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Sheltered [12/03/2023] CH46+47 [Important Subscribestar Update]


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This is still such an awesome story. I love seeing how their relationship is growing. Not just with the babying either Emily is growing so much under Joyce’s care. I am looking forward to the big surprise. I just hope it’s not to much all at once for Emmy.  Very happy I could give this a like. I do need to work on keeping up with this better though. Took me three days to be able to read these latest parts. I have been very tired though. I have worked 19 of the last 21 days and 12 hour shifts make for very long nights. 

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11 - Off to a Rocky Start

Joyce gave her phone a quick time check, seeing it read nearly half-past six. She let out a sigh, as she’d have to postpone her little ‘project’ to get started on dinner. Stealing one last glance, she flicked off the light and locked the door, now giving a warm smile toward the cracked door frame, hiding away the sleeping Emily.

As she tenderized the chicken breast she carried off into her typical hum, passively listening to the news on a nearby monitor. Often though nothing really struck her as breathtaking, or at least nothing to give her undivided attention to. Mainly it was stocks and the occasional medical journal she kept on top of the most, and general news outlets wouldn’t be the best place to get those.

Absent-mindedly changing channels, trying to land on something worth watching or at least listening to, she suddenly stopped on a cartoon for kids. Instinctively, it triggered a fantasy within her: rubbing the hair on top of Emily’s head whilst she watched her cartoons, completely and totally devoted to one simple task that kept her happy. Then Joyce would do what was only logical and give her a diaper check, and sure enough the result would be…

She blinked for a moment when there was a sudden *ding* noise from the oven. She did often get carried away with Emily...She’d probably need to do something about that. Focus on what was happening now, and not what might never happen later. The weekend was finally upon them though, so there’d be plenty of time to realize those fantasies--or at least make some serious progress towards them. They’d be creeping further and further down the rabbit hole. She was almost starting to regret not including Emily in the cooking process, but it was better this way. The more and more Joyce stuck her to a routine, it’d reinforce the atmosphere she was working so hard to cultivate. Joyce was the authority figure and Emily was her charge, and it was clear that both of them were starting to enjoy this kind of dynamic. Still, she’d have to chase away those thoughts for just a second, as cutting scallions wasn’t the best thing to be doing with someone’s padded tush on your mind.


What was her expansive bed had now become the horizontal span of a couch, and the surrounding windows were pitch black, accompanied by the faint noise of a tv static in the corner. Emily leaned up from the couch, feeling all out of sorts. She had no fatigue, but she didn’t feel alert either...She felt...off.

The more she looked around the room, the more familiar it felt...But there will still key items that kept her from putting a name to a face. The tv was clearly off by a foot, and the kitchen was supposed to have two sets of cabinets, not three. Was this an apartment? There was a potted plant suspended by a shelf on the wall. It had strange, red, and yellow bulbs hanging from it. They were on the other side of the room, and the more she tried to focus, the hazier they looked. Even still, she could distinctly smell them. The word peaches oddly resonated within her.

There was a strange disconnect in her body as she stood up from the couch; her nerves were in limbo. It was almost as if she never registered--or even processed--the actual standing motion. She had just gone from sitting to suddenly standing? But her emotions felt suppressed in a way, prohibiting any kind of natural stress one would normally feel from such a situation.

She looked down at herself for a brief moment, seeing that she was in a canvas-white tank top, and equally as white panties. None of this incited any reaction within her though. She simply observed.

“Hey hon, what’re we having for dinner?” A voice suddenly ‘existed’, as Emily turned her head with lagging motion towards the kitchen. He was tall, decently-built, dressed in a shirt and shorts meant for lounging. He looked as if he’d skipped out on shaving for a few days.

“J...Jack?” The name suddenly came to her head, and just as much to her mouth. What was he doing here? What was she doing here? It had never even crossed her mind to try and remember where she last was or what she was supposed to be doing. It was as if her consciousness had pressed the shut down button at some point, and randomly chose to power back up now.

“I’ve been waiting for a while now. You always sleep so much, jeez.”

“I already made sandwiches,” The fabricated thoughts were entering Emily’s mind. Actions she had no recollection of suddenly made sense for some reason, but it didn’t feel like she was remembering. Yet again, things had suddenly started to exist within her mind without a second thought or question. Why wasn’t she questioning it?

Surely enough, Jack opened the fridge and pulled a massive platter out. They were too much of a blur for Emily to even see if they had been appetizing, but she didn’t seem to be putting stock in anything right now.

Though, for no real reason the atmosphere was starting to turn stale--oddly fast, as with each moment she stared at Jack, she felt more and more uncomfortable. The shackles on her most negative emotions becoming unchained.

The missing foot from the tv she so nonchalantly noticed earlier started to make her heart thump at an odd pace; and the impressed, faded cushions reminded her of helplessness. The cabinets glared at her with their inanimate grins, as they had stolen something from her. Something important. And whatever she did have, her heart was suddenly aching for it to be returned. Everything that seemed so neutral had manifested an indescribable aura of dread--invading her mind with a sense of loss and abandonment she couldn’t place. Clearly she did not belong here; wherever ‘here’ was. But where was she supposed to go? Where did she belong?

“Aren’t you gonna eat?” She looked over to Jack who was currently stuffing his face, bits of visible crust and unknown paste mixed with tomato lazily falling out of his overcapacity-mouth. The longer she stared, the more she could feel her vision tilting on its side. Her head felt upright though, so how was something like that even possible?

“You look good, by the way.” On the surface it was so casual, yet so...chilling.

His words pierced the woman, as she was struck with a sinking feeling, the room beginning to spin on its invisible axis. Her own breathing was becoming louder than anything else, followed by a suffocatingly-close thumping noise that reverberated from her chest.

The whiteness on her clothes had somehow lost their purity, and almost looked stained now; turning from a bright white into an almost dreary grey. And as if instinct suddenly commanded, her body almost leaped towards the first door she could see. She couldn’t remember from a few seconds earlier if what she saw now looked like salvation, but a baseless urge from within called her to it.

Her hands clasped the metal knob as if they were attracted like a magnet. Her arms twisted and turned--consumed by an irrational anxiety she was quickly drowning in. Just when it felt like her heart was going to stop, and the noises would pop her eardrums, it opened.

And there she was.

The only thing that made sense. The only thing she could recognize with absolute certainty in this twisted turmoil and catastrophic conundrum. Her figure emanated peace and serenity, coaxing the girl into forgetting what lay behind her. The chill she had felt was fast dissipating into a minor inconvenience, and soon becoming pure warmth. Emily’s face was warm as well, but also covered a flowing sensation.

Tears. They were tears.

Emily reached her arms out towards safety and security itself, with her vision becoming more blurry as the thing she sought for most remained still; its position static and absolute--like an immovable pillar. She buried her face into their chest, arms wrapped around their waist like iron locks. More than anything she wanted to remain like this forever. What came before and what would come after were concepts that had simply lost their meaning in the face of the paradise she was now basking in.

The name had been so distinct to Emily, as it crept along her tongue; ready to voice a sound that was as sweet as honey and seductive as sugar. The edges of her hair danced their tiny feet across the tips of Emily’s shoulders, inviting a much more pleasant and tingly feeling into her heart.

Why was there so much suspense? Why did the utterance of a single word feel so...monumental? Significant? She was too busy to consult logic and reason for the answer though. Simply forming the word with her mouth had taken a much higher priority.

And yet, the process felt so natural. It echoed so clearly as if it were like breathing.

Still enveloping herself, Emily with a wide-forming grin spoke, pleasantly surprised as her mind and mouth quickly shifted tracks.

“Joyce!”

“Joyce!”

“Joyce!”

“Momm--!”

And in the blink of an eye, the scene had ceased to be.

In a cold sweat, Emily arched forward from the bed with a jolt, trying to control her rapid breathing. She looked around her new, and suddenly different surroundings; trying to absorb the much more tame atmosphere. She was in the bed Joyce had tucked her in, with normal thoughts coming back to her--displacing the very surreal ones she had been experiencing just a few moments ago. It wasn’t nearly as loud now, but she could still feel the knocking in her chest. The curtains were partly drawn, as city-darkness stared back from the other side of the glass windows. She shifted uncomfortably, as the space between her lower thighs along with the sheets felt wet.

She felt wet all over. Hot, yet cold at the same time. Everything she wore felt clammy, and the few fringes of hair that dangled in her face were oddly irritating right now. She was too occupied to pay mind to the diaper around her waist, even as it crinkled with each shift in her posture. It felt especially warm down there, but not the kind of warm she’d feel after she’d wet. Pressing a hand to her cheek, that felt warm too, but she didn’t feel embarrassed. She felt strange, only now she had the agency to do something about it. Though, a small enigma inside of her wanted someone else to address it. Someone specific.


“Emmy...It’s time to get up!” Joyce slowly opened the door, already eager to watch the smaller girl stir awake. Only that it wouldn’t be like the usual routine this time; not when Emily had already woken up on her own, which definitely did not suit her. Hence the reason why Joyce was so concerned after seeing her unusual mannerisms.

“Emmy? Are you okay?” She sat beside the girl who was still collecting herself, just noticing Joyce’s entrance now. She draped an arm around her, causing her to notice the unmistakable warmth of her skin and sweat-drenched back. “Emily, why’re you so warm…? And you’re covered in sweat! What happened?”

“I...” Her voice started, but it struggled to find the rest of its words. “I don’t know….” It became thick as a helpless feeling welled up from within. “I had this really weird dream, and...”

“Was it a nightmare?” Joyce had taken the moment to press the back of her hand to Emily’s cheek as well, feeling just like her arm. How could she have shifted like this so rapidly? Had Joyce failed to notice something when she first came home? “How do you feel right now?”

“I feel hot...and cold,” She grimaced. It was almost soothing to have Joyce come to her rescue, but old habits were still irking her for deferring her own wellbeing to someone else so easily. “And in my dream there was Jack...and something about eating?” Even she knew it sounded ridiculous. “I think it was our apartment...and nothing looked right. I felt...lonely...But, then you were there, and then...” The dream was strangely becoming harder and harder to trace. All that she could remember were the sensations and feelings that had become so much more vivid towards the dream’s climax. And then, she’d been jolted awake by who knows what.

“It’s all right...I’m here now,” Joyce pulled her in for a hug, as Emily clutched tighter. “But still, how could this have happened? Have you not been feeling well?”

“Well...I don’t know...” Emily partly shrugged. “I suppose I haven’t been feeling 100% lately...”

“How long is ‘lately’?”

“The past couple days maybe? Four?”

Joyce sighed. Not because Emily hadn’t told her sooner, but because Joyce wasn’t able to tell until now. She was her own person, but it was hard to refute that since treating Emily like her baby, it was difficult not to see the girl as partly her responsibility. What bothered Joyce the most though was how she clearly didn’t live up to her assumed role. She’d need to do better…

“Let’s get you cleaned up, sweetheart, okay?” She lightly rubbed Emily’s back. “Then we’ll figure out what to do from there.” Joyce had already peeled back the covers, pressing her hand on the spot in between Emily’s legs--close to the crotch of her diaper. That didn’t feel dry either, but it obviously wasn’t urine. She’d certainly sweat up a storm though.

“I just need to go get something to dry you off with. It looks like you’re damp all over.” Her heart ached to see Emily so distraught. It was the first time she’d seen this kind of physical stress weigh over her. Whenever she was like this emotionally, Joyce always knew there’d be a light at the end of the tunnel, but sickness was always downright insufferable, and there were few prizes for the pain.

Emily had motioned herself to the edge of the bed, ready to follow Joyce in tow.

“Oh no,” Joyce firmly, but gently, planted Emily back on the bedside. “You stay put, got it? I don’t want you lifting a finger.”

“But...” Emily whined with the fatigue in her voice beyond evident. Even she knew arguing was an exercise in futility. Joyce had apparently read her mind though, because she left the room without another word. They both knew Emily had both little bark and bite right now.

She came back in record timing, slowly brightening the room with the dimmer, joined with a towel in hand. It was set next to Emily whilst she knelt down to be at a better level with her, working away at the buttons on her blouse--a process which Emily did little to fight.

“Sorry honey,” Joyce’s hands went behind Emily’s back. “Bra needs to come off too. Gotta make sure we get you in every nook and cranny.” The clasp was undone and gently slipped off. The only things that remained were her socks and diaper. Deftly, she rolled them off her feet and laid the towel out on the bed, situating Emily’s back on it.

“I know you didn’t wet your diaper, but I think we can both say it’s probably not dry either. That’s a fair assumption, right?”

This time, Emily’s cheeks weren’t burning because she had a fever. Bashfully, she nodded her head, as the pillows beside her seemed much more interesting--much more than the caretaker who had just confronted the state of her underwear.

For a brief moment, the room was filled with the sound of adhesive tearing from plastic. Once Joyce pulled the front of the diaper off, Emily hadn’t realized just how much of a sauna it felt like in between her legs until then. A rush of cool air pressed her nether regions, stimulating an oddly refreshing sensation.

“Yep,” Joyce lifted her legs, fully removing the undergarment from underneath. “No pee this time!” She joked, hoping that she could at least improve the girl’s mood in the slightest. “And...up we go!” Joyce taking her by the wrists, stood her on the floor, causing Emily to suddenly take hold of Joyce’s shoulders.

On the ground, she had a sinking feeling in her stomach. Not the kind like in her dream, but a physically uncomfortable one. It felt hard and heavy; like she ate something bad. But she hadn’t eaten anything in quite a while…

Joyce had taken the towel from behind and got to work, staying true to her word about every ‘nook and cranny’. Up and down on each leg, including the small pockets behind her knees, Joyce dried her off in every spot. Along the way she grabbed the other areas likely for build-up as well, including underneath the bum, between the legs, armpits, and back.

“Do you think I got everywhere?” Joyce slung the towel over her shoulder. “Any spots you want me to go back over?”

“No...I think you got everything.” She responded in an almost out-of-it voice. Everything was starting to feel exhausting. She just wanted to lay down, especially when she was starting to feel slight pains from her stomach.

Emily’s hair was brushed to the side, revealing her forehead, which Joyce pressed to her own. It certainly felt warm, which confirmed the suspicions both of them already had.

“Does it hurt anywhere? Any spot that might feel a little worse than the others?” She had half a mind to give Dr Hall a call right now. It hadn’t been more than twenty minutes, and Joyce felt terrible for letting this kind of pain persist.

“My stomach feels kind of weird...” Emily frowned just for reminding herself of it. “I keep getting pains from it.”

“Your stomach?” Joyce lightly set her palm against it. Was it the stomach bug then? She couldn’t say for sure, but it was looking more and more like the likely assumption. “Okay, well, let’s get something for you to wear at least.” Setting the naked Emily back on the bed, Joyce went over to her dresser and pulled out a shirt, along with a pair of bra and panties.

“Do I...have to wear so much stuff?” Emily wanted to chastise herself for sounding so selfish, but the idea of clothes sounded unbearably suffocating right now. Just looking at the stuff already made her want to sweat.

“I’m willing to compromise a little, hon,” Joyce had already turned back to the dresser. “But if you start sweating again, then it’s gonna go right to the sheets. I don’t mind changing you or the bed at all, but could you at least try it? If it turns out you don’t like it, we’ll try it your way. Alright?”

Emily nodded her head in response, but she wasn’t sure if Joyce even saw, as she heard the sounds of drawers opening and closing.

“Okay, how about this?” Joyce came back now with only two pieces of clothing: A pair of panties without the matching bra, and a blue short-sleeve shirt with two illustrated kittens on the front. She wasn’t even sure if it’d go past her belly-button.

“But...” Emily was hating herself even more for feeling increasingly selfish. With someone else willing to bend over backward for her, she was completely and fully taking advantage of another person. And yet, a small voice in the back of her head kept her going with these ridiculous and childish demands. “It’s the weekend...”

Joyce’s brow admittedly furrowed the smallest bit, unsure of what Emily was getting at. She’d never had trouble with deciphering Emily’s wants and needs, but with her being sick it was a little harder to tell. Only by chance when she caught the removed diaper out of the corner of her vision did she have a pretty solid idea.

“Emmy...” Joyce looked back at the girl, with a delicate and loving expression on her face. Emily became a bit teary-eyed in response, as her revealed message and stomach knots were becoming overwhelming. “You’ll always be my little girl if that’s what you want, but I want to focus on making you feel better. Are you sure you’d rather be wearing one over panties?”

Sniffling, all Emily did was meekly nod her head.

“Okay,” Joyce smiled. “I won’t ask anything else about it, but you need to tell me if you want to stop, or if you need to use the bathroom.” The second bit was breaking their rules, but considering how big of a first this was, Joyce was more than willing to make an exception. Being this early into the game, it felt downright cruel to force something like that on Emily; even if she was the one asking for diapers. Still, the thought of Emily being the one to request them was adorable beyond words! If she wasn’t sick, Joyce would have been smothering her little girl in kisses and hugs by now.

Making one last trip to the dresser, Joyce switched the panties out for something a bit more ‘appropriate’, and came back to Emily, still naked, who was quietly laying on the bed, waiting with the slightest bit of anticipation for what was to come. Joyce had a slight grin on her face when she saw Emily’s, as the expression was innocently written all over her face.

