Settling In (Complete!)

[Sophie ♥]

What clever theories.

[Jayme]

I have a burning question, who is Mable and is she related to Cora in any way?

[Sarah Penguin]

[Sophie ♥]

4 hours ago, Jayme said:

I have a burning question, who is Mable and is she related to Cora in any way?

All shall be answered!  

[Sophie ♥]

Chapter XIX

Lunch couldn't come soon enough.  So far, today had been one of the worst days of my entire life.  Not only was I spanked by my boss - which was becoming normal - but I had to spend two entire hours rubbing some crazy lady's feet!  I put in an order for subs at the local sandwich shop and went out to talk to Prin. "Hey, um.  Could you pick up food?" She looked at me with a complete lack of enthusiasm.  That wasn't like her. "About earlier..." I muttered under my breath.

"It's not good, Natalie baby - you've worked really hard to show everyone here how sweet and innocent you are, and hearing language like that..." She sounded so disappointed…

"I..." I looked at Prin's desk, then at the rest of the office.  The cubicles.  The break room.  I had worked so hard this past month, building a life for myself here.  Building an image that people enjoyed.  Suddenly, I felt very unwell. "I'm sorry... if I can make it up to you..."

"I don't know if there's any one thing you can do - maybe just... do more of what you've been doing? Dress cute, be sweet and bubbly...? Maybe if you keep being you, all this will blow over faster?” Prin said, to the girl who was already in short-alls and padded undies.

"I have a new outfit?" I said with a little smile. "Um... it's... it's really not work-appropriate, but Mr. Gladstone said I could wear it tomorrow?" I felt sick.  Queasy.  The way Prin was speaking to me was heartbreaking.  It actually made my chest hurt. "And I could apologize to everyone?  I was upset... I didn't mean to..."

"I don't know… buckle down and be your best you.  Maybe ramp it up some, okay? It's hard for anybody to stay mad at someone who dresses so cute, right?" Prin smiled weakly. "I need to go pick up food, now."

"Okay," I muttered, and Prin walked off toward the door.  I stood there for a minute, unsure of what to do.  I felt too scared to talk to Mr. Gladstone.  Too anxious to go back into my office with that woman.  Too ashamed to stay out here with my coworkers.  So I took a walk.  Down the elevator, out into the city, and toward the park.  I fished my phone out of my pocket and dialed Cora's number.

It didn't take Cora all too long to answer, and she insisted on engaging the call in video mode.  When the image of her flickered up on Natalie's screen, Cora was sitting... in a studio, maybe? "Hello darling, how nice to hear from you!" Cora looked over her shoulder, gave some instructions, and looked back at the camera. "Oh you look forlorn, what's the matter?"

"I... um.  I don't mean to bother you at work..." I didn't even know what Cora did for a living, actually.  But that wasn't important right now.  I ducked into an alley near the park, out of sight, and leaned up against the building.  Tears started to fill my eyes. "I... I think I messed up... I think I did something bad..."

"Oh darling girl, no no, what happened? Oh my poor baby, where are you? I'll be right there. Send me the address and I'll hop a car right this moment. Mommy's coming, darling." Now, what was curious here was her choice of words: Mommy. Taken at face value, it was likely just a maternal response to seeing someone she cared about in tears. But that word planted a seed, too. It was so intentional. So deliberate.

Mommy?  No, too much was going on.  The thought was ejected from my head as quickly as it appeared there.  I shook my head and wiped my tears. "I can't, I gotta work... I... I just... I said a bad word, and everyone hates me now, and... and I thought I could just look cute and everyone would like me, but now they said I'm not the same 'cause I swore and..." I completely broke down, sobbing in the alley.

"Oh darling, I see, I see. I'm going to come get you, okay? I'll swing by the house and have Sam make you your favorite sandwiches, doesn't that sound nice? Then take you back to work.” So she swore in the office? Cora's head danced with opportunities. "Mr. Gladstone didn't hear what you said, did he?" Her voice was lower now. "No I suppose I would have heard if he did..."

When Cora talked about Mr. Gladstone, she became very serious.  Then it dawned on me: even Cora was worried about it.  If he ever found out, that would be it.  Everything would be over.  I started bawling, holding the phone away from my face so Cora couldn't see the shameful display. I slid to the ground and buried my face in my knees.

"Natalie, darling? Natalie, where are you?" Cora could probably deduce, though.  In fact, when Natalie's phone hung up the call without her having replied, it took Cora less than an hour to find her in the alley by the work building, cuddled up to her knees.

I sat there and cried for so long, until my tears ran out.  Then I just thought about everything, about my life so far.  About Adam, and Sam, and Cora.  About Mr. Gladstone.  What if he came looking for me, and Mabel told him I was in the bathroom again.  I had to go back.  I had to.  But my feet wouldn't move.  My body felt like lead.  Then, Cora was at my side.  She helped me stand up and played with my hair, ushering me toward her car.

