I watch, my heart swelling to the point I wonder how it doesn’t simply burst out of my chest as she extracts our “do-dos” from the pan and slathers them with pink icing. And I don’t even flinch when she hands me the messy little pastry, instead toasting her by touching my donut to hers and popping it in my mouth.
It is, quite frankly, disgusting. Too chewy and somehow both overly sweet and flavorless at the same time. But my Little girl is staring at me with such hope in her eyes, I force myself to smile and make yummy noises as I chew and swallow the thing.
Perhaps Gavin can find some slightly more appealing options for us online.
For now, however, I know I’d eat an entire meal’s worth of these gross little pastries if it means never wiping that smile from my little one’s face.
Chapter Sixteen
Alexis
Compared to the events of yesterday, today is downright homey. Mommy sticks to her guns about only allowing me to make two treats in my toy oven before forcing me to eat breakfast, no matter how much I whine about yucky eggs. They aren’treallythat yucky, but it’s as though she’s tapped into some part of my brain that is still a child, so I find myself arguing mostly for the sake of arguing.
Which, inevitably, earns me several threats about the state of my bottom before I finally finish my breakfast. Mommy lets me pick out three toys to play with while she dries my hair, which is a lot more fun than drying it all on my own. And it looks a lot better, too. I don’t know if it’s the fancy products or if she’s just better at it than I am, but by the time she finishes, my curls are bouncy and shiny in a way I’ve never managed to achieve even though I’ve been doing it myself for years now.
I could get used to this. Would I have chosen to be kidnapped by one of the wealthiest women in the world, held hostage and treated like a literal baby if I’d had any choice in the matter?Probably not, but I can’t deny that I enjoy the way she dotes on me. If I could somehow figure out a way to be Catharina’s baby without any of the painful punishments, I think I could be happy here.
“All right, little imp. Ten more minutes, and then we need to get ready for dinner. Your uncles will be here soon.”
Pausing the game I’ve been playing with the elaborate dollhouse in my nursery, I pout up at her. “But I’m playing.”
“I know, baby, but our family dinners are very important. There will be plenty of time for you to play later.”
“But—”
“Alexis.” My name is a warning, one that has my pussy clenching even as fear crawls up my spine. “If you want to argue, you can stop playing right now and spend the next ten minutes sitting on your naughty chair in the corner instead. Is that what you want?”
Ugh, sitting in the corner soundsboring. If she’d threatened me with a spanking I might have been willing to push my luck.
But the corner? No thanks.
“No, Mommy.”
“Then be a good girl and no more arguing.”
Heaving a deep sigh, I turn back to my dollhouse. “Yes, Mommy.”
“Good girl.”
Her praise warms something inside of me, some part I never really even knew existed that’s hungry for someone to tell me I’m good, to be proud of me. I’m still riding high on it when she tells me it’s time to put my toys away, and the high is enough for me not to argue.
When everything is tucked back into its rightful place, Mommy takes my hand in hers and leads me into my giant closet. “Would you like to see the special dress Mommy had made just for our dinner tonight?”
Now that I know everything in this closet has been tailored just for me, it’s excitement rather than fear and embarrassment coursing through my veins as I bounce on my toes beside her. “Yes, please!”
Laughing at my exuberance, she pulls down a stunning dress in a deep emerald green that I already know will look incredible with my hair and skin tone. A sense of awe washes over me as I reach out to run my fingers over the silky material. It’s cut just like some of the pinup-style dresses I’d saved on my computer, but in a conservative style that feels more appropriate for the toddler I’m pretending to be while on the island. Beneath the silk are layers and layers of tulle that force the bottom half of the dress out, and I can’t wait to twirl and twirl in this gorgeous creation.
“It’s beautiful,” I say with a sigh.
“Not nearly as beautiful as my Little girl.” Leaning in, she drops a kiss on my nose that sends my heart fluttering wildly in my chest. “Arms up so Mommy can get you undressed, little imp.”
Without even a second of hesitation, I thrust my hands in the air, pulling another of those deep, throaty laughs from her that I enjoy so much as she pulls my shirt up over my head. She barely has time to get the dress on and over my diaper before I slip from her grasp and race over to the full-length mirror.
I stop dead in front of my reflection, the vision before me blurring as I take in the beautiful girl in front of me. She looks like me, only… happier. And the deep-green silk does something to her skin, making it glow in a way I’ve never seen before.
Or maybe that’s the happiness, too.
“I look… pretty.”
