✅ My Sister's Problem

81. Maybe a Reward

"You got a diaper!" Lindy said with a grin, and put the pacifier back in my mouth as if the conversation was over. While she introduced me to one of her favourite comedy shows, and I cuddled all the stuffies on the floor, I'd finally found the courage to take it out and talk a little. And so long as I played the role of the baby, talking in exaggerated baby talk, Lindy didn't have any objection to me asking for what I wanted. She'd even been happy to bring me a drink, although I wasn't entirely certain that I trusted the contents of the glass. It seemed like we were friends again, just so long as I kept acting like a baby she could look down on. But that had changed the instant I asked to go potty.

I wanted to take the pacifier out and curse, but I knew she'd probably see that as a sign of success. She wanted to see a reaction. And we were still having fun; sisters watching TV and not taking the world too seriously. I didn't want to disrupt that, so I knew I could wait for Mum to return before asking to use the bathroom again. She would be back soon enough. And I kept on telling myself that as the clock ticked on, and the pressure in my bladder steadily increased. Twenty minutes, and then twenty-five. I started to wonder what was taking so long, because I certainly didn't remember a simple shopping trip taking so long on a previous visit. In the end, I found myself squirming nearly fifty minutes after I'd first asked Lindy to let me leave the lounge. My relief was almost a physical thing when I heard the clunk of the door opening, and then Mum's voice calling out.

"I'm home! Hope you girls had fun!"

"Yeah!" Lindy called out. I tried to shout too, forgetting the pacifier for a moment, and ended up laughing at the incomprehensible sound that resulted. Okay, that was more babyish than I'd intended, but I knew Mum wasn't going to laugh at me, and I was feeling pretty comfortable now aside from the growing pressure in my bladder.

"I hope you've not just been watching television the whole time. I don't want my baby to grow up with square eyes."

"She's been playing with toys as well. But she hasn't got many. We need to go shopping."

"There's a good girl," Mum praised me as she came into the room. She patted me on the head, and looked down at the toys on the floor. I'd set them up so they could all see the screen, although they were occasionally turning round to ask me questions about the show we were watching. "I'm glad you've been a good baby for Lindy. Maybe a couple of days like this will help you to realise how helpless you've made your sister feel. If you can put yourself in her place, I think you'd be less eager to play cruel tricks like that."

I glanced up at Lindy, who was failing to hide giggles behind her hand. She didn't seem to have any empathy at all; she was delighted by this, even though I was being subjected to a punishment that she must have dreaded. It was like I couldn't understand her at all, why she would go so far to do this to me. On the other hand, I guessed that allowing myself a giggle while I played with the soft toys wasn't making the process any easier. I was probably doing a little too well at pretending I was happy with this; even if she thought it was just a façade, there was probably some part of Lindy that could justify her behaviour on the grounds that I wasn't visibly upset. And if I really tried to see it from her perspective, I could imagine this as just another phase of our perennial prank war; something she could continue to double down on because I didn't act like it was a big deal.

"Would you like some more toys?" Mum asked. "Maybe a little doll's house for them to explore, or something other than plushies?" I nodded, although I thought it sounded a bit wasteful to go buying stuff like that when my babydom was only going to last a week. Back at home, being babied only ever lasted overnight, or for half an hour when Lindy was out of the house, so Lincoln and Mr Muggins were all the toys I needed. Still, if Mum thought it was worth it, I knew she'd already assessed the use she expected me to get out of new toys against the cost. I just wanted her to be sure that this wasn't something I felt was really necessary. I didn't want her to think I wanted more toys and work out how to make it happen because of that. I gave a shrug, as if to say I didn't really mind, and then returned to nuzzling Bosnia.