In the back of the car, Cora held her little project in her arms and told her sweet nothings about how okay things would be. She held her, first softly, and then as Natalie leaned in closer, she pulled her against her bosom and embraced her tightly.

Cora always made things feel better.  Her hugs, her voice, her touch.  She whispered quietly and played with my hair.  I should have felt better, but I didn't.  The thoughts in my head were swirling around and I couldn't breathe.  My chest felt like it was on fire and my eyes were perpetually wet, though no tears would drip down my cheeks.  I didn't know what to do...

"Let's have you take the rest of the day off, okay? You can come home, get changed into something sweet and cute and soft, and have Sam pamper you all night, okay? Tomorrow will be a brand new day." And detaching her from her workplace responsibilities was an excellent move.

I shook my head in a panic and tried to push her away, but Cora held me tight. "I can't... I can't, I can't leave her there, that other girl... she's gonna take my job and everyone hates me and they'll like her instead, and... and..." I was gasping for breath.  Was I dying?

"The temp?" Cora tilted her head, making sure that it was clear to Natalie that she didn't remember the girls name, showing her how unimportant she really was by comparison. "Don't you worry about her; she's nobody and you're my Little Nattie, okay? She's just some floozy, and you're here and in my arms and you're going to let me take care of you."

I tried to argue, I tried to fight her, but Cora wouldn't have any of it.  She held me by the shoulders and put her finger to my lips to shush me. "Do you remember our talk?" she asked me. "I make the decisions." I looked dizzily up at her and remembered the last mistake I made.  Pissing myself in that store.  And today, I swore at a co-worker.  I shouldn't have done that.  Cora would have never let me do that.  So with nervous reluctance, I nodded my head. "Okay..."

"Good girl." Cora leaned forward, tapped the glass on the dividing window to let the driver know it was time to go, and then did something quite bold - she pulled Natalie up onto her lap and held her there, like a mother holding her child. "I'm not letting you go, darling, so you'd better just get used to that."

We went back to the house.  Cora didn't call her husband, at least not yet.  Or maybe she called him on her way to get me?  I didn't know.  I felt dizzy and delirious.  Walking from the car to the front steps felt like trudging through quicksand.  And after the horrible anxiety attack subsided, my mind felt... empty and exhausted.  I was ready to sleep for the next decade.

"Let's get you dressed,” Cora told her charge, and Natalie obeyed. She didn't protest to Cora undressing her. She didn't protest to her picking out clothes for her. And when Cora asked her a very simple question, one that might have caused a big ruckus at any other time, Natalie just looked her and blinked a few times, as if trying to process why she was being given input. "So you don't have an accident like at the store? You've had such a rough day again, and the Matron did send us home with some spares." What was it Cora was talking about? The traceback on her words was easy to follow. Accidents. Upset. Picking out what Natalie wore. Oh. Cora was asking if she wanted to wear a diaper tonight.

"I... I don't need--" "To make your own decisions anymore," Cora finished for me.  I looked at her with bleary exhaustion and felt a bit of heat on my cheeks.  I wanted to argue.  Diapers = no.  But even those two simple words felt like too much.  I didn't want to argue.  I didn't want to decide...

"So I'm going to make them for you; any decision I make for you can never get you in trouble." Cora let that one sink in, let it connect inside Natalie's head. Her own choices got her in trouble. Doing what Cora said wouldn't.  Couldn't. Ever. If she only ever did what she was told, she could never ever lose what she had. Wasn't that a gift worth accepting?

Cora helped me onto my bed, but I was lost in thought.  I couldn't get in trouble if Cora told me to do something?  Of course not.  I'd just say it was her idea.  Cora would be in trouble, not me.  I wouldn't get fired for not going back to work, because it was Cora's decision to bring me home.  If I made the decision, I would have gone back.  Right?  Or was I so exhausted that nothing was making sense anymore?

The Strawberry Shortcake trainers slid down her thighs in Cora's hands, and Natalie just... laid there. She watched. She let it happen. And when Cora told her they were damp and she must have had a tiny accident when she was upset, For wondered… sould she challenge it? Would she argue? Cora just wasn't going to give her the chance to state her case. "You're going to wear diapers when you're upset from now on, Nattie, and that's my decision." The diaper was in her hands... pretty, colorful, glossy plastic, thicker than seemed possible.

"I... um..." Argue.  Fight that line of questioning.  I didn't need diapers, obviously.  I was twenty-three, not two or three.  But had I really wet myself again?  I didn't remember that... and then the thoughts were too heavy.  My eyes felt heavy, too.  I forced them open just in time to see my ankles high above my head.  Weird...

