diaper dimension Done Adulting, Vol. 2 (Final chapter posted 12/21/20)

[Pierry Louys]

I think its time to accept that it’s better for all that Amanda don’t move out !,,

[Alex Bridges]

Chapter 31

Jamie stumbled out of his nursery an hour later with his hair sticking up, bleary eyed, and smelling like he’d been curled up with a dog. Amanda looked him over with a look that said, “Good thing I love you.”

“How you feeling, buddy,” she asked. She detected more than just the smell of dog.

“Thirsty.”

“Come on.” He followed her into the kitchen and watched her make him a glass of water. He chugged it and held it up, and she filled it again. 

“C’mon,” she said as she nodded toward the nursery. 

“Where?”

“Your changing table.” Where else? He set the glass on a shelf, and Amanda laid him on the table. She got him down to his diaper and paused. She wanted to ask him if he was aware he was messy. It seemed impossible he didn’t - he had a functioning nose - but he seemed so unconcerned with the state of his diaper that he didn’t even say anything or automatically connect the nod toward the nursery with his changing table.But he didn’t seem surprised when she said she was taking him to the changing table, either. Perhaps he was just that apathetic about it now. She decided not to ask.

“You got some fun stuff today,” she said as she got to work cleaning him up.

“Mom is so eager to buy stuff,” he yawned.

“Still sleepy?”

“Some.”

“Want a bath?”

“Okay.” He was easy to clean up this time. He sat up when she was done and pulled his shirt off. He never gave any thought to being nude around his mommy or sister in the house anymore.

“Let’s see what you got,” she said after she’d thrown the diaper away. She stepped across the room to pick up the shopping bag. Like she’d never seen it before, she took out the dress. “This is pretty.” That’s all she said as she went to his closet and found a hanger for it. Jamie didn’t say anything. She got one of his shirts out next and unfolded it, looked it over, and tossed it in his open hamper. “And this’ll be good for the heat,” she said as she held up the skirt and decided to put it in the dresser where his shorts were.

She waited for him to respond, and when he didn’t, she plucked him from the table and carried him to the bathroom, patting his clean bottom.

“We should get a wading pool for the backyard,” he said while she turned on the tap and tested the water. Jamie couldn’t remember the last time he’d taken a bath by himself. Never in Itali. Sometimes he took a shower, but only with Becky or Manda. That did embarrass him as he saw a lot more like that, but they clearly weren’t bothered by it at all, no more than were he an infant who didn’t know what he was seeing. They often took him into the shower at the pool when they cleaned up there before going home or out. At least they had private shower stalls there. But all the nudity in the changing area was still a mental hurdle for him, albeit a short one. Manda stopped the drain and lifted Jamie over the side.

“You just looked like some water would refresh you. You feeling alright?”

“Yeah. You know me and naps. Don’t always wake up feeling better.” One difference between him and most other littles and young children. They often jumped out of bed after a nap ready to go play. Jamie needed more time waking up from a nap than he did from his night’s sleep.

“Close your eyes.” Amanda dipped the pitcher into the tub and poured it over Jamie’s head before grabbing the shampoo and lathering his hair. She left it there for a moment. In the summertime, they were careful to make sure his hair didn’t get too brittle from the chlorine and saltwater. If it was possible, he became even more blonde over the summer months. They all did, and Becky and Manda used a special swimmer’s shampoo on their own hair, something they didn’t have to do before Jamie arrived and had them all swimming so much.

“Can I ask you something,” Amanda asked.

Jamie took a deep breath. No one in his life had ever been gentler or more considerate of Jamie, but the trade off was he couldn’t make decisions without them knowing. So he wanted to try a dress. He could do it at home, but not in the secrecy of his own home, because there could be no secrets, not if it involved spending money because he didn’t have any. “Go ahead.”

“What’s up with the dress and the skirt?”

“Your dress feels nice. Basically just a big tee shirt. Looks like it feels good after being outside all day.”

“And the skirt?”

“Air flow? Diapers aren’t very comfortable in the summer. Looks more comfortable to wear a skirt than shorts sometimes.”

So he was sticking to what he’d told Becky. “Any other reason?” She picked up the pitcher again and he closed his eyes while she rinsed the shampoo from his hair.

“They look pretty on you and Ella.”

“I see.”

“No, it’s just ... none of my things are pretty. I want to look pretty sometimes, too. All my stuff is plain. They don’t make stuff for boy littles that’s pretty.” Back on Earth he could least look sharp in a suit, not that he ever wore one when he didn’t have to. His outfits in Itali were a parade of pants and shorts mostly with elastic waists and tees and sweaters. The things that weren’t deliberately cute, which was a good portion of his wardrobe, were just boring.

Amanda chose her next words carefully. “Are there any other pretty things you’d like to try?”

“Like what?”

“You could grow your hair out. Or try makeup.”

“No. I don’t want to try that.” Jamie actually didn’t like makeup even on other people. Or at least he thought he didn’t because the only time he noticed it on most people was when they hadn’t put it on very artfully. He noticed it on Manda and Becky sometimes because he could smell it on them when they were holding him. Jamie was particular about smells. He didn’t even like scented soap.

“What about shoes? Or, I dunno, accessories. Like a hair bow.”

“I’m not a girl,” Jamie said. “I thought those things look comfortable and pretty. That’s all.”

“So it’s just that then? No other girl stuff?”

“No.” And unless those things proved very comfortable, he didn’t see himself wearing dresses or skirts in the winter. He hardly saw himself wearing them now. He just thought he’d like them in a couple circumstances.

“Okay. I’ll cancel the order for the dollhouse then.”

He didn’t fall for it. “You didn’t order a dollhouse.”

“No. And I don’t have to hide my shoes from you now.”

“You thought I’d wanna try your shoes?”

“No, silly bear.” She took the bar of soap and started to wash him everywhere.

“It’s stupid,” Jamie said spontaneously.

“What’s that?”

“It’s just a dress. I mean, of course it’s more comfortable after being outside all day.” Or at least he assumed it was, and it looked easy to slip on after a day at the pool or beach. He could even wear his swimsuit under it to the pool, like Manda and Becky and Jane and Ella and Rosie did. “I should be able to pick an article of clothing without it having some larger meaning about my identity. What you wear doesn’t make you trans or non-binary or gay or even a crossdresser. It’s just clothes.”

“I didn’t offend you, did I?”

“No. I know you only asked because you care.”

“You know you might get teased.”

“I know.”

“You’re okay with that?”

“I guess. Will you stick up for me?” He knew the answer to that.

“Always.”

[Pierry Louys]

Good chapter like always !!!

[the diaper mike]

Awesome chapter really good interesting

[YourFNF]

16 hours ago, Alex Bridges said:

Tell me.”

 

“It’s not a big deal.”