For a brief moment, amongst the uncertainty and strangeness which had plagued Emily’s body, the one thing that gave her the illusion of normalcy was Joyce’s intoxicating hum, as it told her everything was going to be alright. The smell of powder drifted to her nostrils as plastic and padding were unfolded, inviting her bottom to an even softer cushion than the bed itself. The snug feeling when the tapes were applied had been both literally and metaphorically solidified and emphasized. An odd sense of ecstasy washed over Emily as the atmosphere soaked her through and through. As weird as it was to say, one thing finally felt right.

“There we go!” Joyce chuckled. “Right as rain!” She pulled the kitten shirt over Emily’s head, guiding her arms through the sleeves. And just like Emily suspected, it stopped just about at her midriff. “Feel better now?”

Emily nodded, glad to be somewhat sorted again. All that could make her feel even better now was one of two things: She be stuck in an ice-cold freezer, or she be absolved of this sickness altogether.

“Good. Just let me know if there’s anything else I can do.” Joyce spoke, brushing her fingers through Emily’s hair. “Do you feel like eating right now?”

Even the thought itself had Emily’s insides twisting and turning. “No…” She almost grimaced. “I don’t think I could eat anything right now...” She had a sudden realization, and remembered part of the reason why Joyce had her sleeping in the first place. She suddenly wanted to take her words back, just so Joyce’s efforts wouldn’t have been in vain. “Wait, no...I’ll eat--!” A finger was pressed to her lips.

“I appreciate the kindness, Emmy,” Joyce smirked, with the kind of motherly smile that had Emily figured out down to a T. “But I’d much rather you stay honest with me. I don’t think my feelings matter as much as your physical well-being right now anyway.”

She felt like complete trash right now for wasting the time and effort Joyce spent making dinner. Surely she could finish one plate of food! Even that idea was hard to stomach in her mind, though...Still, Emily could only imagine how long Joyce must have spent to make one of her irresistibly delicious meals, and here she was, practically spitting in the woman’s face for turning it down. All the good vibes she had just spent soaking in paled in comparison to the guilt she was now ridden with.

“Now that’s enough,” Joyce in almost a stern voice spoke to Emily. “I think you’re worrying a bit too much about the grownups here.”

Her dominant and motherly voice had Emily’s insides suddenly squirming in all the right ways...She could feel her face growing red.

“We’re trying to make you feel better here, not Mommy. Got it, silly?” Her smile shined yet another ray of pleasure down on Emily. “If you want me to be happy, you’ll focus on making yourself nice and healthy again.”

She was at a loss for words, as the cushiony comforts of her bed and underwear were starting to call her back to someplace much more easygoing and pleasurable. Her eyes started to feel a bit tougher to keep open now…

“The only person you’re allowed to be worried about right now is yourself. I want you to call me for anything you need, okay? It doesn’t matter what time it is, or what I’m doing. If you do start to feel hungry again, I can do something about that too. But, at no time do I ever want you to feel bad, selfish, or mean for relying on me so much. Let’s not forget that you’re Mommy’s little girl, after all. This is what you’re supposed to do when you’re not feeling well. Even when you’re not sick it’s my job to take care of you. So if I catch someone trying to be a big girl without Mommy’s help, there’s gonna be someone going over my lap for a spanking, got it?” Joyce’s words were so convincing, and impossible to refute. Emily couldn’t tell how serious her threat at the end was, but her initial spiel felt too absolute to defy. She had been put in her place, and the feeling was amazing.

“Mhm...” Emily spoke in a hushed voice. “And I’m sorry...” Though in Joyce’s mind, to be sorry was a ridiculous notion.

“I know you are...and Mommy will know for sure if you can get some for shuteye for me, okay? Just worry about getting better. There’ll be plenty of time to spend together after you’re not feeling so groggy anymore. I’m gonna go see what we might have for that tummy of yours. Get some rest in the meantime.”

“Thank...” She had already started to murmur. “...you...”

Satisfied, Joyce collected the towel and discarded diaper, dimming the lights and leaving the door a bit more open than she did the first time. She’d probably give the girl another half hour before she came to check in on her.

She couldn’t help but a feel a tad bit glum, though, when she came back into the kitchen. Their food had become lukewarm, and she knew Emily’s plate--the one filled with a chicken breast that was cut into bite-sized pieces, likely wouldn’t be touched tonight. Still as a precaution, she wrapped the plate in plastic and set it on the counter, waiting for it to fully cool off until she put it in the fridge. Silently she took a few bites from her own food while she searched her medicine cabinet, grabbing a few things that might alleviate Emily’s discomfort. The only silver lining there was to this whole ordeal was possibly having more time to do some painting. Maybe even browse for a few more items to buy as well...The thoughts didn’t do much to dampen the mood however. She was far too preoccupied with Emily’s sudden and unfortunate sickness. Now she didn’t feel like eating so much herself. Clearing her plate, Joyce left the medication on the counter while she switched back to her painting clothes. She set a timer on her phone and picked up a brush.


When Emily came to, she wasn’t exactly feeling much better than before, but at least not so sweaty.

“Emmy,” Joyce cooed, feeling the girl’s forehead. “It’s time for some medicine, okay? Can you sit up for me?”

Drowsily, with blurry vision, Emily allowed herself to be positioned up against the headboard while she tried her best not to stir. She wasn’t 100% aware of what was going on, but the familiar voice was coaxing enough to listen.

“Such a good girl. Think you could swallow a few pills for me? I have some water to wash them down.”

She opened her mouth, feeling a hand deposit two pills, resting them on her tongue. A small stream of cool water came next, slowly stirring her senses back to reality. Swallowing, she could now see Joyce in front of her.

“There we go. Hopefully that’ll do something for your tummy...” She set the glass on the nightstand, turning her focus back to Emily. “Are you feeling any better?”

“Not really...” She wasn’t sure how long she’d been out, but it was true when she said she hadn’t improved. If anything, maybe the sleep helped her forget about the discomfort. “I just wish my stomach didn’t hurt so much...”

“I know...I’ll try and do everything I can to make you feel better, okay? If nothing’s improved by tomorrow, I’ll see what I can do about getting Dr. Hall to visit.”

“But Joyce, I’m sure all I need to do is--”

“Ah, ah! Did we already forget? You’re supposed to let Mommy do all the heavy lifting. Whether it’s just sleep or not, I’d much rather I have a second opinion that I can trust weigh in on this. All you need to do is tell me how I can make you feel more comfortable. And speaking of which, do you need to use the bathroom?”

“No...” She hadn’t felt any different than from before. In all good aspects and bad.

“Okay then,” Joyce helped her lay back down. “But you know...” She whispered into Emily’s ear. “If you wanted to use your diaper too, that’d be perfectly alright with Mommy, okay?” Emily’s cheeks burned at the suggestion, but her heart skipped a beat as well. “I’d have no problem changing you, if that’s what you want. Whatever makes you feel more comfy.”

Using her diaper? While she was sick? The thought bothered Emily, but then again, she was the one who asked for a diaper while Joyce was the one motioning towards panties. They had become total polar opposites indeed. Even if it wasn’t the diaper Emily was directly asking for, rather the experience of Joyce being her guardian, it was still because of herself that she was wearing one. The thought of peeing in her diaper though was a tough pill to swallow--no pun intended--but it wasn’t impossible…

“Try not to dwell on it too much, my little thinker.” Joyce laughed as she gave Emily one last sip of water, then booped her on the nose. “Just know that when the time comes, I’ll encourage any decision you make. Now! I think I’ve kept you awake for long enough. Sweet dreams, my little kitten! If you need me, just call. I’ll leave the rest of the water here if you want some more. I’ll be back to check in on you a few more times, but don’t expect me to wake you up.” A light inside her head suddenly flickered.

“And,” She brushed the top of Emily’s head one more time. “If you do decide to go potty before I check on you, I’ll understand that as you asking me to change you. And if it’s anything like last time, I’m sure you won’t be awake for it either!” She chuckled once more, choosing not to poke at the flustered, yet excited expression on Emily’s face any further.

The lights in the room faded to nothing once more, and Emily soon found her way back to her dreams.


“So how’s Dad been? I know it’s been a bit since we last talked...” Joyce brushed back and forth, slowly watching the colors come together.

“Oh, you know how he is,” The phone loudly spoke through its speaker. “Same old, same old. You’d think he’s still an official chef if you didn’t know he was already retired!” The female voice laughed. “I’m sure you’ll be just like him whenever you decide to retire. Only thing is that you’ll probably be a lot younger than he was when you do it.”

Joyce planned to keep working for a fair amount of time, but her mom wasn’t exactly wrong...With just a few more years, the company was projected to experience a significant amount of growth; the kind that would set her up for multiple lifetimes, including anyone else she decided to bring with her...She liked working though. It gave her something to do, just like her moments with Emily. It made her feel...needed.

“Maybe...” Joyce passively spoke, her mind caught between multiple things. “I like where I am right now though, so I don’t see it happening very soon. Maybe I’ll just take a few more vacations in the meantime?” She laughed. “I heard London can be nice when it isn’t raining. Maybe Australia when the sun isn’t scorching?”

“Take me and your father with you too!” Her mother’s voice jokingly butt in. “I’ll do whatever it takes to get that man away from his hobbies! Maybe we could get John and Hannah to come too! I can’t remember the last time we had a family vacation.”

“But we do stuff with each other every now and then,” Joyce reasoned. “I’m always flying down for Christmas and Thanksgiving.”

“Looking for excuses to not spend time with the family, then?” Her mom sarcastically scolded. “I’d be dying to know when you might bring along your significant other with you, too! I’m sure John will someday, but I’d like some grandkids from you too, you know!”

“Mom...” Joyce tried to sound sympathetic, but was a little annoyed after this had been brought up the fiftieth time from just this past year. “I don’t know...maybe soon...”

“Wait, so that does mean you’ve met someone?” Joyce’s carelessness had clearly piqued her mother’s interest. “What’s their name? How long have you two been seeing each other?”

The faster her questions came, Joyce oddly found herself becoming more and more flustered. She’d never been on the defensive like this in a while, especially not when she was the one in charge of Emily...Setting down the brush with a sigh, she stood up with the phone, crinkling the plastic tarp underneath, and exited the room.

“No, I have not met anyone,” Joyce tried her best to do damage control. “What I meant by that was the idea of possibly dating soon. It’s just never been appealing, that’s all.” Her heart started to beat when she suddenly second-guessed her tone. Was that too unconvincing? Was it too mechanical?

“Right,” Her mom didn’t sound very convinced. Honestly, it was likely Joyce’s fault for thinking that she could convince the woman, who knew all her quirks, otherwise. “When you do decide to tell me though, let me know if it should be for either Thanksgiving or Christmas I should be setting out a plate!”

She wanted to groan, but kept herself reserved. She took the opportunity to slip Emily’s plate in the fridge. Christmas with Emily...It was so far away, and there was no telling for how long this relationship would continue...but...She could only imagine the sheer cuteness of getting her little girl’s padded bottom up and about on Christmas morning; changing her before opening all the presents Santa brought her, and--

“Joyce? Are you still there?”

“Uhm, yeah. Sorry about that.” Refocusing her train of thought, she poured herself a cup of coffee from the half-filled pot.

“I asked when you might be free? Your dad and I have been talking about coming down to visit you. We haven’t had the chance to see your new place, you know!”

“I don’t know, I’m always busy...” This was partly true. Her mom just tended to be an awful bit pushy. She hoped she wasn’t like her…

“So I should take that as you’re free, then?”

“Wh-...what?” Joyce stammered. “Why would you say that?”

“Coming from the certain someone who could go from one day, saying that they were ‘too busy,’ to hopping on a plane to California the next?”

“Okay, fine, yes! Or, I don’t know...Whatever,” Joyce sighed. “It’s up to you.” Ugh! How she always managed to twist her around her finger always annoyed Joyce. She loved her mom dearly, but man if it wasn’t a bit too much at times…

All she could hear was Joyce’s mom laugh over the phone. “Alright sweetheart! Just remember, your words, not mine!” Joyce took a sip from her mug. She felt especially on edge now with Emily in her life. Keeping her mom from her was like trying to dance on the beach without touching the sand. Impossible, and only a matter of time. Even when they were separated by countless states, she didn’t feel like her secrets were safe…

“Anyways,” Joyce quickly tried to change the topic. “How’s John been? I know you guys keep in touch with him more than I do.” It’s not that her relationship with her brother was bad, it was just that their communication was a bit poor. Heck, the biggest reason she was actively talking with her mom was that she was the one initiating conversation with Joyce. None of it was out of malice; just bad habits.

“A lot like your dad: same old same old. He and Hannah are engaged now, though! They’re planning for the wedding to be sometime early next year! So be ready for that, and let me know if they’re going to need an extra seat! I know you think I’m just trying to tease you, but I’m being serious!”

“Mhmm...” Now it was Joyce’s turn to sound unconvinced. She took another sip from her coffee.

“How’s the weather been there lately? I know we nearly don’t get as much of the seasons as you do, but honestly-” Her voice was drowned out by a third one entering the room.

“Joyce?” From Joyce’s perspective, it didn’t sound digital.

Casually, Joyce turned her head to the kitchen entrance, blessed with a sight that wanted to make her heart melt. In front of her was a small, little girl, with raven-black hair hit with a small case of bedhead. A brown blanket was wrapped around her shoulders almost like a cloak, and in between she could see a blue t-shirt peeking from underneath, including the slight bulge of a white, puffy undergarment. Her face screamed pure innocence, capable of no wrongdoing--yet so bashful looking for no real reason whatsoever.

“Emmy, honey, I thought I said--” The sight had been too breathtaking, as well as too distracting. Wide-eyed, Joyce quickly turned her head back to her phone, seeing that it was still on speaker.

“Uh, Mom?” Joyce wanted to cross her fingers, and hope that somehow her mom hadn’t been listening, or divine intervention itself had disconnected the call.

“Yeees?” Her mother’s voice responded expectantly. Her tone had reserved curiosity written all over it. Joyce’s poorly-constructed facade had been ruined, and she knew it too. The best she could do now was hope to delay it… “I’ll...be right back. I just need to take care of something...” Without waiting for a response, she tapped the ‘hold’ button on her screen, and turned back to the much more adorable-looking Emily.

“Emmy, you know you were supposed to call me if you needed anything.” The taller woman tried to seem stern, but Emily’s current look made that all near-impossible.

“I know, and I’m sorry, but--” What she’d just done seemed to click, however. “I’m sorry! Were you in the middle of a call? If I knew, I wouldn’t have--” She was quickly spun around by a second set of hands, as Joyce ushered her out of the kitchen.

“I think we’ve had enough of being sorry for one day, missy.” Being selfish was something Emily wasn’t a total stranger to now, but not completely familiar with either. “Now tell me, what’s wrong?”

“I...” Emily shuffled the slightest bit. “I needed to use the bathroom...”

“Then let’s get you on the potty!” Joyce cooed, taking the blanket from her and setting it on the couch. She wasn’t going to poke or prod over the diaper, as she’d already promised not to. She was being honest when she said that she wanted to focus on getting Emily back to 100%. Adding any unnecessary stress to that would of course not be happening.

Once inside, Joyce undid the tapes on her diaper and let it drop to the floor. Expectedly, it was dry. Not that there was any problem with that. Her being sick made it an exception.

“Would you like some privacy?” Definitely an exception.

Quietly, Emily nodded her head, too busy looking at the ground than at Joyce.

“Okay then. I’ll give you a few minutes after you flush, then I’ll come back in to put your diaper back on. Sound good?”

She again agreed, and Joyce left the room, closing the door behind her. Now alone with her thoughts, she sighed. What a treat it was to see Emily like that, but god if it couldn’t have been worse timing...It almost felt expected to pay a price for something so amazing. Probably the one person she didn’t want to reveal Emily to, or at least not for a while, and she’d done it. By no means was Emily at fault, but Joyce still didn’t know how she’d fix the situation. She only had the time there was between now, and sending Emily back off to bed to come up with some idea on how to prevent a misunderstanding--or rather, the truth. Maybe she could just hang up? Pretend her phone died? Fat chance. That would be too predictable, coming from her mom’s perspective.

The sound of a toilet flushing could be heard.

She gave it another minute like she promised, then re-entered the bathroom. Already standing, Emily waited pensively with her hands wrapped around each other behind her back.

“Okay, back to bed, Emmy. I’ll be right behind you.” Joyce leaned over and picked up the diaper, following back to Emily’s room. Laying down, Joyce re-diapered the girl, checking to make sure the fit was as snug as it had been before, then settled her underneath the covers once more.

“Still not feeling up to eating right now?” She gave her another sip of water. “Even if it’s just a small snack, I don’t mind, you know.”

Emily shook her head, giving Joyce the response she wasn’t hoping for--for two reasons, actually. The biggest, of course, was Emily’s own well-being, and the second was postponing the call she had on hold...Guess her luck had run out on both fronts.

“And remember,” Joyce leaned in close. “If you need me for anything, you…?” She looked at Emily expectantly, who looked to be a moment away from giggling.