These were new sensations, new experiences, feelings that linked to memories almost too old to be remembered. The padding was soft and luxurious.  The smell of the baby powder was thick in the air, though not as thick as when the diaper was brought up between her legs. Was Cora saying something? Probably. Something about safety, maybe. But Natalie was in a world of sensation in that moment; everything amplified and her thoughts quietened. The soft feeling. The powdery scent. The sound of the crinkling plastic.  The tapes pulling and the tightness around her hips.

I felt my head hit the pillow.  I looked around the room to find Cora pulling a blanket up over my nightgown, then... kissing me on the forehead.  I looked up at her in bewilderment, in confusion, but she smiled down with the sweetest smile. "Get some sleep," she said.  I nodded my head and felt my eyes close.  Like that, I was out.

-----------------

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[Wannatripbaby]

Nattie definitely needs to see a doctor about these anxiety attacks. Normally I'm against medication unless absolutely necessary, but in her case some depressants might be in order. O_o just something to take the edge off the world.

Of course that would ruin Cora and--you know I'm just gonna assume all of this is for Cora until otherwise proven--that would ruin Cora's plan if she wasn't having emotional breakdowns every 5 minutes.

[Sophie ♥]

13 hours ago, Wannatripbaby said:

that would ruin Cora's plan if she wasn't having emotional breakdowns every 5 minutes.

Don't you know it!

One more chapter until I'm away for the weekend.

[Sparkle Dust]

Enjoy your Halloween?!

[Sophie ♥]

Chapter XX

I had never in my life slept so peacefully.  Warm dreams, warm blankets... no tossing, no turning.  Pure, blissful, gentle sleep.  And when I woke up, for the first time in a month, I wasn't anxious about something.  I should have been worried about work, but it was Cora's decision I come home.  I couldn't be in trouble for that.  

But there was one irritating part about waking up: the thick, crinkling diaper between my legs.  I slid my blanket off and examined the padding.  Dry, obviously.  I wasn't a bedwetter or anything!  Ugh, I felt so stupid.  I couldn't believe I let Cora diaper me!  I fell back on my bed with embarrassment and covered my face with my arms.  I had to get changed...

"So..." It was Sam's voice, and if Natalie didn't damn near jump out of her skin when she heard it.  She tossed all of her blankets up and over her body with a look of irritation. "I heard you had problems at work?" Her best friend sat down at the end of her bed.  Since her corset punishment had ended, she had been wearing a much less restrictive corset in its place.  Sam was already very adept at moving around in it. "Everything okay?"

I must have nodded off.  I didn't hear Sam come in at all.  Had she seen the diaper?  No, I had a nightgown on.  I pulled the blankets tight across my body and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. "There's this new girl... she's the most annoying person ever.  I lashed out at her, and now everyone's mad at me..."

"Oh no." Sam knew what kind of temper her best friend could have, if pushed to it.  Natalie could be patient for infinity and then when that limit was reached... well, bad things could happen. "What happened? What did she do to upset you so much?"

"I dunno... she just kept talking down to me, and I was having a rough day, and..." In retrospect, Mabel hadn't even done anything that was so bad.  It was a combination of her actions and my fear of losing my job.  I sighed and shrugged my shoulders. "Nevermind.  I guess it's nothing."

"Are things going to be okay? Should I be packing my stuff?" Sam knew well enough the fears and insecurities that Natalie had about losing her job and what it would mean for them both, but mentioning it like that probably didn't help.

I shook my head. "No, everything is fine.  I apologized, and... and I'm gonna make it up to everybody.  Somehow." I told Prin about that outfit I got over the weekend.  It was so infantile!  Definitely not appropriate for work!  But both Mr. Gladstone and Prin encouraged it.  Was that my only option?  Ugh, Mabel would never let me live it down... "Cora helped me get through it.  She's... she's really amazing sometimes."

"Oh yeah?" Sam didn't seem surprised, even though in her role as a lower-tier house-maid she was never really shown much love by the Gladstones. It was so obvious to her, though, that Natalie was treated much, much differently. "What did she do?"

"She came all the way out to my office and picked me up, because I was... I dunno.  Upset?  Maybe I was having a panic attack?" Before this weekend, I'd never had a panic attack before. "But she took me back here, and she made sure I was okay, and..." I smiled when I talked about Cora; I just couldn't help it!  She made me feel so... important.

"Wow." The exclamation was genuine, too, but maybe not for the reasons Natalie would have considered: to Sam, it sounded like Nat was talking about someone she was in love with.

"Yeah.  She's just really great." I smiled warmly up at my best friend and then remembered what I was wearing. "Hey, um.  Could I have a minute to get dressed?" "I'm supposed to help you," Sam said.  There was no point in lying, was there? "Sam, I... am... compromised at the moment.  And would really appreciate doing this myself just one time." The blush on my cheeks really sold the request, though Sam's and my definitions of compromised were likely very different.