 

“Then there’s no reason you shouldn’t tell me,” she countered, “and we’re not going anywhere until you do.” She was being playful, but she did want to work more on him saying what was on his mind. It seemed since the start of the summer he’d become more careful about that, and she wasn’t sure why. She didn’t mind that he had thoughts he didn’t want to share, but it bothered her, made her wonder if she was doing or saying things that made him feel uncomfortable. She chalked that up mostly to the self-doubt all bigs and parents experience, but it was a balancing act, and so was knowing when to prod Jamie and when to let him stay silent.

 

Jamie blushed and wouldn’t look her in the eye, but he told her. “I was looking at the dresses.” Becky pushed the cart down the aisle toward the little girls’ section.

 

“For Ella? We can get her a present. Which one were you looking at?”

 

“Um, for me,” Jamie whispered.

 

Becky wasn’t expecting that at all. He owned a few articles of clothing that had come from the girls’ section, but other than the styling they were all unisex clothes. No skirts or dresses. But the last she wanted was to make Jamie feel self-conscious or judged, so she did her best to cover her surprise.

 

“Oh, well, which one,” she asked.

 

“That one. The blue tee shirt dress.” He pointed to a cerulean, sleeveless, racerback dress. “It’s … well, Manda has one like it, and it looks really comfortable after a day at the pool.” He actually knew how comfortable hers was because she often picked him up while wearing it, and he loved how soft and light it felt. He reached out and felt the dress on the rack. It was just like hers, a soft, stretchy, jersey material.

 

“Let’s get it,” Becky decided. If he wanted to try it, that was fine. She had questions she’d ask later, but there was no harm in getting an inexpensive little’s dress. “You like this color?”

 

“Yeah,” Jamie said, “it’s fun.” Still, he blushed to say it.

 

“Anything else you want to look at over here?”

 

He was feeling a little more confident. He hadn’t expected Becky to ridicule or judge him, but it was asking for something, and it was asking for something out of the norm. He might as well try another. “I wanna try a skirt,” he said.

Wow can I just say I am legit proud of both Jamie and Becky here. Jamie for being secure enough in his masculinity to go with what he likes regardless of labels and Becky for being supportive.

[Sarah Penguin]

They should use the doll clothes in the attic that Becky saved to begin outfit his bear in matching outfits, starting with finding/making clothes for his bear that match his favorite outfits, first, then filling in the bear's wardrobe so they become jamie-bear twins then the massive cuteness increase from jamie never being along cause he's always having his twin bear cause massive cuteness explosions then whenever jamie goes anywhere.  So many bigs staring in shock at da cutenesses and so many accidents on the highway cause were all gaping in wonder and cuteness at him wifs his bears.  This must happen   People start wanting volunteer to work at his daycare cause of his overwheming and unstoppable cuteness bombs he now makes every time he and his bear say hi.

[Alex Bridges]

Well, I just watched Christopher Robin on Netflix. As a little, and as Jamie’s alter ego, I had to go get my bear and my paci to watch it, and cried several times.

A very good movie, with a very good ending.

[SGTbaby]

Nice explanation and I think it fits nicely. 

[Alex Bridges]

Chapter 32

         Amanda had begun doing some of her reading to prepare for her first semester of graduate education in little studies. She’d not yet selected which precise field she wanted to pursue, but she had some ideas, and of the reading she’d begun, what had intrigued her most was an article about less-regressed littles. It sounded liked Jamie to the letter: the challenge of teaching littles how to play. So many of them had forgotten how before coming to Itali.

         Jamie had gotten pretty good playing with things. He would build. He would draw. He played games. But where Jamie had never really been able to keep up with the other littles was make believe. Littles like Jamie, according to the article, had lost the power of imagination. There being no better way for Amanda, and Jamie, to learn than by doing, she was determined to teach him to imagine.

         First, she collected props. His bear. A notebook. And she thought he’d find it easier to imagine if he was feeling a little littler, so she asked Mel to come over, and she fed him a bottle. It wasn’t time for his bottle, but she knew Jamie never declined one, especially from Mel, so Amanda told Mel what she was trying to do, gave her the bottle, and Mel went to find Jamie.

         “Hey, buddy,” Mel said to him.

         “I didn’t hear you come in,” Jamie said.

         “I needed some Jamie time.” What a coincidence, because Jamie could always use some Mel time. “Wanna baba?”

         “Is the pope’s hat ridiculous?”

         “What’s hat?”

         “Nothing.” He climbed onto the couch next to her, and he snuggled into her lap like it was his second home. She leaned against the arm of the couch, and he leaned against her, and she held the bottle while stroking his hair.

         “Ah ah ah,” she said, “Be a big boy for me, and finish it all.” She lightly rubbed his tummy for him, and he felt a flood of happiness rush toward his toes. It was pleasantly warm, and he stretched his tiny arms and legs. He loved his aunt Mel.

         “Hey Jamie. I see Mel found you.”

         “She needed some ‘me’ time,” he said proudly as Mel took the empty bottle away.

         “I’m glad she’s here. She can help us.” Jamie’s eyes looked wide, like they often did after a bottle. He wasn’t tipsy, but he was certainly in a warm, fuzzy place. Everyone liked him in that place. Jamie was at his most affectionate in that place, and short of the incident with the little extract, his most silly.

         “What do we need help with,” Jamie asked as he turned on his side.

         “I need to write a story about a little for school.”

         “Really? That’s weird, for grad school.”

         “Not so weird. Can you help me write it?”

         “What’s it about?”

         “I don’t know yet. Wanna go sit outside and write it together?” Jamie didn’t approve of cheating on homework, but for Amanda he’d help. He didn’t really get why she had to write a story. He never wrote any stories in grad school. He hadn’t written a story probably since middle school.

         Mel picked him up without waiting for an answer, and the trio walked outside to the backyard. Jamie leaned into Mel’s side, inhaling her scent. He sighed. He didn’t want her to find a job. Then she wouldn’t be able to hang out in the middle of the day. Some of his favorite times were with her and Amanda in the middle of the day.

         “What’s my bear doing out here,” he asked when he saw it in the sandbox.

         “I don’t know,” Manda said, pretending to be surprised. “How do you think he got out here?”

         “Mom must’ve put him out here.” Mel set Jamie down, and he picked up his bear and brushed him off.

         “What if he came out here on his own,” Mel asked. “I had a bear who wandered off when I was growing up.”

         “Hehe. You did?”

         “Yeah,” Mel pretended to recall. “He got in all kinds of misadventures.”

         “Like what?”

         “One time, he almost got eaten by a dog.”

         “That happened to my bear. Mom fixed him.”

         “Are you excited for the new coat mom is making him,” Amanda asked.

         “Yeah. He’ll look better. And feel better.”       

         “What happened to his old coat,” Mel asked.