“Call...” Emily spoke, finishing Joyce’s sentence with the correct answer.

“Good. Don’t let the bed bugs bite!” Joyce left the room, dreadfully returning back to the kitchen, already missing her bonding with Emily. Almost taking a deep breath, she hit the ‘resume’ button.

“Sorry about that, I’m back. I just needed to-”

“You ADOPTED?!” Her mother’s voice shouted, her voice being emphasized by speaker mode.

“Adop-...What? Why would you think that? I was only-”

“You mean to tell me that it wasn’t your kid you were speaking to? Unless-! You two are already that intimate? And I suppose I assumed because the other voice sounded female, but I suppose...”

“Stop! Stop, stop, stop!” Joyce could feel her own cheeks getting hot. She quickly took the phone off speaker and pressed it to her ear. “I did not adopt!” In a quieter voice, Joyce near-hissed over the phone.

“And you’re not dating either?”

“No! It’s...it’s...It’s complicated...” Joyce didn’t have the energy or will to explain this over the phone right now. She felt exposed in an uncomfortable way.

“Don’t tell me...married?”

“Mom,” Joyce let out a small groan. She was ready to hang up. “Stop.”

“Fine! Fine! At least tell me her name?”

Outright annoyed, Joyce tapped her fingers on the kitchen table repeatedly, debating whether or not she should release such a crucial piece of information.

“Emily. Her name’s Emily.”

“That’s a beautiful name! Though, I could have sworn I heard you call her Emmy?”

“No, I think you misheard me.” Joyce was quick to correct her, but she didn’t really consider whether or not she sounded convincing. Be it by logic or force, she wanted to steer her mom in the other direction. The cat was already out of the bag, but there was no reason the kitten had to be too… “She’s...She isn’t feeling well right now.” A sudden idea struck Joyce; a way to somehow turn this situation around, or at least deflect some of the pressure. “I...I think she has the stomach bug.”

“Oh, that’s never any fun. Poor thing. When did she come down with it? She’s been resting, right?”

“She only told me how she was feeling after work today,” Joyce relaxed a little; relieved that she finally wasn’t being bombarded with such hard-hitting questions. “Since then it’s all been downhill. I offered to make her something, but she doesn’t feel like eating either.”

“Well, that’s no surprise. You and John weren’t very active either when you were like that. It’s no surprise, but all I know is sleep to be the best medicine for that. Maybe some over-the-counter medication too.”

“Really? There’s nothing else I can do for her?” Joyce wasn’t thrilled to hear she’d already reached her limit. “You don’t think it’s worth calling in my doctor?”

“Honestly, for a girlfriend you’d think they’re your daughter with how concerned you sound!”

“I told you, she isn’t my-”

“Relax! I’m kidding. You always seem to have such a temper whenever we talk about your love life...What I’m trying to say is that you’re worrying too much.” Her mom laughed from the other line, while Joyce’s brow furrowed. “For someone that runs a medical business though, I think you’re fretting over Emily more than you should. Call the doctor, if that will put you at ease, but I can’t imagine they’ll have much else to say. Your heart’s in a good place, and I’m sure Emily knows that you care, but a cure-all for something like the common cold isn’t feasible. Not in today’s age at least.”

“...I’m sorry...You’re right. I just want her to be okay.” Another sip of coffee wouldn’t do much to calm her nerves, but it at least set her in the right direction.

“I know you do. And if there’s one thing I could suggest, maybe put a cool washcloth over her head? I can’t say how much it’ll do for the stomach pains, but it’d probably keep her from feeling too warm. If she’s like any other person, it will.”

“Thank you...I’ll do that after I hang up.”

“Good. Now, are you planning to tell me how long you two have known each other?” Her mom’s voice gradually reeled back into its excited tone.

Rather than being irked, Joyce couldn’t help but smile with a sigh.

“Three weeks? Four? It’s on its way to being a month, I think.”

“That long? I’ve never heard of you being with someone for longer than a week! At least, no one that you’ve told me about...”

“No, mom. There’s been no one I haven’t told you about.” Though, there would have been exactly one, had Emily not wandered into the kitchen. Not that Joyce could ever be mad at her. It was impossible to be angry at someone so adorable! “She’s...special.”

“Special? You’ll need to elaborate for me. What’s she like?”

“She’s kind, considerate, thoughtful...affectionate.”

“Well, that’s great and all, but so is your father.” It felt like Joyce had been walloped over the head. “I’m asking what Emily is like, not for some generic person that’s as cookie-cutter as the rest!”

“Well, she’s open-minded, but can be a bit defensive whenever I try to buy her things. She doesn’t like it when I spend money on her.”

“Do you let her spend money on you?”

“...No...”

“I wonder why she might feel that way, then...”

“Anyways,” Joyce tried to usher the conversation along. “She likes to sleep a lot. She’s almost like a cat,” She couldn’t help but sound a slight giggle at the thought. “She’s always managing to surprise me in her own ways, too. Just when I think I’ve figured her out, she’s always pulling the curtain from my eyes.”

“Anything else?”

Joyce could admittedly fawn over Emily for what would feel like hours, but kept a mental block in her mind from sharing too much about her. The line between what was considered their adult, and mommy relationships was mostly there, but hazy enough for Joyce to keep her distance.

“She has trouble being honest with herself, or is at least trying to make me happy more than herself. In the end though I think we’re both in a place that’s mutually good. Oh! And she hates horror, too! Last week we were trying to watch a movie, and she picked out a scary one. It didn’t seem like she knew what she was getting into though,” Joyce couldn’t help but chuckle from remembering. “Sure enough, thirty minutes into the movie I was ready to pull the plug for her sake. But then...” Joyce let her voice trail off, as she realized the territory she was creeping into. “Well...I think you get the idea.”

There was almost a sniffle over the phone.

“Mom? Are you alright?”

“Hm? I’m fine? What do you mean? I’m just a little surprised, that’s all.”

“Surprised about what?”

“You! I don’t think I’ve ever heard you talk about anyone like this in, well, ever!”

“...Well...” Joyce could feel her face turn the slightest bit red. “I don’t know...Emily’s special...that’s all.”

“She sounds like it, dear. I look forward to meeting her!”

She could feel her heart tripping over a pebble at the sound of those words. Introducing Emily to her parents...Her parents meeting Emily...How would that even go? Would it even go? It was too much to consider; too much to think.

“But...” Joyce’s voice became a little thick. “You don’t think it’s...strange?”

“What is?”

“Because, she’s a...”

“‘She’?”

“...”

“Joyce, for a dignified businesswoman, you really can quake over the smallest of things...” Her mother sighed. “Honey, for the longest time, your father and I have only ever wanted you and your brother to be happy. However you achieve that means is completely up to you, and who are we to judge that? Not that my opinion or anyone else’s matters, but no, I don’t think it’s strange, whoever you decide to be with. What concerns me the most is you being happy. Besides, didn’t I already say that I wanted to meet her? If there’s anyone that can keep my daughter on the hook for this long, clearly it means they’re a keeper!”

It was Joyce’s turn to wipe a tear from her eye, as she took the final sip from her mug.

“Thank you, mom...”

“Thank you for letting me in for once! See how productive we can be with a second set of ears?” Even Joyce couldn’t help but laugh at that. “Now let’s get into the nitty-gritty, though. How did you two meet?”

“Well...” She stopped to think for a second, then stood to get a second pot of coffee going. “I was driving back from work...”


Heyo, how have you all been? Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! The next one should have this thread's posting at pace with the other, which is good on my part. Hope you've been enjoying the read so far, and this gives a little bit of insight/depth on Joyce's character? There'll be more to it for sure, but it's, a matter of time! As always, thank you all so much for reading, sharing your thoughts and giving input. I cannot appreciate it enough knowing that there are people who are interested in the stuff I put out. So one last time, thanks!

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On 2/1/2019 at 1:07 AM, the diaper mike said:

I absolutely love it continue with the detail with the conversation with her and her mother allow em slip into the picture this time of the wet diaper

Thanks for the kind words! And who knows about the last part? Joyce is adamant in keeping the other part of their relationship a secret, but sometimes they can be hard to keep. Time will tell!

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12 - Back to Normalcy

The faint whispers of bumper to bumper traffic, ongoing construction, and brisk winds could be heard from a distance. Thin, vertical strips of light stained the wall, as from the opposite side they peered through the drawn curtains. The only other presence in the room was the digital clock by the bedside, glaring its digital numbers; early hours of the morning. Possibly the faintest ongoings could be heard from the other side of the closed door, but nothing loud enough to awaken who was asleep; buried amongst the plush comforter and blanket, and supported by the expansive mattress which was a glorified cloud. The pillow easily capable of supporting three heads was occupied by only one, but it had selfishly thrown itself about it from one end to the other; back and forth multiple times in the night. The loose sheets and bedding had been partly folded over each other and areas were bunched more than others, whilst one of the culprit’s appendages hung lifelessly over the edge.

The times between each motion and slothful stir became less and less, and became more and more restless from the waist below. It would remain like that until about fifteen minutes later, and then a groan and sigh would erupt.

“Ugh….” Propping herself up against the headboard, Emily blinked her eyes as the darkness was still leaving their corners. Her body had gone back to being wet all over, and just about the only silver lining was that it wasn’t as bad this time...But she still felt warm again. Again, not as much; especially from her head, too. In fact, it felt pretty normal. Cold, almost? She pressed a hand to her forehead, surprised to feel a texture that wasn’t skin. It was rough, wet, and cold. Luck was on her side though, because instead of her skin turning into a washcloth, she’d just had one put on her instead.

Did Joyce put this on me? Emily held the pile of wet cloth in her hand, with a gaze lost in its countless fibers while her consciousness kicked into full gear. Despite how it made her feel on the surface, it invited a new warmth inside of her; a reminder of the doting person she was in the domain of right now...However, one thing led to another, and it suddenly reminded her of the mishap she caused for Joyce last night.

She’d need to apologize properly. Emily couldn’t even begin to imagine how important of a call she must have disturbed! Then again, didn’t Joyce say it was her mom that she was talking to? What was she thinking? Of course that was an important call! And even if it wasn’t, it probably wouldn’t be the best if she found out about their relationship...How would they explain what they had? Was there even a way to describe it? The thought was too taxing to consider, and it only reminded her of the mental blocks that were jutting outwards in the most awkward places; her headache still in mild swing.

All over she still didn’t feel too spectacular, but painful still couldn’t fully describe it. She felt dull. For better and worse, it meant she at the very least wasn’t as uncomfortable, yet she was still trapped on the tightrope between sweet sensation and suffering. One chain of thought kept leading to another in her head, and her focus finally stumbled upon her bladder, which was making itself known with a constant knock against her lower area.

Right now? A small whimper escaped her, as confining herself to the bed was what she wanted more than anything. Her surroundings were still slightly spinning, and she was still caught in a perfect state of half-sleep to fully jump back into it. She wanted nothing more than to crash right now, but of course bodily needs had to get in the way...Peeling back the rustled covers, she suddenly stopped.

A diaper. She was wearing a...diaper. That’s right...The decision weighed heavily on her shoulders, which is why she didn’t want to give it much thought; she wanted to sweep it off her plate before it became crushing.

If you wanted to use your diaper too, that’d be perfectly okay with Mommy… As if on cue, the words whispered through her ears; maybe her mind? It didn’t matter. Coupled with sleepiness, sickness, stress, and simple laziness, Emily almost surprised herself when she started to push slightly on her bladder.

She couldn’t actually be doing this, could she? Wetting of her own complete volition? She couldn’t stop questioning herself, but she didn’t stop pushing. It was certainly strange, but deep down, she knew it was okay...The idea didn’t sit totally well with her, but she was too tired to care, and her smaller side could only think of Joyce as she did her deed. Despite the inner turmoil, her momentum showed no signs of slowing.

Finally, after forcing herself from a sitting position, she let out a deep sigh as a sudden, warm stream invaded her underwear; her diaper. The sensation was almost relieving, oddly enough. It became one less worry, and now she could go back to sleep, as she was already trying to get comfortable again. Though, she’d had her fair share of warm temperatures already, and the sudden wet heat around her waist didn’t feel amazing given the already heated circumstances. Thankfully she didn’t need to go that much...but she did feel a bit bashful...But Joyce would take care of it, right? She could depend on the woman, after all.

She was...special.

Rolling over on her side and straightening the bedding somewhat, Emily found herself the maximum amount of comfort that was possible, given she was sick and in a wet diaper. She hadn’t bothered to glance at the clock, and didn’t let her mind escape the confines of the room. Nothing in that moment mattered more than whisking herself off to dreamland. Hopefully there would be better adventures than the ones before, though.


“Mhm. I’m just switching out her washcloth right now. I’ll make sure to give her that stuff you mentioned,” Emily could hear Joyce move around the room, as she slowly opened her eyes. “And yes, I’ll keep on top of her with fluids and food. Thank you again, Amanda. I know weekend calls really aren’t your thing...” There was another brief pause. “Just send me the bill; I’d feel bad not giving anything in return. Okay? Perfect. I’ll keep in touch if things don’t get any better.”

Emily could now see enough to know Joyce had just hung up on her phone, and could feel the mattress shift when something new descended upon it. Beside her, it didn’t take Joyce very long to turn from her phone and to her, as her stare rained sunshine and roses upon the sleepy girl.

“Good morning, sleepyhead!” She gave Emily’s shoulder an affectionate squeeze. “Are you feeling any better? Worse?”

“Better, I guess.” Emily tried to sit herself up a little, taking notice of how the room was much brighter now. The curtains had been drawn, and the outward city sky was spewing its torrent of light through the windows.

“Well, I can’t say I expected you to kick this is one sitting...” Joyce’s voice was somber, as she stroked Emily’s hair. “But as long as you’re feeling better in any shape or form, it’s a step in the right direction.”

“I know...And thank you for taking care of me,” Emily’s innermost feelings were starting to feel raw again. “I even interrupted that call last night, and I took up your time because of it...” She was the absolute worst. Even the smallest of disturbances she caused felt like they held the weight of the world, and she only knew how to take, take, and take from Joyce when all she would do is give. The one opportunity she had not to be a screw-up, and she managed to-!

“Interrupted? I only remember you doing as you were told.” Her words cut through Emily’s mental madness like how she threw a wrench in Joyce’s earlier call. “Well, maybe not completely, because someone was out of bed when they weren’t supposed to be,” She looked down on Emily with a playfully stern look. “But even if it were an issue, how could I ever be mad at you?”

“I know, but even on top of that, this was supposed to be our weekend! But instead, I’m spending it being sick!” Emily’s headache was throbbing the more she felt her emotions getting out of control. “It’s not fair to you, and at every point I somehow demand more and more of you!” Despite being so out of it, Emily could feel her deep-seated concerns bubbling from within. Having Joyce take care of her was one of the most amazing things she’d ever experienced, but to a whole new degree was she dragging the woman down.

“Hey, hey!” Joyce helped pulled Emily up, and wrapped her arms around her. “Why are you being so hard on yourself? Don’t you remember? I wanted this kind of thing, and don’t you like it too?”

“Yeah...but still-!”

“Then why are you fighting it?” She looked Emily in the eyes, who already looked to be on the verge of tears. “Have I ever been forced by you to do anything? There’s never been a single moment in our time together like this where I’ve wanted it to stop.” Her undying concern and warmth only made Emily crumble further, as she buried her face in the woman. “Never once have I thought of you as a burden, and you’re a blessing that I could never appreciate enough. I’d never wish for anything bad to happen to you. Ever. But, I’d be lying if I said that the way you’re relying on me now didn’t make me happy in some way...”

She was happy to be Joyce’s baby, but the idea of total dependency still didn’t sit well with her. It was a part of the job she was still adjusting to, and each time she dipped further into the chilling pool of babyhood, it was getting harder and harder to adjust.

“Emmy, you’re not allowed to be mad at yourself, and you’re definitely not allowed to feel bad when you ask me for things, or when I do things for you.”

“...Really?”

Joyce almost wanted to laugh, but she’d never want to seem like she was mocking her. Still, she had figured it was a given by now.

“Of course, silly! Do I need to prove it to you by putting mittens on your hands and booties on your feet? So then you’ll really need someone else to do everything for you? Maybe then you’ll learn how to lean on me a little?” Now she was laughing at the thought, and with Emily clutched in her arms, she could tell it was lightening her mood too. “I’ve already said it a few times, but I guess I need to say it again. Don’t EVER apologize or feel guilty for having me do things for you. If you’re worried about causing me trouble, think about how stressed I am when you’re the one that’s sad. Your happiness is my happiness, and the same goes for when you’re glum.”

Maybe it wasn’t her way with words, as much as it was her entire character; her being. Joyce always knew how to pick up the pieces and make Emily whole again. Even Emily knew she was being ridiculous; feeling bad after all this time that had passed and how far she’d come. She should know better than to fret over these things…

“I can’t stop you if you’re going to feel guilty, but I’m hoping you’ll learn to not be so hard on yourself when these things happen, because I’m not going to stop providing for you, you know.” She’d just need to work a little harder drilling that into her…

“Can we stop dwelling over the unnecessary stuff, though? I’d much rather I have my bubbly little girl back.”