Compromised? Compromised. What did that even mean in this context? Natalie looked a little bit confused, the puzzlement on her face obvious as she tried to figure it out. "Mr. Gladstone actually asked me to come help you get dressed.  I don't know if I want to get on his bad side…”

So much for negotiation.  I gave Sam a sharp look and decided that it was time to use my trump card. "You're my maid, so you do what I say.  Now give me a few minutes alone." It wasn't friendly, but it had to be done.  No way I was letting Sam see me in a diaper!

"...excuse me?" Sam took a moment to process that demand. "Are you fucking kidding me, Natalie?" She was visibly offended, her hands tightening at her sides and her eyebrows pulling together in irritation. "You're going to actually try and talk down to me? I'm your best friend, you brat, did you fucking forget that?"

Sam raised her voice and I felt my stomach flip.  All my courage vanished in an instant as she stood up from my bed and glared down at me with piercing green eyes.  She... she wasn't supposed to talk to me like that!  Right?  I stuttered for words. "I... y-you're... um..."

"They might treat you like a princess, Natalie, but you're still my best friend and you don't get to talk to me like that." Then, maybe inadvisably but nonetheless, Sam tugged her blanket away from Natalie in one smooth motion. "Now get up so I can dress you!"

I held the nightgown down, covering my... uh... underwear.  I tried to find the courage to argue, but Sam grabbed me by the arm and dragged me out of bed like I was nothing more than a doll.  Sam wasn't that much bigger than me, but she was particularly strong.  Fighting her was impossible. "Sam!  I can do it myself!"

"Obviously you can't. In the commotion, Sam might not have noticed at first - the crinkling, the awkward steps, the fact her nightgown barely covered anything, but it wasn't going to take long before she started to undress Natalie. "Now stop arguing and just... just do what you're told for once, okay?"

Sam reached for my nightgown and I fought her off to the best of my ability.  My back hit the wall and she tripped over her feet a few times.  But no matter what I did, the end of the battle was inevitable.  Sam lifting my nightgown high above my waist, tucked under my arms, and the pastel pink diaper in plain view.

The silence was both deafening and seemingly infinite. Sam had seen the training pants, the increasingly padded underwear, and the Gladstone's had made no secret of some of the newer clothes that Natalie owned now. This was both logical and… completely insane. Natalie stood frozen, and Sam did what nobody could have expected - she touched the diaper. "No wonder you waddle now." What else was she supposed to say?

I pulled my nightgown down roughly and covered the diaper once again.  My cheeks were brighter than the sun, radiating just as much heat.  And that stupid smile on Sam's face made it all the worse! "Shut up!  I don't usually wear them!  It was just this one time!"

"Well that's not true at all, Natalie - I've seen you waddling.  I’ve had to clean your padded panties.  And I had to hand-wash a pair when you were sleeping, too. I don't know why you'd think you can keep secrets from me; I'm your maid." That didn't answer any questions, though, did it? "How long have you needed these?"

"I don't!" My eyes were wet with shame, with irritation.  I held the hem of my nightgown tight in my fists.  I just wanted to punch Sam!  I wanted to hit her and show her I wasn't some stupid baby!  But instead, steady tears started dripping down my cheeks. "I wear them sometimes to work!  That's it!  And I don't need them!  I don't!"

"You wear diapers, but you don't need them?" That was even more confusing. And more implicating, too, because Sam was not dumb. Two plus two was always going to be four. "Oh." Pause. "Oh you wear diapers because you like them."

All the color drained from my face.  That logical leap was nowhere in the bounds of reality, not for me.  And for Sam to even insinuate... I was stunned.  I... I didn't know what to say!  What to do!  But my auto-pilot knew exactly what to do.  I stormed past Sam, out the door to my bedroom, down the staircase, and toward Cora's room.  Cora would explain everything to Sam.  Cora would tell her the truth.  It was one accident!  Two, actually.  But that didn't mean I needed to wear diapers!

-----------------

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[Wannatripbaby]

Cora's gonna explain why Nattie's in a diaper, huh? This aughta be good. XD

[littleTomás]

I hope diapers are the new normal for Natalie. She's much happier as a little girl than an adult. To quote my signature, "Who would ever wanna grow up anyway?"

[Sarah Penguin]

[Night Rain]

That should be fun to see how things go.

[Jayme]

Storming to Cora's room in just a diaper is not gonna look good....

[Sophie ♥]

Thanks for all the kind words everyone!    I was away for the weekend, but I'll post a new chapter tonight! 

[Sophie ♥]

Chapter XXI

That Natalie walked voluntarily through the household in a huff, wearing nothing but a nightgown and a diaper, with all the poutiness of a spoiled child and seemingly no shame... that didn't help in dispelling the assessment that Sam was making of her, did it? Cora didn't seem to be in her room, though...

I knocked loud and angry, but no one came to Cora's door.  I bit my lip and looked around the hall, but there weren't any maids.  No Sam.  No anyone. "Cora?" I called.  But she didn't answer.  I decided to turn the handle, to peek inside.  Maybe she was asleep or something? "Cora?" I said again, when I could see the bed along the far wall.

