HOME | DD

Description
“Kyle...wake up...Kyle...!” Kyle Hayner woke up to the gentle words of his mommy Corrine, who silently stood at the foot of his crib. His green eyes slowly made themselves known as he yawned wide and lumbered upright.

“Morning, Mommy...” His voice youthful and innocent.

“How did my little boy sleep?”

“Jus’ fine...hee heh...” Kyle grinned as he knelt in front of his crib, looking into his mother’s kind, green eyes. His pajamas consisted of a dark-green shirt and pants, both long-sleeved and decorated with fantasy creatures like dragons, phoenixes, and gryphons. Mom, meanwhile, was adorned in a light-grey T-shirt and blue shorts.

“Good! How’s your diaper?”

“Soakin’ wet! Changey pwease?” he adorably asked.

“Of course, Kyle!” Corrine led her son out of the crib and onto the changing table, where his pants were pulled down and his diaper was opened.

“I wanna eat wit’ my PJs on!” Kyle happily said as he was changed.

“Alright then! Breakfast is yummier when you’ve got them on!”

“Yup! Very yummy!”

“How would you like some oatmeal?”

“Oooh! Dat sounds very, very yummy!” Kyle licked his lips, feeling his tummy growl.

“Excellent!”

His powdered new diaper was securely fastened on, adorned with ABCs and 123s all over the front and back, and his pants were slid back onto him. Corrine led him by the hand to the kitchen, as Kyle tilted his head left and right, happy as can be. “Breakfas’, breakfas’, da mos’ ‘portant meal of da day...” he cheerfully sing-sung.

“That’s right! So you better eat up, or you won’t have enough energy for the rest of the day!”

“A’course, Mommy!” Kyle grinned. It wasn’t long before they had traversed the big Playroom and entered the kitchen, where the enticing scent of breakfast wafted its way up Kyle’s nostrils. “Mmmm...I wanna eat it now!” he excitedly said, making low hops in place.

“Patience, sweetie...” Corrine chuckled as she opened the highchair tray.

“I dunno how much patience I gots, Mommy...” Kyle pouted as he sat down, obviously trying to milk sympathy.

“Just a little longer, Kyle...” she said as she closed the tray, patting him on the head. “I’ll give you some juice.”

“Yes! Orange juice!” He quickly grinned, bouncing in his seat.

“Okay...here you go!” Corrine handed her son a baby bottle of orange juice from the fridge, and he swiftly suckled on it with a big smile on his face. He happily swung his legs, taking in the sweet and tangy flavor of his drink, as his mom finished up breakfast for the two of them. “Alright...” she softly spoke, wrapping the “Mama’s Boy” bib around his neck. “It’s ready!”

Kyle lightly belched, placing the half-drunken juice bottle to the side. “Yay!”

“Not before you say the magic words!” Corrine teased, wagging her finger.

“Uh...pwease, Mommy?” He blushed and smiled.

“The other magic words.”

“‘scuse me...” He closed his eyes and stuck his tongue out.

“There we go!” Corrine placed a bowl of oatmeal onto Kyle’s tray, with a spaceship-themed spoon beside it to match the blue, starry bowl. It was still really warm, as could be seen by the steam rising from the food.

“T’ank you Mommy!” he cheerfully exclaimed, triumphantly raising the spoon high above his head.

“You’re welcome, sweetie!”

Corrine sat across from her son, eating her own bowl of oatmeal, as Kyle swiftly, messily consumed his meal. He chewed with his mouth open, and his face and nose were quickly becoming more and more stained with his breakfast. “What’we ‘e ‘onna ‘o t’day?” he said after a minute, mouth full.

“Kyle...” She gave him a stern look.

“Shawwy...” He gulped his food. “What’re we gonna do today, Mommy?”

“I was thinking of playing in the Bonding Room a little longer today.”

“Dat sounds like lots’a fun! Hee ha ha ha!”

“Of course!” Corrine sweetly smiled. “But I’ll let you play by yourself for a bit first, okay?”

“Okay.” His mother stood up, empty bowl in hand, and gave her son a peck on the side of his head. Kyle lit up as a wide smile formed on his oatmeal-stained face. “Hee hee hee...!” Kyle gazed at Corrine rinsing her dish, and his smile became mischievous. His eyes wandered over to his spoon, containing some of the last bits of oatmeal. Slowly, he took the utensil, this time intending to put its contents elsewhere. He stretched the front of his pants and diaper, and...

“Don’t do it, Kyle!” Corrine playfully warned, still facing the sink.

“Mommyyyyyy...!” he whined. “It’s gonna end up there anyway!”

“Then let nature take its course, Silly Billy!”

“Mmmmm...” Kyle moaned, popping the spoon into his frowning mouth.

“C’mon, Grumpy Gus!” she said as she ruffled her son’s hair. “Cheer up!”

“I’m no Grumpy Gus!” he replied, smiling from ear to ear. “I’m Chipper Chip!”

“There you go!” Corrine gave Kyle an encouraging grin. “All done with breakfast?”

“Yup!” He nodded. “I’m ready to play now!”

“First things first...” Corrine wiped Kyle’s face and hands clean with a wet washcloth, and he giggled and squirmed in his seat.

“D-Dat t-t-tickles! Hee hee hee!”

“Almost...there! All clean!” She removed his nearly empty bowl and bottle from the tray before opening it for Kyle to hop out. “Have fun, sweetie!” Corrine double-patted Kyle’s diapered rear, and his face lit up as tingles spread throughout his body.

“Aha ha ha ha!” With a spring in his step, Kyle toddled out of the kitchen and all the way back to his room, giggling as the diaper within his pants crinkled and rustled the entire while. “Basil! Where are ya?” he called out as he looked all around his room, high and low. “A-ha! Dere you are!” Kyle quickly grabbed the bunny doll by the ear, from its resting place in the crib. He tightly hugged it, sighing in bliss as he adorably swiveled his waist. “How’s my bestest dolly in da whole world? Le’s go!”

With Basil in one hand and his crib’s cowboy-themed blanket in another, Kyle dashed out of his room, head filled with ideas for his morning playtime. He quickly arrived in the Playroom, where he dropped his bunny and wrapped his blanket around his neck. It reached all the way to the floor and even a short distance behind him, making him look more like a king more than a superhero, which perfectly suited him.

“I’m Kyle da Magnificent, King of da Diapies!” He lowered his pants and kicked them off, leaving his colorful padding in full view. “An’ you, Basil, are my personal knight in shinin’ armor, protector against da evil potty menace!” Kyle dramatically proclaimed and gestured. “Mistah Bear is da Royal Mage, an’ he can cast real cool magics! He’s gonna turn all da potties into diapies! An’ den, my empire will grow!” With one fist pumped in the air, Kyle cheered: “Long live King Kyle! Diapies ferever! Aha ha ha ha ha ha!

“Mmmeh...” Kyle lightly tooted, his face turning faintly red. “My tummy’s all rumbly...” He rubbed his gurgling belly with one hand and frowned down at it. “I-It’s okay, loyal subjects!” he spoke, grinning again. “It’s jus’ gas...‘sides, your King would never force any of you to change my diapies! I’ve got Queen Mommy for dat! Wait...dat means I’m Prince Kyle...I t’ink I like dat title bedder! Prince Kyle of Diapietopia! Aha ha ha ha!” Kyle laughed again, before placing Basil across from Mr. Bear.

“You two stay on da lookout for potties. Yer King--er, Prince, has a very ‘portant drawin’ mission!” Regally, Kyle trotted to a pile of coloring books and blank paper, snatching a white sheet. He then grabbed a big box of crayons close by the pile, before returning to his room and sitting at the yellow table. He giggled to himself as his padding crinkled and pressed up against him, taking a slight whiff of the baby powder contained inside.

“Drawin’ time!” Kyle dumped several crayons onto the table and began to draw. Like a little kid, he grasped a crayon in his fist and moved it across the paper. It was inelegant and rough, befitting a two-year-old more than a 25-year-old, but he didn’t care. Kyle hummed and doodled with a big smile, oblivious to the passage of time, as the jagged lines and squiggles slowly but surely formed a childlike image that Corrine would no doubt proudly display on the fridge.

“Aww done!” he proudly declared, slamming the last used crayon onto the table. His work of art was a depiction of Kyle’s real mom, himself, and Corrine, all side-by-side from left to right. Everyone was smiling, and both of his mothers were dressed up like a classic mom, complete with an apron. Kyle was dressed up like a big baby, wearing a cutesy T-shirt that was adorned with a bear cub’s face, a diaper, and a rattle in one of his hands. “Mommy’s gonna love dis!” Kyle happily said, rocketing up from his seat and joyfully dancing in place.

“Ehhhhhhhh...!” Kyle halted his celebration by lifting his right leg and loudly pooting. His insides were storming again, and this time, it wasn’t letting up. “Uh oh...looks like I hafta poop...!” His mouth wavered as he gazed at his diaper, knowing it was about to serve its purpose. Kyle took a deep breath, sighed, squatted down, and began to push. He tooted and squeaked, face beet-red with his hands on his kneecaps, as he noisily emptied himself. With every explosive burst of gas, the inside of his padding felt an impact; with every impact, his diaper bulged and drooped down ever further. The room was filled with the sounds of his grunting and farting, along with the rather unpleasant smell that resulted from it. About a minute later, with one last disgusting splatter, the turmoil in Kyle’s tummy had been resolved.

“Haaaaaaah...aww better!” He smiled wide in relief as he stood back up, feeling his diaper sway beneath him as he did so. “Heh heh...I t’ink I made a real big mess in my diapie...” Kyle blushed and stuck his tongue out, looking simultaneously bashful and coy. His lumpy diaper nearly reached down to his kneecaps, looking like it could hold little more than it currently did. “Ahhhhhhh...” While he was at it, Kyle emptied his bladder as well, causing the front of his padding to turn a pale yellow. Now that his padding was thoroughly loaded and soaked, his mom entered the room, as if on cue.

“Oh my goodness!” Corrine spoke, waving a hand in front of her nose. “Somebody’s a real big stinker!”

“Hee hee hee! Is me!” Kyle grinned, looking quite proud of himself for filling his diaper to the brim.

“We better get you changed ASAP!” Tenderly, she removed Kyle’s blankie cape, took him by the hand, and laid him down on the changing table. His messy diaper was quickly removed and disposed of, and he was wiped down and powdered, causing him to giggle and shift around. “Hold still, sweetie...”

“Heh ha! I-I’m tryin’ Mommy!”

“And...there! All clean!” Corrine declared upon fastening the tapes of Kyle’s fresh new diaper.

“Yaaaaay! T’ank you Mommy!” Kyle clapped his hands with a big open smile on his face.

“You’re welcome!” she spoke as her son happily hopped off the table. “Let’s go...bonding time!” With her one free hand, she took his drawing with them.

“Bonding, bonding...” Kyle sing-sung, walking with his hand and his mother’s as one.

“This is a beautiful image you drew, sweetie!” Corrine said, looking at her son’s artistry. “I’m gonna hang this on the refrigerator!”

“Ooh! Ooh!” He bounced in place as the Bonding Room’s door was unlocked. “Can you take a pi’ture wit’ me holdin’ it? I wanna show my real mommy what I did!”

“I can do that, Kyle...” She sweetly smiled at him, handing over the drawing.

“Yaaaaaay!” Kyle joyfully jogged in place, before he ran into the Bonding Room. Corrine came in as well, pulling out a camera from her right pocket.

“Okay Kyle, gimme a biiiiiig smile!”

“Cheeeeeese!” The digital photograph displayed Kyle holding his depiction of his mommies by both upper corners of the image, close to his chest, as he gave a great big grin. Corrine looked at it and happily sighed, smiling along with her son.

“You’re so precious, Kyle...”

“Yup! Kyle more precious dan aaaaallll da money an’ jewels in da whole world!” He held his hands close to his heart, as he precociously smiled with his cheeks bright red.

“He sure is!” Corrine slipped the camera back into her pocket as she approached Kyle, kissing him on the cheek and causing him to blush even harder.

“Hee hee ha ha ha!” He handed the drawing to his mom.

“Let’s start with a game of Patty-Cake!” She placed it onto the table in the corner of the room.

“Ooh! I love dis game!” Kyle plopped down onto his padding, letting out a small giggle as he did so.

“Patty-Cake, Patty-Cake, baker’s man...” Mother and son played Patty-Cake with one another, clapping their hands and each other’s in ever-increasing speeds. Kyle giggled all throughout the game, even as he messed up; in fact, he giggled more from his mistakes, to the point where he got worse and worse with each attempt, which only intensified the giggling. Before long, this cycle resulted in him falling over backwards in uncontrollable, tear-inducing laughter, wildly kicking his legs in the air. “Kyle, you Silly Billy! Ha ha ha ha!” Corrine could not help but join in, seeing her son in such glee.

“Tee hee hee hee! I--ha ha ha!--I c-c-can’t...I can’t s-stop! Hee heh ha ha ha hee hee!”

“Then don’t! Ha ha! Laughter helps you feel better!”

“Den I mus’--hee hee!--I mus’ feel like a b-bajillion bucks!”

Corrine knelt down at the still-snickering Kyle, softly caressing his blond hair. “You must be getting thirsty after all that!”

“Uh-huh! Miwk pwease!”

“Right away!” Corrine left posthaste, leaving a laughter-drained Kyle lying on the red rug. He didn’t quite want to get up right then and there, so he playfully raspberried as he moved his legs all about, from riding an imaginary bicycle to spreading and closing his legs as much as he was able. He looked all around the small, cozy Bonding Room, tiny speckles of saliva flying from his tongue. When he tired of that, he rolled around, still making sounds akin to an engine or a generator.