“I’m sorry...” Emily partly mumbled, still buried in the shirt of her caretaker. Joyce could only laugh, hearing her little girl trying to be so sincere in the most innocent way possible. “I just don’t want to be a burden...”

“It’s okay, and that’s the last time I want to hear you being sorry when there’s no good reason for it, got it? You’re not a burden, and you’re far too precious to be called otherwise.”

Meekly Emily nodded her head, as she finally let go of Joyce.

“Good. Now, let’s get you into the kitchen. We’re at least gonna try something for breakfast. I’m not asking for a lot, but I’d rather you eat something before I give you your medicine.” She had already stood from the bed and was waiting for Emily to take the lead.

Given how her head and stomach were feeling, food didn’t really seem appetizing at all right now. For Joyce, though, she’d at least give it a try...Emily was just about to comply, but was suddenly reminded by something she partly remembered doing in her half-dazed state…

“Ah, Joyce? Do you think we could...take care of something before breakfast?” Instinctively her legs shuffled; a loud plastic crinkle making itself known.

“Take care of what? I thought you didn’t want to wear clothes? You still feel a bit warm...”

“No...it’s not that. At some point, I-”

“Used your diaper?”

The words effortlessly came from Joyce’s mouth, as she looked at Emily with a knowing smile. Slowly but surely, she was having her down to a ‘T’.

“Y..yes.” It was still far too difficult to look Joyce in the eye when she responded to these sorts of things, which is why her vision took much more stock in the padding around her hips. It was crinkly, plastic, white, and lavender-scented. The wetness indicator was unperturbed; waiting to be...wet? The more Emily started to turn her gears, the loud crinkle started to make more sense, as well as the fresh smell of powder, and the pure, white crinkly exterior.

“You already…?” Stunned, Emily blinked her eyes as she found it in herself to look at Joyce, who seemed to be eating up every morsel of the abashed realization she was currently saturated in. Yet again, she’d been taken care of and handled without even being around to notice. The squishy wetness between her thighs was gone, now that she took the moment to feel it, and speaking of wetness, the spots that Joyce had so gingerly dried last night felt anew again as well.

“I did say don’t expect me to be waking you up, silly.” Joyce didn’t feel like waiting anymore, as she took Emily’s hands and guided her onto her feet. “I know you might still be embarrassed about the diapers, but I want to thank you for putting your trust in me,” She gave Emily another loving hug. “There’s no need to be so hung up on those things.”

As she returned the hug, Emily’s mind was still a few seconds behind, fully processing how she’d been cleaned and changed without ever waking up; consciously, at least. Maybe the novelty was starting to wear, considering this wouldn’t have been the first time. Had she simply become that comfortable around Joyce? Was that sort of thing even possible? It wasn’t that she minded so much, more that it was somewhat jarring.

“Now come on,” Joyce gave Emily’s bottom a crinkly squeeze. “Are you gonna march off to the kitchen on your own or do I need to carry you?” Her thoughts had a sudden backpedal. “Unless you want me to?”

Within the first second Emily was already out the door, followed by a chuckling Joyce. Thankful for the accommodating temperature throughout the home, Emily sat her bare thighs on the cushioned kitchen chair, while the second woman stationed herself by the counter. Even being remotely close to food or food-related stuff was already enough to have Emily’s stomach churning.

“What are we thinking? Is there anything you might have in mind that you think would be good right now?”

“Not really...” Not even Joyce’s food, undoubtedly the best cuisine she’d ever experienced, could break her spell. In fact, it would likely have the exact opposite effect. “Do you have any cereal?” Maybe she’d figure something out with that…

The lack of depth to her suggestion wasn’t exciting to Joyce, but it was easy to understand how much of a struggle it was to eat just about anything right now. “Let’s see...I think we might have some in here somewhere...” Joyce opened one of the cabinets, finding an unopened box of Branflakes. “How about a drink? Water? Maybe I could make you your special morning drink?”

“No thank you...water’s fine.” Sitting at the table was already putting a mild strain on her head. It felt as if her skull was repeatedly being tapped by a large, blunt mallet; each blow erupting a mild throb as it shook her entire head. At other times it was a little black speck with legs, sitting on top of her brain, carrying a needle in its hands, and would at the slightest movement relish in plunging its tiny spear into her thoughts.

It was by far the lowest quality meal Emily had ever eaten in Joyce’s presence, and despite being so meager in what was set before her, it still looked like one of the greatest challenges she’d ever faced. Second thoughts were coming in full swing.

“Joyce, I don’t know if I can’t eat right now...” She slightly grimaced, as the bowl of moistening flakes and innocent-looking milk taunted her insides with sheer presence alone. The glass of water was a tall cup of poison waiting to boil her insides and clog her arteries; her figurative imagination didn’t make much sense, but the gist was that it all looked nauseating. They were a pair of deadly assassins ready to execute her digestive tract.

Taking a seat next to her, Joyce picked up the spoon from Emily’s bowl, with a small pile of flakes soaking in a puddle of milk. “I know eating food is probably the last thing on your mind right now, but trust me when I say that there’s nothing worse than taking medicine on an empty stomach. You may not be happy with me right now, but it’s for the best that you at least eat a little. I won’t force you to eat it all, but why don’t we give it a few bites and see how you feel?” Still with the spoon in her hand, she reared it toward Emily’s mouth.

The closer the food got to her, the more and more Emily could feel herself revolting at the sight and sensations which aroused her sight and smell. They occupied her nostrils like pungent perfume that had long overstayed its welcome. She wanted nothing more than to get this over with, and was almost considering death a better fate than this.

“Here, I’ll even do the hard part. Open wide!” Slowly, Joyce edged the spoon towards Emily’s sealed lips, and as soon as the metal spoon made contact, her initial resistance caused a little milk to spill from the metal rim and onto her shirt.

“Should I find you a bib and we’ll try this again?” She grinned at Emily, who then felt herself submitting to an even greater force, as a tiny slit between her lips allowed entry for the enemy substance. It was swallowed much faster than it came in, and Emily didn’t feel particularly great as it went down her throat, but not as terrible as she expected either.

“Such a good girl,” Joyce commented, and with her other hand dabbed a cloth on the corner of Emily’s mouth. “Should I give you the spoon back now? Or maybe my little girl wants to be spoiled a little bit more?” Her tone stripped her words of any potentially insulting meaning. Either choice felt equally as welcomed, yet Emily could feel herself being tempted much more by one in particular.

“You keep doing it...” Her words were brief, and her headache was limiting her ability to maintain etiquette and manners. Maybe 10 minutes ago she’d been rambling on about dragging Joyce down so much, but it was obvious how weak-willed those feelings had become; seeing as she was being spoon-fed by her now, and even asking for it.

“I like that answer, too.” Joyce smiled as she took another spoon full. “Now open up for the airplane! Whoosh! Whoosh! In for the landing!” Another package was delivered to Emily’s stomach, and it hadn’t felt any better than the last. Maybe it was the playful treatment that let her keep it down, though. There was a brief pause in between cereal and Joyce’s praising to allow for a sip of water, but they’d gotten through about half the bowl until Emily was calling it quits.

“I’ll say I got as lucky as I could,” Joyce wiped Emily’s face another time, thankful, but hoping she could have fed her little girl for just a little longer. She couldn’t wait to do it again, only under much different circumstances with a much more evident dynamic. Certainly this would be the last obstacle to overcome before that could happen. Unless father time and mother nature were really that cruel. “I’m sure you were ready to stop after the first bite, but thank you for toughing it out for me, my little soldier. All that’s left is to swallow a few pills and then you’re free to relax until your next round.”

The small capsules went down much easier, considering there was no real taste to them. After she swallowed, Joyce’s forehead was pressed to Emily’s, reverberating its own kind of warmth. Satisfied with the reading, Joyce pulled her head away.

“Is there any special spot you want me to set you up in? You can go back to bed or I can put you on the couch?”

“On the couch.” As sick as she was, at least moving her base of operations gave her the illusion of activity. Hopefully this would be the last day of laziness. She was sick of feeling so out of it and wanted more than anything to be well again. She wanted to be able to play with Joyce again.

It didn’t take Joyce very long to move a few pillows and blankets to the sofa, quickly having the girl situated and as comfortable as possible.

“Comfy?” Joyce asked as she stroked the tip of her finger across the bridge of Emily’s nose.

“Mhm. Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome. I have a few business emails to sort through, so I’ll be in my office, okay?”

Emily nodded her head, without too much emotion in her response. As Joyce started walking away, when she got into her office she started to have a sudden change of heart. Pausing just before she brought the tower to life, she veered to one of the larger drawers of her desk, and pulled out an entire laptop, carrying it back into the living room.

“Did you already finish your work?” Emily asked with a hint of surprise. She was too sick to feel like joking at the moment, and didn’t feel like weighing on the things that were happening around her too seriously.

“No, but I was thinking it might be better to do it while keeping you some company.” She sat herself on the couch next to where Emily was resting her head. She unfolded the top of the device and it quietly sprang to life. “Unless that’s not okay with you?” She looked down on Emily with a look waiting for confirmation, tilting it the slightest bit to match the angle of Emily’s; not really trying to incite a particular response.

“No...you can stay.” Emily looked back towards the tv, but was quietly wiggling her toes in response to the matronly presence next to her. The pillows and blankets were one thing, but being with Joyce invited a whole new sense of security. Almost like the diaper...In a way, it was an accessory to Joyce’s care...A reminder.

Absentmindedly, Joyce quietly stroked Emily’s hair with her nearest hand, while the other navigated digital mail and typed responses at a mild pace. She wasn’t in any rush to get the work done, clearly, and it served as the perfect excuse to spend some quality time with Emily despite her being sick. Not that she needed an excuse, but it was something that made the process feel much more natural.

Slowly over time, Emily gradually moved more and more until her head had completely surpassed the pillow. Instead, it found a new cushion which was Joyce’s thigh. At some point the contact was hard not to notice, but the only confirmation Joyce gave was a warm smile to herself, and the slightest shift to try and accommodate the head occupying it. Emily, who was brimming with anxiety right now for being so daring wasn’t so much for words either. The pillow which had at first been an aid was now nothing more than an obstacle, which is why it was soon removed from the equation, and Emily’s head had unobstructed access to Joyce’s firm, but cushiony leg. No words needed to be exchanged, as the feelings and atmosphere were enough to convey meaning.

Much later into the process, Emily had dozed off some time ago, and only between emails did Joyce finally notice. Needless to say, she was almost caught in a trance looking down on her; seeing the small girl be at peace. Almost unconsciously, Joyce’s hand wandered to her phone, watching Emily’s chest slightly rise and fall with each calm breath. Just as she was about to take a picture, she froze; realizing just what she was about to do.

How would Emily react if she was taking a picture of her like this? When she was so vulnerable? What if something like this got out? If anyone saw it; anyone close to either of them...But, the more Joyce’s mind raced in a panic, the more she was allowing rational thought to intrude. The more she looked at the cute, slumbering Emily, it was becoming a bit clearer that it was just a harmless photo...Not to mention, the camera angle wouldn’t catch anything incriminating...The shirt was a bit cutesy, but it was hard to see what was on it from this point of view, and the blanket certainly covered what definitely needed to stay under wraps.

If she doesn’t like the picture, I can just delete it. I’ll show it to her once she wakes up. Forming a resolve, Joyce quietly angled the shot and snapped her photo; a timeless memory permanently digitized. It was one of those moments that Joyce hoped would last forever. Something about her innocence was intoxicating, and Joyce wanted more than anything to keep coaxing it from out of its shell. Leaning over, she pecked her lips on Emily’s exposed cheek. Content with what she’d done, Joyce finally used both hands to focus on her work.

“Cryostasis?” From the subject heading alone she already skipped over it. “Maybe a century from now...”


“And down the hatch!” Joyce cooed as the final set of pills for the night made their way into Emily’s mouth. She swallowed, and was hoping not only they’d be the last for the night, but for this entire ordeal as well. “What do you say we have you turn in early again for tonight? Just so we can really nip this thing in the bud?”

“I think so too...I really don’t want to feel like this in the morning.” Since she woke up it had been a winning battle, but Emily knew if there was real progress to be made, it would be through sleep. She’d been trying her best to keep up on food and water, but they were still things she wasn’t crazy about. There wasn’t a single official diaper change that night; minus the one from the morning, and dinner consisted of some extremely small stuff. Thankfully Joyce (despite being reluctant) let her off without an official lunch. Drinking water never left the picture though.

“Okay then, let’s get you settled down for the night. Probably panties would be for the best, huh?”

Oddly, Emily agreed with a small tinge of disappointment. The weekend was over, and so that meant the same for their ‘special’ time. While Emily may have been on vacation, that didn’t mean the same for Joyce. Without her in the picture it just made the moment feel empty...There wasn’t much point in acting a role if there wasn’t another to reciprocate it.

“Maybe if you’re up for it we can experiment a little over the weekdays?” Joyce perked up Emily’s ears with her suggestion. “I know I’m sometimes home earlier than you...so maybe this week if you’re up for it we can try picking up where we left off?” As she guided Emily back to her room, she could see the tiny grin Emily was trying, but failing to hide. “Oh?” Joyce leaned forward to nuzzle her cheek. “Looks like I struck a chord with someone? If I didn’t know any better, I’d have thought you’re the one asking me to do this!” Her teasing caused Emily to crumble, which only made Joyce laugh more. It was all in good fun though, and as bashful as she was being, the joy written all over Emily’s face was undeniable.

Joyce had dressed her in the pajama set with the extra length on the torso arms and pant legs, and of course, thinner underwear. She didn’t look to be one hundred percent, but at least a solid seventy. Tucked under the covers, Joyce sat on the bed with Emily for a little longer, making small talk, and simply enjoying their time together.

“Oh! I almost forgot...” Joyce’s voice trailed off as she snaked her hand into her pocket. “I have something I want to show you...”

A surprise? Emily could suddenly feel her pulse race. A surprise from Joyce could mean just about anything in the realm of tangibility. If it had a physical form and was acquirable, Emily had her doubts that it wouldn’t be possible for Joyce to get...Emily hadn’t ever tried to think about it too much, but where exactly Joyce ranked on the list of powerful people was probably a notable rank…

“I managed to catch this earlier, and I wasn’t sure how you’d take it...” Joyce turned her phone to Emily, as she looked back at a still image of herself; nuzzled against someone’s leg and covered in a blanket. She wasn’t crazy about pictures of herself...but even with that in mind it still pulled at the heartstrings a little…

“Wh...when did you take this?”

“When you were sleeping earlier today...I didn’t know how you might feel about pictures…” Suddenly Joyce wasn’t feeling too confident anymore, or at least she was trying to be receptive to Emily’s feedback. “Of course, I didn’t catch anything suggestive, and I wouldn’t show it to anyone! I’d be willing to delete it if you ask…” The slightest bit of sadness sparked within her; imagining a scenario like that. “It’s just...I don’t know...nice to have a few pictures of you, I guess...”

Pictures...Simple in their own right, yet hearing it from Joyce gave them a new sense of meaning. More than just a static moment in time, it was now a logged memory; a piece of evidence that Joyce and Emily were now interlocked. A part of her was now with Joyce, and was kept safely in the confines of her phone...It was weird, of course, to think about it so intensely, but it was exciting nonetheless.

“Keep it.” Emily briefly spoke.

“Really?” Joyce’s hopes had definitely gotten the best of her, as even she couldn’t hide her joy. “Are you sure?”

“Well...you said it yourself, didn’t you?” Her cheeks were starting to grow red. “It’s nice to have a few pictures...Thank you for asking me though...You don’t need to ask me anymore. I trust you.”

A giggle erupted from Joyce as she pulled Emily in for one last hug. She’d have to be much more watchful in the future for picture-worthy moments now! Past regrets were starting to dawn on her; perfect moments that could have been immortalized! Moving forward though those same regrets would not be allowed to pass.

“You get some sleep for me, okay? I want to all rested up for when I get back tomorrow. Don’t worry about getting up early.”

“I won’t see you in the morning?”

“I get up pretty early for work, and you know that already. You should be sleeping in though, and you should be taking advantage of your time off! Especially when you’re sick.”

Emily doubted it would really affect her, but the thought of missing out on an opportunity to see Joyce was disappointing to some degree. Again, her explanation was truthful, but that didn’t mean it agreed with her feelings.

“How about I say goodbye in the morning?” Joyce started to straighten out the bedding again. “If I wake you up for a second to say bye, will you go back to sleep for me?”

Quickly, Emily nodded her head; much more pleased with this new compromise.

“It’s a deal then. I’ll see you in the morning, sweetie.”

“Night!” Emily glanced at her phone for a few minutes, then rolled over to her side. She waited for the sound of the door closing, but it never came. Joyce always left a crack in the doorway, and Emily lulled off into a slumber just from thinking about it.


“Emily? Hellloooo? You in there?” A familiar voice eased its way into Emily’s ears, and then a laugh soon after. “I knew it was a bad idea waking you up...I’m headed out now for work and I’m here to say bye, okay?”

“Okay...” Emily could only murmur, as she wasn’t even aware of what was happening. Her internal clock hadn’t been prepped for a time like this.

