Briana took a deep, nervous breath. For the twentieth time, she smoothed down her skirt. She looked nice, but she was in adult clothes and not her normal stuff. The dress was one of the more sedate ones that she’d picked up with Mom on their shopping trip. The red and black lace dress had been deemed too gaudy for court by both Veronica and Jane. That meant Briana was in all-black, with a more subdued version of Mom’s makeup on her face.
Mom had been really excited when she picked Briana up from Gary’s apartment. When she told Briana that they could not only do the name change, but the whole adoption, Briana had been excited too. But going to court had meant transforming into adult-Briana, and adult Briana had questions.
For one thing, it seemed awfully fast to get a court date. For another thing, the court clerk that had taken their papers had addressed Mom as Ms. Rasmussen before she even read the documents. They had a lawyer with them too, a grumpy-looking old guy with a horrible combover. He’d greeted Briana as Ms. Cassingham, too politely for an old, rich lawyer to greet a grad school dropout.
“We’ll be in and out.” Simon, the lawyer, said.
“Thank you for being here on such short notice.” Veronica said. Simon nodded and shrugged.
Maybe Briana was supposed to call him Mr. Silverstein. Mom was calling him Simon, and he was calling her Veronica. But Jane was calling him Mr. Silverstein, and he was calling her Ms. Müller. Was she actually supposed to call the judge Your Honor, or was that too formal if it wasn’t a criminal thing? Court had a lot of rules and adult-Briana didn’t know them all. That just made the real, baby-Briana even more nervous.
“All rise.” The bailiff said. “The New Hampshire Superior Court is now in session, the Honorable Judge Miriam Wallace presiding.”
Briana hopped nervously to her feet. Their little group were the only ones in the courtroom. Luckily, Mr. Silverstein groaned dramatically as he stood, drowning out the crinkle of Brian’s diaper. She had insisted on being fully padded, in one of her lucky pink pony diapers. The last thing she wanted to do was have an accident in court.
“You can be seated.” The judge said, “But it’ll save time if you just come to the bench since this is a special session.”
“Thank you Your Honor.” Veronica said, leading the four of them in front of the judge.
“There aren’t any other petitioners, Veronica, you can call me Miriam.” Miriam said, chuckling.
“As long as you’re comfortable with that, thank you.” Veronica said. “Simon is representing us today, but he’s mostly here to catch any mistakes I might make.”
“Mr. Silverstein.” Miriam said, nodding to Simon.
“Your Honor.” Simon replied, with an answering nod.
“We might as well finish getting acquainted.” Miriam said. “Veronica, you’re the first petitioner?”
“That’s correct.” Veronica said.
“The second petitioner is Ms. Jane Müller?”
“Yes Your Honor.” Jane said. “I am she.”
“And our adoptee is Ms. Briana Cassingham?”
“Wait, Jane, you’re adopting me too?” Briana asked in surprise. She clapped her hands to her mouth and turned to the judge, flustered. “I mean – I’m sorry Your Honor. Yes, I’m Briana.”
Miriam chuckled. “I don’t bite, take your time. I want to be sure that you know what’s going on in this process. Ms. Müller, did you not discuss your adoption with Ms. Cassingham before now?”
“I thought I had, Your Honor.” Jane said. “I must have not been very clear.”
“Oh!” Briana said, realization dawning as adult-Briana parsed baby-Briana’s memories. “That’s what you were talking about when you were filling out the papers this morning.”
Jane smiled fondly. “Yes Briana. I’m sorry I didn’t explain that we were talking more formally, and not in the ordinary way that you have called me your parent.”
“Oh Daddy!” Briana said, throwing herself into Jane’s arms. Court decorum would have to wait, hugs were too high a priority in the moment.
“I think that answers the consent questions for petitioner two.” Miriam said, smiling to the court recorder. “Veronica, do you intend to adopt Ms. Cassingham as your daughter?”
“I absolutely do, Miriam.” Veronica said.
“Ms. Cassingham, I need your attention back for a moment.” Miriam said.
“Yes Your Honor?” Briana said, reluctantly disengaging from Jane.
“Do you consent to your adoption by Veronica Rasmussen?”
“Yes, yes please.” Briana said, blinking away tears.
“Mr. Silverstein, for the court recorder, are the petitioner’s documents in order?”
“Yes Your Honor.” Simon said. “The court has received RSA 170-B, signed by all relevant parties, copies of identification for all parties, and the adoptee’s birth certificate.”
Briana blinked. When did mom get a hold of her birth certificate, and how? Now was not the time to ask questions and muck up the process though. She was giving Veronica the right to access her birth certificate any time, after all.