“Pirates, pirates...” Kyle quietly sung to himself, opening his toy chest while on his belly. He blindly dug through it, spilling various toys around him in the process. Little vehicles and figures quickly littered the rug, until he eventually found what he was seeking. “A-ha! A sword!” He now held a foam cutlass, which he proceeded to softly whack the side of the toy chest with. “Bap. Bap...bbbbblllll...”

“Kyyyyyle...” Upon hearing his mother’s voice behind him, Kyle slowly looked over his shoulder, bashfully smiling up at her. “What’re you doing?” Corrine teased, waving the bottle of milk in her hand.

“Playin’ ‘Tummy Pirate’.”

“Does my little pirate wanna drink first? It’s important for every seafarer to get plenty of liquids before setting sail!”

“Mommy, dat’s orange juice!” Kyle corrected, crawling over to her. “Miwk gots ca’cium, not Vitamin C!”

“I know! But pirates need strong bones too!” Corrine sat down on the floor, patting the empty spot between her legs.

“Ahhhhh...okie-dokie!” He nodded and grinned, meeting up with his mom.

“C’mere...” With Kyle cradled in her arms and his head resting against her chest, Corrine bottle-fed her son. He quietly suckled from his drink, feeling a deep connection to his mommy. Being so close to her, and hearing her soft humming, was nothing short of Heaven on Earth. He felt sleepy from being so comforted, but he didn’t give in; he did not want to miss out on precious bonding time if he could help it. He didn’t want this pleasant, tender feeling in his heart to fade. Time held no meaning here, and thus, he was unable to tell when the milk had been fully drained. “All gone...” Corrine softly spoke, removing the empty bottle from her son’s lips. “You drank it all!”

“Uh-huh...Kyle wuv miwk...” He smiled at her.

“Yes he does!” She softly pinched Kyle’s cheek.

“Heh heh ha ha!” Kyle sat up. “Watch me, Mommy!”

“Okay, sweetie!”

Kyle crawled over to the myriad littered toys on the floor, randomly grabbing this and that to play with. Little dinosaurs, people, cars, trucks, planes, and creatures all played a part in his elaborate, mismatched fantasy; he quickly went from one toy to the next, then another, then back to one of the previous toys, and on and on it went. Corrine, meanwhile, sat in the nearby chair, observing her son’s silliness with an amused smile. “‘Rawwwwr!’ ‘C’mon, le’s drive outta here!’ ‘Vroooooommm!’ ‘Don’ worry, I’ll save you!’”

“Oh my!” The playtime went on, with Kyle acting out every part as Corrine occasionally commented, gasped, or laughed. He energetically crawled and lunged about, for minutes on end, putting on quite a show for his audience of one.

“It’s over! Take this! Yaaaaaahh!” As the grand finale to his tale, he threw handful after handful of little toys in the air, as if they were confetti. They flew about, landing on the rug here and there in totally random spots and positions. “Yeah! We did it! Ha ha ha ha!” Thoroughly exhausted, Kyle laid down on the last bit of free space on the rug, panting and laughing.

“Bravo, Kyle! That was amazing!” Corrine gave him a standing ovation.

“Heh ha ha ha! T’ank you, Mommy!”

“You’re welcome!” Corrine brushed some toys aside, kneeling beside him. “You know what you get as a reward?”

“What?”

“Pbbbbbbbbbb!”

“Hee hee hee hee! N-No! Sto--hee hee ha ha ha!”

Corrine blew raspberries onto her son’s chest, and he squirmed and giggled on the floor. “P-Please! Tee hee! N-No more!”

“Pbbbbb! Say ‘Mommy’!”

“M-M-Mommy! Ehee hee hee hee!” The belly-raspberries promptly stopped, and Kyle panted on the floor in a “star” formation, while his mom still knelt next to him. He closed his eyes and relished this calm, but it was soon broken when he felt a soft patting on the front of his diaper.

“Somebody’s wet!” Corrine cooed. “C’mon, sweetie...”

“Okay...” He took his mom by the hand back to his room. “Mommy, it’s your fault I pee-peed!” Kyle jokingly accused.

“You wouldn’t have pee-peed if you didn’t have to go!” Corrine replied. “I just helped you go faster!”

“So it is your fault!” He smirked, brows furrowed.

“Guilty!” She chuckled.

“Hee hee hee!”

Kyle’s changing was expedient, taking Corrine just over 15 seconds to wipe him, powder him, and wrap a clean diaper on. “There we are!” she spoke, giving the front of her son’s new padding a soft patting.

“Heh heh...t’ank you Mommy...” Kyle bashfully said, hiding his reddened face behind his arms.

“You’re welcome! I’ll go start on lunch!”

“Ooh! What’s it gonna be?” He leapt off the changing table, bouncing in place.

“You’ll just have to wait to find out!” Corrine tickled her son’s chin.

“Hee hee hee! Okie-dokie Mommy!” Kyle dashed ahead of Corrine and into the Playroom, where he dove headfirst into Mr. Bear, loudly laughing and kicking his legs. “Surprise hug! Aha ha ha ha!” Corrine laughed as well as she passed him by and entered the kitchen. Kyle, bursting with energy, jumped off of his ursine companion, only to dive into him, again and again and again. Each time he did so, he shouted and gave Mr. Bear a great big hug, giggling and babbling in glee. “Gotcha Mistah Bear! Hee hee ha ha ha!”

Kyle panted after his seventh tackle, worn out from his little game. He sluggishly stood up and stumbled over to a pile of building blocks, this time engaging in a less physically-strenuous task. He arranged the myriad of blocks to spell out various words, including “CLOUD”, “MIRROR”, “WORLD”, “KYLE”, “CORRINE”, and “PURPLE”...plus a few words he wasn’t allowed to say. “Heh heh heh...” Kyle snickered to himself, relishing in his naughtiness. Next, he began to build towers, making sure all the blocks were aligned so they evenly spelled out more words. This time, he spelled out “CRANE”, “PUPPY”, “NINE”, and “TRAIL”. “Mommy, mommy!” he called out when he saw Corrine approach. “Lookit what I built!”

“Oh wow!” she replied, smiling. “You’re such a good speller, Kyle!”

“Yup! Kyle can win any spelling bee ever! Ha ha ha!”

“You sure can!” Corrine ruffled her son’s hair. “How about some lunch?”

“Yes please! I starvin’!” Kyle followed his mommy into the kitchen, hand-in-hand, happily humming to himself. “Lunchy, lunchy...” He began to drool as he was being set up in the highchair, the aroma amplifying his hunger. He briefly saw that the image he had drawn earlier was on the fridge, as expected; it shared space with three other images, each depicting different things - a robot, a sunny shore, and a giant tree. “Ooh! S’ghetti!” Kyle clapped his hands as he saw Corrine pour spaghetti into a bowl.

“That’s right!” she said, bringing the bowl to the tray. “And, since you’ve been such a good boy, I’ll let you eat with your hands!”

“Aahhhhh!” He could barely contain his excitement, bouncing in his seat.

“Have fun!” Corrine pecked Kyle on the cheek, and he dug in. With both hands, he grabbed a sizeable clump of spaghetti and shoved it into his mouth. Sauce accumulated on his face, hands, and bib as quickly as he consumed the noodles and meatballs. His tummy warmed up from the delicious food, especially considering the rapid rate the bowl was being depleted.

“Gosh, you really were starving, huh?” Corrine laughed at her son’s messy eating.

“Mmm-hmm!” Kyle nodded, gulping a mouthful of food. “But I’m not starvin’ anymore!”

“Just don’t eat too fast, or you’ll get a tummyache!”

“I’ll sleep it off!” he replied before openly chewing another handful of noodles.

“If you say so...” Corrine continued to silently eat her portion of lunch, but she had only gotten halfway done before Kyle loudly belched upon completion.

“S’cuse me! I done!” He grinned, unapologetically.

“Already? You sure ate that fast!”

“Yup!” Kyle licked some of the sauce off his lips.

“How about something to wash it down with?” she asked, wiping the food off of his mouth and fingers.

“Tee hee hee! Sure! Miwk pwease!”

“One bottle of milk, coming right up!” Corrine quickly handed a cold baby bottle of milk to her son, who began to suckle. The cool, tasty beverage made its way down to his tummy, as mom finished her meal and cleaned up the dishes.

“Ahhhhhmmm...” During the cleanup, Kyle yawned in-between gulps of his drink.

“Somebody sleepy?”

“Maybe...I dunno...” he replied with a shrug. Corrine finished up and opened the highchair tray, leading Kyle back to his room. He dragged his feet with one hand still holding onto his mostly-consumed baby bottle, his eyes becoming ever heavier.

“C’mon, sleepyhead!” she teased, softly yanking him.

“I can’ hewp it...” he drearily spoke.

“Wouldn’t you rather sleep in your crib than on the floor? It’s a lot comfier...”

“Mmm-hmm...” Kyle slightly nodded. They arrived at their destination, and Corrine took his bottle. Into his crib he went, to be tenderly tucked in. “Mommy...wan’ Basil...”

“Of course, sweetie.” She went into the Playroom to fetch his bunny doll, and soon returned to hand it over.

“T’ank you...” Kyle hugged Basil, peacefully smiling with his eyes closed.

“You’re welcome...sleep well, Kyle...” Corrine pecked her son’s check, turning off the light and quietly leaving the room.

...

The hour-long nap went by like a flash for Kyle, and he soon found himself drowsily moving about on his side in his crib. He wasn’t quite ready to get up, but he wasn’t about to fall back asleep; he was stuck in that weird limbo, and he liked it too much to escape it just yet. “Af’ernoon, Basil...” Kyle mumbled to his bunny doll, which he still held close. He snuggled it with a sigh and a smile.

“Mmmph...Kyle tummy huwt...” He winced in pain when he felt pressure from down below. Softly, he began to groan, pushing what had once been a tasty meal into his diaper. He tightly held onto Basil as he relieved himself in silence, save for the odd muffled fart. As his padding was filling up, it was also being drenched by the contents of his quickly-emptying bladder, causing it to bloat and yellow at the bottom.

“Haaaaah...now my tummy no huwt!” Kyle grinned, his insides free from ache. It helped relax him more, yet still not enough to reenter dreamland. He resumed nuzzling Basil as he shifted onto his belly, slightly wiggling his messy, padded rear. Kyle snickered, knowing full well of his naughtiness.

“Pfff...tee hee...bllllll!” More and more, he felt it necessary to celebrate his infantile act; he soon knelt in a crawling position, shaking his butt in ever greater frequency as he babbled and made raspberries. Kyle’s blanket began to slide off of him, until his damp, slightly-bulgy diaper was fully visible to the camera in the corner of his room. At this point, he was giggling, his body slightly trembling from his laughter. He wasn’t going to stop until a certain someone came into the room to correct his misbehavior, and sure enough, she had appeared.

“You Silly Billy!” Corrine said, chuckling. “Are you trying to tell me something?”

“Heh heh! Mayyyyybe...” Kyle wore a coy smile, as he faced her in a pouncing pose.

“Hmmmm...is it...that your diapie stinks?”

“It is! Heh ha ha ha!”

“Ha ha! Then let’s clean you up!” Corrine’s son followed her to the changing table, where his used diaper was promptly removed. “How was your nap, sweetie?” she asked.

“Jus’ fine, Mommy...” Kyle yawned, rubbing one of his eyes.

“Sounds like you need a little more sleep!”

“Nuh-uh!” He crossed his arms. “Kyle no need lots’a naps! Kyle a big boy!”

“But not big enough to stop wearing diapers!” Corrine waved the bundled-up old diaper, before tossing it in the diaper pail.

“Heh heh heh...” Kyle blushed, smiling with his tongue out.

“Alright!” she declared upon wrapping a fresh diaper onto her son. “Where do you wanna go first?”

“Exercise Room!”

“Alright then...”

Kyle happily waddled behind Corrine as they made their way into the Playroom. “Heh heh ha ha ha...” He giggled to himself as he patted and rubbed his diaper, front and back, and his padding crinkled and rustled in response. “Clean diapies are da bestest!”

“Being clean feels good!” Corrine explained as she unlocked the Exercise Room door. “And it’s good for you! You wouldn’t want to get sick, would you?”

“Nuh-uh!” Kyle shook his head. “Kyle wanna be healt’y!”

“Exactly! Inside...” He stepped into the Exercise Room, feeling the plastic, cushiony mats on his bare feet. He looked all around, wondering what he should do first: The rope net, the artistry desk, the marble game, or the exercise equipment. “Kyle, don’t go there!” Corrine warned.

“I wanna use it Mommy!” Kyle spoke, hopping in place and pointing at a treadmill.

“It’s for big kids only, sweetie.”

“I’m a big boy!”

“Not big enough!”

“Mmmmmmm!” Kyle pouted and crossed his arms.

“Why don’t you draw another picture?”

“Don’ wanna!” He ran toward the exercise equipment on the other side of the room.

“Kyle!”

“Ha ha ha ha! Aaaaahh!” Kyle felt a slight jolt from the ankle bracelet; the sudden prick of pain caused him to fall onto his padded behind in shock. “Ooowwwwwiiiieeee...!” he whined, rubbing his right ankle.

“Kyle Hayner, you’re not allowed on the exercise equipment! You could hurt yourself!”

“B-But...I awweady got huwt...!” Kyle quivered his lower lip, tears leaking out of his green eyes.

“It was only a little pinch,” Corrine explained, rubbing her son’s back. “You could have been hurt a lot more...”