         “Ooh! There’s a story idea. Could you help me write a story about your bear’s coat?”

         “I thought it was supposed to be about a little,” Jamie replied.

         “Maybe you can be in the story, too,” Mel suggested. “How did your bear’s coat get so dirty?”

         “What if,” Manda suggested, “it got dirty when he wandered away somewhere?”

         “I like that idea,” Mel said. “Where did he go Jamie?”

         He shrugged. “I dunno. Silly bears, right?”

         “C’mon. Try to imagine for me. Where did he go?”

         Jamie looked from smiling Amanda to smiling Mel to his bear. He didn’t want to let them down. But he didn’t really have any ideas.

         Amanda gave him a moment, and when he still looked like he didn’t know where to begin, she said, “Maybe he went somewhere with you and got separated. Where did you take him?”

         “Um … a … fair. We went to the fair. You know, the Founder’s Day fair. It’s very busy there, ya know. I only turned around for a second.”

         Jamie was admiring the craft booths. He liked the art especially, the things that local people did. They’d never be famous, but they made nice things, things you wouldn’t mind hanging on your walls. Nothing special, but he liked it anyway, and he liked talking to the artists. His bear was a bit of a low brow, though. He’s a good bear, by and by, but he’s easily distracted. Jamie insisted he hold his hand, especially in the crowd, because bears do wander if left to their own devices. He only let him go for a second, so he could hold one of the paintings, a big one, and get a closer look. When he put the painting down, he thanked the artist and turned to move on to the next booth. But his bear was missing.

 

         “I turned around and looked in the booth,” Jamie said. “I looked under the tables and behind the easel, and he wasn’t there.”

         “Were you scared,” Mel asked.

         “Very. Not just for myself, but for him. He’s so small! Even smaller than me, and it’s a big fair.”

         “Then what did you do,” Amanda asked.

         “I looked outside the booth. I looked in the booth on the right side and the booth on the left side and the booth across the way.”

         “And you didn’t find him,” Mel asked.

         “No! So I ran up and down the aisle looking in all the booths.”

         “That must’ve been very dangerous.”

         “There were bigs everywhere. I was afraid of getting stepped on, but I was more afraid for my bear.”

         How far could a bear get, though, Jamie wondered. He had such short legs. He thought he saw him at the other end of the aisle, and he ran toward him, ducking and weaving and dodging all the bigs’ legs and trying to keep sight of his bear.

 

         “Did you try to call after him,” Mel asked.

         “Of course.”       

         “How?”

         “I shouted, ‘Bear!’ Bear!’,” Jamie said.

         “That’s not very loud,” Amanda said.

         “No wonder your bear didn’t hear you,’ Mel concurred.

         “Well, I shouted it.”

         “Show us.”

         Jamie looked around. It was only them in the backyard. “Bear! Come back, Bear,” Jamie shouted.

         He ran the whole way, and when he finally got there all he found was a girl in a stroller holding an entirely different bear. “I got you,” he exclaimed before realizing his mistake. The girl looked astonished, and her mother looks worried. “Are you okay,” the woman asked.

 

         “I lost my bear. He was with me and wandered off. Have you seen him?”

 

         The girl looked at her bear and whispered in her ear, and then the bear whispered back. “She thinks she saw a bear go that way.”

 

         “So I ran that way,” Jamie told Amanda and Mel.

         “Which way?”

         “That way,” Jamie pointed.

         “Can you show us,” Amanda asked. “It’ll help me write if I can see how you did it.”

         Jamie thought that was silly, but he obliged, and they followed.

         “Not like that,” Mel said. “How did you really run?”

         “That’s how I run.”

         “Not in a crowd of bigs. Show us that.”

         Jamie felt ridiculous but he showed them.

         There were bigs everywhere. There are always bigs everywhere, and Jamie had to dodge that one who didn’t see him and go under that one’s legs and jump over that one’s shoe. He went right and there bigs, so he went left and there were more bigs, so went under, over, around, and through. He ran through the booths, crawling under the back. He ran under tables. He ran into the book fair pavilion and ran under the cash register. He came to the railing and leapt through it. He came to a picnic table and ran over it.

 

 “And you still couldn’t find him? I’d have been very sad,” Amanda said.

“I’d have cried,” Mel added.

“I did, eventually. I sat down against a tree and cried, ‘Where are you!’ And I started to give up hope. I didn’t know where he could have gone. He might not have even been in the park anymore. He could have gotten carried away by an eagle, or a big dog, or worse, another little.”

“Another little would be worse?”

“Oh, the worst. You know littles. They’re sticky all the time, and they don’t all respect their bears like I do.”

“Good thing that didn’t happen to him.”

All bear love balloons, and when Jamie’s bear saw a balloon, and not just any balloon, but a red balloon, bobbing in the crowd, he forgot all about Jamie’s admonition to stay close and followed it. It seemed so close. He was sure he could get to it and come back before Jamie even knew he was gone. Don’t get the bear wrong – he loved Jamie, but he could just never share in Jamie’s enthusiasm for paintings and drawings and crafts. Not when there were balloons and funnel cake and powdered sugar around.

 

But a bear is a bear, and what looks close is very far away when you have such short legs. He followed the balloon, or tried to, and then the balloon disappeared. He thought it may have gone over to the next aisle, so he went to the next aisle. And when it wasn’t there, he thought it must’ve gone to the next aisle, so he went there. But there was no balloon.

 

Knowing he had better get back to Jamie, the bear turned around. Now, a bear is a good friend, a loyal friend, a true boon companion. You can trust a bear to watch over your other stuffed animals, your bunnies and your ducks and bruins and your penguins. You can leave your cookies and milk within reach of your bear, and not only will your bear not sneak even one cookie, he’ll make sure no one else does either.

 

But a bear has stuffing for brains, and once he decided to turn back, he didn’t know exactly where he’s come from. And Jamie, unlike a balloon, doesn’t bob above the crowd. The bear looked and looked, but he couldn’t see Jamie. He made do with his other senses and tried following his nose back to Jamie. The problem being, of course, that lots of things smell like Jamie.

 

Mel played the part of the bear, holding it by its hands and walking it back and forth in the yard from one corner to the next. “Where it go first,” she asked.

“The cookie booth.”

“Silly bear,” she giggled.

“Very silly! He got distracted again and ate a thousand cookies!”

“Oof,” she scoffed. “Then where?”

“The nursing tent.” Mel raced across the yard.

“What happened when he go there?”

“Oh, did he cause a ruckus. He ran from big to big seeing if each one had me. Bigs were screaming, littles were crying. It was scene!”

“Didn’t he see that Mom wasn’t any of the women there,” Manda asked.

Jamie looked incredulous. “Uh, Manda, you know he’s just a bear, right?”

“Oh. I forgot,” she said while trying to hold in a belly laugh.

