Chapter XXXI

The fluffy pink nightgown - more frills than clothes at this point - was impossibly soft. It felt like a thousand silk blankets were hugging my chest, my shoulders, my stomach... the only problem? It was short. Maybe two or three inches too short. I pulled at the hem, wondering if anyone could see my new underwear. Then again, the pinks blended together. Maybe it wasn't noticeable...

"You're such a peach, darling, look how beautiful you are. Soft, and cute, and precious - I'm so proud of you." Cora gushed, orbiting her ersatz daughter with a happy little smile. She'd be in that diaper until she wet it, of course, and then the fact she wet it would be cause for her to stay in them longer - a happy little perpetual energy machine. Now, though...

"It's time for your second gift, my darling munchkin."

"Second gift?" I looked up at Cora with a pout. I wasn't a huge fan of my first gift. But damn, it was soft... I was going to sleep like a baby tonight. "Is it pants?"

"Pants?" Oh, gosh. Cora smiled, then laughed. "You're such a funny girl, darling, you're a wonderful little bundle of joy. There's no need for you to wear pants, this is your home - and this way, if you do have another accident, I'll be able to get you changed without any embarrassment at all. And that is why I make your decisions. Now come child, to the bathroom."

Get me changed? I puffed out my blushing cheeks and followed Cora out of my bedroom. Usually Sam met up with me about now, but she wasn't anywhere to be found. I even peeked into her bedroom - just down the hall - before heading down the stairs to the second floor. But it looked like she wasn't there. Cora led me to the second floor bathroom, which I had only been in once or twice before. It was large, lavish, and beyond the scope of what a bathroom needed to be. It had a huge mirror, two sinks, and a tub twice the size of the one in my en-suite. Probably a sex thing. And then my mind wandered to Mr. and Mrs. Gladstone having sex. I shuddered.

"Sit down here, darling." Cora pulled a small bench stool away from the wall and up close to one of the sinks. Sitting with her back to the sink would make it easy for Natalie to lean the back of her neck against the basin.

I sat on the tiny wooden stool and kicked my feet absentmindedly. I thought it was a little ironic that she wouldn't take me out of this diaper, but she would bring me into the bathroom. But when Cora wrapped a heavy black cloth around my neck - covering the frilly pink nightgown - I remembered what she said downstairs. "Are you dying my hair?"

"I am doing exactly that." Although she'd need to strip it of its natural color first, so it would be a two stage process with a lot of sounds of running water. "In Asian cultures, hair is a tie to history and to legacy, and you're doing so much work to redefine yours, darling, to start fresh. So this seems appropriate.”

"You already have the color picked out?" I asked, a little accusatorially. "I could have helped."

"But it's not your decision," Cora reminded me. I let out a little sigh and nodded in agreement.

"You're right." I wondered what color she had in mind. A dark brown, probably. Or an auburn.

"It's important for you not to ask questions, and not to move, okay? We can talk about things of little consequence, though - you can tell me some of your favorite movies if you'd like, that way I know what other movies to have you watch." Mostly, this was a distraction: bleaching and coloring a girl’s hair took time.

Cora leaned me backward, so that my neck was along the edge of the sink. Then she pulled all my hair back and started to soak it. I talked to her a little bit about my favorite movies - I liked 80’s films and romantic comedies. Then we talked about music, but she hadn't heard of any of the bands I listened to. No surprise. Cora was middle-aged, after all. "Is it supposed to tingle? My other hair dye didn't tingle."

"It's normal; I bet that your hair isn't used to the sorts of products we can afford in this household." Cora explained, smiling. "I think Samantha should be home from her Maid Course in about an hour or so, so maybe she can say hello to you before bed, too? We should finish up around then." Sam had proven to be an asset, because she was an unpredictable anchor to Natalie's former life; a walking litmus test.

"Oh. I didn't know she had a maid thing. She didn't mention it." I felt Cora's fingers running through my hair, gently massaging the dye out. "Maybe she could have dinner with us?" Though that was probably against her job description.

"I think she's eaten at the training program, and besides - she's got a uniform she needs to fit into, darling; she's not as lucky as you, where she's able to wear anything she likes and still look cute." Anything she likes, not anything she chooses, because Natalie didn't do the latter anymore.

"Oh..." Cora sat me up and started massaging my hair. A few strands fell in front of my face. Definitely lighter, not darker. Blonde, maybe? Cora turned on a hair dryer and started blow drying my hair. It felt like being at the salon. Back in the day, when I had money.

