Learning to Love

Chapter 27

Abbie set me on her hip, then walked back over to Gabby and the shopping cart, "I need to change her, let me grab the diaper bag and swing by the bathrooms." I buried my face in Abbie's shoulder, I had no control over the tears that were streaming down my face, and I clutched my teddies super tight. "Let me take off the leash, so that's it easier to change her." "Okay, thank you Gabby." I kept my face buried in Abbie's shoulder refusing to look at them, I didn't want them to notice I was crying. "Baby girl I need you to let go of this teddy for a minute so that we can get the strap off you." I let go of teddy although all that did was cause my tears to fall faster. Teddy was quickly put back into my arm, until I heard "Okay now can you let go of your new teddy for just a minute baby?" I tightened my grip and shook my head no against Abbie's shoulder.

"Oh, baby what's the matter?" Abbie quickly adjusted me, so I was being cradled instead of sitting on her hip. She started swaying back and forth, "Shhh, baby girl you're okay." Once my tears had slowed down Abbie set me down on my feet, I clutched teddies super tight and then looked right up at her chin. She put both hands on my hips and squatted down. I heard her sigh. "First let's get this off you, can you switch teddy to your other hand please?" I nodded and switched my new teddy to my other hand, I was still sniffling, although seemed like both Abbie and Gabby were trying to ignore that, I wasn't sure if that was because they were annoyed with me or they were just trying to give me a minute to collect myself. Abbie removed the other strap from the puppy on my back, then gave me a hug before she moved one of her hands back to my hip, then brought her other hand to right under my chin, she brought my face up to look at her, I kept my eyes down, still unsure about looking her in the eyes. "Cali, Baby what happened? Are you upset about going potty in the pull-up? I promise I will change you as soon as we get to the bathroom." I shook my head no; I wasn't upset about going potty in the pull-up although I was a little embarrassed. I pointed to Gabby who was putting the pink doggy leash in one of the shopping bags.

"Are you embarrassed that Gabby knows you went potty in your pull-up?" I shook my head no, I was upset about the leash I was tricked into, I was a big girl I didn't need a leash! "Oh, are you upset about the puppy backpack baby?" I nodded yes to her but then flinched a little, unsure how she would react. "Oh baby, I'm sorry we should have explained it to you before we just threw that on you, uh?" I relaxed briefly and Abbie took that moment to pick me back up and settle me on her hip. "Let's get you out of that dirty pull-up and then we can swing by the grocery store then head home, I think it's been an overwhelming day for you uh?" I just put my head back down on her shoulder as I brought one of my teddies up to hold tighter right above her chest. Abbie picked up a bag from the shopping cart, "We will be right back Gabby, let me run into the bathroom and change her quickly, then we will head to the grocery store, then home, I think the shopping trip has taken a lot out of poor Cali. I don't think she has ever actually been shopping before."

"Aww, we still had more stores to go to, we will have to come back another day, but yes go change her, I'll wait, then we can stop at the grocery store on the way home." Abbie headed off down a hallway, once she walked into the bathroom, she headed towards this weird shelf thing and set the bag down, she rummaged around and pulled out a blanket, she spread that out on the shelf, then laid me down on the blanket, "Okay, baby girl, let's get this wet pull-up off." I refused to look at Abbie as she was lifting my dress, I stuck two of my fingers in my mouth and turned to the wall so that I didn't have to see anyone that may come in the bathroom. Abbie cooed at me, quickly pulling the pull-up off and wiping me down. She lifted my legs and stuck something under me, then lowered my legs and pulled the item between my legs. "Okay, baby girl, I put you in a diaper, just because you seem really tired, and I know you are going to fall asleep soon." I wasn't tired but I didn't want to argue and make her upset so I just remained silent and watched the wall while I was sucking my two fingers in my mouth, it helped calm me down, so I wasn't too worried about anything else happening right now.

Abbie finished then reached over and pulled me, so I was sitting up, "Alright baby girl, I know this is probably really overwhelming for you. We are going to go back to the car, then stop at the grocery store, then we will go home, okay?" I nodded my head and clutched teddies to my chest. Abbie picked me up and settled me back on her hip, I stuck my head on her shoulder again and sucked my fingers while I watched her put what she had used and the blanket back in the bag.

"Back to Gabby, we go Baby girl." Abbie headed back down the hallway that the bathroom was down, I could see Gabby waiting for us right at the end, when she noticed we were approaching she gave me a big sympathy smile, "Do you feel better Cali?" I didn't answer but I stared at her. She laughed, "I'll take that as a yes then. What's with the fingers uh? Do they taste yummy?" I just sucked on my fingers faster and whined a little. "I think she's hungry, but I'll give her a drink and snack in the car."

Once we had walked through the busy and noisy building we were in and made it to the car, someone got out and helped load the bags into the back that had opened, I stared at it, wondering how it worked. "Alright while you deal with the shopping, I'm going to get her in the car and get her situated with a snack and drink okay Gabby?" "Okay, yeah sounds good, I'll be in there in a minute." Abbie nodded her head then climbed into the car with me still in her arms, "Okay baby, I know you don't like the seat, but you sit in it and I'll get you a snack and something to drink, maybe a juice box baby?" I let her stick me back in the seat and handed over my new pink teddy to her, I couldn't really sit in the seat with both teddies, and I trusted Abbie that she would give the teddy back when I could hold her again. "Aww thank you Cali, why don't we set your teddy right here, so you can still see it, and it's not too far in case you decide that you need it back. Let's get you a snack now baby." Abbie set teddy right next to me on the side of the car seat and did up the buckles on my seat, then started digging in the bag that she had brought into the car with us. She grabbed a juice box and handed it to me after she poked the straw in the top, then handed that to me. I happily took it from her and took my fingers out of my mouth so that I could drink. "Alright here's some goldfish for you as well." Abbie handed me a container that had goldfish in it. I swung my legs back and forth in my seat and happily munched on some goldfish, occasionally taking sips of my apple juice. I barely registered when Gabby got in the car, and we started moving.