The other Littles laughed.
“What do you want to dress up as?” Elena asked Iris.
“Hmm. Maybe… ooh, I see a cowgirl outfit!” She ran to the wardrobe where the dress-up clothes hung and pulledout the pink western-style shirt complete with fringe. A vest accompanied it, and on the shelf above was a pink cowgirl hat.
“We have a stick horse you can even ride,” Graham pointed out. “Right over there.”
Iris looked to see the toy in the corner. “This will be perfect! I’ve always wanted to ride a horse.”
“I rode one at summer camp,” Graham told them.
“I used to do riding lessons in the summer when I was a kid,” Elena said. “My mom would always yell, ‘Siéntate derecha y agárrate fuerte, Mija.’”
“What did that mean?” Graham asked.
It was Iris who answered. “Sit straight and hold on tight. I think.”
“Very good. I didn’t know you spoke Spanish,” Elena said.
Iris shrugged as she said, “Only a little. I’m not great at it. But I can get by.”
“Hey, I learned something new about you.” Elena seemed pleased. “So, you’ve never been on a horse? Ever?”
Irish shook her head. “No. I was sort of bounced around between relatives. Didn’t really have time and money for stuff like that.”
She instantly regretted the admission. It wasn’t that she was ashamed of her past. There wasn’t anything she could do about it. It simply was what it was. But she didn’t want anyone thinking she craved sympathy. Or that she was jealous of their experiences.
Making a mental note not to share so much, she hoped the group would just let her comment slide.
Instead, though, Elena put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and said, “That sounds tough, friend.”
This made Iris smile warmly. “Thank you. It was. But it’s all good. I’m here with you all right now and I’m ready to transform into a cowgirl! Yeehaw!”
The four Littles cheered, but before they could play dress-up, Auntie Athena came into the room and said, “I think you all are long overdue for diaper checks. Come on, cuties. Line up.”
The other three groaned but Iris was just fine. Truth be told, she loved the attention. It just felt nice that someone cared about her enough to actually check her.
“Cute stuff, you made lots of tinkles in that diapee,” Auntie Athena said after she’d inspected Iris. “Come on. There’s a changing station in the room across the hall. Let’s get to it so you can play.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Iris said as she let Auntie lead her away.
Once she was in the next room, her shortalls off and her soggy diaper being pulled away while she lay atop the changing table, she said, “Thank you for letting me come here, Auntie. This place is amazing. In fact, this might be the best day of my life.”
Again, she regretted the words as soon as they’d left her lips. How pathetic had that sounded?
“Aww, sweetie, that makes me so happy,” Auntie said. “And you are welcome here anytime.” She gingerly worked the wet wipe between Iris’s legs. The Little closed her eyes and let out a coo. The reaction had been involuntary. She’d just never experienced anything so loving and intimate before. A sense of peace and calm washed over her, and she loved the way it threatened to sweep her away.
She never wanted to come back from it.
How amazing would it be to have a caring Big to live with?
Even more amazing, how wonderful would it be if that Big happened to be a hot, sexy Daddy like Jack?
That’ll never happen,she silently told herself.Best not to think too much about it. You’re only setting yourself up for disappointment.
Iris stopped thinking about Jack when Auntie Athena spoke again.
“Honey, I hope you know that I care about you. We’ve only known each other for a few hours, but I believe you can tell how I feel about you.”