“In that case, it is the decision of this court that Ms. Cassingham be adopted by Ms. Rasmussen and Ms. Müller, and further that Ms. Briana Hillary Cassingham will now be known as Ms. Briana Tess Rasmussen. The DVRA shall issue a new birth certificate with the new parents of record for the adoptee to be mailed to the petitioners’ address.”
Miriam smacked her gavel down. “This session of the New Hampshire Superior Court is adjourned.”
“I really can’t thank you enough for fitting us in like this Miriam.” Veronica said.
“Sure you can, you can mention it to Michelle.” Miriam said, chuckling. “Congratulations on your new family, especially to the younger Ms. Rasmussen.”
Briana squealed and grabbed her parents. Her real, actual, official parents. Parents that loved her, that she loved until her heart threatened to burst out of her chest. Jane and Veronica held her and each other while Briana cycled through bouts of crying and laughing.
Even after she calmed down, Briana wouldn’t let go of either of them on their way out of the courthouse. They stood on the courthouse steps for another hug while Briana collected herself. It helped that she was adult-Briana. The cold was a strong motivator to get things together too.
“Mom, Dad…” Briana wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. “I don’t have the words. Thank you. I love you.”
“Those are excellent words. I love you.” Jane said, kissing Briana’s head.
“I agree. I love you, Baby Bee.” Veronica said.
“What are we even going to do with the rest of today?” Briana asked.
“Unfortunately…” Veronica sighed. “I have a meeting at the university.”
“Mom!” Briana said, “It’s winter break!”
“I know, but we couldn’t schedule it another time. There’s some business I want to bring up that can’t wait as well.” Veronica said.
“I guess you’re just stuck with your old dad.” Jane said.
“Daddy, don’t be weird.” Briana admonished. “I want us to all be together today.”
“We will be.” Veronica said. “After my meeting. I’ll come home as fast as I can.”
“Okay.” Briana sighed. “I have stuff I want to talk to you about.”
“I’m looking forward to it. Be a good girl for your dad, okay?”
“Yes Mom.” Briana hugged Veronica tightly and watched her walk to a waiting Uber car with a sour expression.
“Don’t be so grumpy.” Jane said, taking Briana’s hand and hustling her off to their car. “This is a good opportunity.”
“For what?”
“To buy some rings while your mother isn’t around.” Jane said.
“Some rings?” Briana asked in confusion. Her confusion redoubled when Jane lead her to the front passenger’s seat.
“It would be best if you were still an adult for this. Will that be alright?” Jane asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine Dad.” Briana got in and buckled up. “Tell me more abut these rings.”
“Well, the German tradition is simple gold bands.” Jane said. “We need one for myself and one for your mother, principally. I would also like to get one for you and one for Melody, though that’s not part of the normal tradition.”
“Gold…” Briana’s jaw dropped. “Dad are you going to propose to Mom?!”
Jane grinned as she maneuvered the car out of Ardenthill’s downtown. “Do you think that Christmas Day is a dramatic enough time?”
“Daddy you dork!” Briana said with glee. “Do people in the economics department know that you’re a huge softie?”
“No, they are terrified of my grim Deutsch manner.” Jane said, deadpan.
“Silly Daddy.” Briana said, pressing her hands to her heart. “It’s really sweet, I’m excited! But what are my and Melody’s rings for?”
“In Germany, when you are engaged you put the ring on your left hand, and during the marriage ceremony you move it to the right.” Jane said.
“If you and Melody agree, I would like you to also put the rings on your left hand when I propose to Veronica, and move them over when we are married. I had this idea before Veronica decided to adopt you, to symbolize our family, but I think it is still good.”
“It’s amazing. It’s so beautiful.” Briana sighed happily. “Maybe Melody and my rings should be a little different than yours though.”
“I like this idea. We are not all getting married to each other. And since you may both get married someday, perhaps they should be rings for your small finger.”
“Perfect!” Briana said. “Then they’ll be little compared to yours.”
“Your thumb ring would be little compared to my regular one.” Jane said, chuckling.
“Because I am adorable.” Briana said, smirking.
“And sassy when you are adult.” Jane said.
“Nuh uh! I’m sassy when I’m little too.” Briana retorted.
“I suppose that is true. You still need to focus though. I have a job for you.”
“Daddy! You’re not supposed to give me chores.”
“As your father, that is exactly what I’m supposed to do.” Jane said. “This is an easy one. I need you to find out Melody’s ring size. Without telling them why.”