“...I sowwy, Mommy...” He looked down at the floor.

“I don’t want my little boy to get hurt!” She hugged Kyle from behind. “Mommies are supposed to protect their babies, no matter what! Even if that means you get a little pinch.”

“O-Okay...” He sniffled, wiping the tears off his cheeks.

“All better?”

“Uh-huh...” Kyle nodded, before turning around to look at his mommy.

“Good...now, what would you like to do?” Corrine helped Kyle to his feet.

“Um...I wanna play Marble Run.”

“Okay! I can’t wait to see what you come up with!”

“Heh heh...I’m gonna do my bestest, Mommy!” Kyle grinned.

“That’s the spirit!” His mother was right behind him, as Kyle toddled over to the corner where Marble Run was. He opened the box containing the dozens of pieces of the potential track, and already he imagined the finished product with what lay before him. Piece by piece, he constructed his dream course that his marble would soon roll down, humming all the while. Corrine observed her son, giving him hints whenever he got stuck. “No no, sweetie, that doesn’t fit...” she corrected as Kyle struggled putting one piece into place.

“Awww...what do I do...?” he muttered, tilting his head back and forth. “A-ha! How ‘bout dis?”

“There we go!” Corrine nodded with a smile. After several minutes of construction, the marble track was complete. The multi-colored contraption was practically begging to be used, and Kyle was happy to oblige.

“Here we go...!” Down the marble went, rattling and rolling throughout the course. It traveled left and right, round and around, past the little spinning “gateways”, until finally reaching the bottom. Kyle giggled and clapped, before saying “Again!” and rolling it through the course a second time. Then he did it a third time, applauding and laughing like he did the previous two times.

“I’m glad you’re having fun, sweetie, but wouldn’t you like to build another course?” Corrine suggested.

“I kinda wanna play somethin’ else...”

“Alright, but don’t forget to put your toy away first.”

“Mommmmmyyyyy...” Kyle pouted.

“Kyle, good little boys put their toys away when they’re done.”

“Fine...” He sighed, beginning to deconstruct his course.

“How about I get you a snack?” Corrine said, patting her son on the shoulder.

“Ooh! Can I have a blueberry muffin?” Kyle grinned.

“Sure!” While his mother went to get his snack, Kyle became far more active with his cleanup duties. Piece by piece, he swiftly took apart his marble course and returned it to the box; the delicious reward proved to be a powerful incentive for what he believed was a tedious, boring chore. By the time she had returned with his treat (plus a sippy cup of milk), Marble Run had been fully put back in its place, and Kyle smiled at Corrine with his hands behind his back. “You put it away so neatly!” she complimented, kissing her son on the cheek.

“Heh heh...yup!” Kyle turned bright red in the face.

“Here’s your muffin...” Corrine handed him the muffin, and he proceeded to noisily consume it, crumbs accumulating on his face and at his feet. “If only you were a neat eater as well!” She laughed.

“But eatin’ messy’s half the fun!” Kyle argued.

“Because you’re not the one who has to clean it up, silly!” Corrine ruffled his hair.

“Hee hee hee! Nope!” He licked his lips, having eaten the whole muffin.

“What would you like to do next, Kyle?” She asked, handing him the sippy cup.

“Hmmm...I wanna try out arts ‘n crafts!”

“Try not to get too crazy with the glue, sweetheart,” Corrine advised, as the two of them went over to the arts and crafts table.

“Okie-dokie!” Kyle sat down at the table, poring over the options in front of him. Safety scissors, construction paper in multiple colors, glue, scented markers, and crayons were his tools. The endless possibilities drifted in his mind, and before he settled on a particular vision, he decided to improvise and go with whatever came to him first. First, he decided to start with a red piece of paper, which would serve as the background. Next came the cutting of white paper into basic geometric shapes, which would eventually be glued to the red paper.

Kyle continued his artistic expression as Corrine kept an eye on her son, cleaning up the little pile of crumbs that he had left behind on the mat. More shapes were made, glue was used to apply those shapes, and markers were dragged across paper. The son’s artistry was being expressed to its fullest while he hummed a happy little ditty to himself, taking sips of his milk every now and again. He was fully absorbed in his activity, and soon enough, it was done.

“Mommy! Look what I made!” Kyle turned around in his seat, looking all around the room for his mother, but could not find her. “Mommy? Where’d you go?” Confused, he took his work of art, carefully grasping two of its corners, and exited the Exercise Room. Kyle didn’t see her in the Playroom either, but even then, he did not worry. He knew his mom was somewhere close by...

“Sorry, sweetie, I’m in the house,” Corrine answered from the speakers. “I’ll be right there!”

“Can I come up?” Kyle said, quickly walking towards the stairs to the main house.

“No, Kyle. Stay right there.”

“Awww...” He sighed, slouching his shoulders and frowning in disappointment. As a way to offset the agonizing wait for his mother’s return, he slowly toddled about, gently kicking any nearby toys. Soon, however, his eyes locked onto his walker, which rested in one corner of the expansive Playroom.

“Heh heh heh...!” Grinning, Kyle left his creation on top of a pile of coloring books, and sat down in the walker. The various accessories of his vehicle jangled and slightly shifted as he quickly walked about, gleefully giggling to himself all the while. Adrenaline rushed through his body, his bare feet picking up the pace to accommodate his increasing energy. Before long, he was flat-out running around the room, loudly laughing in joy from one of his personal favorite activities.

“Ha ha ha ha ha--mmmmmm!” Kyle was so focused on his walker running that he accidentally stubbed his big toe against one of the wooden blocks strewn about the middle of the Playroom. Tears built up as he bit his lip in response to the pain.

“Kyle! Are you okay?” Corrine rushed up to her son’s side.

“U-Uh-huh...my toe jus’ hurts lots...” His lower lip quivered, yet the tears did not leave his eyes.

“Poor baby...” She knelt down to the sore toe and gave it a gentle kiss.

“T’anks Mommy...it awready feels bedder...” Kyle smiled.

“Anytime, sweetheart,” Corrine responded as she stood back up. “Wanna come up for a bit?”

“Yeah!”

She led her son up and out of the walker and up the stairs to the main house. Kyle made slightly awkward left steps to avoid further irritating his big toe, which he snickered at. “Next time, Kyle, don’t go so fast on the walker,” Corrine said in concern.

“Awww, but it’s so fun!”

“It’s also dangerous! Next time I should empty the Playroom so you don’t hurt your feet again...”

“Awright...” Kyle sighed, slightly pouting. The two came out of the basement nursery and into the garage, and from there into the main house. Kyle immediately sat on the living room couch and turned on the TV.

“Sweetie, don’t you want to admire the sunset?” Corrine offered.

“I wanna watch some ‘toons first!”

“They won’t go anywhere, but sunsets do.”

“Mommyyyyyy...” Kyle gave Corrine his best puppy-dog eyes.

“Kyle, you can watch all sorts of cartoons after the sunset, okay?”

“Okaaaayy...” Kyle got up with a huff, walking out into the backyard to observe the last moments of sunlight for the day. The orange-tinged sky was definitely a delight to see, so the disappointed frown on his face didn’t last for long. “Gosh, it’s awways so pwetty...!” he said in awe, his head fixated above.

“See?” Corrine smiled.

“Is like orange sherbet! I wanna get a big ice cweam scoop, an’ scoop da sky!”

“You can’t do that, silly!” She chuckled, approaching her son.

“Oh...”

“But, I can getcha a nice big scoop of orange sherbet for dessert! How’s that sound?”

“Sounds gweat!” Kyle grinned, bouncing in place.

“You have to eat dinner first, though, including your vegetables.”

“I know...what’s for dinner?”

“Meatloaf with some peas and carrots, and it’s cooking as we speak. Sound good?”

“Yeah, ‘cept the peas and carrots...can I jus’ skip those?” Kyle begged.

“Not unless you want that sherbet!” Corrine teased.

“Fine...” He sighed. Kyle walked around the backyard, feeling the blades of grass rustle beneath his feet, as he approached a bottle of blowing bubbles. He picked it up and twisted the cap open, took out the wand, and blew. Unfortunately, he wasn’t particularly successful in his activity, and as he persisted, he began to sputter in irritation when trying to blow bubbles. “Mommy, it’s not workin’!” he complained.

“You have to blow the bubbles gently, sweetie,” Corrine explained, approaching him. “Like this...” She softly blew into the wand, and a few bubbles floated upwards before silently popping a second or two after. Kyle happily gaped at his mom’s short-lived bubbles. “Now you try!” Corrine spoke, handing over the bottle and wand.

“Okay!” Kyle mimicked his mother’s gentle method of blowing bubbles, and as he had hoped, it worked just as well with him. He giggled at the bubbles, feeling tiny bits of their liquid drip onto his face. “Is like rain!” he said, wiping away the trace amount of wetness.

“Yeah, when they go pop!” Corrine chuckled.

“Pop pop! Ha ha ha ha!” Kyle grinned, clapping his hands.

His mother sighed as she looked above at the sunset, the white clouds mixing well with the orange of the sky. Kyle too admired the breathtaking visuals, in-between his bubble blowing. “Kyle, did you know I would watch the sunset with Robert?”

“No...didja do it often?” he asked.

“All the time,” Corrine replied, smiling.

“Oh...Mommy? Is it weird that...I miss someone I never even met?”

“No. Not at all.” She pecked Kyle on the cheek. “I know you two would have been so close, just like you and I!”

“Heh heh...yeah!” He nodded. “But, I can’t stop thinkin’ ‘bout it...”

“It’s important to keep those memories close to you, but you mustn’t linger on them for so long. Otherwise, you won’t be able to create new ones.”

“Uh-huh...” Kyle frowned, looking down at his hands. “But I can’t help it...”

“I can’t help it either, sometimes...but you have to be strong. And I know you can be strong, Kyle.” Corrine tenderly hugged her son, and he returned it. A single tear rolled down each of Kyle’s cheeks, and his breathing became shaky.

“Mommy...i-is it also weird, that I...I-I kinda miss my old mommy...?”

“That’s not weird either, sweetie. But you like being here more, don’t you?”

“Uh-huh...but it still huwts...” He sniffed, more tears falling down.

“I know it does...” Corrine gently rubbed her son’s back.

“W-Will it...will it evew stop huwting...?”

“Maybe one day, or maybe not...but sometimes, hurting can help.”

“How?” Kyle looked at his mom, utterly confused.

“Getting hurt is bad, but it gives us experience. And we can turn that hurt into something positive. Losing Robert still hurts me, but I didn’t linger on it forever. I cried, and then I turned my hurt into raising the child we would have had together.”

“...me...!” He smiled through his tears.

“That’s right!” Corrine nodded, smiling as well. “You can turn your hurt into something good, too. Do you know what that is?”

“Um...drawing, an’ arts ‘n’ crafts?”

“Yup! A lot of people make art as a way to cope with their pain.”

“I do feel better when I draw stuff...” Kyle nodded.

“So, if you ever feel down and Mommy isn’t around to help, just draw!”

“Yeah! Ha ha ha ha!” He laughed and clapped his hands. “I’ll draw a million bajillion pi’tures!”

“There you go!” Corrine hugged him. “You can draw all the pictures you want, as long as it’s not on the walls or floors!” Mother and son laughed together in the waning sun, arms wrapped around one another in a tender embrace. “Now you can watch your cartoons while I work on dinner,” she said, letting him go.

“T’ank you Mommy!” Kyle ran back inside.

“Of course, sweetheart!” Corrine chuckled at her son’s enthusiasm as she followed him back inside the house. Kyle sat down on the couch again and turned on the TV to some cartoons, while his mother worked on dinner in the nearby kitchen. He was utterly engrossed in the program, commercials and all, but he eventually felt something was missing...

“Mommy, I want Basil to watch too!”

“I’ll go get him...” Corrine quickly went to the basement nursery. Right after she had exited the room, Kyle smelled the dinner cooking in the oven, and began to drool. After several minutes of keeping his eyes glued to the screen, he finally left the couch and wandered into the kitchen, gazing into the oven window with amazed eyes. Being so close to the last meal of the day, yet still divided by one last obstacle, made him quite anxious and anticipated. He knew better than to open up and reach inside, but it made him even more excited to take a bite out of it. “Kyle, dinner’s not ready yet!” Corrine said, taking his hand.

“I know...but my tummy’s growling!” He pouted as he was brought back into the living room.

“I’m sure Basil here will help with that,” she replied, handing the bunny doll over.

“Mommy, I don’ wanna eat ‘im!”

“I meant play with him, silly!” Corrine playfully rubbed his hair.

“Oh, heh heh...” Kyle bashfully grinned. He decided to keep himself preoccupied with Basil as the TV continued to play in the background. Every now and again, he would look back at it, but Kyle currently found it more fun playing pretend with his beloved little plush. In a cheery, higher-pitched tone, he spoke:

“Hello, my name is Basil, an’ dis is my home! It may look like a box’a tissue, but dat’s ‘cause I love squares! Over here’s da pool! I like puttin’ candles in it ‘cause it looks so bootiful at night when dey’re all lit up! Dis’s my garage remote, an’ my spare remote in case I lose one! You can never have too many remotes! How else am I s’posed t’get into my pillow-shaped car?”

Corrine chuckled from the kitchen, observing her son’s playful imagination at work. The two of them focused on their separate tasks, until at last, dinner was served. Kyle turned off the TV before being led into the dining room, where he sat down onto the chair at one end of the rectangular table, while his mother sat on the other side. “I feel like a big kid, sittin’ here!” Kyle giddily spoke, as his bib was gently fastened around his neck.

