✅ Over Protected

61. Babies Wind Down

I sat on the floor in the lounge and played with Lyra, Alanis, and Jinny. After half an hour, something was starting to make me just a little uncomfortable, and I couldn't pretend not to notice any longer.

"Somebody pooped!" I said, and allowed myself to giggle like a small child. I thought it was probably Jinny who couldn't hold it this time; I was certain it wouldn't be Lyra, because her parents were starting to let her grow up again by now. I repeated myself, and it wasn't long before Monique came to attend to her daughters. It turned out they both needed changing, leaving me to play with Lyra for a little while.

"Are you having fun?" I asked her. "Mummy said you might be growing up again?" I knew I probably shouldn't make it so obvious, but I wanted to be sure that my friend was looking forward to getting back to school. I could see that it could be pretty scary, after the year we'd just had.

"Yeah," she beamed. "I gotta try potty training again. But it's hard, I dunno if I can do it."

"I think you can. You're such a smart girl, and once you start getting better everything will come back so quick. Then it'll be my turn next, I think."

"We should try together!" she said, and I forced a smile. I knew that I'd have to go back to my real age sooner or later, but it was kind of a scary thought. I knew that I'd be able to grow up again soon enough, but I'd be sad to leave the freedom of babyhood behind. It was a sad thought; and one that wouldn't even have occurred to me if I had still been in my usual diapers.

"Okay," I said eventually. "I'll miss the not thinking, but it'll be fun. Let's be big together, and go back to school."

I might have said more, but that was when I heard Monique and Alanis approaching again; and I didn't want to say anything that would worry her. I was also aware that while we'd been talking, the door had opened and closed very quietly. That must have been Melania leaving; not wanting Lyra to realise that she wasn't staying the whole evening. I knew it wouldn't be a problem, anyway; Monique and Sarah were our token adults this evening, and Scott might be joining us before stealing Sarah away. Three grown-ups for four babies wasn't such a bad ratio, especially when I was mostly just playing along. And when that thought came to mind, it gave me something else to laugh at: I was the smallest of the babies physically, but this evening my role would be something like a grown-up in disguise.

Still, we played. And all the grown-ups smiled when they saw how much fun we were having. If I had to fake it, I found that was something I could do pretty easily. Even if I had all the grown-up thoughts trying to squeeze in, I could ask myself how a little girl might react and just do that, and it was almost as fun.

I realised after a little while that I needed a diaper change, but I was a little hesitant to say anything. I wanted to hold onto my baby thoughts tonight, so I wasn't going to ask Monique. She was just as good as Mummy at surprising me, but I didn't need those surprises tonight; so I decided that I would wait until Sarah came back into the room before I asked. Sarah had already talked to Mummy, so she would know which diapers I was supposed to be in today. I put those thoughts out of my mind, and went back to playing. Sarah would be back in the lounge soon enough, and I would ask her then.

It didn't entirely surprise me that I heard the doorbell first; or that the first time Sarah came in to check on me was when Scott was helping her out. She wanted to check on me, but she was also a little nervous; but the presence of her boyfriend was kind of reassuring, I guess. As soon as they came in, I started moving towards my big sister, and thought about what I should say. I'd been sitting in a wet diaper for quite a few minutes already, and I didn't really think that it would make much difference if I waited a while longer. Besides which, the presence of Scott made me start worrying again. There were so many things that would happen now, and I couldn't say which was most likely. I wanted to be here to keep an eye on my big sister for as long as I could.