“How is that easy? Do I just start sticking things on her fingers?” Briana whined.
“It doesn’t involve physical labor. Would you rather shovel snow off the walk?”
“I bet they have a bunch of rings for their cosplay stuff.” Briana said. “I could get one of those sized.”
Jane smirked as she pulled into a parking spot in front of a jewelry store. “Look how creative you can be, when properly motivated.”
“I’m just worried about screwing up something this important, if I forget when I’m little.” Briana said.
“It’s a good test for how you’ll be able to handle remembering things if you go back to classes.” Jane said. “Just like Veronica helps you with things you have to remember, I’ll remind you too.”
“Like I’m a kid and you’re my dad.” Briana said with a happy squirm.
“Exactly like that, because you are my child. I have paperwork to prove it now.”
Briana unbuckled her seatbelt and leaned over to give Jane a big hug. She managed to keep her squeal to a low volume, mindful of the close quarters inside the car. The hug she got back was fierce, surprising her. She clung closer, nuzzling Jane’s shoulder until the hug finally loosened. It gave her a heart full of fuzzies to see Jane wiping brusquely at her eyes.
“I love you, daddy.”
“I love you too, mein Tochter.”
In the jewelry store, Dad was all business. She didn’t get the same suspiciously good treatment that Mom had at the dress store, but Jane wasn’t shy at all about asking the jeweler to lay out a dozen rings for her and Briana to evaluate.
They eventually settled on a pair of wider gold bands with a complicated vine pattern cast into the outside edge. The decision was helped along by the discovery of a pair of slimmer rings, with a matching but simpler vine pattern to match.
With all the measurements except for Melody’s, the jeweler promised to start work right away. Briana was feeling a bit stressed at her part in the project, but she was sure she could get her sibling’s ring size soon.
“That’s our business for the day done.” Jane said. “What do you want to do until your mother’s meeting is over?”
“Oh, can we get a Christmas present from me for her?” Briana asked. “Actually I have a bunch of shopping I still have to do.”
“We’re already downtown, I don’t see why not.” Jane said. “Do you need to use the potty? Or a change?”
Briana blushed and squirmed. “Daddy, I’m a big girl right now, you don’t have to ask that.”
“Let’s check anyway.” Jane said. She took Briana’s hand and made for a family restroom.
“Daddy!” Briana protested again.
Big Briana’s weakness was apparently diaper checks in public. She hadn’t been embarrassed at a diaper check in ages, but being big had her wanting to prove she could keep a diaper dry. She didn’t resist though. Since Dad was immune to her pout, she let Jane pull her into the family restroom and lift her gothy skirt.
“I count less ponies than we had this morning.” Jane said, patting Briana’s crotch. “It looks like you had an accident, but just a small one.”
“But, I was being a big girl. I was able to hold it at the dress store, and I wasn’t even trying!” Briana whimpered.
“You are still learning. That doesn’t mean you aren’t a big or a good girl.” Jane patted Briana’s cheek. “If you didn’t notice, you probably don’t need a change. Do you want one?”
“Getting a change would make it easier to tell if I have an accident later.” Briana mumbled. “But it might make me feel little too.”
“I don’t see how you can learn to hold it as a big girl without some practice.” Jane said, folding down the changing table. “Hop up Briana.”
It was weird to get up on a changing table after being called Briana, instead of little one, or any of the many nicknames her caregivers had for her. The embarrassment from wetting only ramped up when Dad opened up her diaper and wiped her down. Not because Dad was seeing her bits, that was still safe and comfortable, even in big mode.
Big Briana couldn’t shake the sense that Dad was disappointed in her accident, even if she wasn’t making any disappointed noises. When Briana’s new diaper was covered up with a diaper cover, she whimpered.
“It’s just in case.” Jane said. “I don’t have another spare, we didn’t bring your regular diaper bag.”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t be a big girl.” Briana said, sighing.
“Are you putting blame on yourself?” Jane asked. “Briana, Kindchen. This is not productive. If you are not satisfied with your result, then make an effort to improve for next time.”
Briana hopped off the changing table (without being asked!) and nodded. “Okay daddy. I’ll try really hard to keep this diaper dry.”
“That’s my good girl.” Jane said, kissing Briana’s forehead. “Now, we have presents to buy, and not much time before your Mother is done with her meeting.”
Shopping with Dad was super different than with Mom. They went from shop to shop in a whirlwind. If they didn’t see much of interest right away, it was off to a new store. It was a good method for getting the less personal presents.
At a sports store, Briana picked up a framed picture of Portia Woodman, Casey’s favorite Rugby star. She also grabbed a US Women’s World Cup jersey for Rosa, just in case Melody could fix things with their girlfriend.