“Anyway,” Jamie continued…

The bear got out of there as quickly as he could, leaving behind some very angry people. He only escaped by crawling on his belly under the wall of the tent. He was dirty, sweaty, and had cookie crumbs all over his belly, because he learned from watching otters on the nature channel to eat cookies off his tummy, and still didn’t know where Jamie was. So her put his nose back in the air, and he smelled one of Jamie’s smells again.

 

“Where,” Mel asked.

“Over here,” Jamie said as he raced to the swing set.

 “Where are we,”

“In line for the changing station.”

“Buh ha,” Mel cackled.

The bear ran up and down the line. He tried to get inside – he’d go anywhere to find Jamie – but every time he cut the line the person he cut would get angry and make him get out, so he waited until he was sure Jamie couldn’t have gone in or come out of there. He was a very sad bear. He wandered back toward the pike, hoping Jamie had gotten hungry and gone in search of food. But a bear can only concentrate so well when he has a rumbly tummy.

 

“I thought he just ate a thousand cookies,” Manda asked.

“Do you know nothing about bears,” Jamie asked.

“Yeah, get with the program,” Mel quipped.

He didn’t find Jamie, but he found shishkabobs, egg rolls, hotdogs, and funnel cake. He was a dirty, sweaty, crumb covered, greasy bear, and to top it all off he went snout-first into the powdered sugar bag when the funnel cake guy wasn’t looking.

 

“And he was probably still hungry,” Amanda suggested.

“No, he was full then.”

“You’ll get one soon,” Mel assured her.

“But he still hadn’t found me, and now he felt guilty.”

Very guilty. It’s a bear’s job to protect his boy, and he’d lost Jamie. He thought he must be a very bad bear.

 

“How does a sad bear walk,” Mel asked.

“Like this.” Jamie put his hands in his pockets and walked slowly, staring at the ground and swinging his feet wide, kicking rocks and dust.

He kept walking, having no faith in himself or his ability to find Jamie. He did the last thing he could think and sat down, hoping Jamie would find him instead. He sat down on the ground and waited.

 

And waited.

 

And he was prepared to keep waiting forever, as bears are supposed to do for their boys. But the very bad day got even worse, for as he waited, a big picked up the bear. Of course, a bear can only communicate with his boy, and maybe a few of the boy’s close people, so he could say nothing to this big who wasn’t wearing sleeves. Not when he brushed him off, and not when he walked into a game booth and put the bear with the other stuffed animals he was giving as prizes to anyone who managed to win his rigged game.

 

“Oh no!”

“I know!”

Jamie was the lowest he had ever been. It was his job to look after his bear. Sure, everyone says bears are supposed to the protect their boys, but that’s just something they tell the bears to make them feel important. A bear without a sense of purpose, as all sensitive people know, can very quickly develop low self-esteem and lumpy stuffing. He had failed. All he could think to do was find the nearest copy center and make flyers to distribute at the fair entrance and hang on telephone poles, and that was assuming some unscrupulous and sticky little hadn’t found and kidnapped his bear. Or he could have been trampled by bigs. Or stripped for parts and sold on the black bear market.

 

Jamie headed toward the exit, his shoulders slumped, staring at the ground and swinging his feet wide and kicking rocks.

 

         But bears aren’t the only ones with a sense of smell. Sure, Jamie couldn’t smell every bear, but he could smell his own, even if it was covered in dirt and cookies and powdered sugar and sweat and grease.

 

         Manda could confirm that. Jamie’s bear definitely smelled a particular way.

         “And I looked around, and I didn’t see him at first. I thought my mind was playing tricks on me. And then I spotted him! He was filthy, but I know my bear. I tried to go get him, but that big carney stopped me.”

         “Where do you think you’re going,” the sleeveless carney said to Jamie

 

         “That’s my bear!”

 

         “No, he’s not,” the man lied, “that’s one of my prizes.”

 

         “He’s my bear!”

 

         “He’s in my booth. You want him? You gotta win him.”

 

         “But he’s mine! And I’m a little! I don’t have any money.”

 

         “Tell you what –  I’ll give you one free throw.”

 

         “So it was all or nothing,” Mel asked with trepidation in her voice and the bear in her lap.

         “Exactly. And everyone knows carnival games are rigged. That’s how the carney lost his sleeves probably, playing rigged games.”

         “So what did you do,” Amanda asked.

         “What could I do? I accepted his challenge. I had one throw to knock down his milk cans. So I got in my stance, like this.” Jamie turned sideways to them and tucked his arms in.

         “Why did you look behind you like that,” Mel asked.

         “I was checking to make sure the runner was still on first. And then I wound up.” Jamie drew himself up to his full height, cocked his leg, and threw his imaginary ball as hard as he could.

         “And you knocked down all the bottles,” Amanda asked.

         “No,” Jamie said. She wasn’t following this story very well. No wonder she needed help with her homework. “I told you: it was a rigged game.”

         “So how’d you win him back?”

         “I didn’t. I threw the ball at the carney, ran under the counter, grabbed the bear, dove under the tent, and didn’t stop running until I got home.”

         “Wow!”

         “I know.” Jamie picked up his bear and sat himself down in Mel’s lap. “And that’s how his coat got so dirty, looking everywhere for me.”        

“Ever lose him again,” Amanda asked.

         “Never.” Jamie turned his bear around so it was facing him. He returned the bear’s smile and hugged it close. His bear was his very favorite thing.

[YourFNF]

1 hour ago, Alex Bridges said:

Chapter 32

         “I know.” Jamie picked up his bear and sat himself down in Mel’s lap. “And that’s how his coat got so dirty, looking everywhere for me.”        

“Ever lose him again,” Amanda asked.

         “Never.” Jamie turned his bear around so it was facing him. He returned the bear’s smile and hugged it close. His bear was his very favorite thing.

Just wow!! ? This was really creative narrative work. Of course I'm a sucker for meta-devices but still.....

It's also always interesting seeing the Bigs try and work with and help the Little....

Amanda deffinetly seems to have a knack for counseling/teaching. I wonder how she'd handle an "older" one like me more of Mid with an emotional range close to 10-15...  ?

[the diaper mike]

Quite interesting please continue

[Sarah Penguin]

whhee

[Alex Bridges]

22 hours ago, YourFNF said:

Wow can I just say I am legit proud of both Jamie and Becky here. Jamie for being secure enough in his masculinity to go with what he likes regardless of labels and Becky for being supportive.

As both Jamie’s and Becky’s alter ego, thank you ? 

[littleTomás]

23 hours ago, Alex Bridges said:

Well, I just watched Christopher Robin on Netflix. As a little, and as Jamie’s alter ego, I had to go get my bear and my paci to watch it, and cried several times.

A very good movie, with a very good ending.