"Oh darling, look at these split ends. Tomorrow after work, I'm getting you on my account at the salon so you can get these pretty locks properly styled and taken care of." But the color wasn't even done yet, oh no.

"I don't think I have the money for--"

"Don't be silly," Cora interrupted. "Anything you do with me, I pay for."

"Oh..." Free stuff. Like the free meal I got last week. Now a free haircut. And this dye was probably expensive too, judging by the way Cora talked about it. I started to feel a little guilty. "You know, I can pay you back..."

"You will not, darling; you work an honest job for us and I won't hear of you putting yourself out. Your work allowance is for you to enjoy yourself with." Although even that modicum of independence would slowly be phased out, given time.

"Stay here for a moment," Cora said simply. "And don't look yet!"

Cora set down the hair dryer and left me alone in the bathroom. I was tempted to look. After all, the mirror was massive and only just behind me. I could turn around at any point. But... well, Cora said not to. So I ran my fingers through my hair instead - it felt soft, mostly dry. Gosh, the suspense was killing me. Then Cora returned, with a large cup in her hand. A sippy cup.

"Here we go." There was no ceremony, there was no asking, there was no coercion or explanation. Cora simply gave the cup to her little girl and expected without an ounce of apprehension that she'd drink it, no questions asked.

This cup didn't have Strawberry Shortcake on it; it had a purple hippo. And it was bigger, too. A lot bigger. But when I held it in my hands, it felt like a normal sized cup. And I felt like maybe my hands were smaller. Or I was smaller. I bit my lip and looked up at Cora. "Why do I need to drink out of this?"

"Because you need to stay hydrated this time of night, so your skin feels supple and pretty in the morning." Cora answered, being technically correct but giving her little charge one more chance to not mess this up.

"Right, but..." I pouted and looked at the spout on the sippy cup with a touch of irritation. It felt like Cora was treating me like a kid. Why? To annoy me? No, whatever reason Cora had, she was right. Even if I didn't understand it. So with a sigh of resignation, I tilted the cup to my lips and sucked softly on the juice. It tasted like a sweet apple juice, with a tinge of carbonation. Pretty good, actually.

"You've been so good tonight, Natalie, I'm so proud of you." Now it was time to dye her hair, to make it pink, to start rewriting her entire identity from the head down. This was a big step.

I sipped the cup contentedly as Cora wet my hair once again, running new dye through it. The juice was really tasty, and the warm water on my head was relaxing. I held the sippy cup in my lap when I was done, but it was another ten minutes before Cora started to rinse the dye. My eyes felt a little heavy... it was nearly bedtime, and I hadn't even had dinner yet.

"Oh darling, you look so sleepy. Do you need to lay down? Maybe a little snack would help?" Cora had planned a route through the house that would avoid mirrors, avoid ruining the surprise, and avoid any mention of it. This final reveal was so important!

My hair was dripping wet, but it was free of the dye. She took the black cloak off me and helped me up from the stool. After sitting for so long, my legs felt like jelly. I followed Cora through the hall, down the stairs, and past the foyer. If Sam was home, I didn't see her.

"Here you go, you have a seat here." Cora pulled out a chair at the dining table - this one was in a smaller alcove room, a less formal affair it seemed. "I'll see what the kitchen staff can whip up for you, and then we can check if Samantha is home." So far, and importantly, Natalie had yet to even question what color her hair was.

I sat at the small table, shifting in my seat. The dress was so airy and comfortable, despite its looks. And the diaper was soft and thick, like a fresh towel or something. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, but today had been a long day. My bed was calling me from two stories up. Maybe Cora was right - maybe I needed something to eat.

"Sorry to keep you, my sweetiepie, I made some sandwiches because the kitchen staff have already left for the night." And they were, like Cora, eccentric and elegant; crusts removed and fancy meat and cheese, cut into little shapes of animals with crisp clean edges.

I took a bite of the sandwich and smiled sleepily at my boss's wife. She was so nice to me. Dressing me. Dying my hair. Making me dinner. Didn't she have things to do? Was I taking her away from her busy life? But it wasn't my decision.

"I think I gotta get to bed soon... but I was hoping to see Sam."

Almost on cue, there was a voice calling out from the living room three rooms over. Sam's voice. She sounded tired, but eager, and when Cora let her know where the two of them were, Sam found her way there quickly. And she stopped, mid-sentence, too, looking at her best friend. Sitting there in a babies dress, wearing a diaper, eating dinosaur shaped sandwiches. With hair the color of pink bubblegum.

"Holy crap, Nat, what happened to you?”