She wasn’t going to get a present for Beatrix, Little-Briana informed Big-Briana. She wasn’t! Even briefly considering getting her some coal or fake-poop felt icky. If Melody kept dating Beatrix and brought her to Christmas – then Briana was going to actually poop in a box and give it to that horrible woman. So there!
Melody’s porn sites had netted Briana an ABDL themed straightjacket for Gary. Well, for her, obviously, but to help make his helpless Briana fantasy come true. That left her with just Mom and Dad to shop for. Dad was out, since she was right there.
By the eighth store they visited, Briana was starting to panic a little. It felt like her chance to shop for Mom was slipping away. It couldn’t just be any old gift for her. It had to be double-super-duper perfect.
She looked at the tchotchkes in the touristy gift store they were visiting with an irritated glare. There was nothing here for Mom. Dad was buying something for her advisor. Briana hoped that was a joke between them, and that Dad’s taste in gifts wasn’t really that bad. She needed gift advice, and Dad had better come through!
“Daddy.” Briana said, as they left the dumb tourist trap. “I need help. I can’t figure out what to get Mom.”
“Are you starting to feel little?” Jane asked, pulling Briana aside on the sidewalk.
“Because I called you daddy?” Briana snorted. “You think adult me isn’t the kind of girl what would call you daddy?”
Jane smirked. “Perhaps so. It does seem in character.” She stroked Briana’s cheek fondly.
“Daddy this is important!” Briana said. “Do you have any ideas?”
“She would love anything from you, which I know is not helpful, but it is a good starting point. It doesn’t have to be expensive, or rare.” Jane said. “The best thing you could get her is something that reminds her of you.”
Briana chewed her lip, digesting that. It was true that as cool as her parents pretended to be, they were big corny dorks on the inside. Even something dumb like a locket with a picture in it – Briana’s eyes went wide as a revelation struck her.
“Got it! Daddy, I need to shop on my own for a bit.”
Jane blinked. “Why?”
“Because it’s a joint present for both of you, and you can’t see your presents ahead of time. You’ll get Krampused!”
Jane laughed. “I don’t remember the Krampus ever coming for a father, but I agree a present should be a surprise. I don’t know about letting you shop on your own, though.”
“Please, Daddy!” Briana said, batting her lashes and putting on her best pleading expression. “I have the perfect present idea. I have my phone with me; we can make sure the ringer is on and everything. I’ll be a big girl and make you proud! Please?”
“Well, alright.” Jane said. “I trust you to make me proud.”
She kissed Briana on the forehead. There was a bit of an emotional shine in her eyes. Briana grinned and filed that information away for later. Apparently all it took to make Dad melt was saying she wanted to make Dad proud.
“Thanks, Daddy!” Briana said excitedly. “Look, my phone ringer is on and the phone has plenty of charge. Okay Daddy love you, see you soon!”
Briana left in a whirlwind, with Jane staring bemusedly after her. Her excitement had her walking far faster than the holiday shoppers. Something about the expression on her face, combined maybe with her gothic outfit, got people to move out of her way. This was a new experience for the five-foot-nothing Briana. She felt powerful!
The feeling helped solidify her Big-Briana mask. Little-Briana could revel in the feeling of being confidant. That in turn made her realize where the perfect place to get the lockets she wanted would be.
Fifteen minutes of confident striding later, Briana was standing outside Black Veil, the store that had sold her the dress she was wearing. The sign had a literal black-veiled woman in mountains of black lace on it. Briana giggled. It was so Mom.
Pushing her way into the store, Briana was greeted by the clerk. She smiled and waved. In the time it took to walk to the jewelry counter, the shop owner was already coming to greet her. Briana beamed. Things were going exactly as she’d hoped.
“Ms. Cassingham, right?” Wendy said, smiling. “Merry almost Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas!” Briana said. “And actually it’s Rasmussen now, as of this morning!”
“That’s amazing!” Wendy said, sweeping her purple shawl back so she could reach out and grab Briana’s hands. “Congratulations then, Ms. Rasmussen!”
“That sounds a lot like Mom.” Briana said, “Maybe I could be Miss Rasmussen.”
“Perfect.” Wendy said with a nod. “What can I do for you today?”
“I need two lockets. Really pretty ones. One can be all skulls and ravens, but the other should be more understated.” Briana said. “They’re for Mom and Dad.”
“We have a lot of lockets, let’s get them all out.” Wendy said, looking over at her clerk. The clerk took the hint, opening the glass case and pulling out the velvet display boards one at a time.