“I’m sure you do,” Corrine replied with a smile. “And like all big kids, they have to eat their dinner before they can have dessert!”

“I know, Mommy...” He sighed, looking over his plate of meatloaf, carrots, and peas.

“Do you also know how to use your utensils?”

“I t’ink so...” Kyle grabbed his butter knife and fork, cutting into the meat just like how his mom showed him. Still, just in case, his eyes occasionally moved towards Corrine; having a live demonstration was handy for doing it himself. He did not have much difficulty with this, except for the fact that he wanted to eat with his hands, like he had done earlier that day. “Is yummy, Mommy!” Kyle said with a big smile.

“Why thank you, sweetie!” Corrine replied, smiling back. “Don’t forget about your veggies!”

“But veggies taste yucky...” He stuck out his tongue in disgust, looking at his forkful of peas and chopped carrots.

“Kyle, you can’t just eat cookies and muffins and chocolate all day. That isn’t healthy for you.”

“Ugh...” Kyle cringed as he swallowed his bite of vegetables. “Den I wish veggies tasted like cookies an’ muffins an’ chocolate!”

“If everything tasted like that, you’d get sick of it, wouldn’t you?” Corrine asked, chuckling.

“Nuh-uh!” He shook his head. “I’d never ever get sick of it!”

“I ate a whole bunch of chocolate as a kid once, and I was so sick of it that I wouldn’t eat it again for a whole month!” The two of them laughed, though Kyle still wouldn’t believe that he would do the same thing. Dinner silently went by, even as he begrudgingly partook in his vegetables; the allure of the sherbet outweighed his disdain for peas and carrots.

“Aww done...yech!” With one last gulp, he had finished off his plate, sticking his tongue out again.

“Good job!” Corrine smiled, taking his empty plate. “Guess what that means...!”

“Sherbet!” Kyle clapped, bouncing in place in utmost anticipation. His mother nodded, returning to the kitchen. He knew his tasty treat would be coming really soon, and couldn’t wait until he could chow down on it. To his relief, he did not have to wait for even one minute for Corrine to scoop some orange sherbet into a bowl and serve it to her son.

“You’ve been such a good boy today, Kyle...” She tenderly pet Kyle’s head with a warm smile. “Enjoy your dessert!”

“Yay! T’ank you Mommy!” He began to consume his delicious dessert, uncaring to the fact that his already-stained face was becoming even dirtier. Splashes of light orange joined the meatloaf crumbs all around his mouth, and he shivered a bit from the cold scoops of sherbet sliding down into his warm tummy. His mother, meanwhile, cleaned up the dishes in the nearby kitchen. “Mmmmph...” Kyle winced when he was nearly done.

“What’s wrong, sweetie?” Corrine spoke, concerned.

“Nnngh...!” He continued to groan as his cheeks lit up, and he tightly grasped the dining room table with both hands. Corrine realized that what plagued her son was a simple case of needing to relieve himself. For roughly twenty seconds, Kyle silently filled his diaper, which slightly poked and bulged beneath him. “Ahhhh...sowwy Mommy...I had t’go...” He continued to blush as he averted his eyes.

“That’s okay, Kyle. I’ll clean you up when we’re back in the nursery.”

“Okay...” Kyle quickly finished off the last bits of sherbet, then stood up and brought his empty bowl to the kitchen counter, right next to the sink.

“Thank you, Kyle,” Corrine said, cleaning this last dish before wiping his mouth with a napkin. “How about a bath while we’re at it?”

“Sounds like fun!” Her son grinned as she took his hand and led him back to the underground nursery.

“Just try not to make me wet too!”

“Awww, but dat’s fun!” Kyle snickered.

“I don’t need a bath too, Silly Billy!” Corrine replied, chuckling. The two of them laughed as they arrived back in the nursery’s Playroom, continuing onward into Kyle’s bedroom. His mom laid him down onto the changing table, before going into the nearby bathroom to prepare the bath.

“Uhhhnnn...!” Kyle felt another cramp inside, and responded by emptying himself again; he clutched his tummy with both hands, he lifted his legs and bent his knees toward himself, and his cheeks reddened a second time. This time, not only did his diaper push away from him even more than earlier, a faint yellow spot began to form on the front as well.

“Are you done this time, stinky?” Corrine teased.

“Ahhhhh...uh-huh! I’m done for real!” Kyle grinned.

“Okay then...” She removed his dirty diaper and wiped him down, as usual. Once Kyle was clean again, Corrine led him off of the changing table and into the bathroom, where the familiar lavender aroma found its way into his nostrils.

“Mmmm...it smells so nice, Mommy...” He smiled as his mom removed his shirt and shackle.

“Scent has a powerful effect on a person’s mood, Kyle,” Corrine explained, setting her son down into the warm tub. “It can help them relax and feel better, especially when they’re upset or stressed.”

“Wow...dat’s real cool!” Kyle nodded in understanding.

“Even babies know that it’s good, right sweetie?” She smiled.

“Right!” The bubbly water that now surrounded his lower half was very relaxing, causing him to happily sigh. His mother poured it down his head, and his blond hair drooped down around it. While Corrine massaged his scalp with baby shampoo, Kyle played with his tub toys, a rubber ducky in one hand and a toy squid in the other. “Watch out ducky! Da evil squid’s comin’ for ya!” He wrapped the squid’s tentacles all around the ducky, dragging it into the depths of the bathwater. “Oh no!” Thankfully, the ducky managed to escape from its clutches, resurfacing without a scratch. “Phew...dat was close...”

“Okay Kyle...” Corrine cooed as she began to use body wash on her son. Kyle giggled as his mom softly went over every last corner of his body, leaving no spot unclean. When he had to lift his legs, he rested his head against the tub pillow suctioned onto the side opposite of the drain, while Corrine’s loofah went up and down his legs and in-between his toes. “Looks like someone’s getting sleepy...” Kyle had yawned when his cleaning was nearly done, exhaustion reflected in his green eyes.

“Nuh-uh...I can stay up a li’l longer...” He yawned again, clearly unable to keep his word. His mother guided him out of the tub, where he was dried off. “I wanna watch a movie...”

“I don’t know if you can stay awake long enough for that and your bedtime story.” Similar to his bathing, Corrine dried him off everywhere. “You’ll have to pick one, sweetheart.”

“Awww...” Kyle pouted, as he thought about which one he wanted more. “Guess I’ll watch it tomorrow instead...”

“Okay then.” His mother nodded with a smile, before fastening a brand-new diaper onto him, and dashing a fair helping of powder down the back. His shackle was reattached to his right ankle as well. “Let’s get your teeth clean!” Corrine helped Kyle brush his teeth, although he did a fair bit of the work himself; this gave her the opportunity to brush his hair back to its neater form. “Remember to spit it out, Kyle,” she reminded, and he obeyed without so much as an annoyed look. “There we go! All clean!” The two of them grinned in the mirror once his teeth shone a nice white again, and his hair was properly brushed. “Now, let’s get you in some jammies...” She led him back into his room and opened his closet door. Before he even set his eyes on his options, Kyle knew what he wanted to wear.

“Ooh, I wanna wear dat one!” He grinned, pointing to a light-red, short-sleeved onesie hanging close to the right end of the rack.

“Good choice!” Corrine had her son lay down on the changing table, and she slid the onesie onto him, buttoning him up on the bottom. Kyle giggled a bit now that he was wearing one of his favorite pajamas, as his mother slid on fuzzy ankle-length socks that matched its color. “Now, what story would you like to hear?” she asked as her son got off the table.

“You awways tell da bestest stories, Mommy!” Kyle grinned. “I wanna hear anudder one!”

“Alright...” Smiling, Corrine led her son towards the rocking chair in the corner, sitting onto it. She brought Kyle onto her lap, his legs hanging off of her right side, as he attentively gazed into his mother’s kind green eyes. She began:

“This is the story of how an angel found her purpose. Every angel has a person to watch over and protect, but this angel didn’t have one. She searched high and low for someone who needed a guardian, and while she found many people that could have used her love, she knew there was one in particular that needed her the most. The angel was often sad, sometimes even thinking that she would never find that one person to care for. But she never gave up, for she knew deep down in her heart, that they were out there, somewhere, in the great wide world.”

“Ohhhhh...” Kyle’s mouth was in an “O” shape, his eyes shining with hope as his mother continued:

“Sure enough, one day, she found the perfect match. He was a young man, without purpose, without hope. He may not have known it, but he desperately wanted a guardian angel, someone who would love him no matter what. The angel knew he wouldn’t accept her right away, so she disguised herself, and slowly eased him into the role of the protected. Little by little, his heart opened up to her, and when it was wide enough, she revealed her true form to the man. He gazed upon her in awe, and a little bit in fear, but he approached her and accepted her warm embrace.”

Kyle felt tears beginning to build up, and gave his mom a tight hug, nuzzling his head against her chest. Corrine, in return, wrapped her arms around him. “At that moment, the man realized just how much he needed the angel’s protection. The angel, too, realized something that she had forgotten long ago on her quest. Her heart was just as fractured as his, and she searched for someone to watch over so she repair it.” She happily sighed, feeling her own tears crawl down her cheeks, as she finished in a tender tone: “Two hearts, broken right in half, that just so happened to fit together perfectly. Together, they were complete, and had finally found true happiness...The End.”

“Heh heh heh...” Kyle sniffled with a smile, looking up at his mom with wet eyes and cheeks. “Dat was sad...but in a good way!”

“Yeah...tears aren’t a bad thing.” Corrine wiped hers off of her face. “Letting your sadness out can make you feel better than just keeping it all inside. Don’t be afraid to cry if you really have to, sweetie.”

“Okie-dokie...” He nodded, also drying his cheeks. “I’ll twy not to cry a lot...”

“It’s okay, Kyle...you can cry as much as you want.” Corrine smiled, gently placing her hand on her son’s left cheek. “Mommy will always be here to make you feel better.”

“Yeah...!” Kyle nodded and blushed, bashfully smiling, as he laid his head against her chest again. “I love you lots an’ lots, Mommy...”

“I love you lots and lots too, sweetheart...” She softly rubbed his head. “Now, I think it’s time for beddie-bye...!”

“Awww...okay...” He pouted, leaving his mother’s lap. “I wanted to hug s’more...”

“Don’t worry, sweetie, you’ll have plenty of hugs waiting for you tomorrow!” Corrine lowered the bars of Kyle’s crib, and he lay down inside as the bars were raised again. She pulled the covers up to his armpits, as he sucked on his right thumb and looked up at her with shining green eyes. “Basil’s got some hugs for you, too!” Corrine gave him the bunny doll, and he happily embraced it with his free arm.

“G’night, Mommy...” Kyle’s eyes began to slowly shut, but not before his mother tenderly kissed his forehead. His face lit up again, feeling as bright as the nightlight that shone in the corner of the now-darkened room.

“Good night Kyle...sleep well...” Corrine looked over her son as he drifted off into dreamland, warmly smiling down at the thumb-sucker. She quietly sighed with a smile, watching over him just under a minute before exiting the room and closing the door behind her. The mother’s duties weren’t quite done yet, however. As per usual when Kyle rested for the night, before Corrine’s own bedtime, she finished up any incomplete duties throughout her house and the underground nursery: Tidying up the various rooms, cleaning up anything that was missed the first time around, even emptying Kyle’s diaper pail if needed.

“Huh?” During her once-over of the Playroom, she stumbled upon the crafts image that Kyle had left upon a stack of coloring books. “Oh my...” She took one look at it, and immediately felt proud...and sad. Her son’s artistry was always a pleasant sight to see, but sometimes, the contents of said art wasn’t quite as happy and cheery as what was on the fridge. This one in particular had a red background, with a beast of some sort made out of multiple cut-out pieces of paper, in various colors like white and blue and yellow. Markers were used to better represent its sharp claws, pointy teeth, and terrifying eyes.

“Kyle...” Corrine sadly sighed, knowing what this monstrous figure represented. She shook her head, bringing the troubling image with her to her room in the underground nursery. It was a cozy little room, no bigger than her son’s, located right across from his; it had a bed, mirror, drawers for clothes, and a writing desk situated against the wall to the right upon entering the room. Despite the frightening depiction Kyle had made of his real mother, Corrine could not bring herself to destroy her son’s hard work, but nor could she display it on the fridge in good conscience. It went in the bottom drawer of the writing desk, which was filled with several other images that were similarly disturbing.

Corrine sat down at the desk, shaking her head. She did not know what Kyle’s birth mother had done to scar him so deeply, but just the mere thought of him being hurt made her wince, anger and pain swelling in her heart. How could a parent - a mother, no less! - treat their child so cruelly? And how could Corrine bring herself to write to such a person, as if they deserved any sort of kindness for what they had done? “No...it wouldn’t be right...she is still Kyle’s mother, no matter what.” She would often think or even say something similar to this whenever she wrote to Ms. Hayner. Regardless of the suffering she had inflicted, Corrine couldn’t bring herself to cut her out entirely in Kyle’s life. Thus, like she did on just about every day, she glanced at the photo of her late husband at the corner of her desk, before taking pen to paper:

“Dear Ms. Hayner,
Your son continues to show just how talented he is with arts and crafts! I’ve attached a photo of him and his drawing to this letter. Isn’t he the sweetest thing? He’s so proud of his work, even when what he makes is sad. I won’t be showing you Kyle’s other image, but just know that it depicted you in a rather terrifying form. What you did to him still haunts his mind, but perhaps one day, he will forget the pain you inflicted on him. At least now he is happy and safe, as he should be.

