Life Swap

Wedding Bells

"So...am I forgiven yet?" Caroline asked as she put me on the changing mat in the bathroom to change me. I was always wet in the mornings and she had got me up first, expertly extricating me from in-between Grace and Chloe, without waking them. It was the Saturday morning and she wanted us all to sleep in, recharging our batteries for our return to Deepdene. "Sulking is not very mature...is it? And you do know my redlines, Olivia...don't you?"

"Yes...Mummy." My response was reluctant, and almost grudging, as it had been ever since she had spanked me. But it made her smile. I turned my head away from her, not at all amused by her amusement, and she sighed, a little sadly.

"I think you really are getting over your accident...yesterday, we saw a quick flash of your old attitude...and whilst you undoubtedly went too far, maybe I overreacted to that...because I didn't want any of that old you back...because I really do love this new you, Olivia...we all do, my darling?" She suggested, tickling me wickedly, making me squirm and giggle. But as I wriggled under her touch, I had an idea, which quickly overpowered my lingering resentment over my spanking.

"Is that what you wished for when you touched the Dream Stone, Mummy?"

"No...my dreams were already coming true...I just touched the blessed thing and hoped that God would give me the strength to keep on helping you to get better." She sighed, pulling my long nightie out of her way, so that she could get at my nappy. "It's hard you know...you won't really understand, until you have children of your own...but you have to be the bad guy some of the time? It's all very well cuddling you and loving you...it's brilliant when you are all doing well, and getting along...but sometimes you have to say no, and sometimes you have to correct bad behaviour. I don't need strength to be your nice, loving Mummy...but I do need lots of it to turn into your evil stepmother, when I need to, just every once in a while? Putting you down another year is hard...it is so hard on you, but hard on your father and I, too...I knew we would have a reaction from you, so I was more or less ready for it...but you just wouldn't stop pushing the boundaries? If I asked your Stone for anything, I think it was the strength to deal with that sort of nonsense? Or maybe just the patience? If that makes any sense?"

"What did the twins wish for, Mummy?" I pressed, ignoring what was going on down below as I sought more crucial information, digging deeper. I could understand what she was saying from her point of view. She thought I was upset about being put down another year, and I was a bit, because I was going to waste almost two years of my life at school, if I did not get put back up later on, but that was not really upsetting me. My mini-rebellion had been all about trying to take some control of my life as Olivia, and it had not gone very well at all.

"Micropigs and rabbits, I expect...but I don't know...I didn't ask?" She smiled, thoughtfully I thought, as she removed the sodden pull-up and reached for the wet wipes, as if she had been wondering the same thing, maybe. "But those two have always been really connected to you Olivia, whether you ever liked it or not...because you have all shared experiences of the worst sort, darling...the loss of a much-loved parent...so, I am quite sure they both remembered you in their wishes, pickle?"

"Can I go back to bed, Mummy?" I asked, quietly.

"Yes...it's not late...I just didn't want you lying in bed damp, for hours."

"Thank you, Mummy." I sighed, as she helped me up.

"Does that mean I am forgiven?" She cocked her head to one side and raised her eyebrows at me, and I managed a half-smile.

"Only if I don't have to wear anything pink today?"

"Deal...come on then, let's see if we can slip you back into that cot without waking sleepy and dozy?"