✅ Over Protected

58. Everyone Considers the Details

This chapter is dedicated to Jordan. Thank you for all your support!

"What about your friends?" Sarah asked, after a long pause. "Lyra and Jinny. And Penny too. Have they got this condition for real, or is Mum doing them with whatever this stuff is?"

That was a hard question to answer.

"Lyra was my best friend for ages," I said. "And she was the one who always talked me into doing dumb stuff, putting myself in danger. She did stupid things to get more attention, because her parents were so wrapped up in their divorce they didn't even notice her unless something was really wrong. She was... Like, she was doing stuff she really wasn't old enough for, just because she was mad her parents ignored her. I know it's weird, but from everything I know about her, I think this is the only way to stop her throwing her life away. She's the kind of girl they thought about when they were making all this stuff, acting up because she didn't get attention. And now they're giving her that attention because of the baby thing, I think she's actually enjoying it. Even if it's hard for her to admit. I mean, it would be better if we could tell her without ruining everything. But I think there's no other way to keep her out of... Well, all the bad stuff."

"So... her parents are in on this?"

"Some of them. And I really believe this is what's best for her. What'll make her happy in the long run. So please don't mess it up for her. They're letting her grow up already, now she's learned how it feels to actually be loved. Don't tell her, because she needs to trust them. Please?"

"Okay," Sarah said, with a little shrug. "Does that seem fair to you, Madison?"

"Look... I'd still be a total bitch if I hadn't been treated like a baby after my accident. It's a bit weird, but it can really get through to you, in a way. I can totally see how the same could apply to Alice's friend, even if her parents had to resort to somewhat questionable methods to make it happen."

"What about Penny and Jinny?" Sarah asked. "I mean, I barely know them, but wasn't Penny like... a teacher's pet?"

Then I took a deep breath.

"I don't know about Jinny," I said. "Yeah, her Mummy does the same stuff to her, and she's sure it's necessary. I feel like it's a bit weird. But I'm not in a position to know what led to that. I know Mummy was trying to find out more, so she can make sure it's actually best for her. And Penny... well, she's kind of like me. She saw how happy I was and got curious. Only occasionally, though. She asked if she can try it, so we asked Mummy to help her. She doesn't know all the details, she doesn't know how it works or anything. But we agreed to give it a try. Just occasionally, and only when she's staying over. Mummy has to try to balance it, so we can be sure Penny will be back to normal before she goes home. Her parents don't know. And I think it's... well, like being comforted. It's better than a lot of things she could be experimenting with. You all know people who were so desperate for a way to escape their worries..."

I didn't know the details. But I knew that by Sarah's age, she had a couple of friends who had dysfunctional coping mechanisms. Whether that was drinking, drugs, sex, or whatever else they found; there were things that could really ruin your life. Turning into a baby under the eyes of a responsible adult who would look after you wasn't even in the same league, and I was sure Sarah would understand.

"Okay," she said. "I guess. So much for all the planning."

"Yeah," Madison answered, and they both laughed; before she turned back to me. "We made all kinds of plans for telling you. Put you in regular diapers, not the Babij or Girlzz ones. So hopefully you'd be grown up enough to understand. But... you already knew, didn't you? That's why you argued when we wanted to give you unfamiliar diapers. I only understood that just now. But then, after we told you, we made plans for how we could persuade you if you didn't believe us, or how to calm you down if you were angry, or how to calm you down if you're depressed. We made so many plans for how to cope with different reactions, but I never imagined for a second you'd actually be okay with it, or that you knew already. I really thought that when I didn't believe you, you would have taken my opinion as the voice of authority and dismissed all those conspiracy theories."