Sincerely,
Another Mother”

Description
“Kyle...wake up...Kyle...!” Kyle Hayner woke up to the gentle words of his mommy Corrine, who silently stood at the foot of his crib. His green eyes slowly made themselves known as he yawned wide and lumbered upright.

“Morning, Mommy...” His voice youthful and innocent.

“How did my little boy sleep?”

“Jus’ fine...hee heh...” Kyle grinned as he knelt in front of his crib, looking into his mother’s kind, green eyes. His pajamas consisted of a dark-green shirt and pants, both long-sleeved and decorated with fantasy creatures like dragons, phoenixes, and gryphons. Mom, meanwhile, was adorned in a light-grey T-shirt and blue shorts.

“Good! How’s your diaper?”

“Soakin’ wet! Changey pwease?” he adorably asked.

“Of course, Kyle!” Corrine led her son out of the crib and onto the changing table, where his pants were pulled down and his diaper was opened.

“I wanna eat wit’ my PJs on!” Kyle happily said as he was changed.

“Alright then! Breakfast is yummier when you’ve got them on!”

“Yup! Very yummy!”

“How would you like some oatmeal?”

“Oooh! Dat sounds very, very yummy!” Kyle licked his lips, feeling his tummy growl.

“Excellent!”

His powdered new diaper was securely fastened on, adorned with ABCs and 123s all over the front and back, and his pants were slid back onto him. Corrine led him by the hand to the kitchen, as Kyle tilted his head left and right, happy as can be. “Breakfas’, breakfas’, da mos’ ‘portant meal of da day...” he cheerfully sing-sung.

“That’s right! So you better eat up, or you won’t have enough energy for the rest of the day!”

“A’course, Mommy!” Kyle grinned. It wasn’t long before they had traversed the big Playroom and entered the kitchen, where the enticing scent of breakfast wafted its way up Kyle’s nostrils. “Mmmm...I wanna eat it now!” he excitedly said, making low hops in place.

“Patience, sweetie...” Corrine chuckled as she opened the highchair tray.

“I dunno how much patience I gots, Mommy...” Kyle pouted as he sat down, obviously trying to milk sympathy.

“Just a little longer, Kyle...” she said as she closed the tray, patting him on the head. “I’ll give you some juice.”

“Yes! Orange juice!” He quickly grinned, bouncing in his seat.

“Okay...here you go!” Corrine handed her son a baby bottle of orange juice from the fridge, and he swiftly suckled on it with a big smile on his face. He happily swung his legs, taking in the sweet and tangy flavor of his drink, as his mom finished up breakfast for the two of them. “Alright...” she softly spoke, wrapping the “Mama’s Boy” bib around his neck. “It’s ready!”

Kyle lightly belched, placing the half-drunken juice bottle to the side. “Yay!”

“Not before you say the magic words!” Corrine teased, wagging her finger.

“Uh...pwease, Mommy?” He blushed and smiled.

“The other magic words.”

“‘scuse me...” He closed his eyes and stuck his tongue out.

“There we go!” Corrine placed a bowl of oatmeal onto Kyle’s tray, with a spaceship-themed spoon beside it to match the blue, starry bowl. It was still really warm, as could be seen by the steam rising from the food.

“T’ank you Mommy!” he cheerfully exclaimed, triumphantly raising the spoon high above his head.

“You’re welcome, sweetie!”

Corrine sat across from her son, eating her own bowl of oatmeal, as Kyle swiftly, messily consumed his meal. He chewed with his mouth open, and his face and nose were quickly becoming more and more stained with his breakfast. “What’we ‘e ‘onna ‘o t’day?” he said after a minute, mouth full.

“Kyle...” She gave him a stern look.

“Shawwy...” He gulped his food. “What’re we gonna do today, Mommy?”

“I was thinking of playing in the Bonding Room a little longer today.”

“Dat sounds like lots’a fun! Hee ha ha ha!”

“Of course!” Corrine sweetly smiled. “But I’ll let you play by yourself for a bit first, okay?”

“Okay.” His mother stood up, empty bowl in hand, and gave her son a peck on the side of his head. Kyle lit up as a wide smile formed on his oatmeal-stained face. “Hee hee hee...!” Kyle gazed at Corrine rinsing her dish, and his smile became mischievous. His eyes wandered over to his spoon, containing some of the last bits of oatmeal. Slowly, he took the utensil, this time intending to put its contents elsewhere. He stretched the front of his pants and diaper, and...

“Don’t do it, Kyle!” Corrine playfully warned, still facing the sink.

“Mommyyyyyy...!” he whined. “It’s gonna end up there anyway!”

“Then let nature take its course, Silly Billy!”

“Mmmmm...” Kyle moaned, popping the spoon into his frowning mouth.

“C’mon, Grumpy Gus!” she said as she ruffled her son’s hair. “Cheer up!”

“I’m no Grumpy Gus!” he replied, smiling from ear to ear. “I’m Chipper Chip!”

“There you go!” Corrine gave Kyle an encouraging grin. “All done with breakfast?”

“Yup!” He nodded. “I’m ready to play now!”

“First things first...” Corrine wiped Kyle’s face and hands clean with a wet washcloth, and he giggled and squirmed in his seat.

“D-Dat t-t-tickles! Hee hee hee!”

“Almost...there! All clean!” She removed his nearly empty bowl and bottle from the tray before opening it for Kyle to hop out. “Have fun, sweetie!” Corrine double-patted Kyle’s diapered rear, and his face lit up as tingles spread throughout his body.

“Aha ha ha ha!” With a spring in his step, Kyle toddled out of the kitchen and all the way back to his room, giggling as the diaper within his pants crinkled and rustled the entire while. “Basil! Where are ya?” he called out as he looked all around his room, high and low. “A-ha! Dere you are!” Kyle quickly grabbed the bunny doll by the ear, from its resting place in the crib. He tightly hugged it, sighing in bliss as he adorably swiveled his waist. “How’s my bestest dolly in da whole world? Le’s go!”

With Basil in one hand and his crib’s cowboy-themed blanket in another, Kyle dashed out of his room, head filled with ideas for his morning playtime. He quickly arrived in the Playroom, where he dropped his bunny and wrapped his blanket around his neck. It reached all the way to the floor and even a short distance behind him, making him look more like a king more than a superhero, which perfectly suited him.

“I’m Kyle da Magnificent, King of da Diapies!” He lowered his pants and kicked them off, leaving his colorful padding in full view. “An’ you, Basil, are my personal knight in shinin’ armor, protector against da evil potty menace!” Kyle dramatically proclaimed and gestured. “Mistah Bear is da Royal Mage, an’ he can cast real cool magics! He’s gonna turn all da potties into diapies! An’ den, my empire will grow!” With one fist pumped in the air, Kyle cheered: “Long live King Kyle! Diapies ferever! Aha ha ha ha ha ha!

“Mmmeh...” Kyle lightly tooted, his face turning faintly red. “My tummy’s all rumbly...” He rubbed his gurgling belly with one hand and frowned down at it. “I-It’s okay, loyal subjects!” he spoke, grinning again. “It’s jus’ gas...‘sides, your King would never force any of you to change my diapies! I’ve got Queen Mommy for dat! Wait...dat means I’m Prince Kyle...I t’ink I like dat title bedder! Prince Kyle of Diapietopia! Aha ha ha ha!” Kyle laughed again, before placing Basil across from Mr. Bear.

“You two stay on da lookout for potties. Yer King--er, Prince, has a very ‘portant drawin’ mission!” Regally, Kyle trotted to a pile of coloring books and blank paper, snatching a white sheet. He then grabbed a big box of crayons close by the pile, before returning to his room and sitting at the yellow table. He giggled to himself as his padding crinkled and pressed up against him, taking a slight whiff of the baby powder contained inside.

“Drawin’ time!” Kyle dumped several crayons onto the table and began to draw. Like a little kid, he grasped a crayon in his fist and moved it across the paper. It was inelegant and rough, befitting a two-year-old more than a 25-year-old, but he didn’t care. Kyle hummed and doodled with a big smile, oblivious to the passage of time, as the jagged lines and squiggles slowly but surely formed a childlike image that Corrine would no doubt proudly display on the fridge.

“Aww done!” he proudly declared, slamming the last used crayon onto the table. His work of art was a depiction of Kyle’s real mom, himself, and Corrine, all side-by-side from left to right. Everyone was smiling, and both of his mothers were dressed up like a classic mom, complete with an apron. Kyle was dressed up like a big baby, wearing a cutesy T-shirt that was adorned with a bear cub’s face, a diaper, and a rattle in one of his hands. “Mommy’s gonna love dis!” Kyle happily said, rocketing up from his seat and joyfully dancing in place.

“Ehhhhhhhh...!” Kyle halted his celebration by lifting his right leg and loudly pooting. His insides were storming again, and this time, it wasn’t letting up. “Uh oh...looks like I hafta poop...!” His mouth wavered as he gazed at his diaper, knowing it was about to serve its purpose. Kyle took a deep breath, sighed, squatted down, and began to push. He tooted and squeaked, face beet-red with his hands on his kneecaps, as he noisily emptied himself. With every explosive burst of gas, the inside of his padding felt an impact; with every impact, his diaper bulged and drooped down ever further. The room was filled with the sounds of his grunting and farting, along with the rather unpleasant smell that resulted from it. About a minute later, with one last disgusting splatter, the turmoil in Kyle’s tummy had been resolved.

“Haaaaaaah...aww better!” He smiled wide in relief as he stood back up, feeling his diaper sway beneath him as he did so. “Heh heh...I t’ink I made a real big mess in my diapie...” Kyle blushed and stuck his tongue out, looking simultaneously bashful and coy. His lumpy diaper nearly reached down to his kneecaps, looking like it could hold little more than it currently did. “Ahhhhhhh...” While he was at it, Kyle emptied his bladder as well, causing the front of his padding to turn a pale yellow. Now that his padding was thoroughly loaded and soaked, his mom entered the room, as if on cue.

“Oh my goodness!” Corrine spoke, waving a hand in front of her nose. “Somebody’s a real big stinker!”

“Hee hee hee! Is me!” Kyle grinned, looking quite proud of himself for filling his diaper to the brim.

“We better get you changed ASAP!” Tenderly, she removed Kyle’s blankie cape, took him by the hand, and laid him down on the changing table. His messy diaper was quickly removed and disposed of, and he was wiped down and powdered, causing him to giggle and shift around. “Hold still, sweetie...”

“Heh ha! I-I’m tryin’ Mommy!”

“And...there! All clean!” Corrine declared upon fastening the tapes of Kyle’s fresh new diaper.

“Yaaaaay! T’ank you Mommy!” Kyle clapped his hands with a big open smile on his face.

“You’re welcome!” she spoke as her son happily hopped off the table. “Let’s go...bonding time!” With her one free hand, she took his drawing with them.

“Bonding, bonding...” Kyle sing-sung, walking with his hand and his mother’s as one.

“This is a beautiful image you drew, sweetie!” Corrine said, looking at her son’s artistry. “I’m gonna hang this on the refrigerator!”

“Ooh! Ooh!” He bounced in place as the Bonding Room’s door was unlocked. “Can you take a pi’ture wit’ me holdin’ it? I wanna show my real mommy what I did!”

“I can do that, Kyle...” She sweetly smiled at him, handing over the drawing.

“Yaaaaaay!” Kyle joyfully jogged in place, before he ran into the Bonding Room. Corrine came in as well, pulling out a camera from her right pocket.

“Okay Kyle, gimme a biiiiiig smile!”

“Cheeeeeese!” The digital photograph displayed Kyle holding his depiction of his mommies by both upper corners of the image, close to his chest, as he gave a great big grin. Corrine looked at it and happily sighed, smiling along with her son.

“You’re so precious, Kyle...”

“Yup! Kyle more precious dan aaaaallll da money an’ jewels in da whole world!” He held his hands close to his heart, as he precociously smiled with his cheeks bright red.

“He sure is!” Corrine slipped the camera back into her pocket as she approached Kyle, kissing him on the cheek and causing him to blush even harder.

“Hee hee ha ha ha!” He handed the drawing to his mom.

“Let’s start with a game of Patty-Cake!” She placed it onto the table in the corner of the room.

“Ooh! I love dis game!” Kyle plopped down onto his padding, letting out a small giggle as he did so.

“Patty-Cake, Patty-Cake, baker’s man...” Mother and son played Patty-Cake with one another, clapping their hands and each other’s in ever-increasing speeds. Kyle giggled all throughout the game, even as he messed up; in fact, he giggled more from his mistakes, to the point where he got worse and worse with each attempt, which only intensified the giggling. Before long, this cycle resulted in him falling over backwards in uncontrollable, tear-inducing laughter, wildly kicking his legs in the air. “Kyle, you Silly Billy! Ha ha ha ha!” Corrine could not help but join in, seeing her son in such glee.

“Tee hee hee hee! I--ha ha ha!--I c-c-can’t...I can’t s-stop! Hee heh ha ha ha hee hee!”

“Then don’t! Ha ha! Laughter helps you feel better!”

“Den I mus’--hee hee!--I mus’ feel like a b-bajillion bucks!”

Corrine knelt down at the still-snickering Kyle, softly caressing his blond hair. “You must be getting thirsty after all that!”

“Uh-huh! Miwk pwease!”

“Right away!” Corrine left posthaste, leaving a laughter-drained Kyle lying on the red rug. He didn’t quite want to get up right then and there, so he playfully raspberried as he moved his legs all about, from riding an imaginary bicycle to spreading and closing his legs as much as he was able. He looked all around the small, cozy Bonding Room, tiny speckles of saliva flying from his tongue. When he tired of that, he rolled around, still making sounds akin to an engine or a generator.