“I know I’m being picky, but do you have any four-picture ones, with the three pieces?” Briana asked.
“Be as picky as you want.” Wendy said, smiling. “I won’t be happy until you walk out of here with exactly what you’re looking for.”
“Thank you. I knew I could come here and get awesome help.” Briana said brightly.
She could see why Mom liked shopping at the Black Veil so much. They went over more than two dozen lockets. For every one of them, Wendy knew the manufacturer and could discuss the materials without referencing her laptop. Wendy’s patience was just as limitless as it had been the last time Briana had shopped there.
Finally, she had her selections. Mom’s locket was beautifully over the top, a silver patina pendant with a skull at the top and a thorned rose in relief on the face. Dad’s was a nice gold-enameled oval with seed pearls tucked into a geometric pattern. They would each hold four pictures, pictures that Briana now somehow had to take without giving the presents away. Christmas was getting complicated and sneaky!
“Those are beautiful, great choices.” Wendy said. “Do you want me to put them on your Mom’s account? She won’t see it until next month, when the statement goes out.”
“No, I can pay for them now.” Briana said. “Don’t wrap them, I still have to put the pictures in.”
“I’ll put them in nice display boxes so they look good when they’re opened.” Wendy said. “Thanks again for thinking of us.”
“Thank you for being so kind to me.” Briana said, with a soft smile. “It means a lot to be accepted without a lot of questions.”
“You’re welcome. I have a lot of respect for your mother.” Wendy said, handing the pendants to her clerk to box up as she rang up the sale. “She’s not just a customer to me. I’m glad to have any family of hers in the store, and I’m proud that people can shop here without being hassled.”
Little-Briana thought this was a perfect time for a hug, and Big Briana didn’t argue. She gave Wendy a quick, tight hug before handing over her payment. With a smile and a wave, she was out the door.
She was just about to text Dad that she was done with her shopping, when a deep voice said, “Briana?”
Briana looked up to see a big man. After a half-second of re-contextualizing him, she realized it was Arthur.
“Arthur!” Briana said, gleefully hugging him. He laughed, and crushed her with his huge arms.
“I almost didn’t recognize you in that dress.” He said.
“I almost didn’t recognize you in pants.” Briana said, smirking. She made sure to keep her voice low enough that nobody else would hear.
Arthur blushed. “Go easy on that. But – yeah, I get it. You look good. I didn’t expect you to dress so much like Veronica.”
“I don’t usually.” Briana said. “Even when I’m not in little-clothes. But I wanted some outfits that make me look like Mom. Plus this is probably my most formal dress, and I had to dress up today.”
“Okay, that makes sense.” Arthur said. “Do you have time to hang out, maybe get lunch?”
“Maybe!” Briana said. “I have to ask my Dad.” She typed out a quick text, asking Dad if she could have lunch with a friend.
“It’s okay if not, I just wanted a chance to talk when we’re not…” Arthur switched to a whisper. “Little.”
“That sounds fun.” Briana said. “I might have some questions for you.”
“You’d have questions for me?” Arthur asked, confused. “I was going to ask you. You seem like you’re a pro at it.”
“That doesn’t mean I don’t want to hear about how you do it.” Briana said. “You got into this totally different than how I did.”
A reply popped up on Briana’s phone. Dad wanted more information. It took telling dad that the friend was Arthur, as well as a promise to text Jane with the name of the restaurant when they chose one to get her permission. Briana smiled. Her daddy was so good at making her feel safe and looked after!
“Okay, we can do it!” Briana said. “You pick the restaurant.”
Arthur lead her to a place called Jook, which he said had some of the best soul food in town. It was a super classy-looking place with nice hardwood tables and bistro-style décor. The atmosphere was homey though, and all the staff seemed like they actually wanted to be there.
“Do you eat here a lot?” Briana asked as they took a seat at their table.
“Whenever I can.” Arthur said. “I can’t be eating out all the time, but this is my favorite spot. Plus, I try to support Black-owned businesses as a general rule.”
Briana nodded. “Then you tell me what I should get.”
“They have the best chicken sandwiches, hands-down. Go for the Jook Style one, you won’t regret it.” Arthur said.
“They put coleslaw on the sandwich?” Briana asked curiously, peering at the menu.
“Trust me, it’s good.”
“Okay, I’ll try it!” Briana grinned. “Which one are you getting?”
“Sassy and sweet.” Arthur said. “I would have suggested that one for you, but I don’t know if you like spicy.”