Christopher Robin is the best. I also needed to get my paci and snuggle with my stuffies while watching the movie. It's sad at times, but I too love the ending.

 

Awesome chapter! I love the un-regressed littles textbook saying that they've lost their imagination. I do think that imagination is something that most adults don't spend enough time cultivating and that has consequences of limiting creative thinking. I love how Amanda and Mel work to convince Jamie to use his imagination more.

[SGTbaby]

Such an Imagination! 

[Alex Bridges]

Chapter 33

“You need anything,” Becky asked as she stood over Amanda’s bed.

“No. Thank you.” From where she laid, she could see the top half of Jamie’s head, his forehead creased in concern as he looked down the length of the bed.

“Try to sleep for a while, honey.” Becky put her hands on Jamie’s shoulders and steered him out the door. She closed it behind her.

“Maybe she needs company,” Jamie said. “I’ll be real quiet.”

“Then I’d have two people with colds to take care of,” Becky said. “Why don’t you go play outside. I got a few things to do.” She sent him on his way with a pat on the butt.

Jamie hated it when Manda or Becky were sick, but especially Manda. He couldn’t help but worry, even over a cold, and he lost his favorite playmate for a few days. 

This was Day 2, and Becky had been shooing him away from Amanda since the day before. He didn’t really wanna play outside. It was nice out, but there wasn’t anything he wanted to do around the house. He walked into the kitchen and climbed into his chair. Becky had papers laid out in front of her.

“Can I call Mel,” he asked.

“Sure, honey. Why?”

“Maybe she’s free and wants to go do something.”

“Awwww.” Becky still found it adorable that Jamie had a special relationship with Mel. She didn’t of know any other littles who had an unrelated big that was also a friend, not a babysitter or playmate but a true friend. “My phone’s upstairs. Be right back.”

While Jamie waited, he reached over out of curiosity and looked at the papers Becky was working on. They were bank statements marked up with a pen. It looked liked Becky was trying to get a solid sense of her monthly income and expenses. He knew teachers earned a lot, but he didn’t know much about the currency. He wasn’t sure, looking at the papers, if she earned a lot or a lot-a lot.It did look like she had been right. They could afford a two-bedroom apartment and the little fee, but it meant either spending less or saving less for Becky. He knew Amanda would be stretching her budget with her meager assistantship stipend, and it looked from the papers that while Becky was quite comfortable, she wasn’t two-homes-comfortable. He slid the paper back.

“Here you go,” Becky said as she unlocked the phone and dialed Mel’s number. She had it programmed into her speed dial along with several other babysitters. Mel answered the phone, “Hi, Becky.”

 “It’s Jamie.”

“Oh, hey! What’s up?”

“That’s what I was called you to find out. Amanda is in bed sick, and Mom is busy. I thought if you were free that you’d wanna do something.”

“Sounds like fun. I’ll come over right now.”

“K. See you soon.” Jamie hung up the phone.

“She’s free,” Becky asked.

“Yeah.”

“Better get you dressed then.” She picked him up out of his chair and carried him to the nursery. After all these years, he still didn’t know they called it that. “Any preference today?”

“I think just shorts and a onesie today.” He had only worn the skirt in the backyard, and he was still nervous about wearing it elsewhere. Besides, he didn’t know where he and Mel would go. Becky pulled off the T-shirt he had on and replace it with a onesie. He liked the tight feeling around his diaper. It made it easier to play. She helped him down and held out shorts for him to step into.

“Sandals or shoes?”

“Sandals.” She strapped them on his feet. He knew he was spoiled, but if it gave them pleasure to dress him, he was happy to let them.

“Why don’t you go wait by the door.” Mel didn’t live far. Becky grabbed his diaper bag from the narrow space between the changing table and dresser and made sure it was stocked. She added his bathing suit and a clean outfit.

Mel let herself in when she arrived. Jamie got his sunglasses from the console table near the front door that held their keys and purses.

“Hey, Mel,” Becky said as she came out from the kitchen. “Thanks for coming by.”

“Happy to. I don’t have much going on either. I’m glad you called, buddy.”

“Here’s his bag,” she said handing it over, “and here’s some cash if you guys want to get lunch or ice cream or something.” Mel would have turned down the cash, but without a job, she needed it. She looked forward to being able to treat her friends again. “You’re welcome to take Manda’s car.”

“What do you think, Jamie? Drive or walk?”

“I think walk, if that’s okay.”

“I’ll open the garage for you. Be a good boy,” Becky said to Jamie as she knelt down. “Gimme a hug.” Embarrassed, he did. Jamie’s Mom could be such a parent sometimes.

Mel and Jamie went outside and shut the door as they heard the garage door opening around the side. By the time they turned the corner, the door was high enough for them to slip in under and collect the stroller. Mel stashed the diaper bag underneath, and they headed toward downtown and the park.

“Other side, Jamie,” Mel said as they started down the sidewalk. Jamie never gave it any thought, but Mel or Becky or Manda would always remind him to walk on the side of them away from the street. He didn’t think it would do much good, but it made him feel looked after that they always, without fail, put themselves between him and traffic. “Where do you wanna go?”

“I dunno. You pick,” Jamie answered.

“I’m hungry. You hungry?” They walked to downtown. It was a long walk, and Jamie was tired from keeping up even though Mel slowed down for him. They headed for O’Donnell’s. They beat the lunch crowd there, but just barely.

“Booster or high chair,” the hostess asked. Mel looked at Jamie.

“You pick.”

Mel shrugged and said, “Booster.” Once they were in their booth, with the booster wedged in next to Mel but Jamie seated on her lap, a waitress brought them one regular menu and one little menu and a placemat with crayons. She took their drink order and quickly returned with it. “Do you want the red crayon or the blue one,” Mel asked.

“You pick.”

Mel frowned, not so Jamie could see, and picked up the red crayon. She pulled the placemat closer and started coloring in a corner. “I need help with the airplane,” she said, “I’m not good at coloring in airplanes.”

“You fibber.” He picked up his crayon and started coloring.

“You seemed happier on the phone.”

“I’m happy. I’m just thinking.”

“See, that’s where you went wrong.” She glanced at her menu and picked her usual. “Know what you want? And I’m not picking,” she quickly quipped.

“Uh huh.” 

She put her free arm around Jamie’s middle and lightly rubbed his tummy. “Thinking about what?”

“Manda moving out.”

“I thought you were, well, not good with it but ready.”

“I am. It’s just ... I don’t know if I should say.”

“You can tell me anything. It’s me: Aunt Mel.”

“Well, it’s not about me, is the thing. It turns out having a 2-bedroom apartment with a little is more expensive than Manda and Mom thought. Mom’s going to have to cut back on something, or they’ll need to get a one-bedroom.”

“Hmm. Would you mind sharing a room with Manda?”