The bed was empty, although there was a soft scent of cinnamon in the air - a smell that usually followed Cora during the day, so if she wasn't here then she couldn't have left too long ago.

I pouted and closed the door behind me.  She had to be around here somewhere, right?  Work hours were over.  Unless she went back to work to make up for the time I dragged her away?  I shook my head.  If I found a maid, they would know.  So I headed down the hall, to the main stairs, and went toward the kitchen.  Someone was always in the kitchen!

Her nightgown didn’t do much to hide what she was wearing from behind.  As she pattered around the house, the maids saw.  Sam had seen.  There was no point in trying to hide it.  But one of the maids told her that Cora was in the conservatory on the second floor. At least that was helpful information.

On my way back up the stairs, I pulled my nightgown down again.  It wasn't that short, was it?  But the maids kept looking at me, up and down, like they could tell... I shook my head and hurried to the conservatory.  I didn't even know we had a conservatory!

"Hello, darling." Cora was sitting in a large plush chair with a glass of red wine in her hand, while someone - not a maid, but someone - was painting her toenails. "Did you sleep well?"

"...yeah, I guess.  Um." I looked at the woman on the floor, on her knees, painting Cora's toenails.  I shifted from one foot to the other uncomfortably, and the rustling of the diaper filled the quiet room.  I stopped suddenly and blushed. "Can we speak alone for a moment?  I really need to talk to you."

"We are alone?" And it took a moment, but Cora realized what Natalie meant and shoed away her beautician.  The woman closed the door behind her. "You seem upset, darling."

"I am," I said, with less venom and more... of a pout.  It came naturally. "I told Sam to leave me alone for a minute so I could get out of..." I stopped mid-sentence and felt my cheeks grow hot. "Er... you know.  But Sam didn't listen.  And she saw.  And she thinks I want to wear..." This conversation was so difficult, and even worse because I was too embarrassed to say the word diaper.

"You want to do what you're told, don't you darling? You want to do whatever decisions are made for you, because you don't want to be in trouble.” These words were heavy and sticky, like syrup covering Natalie.

Memories of earlier today came trickling back, like water through a sieve.  Breaking down in an alley outside my office building.  Cora taking care of me.  Making my decisions so I didn't have to.  But now, in the light of day, that seemed so silly... "I... I just want her to know the truth.  She won't believe me..."

"You want her to know the truth, that you don't want to make decisions anymore. That making decisions gets you in trouble, and that doing what you're told keeps you safe. That makes sense." Cora nodded.

"...I guess." I didn't think about it that way.  I wasn't wearing a diaper because I needed it or because I wanted it.  I was wearing it because Cora thought it was a good idea.  Her decision, not mine.  And suddenly, all the anxiety and fear of Sam knowing seemed... stupid.  This had nothing to do with me! "Well, tell that to Sam!  She just doesn't get it!"

"Tell me what you're thinking, darling. The decisions are mine to make, to protect you from them, but knowing how you feel is very important to me, too." And that was a pretty big gesture, from Cora.

I crossed my arms, looking down at my bare feet on the soft carpet of the conservatory.  What did I think? "I... I didn't dress this way.  You dressed me!  So... so it's not my fault.  Right?" Cora nodded. "So why is Sam making fun of me?  Why is it still my fault?  It's not my fault..."

"She doesn't know." Cora replied simply. "She doesn't know how much this means to you, how important it is to you to not make your own decisions anymore."

"I'm so... tired of it." I felt tears in my eyes again.  Memories flooded in from that afternoon, crying in the street.  Rubbing Mabel's feet, and the way Prin looked at me with disappointment.  Pissing myself in the changing room at that store.  Missing the decimal point on that form two weeks back.  And Adam... loving him.  Caring about him.  Expecting that maybe, just maybe, we could be happy together.  I wiped the tears off my cheeks. "I don't wanna make decisions anymore, Cora... but I have to, don't I?  You can't decide everything for me for the rest of my life..."

"And why can't I? That's what a parent does for a child, isn't it? And you have the advantage of getting to know you've tried your best at making your own decisions and it just didn't work out. I could take it all away, Nattie darling." She let those words sink in.

"...I'm not a child, though." "You could be." I looked at Cora with... confusion.  I didn't understand. "I'm twenty-three," I explained.  By definition, I wasn't a child. "I... I don't wanna do this anymore.  I don't wanna make decisions.  It didn't work out!  I know that!  But... but I don't have a choice... I don't get to choose..."

"You want this. You need this, to feel safe.  To be able to look Sam in the eye and say "I wear diapers" and not have to explain yourself why - it was never your choice, so you're not responsible."