“Not all the time.” Briana nodded. She gave her order and menu to the server. Once they were alone at the table, she leaned in conspiratorially toward Arthur.
“What did you want to ask me about?”
“Well uh, first some questions about how you do the whole little thing. I don’t want to make assumptions.” Arthur said. “You’re wearing – them, all the time? I thought you were acting little all the time too, but obviously not.”
“Being out and big like this is new for me.” Briana said. “It’s a whole thing I can explain, but yeah, I used to be little all the time.”
“How did that come about?” Arthur asked. “You were in Microbio with Tamira, right? So you weren’t always little.”
“I was having medical issues.” Briana said. “Stress and incontinence. Mom helped me find a way to deal with it, which ended up with me being little. Once that happened, I couldn’t turn it off, so I was little from then on out.”
Arthur frowned nervously. “You got stuck that way?”
“Not stuck.” Briana considered. “This is a weird thing to tell you, but we’re already talking about it. I ended up defining myself as little. When I’m big like this, that’s the game. I’m playing pretend as a big girl. I don’t most people do it that way though. Melody doesn’t.”
“She’s little too?” Arthur asked.
“They.” Briana said. “They’re little sometimes. It helps them, I think they need it. But they aren’t that way all the time.”
“Hmm, okay.” Arthur said. He sat back in his chair and chewed on his lip.
“Are you trying to figure out how you feel about being little?” Briana asked. “I know I look like it’s all effortless now, but it was really tough for me to accept at first.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I didn’t want to be little, or wear protection, or lose my independence. It was really scary.”
“It is scary.” Arthur nodded.
“It’s wonderful too.” Briana said. “But it does take a lot of trust.”
“That’s the thing.” Arthur said. “I trust Tamira now, she’s great. But what if we break up?”
Briana considered that while the waiter brought them their food. There wasn’t a good answer, or at least not an easy one. She further delayed her answer by taking a bite of her sandwich. That turned out to be a delicious decision! Speaking of trust, she could trust Arthur to recommend food now.
“I don’t think there’s a way to reassure you on that.” Briana said. “A breakup will feel bad no matter what but, yeah, I don’t know what I would do if I broke up with Gary. I’d feel really betrayed. And if I didn’t have a mom and dad, if he was my daddy…”
Briana hastily wiped some tears away with a napkin. Too late, she realized she should have dabbed. The makeup mom had done turned the corner of the napkin black. It was probably smeared under her eyes like a raccoon now.
“I don’t know what to tell you I guess.” Briana said. “I know she cares about you a lot. It takes trust on her end too.”
Arthur nodded and sighed. He took a big bite of his sandwich. They both munched away for a bit in silence, giving themselves time to ponder.
“I’m asking because um – I was thinking of asking her to do it more long term.” Arthur said, hesitantly.
“Oh wow.” Briana said happily. “I’m excited for you. Like full time?”
“Not full time. Yet anyway.” Arthur said, squirming in his seat.
Briana recognized that squirm. There was way too much butt-wiggle for it to not be a diaper-squirm.
“Are you wearing protection right now?” Briana asked.
“Yes.” Arthur said softly, blushing.
“Does Tamira know?”
“No.” Arthur hid behind his sandwich, munching nervously on it.
“You wanted to see what it was like.” Briana said.
It wasn’t a question. Arthur nodded in confirmation. Briana considered.
“It might be better for you to talk to Melody, except that they probably don’t want to talk about this right now.” Briana said. In response to Arthur’s questioning look, she added, “Relationship stuff, I can’t really say without asking them first.” Arthur nodded.
“But I’m going to try an – experiment with my boyfriend.” Briana said. “A pretty intense one. We’re going to try it out for a couple of days.”
“School is on break.” Briana continued, “Why don’t you start with um – doubling whatever the longest time you’ve been little is. Or doing a full day if you’ve never done a full day.”
“I wanted to talk to her about it first.” Arthur said. “I just don’t know how to do the conversation.”
“So do the day thing.” Briana said. “Then when you’re talking about how that went, if it was good, you can talk about something more regular.”
“Hmm, that sounds pretty good.” Arthur said. “I still don’t know how to bring up the day thing though. I get so embarrassed when I talk to her about it. I feel like I’m asking for so much.”
“Would you like help with it?” Briana asked. “Like if you were little?”
Arthur blushed and put his hands in his lap, stiff-armed. “I don’t know about that.”
“I won’t push you.” Briana said. “But if it’d be easier for you, I’d do it.”
“You’d do what?” Arthur asked.
“Ask your mommy for you.”
Arthur looked like he wanted to curl in on himself. Briana waited patiently, working on her sandwich.