“Pirates, pirates...” Kyle quietly sung to himself, opening his toy chest while on his belly. He blindly dug through it, spilling various toys around him in the process. Little vehicles and figures quickly littered the rug, until he eventually found what he was seeking. “A-ha! A sword!” He now held a foam cutlass, which he proceeded to softly whack the side of the toy chest with. “Bap. Bap...bbbbblllll...”

“Kyyyyyle...” Upon hearing his mother’s voice behind him, Kyle slowly looked over his shoulder, bashfully smiling up at her. “What’re you doing?” Corrine teased, waving the bottle of milk in her hand.

“Playin’ ‘Tummy Pirate’.”

“Does my little pirate wanna drink first? It’s important for every seafarer to get plenty of liquids before setting sail!”

“Mommy, dat’s orange juice!” Kyle corrected, crawling over to her. “Miwk gots ca’cium, not Vitamin C!”

“I know! But pirates need strong bones too!” Corrine sat down on the floor, patting the empty spot between her legs.

“Ahhhhh...okie-dokie!” He nodded and grinned, meeting up with his mom.

“C’mere...” With Kyle cradled in her arms and his head resting against her chest, Corrine bottle-fed her son. He quietly suckled from his drink, feeling a deep connection to his mommy. Being so close to her, and hearing her soft humming, was nothing short of Heaven on Earth. He felt sleepy from being so comforted, but he didn’t give in; he did not want to miss out on precious bonding time if he could help it. He didn’t want this pleasant, tender feeling in his heart to fade. Time held no meaning here, and thus, he was unable to tell when the milk had been fully drained. “All gone...” Corrine softly spoke, removing the empty bottle from her son’s lips. “You drank it all!”

“Uh-huh...Kyle wuv miwk...” He smiled at her.

“Yes he does!” She softly pinched Kyle’s cheek.

“Heh heh ha ha!” Kyle sat up. “Watch me, Mommy!”

“Okay, sweetie!”

Kyle crawled over to the myriad littered toys on the floor, randomly grabbing this and that to play with. Little dinosaurs, people, cars, trucks, planes, and creatures all played a part in his elaborate, mismatched fantasy; he quickly went from one toy to the next, then another, then back to one of the previous toys, and on and on it went. Corrine, meanwhile, sat in the nearby chair, observing her son’s silliness with an amused smile. “‘Rawwwwr!’ ‘C’mon, le’s drive outta here!’ ‘Vroooooommm!’ ‘Don’ worry, I’ll save you!’”

“Oh my!” The playtime went on, with Kyle acting out every part as Corrine occasionally commented, gasped, or laughed. He energetically crawled and lunged about, for minutes on end, putting on quite a show for his audience of one.

“It’s over! Take this! Yaaaaaahh!” As the grand finale to his tale, he threw handful after handful of little toys in the air, as if they were confetti. They flew about, landing on the rug here and there in totally random spots and positions. “Yeah! We did it! Ha ha ha ha!” Thoroughly exhausted, Kyle laid down on the last bit of free space on the rug, panting and laughing.

“Bravo, Kyle! That was amazing!” Corrine gave him a standing ovation.

“Heh ha ha ha! T’ank you, Mommy!”

“You’re welcome!” Corrine brushed some toys aside, kneeling beside him. “You know what you get as a reward?”

“What?”

“Pbbbbbbbbbb!”

“Hee hee hee hee! N-No! Sto--hee hee ha ha ha!”

Corrine blew raspberries onto her son’s chest, and he squirmed and giggled on the floor. “P-Please! Tee hee! N-No more!”

“Pbbbbb! Say ‘Mommy’!”

“M-M-Mommy! Ehee hee hee hee!” The belly-raspberries promptly stopped, and Kyle panted on the floor in a “star” formation, while his mom still knelt next to him. He closed his eyes and relished this calm, but it was soon broken when he felt a soft patting on the front of his diaper.

“Somebody’s wet!” Corrine cooed. “C’mon, sweetie...”

“Okay...” He took his mom by the hand back to his room. “Mommy, it’s your fault I pee-peed!” Kyle jokingly accused.

“You wouldn’t have pee-peed if you didn’t have to go!” Corrine replied. “I just helped you go faster!”

“So it is your fault!” He smirked, brows furrowed.

“Guilty!” She chuckled.

“Hee hee hee!”

Kyle’s changing was expedient, taking Corrine just over 15 seconds to wipe him, powder him, and wrap a clean diaper on. “There we are!” she spoke, giving the front of her son’s new padding a soft patting.

“Heh heh...t’ank you Mommy...” Kyle bashfully said, hiding his reddened face behind his arms.

“You’re welcome! I’ll go start on lunch!”

“Ooh! What’s it gonna be?” He leapt off the changing table, bouncing in place.

“You’ll just have to wait to find out!” Corrine tickled her son’s chin.

“Hee hee hee! Okie-dokie Mommy!” Kyle dashed ahead of Corrine and into the Playroom, where he dove headfirst into Mr. Bear, loudly laughing and kicking his legs. “Surprise hug! Aha ha ha ha!” Corrine laughed as well as she passed him by and entered the kitchen. Kyle, bursting with energy, jumped off of his ursine companion, only to dive into him, again and again and again. Each time he did so, he shouted and gave Mr. Bear a great big hug, giggling and babbling in glee. “Gotcha Mistah Bear! Hee hee ha ha ha!”

Kyle panted after his seventh tackle, worn out from his little game. He sluggishly stood up and stumbled over to a pile of building blocks, this time engaging in a less physically-strenuous task. He arranged the myriad of blocks to spell out various words, including “CLOUD”, “MIRROR”, “WORLD”, “KYLE”, “CORRINE”, and “PURPLE”...plus a few words he wasn’t allowed to say. “Heh heh heh...” Kyle snickered to himself, relishing in his naughtiness. Next, he began to build towers, making sure all the blocks were aligned so they evenly spelled out more words. This time, he spelled out “CRANE”, “PUPPY”, “NINE”, and “TRAIL”. “Mommy, mommy!” he called out when he saw Corrine approach. “Lookit what I built!”

“Oh wow!” she replied, smiling. “You’re such a good speller, Kyle!”

“Yup! Kyle can win any spelling bee ever! Ha ha ha!”

“You sure can!” Corrine ruffled her son’s hair. “How about some lunch?”

“Yes please! I starvin’!” Kyle followed his mommy into the kitchen, hand-in-hand, happily humming to himself. “Lunchy, lunchy...” He began to drool as he was being set up in the highchair, the aroma amplifying his hunger. He briefly saw that the image he had drawn earlier was on the fridge, as expected; it shared space with three other images, each depicting different things - a robot, a sunny shore, and a giant tree. “Ooh! S’ghetti!” Kyle clapped his hands as he saw Corrine pour spaghetti into a bowl.

“That’s right!” she said, bringing the bowl to the tray. “And, since you’ve been such a good boy, I’ll let you eat with your hands!”

“Aahhhhh!” He could barely contain his excitement, bouncing in his seat.

“Have fun!” Corrine pecked Kyle on the cheek, and he dug in. With both hands, he grabbed a sizeable clump of spaghetti and shoved it into his mouth. Sauce accumulated on his face, hands, and bib as quickly as he consumed the noodles and meatballs. His tummy warmed up from the delicious food, especially considering the rapid rate the bowl was being depleted.

“Gosh, you really were starving, huh?” Corrine laughed at her son’s messy eating.

“Mmm-hmm!” Kyle nodded, gulping a mouthful of food. “But I’m not starvin’ anymore!”

“Just don’t eat too fast, or you’ll get a tummyache!”

“I’ll sleep it off!” he replied before openly chewing another handful of noodles.

“If you say so...” Corrine continued to silently eat her portion of lunch, but she had only gotten halfway done before Kyle loudly belched upon completion.

“S’cuse me! I done!” He grinned, unapologetically.

“Already? You sure ate that fast!”

“Yup!” Kyle licked some of the sauce off his lips.

“How about something to wash it down with?” she asked, wiping the food off of his mouth and fingers.

“Tee hee hee! Sure! Miwk pwease!”

“One bottle of milk, coming right up!” Corrine quickly handed a cold baby bottle of milk to her son, who began to suckle. The cool, tasty beverage made its way down to his tummy, as mom finished her meal and cleaned up the dishes.

“Ahhhhhmmm...” During the cleanup, Kyle yawned in-between gulps of his drink.

“Somebody sleepy?”

“Maybe...I dunno...” he replied with a shrug. Corrine finished up and opened the highchair tray, leading Kyle back to his room. He dragged his feet with one hand still holding onto his mostly-consumed baby bottle, his eyes becoming ever heavier.

“C’mon, sleepyhead!” she teased, softly yanking him.

“I can’ hewp it...” he drearily spoke.

“Wouldn’t you rather sleep in your crib than on the floor? It’s a lot comfier...”

“Mmm-hmm...” Kyle slightly nodded. They arrived at their destination, and Corrine took his bottle. Into his crib he went, to be tenderly tucked in. “Mommy...wan’ Basil...”

“Of course, sweetie.” She went into the Playroom to fetch his bunny doll, and soon returned to hand it over.

“T’ank you...” Kyle hugged Basil, peacefully smiling with his eyes closed.

“You’re welcome...sleep well, Kyle...” Corrine pecked her son’s check, turning off the light and quietly leaving the room.

...

The hour-long nap went by like a flash for Kyle, and he soon found himself drowsily moving about on his side in his crib. He wasn’t quite ready to get up, but he wasn’t about to fall back asleep; he was stuck in that weird limbo, and he liked it too much to escape it just yet. “Af’ernoon, Basil...” Kyle mumbled to his bunny doll, which he still held close. He snuggled it with a sigh and a smile.

“Mmmph...Kyle tummy huwt...” He winced in pain when he felt pressure from down below. Softly, he began to groan, pushing what had once been a tasty meal into his diaper. He tightly held onto Basil as he relieved himself in silence, save for the odd muffled fart. As his padding was filling up, it was also being drenched by the contents of his quickly-emptying bladder, causing it to bloat and yellow at the bottom.

“Haaaaah...now my tummy no huwt!” Kyle grinned, his insides free from ache. It helped relax him more, yet still not enough to reenter dreamland. He resumed nuzzling Basil as he shifted onto his belly, slightly wiggling his messy, padded rear. Kyle snickered, knowing full well of his naughtiness.

“Pfff...tee hee...bllllll!” More and more, he felt it necessary to celebrate his infantile act; he soon knelt in a crawling position, shaking his butt in ever greater frequency as he babbled and made raspberries. Kyle’s blanket began to slide off of him, until his damp, slightly-bulgy diaper was fully visible to the camera in the corner of his room. At this point, he was giggling, his body slightly trembling from his laughter. He wasn’t going to stop until a certain someone came into the room to correct his misbehavior, and sure enough, she had appeared.

“You Silly Billy!” Corrine said, chuckling. “Are you trying to tell me something?”

“Heh heh! Mayyyyybe...” Kyle wore a coy smile, as he faced her in a pouncing pose.

“Hmmmm...is it...that your diapie stinks?”

“It is! Heh ha ha ha!”

“Ha ha! Then let’s clean you up!” Corrine’s son followed her to the changing table, where his used diaper was promptly removed. “How was your nap, sweetie?” she asked.

“Jus’ fine, Mommy...” Kyle yawned, rubbing one of his eyes.

“Sounds like you need a little more sleep!”

“Nuh-uh!” He crossed his arms. “Kyle no need lots’a naps! Kyle a big boy!”

“But not big enough to stop wearing diapers!” Corrine waved the bundled-up old diaper, before tossing it in the diaper pail.

“Heh heh heh...” Kyle blushed, smiling with his tongue out.

“Alright!” she declared upon wrapping a fresh diaper onto her son. “Where do you wanna go first?”

“Exercise Room!”

“Alright then...”

Kyle happily waddled behind Corrine as they made their way into the Playroom. “Heh heh ha ha ha...” He giggled to himself as he patted and rubbed his diaper, front and back, and his padding crinkled and rustled in response. “Clean diapies are da bestest!”

“Being clean feels good!” Corrine explained as she unlocked the Exercise Room door. “And it’s good for you! You wouldn’t want to get sick, would you?”

“Nuh-uh!” Kyle shook his head. “Kyle wanna be healt’y!”

“Exactly! Inside...” He stepped into the Exercise Room, feeling the plastic, cushiony mats on his bare feet. He looked all around, wondering what he should do first: The rope net, the artistry desk, the marble game, or the exercise equipment. “Kyle, don’t go there!” Corrine warned.

“I wanna use it Mommy!” Kyle spoke, hopping in place and pointing at a treadmill.

“It’s for big kids only, sweetie.”

“I’m a big boy!”

“Not big enough!”

“Mmmmmmm!” Kyle pouted and crossed his arms.

“Why don’t you draw another picture?”

“Don’ wanna!” He ran toward the exercise equipment on the other side of the room.

“Kyle!”

“Ha ha ha ha! Aaaaahh!” Kyle felt a slight jolt from the ankle bracelet; the sudden prick of pain caused him to fall onto his padded behind in shock. “Ooowwwwwiiiieeee...!” he whined, rubbing his right ankle.

“Kyle Hayner, you’re not allowed on the exercise equipment! You could hurt yourself!”

“B-But...I awweady got huwt...!” Kyle quivered his lower lip, tears leaking out of his green eyes.

“It was only a little pinch,” Corrine explained, rubbing her son’s back. “You could have been hurt a lot more...”