"I don't wear diapers," I corrected Cora. "It was just once, and... and it wasn't my decision!" "Exactly." "But... but I can't just go through life letting you make all my decisions!  And I can't just say you're responsible for everything I do!  That's... that's not how it works!" How what works?  Society?  People?  Growing up?  But I'd never heard of anything like this before!  I couldn't just put Cora in charge of my life.

"Why can't it? My husband makes every decision for a multi million dollar company, do you think I can't handle one wayward girl?" Cora putting it that way... it was almost silly to argue.

"I......." I shook my head.  This was insane!  This couldn't actually happen!  Right?  But I would never mess up again.  No more mistakes.  No more blame.  No more responsibility.  Those thoughts echoed in my head.  I bit hard on my lip and looked away from Cora.  Could it really work...?

"You'd be like a daughter to me, Nattie, you'd never make another mistake again. You'd have a future." The daughter word was front loaded; plenty of words followed.

Cora was almost twice my age.  Maybe late thirties?  The idea of me being her daughter wasn't the stupidest one in the world.  But I had a mom!  Granted, a mom that didn't talk to me since the stuff with Adam.  And my dad died a long time ago, when I was a teenager.  Never make another decision.  Never get into any trouble. "...what... um... what would it look like?  I mean, if I wanted that...?  What are the rules...?"

"There's only one: you do what you're told. You follow my decisions, and know that no matter what happens, what you do, what I tell you, you can never get in trouble, because it was my decision."

"What if I don't like something you want me to do?  I don't think it's safe to just do anything you say, if it makes me uncomfortable." I crossed my arms and looked nervously at Cora. "I still need to be able to say no to things."

"You can always say no, darling." Cora replied simply. "You have all the power. What keeps you safe is in choosing to surrender your power to me.  You can say no, but doing so puts you at risk of consequences, of repercussions - I can't keep you safe from your own choices. Only from the outcomes of mine. Does that make sense?"

"...so if I say no, that's okay?  But I have to deal with stuff myself for that, like... decision or whatever?" Cora nodded. "But if I listen to you, I can't get in trouble at all?" She nodded again. "...what if listening to you is a mistake?  What if listening to you gets me in trouble?" "It never will," she said. "I will take extra special care to ensure it never does." I looked at Cora suspiciously and said, “This seems... too good to be true."

"That's because not many people get offered an opportunity like this." Cora could have mentioned the others, the Littles at the lunch meeting, but this didn't seem the exact right time. "This is the one decision I can't make for you - you have to choose this one on your own, darling girl."

I wanted it.  I wanted this life.  This idea.  Even if it failed, even one day without this fear and anxiety... it would be worth it, right?  But one thing didn't add up. "What do you get out of all this?  You're assuming all my responsibility... that's a lot of stress.  Why?"

"It makes me happy." Cora admitted, without a shadow of doubt, without hesitation. Cora owned a lot of nice things, she lived a wonderful lifestyle, she had everything she could want from a physical standpoint, but this... this stood above all of that.

Happy... I couldn't even imagine what happiness was anymore.  I was miserable.  Every trip to the bathroom was a search for spiders.  Every day at work was the anticipation of a spanking.  Every minute with Sam was shame of my past mistakes.  I... I wanted to be happy.  More than anything. "Okay," I said quietly. "Okay... we can try it..."

"You're such a good girl, Nattie.” Cora did her best to contain her glee, while making certain that at least a modicum of it was showing. "Tell Sam I'd like to see her, please."

"Okay," I said again, quieter, and left her conservatory.  The walk back upstairs felt like a million steps.  This was new.  This was scary!  But it was a chance at happiness.  Wasn't that something?  I found Sam in my room, making my bed.  She seemed... maybe a little apologetic, based on that expression. She lashed out.  We both did. "Cora wants to see you," I said nervously. "She wants to explain..."

"Alright." Sam said, not pushing the issue. So her best friend was wearing diapers. Sam had worked in a drugstore before: she knew what Depends looked like, and what Natalie was wearing wasn't something off the shelf - it was built for purpose. It was almost.... fashionable. And to Sam that meant this was a lot more than medical. What was she supposed to say about that, though?

I changed out of the diaper.  I had been walking around the entire house in it, and the embarrassment was killing me.  I threw the ball of padding in the trash and checked the time.  Almost six.  Dinner would be soon.  Sam always brought it up to my room, and we would eat together.  How was I supposed to know that, from now on, things would be different?

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[ELLIE52]

I like the suspense.

[Wannatripbaby]

Another great chapter. Perhaps now that things have been laid out plainly for Nattie she'll actually start accepting it?

Press 10 to doubt.

10. Err, i mean X! Lol.

Grammar Patrol:

9 hours ago, Sophie ♥ said:

Alright." Sam said, not pushing the issue. So her best friend was wearing diapers. Sam had worked in a drugstore before: she knew what Depends looked like, and what Natalie was wearing wasn't something off the shelf - it was built for purpose. It was almost.... fashionable. And to Sam that meant this was a lot more than medical. What was she supposed to say about that, though?

