Chapter XXXIX

"Uhhuh." Sam was doing her best to pretend to be interested in what Natalie was showing her. Outfits. Pacifiers. Plastic undies. Diapers. Ugh. The freshly-minted handmaiden leaned on her hand and nodded again, although her feigned interest seemed to be completely transparent to her best friend.

"Cora and I had this sort of heart-to-heart. And she told me the truth - that she likes treating me like a kid. And honestly? I kinda like it. I know that's silly, but... I really do like it." I let out a sigh of relief and set the final diaper down on the bed. She had bought me more than just the usual pink one: some had rainbows, some had unicorns, some had paw prints. I still didn't like wearing diapers, but it seemed like a small price to pay for unconditional love. Right?

"Whatever you say, princess." Sam had bitterness to her tone. Mostly because every single part of her wanted to scream that she had told her best friend something was afoot here; but recently it had been harder and harder to make a stand against Natalie. She was becoming both more infantile, and more sure about it. "So..." Don't do it Sam. "This was her plan all along, huh?"

I looked sharply at Sam and crossed my arms over my chest. "No. I mean… she just wanted to help me.”

"You really believe that?"

I felt frustration rise in my chest. She was saying rude things about Cora. "You know what? So what if she planned it? I'm happy! Does that even matter to you? Or are you jealous because she didn't pick you?"

"No, I'm just worried that me getting a job here was just a ploy to get to you, and now that she has you tied to her apron strings, she's gonna cut me loose and I'll never see my best friend again."

...oh. She was scared? I... I didn't expect that. I looked at Sam nervously and then down at my feet. "Sorry... um. I didn't realize..." We were both quiet for a second, unable to meet each others' eyes. Then I shook my head and forced a smile. "She can't fire you. You're my maid, right? And a princess gets what she wants!" I smiled brightly, absolutely sure of myself. "I'm not letting you go anywhere."

"Uhhuh." Sam didn't sound at all convinced, and she took a deep breath in to gather her words like they were swirling all around in the ether. "She doesn't need me once she's done playing pretend with you. It's not like I'm indispensable here; they have like six other maids and I'm not at all the best one."

"Nuh uh! You're great! You always bring me my food, and you draw my baths, and you put my clothes away. Maybe you're not the best maid, but you're my maid. And you do a great job... and if Cora fired you I'd be so angry at her, and I know she doesn't want that." It was a weird thing to think: I was Sam's job security. "I won't let anyone else be my maid. No one."

"Yeah? So now I'm indentured to you, huh? You're the princess, I'm the maid, you boss me around and I'll just curtsy and be like 'oh yes miss, of course I'll change your diapers' like that's completely not insane?" There was definite resignation in her voice, though, not anger.

"...is that so bad?" I looked a little nervously at my best friend and then down at my feet. "I know it's insane. This whole place is so backwards... but that doesn't mean it's wrong or bad. It's just different. And it's a kind of different I like. Maybe you can like it too?" I forced another smile. "You basically took care of me back at our other place. Now you get paid for it!"

"I guess." Sam looked up with a forced smile. "I really feel like with all these new duties I should be asking for a pay rise." Said the girl who made literally five times what she used to in her old job. "And I should negotiate for some time with my best friend that's off the clock, cause I don't remember the last time I saw you and I wasn't in uniform."

"I always work on your days off," I pouted, crossing my arms. "Maybe you could negotiate with Cora? She's really understanding..." Sam gave me a hard look and I let out a sigh. I guess they didn't have the same relationship Cora and I did. "Maybe I can ask...?" I had to ask her something else anyway.

"Alright, you can ask. I think I ought to get a raise if I'm going to have to learn about... adult diapers." Funnily, she almost took a job in a nursing home some years back, too. Ironic. "But I want some time with you, like I wanna go to the mall with you or see movies or do something outside this house." And Sam was willing to bargain away her dignity on this.

"Uh huh! I want that too! You put all my stuff away," I told her, motioning to the piles of new clothes, "and I'll talk to Cora.” I hurried out of my room and down the stairs. But I didn't go to Cora's room. I went to the second floor bathroom. I sat down on the toilet without pulling up my dress and closed my eyes. I'd had to pee for well over an hour now, but I still couldn't do it unless I was on the toilet. I didn't see the point of wearing diapers if I still had to run to the bathroom, but it wasn't my decision. When I was done - when the diaper between my thighs was heavy and warm - I waddled down the hall to Cora's bedroom.

"I haven't seen your mother," Mr. Gladstone was in the bedroom, musing over an electronic tie rack, and he didn't look away from his task even when he heard his waddling daughter coming into the room. "She might be in the conservatory, though, have you looked there?"

"Oh, um... no." I looked awkwardly at my boss, but he didn't so much as turn around to say hello. I peeked around the door just to make sure Cora wasn't in here, but sure enough... "W-well... I'll go check the conservatory then."