“How?” Arthur asked. There was lot of sweet longing in his voice. Briana’s heart was getting more and more melty by the moment.
“I have some inside info from a conversation that Melody told me about.” Briana said. “I’m sure she’d be happy to do it for you. You could start today, if you don’t have stuff you need to be big for.”
“Nothing that has to be done today – or tomorrow.” Arthur said.
Keen to shifts in people’s voices, Briana could hear the little creeping into Arthur’s voice.
“Is that a yes to me helping you?” Briana asked.
Arthur nodded.
“Okay, I will before I meet up with Dad.” Briana smiled. “We should finish our lunch though.”
Arthur relaxed a bit, returning to his sandwich with fresh vigor. Briana managed her sandwich and a few fries, but the mac and cheese side was going to have to go in a box.
“I wanted to ask you,” Briana said, “How do you transition between big and little?”
“So far Tamira and I have had really defined stuff.” Arthur said. “Thanksgiving at your place was the longest for sure. That one started when I got dressed for it, and ended when we got home.”
Briana nodded. “It helps to know when it’s going to end?”
“Yeah, and actually that one was pretty easy because I had the car ride over and back to ease into or out of it.”
This was good information. Really good information for being able to go back to classes. Bus rides to and from campus would be perfect for slowly transitioning her thoughts. Mom could even see her out the door like a kid going to school, which is what she would be!
With Arthur feeling off-balance and little-ish, Briana had the huge pleasure of getting to handle the check. They didn’t have enough history for her to explain it, but Arthur was the third friend she’d treated to a meal, ever.
With a happy glow in her heart and a full tummy, Briana took Arthur’s hand and headed out of the restaurant.
“Come here for a second.” Briana said, pulling Arthur into an alley. He followed her, already way more passive than he had been when they’d bumped into each other outside the dress store.
In the middle of the lunch hour, it was easy to find a moment with no one passing the alley. Briana pulled on the waistband of Athur’s pants and peeked in.
“Hey!” Arthur protested.
Briana looked up at her bulky friend. “I thought so. You’re wet.”
“You weren’t supposed to just – check me.” Arthur said, blushing furiously.
“I’m the big one right now.” Briana said, opening the contacts on her phone. “And I’m going to call your mommy so she can take care of you properly.”
Arthur’s shoulders slouched, just like they did when he was being little. He nodded, putting his hands awkwardly in his pockets.
“Hi Briana, what’s up?” Tamira asked over the phone.
“Hi Tamira!” Briana said brightly. “I’m out Christmas shopping and guess who I bumped into?”
“I’m guessing my boyfriend.” Tamira said.
“Close! Your little boy.” Briana said.
“Oh?”
“Well he must be.” Briana said. “He had an accident, and I don’t have any way to change him. He needs to be picked up.”
“He wet his pants in public?” Tamira asked, shocked.
“No, he was wearing a diaper like a good boy.” Briana looked up at Arthur. He was blushing again, squirming and standing pigeon-toed.
“Ain’t that something?” Tamira said. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing that his mommy can’t fix.” Briana said. “I think he’ll need some mommy time for a while though, at least through tomorrow afternoon, if you can manage it.”
There was a soft sound of Tamira’s breath catching, over the phone. “I’ll be right down to meet you. Where are you?”
“We’ll be on the corner of Northwest and Clover.” Briana said. “The coffee shop there.”
“You’re going to get him hyper before you hand him off to me?” Tamira laughed.
“That’s right. I’m the cool auntie right now.” Briana said.
“Okay, coming your way. You’ll have to tell me how this all happened some time though.”
“I will if Arthur doesn’t.” Briana said. “See you soon.”
Phone back in her purse, Briana took Athur’s hand firmly. “Let’s get a hot chocolate while we wait for your mommy.”
“But, there will be people there.” Arthur said bashfully.
“You don’t have to talk to anybody. Just sit at the table like a good boy, okay?”
Arthur nodded gratefully. He sat as small as he could when they got to the coffee shop, practically curled up in his booth seat. When the cocoa was ready, he hunched over it, sipping slowly and getting whipped cream on his nose.
Briana watched in fascination. Other than the rescue she’d done for Melody, she’d never seen anyone be little when she was big. It was easy to talk to him though, she simply had to do what her favorite caregivers did. Like being little was normal, which if anyone were to ask big or little Briana, it was!
“Careful you don’t end up leaking.” Briana said to Arthur. “I really don’t have a diaper with me, and mine wouldn’t fit you anyway.”
“I didn’t have an accident.” Arthur said petulantly.