“No, not really. I actually thought of that. But now I’m thinking that wouldn’t be fair to Manda. Ya know, she’s grown up. She deserves some privacy. I don’t wanna be the reason she doesn’t get to have this part of her life. But I also don’t want Mom to have to cut back because of me, either.”

Whoever thinks littles lead uncomplicated lives don’t know what they’re talking about, and they definitely haven’t met Jamie, Mel thought but kept to herself. She didn’t have a solution. “What do they say,” she asked instead.

“I don’t know. They don’t talk about money stuff around me.” He put his crayon down. “I was thinking, I mean, just this morning, right before you got there, maybe I won’t stay with Manda. At least, not regularly. Then she could, I dunno, just get a playpen for me to sleep in sometimes and I wouldn’t need much there.”

“Jamie ...”

“They give up enough for me.”

“Jamie,” Mel cut him off. As she put down her crayon and turned him so they were looking at each other. “You can put that thought right out of your head because that is never gonna happen. Never. No way will Manda be okay seeing you just some of the time. She ...” Mel caught herself. “She’s your guardian. You’re her little. You love each other. That’s all there is to it.”

“You don’t think she’d ... I mean, to be able to have this part of her life like other women her age, just simplify it a little bit? We’d still be together all the time. Just not ... regularly.”

Mel knew, because Manda had told her, how much Manda was looking forward to having Jamie in her new home. A home they’d make together. She was excited about all the ways it could be different from her childhood home. She had plans for the two of them. And Mel didn’t understand sometimes how Jamie, sweetheart that he was, could think he was doing anybody any favors by making himself less a part of their lives. It made Mel wonder if he still de-valued himself, to some degree, to think that would be the case, that Manda, and Becky for that matter, would be happy that he’d solved this problem for them by taking himself out of the equation. 

The waitress came and took their orders while Mel thought of how best to reply to Jamie without making him feel she was angry at him, though she was a little. “Jamie,” she sighed and paused. “Jamie,” she said calmly, “don’t you ever, ever say to Amanda or Becky what you just said to me. Okay? You not living with Manda will not help. Okay? It’ll just ... she doesn’t want to live without you. You are ...” Mel felt choked up, partly out of jealousy, “... you are this part of her life. You are the most important, biggest part of her life. You’re what brings her more happiness than anything else. Manda would rather stay home and your mom would rather be broke than see you and her not together. It’s hard enough that it won’t be every day. Understand?”

Jamie knew everything she said was true. It wasn’t a well thought out notion or anything. He had just had it. He was sorry he said anything. He just, as silly as it was, still didn’t want to see Amanda holding back on launching herself into the next phase of her life on his account.  But he knew Mel was right. He was pretty confident he wouldn’t have ever gotten so far as expressing his idea to Manda or Mom because he’d had figured out what a bad idea it was, but if he had, he thought he would’ve hurt their feelings. He felt selfish. Did he have that idea for Manda’s and Mom’s sake, or because he was thinking about it too much from his own perspective?

“You’re right. I’m sorry.”

Mel had gotten to see a lot of the fragile and insecure parts of Jamie, albeit not in a while. “Hey,” she said very softy. “I know your heart’s in the right place. You’re a very sweet and good person, and everyone loves you very much.”

“I just ...” He didn’t know why he had said what he’d said.

“I know.” She kissed the top of his head and gave him a squeeze. “I’m not mad. “Let’s have a fun day. Talk about something else.” She rolled his crayon closer to him, and he picked it up.

“Wanna talk about your job hunt,” he asked. He actually didn’t. He didn’t like the idea of her starting her first real job because they couldn’t have random weekdays like this anymore.

“I said a fun day,” Mel answered back. “Where are we going when we leave here?”

“You pick,” Jamie said.

“Ugh!” She tickled his left side. “Where?”

“You pick,” he giggled. She tickled his right side.

“Which side am I gonna tickle next?”

“You pick!”

“Ooh, when we get to the park I’m tossing you right in the lake.”

“See? You picked.” And it was what he would have picked, too. “Before we leave,” he said, “let’s order some soup to go for Manda.”

“Good idea.”

Jamie elected to ride to the park to save his energy for playing. Mel steered him straight to the strip of tree-lined grass between the playground and game field and got him out of the stroller. 

“Go play,” she said as she gave him a light smack on the butt. He toddled off toward the herd of littles playing tag and quickly made himself its most active participant. Mel decided she’d try to socialize with the women standing watch over the game, and she naturally gravitated toward the younger ones, who she assumed were sisters or babysitters.

“Hi,” she said to a group of women talking in a semi-circle. “Can I join?”

“Yeah. Of course,” one said. “I’ve seen you here before.”

“I come with my friend sometimes,” Mel replied.

“Are you babysitting today,” another asked.

“No, just hanging out with my friend.”

“Where is she?”

“Oh! Haha. No, I mean my little friend, Jamie. There, in the red shorts.”

“Your friend?” They group exchanged looks.

“Yeah. He invited me to lunch, we decided to stop here.”

“He invited you? That’s so cute!”

“He’s a sweetheart. If I could only find a big my age like him.” Though, Mel thought after their conversation at lunch, maybe someone a little less insecure than Jamie.

“Is he the unregressed one,” one of them asked.

“Yeah, But we just call him ‘Jamie.’” Mel was now wary. She knew that was an issue with some people, and knew some of them were here, but she didn’t see any from that group Amanda had confronted the last time she came to the park with them.

“We’ve heard about him.”

“I see. Excuse me.”

“No! It’s okay. We’re fine with it. He’s still a little.”

“What’s he like?”

“Like a ... like a big, just shorter,” Mel replied. That was true so far as it went. If he were an independent little, she figure he’d be no different at all really.

“No, but really, what’s he like?”

Explaining Jamie was like explaining anyone. You can’t do it in a few sentences. You can’t do it at, really, in any comprehensive way even if you have hours or days to do it. You either know the person, or you don’t. 

“Um ... geez, well, he’s very kind. He’s polite. He’s thoughtful. He’s really funny, like not for a little funny but actually funny. He’s got more baggage than most littles, but that’s because he actually remembers his life. Sometimes he calls and invites you to lunch.”

“So he really is just like a big,” one of them said. “That’s ... Hmm.” She didn’t understand what appealed about that, a miniature big that required a ton of care and expense.

“He’s like the nicest, most affectionate, most big hearted, gentle big you ever met. But he’s still a little. He’s still off-the-charts adorable. He’s still my snuggle buddy and a total milkhead. He gets his feelings hurt. He needs someone to help make it all better ... actually, I think that’s the difference. He needs someone to make it all better, but when you’re the one with the problem, he’ll make it all better for you, or at least make you feel that way.”

“Awwww,” several of them said.

“I want one now,” one of them said.