Cora's color. Supposed to be Sam's.

[Sparkle Dust]

Your story is old enough to drink now.  LOL.  I recommend Pink Rozuto.

[littleTomás]

I love how our little girl finally decided to become Cora’s little. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

[the diaper mike]

Super cute chapter

[Sophie ♥]

On 11/4/2019 at 1:23 PM, Wannatripbaby said:

Grammar Patrol:

Fixed!  I'll put another chapter up when I feel like I'm not putting out fires at work  

[Wannatripbaby]

33 minutes ago, Sophie ♥ said:

Fixed!  I'll put another chapter up when I feel like I'm not putting out fires at work  

Ooooof. I'm sorry to hear you're having a rough day. *hugs* Take your time. We can be patient. Or at least I can. I don't know about the rest of the babies here in the comments. ?

[littleTomás]

4 hours ago, Wannatripbaby said:

We can be patient. Or at least I can. I don't know about the rest of the babies here in the comments. ?

I may be a baby with a very short attention span who really wants the next chapter right away (just like how I NEED another cookie), but do you have to remind me to be patient? Why do you grown-ups have to be so logical?

[Sophie ♥]

Chapter XXII

"Nattie?"

It wasn't Sam.  It was Cora.  She poked her head in my room before giving the door a light rap.  I looked up from my phone. "We're having dinner in a moment.  Please come down." "But Sam always brings me my dinner up here," I explained, like she didn't know that already.

"I've decided to try something new, darling." She'd decided. She'd made the decision. A very clear choice of words that wouldn't go unnoticed, Cora was certain. Also certain was the fact that Natalie had changed out of the diaper she'd been given, because she was still quite willful.  A shame.

I looked nervously at my employer's wife.  Our deal was simple.  She makes decisions, I listen.  But we hadn't come up against a situation where that had happened yet.  I was already dressed in my pajamas - a long cotton nightgown - and I didn't want to leave my room.  But I never left my room, honestly.  Maybe a change of pace was good for me... "Alright.  I'll be right down." Trial number one.

"Good girl!" Praise. Praise was important - Cora would always prefer to praise than to punish. Once Cora made it to the dinner table, she sat down and took a brief moment to confer with her husband before their company arrived. "She's not diapered right now, but she did agree to come down without argument."

"Progress is progress," Ando said casually, taking a look at his phone, before turning off the device entirely.  Dinner was a peaceful time. "It was risky to dress her as such." "It worked out," Cora said casually. "Don't be so flippant.  One mistake spells disaster."

"And risk reaps rewards, too - we wouldn't be in a position of success without taking some risks, darling husband of mine." Ando didn't seem annoyed at that comment per se, but he did seem mildly bristly in his reply. "Let's not get overly confident, wife of mine."

All in all, Cora was right.  Risks had to be taken.  This one was dangerous, but it was calculated.  Cora's sense of math was always impeccable. "Do you know how dinner will proceed?" he asked her.  And as he expected, she had an answer. "We will talk about our day.  Her leaving work early." Ando nodded.  So he would continue to play Bad Cop.  A role he was good at.

"I'd like to admonish her for not being diapered at dinner, but also wonder if letting her conceal the secret from you for a while longer might benefit her." Cora mused.  But perhaps they were jumping the gun…

The two continued their diatribes, fantasies and stories of a good little girl in their home.  But though their interests aligned, that didn't mean they were equal.  For Cora, this was maternal.  A needy girl who relied on her.  For Ando, this was uplifting.  Someone weak he had power over.  Diapers symbolized both: needy and weak.  But dinner was nearly here, and they both knew they would have to be a little more patient.  This was Natalie's first time letting Cora make her decisions, so everything had to go in Natalie's favor.  Conditioning.

I was underdressed.  Cora was wearing a gorgeous blouse and Mr. Gladstone was still in his work suit.  I looked down at my nightgown with a little embarrassment, but Cora ushered me over to the table all the same.  I took a seat across from Cora, with her husband to my right.  It was strange seeing him around the house.  I had lived here for about a month and I only ever saw him in passing.  Dinner together... this was weird.

"I'm so glad you're here for dinner with us, darling." Cora reached over and squeezed her hand reassuringly, then sat back as the kitchen staff began to bring serving plates to the table. A simple dinner; chicken marsala with some crisp vegetables sautéed in duck fat.  Wine glasses were filled, but not Natalie's - Cora made it quite clear to the staff that Natalie would be having juice.

"Yeah, of course..." A plate was set in front of me with... chicken and mushrooms or something.  But if I'd learned anything in my month of living here, it was this: always eat the food.  Not only was it required by my employer, but it was remarkably delicious.  This chicken was not an exception.  I took a minute to bask in the delight dancing on my taste buds, but it was shattered when Mr. Gladstone spoke. "Mabel said you missed the afternoon at work." When I looked up at him, I caught his eyes.  I felt my stomach sink, my heart race... "I... um..."