“Okay?” In a small amount of disbelief, Joyce chuckled over her loopy state. “Alright then,” She leaned in for a much calmer whisper. “You go back to sleep for me now, okay? I’ll be home later.”

“Good...night….”

The only thing Emily could really register was something soft press her cheek, and then the sound of heels padding across carpet and soon the clicks and clacks of colliding with a wooden floor. As the noises became more quiet, so did her surroundings and suddenly everything else. She had been in the middle of a pleasant dream, and it wasn’t so willing to let her go that easily. Besides, she was in the middle of an important spa treatment with Ashes, and just because the moon was crashing into Mars, that didn’t mean apples couldn’t be blue.


“Still, Joyce, I never really figured you the type to go to the movies.” Emily curiously poked as they exited the theater. “I didn’t really expect you to ask me to do something like this...”

“Why not?” She leaned them against a nearby wall. “I’m human too, you know!” True, she didn’t really go to the movies; at all, really, but Emily had brought change to her life in more ways than one. “Besides, doesn’t it feel good to be out and about after getting sick? I assumed you want to do something like this...I guess not though...” Obviously pretending, Joyce plastered a disappointed look on her face as she gave Emily a full view of it in its entirety.

“N-no! I didn’t mean it like that,” Clearly skipping over the sarcasm, Emily did her best to ensure damage control, despite there never being a need for it. Still, she never wanted to even insinuate the slightest idea that whenever Joyce spent a dime on her it was money wasted. “I was just surprised, that’s all.”

“I know what you mean, and I was kidding, so don’t worry so much.” Joyce pat the top of Emily’s head; paying no mind to the people around them.

“Why do you tease me so much?” Emily slightly puffed her cheeks, but of course she wasn’t really angry, but playfully annoyed.

“Because,” Joyce poked her plump cheek as if she were popping a bubble. “You’re too cute not to!” She spoke in a lowered voice, and suddenly Emily wasn’t feeling so brave to publicly challenge her again. “What do you say we go get something to eat now? Popcorn and candy doesn’t really count as a meal to me...”

She was right, there. Joyce insisted on getting a little bit of everything for Emily’s sake, though she didn’t put so much as a dent in it; her stomach didn’t have the capacity, nor would it sit well with her conscience. Even still, when at the snack counter, if Emily gave even the slightest hint of finding something good-looking it wound up in Joyce’s purse. She could go for some real food too.

“By the way,” Joyce started as they walked back to the car, and Emily was all ears. “Do you have anything going on tomorrow? Anything important?”

“No, I don’t think so. Why?” It didn’t take much thinking, as the greater part of her time was now freed up because of work and the rest was occupied by Joyce.

Joyce was a little surprised to hear that, but it wasn’t a disappointment. “Well...” Her first word was infused with intrigue and curiosity. “I was thinking that maybe tonight when we get home we could do a little bit of…’bonding’ together?” Her wording on the surface was vague, but Emily knew exactly what she meant, and truthfully, she loved the sound of it.

“Yeah...It sounds like fun.” Openly warming up to the babying experience was strange, but the idea was far from foreign now. It had become too regular to consider it a stranger.

“Great! I wanted to ask because I was thinking maybe we could try and cover more than just one day?”

“More...than one?” She never really thought about it, but their play never did go beyond a single day...When she was sick a few days ago that put them in a weird place, but Emily wouldn’t count it as official. What she was asking for now would be totally intentional and uninterrupted. It was certainly a commitment, but it was...exciting.

“Tomorrow’s Friday and I don’t have any real reason to go to the office tomorrow,” She probably did, but it wasn’t like Sheila couldn’t fix her schedule to suggest otherwise. “And I know your workplace is still sorting through its own issues.” Yes, this was true. It was hard to believe she’d gone an entire week on paid vacation. Maybe it wasn’t the best way to phrase it, but how far from the truth was it? “Would you be okay if we tried something like that?”

“Yeah, I’d be fine. Actually...I think I’d kind of want to try it too.”

“Then it’s settled,” Joyce gave her another squeeze from behind, then freed her long enough to let her get in the passenger seat. “We’ll get right to it once we’re home. Sound good?”

Emily nodded her head, and Joyce turned on the ignition.

“Any idea what you’re in the mood for?”

“Uhm...You pick.”

“Hmm...I have one place in mind.” Apparently Joyce was taking control early. Rather, Emily was surrendering herself much sooner. It didn’t matter though, because in the end all that really did was Emily wanting to be with Joyce, and Joyce wanting to be with Emily. They’d become inseparable, or were on the verge of becoming so. Nonchalantly Joyce checked the time on her phone, and seemed to be pleased with how things were progressing. Give it just another hour at most and the movers were likely to be done in the apartment. Even if it all had good intentions, Joyce felt a little strange deceiving Emily like this…

Today’s outing was to give Emily a sense of freedom again, but it was also to get her out of the house just long enough to move in some of the bigger purchases...The assembly would already be finished and Joyce could rearrange if need be. The painting was finished a few days ago and that’s what mattered the most. It was all for Emily, but Joyce was admittedly giddy imagining what the final products would be. Her “client” had gotten progress shots from BabyCare, but only by seeing them in the flesh could they truly be appreciated.

Her mind then stumbled upon some of the other items she was having delivered; some things that wouldn’t be limited to just the one room. Where was she going to put the chair? It was another assembled piece, but it was probably too much work to keep taking apart and putting back together. The room’s closet was probably big enough to store it...She’d need to figure it out at some point, but it wasn’t at the forefront of her mind right now...Instead, she was much more focused on getting them fed.


“So what are we gonna do tonight?” Emily started to lose herself to the hypnotic hum, as the room was filled with lavender, and her lower half descended upon a plastic-covered cushion. She was still a bit squeamish in moments like these, but routine and habit were dangerous things; stick to something long enough and you just might get used to it.

“I’m not sure about that part, yet.” Joyce drew up the plastic front and gingerly pressed the tapes. “Unless you have any ideas? You’re allowed to want things too, you know.” She started to trace her finger on Emily’s bare stomach, which expectedly caused a squirming fit.

In a stifled laugh Emily retreated to the far end of the bed in search of safety, staring dagge--well, tiny daggers, at the taller woman. The sense of play was already filling the room, and that made anger impossible. Emily was no longer the tortured, but the submissive, dancing in the palm of her caretaker.

Joyce looked at her expectantly, already formulating ideas for what they could do. She knew that she wanted this to start, but she wasn’t sure what they’d do to keep it going…Though, she was a little surprised to hear a suggestion from Emily.

“Well...does it have to be something here?” Her voice was weak, as if her resolve were to crumble at the slightest breeze of objection.

“No,” Joyce had corralled her charge back to the end of the bed. “What did you have in mind?”

“Then maybe...” She wasn’t intentionally trying to drag her words out for the sake of suspense, but was more hung up on the idea of making demands. Not that it could even come close to being one with how she sounded, though. “Milkshakes?” Her eyes looked to almost be glimmering at the sound. “From that one place?”

“Shake Stop? The one you were so insistent on not wanting last time?”

“It’s not that I didn’t want one...”

Joyce looked to be thinking. “I’m not sure...”

“You’re right. We just got home, and it’s already late.” It was pretty late. They hadn’t got home until a handful of hours after sundown. Due to a lot of aimless browsing in stores they got derailed pretty fast; not that either of them had a schedule to keep to. In fact, it was exactly what Joyce wanted, even if the work at the apartment had been finished a while ago. “We can always do something-” A finger was suddenly pressed to her lips.

“And at what point did I say no?” She planted a kiss on her forehead. “I was just thinking about whether or not I should be giving you sugar so late! You’re much cuter when I need to carry you to bed, you know?” The classic, telltale look was written all over her face, and Joyce could only giggle. “Come on though, I should probably get you dressed in something before we go. I think just a diaper might be a little too chilly for the outdoors. Don’t you?”

Pulling her punches, Emily let herself be taken near the dresser which Joyce was already sifting through; the three shelves on the left. Since getting her things from Jack’s place, they had devised a system for Emily’s wardrobe in the dresser, which was to keep her more…“adult” things on the right end of the dresser. The left side...well...it was the exact opposite, to say the least.

“Left leg, nice and high!” Joyce commanded as Emily held onto her shoulders while she was kneeling on the ground. And without really paying much mind until now, as soon as Emily’s first leg slipped in and past the fabric, the bottoms felt nothing like street clothes; much too soft for that. The pastel colors she could now see didn’t seem to suit a public appearance so much either.

“Joyce? I thought we were going out? Why are you dressing me in stuff I’d sleep in?” Her questioning still didn’t stop her body from stepping in the other leg hole.

“Isn’t it easier to just get you dressed in your jammies now?” Joyce didn’t sound to find the topic as interesting as Emily, and was much more complacent with the outfit choice. “Do you not like how it looks?”

No, it looked fine, but it was the context that mattered here… Sure, she’d gone outside before in the clothes she slept in, but that was maybe in sweatpants and a  top! Not an outfit intentionally marketed as a pajama set! She really did look like someone who was set up for bedtime...And then there was Joyce, the person who looked to be much more suited with interacting with the outside world...But, at the same time, Emily was now truly represented by Joyce. She was the adult...She was the only one who needed to be concerned with business...Emily was supposed to be carried along like this, and be allowed the simple pleasures of letting someone else do all the heavy lifting. She had someone in charge of her outfit, and her social interactions. The lack of freedom in exchange for care had her heart beating fast. Try as she might, she couldn’t refuse how much she was loving this.

Joyce took her blush and lack of eye contact as a good sign, and finished pulling the top over her head. The cuffs hugged her at the wrists and waist, and she looked simply precious. Her entire demeanor reflected a small child who needed to be cared for; needed to have things be done for them, and that need was being fulfilled to the utmost. Joyce could only notice it by sound when she moved, but the real cherry on top was the crinkle from Emily’s hidden diaper; the final nail in the coffin which completed everything.

The simple white socks came next, and she then ushered the pampered girl out and into the shoe area by the door. And for just a moment while she was lagging behind, Joyce slipped a duplicate key from her pocket and unlocked the door that shrouded countless mysteries. Peering inside, without turning on the light, the sights Joyce could then see were astonishing. It was almost surreal; having so many individual pieces born from fantasy and imagination, suddenly be realized and consolidated; all be brought together and united under one banner of infancy. With all her willpower she forced herself away from the breathtaking sight and closed the door, re-locking it. Had she seen it a day earlier, it wouldn’t have been possible to contain such emotions; such a passion and burning desire to put so many fun toys and devices to their full use.

Rearing her head around the corner, Joyce watched Emily’s back as she slipped on her shoes. It was just a sliver, but between her pants and the slightly raised shirt, Joyce could see the beginnings of a white, plastic waistband that contrasted so heavily with the pastel blues and purples she was dressed in, yet complemented the theme so much.

“Don’t forget your jacket. I know you’re in some warm clothes now, but I want to be extra prepared.”

“If you gave me a chance I was gonna get it,” Emily playfully jabbed. “What flavor are you gonna get this time?”

“Hmm...I’m not too sure? I’ve been a fan of vanilla lately.”


“And like that she’s fading fast, folks!” Joyce in a distant shout announced to the imaginary audience as she carried Emily in her arms. “It seems not even milkshakes can keep her going! You know, I thought cats like to nap during the day and play all night? You’ve got the napping part down, but not so much the other...Maybe you’re defective?”

Emily in a sleepy giggle could only stare back as she collided with cushiony bedding and pillows. Joyce looked at her longingly, reflecting on the mini-speech she planned to use if Emily did stay up too late. It was all in good fun, and to be honest she was just looking for an excuse to tease her. In the time they left and she was putting her to bed, Emily hadn’t felt the need to use the bathroom, and Joyce was expecting that to change at some point...She just hoped Emily wouldn’t be creeping around that night. One, if she’d already used her diaper between sleeping fits, it increased the likelihood of doing it again. And two, she might see things that weren’t supposed to be revealed until the morning…

“Don’t let the bed bugs bite, Emmy!” Joyce kept her voice low, so not to disturb the already slumbering girl, and for the first time fully closed the door on her way out, rather than just stopping right before the end. She opened the door to the room she checked on before they left, and was just as pleased with the results, only that much more now that the lights were on.

“Let’s get to work...” Joyce started to move a few things around; rearranging things here and there. She even went forward with the task of moving a few things outside of the room and into other areas of the apartment. Each and every item she moved on to, it was a reminder of how far she and Emily had come; how much progress they had made, and how much closer they’d grown together. Not only as a mother and child, but as significant others who could not do without the other. All the waiting and patience was worth the look she’d see on Emily’s face in the morning; the raw emotion that would burst from within. It would only be the beginning, and it was surely going to get better. By no means had they cleared all obstacles, but the net gain would be positively glorious.

It took a good forty-five minutes before Joyce was satisfied with her work, and she could bring the night to an end by closing the door, though not locking it this time. She checked her phone for the time, and let out a sigh as she knew she’d need to get up early tomorrow. The whole day would just be her and Emily, and it would all be about her special little girl.

Quickly throwing something to sleep in on, Joyce reeled back her covers and could start to feel herself sinking into the mattress almost immediately.

The clock nearby read 12:01 AM.

Happy birthday, Emily.


Gasp! Another update so soon? Had this one ready, and figured why not. On top of that, I made a small mistake with my closing comment on the last post. Apparently the last chapter was already the one both websites were at, so I guess now they're being updated together. As always, thanks for reading and let me know what you thought!

  • Like 11
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1 hour ago, babytom2 said:

I don't recall this chapter in the original story,is it new?

I made a small mistake with the last posting, and that one was what put both stories at the same chapter. Chapter 12 (This one) is finally something new for both websites.

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20 minutes ago, Mee said:

I made a small mistake with the last posting, and that one was what put both stories at the same chapter. Chapter 12 (This one) is finally something new for both websites.

Could have sworn there was a chapter about her reclaiming her stuff from her former boyfriend.Was that completely removed?

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2 hours ago, BabySofia said:

Glad to see a new chapter! I'd been following it over on abdlstoryforum, and love what you've done here. Can't wait to see her reaction to her nursery!

Thanks for reading, and I'm happy to hear the kind words!

1 hour ago, babytom2 said:

Could have sworn there was a chapter about her reclaiming her stuff from her former boyfriend.Was that completely removed?

You scared me for a second ? I think you might have missed that chapter. I think you're talking about 10? It's at the bottom of page one.

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8 hours ago, Mee said:

Thanks for reading, and I'm happy to hear the kind words!

You scared me for a second ? I think you might have missed that chapter. I think you're talking about 10? It's at the bottom of page one.

Ah,the downside to reading elsewhere,skimmed until I found something new.

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13 - Birthday Surprises

The big day officially started when Emily could feel her shoulder being gently shaken by a hand, coupled with an encouraging, quiet voice.

“Come on, honey...It’s time to get up!”

“What time is it?” She wasn’t really aware of what was happening, but all she had to cling on to was Joyce’s voice.

“Early enough so that we can have lots of fun! Don’t you want to spend the day with me?”

Groaning, Emily stirred as she finally opened her eyes, as Joyce’s hair dangled over her from above, paired with the face that filled Emily with such positivity whenever she saw it. “I do, but can I please have five more minutes?” When she moved, a sudden mass between her legs became unpleasantly loud, as well as squishy. Dreading the ability to remember the past, she recalled what she’d done at some point in between sleeping; waking up long enough to wet herself and then go back to sleep. She wanted to justify it as her just being tired, but it was even less of an excuse compared to last time when she was sick. Thankfully the only other person who’d know about it praised and even encouraged her for it. Still, maybe milkshakes weren’t the best idea…

A sudden shock hit Emily when a hand pressed against the front of her pastel bottoms, certainly fishing for what was underneath the fleece clothing; for something much more plastic and wet. Emily could only lock eyes with Joyce as her hand inspected the damage, only one of the two smiling at the act, and the other blushing furiously.

“I take it you had a nice sleep?” Joyce quickly assaulted her with a peck on the cheek, finally pulling her hand away from the material covering the wet diaper.

“Can I have some coffee?” Although embarrassed, still in a dazed state, Emily briefly forgot her current role when asking for such an “adult” drink. Though, she quickly realized her mistake right after, but was too lazy to correct herself. Not only did she want to shift the topic, but if she was going to get up she could really use a booster. The kind of coffee Joyce would give her was probably that milk drink.

“I’m sure we can figure something out for breakfast...” The obvious hints of mischief danced throughout her voice, and even Emily was smart enough to pick up on that. Joyce was all smiles, like always, but there seemed to be some sort of...fire behind her usual passion? As if she were twice as excited than usual? Maybe as things were moving along she was just all the more happy?
“Can I...can I be changed first, though?” Sheepishly Emily muttered her request, as she got off the bed and stood next to Joyce, dressed in a pair of jeans and a sweater. Like last night the maturity dynamic was at play and making great strides, including the height and age difference which contributed to an amazing package altogether. The added weight to Emily’s underwear was suddenly feeling like another large contributor as well.

“Of course you can!” Joyce spoke almost as if she were expecting the request, and easily slipped her thumbs in the waistband of Emily’s pajama bottoms, giving them a slight upwards tug. For the briefest moment, the stretched material slightly emphasized the curve of her underwear, and it had the sleepy Emily back to her bashful self.