“Well, this one is all mine,” Mel said as she knelt to receive Jamie, who was jogging over. “What’s up? You didn’t play very long.”

“I think we should get that soup home to Manda. Did you make friends?” He recognized faces but didn’t know any names.

“I was just bragging about you,” Mel replied. “His sister has a cold. Guess we’ll be going.” See, she wanted to say. Do your littles bring you soup when you’re sick? She held out her hand, and he took it, and the two of them started walking home.

Manda was asleep when they got home, and it was almost Jamie’s nap time. He was pretty fed up with nap time interrupting the fun stuff. For the first time ever, Jamie used nap time to make a deal, and Becky found it too endearing to say no.

“I’ll take a nap on one condition.”

“Condition,” she asked, confused. He always took a nap, or almost always. At the very least, he’d have some quiet time.

“I wanna take Manda her soup later and see how she’s feeling.”

“Ohhh. Sure. But just a few minutes.”

“Okay.” 

“Mind if hang out,” Mel asked Becky.

“Don’t wanna go home?”

“Getting a little tired of being with my little brother, home from school. Could use a break.”

“Make yourself at home,” Becky said.

“C’mon, Jamie. Let’s go outside. You can take your nap in the shade with me.” Suddenly nap time seemed like the best thing ever.

[Little Andrea]

I absolutely love the way that Mel and Jamie interact with each other. Definitely a wonderful chapter.

[SGTbaby]

I agree, great relationships between Mel and Jamie! I love how they lean on each other a bit! Love it, love it love it!

[Sarah Penguin]

whee

[Guilend]

I agree with the above comments. I love their relationship. But I do wonder what it is that makes both Mel and Amanda see Littles differently? Is it nurture or nature kind of thing, or a bit of both? It must be rare since I do believe they're the only two Jamie has ran into that's like that.

 

I'm saddened by Amanda's sudden illness, but it has my imagination going as I'm sure everyone reading my comments must be aware by now lol. Option 1, Amanda is sick and can't even get out of bed without help so her mom has put her back in diapers to make it easier on everyone. Option 2, Amanda isn't really sick, but she has been put back in diapers for whatever reason, punishment, curiosity or just need some little time. "Option 3 and more likely " she's just sick, no diapers are involved and totally normal. 

[Alex Bridges]

Chapter 34

 

Jamie’s trip to Manda’s university to participate in a classroom lecture had become a  once-a-semester ritual. He’d gotten to like the professor, Dr. Stern, and the two of them had developed a regular patter. Every semester, the students had the same questions, more or less, and Jamie and Dr. Stern had a good pattern of give and take, not rehearsed, just experienced.

Jamie had never been to the university to observe a lecture before, and he was flattered by Manda’s invitation. Other students in her new program, including first years, would be there. Other littles would not, and in fact were not allowed. Professor Stern made sure the door staff knew to let Jamie in with Amanda. And Amanda felt proud to have Jamie with her and self-conscious that she’d have the only little in the audience. She didn’t say so, but she knew his behavior would be scrutinized. That Jamie never misbehaved, at least publicly, reassured her, but she couldn’t shake that feeling that every Big has when taking their little to an event, no matter what an angel they are: please be good.

The lecture wasn’t the issue, though. Jamie did find it boring, and the visiting professor who delivered said some things Jamie resented and some others that he thought were wrong, but he alternated between listening quietly and being bored quietly, mostly the latter. What he didn’t know was that as he sat there, word spread that an unregressed little was in the audience. Most people didn’t care, but some, especially the graduate students, wanted to see the exotic creature. Since he was the only little there, Jamie couldn’t hide.

Once the lecture was over - Jamie did skip the applause, the closest he came to naughtiness that whole week - the students and some hangers on drifted to a conference room down the hall for a reception.

“This looks like receptions from when I was in grad school,” Jamie said to Amanda while seated on her hip surveying the food choices.

“How’s that?”

“Underfunded.”

“Ha! (snort) You are too much sometimes.” He held the plates while she filled them with light fare for an evening snack. He’d be home past his bedtime but had taken an extra nap late in the afternoon. They didn’t care much about socializing, Jamie especially. They were in it for free cookies and to make an appearance. Jamie did wish he could have a glass of wine, though, even if it was plonk.

Amanda didn’t remember all that much from her first year psychology course, but she did remember the Cocktail Party Effect, the tendency of the brain to pick out certain words in a crowd when most words are unintelligible, to whit the word “unregressed.” Jamie heard it too, whispered quietly and then less quietly. Amanda looked around for Professor Stern, and when she turned around again, six people were there.

“Amanda, right,” a woman Manda’s age asked. “I’m Jill. I’m in your cohort.”

“Hi. Nice to meet you,” Amanda said with a forced smile. She shrugged by way of apologizing for not shaking hands. One had Jamie and the other had a plate.

“We heard a rumor he’s not regressed. Is that true,” an overeager student asked.

“My name is James,” he replied for himself. He never had patience for being talked about by strangers when he was there.

“So is he,” the girl asked again.

“You can talk to him,” Amanda said.

“Yes,” he said. “You’ve never met one, have you?”

Heads shook.

“It’s like seeing a unicorn,” someone whispered. “You know they exist, but you never see one.”

“Well, here I am,” Jamie said. “Wait, what?” No one paid that any mind. People started asking questions.

“Is he smart?”

“What does he do all day?”

“How closely do you need to watch him?”

“Is it true they can be dangerous?”

A few more people joined the growing semicircle that was forming and beginning to surround them. Regular people wouldn’t care that much; plenty of people had learned Jamie was unregressed and didn’t pay it any mind. But first year grad students, well, they’re known for getting overexcited when the subject of their studies is right in front of them. He figured they must be students from the area, like Amanda, because the semester was still a ways away.

Amanda backed up, and her thighs bumped against the buffet table. A person pushed through the circle, and without an excuse me, he was reaching toward Jamie.

“Hey!” Jamie and Amanda both shouted simultaneously as she turned away from him and put her free arm over him.

The man stopped and looked embarrassed. “Oh! Sorry. I was ...” he reached again, this time more around Manda. She jerked away slightly again. “... cupcakes. I was reaching for ... want one?”

Jamie felt oddly passive. He’d only ever been the center of this much big attention once. Being surrounded by giants made him nervous. “Manda,” he whispered, but didn’t need to as she was at her breaking point, which was never far ahead where Jamie was concerned.

“Space! Alright, just give us some space! Geez...” Amanda walked forward aggressively, leading with the hip Jamie wasn’t riding on, and made room for them. “Learn some freakin’ manners,” she said under her breath. She was trying to balance her temper with her need to not alienate her fellow students or make a scene. She put on the nicest face she could. “We have to be going. Nice meeting you all.”

As she turned around, she bumped into Dr. Stern, who was glad to see they had come. “Jamie! Amanda! I didn’t see you come in. I was hoping you guys would come tonight. What did you think?”

