Sea Glass: Marie and Lauryn

Chapter 21

Lauryn sat on the floor in the living room watching cartoons and playing with her two tigers, Felix and Asterix and her dragon, Wellington. Marie promised they would go to the park for a picnic soon, and she had gotten Lauryn dressed after breakfast. Then she had put her in the living room to play while she got ready herself.  

Lauryn was happy to go to the park. She always liked going with Marie now that she could actually walk more than a city block, even when she was big...which she certainly was not today. But, it made her slightly nervous because Marie had invited Theo along. 

Ugh...I just want a day with mama alone. 

Things were better with Theo, but Lauryn was still wary. She had stayed over all day when she apologized and slept over too. Now, for the past three weeks, Theo was over at their apartment every day and sometimes sleeping over. Most of the time Marie was home, but she was now back working officially at the office. When Marie had to go into work to handle some matters or go to a meeting, Lauryn was left alone with Theo. Theo was mostly working from home herself, but a couple times, she took Lauryn to physiotherapy. Lauryn appreciated her help, but also, she just wanted some alone time with Marie.

Most of the time, she was in her "big" headspace, but sometimes she couldn't help but regress at home. Lauryn could keep her little side at bay in professional and public settings, but it was much harder at home. Especially when she was so tired after physiotherapy. Plus she was even more tired with preparing for her final examination at UCL, which would be in a week. If she passed, she would get to graduate with Luke and the rest of her group in late August. If not, she would have to see if UCL would let her try again. The stress and anxiety about it made her feel even more little at the end of the day, making it hard to suppress around Theo.  All she really wanted to do was to sink into the warm bath that her little headspace was and relax. But, she couldn't fully relax with her around.

However, Theo had made it clear she wanted to get used to being around when Lauryn was feeling little. Even if she was still slightly uncomfortable. So, Marie had gotten Lauryn ready for bed in childish pajamas that first night and settled her on the couch with a bottle while they watched the news. She had grown sleepier and sleepier with each passing minute, helped along by her bottle, so Marie settled her to lie down cuddled up to her side. 

As Lauryn had drifted to sleep with her head in Marie's lap, she heard Theo say, "She really is so cute like this. Luke was right." 

"She's adorable. It's hard not to accept her when this so obviously makes her so at peace."

She had sleepily felt her mommy pat her bottom as she drifted off, moderately aware of the fact that Theo now knew she was diapered for the night. The thud that resulted from patting her bottom would alert any woman who had taken care of small children that she was diapered. And, she was moderately aware that she was too tired to protest. At least mama was right there and not going anywhere. But it still didn't mean she felt comfortable being little around Theo.

She just wished it was like it used to be, just between her and mama. 

The doorbell rang, making Lauryn's heart jump into her throat. 

"M-m-mama?" Lauryn said, worried to open the door. 

"I'll get it, sweetheart," Marie said, coming out of the bedroom, attaching the backing to her earring, "It's probably just Theo." 

Lauryn looked up at her, unsure. 

Mama looks so beautiful today...I mean all the days she does but...wow.

She was wearing a long, white floral skirt and green shirt. Her hair was down, her makeup perfect, her tan skin glowing. She had recently stopped dyeing her hair, allowing her natural color to return, which was slightly darker than it had been. And, she allowed the few streaks of natural grey to grow too, which Lauryn thought really suited her.