“But, I don’t really think is the place to be changing your diapers...” Joyce spoke in an almost disapproving tone, giving the rest of the room a few exaggerated glances.

“Wh..what?” Awkwardly, Emily countered her statement with genuine confusion. “But...you always change me here?” The topic of diapers wasn’t high on Emily’s comfortability list, but facts were facts, and Joyce was really throwing her for a loop.

“Maybe,” Joyce looked as if she were recalling a distant thought; not one that happened just last night. “But how am I supposed to change you here? Where are all your changing supplies?”

“R...right there…?” What was she getting at? Joyce’s words felt completely foreign to Emily, as she pointed towards the dresser where the supplies likely were. Funnily enough, only Joyce was the one to go snooping in the “baby” drawers. She’d never been told not to, but Emily still felt it was unspoken her access to them was restricted or discouraged.

Joyce, following Emily’s finger, looked at her as if it was Joyce’s turn to be confused, even though deep down she really wasn’t. For the sake of appearances though she maintained the act on the surface. “What do you mean, sweetie? That’s where we keep all your big girl clothes.”

“Look at what I’m wearing, though!” Alluding to her pajamas and not the diaper, Emily looked down at herself and her attire. “Didn’t you get these from the dresser last night?” She walked over to the drawers she’d never personally touched and opened them up. Yet the inside of them was a sight she didn’t expect to see.

Nothing. The drawer was empty, and all that stared back at her was the wooden bottom of it.

“What…?” Emily voiced her confusion as it trailed off, and she looked back to Joyce who was donned with a secretive smile; amused with her little girl’s puzzled expression.

“Where did all the stuff go?”

“What stuff?” Joyce continued to play dumb.

“You know! All the….baby stuff…” Emily’s voice came out quietly.

“Oh! Now I get what you’re saying!” Joyce, as if something obvious was made clear to her pretended to remember a fabricated event. “Emmy,” Joyce started to chuckle. “Don’t you remember when I said this room was only temporary?”

Temporary? What did she mean?

“Temp…? What do you mean? You never said that.” And even if she did, where else did she expect her to sleep? Was this part of the game? Wait, she couldn’t be suggesting that she sleep with her, did she? Emily didn’t know how to feel about that…

Closing the distance, Joyce pulled Emily in for a hug, kissing the top of her head. “It’s okay if you forgot,” Though, there wasn’t anything to forget. “All I want is for you to be happy. Now come on, don’t you want your diaper changed?”

The embrace was nice, but it did no more to answer Emily’s questions. Still shrouded in obscurity, Emily accepted the strange request pertaining to her underwear, and complied with the equally as strange suggestion to leave the room. Where else was there to go?

Walking out the door, Emily instinctively turned towards the living room, but was suddenly stopped by a pair of hands on her shoulders.

“Other way…!” The excitement was impossible for Joyce to contain, as they drew closer and closer to the big reveal. Emily’s sense of loss and confusion was too adorable and wonderful to not revel in. It wasn’t the uncertainty itself that had Joyce on the edge of her seat, but for what it would transform into once things were set into motion. The countless days they’d spent together and the effort that was involved in them would finally be realized in just a few more feet. The masterful plan had been clear as day to Joyce for quite some time, and only until it had reached its climax would it be made known to Emily, and that was exactly what this moment was. It was the beginning of something beautiful, and something Joyce was fairly certain Emily would enjoy too.

Admittedly interested now too, Emily staring at Joyce with her own smile for a few moments looked past her and down the other, much shorter end of the hallway. There wasn’t anything special, though. All that was there was were the three doors Emily had always known. One was Joyce’s room, the other was her office, and the other…? Well, the other Emily had known to be a storage room. So...so why did she suddenly start to feel so wonderfully apprehensive when looking at it now? Added more to the effect, her heart suddenly thumped heavily when she noticed the bright, red bow tied to the knob.

Wordlessly, Emily stared back at Joyce as if she were waiting for confirmation.

“Well? Aren’t you going to open it?”

In all the time they’d spent together, Joyce had continuously showered Emily in gifts and surprises, but never did Emily feel such suspense when staring at a plain door. The simplicity in the covering which shrouded something much more mysterious was what screamed the most to her, and she almost wanted to turn away from the door and run; afraid she might not be able to handle the might of what Joyce had in store for her...But, so much of her wanted to see what was behind that door, and she did want to be changed…

Taking a deep breath, Emily edged closer and closer to the knob, trying to be mindful of the red decoration wrapped around it, and with a firm grasp gave it a slight twist, rotating smoothly in response. All that was left was for Emily to give the door a push, and the room’s contents would be revealed. Once more, Emily looked back at Joyce who seemed even more eager than Emily was. Whose gift was it really?

“Are you really going to drag this out so much?” Joyce jokingly, somewhat broke the atmosphere as she readied herself to practically push the girl into the room.

Slowly, Emily’s push formed a gap between the door and the frame, as her eyes started to adjust to the revealing scene, and Joyce slightly bit her lower lip, watching from behind. The lights were already turned on, and in almost a dramatic fashion Emily looked away for just a second to rub the lingers of agitated sleep out of them, but when they came to, and the door was fully open, what Emily had seen completely betrayed her expectations, largely because the limits she figured Joyce would go to were far lower than their actual level; the current display suggesting otherwise. She couldn’t find the words as an indescribable sight was showcased to her. In soft, calming colors, plush, white carpeting, and many furniture items tailored for her exact size, staring back at the two was a fully stocked nursery.

“It’s a...” Coherent thought had completely abandoned the smaller girl as she walked inside, and her feet touched the new flooring and the thick fibers just slipped in between her toes. The first thing she could see in all its splendor was unmistakably a crib, only for an infant of a much larger size...It was propped on the traditional four legs, and the two broader sides were barred, but it wasn’t as high off the ground. Inside of it was a thick mattress dressed in bedding and a few stuffed animals had already made themselves comfortable by the pillow.

Next to it was a counter, just about the height of her usual bed but a tad bit taller, and a plastic-covered cushion ran across it. The cushion from a distance had all sorts of caricatures on it, and even some that looked familiar...From Emily’s angle, she could also see the counter’s interior was hollowed, and in it were an array of unknown bottles in varying size, an obvious package of wipes, and a cloth-draped wicker basket of thick-looking padding; diapers. But they weren’t usual ones...Or at least, not the ones Emily knew. They were much more decorated…

Beside the changing table was a tall white bin, and even in Emily’s state of disbelief could she likely guess what it was for…

Emily could also see another door, as her heart started to race faster, seeing each and every infantile item and addition to the room. It was what she could only guess to be a closet door, otherwise her heart wouldn’t be able to handle much more. Next to it was a full-length mirror against the wall, lined in a flowery trim that eased itself into the theme of the easygoing kid’s room.

“I...Is this all for...” Again, as her mind raced a mile a minute she could only murmur and look back at Joyce, who was enveloped in complete, total secondhand ecstasy from Emily’s reactions. Finding her question falling short, Emily looked back to the rest of the room, finally remembering the concept of color, and noticed how all the wooden furniture was a dark, brown, maple wood, and the walls were cream-colored which when paired with the carpet and everything else painted a wonderful combination. A few simple paintings of landscapes were hung around the room, which although a strange addition, didn’t feel totally unwelcome...And although an argument to the closet theory, there was also a wooden dresser by the door in the corner.

Turning around one last time, before she stared at Joyce, what stared back at her first were two, black spheres sewn into the massive giant of fluff contained by artificial fur sitting in the corner of the room. Lazily on its bottom, with arms by its sides and legs spread in opposite directions, a giant bear made itself comfy and was as quiet as a mouse. It was almost as big as Emily! Or maybe it was as big? Taken aback by the large stuffie, she almost didn’t notice the toy chest which was conveniently labeled so beside it. There were much finer details to the room as well, but to put so much stock in each and every one of them would have kept Emily and Joyce there all day.

Emily, trying to ease her slightly heightened breathing, looked at Joyce who was almost on the verge of tears from induced happiness.

“It’s a...nursery?” There was little expression in Emily’s voice, as she was still ridden with shock, as the moment in itself was not only surreal, but even if the room itself was tangible Emily still could not fully grasp it.

“Yes!” Joyce’s voice erupted with joy, as she rushed in to give Emily an even bigger hug. “And it’s your nursery. Everything in here is meant for you!”

Weakly, Emily returned the hug. She almost felt like when she did during that fever dream; responses lagging and emotions the same. But the one thing that resonated so strongly within her was the idea of ownership. Her nursery. It was hers. Everything in this room, dedicated to caring for someone who needed to be cared for, and waited on hand and foot for the most basic things. A crib to protect her from falling out while she slept, a changing table to dedicate the craft of keeping her pants dry, colors and pictures meant to reinforce happy feelings, and toys inducted with the sole task of keeping their user bubbly and entertained.

“H..how long have you been working on this?”

“A little bit, honestly...” Joyce’s enthusiasm simmered for a small bit to remember her countless efforts and long nights. “But it was all worth it, just to put a smile on your face, and to bring us closer together.”

A small sniffle could only escape Emily as all the random pieces from their time together started to fall into place. The days when Joyce might be an hour later than usual, or yesterday when they spent especially long outside the house, keeping this door locked, and even going to visit Amy?

“But...but why?” With a faint sense of confusion, Emily looked at Joyce with a face that suddenly broke Joyce’s sense of bliss. “Why all of this for...me?” As soon as she popped the question, an odd sensation swept over Emily. A wet sensation, and it felt as if it were rolling down her cheeks. Pressing a hand to where the feeling was coming from, she pulled it away to see a clear liquid on her finger.

Tears. They were tears.

And they didn’t stop coming, as an unknown part of Emily burst from within and took control of her vision; blurring from the oncoming stream. Awkwardly, Emily gave a brief chuckle as she continued to stare at Joyce.

“I-I don’t know why I’m crying?”

Without a word Joyce came back to her, only now Emily responded with a much tighter grip, as the contact had her break into a muffled sob. The physical contact was an instinctive reaction, but the emotional turmoil that followed was something completely unknown to Joyce. Why was she crying? Did she hate it? Did she not like it? A sinking feeling started to grow in her heart, but more than anything she wanted Emily to be happy.

“Do you not like it?” It was a question of concern that discarded her personal feelings, and only cared to take input from Emily’s.

“N-no...It’s-It’s not that…!” She could only hug tighter as her words were harder and harder to squeeze out. What weighed on her the most was the very nursery itself, and to learn that while she lived from day to day, Joyce the entire time had been planning something much grander that could never be realized in the span of a single day; the span of a single week! The more Joyce did for Emily, it came with Emily’s own expectations to somehow return the favor, even if Joyce only wanted it in feelings. No matter how much reinforcement Joyce could try and give, it couldn’t have prepared Emily for something like this.

“Am I...am I really that special to you?” Teary-eyed, Emily looked up at Joyce’s eyes. “Y-you would go so far for...for me?”

Her mighty, motherly will started to tremble from the sound of her words, as even Joyce’s eyes started to water. Lowering her hands past Emily’s bottom, she gripped them around Emily’s thighs and hoisted her into the air, causing her legs to wrap around Joyce.

“I would do anything for you!” Her voice was thick as she rubbed the pajama girl’s back. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I want to do so much for you! Every day I want to make your sun shine as bright as possible, Emily, and never have I felt this way about someone before...” As the feelings in her heart poured out, so did the tears from her eyes. “You’ve given me something that I never want to let go of, and only nurture and grow closer with! I love being with you, as an adult and a baby. Everything about you, from your cat naps, to your cuddling, mindful personality, playfulness, gratitude and appreciation makes me want to keep you close and never let go. We haven’t been together for very long, but the things you’ve done for me have become so essential that I can’t ignore the feelings you've awakened in me...”

Each and every sentence, word, piece of grammar, and pause were like iron fingers plucking the strings to Emily’s heart, which sung only the most wonderful tunes. Although a surprise in itself, the babyish feelings and willingness to submit was what threw Emily for a loop, as well as her quickness to adapt and enjoy it in much heavier troves…But even more, beyond that, it was also coupled with a sense of happiness to be with Joyce even outside of their mommy time, which only burned stronger with every passing day that they were together.

Sudden memories of Jack invaded her mind; moments from when their relationship was in its prime, and how every moment when they were together was like walking on cloud nine. Being with the person you wanted to spend your time with the most was an inexplicable sensation, so why was she thinking of that now? Yet, asking such a question was obviously stupid, as when she was buried in Joyce the answer was too obvious.

“Y-you’re important to me too...” Emily laughed through her tears, losing her entire composure over Joyce’s boundless compassion. “I...I want to be with you Joyce. I want to be together.”

The affirmation only sent a new wave of relief over Joyce, as she hugged tighter and showered Emily in kisses.

“That’s not fair!” Joyce chuckled, trying to blink the wetness out of her eyes, “I’m the one that’s supposed to make you happy!” The pair kept laughing as they showered each other in their love, one still in the arms of the other. Both of their hearts, standing in the middle of the nursery, had reached a point of complacency and euphoria which had never been known to either of them. Apart from the room itself being out of a fantasy book, the circumstances themselves were one in a million, and both of them in their own right felt like they were one in a million to be fortunate enough to be blessed by the other.

Another minute went by until their feelings had finally settled down, and Joyce hiked Emily up once more to regain her grip. The stretching on her bottoms made the diaper’s outline a little more obvious, which brought the purpose for entering the nursery back to Joyce’s mind.

“I’m so happy to hear you like it, Emily.” Once more, Joyce attacked Emily with another kiss. “But what do you say we break in your nursery with its first diaper change?”

Outward emotion being her means of communication, Emily nodded her head as Joyce carried her to the changing table, setting her down on her back. Everything in the room was designed and constructed with Emily’s exact figure in mind, courtesy of Amy’s measurements which Joyce need only forward to the design team. Emily’s head rested on the small cushion at the end, and only from the knees down did her legs hang off the table, spread apart far enough for Joyce to get herself right in between.

“W...will it hold me?” Looking at her surroundings, Emily suddenly felt uncertain of whether or not the furniture could actually support her. It was for a baby, after all…

“Yes, it will,” Joyce dance her fingers across Emily’s palm. “Everything in this room was made for you, and no one else. I mean it when I say this is your nursery! The only reason any of this is here, or came to be is because of you.” Everything she said was true, and the greater part of it all was because of Emily. The smaller bits and pieces were things anyone could get, but the much bigger items were one of a kind and only because of Emily.

The repeated idea of ownership tickled Emily in such a pleasant way. The room she stayed in before was technically hers, but it was a thing prior to her being here. But now there was something in Joyce’s apartment that existed only because Emily did. There was something here that came to be because Emily gave it a reason to. She was a part of Joyce’s life, and the inverse for her own was true as well. It was yet another piece of physical evidence.

“And even all the little additions are meant just for you, too!” Taking hold of something out of Emily’s sight, a strap coming from the table was in Joyce’s hand, and she placed it over Emily’s stomach as it buckled into the other end; out of Emily’s visible reach.

“Hey...what gives?” Emily tried her best to make her voice sound like a protest, but the sudden sense of restriction had her giddy.

“This way when you’re still sleepy, I can make sure you don’t roll off when I need to change you!” The reminder of being so easy to handle while asleep had the girl blushing again, but almost wanting to wake up like that at some time...To be on the changing table, opening her eyes and finding Joyce drawing something new up between her legs...Never in a million years would her past self ever think of having such thoughts, much less getting excited over them! “And what’s more, it gives Mommy the advantage for tickle attacks!” With the rise in her tone, Emily suddenly felt a hand slip itself under her shirt and scurry across her skin, with each point of contact sending shocks and jolts that had her squirming and squealing. Out of reflex she kicked her legs, but they had no chance of hitting Joyce as she was already in between them; well beyond Emily’s first line of defense, and too far for her own hands to reach.

The strap kept her from going far, and despite being bigger than the average baby, not only could the strap contain her, but the table itself showed not even the slightest sign of strain in response to her weight and struggle. It was perfect.

“Stop! Stop!” With a new wave of tears Emily’s infectious giggle filled the room as she was mercilessly slaughtered by the countless waves of nailed-infantry, laying waste to her most sensitive parts. This strap was made of evil and sin, as an agent of the devil itself could it submit its victims to the greatest form of torture possible; tickle attacks.

Joyce finally relented, sounding the end with a wet kiss on Emily’s bare stomach.

“Okay, without further ado, let’s get you out of your jammies!” Starting from the waist, Joyce grabbed the fleece, pastel bottoms and slipped them off her legs, revealing the slightly discolored medical diaper. It of course still had to take much more before warranting a real change, but it was enough to count in their books.

It wasn’t Emily’s first time being changed, but certainly was it her first in a nursery setting, on top of being on a changing table...Unexpectedly it added a new element to it all...A pleasant one.

The tapes were peeled from the plastic, and Emily’s legs were lifted by Joyce and the diaper was slipped from underneath. It also became absolutely clear Emily was totally at Joyce’s mercy. The strap was more than enough to prove that, but without anything for her feet to stand on, she couldn’t even help in lifting her own bottom for a change.