“How many eyes are watching me right now,” he whispered.

“What?”

“All those students ... they look like they wanna do experiments on me.”

Amanda kept her voice down. “Think some folks are a little too excited by Jamie. Apparently someone told them he’s not regressed.”

“Oh. Well, never mind them. Would you like to meet Dr. Zora?” The speaker. “She’d probably love to meet you.” Amanda did want to, but she’d do whatever Jamie wanted to. She felt obligated, as a first year but more as someone who wasn’t so much a student now was as a kind of professional student, to play the game.

“Sure,” he said. “For a minute.” 

“Did you enjoy it, Amanda,” Stern asked.

“Yeah. It was interesting.” It wasn’t a big conference room.

Stern interrupted someone and tapped the speaker on the shoulder. “Dr. Zora, Sorry to interrupt. Someone I’d like you to meet.”

The woman stuck out her hand to Amanda. “Nice to meet you ...”

“Amanda. And actually, he meant James ... right?”

“Yes,” Stern said. “This is James. He’s not regressed. He guests for me once a semester.”

“Interesting. Nice to meet you, James. Did you enjoy yourself tonight?”

Jamie did the math in his head and decided to be polite instead of honest. “Yes. You had some interesting points to make.” He’s have been more specific but he didn’t actually remember much. He hadn’t been paying that close attention.

Amanda looked at Zora, the group of people still looking at them, and Jamie. She knew what he really thought, and she was tempted to say it herself. She understood the necessity of it, but she didn’t like Jamie not speaking his mind. She did it when she had to, but in this case it felt like he was having to submit to a particular view of littles neither of them agreed with just to be polite.

“What did you think of my theory of little cultural advancement? Does it align with your own observations as a native?”

“We prefer the term ‘human,’” Jamie said before he could just call that interesting, too. “And while ‘current’ to you might mean the last fifty years, to us it means more like five.”

“Well, sometimes it takes an outsider’s perspective to understand these things, sweetie.”

Jamie tucked the inside of his lower lip between his teeth and bit down as he exhaled harshly through his nose. “Or having actually been there,” he spat out tersely. He at least kept himself from calling her “honey bunch” and saved the epithets for later. It wasn’t even so much her erroneous ideas as her rudeness that got to him. People are allowed to be wrong. They’re not allowed to be rude.

“Okay,” Stern said, breaking the impasse. “Well, a battle of the experts,” he said diplomatically. “Sorry to have interrupted you. Jamie, Amanda?” He put an arm behind Amanda’s shoulder without touching her, and the three of them walked away. 

“Condescending ... person,” Jamie said.

“Dr. Itawa likes her,” Stern said. “Of course, she canceled at the last minute and asked me to fill in. Sorry.”

“Excuse me,” a woman said as she approached from the group of students who once more seemed fascinated and hopeful. The young woman took a cookie, broke it in half, and gave half to Jamie, who accepted it and regarded it strangely. He looked at Amanda, whose eyebrows arched to say, I dunno. Even Stern looked puzzled.

“Um,” Jamie said, “that’s ... Thank you.” He leaned over and dropped the cookie on the corner of a table. He didn’t want to eat a cookie handed to him by a stranger. Who would?

“Oh my gosh, did I do it wrong,” the woman asked.

“Do what wrong,” Amanda asked.

“Apologize. That’s how littles do it, right? The supplicant makes an offering of half their cookie to the wronged party?”

“That’s ...” Jamie pinched his eyes. He couldn’t exactly fault her. Regressed littles used cookies to mean a lot of things. He even did it from time to time with a regressed little or when he was trying to be cute. “Unregressed littles apologize by saying, ‘I’m sorry,’ or if they want to be formal about it, they’ll say, ‘I apologize,’ or something similar. And you can talk to me. Actually, I’m gonna have to insist on it,” he said, trying to smile, as the woman kept glancing at Amanda for approval or verification.

“Oh. In that case, we apologize.”

“Thank you.” He held in a yawn. Amanda felt it. These people were exhausting.

“It is getting late for him,” Amanda said. “I need to get him home.”

“We understand.”

“Mind telling everyone bye for me? I’ll see you guys close to when the semester starts.”

“Of course. Goodnight, James.”

“Goodnight,” he said.

“Nice seeing you again,” Dr. Stern said. “Sorry for the ... evening. I didn’t know, well... obvious, I guess.”

“It’s alright. Not your fault. Enjoy the rest of the summer,” Jamie said.

“Okay,” Jamie said when they were out of the building, “what the fuck? I mean, seriously. I mean, you and Mom were never like that.”

“I guess it’s just like super fans meeting their favorite celebrity for the first time or something.” Acting like star struck weirdos, and then trying to make it up for and acting like even bigger weirdos, she thought.

“Sorry if I ... I hope what I said to that lecturer won’t cause you any problems down the road.” He well remembered the politics of an academic department.

“Dr. Itawa is emeritus. She’s got some influence, but it’s mostly just respect for her longevity at this point. Her research has been outdated for a while. Anyway, Stern is more important.”

“Why don’t you invite your cohort over for a barbecue or something? They’re probably normal when you get to know them.”

“I hope so. Gonna be spending a lot of time with them for the next few years. But you don’t have to do that for me.”

“No, I’d like to. I wanna hear more about these supposed unicorns,” he yawned.

“Ready for bed,” Manda asked and stroked his hair.

He leaned against her and sighed, resting his face against her flank and crossing his arms around her. “Thanks for protecting me from Cupcake Guy. And shouting at everyone. My hero,” he laughed and yawned again.

“Sleepy bear.” She kissed the top of his head.

 

 

 

 

[Sarah Penguin]

[Alex Bridges]

11 hours ago, Guilend said:

I agree with the above comments. I love their relationship. But I do wonder what it is that makes both Mel and Amanda see Littles differently? Is it nurture or nature kind of thing, or a bit of both? It must be rare since I do believe they're the only two Jamie has ran into that's like that.

That’s a good question. I think more people would see Jamie like that if they knew him. Where he runs into trouble is when people make assumptions about him, either because they don’t know him or because they make those assumptions about all littles. 

I think a number of bigs treat him like a normal person. April, Stacy, Daniel.

A minority are blind to all littles not being infants (Donna), but a majority just know the average, regressed little and assume he is one until they learn he’s not, which for some of them is never. A lot of that majority may understand he’s not regressed, but they can’t fully respect him because he’s still a little. Lauren might fall into category, but maybe that’s not fair to her. We don’t really k ow what Lauren thinks of Jamie yet, not fully.

And even Mel thinks he arrived diaper dependent.

[SGTbaby]

Sweet Baby Bear and Mandabear! 

[the diaper mike]

Awesome as always Alex I really want  know what happens with Ella