"...what?" I tilted my head and looked at Sam. She looked... tired. Very tired. Her outfit was particularly cute, with a headband and everything! It must have been a new uniform or something, because I didn't remember her looking that cute before. "I'm glad to see you!"

"Right." Sam shot back, sourly, her entire mood shifting downward. "Why are you... why are you dressed..." Sam shared a look with Cora and thought better of it, changing her avenue. "What the heck is with your hair? You can't be serious? You can't work like that..."

"Huh? My hair?" I reached for one of the strands of hair and held it up to my eyes. It wasn't completely dry, but the color was clear. Pink. A soft, lighthearted pink. I... uh. I looked at Cora with confusion and fumbled to my feet. I needed a mirror...

"Oh Sam, look what you've done-"

"What I've done?! What you've done!"

Cora put her arm around Natalie and squeezed her against her bosom. "I'd hoped to surprise you, darling, but I suppose I can't have everything I want. There's a bathroom with a floor to ceiling mirror just down the hall to the left. Go on now."

I hurried down the hall to the bathroom, curiosity burning a hole in my heart. Pink hair? Pink hair...

When the two were alone, Sam looked sharply at Cora. For too long, she had stood aside and watched her best friend get stranger and stranger. This was... this was unreal. She had to say something. "What's your game, huh?"

"I don't know what you mean, Sam,” Cora said, with a tone of voice that knew exactly what she meant. Cora never seemed villainous, though; a little callous sometimes, a bit bitchy, but never acting with ill intent.

"Bullshit! Why is she dressed like that? Why is her hair pink? Every time she spends time with you, she’s different!” Sam was getting worked up. She balled her hands into fists at her side. But she was talking to her employer - anger would only lead to more trouble.

"This is what she wants. This makes her happy. This frees her from her stress. She asked for all of this." Cora was taking a gamble being so bold, but she also wasn't technically lying about anything she said.

"You lying bitch--"

"Watch yourself, Samantha," Cora said sharply. "I understand your concern, but you are my employee."

Sam flinched, clenching her fists tight at her sides. “I’m not letting you take her away from me,” Sam muttered.

"You're not considering Natalie's feelings. Would you be so selfish, as to get in the way of her happiness? Would you be so cruel?"

Sam's anger was palpable. She was one bad comment away from hitting Cora across the face. And Sam was a fighter - she'd take Cora down if she needed to. But before the fight broke out, Natalie came back down the hall and interrupted the exchange.

"It's pink," I said with surprise. I mean, of course it was pink. I could tell just by pulling a strand in front of my face. But seeing it in the mirror... I didn't even look like me anymore. Not in this dress, not with this hair.

"Do you like it?" Cora asked with a smile.

"Well, it's really cute," I admitted. But I'd never even thought about dying my hair such a strange color before...

"You're entering a new phase of your life, darling, and that seemed to befit a new you - a you completely free of decision making. Now whenever you need a reminder of who's you are, you need only look in the mirror." Cora clasped her hands together, eagerly.

"I guess that's true..." Sam stood in the doorway, fuming. I looked up at her with a little bit of concern. Sam could have a temper sometimes. Had I done something wrong? No, I'd only been following Cora's decisions. So I couldn't be in trouble. "Are you okay?" I asked.

Sam looked at her best friend, at the girl she seemed to know less and less day by day, and then at Cora with a look of... annoyance, perhaps. Her arms were crossed, and she spoke like she was biting her tongue. "I'm fine," she muttered, "I just don't know what's gotten into you."

"...me? What do you mean?" I didn't understand. I looked at Cora with an ounce of confusion, but she shook her head in dismay. "Is this about my hair? Cora picked out the color, so it's not my fault..."

"I just don't feel like I know you anymore, Natalie." Sam sighed and shook her head. "Whatever. I've got work to do. Enjoy being Miss Gladstone's dress-up doll or whatever." Sam curtsied because she was leaving the room, and then left.

I stared at the empty doorway where my best friend just was, with my mouth half opened, ready to say something. But I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what to feel. I wasn't a dress up doll, was I? I looked at Cora with worry in my eyes and felt a nervousness in my stomach. Sam was my best friend... I didn't want her to be mad at me. "What did I do...?"

"Sam is having some trouble adapting to change, darling. She's worried, I think, that she's going to lose you. But she lives with you, she works with you," for you, "and she's never going to lose you. I think she might need some reassurances, some reminders that no matter how things change, how strong you're becoming, that you'll always be here with her."

I nodded my head in understanding. "I'm going to go talk to her," I told Cora. And Cora let me leave the room without another word.