“Are you forgetting that we’ve played together?” Briana asked. “I know what your potty-face looks like.”
“I don’t have a potty-face!”
“You do, and it’s adorable.”
Movement at the door of the coffee shop caught Briana’s eye. “Mommy’s here, let’s go, Arthur.”
Obediently, but with a bit of a discomforted waddle, Arthur followed Briana. They both got a hug from Tamira outside the shop.
“Dang girl, you look like Veronica!” Tamira said.
“It’s nice to match her sometimes.” Briana said, happily. “We have a ton to talk about, but I have to get back to Jane, and this little boy is about to leak into his pants.”
“Nuh uh!” Arthur protested.
“Don’t worry sweetie, Mommy will take care of it.” Tamira said. Arthur shifted closer so she could put an arm around his waist.
“Can we get together sometime for lunch or whatever?” Tamira asked.
“I would love that, and yes, we can.” Briana nodded.
“You’ve really got yourself put together today.” Tamira said. “I think you’re great little, but it’s good to see this you again too.”
“Thanks! It feels good to be able to do it. Text me about lunch, okay?”
“I will. See you later!”
After a group hug, Tamira put Arthur in her car and headed home. A quick text to Dad informed Briana that she wasn’t far away. Still full of happy fuzzy feelings, Briana found both her parents at another restaurant.
They looked so cute together, and they were both still dressed nicely from the morning’s court appointment. Briana’s suggestion of some pictures to commemorate the day were accepted without any suspicion on the part of her parents. The Christmas presents were nearly complete!
On the way home, Briana practiced Arthur’s suggestion. Instead of trying to snap out of Big-Briana mode, she looked out the window and let her thoughts drift. Big-centric stuff like signs and businesses faded away in favor of watching the snowdrift shapes and brave winter birds. By the time Jane pulled the car into the driveway, Briana was feeling comfortably little.
“Daddy, Mommy, I need to go potty.” Briana said.
“Come with me then, hon.” Veronica said, hurrying Briana inside while Jane gathered up her shopping bags.
“I still want to be in a cute outfit.” Briana said, once she was off the potty and on her changing table. “Can I wear a pretty dress, mommy?”
“Of course you can. Do you want your makeup off, or redone?” Veronica asked.
“Redone please. Can I wear my sparkly pink eyeshadow?”
Veronica laughed. “Against my better judgement, yes.”
Briana grinned and stripped off the last remnants of her big self, depositing her dress and bra on the floor. Even though she’d been a big girl and used the potty, Mom gave her a gentle pass all over her crotch and bum with the wipes.
She was getting the full, deluxe experience. Veronica stroked Briana’s legs and tickled her feet, until she was as full of giggles as she was of fried chicken. Her legs were posed for a detailed inspection. Declared rash-free and cute-bottomed by her mom, Briana got a light coating of lotion instead of the stinky medical cream.
With another pink-pony diaper sitting soft under her butt, Veronica gently powdered her, patting it into place. Veronica leaned in so that being taped up was almost a hug. They did hug, once the tapes were set.
Before any clothes happened, Veronica took a seat in her chair and pulled Briana into her lap. Happy to let Mom be in charge, Briana didn’t ask any questions. No questions were needed when Veronica pulled down her dress and bra strap to place Briana on her breast. She suckled away happily, eyes closed so that her whole world was Mom’s warmth pressing against her and the creamy sweetness in her mouth.
After snacks, Veronica took just as much care getting Briana into a pink satin dress and white tights. With her makeup sparkly and pretty, Briana was delighted to discover that she had remembered the last bit of her present plan.
“Can you take a picture of me and send it to me, mama?” Briana asked, sitting cross-legged with Alanna clutched to her chest.
“Of course. You’re really into pictures today.” Veronica said, snapping several pictures with her phone.
“I want to remember this day forever and ever.” Briana said. She wanted Mom and Dad to remember it too. All she needed was one more big day to get the pictures printed and put in the lockets, and they would never be able to forget!
“You are so sweet.” Veronica said, stroking Briana’s hair. “What do you want to do with your afternoon? Do you need a nap?”
“Can I play wherever you and Dad are?” Briana asked.
“Of course honey. I think we’ll just be doing some chores, maybe watching something on TV. We’re finally, really on break.”
“Okay, I’ll be on the couch.” Briana said, following Veronica downstairs. “Unless Melody wants to play.”
One thing was for sure, she wasn’t letting her family out of her sight for the rest of the day. The only thing that could make the day more perfect was if they could get a double-bed moved into Mom and Dad’s room for her and Melody.