“More intimate than getting cold metal shoved up your vajayjay?”
Giggling at my dry response, Millie shrugs and pushes open a door to an exam room. For the most part, it looks like your typical doctor’s office, except for the dozens of childlike drawings on the walls.
“Daddy’s been letting me decorate,” Millie explains when she catches me studying what looks like it might be a picture of a horse. If the person drawing it had never actuallyseena horse and was trying to draw it based only on someone else’s description of a horse.
But I’m not a complete bitch, and even if I was, Catharina’s presence would be enough to keep my tongue in check, so I summon a smile for Millie and nod. “They’re really pretty.”
“Thanks!” Pride all but shines out from her as she grins at me. “I know I’m not much of an artist, but I have fun. We get to draw almost every day at school.”
School. Right. Mommy told me all about school and ballet classes. “Do you like school?”
Millie’s whole face lights up. “I love it! Sometimes I wish I could go every day like the others, but Daddy needs my help here a couple days a week still. Have you met the other Littles?”
“Just Victoria. I don’t think I want to go to school, though.”
Raising a single brow, Catharina pins me with a stern look. “It’s not up for debate, Alexis. We can talk about it more at home.”
“Sorry.” Pink slashes across Millie’s cheeks as she shifts nervously from foot to foot. “I didn’t mean to cause a problem.”
Catharina’s expression softens as she flashes a warm smile at Millie, and again I feel that ugly twist of jealousy in my stomach thatmyMommy is giving that approving smile to someone else. “You didn’t do anything wrong, sweet girl. But we should probably get moving before your Daddy comes in and catches us dillydallying.”
Sweet girl.There’s that term again, the one I want to tuck away somewhere and keep just for myself.
And what the fuck kind of word is “dillydallying” anyway?
“Sorry, Auntie Cat.” The blush on Millie’s cheeks darkens. “I’m just so excited for the final member of our family!”
Behind me, Catharina chuckles softly. “I’m sure your Daddy will understand your excitement. But we should still get started. What do we need to do first?”
“Um. Blood pressure and temperature.” Millie sighs, her shoulders slumping slightly as she flashes me an apologetic smile. “I’m gonna go ahead and apologize for that ahead of time. Daddy caught on that I was taking Nelly’s temperature the grown-up way and he wassupermad. So we gotta do it the Little girl way.”
“What does that mean?”
Before Millie can explain, Catharina pulls me toward her, flipping me over her left knee with an ease that knocks the air from my lungs. “It means the thermometer goes in your bottom instead of your mouth, little one. Now be a good girl for Mommy and stay still while Millie shows me how to take your temperature.”
Horror rises in my chest and I kick my legs in a desperate attempt to dislodge myself from her lap. “Mommy, no! I wanna take it therightway!”
“This is the right way, Alexis Paige.” Two stinging swats land on the tops of my thighs, immediately ceasing my struggles. “If you keep fighting me, I will spank your bottom red and there will be no trip to the toy store after our visit. Am I understood?”
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I know that I’m notactuallya child. But I certainly feel like one right now, with my thighs stinging from Mommy’s discipline and my chest aching from the weight of her scolding. And dammit, I really, really wanna go to the toy store, for reasons I can’t even begin to fathom.
Whether I understand it or not, though, the desire is enough to have me blinking back tears as I nod. “Yes, Mommy. I understand.”
“That’s my good girl. Let’s get this diaper off you now.”
Embarrassment heats my entire body as she strips the diaper from me, exposing me to the entire room. Which is only her and Millie, who I assume is a real nurse despite the odd circumstances, so I shouldn’t feel so humiliated by my nudity. But I do, and I cover my face and let out a low moan as Catharina uses one hand to spread my bottom cheeks open wide.
“Okay, so, you want to dip the bottom of the thermometer into the petroleum jelly before you put it in her bottom.”
“Like this?” Catharina asks.
“Perfect! Now, you don’t want to just shove it in, you want to push it in slowly and kind of rotate it from side to side so you don’t hurt your Little one.”
“Thank you, Millie. You’re being so helpful.”
Again I’m left with that twisting in my gut listening tomyMommy praise someone else. “It’s almost like that’s herjob,” I mutter to myself.
But I obviously wasn’t quiet enough, because Catharina’s voice is sharp and scolding when she speaks again. “You have just lost one toy at the store for your rudeness, little girl. Apologize to Millie.”