“And that will be the last you ever see of those diapers, sweetheart!” Clearly she was the happiest to hear those words, and Emily suddenly remembered the decorated ones she saw beneath the table from earlier. Balling up the one which Emily was just wearing, Joyce dropped it in the white bin nearby. “These ones are much cuter!” Grabbing one from the basket below, Joyce held a new, thicker pad in her hand which had been decorated in all too familiar characters. Familiar faces from decades and a handful of years ago...Unfolded for Emily to see it all its splendor, Sesame Street figures danced across the plastic front, as the occasional letter block spaced them for the sake of spicing up the artistic variety. The wings were a faint green, and the tapes had bright yellow strips along the tips.

“Are those...mine too?”

“Well, I don’t know anyone else in the house that wears diapers.” Gleefully, Joyce let out a small laugh once she knew the words hadn’t hurt Emily.

Overwhelmed as things already were, the new line of diapers pushed it to a whole new level, as the plastic padding for babies stared back at Emily. Before, the medical diaper was open to interpretation, and from an outsider’s perspective could even be considered a medical condition. But this...with these diapers...There was no room for misunderstanding, and anyone that would see it would know the person in it was of a very specific age and mindset.

Before the diaper came Joyce used a wipe to clean off Emily’s lower half, and although being cold she toughed it out. Her legs were once more in the air and her bottom followed soon after, and she was suddenly lowered onto a new cloud. Instantly upon touching it a cloud received her cheeks with a cushiony hug. Compared to the medical diapers, this one had strangely gone even further beyond the comfort level those could provide, and without considering how the outside looked, it was a feeling Emily wouldn’t mind having in all her underwear…

“Does it feel nice? Soft?” Joyce’s questioning was not only meant to enforce positive sentiments, but also to rate the handiwork of the company’s lab. Their bonuses were riding on it, after all...Much more importantly, so was Emily’s satisfaction.

“It feels...nice...” It was weird admitting to the soft feeling of the diaper, but it was the truth. “How did you find these? I didn’t even know they made stuff like this...” Bigger diapers was one thing, but retail ones with licensed characters on them too? How could someone have pulled that off? Well, clearly, if anyone could it was Joyce, but that didn’t mean it was easy.

“Mommy’s secret,” Joyce pretended to grab an imaginary zipper and drag it across the seam between her lips.”Don’t worry about where it came from. Just let me know what you think of it as we go.”

The only familiar part of the change was the same lavender powder as always, and then the front of the diaper was brought up to her crotch. In the midst of it, the bulk forced Emily’s legs a little bit farther apart than the medical one normally did. Certainly these were thicker…

The four, strong adhesives were laid like metal bolts into a concrete foundation, and the plastic material used as the diaper’s foundation seemed firm, but not in any way uncomfortable to the wearer. Even when Emily slightly shifted her legs though, there was a loud crinkle that had Emily wondering if it was the changing table pad, her diaper, or both.

Taking just a moment to check the leg bands on the diaper, ensuring a snug fit, Joyce capped off the change with one last look at Emily, strapped to the table, red all over, with her magnificently childish undergarment on display. It was everything Joyce was hoping for and more!

She finally unstrapped Emily, and helped her up, with her bottom crinkling all the way.

“I think these ones are louder...” Emily stole a quick look at her diaper, much more awkward to see the theme around her waist now. What it stood for was what had Emily the most excited, but how it actually looked put her mind in a weird space. In a way it was kind of cute...but every time she remembered that she was the one wearing it, those ideas were harder to cling on to.

Unable to look her in the eyes, Emily could only let out a murmur while she buried her feet into the floor. “D...does it look fine?”

Taking hold of Emily’s hands, their eyes met next, and Joyce shined a look of pure happiness with such intensity it seemed to vaporize any momentary shame, embarrassment or uncertainty Emily was feeling. “It’s perfect.” Slightly, Emily shuffled her feet, and the diaper responded in tune, which only made Joyce want to gush even more.

Emily didn’t feel like carrying the topic any further, hoping the usher things along. She was enjoying everything right now, but being completely honest with her feelings was a bit more difficult.

“Could we go have breakfast now?”

“Well, we can, or I can get you dressed for the day first?”

Nervously, Emily started to eye the unopened door, harboring a sneaking suspicion what might be behind it…

“Breakfast first, please.” Taking a small breath, she hoped Joyce would allow her at least a small breather. Everything was moving with such momentum it felt like she was only hanging on by a few threads. “And thank you...”

“Thank you for what?” Joyce had taken Emily by the hand, leading her to the kitchen.

“For...you know...everything.”

“I mean it, you know, when I say you’re special to me. Even if you’re my little girl right now, when you aren’t I still consider you as some irreplaceable. I just hope I’m not pushing you too far into the deep end...Please let me know if that happens.”

As they rounded the corner, Emily in just a shirt and diaper was happy to escape total babydom for at least a few moments, but those hopes were quickly stomped out when her eyes addressed the elephant in the room. Made for an adult, a high chair sat in the place of where Emily’s usual seat would be, and the seat itself was a tad bit higher off the ground, and of course the back of the seat was cushioned and a tray was currently locked into it. Even from afar Emily knew it’d fit her...The sight had thrown her heart into hysterics once more.

“You really do go all out...” Unable to find any mental or emotional ground, Emily could only stand dead in her tracks as the contraption looked back at her.

“Do you want to try it?” Joyce poked with her question, finding it hard to mask her own bias for an obvious answer...It was Emily’s day though, and there’d be plenty more opportunities in the future…

“I...I’ll use it...” Again, the smaller, yet much louder voice in Emily’s head was screaming to have her way, and she found herself being strung along by it and Joyce’s antics.

Clearly overjoyed, Joyce took the first step to unlock the tray, sliding it out and creating an entrance for Emily to slip into. Before her was an infantile throne waiting to be occupied, and all she needed to do to claim it was take a few steps.

Shakily walking forward, Emily placed a foot on the crossbar as leverage to lift herself up to the seat, and planted herself into it; receiving her figure quite nicely. Her back became acquainted with the soft, yet firm cushioning, and the plastic seat curved into almost like an alcove for her to sink into. Her legs dangled from the large chair, and she noticed how her toes could just reach the bar she stepped off of. Sitting down now only better acquainted her bottom with the pad it was wrapped in.

“Does the chair feel nice too?” Making sure her arms were above it, Joyce then slipped the tray back into place with a click, situating her baby girl into place.

“I guess, in a way...” Again, her opinions were as reserved as the ones concerning her diaper. Joyce took it all in stride though, given how different this must have been to their usual dynamic. That being said, only time would ease the process, and like always Joyce was over the moon, and she had expectations for Emily to follow soon after. And with the chair, to Emily it also encouraged the idea of security. It was another piece that felt quite sturdy and would hold onto her quite well. The amount of detail and thought that must have gone into this was almost too much to comprehend in itself.

“And just to make sure you don’t slip out by accident and get a boo-boo...” Joyce started to explain as she knelt down, beyond the tray and out of Emily’s sight. She could feel forces at work beneath her, and the sound of another click as a strap found its way in between her legs and up her crotch. “There!” Joyce clapped her hands together in a satisfied expression. “You look adorable beyond words!” Unable to escape now, Joyce gave Emily a few more kisses before moving over to the counters, knowing full well Emily wouldn’t be going anywhere. Not that either of them wanted to.

Curiously, Emily shifted around in her seat, taking note of how the crotch strap slightly pressed into her when she moved. It was funny in a way how it served as a constant reminder she wouldn’t be going anywhere...The only place she had to be was where her caregiver deemed fit. Where her mommy told her to be.

“Can I pick breakfast?” Emily called from her stationary point, aimlessly kicking her legs the slightest bit. Joyce hadn’t bothered to turn around while she worked with the coffee maker.

“Well, maybe...It is your special day, after all...”

Hearing her debate the question even had Emily giggle the slightest bit. “But you’re the one who got me all this stuff. How does that make it my special day? If anything, it’s yours!”

“Very clever, Emmy, but baby or not, I wanted to make today very special for you. You deserve it.”

Baby or not? Didn’t that have to do with today completely? What else would have made it special?

“What do you mean? Isn’t that why today’s special? Because of the nursery?”

Finally, Joyce turned back to Emily, with an almost small amount of disbelief.

“Are you kidding?” She slightly tilted her head with a smirk.

“N...no?” What was she missing that was so important? How obvious could it have been?

“The nursery was a gift, birthday girl!” Joyce even gestured to the high chair Emily was in. “I didn’t just pick a random day to do all of this, you know!”

“Birth…?” May 29. The date suddenly clicked, and so did Joyce’s question from earlier about her plans for today. The deeper meaning behind Joyce’s actions was suddenly revealed, and added a whole new layer of gratitude to the day’s festivities. A new wave of tears washed over her. “F-for my birthday?” The happiness was too much to handle, and Emily couldn’t compose herself. Thankfully the chair could hold her in place while her emotions ran rampant.

“I figured you knew!” Joyce could only chuckle as she rubbed her cheek. “I’d have done this for you any day of the year, but I figured for your birthday it’d mean a bit more. Does it mean that much?”

“I-it….it does…!” Between sobs, Emily managed her words. Never had someone gone to such lengths for her; someone she’d only known for such a short period of time. It only made her want to grow closer to Joyce, though, and to continue cherishing what they had. After she left her parents and before Joyce had come into her life, birthdays were just a day like any other, minus the possible call from family and maybe a few friends. Absorbing everything had her face all out of sorts as it became wet again. However, that was quick to change when a piece of cloth dried her face.

“I wanted to wait until breakfast was ready, but given you’re a little emotional today I suppose I should put one on you now...” Emily as a spectator to Joyce’s words and actions, the cloth used to dry her face then found itself around her neck, and a knot was tied with the two ends of it behind her. The sudden bib covered the front of her chest, and despite being upside down Emily could read it as “Mommy’s Mess Maker.”

“I’m not emotional!” Emily playfully spat back, wiping the tears from her eyes. “I’m just happy...that’s all.”

“I know you are,” Joyce smiled. “And I’m happy too. Don’t ever feel like you can’t be yourself around me. Crying is perfectly okay with me, and every other emotion that comes along with it too. Now, birthday girl,” Joyce played with the back of Emily’s hair, setting it behind her shoulders. “What would you like to eat today? We can do french toast, eggs, bacon, pancakes, mu-”

“Pancakes!” The answer came faster than did the rest of Joyce’s list.

“Pancakes it is!”Almost trying to mimic the thrill, Joyce moved back over to the fridge to get out the eggs.

“Can I have something to drink first, though?” The thought of coffee somehow never escaped her mind through this whole ordeal, and smelling the aroma coming from the household appliance almost had her squirming.

“I was just about to finish that part,” Joyce’s back turned to Emily, she had the milk beside her while she put together a drink Emily was already familiar with, only not in the same kind of cup.

Conveniently there was a cup holder in the tray, but it wasn’t for just cups either...Placed in the socket was a tall, plastic bottle capped by a rubber teat, and it was filled with the same, light brown liquid that the sippy cup once was during their last session.

“No more sippy cups?” Emily joked as she lifted the bottle, eyeing it curiously as she placed her mouth over the top. Again, especially strange given how much of a first it was, but Emily didn’t find herself as perturbed so much.

“This way you can bring it anywhere, and there’s no chance of spills!” Joyce took a sip of her own, much more concentrated version in a regular mug, having flashbacks to when Emily hadn’t even touched her black coffee. Seeing her warm up to a much more watered down version was fitting in a way.

Biting down on it, Emily gave it a small suck, rewarding her with a small burst of coffee-milk. It was just about as rewarding as the sippy cup, if not less, and consequently the bottle had her working even harder to fish the rest out. She was so occupied with the task, she hadn’t even considered just how precious she might look to Joyce. For that reason, Joyce was currently enjoying the view of her little girl work at a part of her breakfast, and her padded posterior peaking just beneath the plastic tray.

Despite one being much more mobile than the other, both parties equally enjoyed their current standing, and their brief interactions between the moments when Joyce had to tend to the pancakes were small, little bundles of love that revealed the sweetest and nicest surprises.

“And with that they’re ready!” Joyce announced as she set the plate on Emily’s tray. It was slightly higher than the table, but Joyce still maintained the high ground. Emily could only marvel at the final product; sliced into bite-sized pieces, dressed in butter and syrup, as well as topped with a pair of strawberries.

Emily had a small, sinking feeling Joyce was going to make her use her hands, but thankfully that premonition hadn’t come to pass, when a fork and knife followed with it. Just when she was about to dig in though, Joyce swiped the utensils from her hands almost like a tease.

“Not so fast!” Joyce happily tutted as she walked behind Emily again, who could only follow her movements for a short while until the chair prevented her from doing so.

“Were you gonna feed me?” Almost shamelessly, Emily asked, when she could feel her hair bunching up from behind, which got her thinking that walking into her blind spot didn’t support the theory so much…

“If you’d like, I can,” Joyce fastened the bulk of Emily’s hair into a band. She suddenly started to think how she’d look if she used a ribbon instead…”But I’m more concerned about keeping your hair nice and pretty. The bib might keep your clothes clean, but your hair’s a different story...” The way she spoke, as if Emily couldn’t be trusted, caused a playful snicker to escape the girl in question. Joyce kept the hair loose enough so it didn’t look strained, and still maintained its volume, but kept out of her face.

Coming back into view, Joyce looked Emily over and sized up her handiwork, cupping Emily’s cheeks, rubbing the tips of their noses together.

“I can’t tell what looks sweeter!” She laughed. “You, or the pancakes!” In her heart, it wasn’t much of a contest, and her continuous fawning was certainly starting to have its effect on Emily, who looked to be getting more squirmish by the minute, and a plastic crinkle sounded with each shift and shake. It was like the harder she tried to stay composed, it only dug a deeper hole.

“Now do you want me to feed you, or do you think you can handle it?”

Emily pondered the thought for a moment.

“You decide.” Emily really didn’t mind either way. What had her more interested were the constant opportunities to relieve herself of choice. The more she was finding it to occur, a strange addiction was starting to set into place. Somehow the moments always felt better when she knew Joyce had total control. Feeding her in a high chair; a place which Emily could only leave when she deemed it so, was something Emily oddly felt she could derive inexplicable pleasure from.

Needing no further encouragement, Joyce speared a few pieces of fluffy cake with the fork, and eased it into Emily’s part-way open mouth. As if she were the one eating it herself, she could only writhe in happiness as she imitated ‘Mmm’ing noises for Emily, which only set the other into a fit of giggles.

“Tasty?”

Happily, Emily nodded her head, with her ponytail bobbing as a chain reaction. “Can I...can I have another one?”

Instead of a verbal answer, more syrupy goodness was slipped in between her lips, sending Emily’s mouth and stomach into another state of euphoria. She leaned forward the slightest bit as the fork was sliding out, trying to hang on to the taste of fresh syrup for as long as possible, but the strap between her legs and the tray locked in place prevented such. Her inability to move at all tickled them both in a weird, but positive way.

The teat from the bottle came next, which Emily happily accepted, trying to outdo her performance from last time, somehow reasoning it might be possible to extract even more liquid from the bottle if she discovered the right technique. The lightly caffeinated beverage was the perfect chase to a sugary, fluffy opener, and while she sucked, Emily mischievously eyed one of the two pieces of fruit; plump, vulnerable prey ripe for harvest.

Of her own command this time, Emily removed the bottle from her mouth, setting it back into its designated place. Before Joyce could collect another mouthful of pancake, Emily snagged one of the strawberries from the top of the stack, and quickly inserted it into her mouth, forcing the fruit's juices to pool in her mouth as her teeth shred the innocent berry to smithereens.

“Ah?” Joyce raised her brow, breaking the euphoric spell Emily was caught in. Only a single look needed to tell her she’d broken the imaginary rules.

“Maybe when you’re the one feeding yourself, but the fruit comes after you finish your food when I’m in charge,” Joyce started to chuckle as she eyed the last, lonely piece of fruit. “Maybe Mommy’s getting a bit hungry too...That strawberry does look good...”

“No!” In a small shout, Emily looked as if her firstborn had been threatened to be taken away, only under much sillier circumstances, as she broke out into a bashful laugh, realizing she’d just tried to protect her breakfast from certain demise.

“Just kidding~!” Daringly, Joyce wet one of her fingers, then swabbed the corner of Emily’s lightly syrupy mouth and stuck it in her own. “I promise I won’t touch anything on your plate.”

Reaffirmed by their super serious contract, the food and drink kept coming, and as they moved along Emily started to squirm lightly for a new reason. The past night’s liquid, and maybe even some of today’s was catching up to her...Clearly she hadn’t finished her business between sleeping fits this morning or last night. She suddenly started to feel a bit desperate once she realized just how much the feeling of restraint worked to her disadvantage now. Her bladder started to press, and it was a little hard to ignore, and her legs couldn’t come completely together with the padding involved.

And as she looked at Joyce, who to Emily was shrouded in mystery regarding whether she knew of her dilemma or not, was so absorbed in the fun of feeding her that nothing could seem to break her concentration. As Emily watched, she could feel herself wanting to protect this moment more than anything, and she could feel her legs tighten a little as she pushed.