“...I sowwy, Mommy...” He looked down at the floor.

“I don’t want my little boy to get hurt!” She hugged Kyle from behind. “Mommies are supposed to protect their babies, no matter what! Even if that means you get a little pinch.”

“O-Okay...” He sniffled, wiping the tears off his cheeks.

“All better?”

“Uh-huh...” Kyle nodded, before turning around to look at his mommy.

“Good...now, what would you like to do?” Corrine helped Kyle to his feet.

“Um...I wanna play Marble Run.”

“Okay! I can’t wait to see what you come up with!”

“Heh heh...I’m gonna do my bestest, Mommy!” Kyle grinned.

“That’s the spirit!” His mother was right behind him, as Kyle toddled over to the corner where Marble Run was. He opened the box containing the dozens of pieces of the potential track, and already he imagined the finished product with what lay before him. Piece by piece, he constructed his dream course that his marble would soon roll down, humming all the while. Corrine observed her son, giving him hints whenever he got stuck. “No no, sweetie, that doesn’t fit...” she corrected as Kyle struggled putting one piece into place.

“Awww...what do I do...?” he muttered, tilting his head back and forth. “A-ha! How ‘bout dis?”

“There we go!” Corrine nodded with a smile. After several minutes of construction, the marble track was complete. The multi-colored contraption was practically begging to be used, and Kyle was happy to oblige.

“Here we go...!” Down the marble went, rattling and rolling throughout the course. It traveled left and right, round and around, past the little spinning “gateways”, until finally reaching the bottom. Kyle giggled and clapped, before saying “Again!” and rolling it through the course a second time. Then he did it a third time, applauding and laughing like he did the previous two times.

“I’m glad you’re having fun, sweetie, but wouldn’t you like to build another course?” Corrine suggested.

“I kinda wanna play somethin’ else...”

“Alright, but don’t forget to put your toy away first.”

“Mommmmmyyyyy...” Kyle pouted.

“Kyle, good little boys put their toys away when they’re done.”

“Fine...” He sighed, beginning to deconstruct his course.

“How about I get you a snack?” Corrine said, patting her son on the shoulder.

“Ooh! Can I have a blueberry muffin?” Kyle grinned.

“Sure!” While his mother went to get his snack, Kyle became far more active with his cleanup duties. Piece by piece, he swiftly took apart his marble course and returned it to the box; the delicious reward proved to be a powerful incentive for what he believed was a tedious, boring chore. By the time she had returned with his treat (plus a sippy cup of milk), Marble Run had been fully put back in its place, and Kyle smiled at Corrine with his hands behind his back. “You put it away so neatly!” she complimented, kissing her son on the cheek.

“Heh heh...yup!” Kyle turned bright red in the face.

“Here’s your muffin...” Corrine handed him the muffin, and he proceeded to noisily consume it, crumbs accumulating on his face and at his feet. “If only you were a neat eater as well!” She laughed.

“But eatin’ messy’s half the fun!” Kyle argued.

“Because you’re not the one who has to clean it up, silly!” Corrine ruffled his hair.

“Hee hee hee! Nope!” He licked his lips, having eaten the whole muffin.

“What would you like to do next, Kyle?” She asked, handing him the sippy cup.

“Hmmm...I wanna try out arts ‘n crafts!”

“Try not to get too crazy with the glue, sweetheart,” Corrine advised, as the two of them went over to the arts and crafts table.

“Okie-dokie!” Kyle sat down at the table, poring over the options in front of him. Safety scissors, construction paper in multiple colors, glue, scented markers, and crayons were his tools. The endless possibilities drifted in his mind, and before he settled on a particular vision, he decided to improvise and go with whatever came to him first. First, he decided to start with a red piece of paper, which would serve as the background. Next came the cutting of white paper into basic geometric shapes, which would eventually be glued to the red paper.

Kyle continued his artistic expression as Corrine kept an eye on her son, cleaning up the little pile of crumbs that he had left behind on the mat. More shapes were made, glue was used to apply those shapes, and markers were dragged across paper. The son’s artistry was being expressed to its fullest while he hummed a happy little ditty to himself, taking sips of his milk every now and again. He was fully absorbed in his activity, and soon enough, it was done.

“Mommy! Look what I made!” Kyle turned around in his seat, looking all around the room for his mother, but could not find her. “Mommy? Where’d you go?” Confused, he took his work of art, carefully grasping two of its corners, and exited the Exercise Room. Kyle didn’t see her in the Playroom either, but even then, he did not worry. He knew his mom was somewhere close by...

“Sorry, sweetie, I’m in the house,” Corrine answered from the speakers. “I’ll be right there!”

“Can I come up?” Kyle said, quickly walking towards the stairs to the main house.

“No, Kyle. Stay right there.”

“Awww...” He sighed, slouching his shoulders and frowning in disappointment. As a way to offset the agonizing wait for his mother’s return, he slowly toddled about, gently kicking any nearby toys. Soon, however, his eyes locked onto his walker, which rested in one corner of the expansive Playroom.

“Heh heh heh...!” Grinning, Kyle left his creation on top of a pile of coloring books, and sat down in the walker. The various accessories of his vehicle jangled and slightly shifted as he quickly walked about, gleefully giggling to himself all the while. Adrenaline rushed through his body, his bare feet picking up the pace to accommodate his increasing energy. Before long, he was flat-out running around the room, loudly laughing in joy from one of his personal favorite activities.

“Ha ha ha ha ha--mmmmmm!” Kyle was so focused on his walker running that he accidentally stubbed his big toe against one of the wooden blocks strewn about the middle of the Playroom. Tears built up as he bit his lip in response to the pain.

“Kyle! Are you okay?” Corrine rushed up to her son’s side.

“U-Uh-huh...my toe jus’ hurts lots...” His lower lip quivered, yet the tears did not leave his eyes.

“Poor baby...” She knelt down to the sore toe and gave it a gentle kiss.

“T’anks Mommy...it awready feels bedder...” Kyle smiled.

“Anytime, sweetheart,” Corrine responded as she stood back up. “Wanna come up for a bit?”

“Yeah!”

She led her son up and out of the walker and up the stairs to the main house. Kyle made slightly awkward left steps to avoid further irritating his big toe, which he snickered at. “Next time, Kyle, don’t go so fast on the walker,” Corrine said in concern.

“Awww, but it’s so fun!”

“It’s also dangerous! Next time I should empty the Playroom so you don’t hurt your feet again...”

“Awright...” Kyle sighed, slightly pouting. The two came out of the basement nursery and into the garage, and from there into the main house. Kyle immediately sat on the living room couch and turned on the TV.

“Sweetie, don’t you want to admire the sunset?” Corrine offered.

“I wanna watch some ‘toons first!”

“They won’t go anywhere, but sunsets do.”

“Mommyyyyyy...” Kyle gave Corrine his best puppy-dog eyes.

“Kyle, you can watch all sorts of cartoons after the sunset, okay?”

“Okaaaayy...” Kyle got up with a huff, walking out into the backyard to observe the last moments of sunlight for the day. The orange-tinged sky was definitely a delight to see, so the disappointed frown on his face didn’t last for long. “Gosh, it’s awways so pwetty...!” he said in awe, his head fixated above.

“See?” Corrine smiled.

“Is like orange sherbet! I wanna get a big ice cweam scoop, an’ scoop da sky!”

“You can’t do that, silly!” She chuckled, approaching her son.

“Oh...”

“But, I can getcha a nice big scoop of orange sherbet for dessert! How’s that sound?”

“Sounds gweat!” Kyle grinned, bouncing in place.

“You have to eat dinner first, though, including your vegetables.”

“I know...what’s for dinner?”

“Meatloaf with some peas and carrots, and it’s cooking as we speak. Sound good?”

“Yeah, ‘cept the peas and carrots...can I jus’ skip those?” Kyle begged.

“Not unless you want that sherbet!” Corrine teased.

“Fine...” He sighed. Kyle walked around the backyard, feeling the blades of grass rustle beneath his feet, as he approached a bottle of blowing bubbles. He picked it up and twisted the cap open, took out the wand, and blew. Unfortunately, he wasn’t particularly successful in his activity, and as he persisted, he began to sputter in irritation when trying to blow bubbles. “Mommy, it’s not workin’!” he complained.

“You have to blow the bubbles gently, sweetie,” Corrine explained, approaching him. “Like this...” She softly blew into the wand, and a few bubbles floated upwards before silently popping a second or two after. Kyle happily gaped at his mom’s short-lived bubbles. “Now you try!” Corrine spoke, handing over the bottle and wand.

“Okay!” Kyle mimicked his mother’s gentle method of blowing bubbles, and as he had hoped, it worked just as well with him. He giggled at the bubbles, feeling tiny bits of their liquid drip onto his face. “Is like rain!” he said, wiping away the trace amount of wetness.

“Yeah, when they go pop!” Corrine chuckled.

“Pop pop! Ha ha ha ha!” Kyle grinned, clapping his hands.

His mother sighed as she looked above at the sunset, the white clouds mixing well with the orange of the sky. Kyle too admired the breathtaking visuals, in-between his bubble blowing. “Kyle, did you know I would watch the sunset with Robert?”

“No...didja do it often?” he asked.

“All the time,” Corrine replied, smiling.

“Oh...Mommy? Is it weird that...I miss someone I never even met?”

“No. Not at all.” She pecked Kyle on the cheek. “I know you two would have been so close, just like you and I!”

“Heh heh...yeah!” He nodded. “But, I can’t stop thinkin’ ‘bout it...”

“It’s important to keep those memories close to you, but you mustn’t linger on them for so long. Otherwise, you won’t be able to create new ones.”

“Uh-huh...” Kyle frowned, looking down at his hands. “But I can’t help it...”

“I can’t help it either, sometimes...but you have to be strong. And I know you can be strong, Kyle.” Corrine tenderly hugged her son, and he returned it. A single tear rolled down each of Kyle’s cheeks, and his breathing became shaky.

“Mommy...i-is it also weird, that I...I-I kinda miss my old mommy...?”

“That’s not weird either, sweetie. But you like being here more, don’t you?”

“Uh-huh...but it still huwts...” He sniffed, more tears falling down.

“I know it does...” Corrine gently rubbed her son’s back.

“W-Will it...will it evew stop huwting...?”

“Maybe one day, or maybe not...but sometimes, hurting can help.”

“How?” Kyle looked at his mom, utterly confused.

“Getting hurt is bad, but it gives us experience. And we can turn that hurt into something positive. Losing Robert still hurts me, but I didn’t linger on it forever. I cried, and then I turned my hurt into raising the child we would have had together.”

“...me...!” He smiled through his tears.

“That’s right!” Corrine nodded, smiling as well. “You can turn your hurt into something good, too. Do you know what that is?”

“Um...drawing, an’ arts ‘n’ crafts?”

“Yup! A lot of people make art as a way to cope with their pain.”

“I do feel better when I draw stuff...” Kyle nodded.

“So, if you ever feel down and Mommy isn’t around to help, just draw!”

“Yeah! Ha ha ha ha!” He laughed and clapped his hands. “I’ll draw a million bajillion pi’tures!”

“There you go!” Corrine hugged him. “You can draw all the pictures you want, as long as it’s not on the walls or floors!” Mother and son laughed together in the waning sun, arms wrapped around one another in a tender embrace. “Now you can watch your cartoons while I work on dinner,” she said, letting him go.

“T’ank you Mommy!” Kyle ran back inside.

“Of course, sweetheart!” Corrine chuckled at her son’s enthusiasm as she followed him back inside the house. Kyle sat down on the couch again and turned on the TV to some cartoons, while his mother worked on dinner in the nearby kitchen. He was utterly engrossed in the program, commercials and all, but he eventually felt something was missing...

“Mommy, I want Basil to watch too!”

“I’ll go get him...” Corrine quickly went to the basement nursery. Right after she had exited the room, Kyle smelled the dinner cooking in the oven, and began to drool. After several minutes of keeping his eyes glued to the screen, he finally left the couch and wandered into the kitchen, gazing into the oven window with amazed eyes. Being so close to the last meal of the day, yet still divided by one last obstacle, made him quite anxious and anticipated. He knew better than to open up and reach inside, but it made him even more excited to take a bite out of it. “Kyle, dinner’s not ready yet!” Corrine said, taking his hand.

“I know...but my tummy’s growling!” He pouted as he was brought back into the living room.

“I’m sure Basil here will help with that,” she replied, handing the bunny doll over.

“Mommy, I don’ wanna eat ‘im!”

“I meant play with him, silly!” Corrine playfully rubbed his hair.

“Oh, heh heh...” Kyle bashfully grinned. He decided to keep himself preoccupied with Basil as the TV continued to play in the background. Every now and again, he would look back at it, but Kyle currently found it more fun playing pretend with his beloved little plush. In a cheery, higher-pitched tone, he spoke:

“Hello, my name is Basil, an’ dis is my home! It may look like a box’a tissue, but dat’s ‘cause I love squares! Over here’s da pool! I like puttin’ candles in it ‘cause it looks so bootiful at night when dey’re all lit up! Dis’s my garage remote, an’ my spare remote in case I lose one! You can never have too many remotes! How else am I s’posed t’get into my pillow-shaped car?”

Corrine chuckled from the kitchen, observing her son’s playful imagination at work. The two of them focused on their separate tasks, until at last, dinner was served. Kyle turned off the TV before being led into the dining room, where he sat down onto the chair at one end of the rectangular table, while his mother sat on the other side. “I feel like a big kid, sittin’ here!” Kyle giddily spoke, as his bib was gently fastened around his neck.