"Oh, and Natalie?" Mr. Gladstone called out, once she'd taken a few steps away from the doorway. "You've been such a good girl, and we're both very proud of you." Just. Random praise. No strings attached.

"Th-thank you, sir..." I blushed a little and hurried down the stairs to find Cora. True to Mr. Gladstone's words, she was in the conservatory. It had been a long day for the both of us. An emotional, revealing day. But we were closer because of it. So I took a deep breath and went over to Cora, without saying a word, and pulled on her sleeve like a kid would do. Honestly, pretending was... kinda fun. Like a game.

"Oh hello there, darling, I didn't even hear you come in - quiet as a little baby mouse, aren't you?" Her smile was warm, even if her words might have been a little bit played up for fun. "Did you come to tend to the flowers with Mommy?"

"Oh, uh..." I shook my head and held the hem of my dress with both hands. "Umm... I was wondering if we could talk about something. About Sam?"

"Is she behaving?" Cora asked, as if she was the child and I was the adult.

"Nothing like that," I said nervously. "We just miss spending time together as friends. And I was wondering if she could have more time off? On a weekend, maybe?"

"Well, the weekends are when the help does the deep cleaning, and you're home all day on those days so she's going to need to keep working those, I'm sorry, darling." Watering a pretty white rose, Cora paused for noticeable thought, and waited for dramatic effect. "Although, I suppose with the order season winding down, you could spend a little more time at home on a weekday or two, and I could arrange for that to coincide with her days off?"

"...you mean, I work less days at the office?" But that was my job. I couldn't be a part-time office manager, right? I had to be there. To... you know. Manage the office. I puffed out my cheeks and crossed my arms. "I don't want that. Can't we re-arrange our schedules."

"Like I said - Sam needs to work weekends. And your office is closed on weekends."

...so there was nothing else she could do? I bit my lip.

"Listen, darling, around this time of year the office quiets down for a spell anyway, and you'll still be there - let's say Monday, Tuesday, and Fridays, that way you can have two days with your best friend mid-week, and handle both the start and end of the week at work." Although Cora was uncertain about allowing Sam not to feel maidly. Hmm. "It's important, though, darling - even in a friendly dynamic, Sam still needs to remember that she serves you, or it's going to be like whiplash for the poor thing any time she finishes her days off. So please be kind to her by being firm."

"Okay..." But the tone in my voice and the expression on my face betrayed my certainty. Two days a week off work. Fear of being replaced seeped back into me. What if I lost this job? What if Mr. Gladstone needed someone there full time? What about my paychecks? I didn't have many expenses these days, but I should be saving money...

"I hear a but there, little one, and the only butt you need to worry about is safely protected.” To show her seriously, Cora left her roses be. "Your pay won't change, and if we need you more days in the office then we'll make sure you're brought in; I know how scared you are of things being taken from you, but I promise you darling, I'm going to make good decisions for you."

"But Mr. Gladstone--"

"Ando," Cora corrected me for the thousandth time. With a deep sigh, she touched her fingers to the bridge of her nose.

"Why is it so hard to call him by his first name?" she asked.

I shrugged my shoulders and looked at my feet. "It feels too personal..." Like Adam.

"Would a title feel better? Daddy, perhaps? If I'm your Mommy, that might only make sense, and that's far less formal and personal, isn't it?" Cora acted like she was only just considering this now, in the moment.

My cheeks went crimson. "I... I don't think--"

"Actually... I like the sound of that. And Ando will be so happy to hear..."

Her eyes sparkled in delight and I shied nervously into myself. Calling my boss Daddy? Ugh, this was so embarrassing... "But......"

"This will be much simpler, and easier for you to remember, and oh so precious. Oh, Mommy and Daddy, that's just perfect, darling. Now, I will try to arrange Wednesday and Thursdays to be at home days for you, but you will still be expected to come in on time on the other days, and you might very well be needed at short notice for your days off, understand?"

"...'kay," I muttered, looking shyly at my feet. Cora knelt down so I had to look down at her. She smiled up into my eyes and tucked my hair behind my ear.

"I know it's still new. But you are doing so well. Thank you for listening to me. I'm so proud of you."

Maybe all I needed was some encouragement, because after that, I was feeling a whole lot better. Then I remembered the other question I wanted to ask Cora. "Um, can I be changed, please?"

"You're a very good girl for noticing you need to be. Head up into your room and you can have Samantha take care of it, and if you want to wait I'll be up in a few more minutes." Just so casual. Have your best friend change your soggy diaper.

Sam? Cora had mentioned before that part of Sam’s responsibilities was to change my diapers, but I wasn’t willing to let that happen. "I.. uh. I can just wait for you to come up and do it," I said anxiously. Allowing Cora to give me a diaper change at twenty-three years old was already embarrassing enough. But my best friend? No thanks.

"I'll see you up in your room then, darling. Hurry along." Cora was, admittedly, a pretty good Mom. Even if this was all some big scheme, her love seemed real all the same. Genuine.