She tried her best to be discrete, but it wasn’t so easy of a task. She could only feel herself having any ground against second nature itself by gripping the edges of the tray as an aid.

“Emmy? What’re you…?” Joyce’s voice trailed as the answer became painfully obvious, and Emily was reunited with a familiar feeling of shame, but it didn’t dampen her momentum. A few seconds later, she could feel the first few droplets trickle out, and soon after a growing stream followed. The small task had her exhale with a sigh, as the warm pee soaked into her diaper. Sitting back down, she could feel it creep around her waist and groin, but after a good few seconds the feeling of wetness seemed to be gone. The diaper was certainly more squishy, doing its job as intended, but it only felt warmer now. She’d just wet one of her new diapers for the first time.

“Emmy...” Joyce spoke with a tinge of surprise, but more with pride than anything else. She hugged Emily as best she could, avoiding the plate beneath her. “I’m so proud of you! Thank you so much!” It was objectively strange to thank someone for wetting themselves, but it was on such a personal level, it only heightened the positive sentiments within Emily.

The hug and praise meant everything to her, but when she unconsciously tried to move, and the strap pressed into her now squishy crotch, it had totally sapped her of all her bravado. “Can you go back to feeding me now?” The request was quiet, and of course ashamed.

Actions yet again spoke louder than words, and the plate of food was one step closer to meeting its end. The bottle was on the fast track to being empty as well, and more and more small spots of syrup started to find its way around Emily’s mouth; attributed to the disconnect between who was eating, and who was doing the feeding.

“What are we gonna do next?”

“Well, after I wipe down your mouth, we’re gonna get you dressed and then play for a little bit. Sound good to you?”

Again, Joyce’s words earned nothing but agreeance from Emily, who now had her sights set on what she’d be wearing. What, simple, yet cute outfit it could be had her wondering…

Already worked into a routine, Emily held her mouth open as the sticky substance was just about to be within reach, yet she was suddenly denied when Joyce’s phone started to ring and her gesture was put on hold.

“And who could that be…?” Muttering to herself, Joyce set aside the fork for a brief moment to check who it was. Thankfully the mood Emily had put her in was ecstatic, because seeing the caller ID read as ‘Mom’ didn’t have her nearly as flustered as she was last time.

“Hi Mom,” Joyce spoke casually with the phone pressed to her ear, and Emily did everything in her power not to make a peep. Her underwear suddenly had her paranoid, remembering just how loud it could be when it crinkled...even when it was wet. “How’ve you been? You don’t usually call so early...”

The other end responded, while Emily was completely oblivious to what was being said; only receiving one end of the conversation.

“Hi, honey! Have you been well? How about Emily?”

“Uhm...” Joyce, staring at nothing in particular while she talked, glanced at Emily for a brief moment, who looked to be as stiff as a board and red as a tomato; as if she were being watched by the stranger in the phone. “She’s asleep right now. But she’s doing well.”

Emily silently stared with suspicion. So her mom did know about her? Rational thought dominated her mind, knowing the more secretive part was well-kept in the shadows...At least she hoped.

“Asleep? Isn’t it almost 8:00 for you?” Her mom sounded with almost genuine surprise.

“We’re not all like you, mom.” Joyce kidded, but spoke with a tinge of seriousness that reflected her mom’s past habits. “If anything, I should be asking why you’re the one that’s up so early. It must be like 5 in the morning for you!”

“Early bird gets the worm!” Her voice was a matter of fact, as if there were no fault in her habits, much less her equal expectations of others. “More importantly, you seem to be a bit more cheery since we last talked…?” Her deductive skills were acute, and at some times damning to the point it felt like nothing could escape her looking glass.

“Maybe I’m just a morning person?” Mindlessly, she started to squeeze Emily’s foot, who was trying her hardest not to incite a response. Emily could only send a prayer of silent thanks it wasn’t another tickle attack.

“Maybe I’m finally starting to rub off on you, after all!” Her mom laughed, while Joyce silently smirked, keeping the true secret to her happiness under safe wraps.

“I don’t want to be rude, and it’s always nice to hear from you,” Picking the fork back up, Joyce reunited Emily with her food, already practiced enough to collect more onto its prongs without needing to look too much. “But why are you calling me so early?”

“Just a wellbeing check, I suppose?” Her mom’s voice was somewhat genuine, but seemed to be alluding to something else…

“Uh-huh…?”

“And, I wanted to give you some fair warning before we arrive at the airport.”

“Ai-airport?” Slightly, she stammered, taken aback by the sudden news. “Wh...what do you mean?”

“Well, we just talked about how your dad and I haven’t seen your new place, and you don’t visit very often. That’s why we’re coming to see you! Fair compromise, right?”

“M-mom, you can’t just show up out of the blue!” Her relaxed tone quickly devolved into a small panic. “I need time to prepare, get you a hotel, plan out your stay-”

“But you have a guest room, don’t you?” Her mom quickly interjected. “I don’t see why your father and I can’t use that. A hotel wouldn’t be an issue, if you really don’t want us staying in your home, though...” The hurt from rejection was obvious, and whether it was a clever tactic of her mom’s or not, Joyce wasn’t intending to be rude.

“No...it’s not that. You can stay if you want to. I didn’t mean to turn you away.”

“Perfect!” She bounced back from sadness to joy like the flick of a switch. How manipulative her mom could be at times… “And as for plans, don’t worry! We’ll figure it out as we go.”

“How long do you plan to be staying?” A sinking feeling washed Joyce all over. She tried to feel like she had some control in the conversation, but it was obvious who was setting the pace.

“Only a few days. Three, at most? Your dad needs to be back for a cooking thing with his buddies. Like I said, you know how he can be...”

“That’s good though,” Joyce countered. “You know,” She clearly directed her words at someone in specific. “Still being invested in your own hobbies, friends, and interests. Not dropping in on your kids unannounced and giving them time to plan in advance?” Her annoyance was mild, but she knew her mom wouldn’t be affected by it. It was all in good fun. For the most part. She loved her mom very much, but if she couldn’t be a thorn in her side sometimes…

“And to think, that Emily was really starting to have a positive effect on you...Maybe if you wake her up it’ll put you back into a good mood?” She snickered on the other line.

“Anyways,” Joyce ushered things along, not appreciating the teasing. “When are you guys going to be coming? A week? Two? Just let me know when so I can have my driver pick you up.”

“About that,” As she started, Joyce lifted the fork, unintentionally bringing it to Emily incredibly slow; an unintended consequence from her attention being divided. “The plane is scheduled to land at some time around noon.”

“Okay? Noon is fine. Noon, when?”

“Tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?!” Joyce suddenly exclaimed, losing control of her secondary task, looking over to Emily who let out a small meep. Her sudden shock had caused her to clearly miss the mark, when a large splotch of syrup covered Emily’s cheek was evident, and the dented pancake was still on the fork. All she could do for the poor Emily was mouth an apology while she addressed the other pressing issue. Her surprise had also affected Emily too, who was slowly piecing together from Joyce’s words what was going on… “You’re kidding, right?”

“I told your dad we should have done it after his cooking thing, but he can never resist a good deal on airline tickets…Isn’t this better for you, anyway? That way we can only be in your hair for so long~!”

“Mom! One day is barely enough time to prepare!” Joyce’s heart started to race, thinking of the countless, incriminating things laid about the apartment. The nursery, the high chair, the bottles, bibs, pacifiers, toys; Joyce eyed Emily’s wet diaper. Too much evidence… “And what time did you say you’d be landing?” She tried to stay optimistic and maintain a calm thought process.

“12:45, to be exact. Like every airport though you can never really trust those times. Just have someone ready for 1:00. We don’t mind meandering if need be. And don’t worry about cleaning up the place, if that’s the issue. We’re not hard to please!” If only she’d known how wrong she could be…Disappointingly, Joyce mentally summarized the list of things she’d now need to put into hiding again. It’s not that she didn’t want her parents to visit, but this truly was the worst timing possible...Despite that, it could have been worse, but only by a slight margin...On a tangent, she tried to amend her misdeed with Emily by feeding her the last strawberry.

“See you sometime then,” Joyce kept her tone level, although being so dejected; caught in a crossroads between her feelings. “Love you.”

“See you soon!” Her mom was the first to hang up.

Finishing the vocal gymnastics, Joyce let out a sigh as she set the phone down, quietly looking at Emily.

“Are they coming to visit?” Blankly, Emily asked, as it didn’t take a rocket scientist to decipher the conversation by then.

“Yes, and in a very unannounced fashion, too!”

“So...so what are we gonna do?”

Completely? Joyce wasn’t sure. Without a doubt, everything related to the nursery needed to go there, and the door needed to stay locked. If her parents were going to be staying over, she’d need to give them the room Emily was staying in...Could Emily stay in the nursery in the meantime? Fat chance. Watching Emily innocently sit there, covered in her breakfast, wearing a bib, she knew that’d be an unrealistic demand. As fun of a fantasy it was to entertain, she had yet to even take her first nap in the crib. Something like that was too unfair, and shouldn’t occur out of forced circumstances. However, after shooting down that idea, from its ashes a much more plausible one was born...

Seeing as her plate was pretty much polished, Joyce ruffled the hair on Emily’s head.

You, only need to worry about being happy.” Joyce turned on the faucet, wetting a dishrag. “As for me? I’ll figure it out.” She smiled, draping her hand in the wet cloth, coming closer to Emily. 

“Such a sticky baby...”


Hey everyone, as always I want to thank you for reading, sharing your thoughts, and commenting! I can't appreciate the support enough and am being serious when I say it motivates me. Please don't skip out on your constructive criticisms as well, because on top of the nice words I also take general feedback into account too. On both ends of the spectrum, it tells me what I'm doing right, and possibly doing wrong. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

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Oh god I love this. I bet Mommy's mommy finds out about the big baby. I also bet that her parents coming will force them to take a step that they hadn't even thought of yet and will in turn take their relationship closer on a more intimate level.

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Beautiful, as always.  I do hope that Emmy gets to use her new room fully before the parents arrive.  

Wouldnt it be great if Joyce's mum drops a hint to what's going on, which would allow Joyce to really turn up the babying, now that the parents know and support their daughter and "new granddaughter".

Please Mee, don't leave us hanging for Emm's reaction to the tailored baby clothes, and her first steps into the crib for an afternoon nap!

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17 hours ago, Guilend said:

Oh god I love this. I bet Mommy's mommy finds out about the big baby. I also bet that her parents coming will force them to take a step that they hadn't even thought of yet and will in turn take their relationship closer on a more intimate level.

Glad to hear you enjoy it! Joyce's parents coming to visit is definitely an upset based on Joyce's reaction alone, and how that'll affect Emily and Joyce is something to think about ? Regardless, how they grow closer together isn't limited to just babying...Make of it what you will. Thanks for reading!

15 hours ago, babytom2 said:

Surprise visits are usually good material.

There's always something interesting to be seen when you add fuel to the fire or crank the momentum. Regardless what will become of it, I'm not sure how predictable it'll be, but I at least hope it won't be badly received. Hope you keep your peels eyed for the next chapter!

15 hours ago, ozziebee said:

Beautiful, as always.  I do hope that Emmy gets to use her new room fully before the parents arrive.  

Wouldnt it be great if Joyce's mum drops a hint to what's going on, which would allow Joyce to really turn up the babying, now that the parents know and support their daughter and "new granddaughter".

Please Mee, don't leave us hanging for Emm's reaction to the tailored baby clothes, and her first steps into the crib for an afternoon nap!

Who knows? In all seriousness, the time left between then and tomorrow is enough to do something, so their day might not be out the window just yet. How much more Joyce's mom (and dad?) will discover is a bit of a mystery right now; if they'll even discover anything at all. At the moment though, I can speak for Emily's character when I say that she's still getting used to the baby play, and because of that, her relationship with Joyce is a huge factor in what makes their sessions as smooth as they are. Adding someone else to the mix would definitely be a tough pill for her to swallow, but nothing's impossible. And about her baby clothes, they won't be hidden away forever! A big thing I want to focus on is making the events I illustrate seem as realistic as possible within the universe I'm working in. Something I'm trying to be conscious of is keeping everything cohesive; never a moment that sticks out like a sore thumb, or feels way too sudden. Characters can do unexpected things, but everyone has their limits.

9 minutes ago, the diaper mike said:

omg I absolutely love it please  I could see the family Dynamic being embraced slowly

Haha, just caught your reply as I was responding to the other three! Thanks for the kind words and the family dynamic is something to think about, I suppose. What exists between Joyce and Emily now is specifically meant to stay between them, and them alone, but that doesn't mean an outside force can't disturb it. I'm not alluding to anything, but Joyce's parents visiting can potentially be disruptive in an explosive way.

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I just wanted to say that I have been following along ever since the first chapter came out on abdlstoryforum back in 2017 and I love it to pieces, I find myself going back and rereading all the chapters at least once a month just because of how much joy it fills me with. I always have trouble expressing myself when trying to complement authors on their stories, so I'll just say keep up the fabulous work! Oh and Emily and Joyce, JUST KISS ALREADY DANGIT!!! ?

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On 2/6/2019 at 5:02 PM, kirababy said:

that is quite an intersting turn of events...just how is she gonna pull this off, I wonder?

How indeed? You'll have to wait and see! And so will I, because it's still in the drafting stage ? All in due time!

On 2/6/2019 at 5:30 PM, foofybabykitten said:

I just wanted to say that I have been following along ever since the first chapter came out on abdlstoryforum back in 2017 and I love it to pieces, I find myself going back and rereading all the chapters at least once a month just because of how much joy it fills me with. I always have trouble expressing myself when trying to complement authors on their stories, so I'll just say keep up the fabulous work! Oh and Emily and Joyce, JUST KISS ALREADY DANGIT!!! ?

Whoa! Sometimes I forget how long ago I started this...I really am slow ? That being said, it means a lot to me hearing from people in general, but all the more when I know they've been sticking around for a while. Really, thanks a bunch. I'm also happy to hear you enjoy rereading it! I hope I'm able to keep the vibes for the story consistent throughout, if not getting better because that's one of the things I worry about while writing...Don't worry about being able to express yourself to me, because I mean it wholeheartedly when I say that ANY words have me pretty excited. It lets me know that the people coming here to read my stuff really do like/want to help improve what's there or what might be lacking.

And as for kissing, what do you mean...? ?? Joyce kisses Emily plenty! No idea what you're trying to suggest...?

Thanks for commenting!

20 hours ago, BabySiras said:

Well, I certainly can't wait to see how the visit goes. I've enjoyed every update I've read so far

I'm happy to hear from so many people that it's going strong, and I hope it stays that way! Thanks for the comment, and I hope you enjoy the next posting!

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 1/1/2019 at 5:26 PM, Mee said:

Sitting down, Joyce asked: “So...how do you feel?”

Emily looked as if she were about to cry again.

“Amazing.” 

? I'm with Emily

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On 2/8/2019 at 12:56 AM, Nicole Kolibri said:

Dear Mee
At some point I will finish reading this story.
Maybe when my mood changes and I should long for some cuddling!

But now it is important for me to tell you that I like your writing style and your pace.

The fact that I'm not a fan of "Sheltered" simply has other causes.
The tastes are different and that's a good thing!

The effort and work you put in there are not in vain!
Many read your story, the vast majority is just silent.

I prefer you leave a lot of time in your story, as you try to tear it down, in record time.

The result, if you take your time, you can see very clearly, in a positive sense.

In this story (what i have read at ch.2 too), you have and like it a lot of things to say.
And that you make very well.
I'm just not a fan of your story content, but I'm a fan of your writing style.
I want give you a "like" now.
For your story and coments!
Although I has only read the first 2 chapters.
But i feel that is right what i want do now.

lovely greeting
Nicole

Hey! Sorry for the late reply, been a little busy with some other things...I can respect your tastes for particular vibes/genres, and I'm happy to know my fundamentals are sound, though. Regardless, I still have a long way to go! The views are really cool to see, knowing that people are reading my work, but I don't mean that in a narcissistic way, lol. That being said, what's even cooler is when I get to hear from people directly! As you said, the pacing is important, and I want to and still believe I'm respecting that to an appropriate degree. The fun in reading is you can always come back to it later! I'm gonna go out on a limb here and assume that this sort of story isn't what you're usually into? If that's the case, thanks for giving this a look, and especially offering your two cents!

On 2/9/2019 at 1:55 PM, Sarah Penguin said:

Is lots of fun, poor folks and nearly unannounced parental dropins! :)

Isn't it? ? A little bit of chaos never hurt anyone! (Probably?) Objectively it's fun to see though! How will it jumble things up, I wonder? Thanks for commenting!

2 hours ago, YourFNF said:

? I'm with Emily

Yeah, the pair have a pretty sweet thing going on, don't they? ? Writing this story, I've always enjoyed watching their dynamic evolve. The endgoal is always fun to look forward to, but given that I'm responsible for how the journey shapes, it's pretty obvious the journey is just as awesome! Thanks for the support!

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  • Mee changed the title to Sheltered [12/03/2023] CH46+47 [Important Subscribestar Update]

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