Emily that could come up with something as out of the box as this...But as odd as it was, maybe their unique relationship thus far is what seemed to make it click for Joyce. “What do you think?” Emily then asked, looking self-conscious. “I guess I kind of agree that I don’t readily like a safeword either, especially when you’re my mommy...it makes it feel like it’s something less than real...and I don’t want that.” “I think that’s a good idea,” Joyce smiled. “It gives me a safe reminder and it doesn’t affect what we already do.” It was then a moment of mutual relief. Both had been dreading the “talk” up until now, but like most suspenseful moments, it overshadowed the reality completely. Now in place of that inhibiting and awkward knot that had seemed to bog them down since Mary and Frank’s visit, was a feeling of liberation. Everything was right again, and maybe after such trials and tribulations they were stronger because of it. Emily couldn’t hide her excited smile. “...Mm...but...” Joyce started with a difficult expression, to which already rained on Emily’s parade. “Huh? What is it?” She asked. “Well, I know what we both want, and we’re definitely on the same page...but, I guess I just want some extra clarification as to what you want.” “What I want?” Emily mimicked. “I want the usual stuff...what you want.” Joyce furrowed her brow, tutting like a detective without all the clues. “Yes, and I completely understand that. I suppose I just need something verbatim. I want to hear clearly what you want, Emily.” And for a moment the corners of her mouth perked up, immediately confirming Emily’s suspicions. “D-directly?” Emily stuttered slightly, suddenly feeling much less forthcoming about her desires. Already she was in Joyce’s trap. Joyce’s expression lit up, making approving noises as she nodded her head attentively. “Yes! Just let me know what you want, and that’s what we’ll do.” Emily narrowed her gaze, thinking before she answered. “...I want what you want...” Joyce chuckled, in the sort of way that Emily could tell was partly forced, but also spurred by amusement. “I know you do, silly! But, I need something a bit more specific to go off of? After all, I want a lot of things?” She didn’t bother hiding her grin this time. Now things were starting to feel familiar, namely because of how hot Emily’s cheeks were feeling. “F-fine...” She paused for a deep breath. “I-I...I want you to...” She murmured something intelligible at the end. “Hm?” Joyce leaned in. “I didn’t quite hear that last part… Could you please repeat that for me?” “I said I want you to ba…--...me...” “Emily,” Joyce attentively said in a soft, yet authoritative voice, “louder, sweetheart.” “I said I want you to baby me!” Emily finally shouted back. “Ohh, I thought that might’ve been it!” Joyce planted a fist in her palm as if the lightbulb only shined just then. “Of course I’ll baby you, silly!” Joyce feigned another laugh whilst Emily looked to be just as flustered as always. Emily was simply glad to have gotten through the spectacle. Once again, a hard lesson learned when it came to thinking she could tease Joyce and get away with it unscathed. Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. Balance was restored, at least… Then, Joyce rose a finger to her chin, humming a thought. “Mm...but...” But? Emily felt a brief moment of fear, surprised by the continuation. “Maybe I’m being the silly one!” Joyce laughed. “I think I may have forgotten what you like about me babying you...” She put her hands together as if making a request of Emily. “Could you possibly remind me some more?” Emily’s eye nearly twitched. This woman didn’t want equilibrium, she wanted domination. “I like it when...you call me by my nickname...” “Your nickname?” “E-Emmy...” “Emmy! Of course!” Again, Joyce pretended to have a revelation. “Such a cute name for such a cute girl! And? What else?” What else? Emily internally groaned. Was she really going to put her through this? “When you make me my special drink...” “Uh-huh! Served up safe and secure in your ba-ba~! Anything else?” “When I get to wear cute clothes...” “Anything you wear is cute!” Joyce chuckled. “But I get what you mean.” She still gave the look that expected Emily to continue. “When I get big stuffed animals...” “Mhm?” “When I get my own special seat...” “Your high-chair?” She smiled. “When you force me to take naps, even when I don’t wanna.” “Otherwise you’ll get cranky.” Joyce passively commented. “When you give me baths.” “Cleanliness is prettiness!” “And...when I call you Mommy!” Emily said with a sudden outburst, catching Joyce a bit off guard. Though, Joyce quickly softened into a warm smile. “An absolute given and inalienable rule.” Joyce smiled wide. “Now come on, what’s the last one?” Emily’s bravado was gone hearing that. Somehow, she knew that Joyce knew, or it meant that they were thinking of the same thing. “And I like...” “Like...what?” Joyce asked. “...Diapers...” “Diapers?” “I like wearing diapers!” Emily said. “When you check and change me...” She was feeling lightheaded. In an aggravated tone she said, “I’m sorry for teasing you! Is that everything you wanted to hear?!” Joyce scooched even closer, pulling her into a hug as she giggled. “Everything and more!” 25 5 Link to comment
BabySofia Posted February 21, 2021 Share Posted February 21, 2021 Glad to see an update to this! I very much enjoyed it, and at some point will have to re-read the whole tale. Hope to see an update on some of your others, but this one definitely feels a void! ? Link to comment
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