"You left a new hire alone in your office, with your machine logged in." Those words weren't accusatory, because they didn't need to be - this was a time where simply stating the facts was more than enough to carry across any implication as to their meaning.

"I... she..." Anxiety was filling me up, like Mr. Gladstone was a waiter at a restaurant, holding a pitcher above an already full glass of water.  What was I supposed to say?  She scared me?  I swore at her?  She had me rubbing her feet all day?  Tears started welling up in my eyes.  But Cora stepped in.

"Nattie wasn't feeling well.  She called me to check on her, and it was my decision to bring her home." Her decision.  Mr. Gladstone looked at her, then nodded his head. "I understand." He... understood?  I looked at Cora, dumbfounded.

"She's going to have an extra productive day tomorrow, darling, you'll see - I bet she won't even leave her office for a bathroom break; that's how much she wants to do well for us." Cora ate a bite of chicken and winked at Natalie with the eye that her husband couldn't see. Ando considered those words and nodded his head, seemingly satisfied. "As long as it was your decision, my dear, there's no trouble at all. I hope you feel better tomorrow, Natalie."

...this was unreal.  Was Cora really so powerful, just because she was married to Mr. Gladstone?  She could change my entire life, if I asked her to.  Could I get a raise?  Not that I saw any of the money I was making anyway.  Half of it went to room and board for Sam and myself - as per our contract - and the other half went to debt collection.  Then I was hit with another unexpected question, but this time from Cora herself. "Mabel... that's the new girl you're training?  What do you think of her?" I stared at her like a deer in headlights.

"Is she sweet?" Cora knew quite factually that she wasn't, and Ando made sure to tighten the screws on Natalie a little bit with a follow-up question.

"She's quite lovely, in my experience," he began, "headstrong, perhaps, which is a little bit of an undesirable trait, but I think she has potential."

I took another bite of chicken and looked down at my plate.  I knew they were both talking to me, but I felt like... like I had no place in this conversation.  Appeasing one of them would only displease the other.  It was a lose-lose.  But Cora forced my hand. "Nattie?  What do you think?" I shrugged my shoulders. "You can be honest.  I'm asking." I looked at her, then at Mr. Gladstone.  For some reason, I felt like she was telling the truth.  Maybe I could be honest... "I don't like her very much."

Cora had told her to be honest, she'd made that decision for her, and the two of them followed through on making sure she was rewarded for that faith and obedience. “You don't, darling?" Cora sounded surprised, and Ando nodded his head. "She is rather willful, isn't she? Maybe she isn't quite as good a fit as I'd hoped she would be." Not that she'd be going anywhere, but Ando wanted Natalie to feel heard.

"Really?" Mr. Gladstone nodded his head and I felt like I'd tumbled into an alternate dimension.  For weeks, I'd been completely terrified of this man.  But now he was listening to everything I had to say.  I looked at Cora again and she nodded to continue. "She thinks Mr. Gladstone and I are sleeping together.”

"Please, Nattie.  Ando is fine when we are at home."

"...oh.  Okay." Ando.  Wow, that felt super wrong.  I mean, I knew his first name from the plate on his desk.  But... well, that would take some getting used to.

"You do have an unfortunate reputation, my sweet girl." Ando conceded, clasping his hands together under his chin. "Reputations are not so easily cast aside, unfortunately. They must be broken down with time and energy. You and I both know the measures you're taking to fight your reputation, but those are not known to others. I'm certain Cora will be willing to help you redouble your efforts, however; she's an excellent decision maker, should you need advice."

I bit my lip and looked down at my plate of chicken.  This conversation was getting so out of hand, going a mile a minute.  I almost felt sick from the whiplash. “Um, there’s something else too.  I swore at her.  And… I think the whole office trusts her more than me, now.” Suddenly, I didn't feel like such a good office manager.

“We can figure that out together,” Cora said with a smile. “Tomorrow you're going to wear your new outfit” —and that meant the diaper too— "and you'll see how quickly the others will rally beside you.”

I didn't want to wear that onesie.  I really, really didn't.  But after everything Prin had said, after the way Mabel threatened to tell Human Resources, I... I was considering it.  It was stupid.  It was infantile!  But it was, as Cora said, a rallying point.  Soft, cute, childish.  They couldn't be mad at me. “Okay," I muttered.  It was only one day, right?

"May I be excused please?  I'd like to lie down." "Of course sweetie." Cora touched my hand and gave me a reassuring smile.  Weirdly enough, it seemed to help.  I made my way up two flights of stairs and fell down on my bed, looking up at the low ceiling.  Tomorrow would either be the best or the worst decision of my life.  But it wasn't my decision - it was Cora's.  If she could somehow get me out of all this, I'd never doubt her again.

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