“I’m sure you do,” Corrine replied with a smile. “And like all big kids, they have to eat their dinner before they can have dessert!”

“I know, Mommy...” He sighed, looking over his plate of meatloaf, carrots, and peas.

“Do you also know how to use your utensils?”

“I t’ink so...” Kyle grabbed his butter knife and fork, cutting into the meat just like how his mom showed him. Still, just in case, his eyes occasionally moved towards Corrine; having a live demonstration was handy for doing it himself. He did not have much difficulty with this, except for the fact that he wanted to eat with his hands, like he had done earlier that day. “Is yummy, Mommy!” Kyle said with a big smile.

“Why thank you, sweetie!” Corrine replied, smiling back. “Don’t forget about your veggies!”

“But veggies taste yucky...” He stuck out his tongue in disgust, looking at his forkful of peas and chopped carrots.

“Kyle, you can’t just eat cookies and muffins and chocolate all day. That isn’t healthy for you.”

“Ugh...” Kyle cringed as he swallowed his bite of vegetables. “Den I wish veggies tasted like cookies an’ muffins an’ chocolate!”

“If everything tasted like that, you’d get sick of it, wouldn’t you?” Corrine asked, chuckling.

“Nuh-uh!” He shook his head. “I’d never ever get sick of it!”

“I ate a whole bunch of chocolate as a kid once, and I was so sick of it that I wouldn’t eat it again for a whole month!” The two of them laughed, though Kyle still wouldn’t believe that he would do the same thing. Dinner silently went by, even as he begrudgingly partook in his vegetables; the allure of the sherbet outweighed his disdain for peas and carrots.

“Aww done...yech!” With one last gulp, he had finished off his plate, sticking his tongue out again.

“Good job!” Corrine smiled, taking his empty plate. “Guess what that means...!”

“Sherbet!” Kyle clapped, bouncing in place in utmost anticipation. His mother nodded, returning to the kitchen. He knew his tasty treat would be coming really soon, and couldn’t wait until he could chow down on it. To his relief, he did not have to wait for even one minute for Corrine to scoop some orange sherbet into a bowl and serve it to her son.

“You’ve been such a good boy today, Kyle...” She tenderly pet Kyle’s head with a warm smile. “Enjoy your dessert!”

“Yay! T’ank you Mommy!” He began to consume his delicious dessert, uncaring to the fact that his already-stained face was becoming even dirtier. Splashes of light orange joined the meatloaf crumbs all around his mouth, and he shivered a bit from the cold scoops of sherbet sliding down into his warm tummy. His mother, meanwhile, cleaned up the dishes in the nearby kitchen. “Mmmmph...” Kyle winced when he was nearly done.

“What’s wrong, sweetie?” Corrine spoke, concerned.

“Nnngh...!” He continued to groan as his cheeks lit up, and he tightly grasped the dining room table with both hands. Corrine realized that what plagued her son was a simple case of needing to relieve himself. For roughly twenty seconds, Kyle silently filled his diaper, which slightly poked and bulged beneath him. “Ahhhh...sowwy Mommy...I had t’go...” He continued to blush as he averted his eyes.

“That’s okay, Kyle. I’ll clean you up when we’re back in the nursery.”

“Okay...” Kyle quickly finished off the last bits of sherbet, then stood up and brought his empty bowl to the kitchen counter, right next to the sink.

“Thank you, Kyle,” Corrine said, cleaning this last dish before wiping his mouth with a napkin. “How about a bath while we’re at it?”

“Sounds like fun!” Her son grinned as she took his hand and led him back to the underground nursery.

“Just try not to make me wet too!”

“Awww, but dat’s fun!” Kyle snickered.

“I don’t need a bath too, Silly Billy!” Corrine replied, chuckling. The two of them laughed as they arrived back in the nursery’s Playroom, continuing onward into Kyle’s bedroom. His mom laid him down onto the changing table, before going into the nearby bathroom to prepare the bath.

“Uhhhnnn...!” Kyle felt another cramp inside, and responded by emptying himself again; he clutched his tummy with both hands, he lifted his legs and bent his knees toward himself, and his cheeks reddened a second time. This time, not only did his diaper push away from him even more than earlier, a faint yellow spot began to form on the front as well.

“Are you done this time, stinky?” Corrine teased.

“Ahhhhh...uh-huh! I’m done for real!” Kyle grinned.

“Okay then...” She removed his dirty diaper and wiped him down, as usual. Once Kyle was clean again, Corrine led him off of the changing table and into the bathroom, where the familiar lavender aroma found its way into his nostrils.

“Mmmm...it smells so nice, Mommy...” He smiled as his mom removed his shirt and shackle.

“Scent has a powerful effect on a person’s mood, Kyle,” Corrine explained, setting her son down into the warm tub. “It can help them relax and feel better, especially when they’re upset or stressed.”

“Wow...dat’s real cool!” Kyle nodded in understanding.

“Even babies know that it’s good, right sweetie?” She smiled.

“Right!” The bubbly water that now surrounded his lower half was very relaxing, causing him to happily sigh. His mother poured it down his head, and his blond hair drooped down around it. While Corrine massaged his scalp with baby shampoo, Kyle played with his tub toys, a rubber ducky in one hand and a toy squid in the other. “Watch out ducky! Da evil squid’s comin’ for ya!” He wrapped the squid’s tentacles all around the ducky, dragging it into the depths of the bathwater. “Oh no!” Thankfully, the ducky managed to escape from its clutches, resurfacing without a scratch. “Phew...dat was close...”

“Okay Kyle...” Corrine cooed as she began to use body wash on her son. Kyle giggled as his mom softly went over every last corner of his body, leaving no spot unclean. When he had to lift his legs, he rested his head against the tub pillow suctioned onto the side opposite of the drain, while Corrine’s loofah went up and down his legs and in-between his toes. “Looks like someone’s getting sleepy...” Kyle had yawned when his cleaning was nearly done, exhaustion reflected in his green eyes.

“Nuh-uh...I can stay up a li’l longer...” He yawned again, clearly unable to keep his word. His mother guided him out of the tub, where he was dried off. “I wanna watch a movie...”

“I don’t know if you can stay awake long enough for that and your bedtime story.” Similar to his bathing, Corrine dried him off everywhere. “You’ll have to pick one, sweetheart.”

“Awww...” Kyle pouted, as he thought about which one he wanted more. “Guess I’ll watch it tomorrow instead...”

“Okay then.” His mother nodded with a smile, before fastening a brand-new diaper onto him, and dashing a fair helping of powder down the back. His shackle was reattached to his right ankle as well. “Let’s get your teeth clean!” Corrine helped Kyle brush his teeth, although he did a fair bit of the work himself; this gave her the opportunity to brush his hair back to its neater form. “Remember to spit it out, Kyle,” she reminded, and he obeyed without so much as an annoyed look. “There we go! All clean!” The two of them grinned in the mirror once his teeth shone a nice white again, and his hair was properly brushed. “Now, let’s get you in some jammies...” She led him back into his room and opened his closet door. Before he even set his eyes on his options, Kyle knew what he wanted to wear.

“Ooh, I wanna wear dat one!” He grinned, pointing to a light-red, short-sleeved onesie hanging close to the right end of the rack.

“Good choice!” Corrine had her son lay down on the changing table, and she slid the onesie onto him, buttoning him up on the bottom. Kyle giggled a bit now that he was wearing one of his favorite pajamas, as his mother slid on fuzzy ankle-length socks that matched its color. “Now, what story would you like to hear?” she asked as her son got off the table.

“You awways tell da bestest stories, Mommy!” Kyle grinned. “I wanna hear anudder one!”

“Alright...” Smiling, Corrine led her son towards the rocking chair in the corner, sitting onto it. She brought Kyle onto her lap, his legs hanging off of her right side, as he attentively gazed into his mother’s kind green eyes. She began:

“This is the story of how an angel found her purpose. Every angel has a person to watch over and protect, but this angel didn’t have one. She searched high and low for someone who needed a guardian, and while she found many people that could have used her love, she knew there was one in particular that needed her the most. The angel was often sad, sometimes even thinking that she would never find that one person to care for. But she never gave up, for she knew deep down in her heart, that they were out there, somewhere, in the great wide world.”

“Ohhhhh...” Kyle’s mouth was in an “O” shape, his eyes shining with hope as his mother continued:

“Sure enough, one day, she found the perfect match. He was a young man, without purpose, without hope. He may not have known it, but he desperately wanted a guardian angel, someone who would love him no matter what. The angel knew he wouldn’t accept her right away, so she disguised herself, and slowly eased him into the role of the protected. Little by little, his heart opened up to her, and when it was wide enough, she revealed her true form to the man. He gazed upon her in awe, and a little bit in fear, but he approached her and accepted her warm embrace.”

Kyle felt tears beginning to build up, and gave his mom a tight hug, nuzzling his head against her chest. Corrine, in return, wrapped her arms around him. “At that moment, the man realized just how much he needed the angel’s protection. The angel, too, realized something that she had forgotten long ago on her quest. Her heart was just as fractured as his, and she searched for someone to watch over so she repair it.” She happily sighed, feeling her own tears crawl down her cheeks, as she finished in a tender tone: “Two hearts, broken right in half, that just so happened to fit together perfectly. Together, they were complete, and had finally found true happiness...The End.”

“Heh heh heh...” Kyle sniffled with a smile, looking up at his mom with wet eyes and cheeks. “Dat was sad...but in a good way!”

“Yeah...tears aren’t a bad thing.” Corrine wiped hers off of her face. “Letting your sadness out can make you feel better than just keeping it all inside. Don’t be afraid to cry if you really have to, sweetie.”

“Okie-dokie...” He nodded, also drying his cheeks. “I’ll twy not to cry a lot...”

“It’s okay, Kyle...you can cry as much as you want.” Corrine smiled, gently placing her hand on her son’s left cheek. “Mommy will always be here to make you feel better.”

“Yeah...!” Kyle nodded and blushed, bashfully smiling, as he laid his head against her chest again. “I love you lots an’ lots, Mommy...”

“I love you lots and lots too, sweetheart...” She softly rubbed his head. “Now, I think it’s time for beddie-bye...!”

“Awww...okay...” He pouted, leaving his mother’s lap. “I wanted to hug s’more...”

“Don’t worry, sweetie, you’ll have plenty of hugs waiting for you tomorrow!” Corrine lowered the bars of Kyle’s crib, and he lay down inside as the bars were raised again. She pulled the covers up to his armpits, as he sucked on his right thumb and looked up at her with shining green eyes. “Basil’s got some hugs for you, too!” Corrine gave him the bunny doll, and he happily embraced it with his free arm.

“G’night, Mommy...” Kyle’s eyes began to slowly shut, but not before his mother tenderly kissed his forehead. His face lit up again, feeling as bright as the nightlight that shone in the corner of the now-darkened room.

“Good night Kyle...sleep well...” Corrine looked over her son as he drifted off into dreamland, warmly smiling down at the thumb-sucker. She quietly sighed with a smile, watching over him just under a minute before exiting the room and closing the door behind her. The mother’s duties weren’t quite done yet, however. As per usual when Kyle rested for the night, before Corrine’s own bedtime, she finished up any incomplete duties throughout her house and the underground nursery: Tidying up the various rooms, cleaning up anything that was missed the first time around, even emptying Kyle’s diaper pail if needed.

“Huh?” During her once-over of the Playroom, she stumbled upon the crafts image that Kyle had left upon a stack of coloring books. “Oh my...” She took one look at it, and immediately felt proud...and sad. Her son’s artistry was always a pleasant sight to see, but sometimes, the contents of said art wasn’t quite as happy and cheery as what was on the fridge. This one in particular had a red background, with a beast of some sort made out of multiple cut-out pieces of paper, in various colors like white and blue and yellow. Markers were used to better represent its sharp claws, pointy teeth, and terrifying eyes.

“Kyle...” Corrine sadly sighed, knowing what this monstrous figure represented. She shook her head, bringing the troubling image with her to her room in the underground nursery. It was a cozy little room, no bigger than her son’s, located right across from his; it had a bed, mirror, drawers for clothes, and a writing desk situated against the wall to the right upon entering the room. Despite the frightening depiction Kyle had made of his real mother, Corrine could not bring herself to destroy her son’s hard work, but nor could she display it on the fridge in good conscience. It went in the bottom drawer of the writing desk, which was filled with several other images that were similarly disturbing.

Corrine sat down at the desk, shaking her head. She did not know what Kyle’s birth mother had done to scar him so deeply, but just the mere thought of him being hurt made her wince, anger and pain swelling in her heart. How could a parent - a mother, no less! - treat their child so cruelly? And how could Corrine bring herself to write to such a person, as if they deserved any sort of kindness for what they had done? “No...it wouldn’t be right...she is still Kyle’s mother, no matter what.” She would often think or even say something similar to this whenever she wrote to Ms. Hayner. Regardless of the suffering she had inflicted, Corrine couldn’t bring herself to cut her out entirely in Kyle’s life. Thus, like she did on just about every day, she glanced at the photo of her late husband at the corner of her desk, before taking pen to paper:

“Dear Ms. Hayner,
Your son continues to show just how talented he is with arts and crafts! I’ve attached a photo of him and his drawing to this letter. Isn’t he the sweetest thing? He’s so proud of his work, even when what he makes is sad. I won’t be showing you Kyle’s other image, but just know that it depicted you in a rather terrifying form. What you did to him still haunts his mind, but perhaps one day, he will forget the pain you inflicted on him. At least now he is happy and safe, as he should be.

Sincerely,
Another Mother”