RR Lori Warren - Chapter 52

PREVIOUS CHAPTER    |   START FROM THE BEGINNING

Reduction & Relocation: Lori Warren

Chapter 52 - Lori Gets Home

January 28th, 2006

“I figured there would be some funny moments, but I didn’t expect to laugh that much!” Lori chortled, stepping into the living room and letting that familiar, cinnamon and vanilla scented warmth envelop her.  She slipped out of her soft gray cardigan and tossed it casually over the back of the couch. 

A little embarrassing at times, sitting next to your teenage daughter during some of those jokes, but still.  

“Did you have fun, sweetheart?”

Isabella followed in close behind, running her fingers through her dark hair to reverse the effects of the wind outside.  “I sure did, Mom.” She stepped out of her flip flops and aligned them neatly by the door.  “She had me blushing a few times too, so don’t worry–you weren’t the only one!”

The corners of Lori’s lips tugged upward in maternal pride.  She really cherished these opportunities and who knew how many were left before Isabella would be marching off to college.  ‘Nope, don’t get yourself all worked up, Lori.’ She said to herself.  ‘Enjoy the night for what it was: light, fun, and uncomplicated.

Of course, the evening was only a break from normal life.  And normal life was complicated.  Now that she was home, it was time to handle her responsibilities outside of motherhood.

Michael.

Oh, how he would have appreciated tonight. Seeing Sarah Silverman was all he talked about when he was out of her bottom.  If only he hadn’t ruined everything, he might have been able to soak up all that edgy and risque humor, too. 

Now that it was all over, did she feel bad about not letting him come to the comedy show?  Lori paused for half a heartbeat to consider. Honestly? No.  Not even a little, surprisingly.  She expected at least a pang of sympathy. But Lori was quick to remind herself that the only reason the idea to take him along even came up was because she was trying to think of a way to reward his good behavior.  Trying to get Lori in trouble and breaking his promise to RR Labs was the complete opposite of good behavior. 

Lori’s eyes fell upon the living room, and she let out a small sigh. 

Two chairs from the dining room table were parked in front of the television, which glowed with the idle homescreen of whatever Nintendo Wii game Gina and Victoria were playing. Empty soda cans and snack wrappers scattered the floor around the chairs, teetering on the edge of the couch’s arm rest was a half-eaten, half-spilled bowl of popcorn.

“Looks like nothing’s changed around here.” Lori said, but then Isabella appeared over her shoulder.  “I can clean it up, Mom.” Isabella offered, pulling her hair into a ponytail as she approached the mess.

“Oh, honey, you don’t have to–”

“--I don’t mind, Mom.” Isabella said, gathering up the popcorn and soda cans. “It’s the least I can do to pay you back for tonight.”

Lori grinned. “Well, you don’t ever have to pay me back for things like tonight, Bella.  But thank you.”

Lori peaked into the kitchen, thinking she might see Victoria or Gina but neither were there.  “Probably up in their bedrooms.” She muttered, looking up at the clock.  It was 10PM.  Strange that they’d be in bed this early on a weekend; but then again she and Isabella had gotten home much sooner than she thought they would.  Lori grabbed a wine glass from the cabinet, her mind returning to Michael. 

She thought back to when Michael accepted those earlier praises and the gift offering of the comedy show.  With the information she had now, Lori suspected that behind those smiles, he might have been calculating the finer details of his selfish scheme.  Perhaps Michael’s “good behavior” was nothing more than a manipulative ploy.  For all Lori knew, his excitement about the comedy show wasn’t even genuine.  Maybe it was just another way to push boundaries or even exploit the outing in a grand strategy to escape.

Isabella entered the kitchen behind her mother. “I’m gonna go upstairs to my room for the night.”

“Sounds good, darling,” Lori said, adding a splash of white to her wine glass.  “You’re heading off to bed, too?”

Isabella shook her head.  “Not yet; I’ve got to study.”

Lori chucked, “Tomorrow’s Sunday. I think you can take a break, sweety.”

Isabella reached into the fridge and pulled out her reusable, glittering pink water bottle. “It’s for tomorrow morning’s SAT Prep Club Meeting.” She then leaned in and planted a soft kiss on Lori’s cheek.  “Thanks again for taking me tonight, Mom.”

“You’re very welcome, sweetheart.” Lori beamed.  She watched Isabella pivot gracefully on her heel and float out of the kitchen. She disappeared around the corner up the steps, leaving only the faintest creak of the steps behind her. 

“That girl is going places. She’s really something special.”

                      * 

Lori finished her splash of wine and then made her way to the staircase, turning the lights out behind her as she went. Considering how much of a fuss Gina had made about wanting to go out with her friend tonight, it would have been comical if she were already asleep this early. She hoped Gina had at least kept Michael in line with no problems.  The landing at the top of the steps was mostly cast in darkness, but she did see a sliver of light coming from Isabella’s cracked-open bedroom door. Lori could see her dressed down in her comfy fleece pajamas, sitting cross-legged on her bed with a textbook in her lap as she brushed her shining hair.

And that wasn’t the only source of light scattering across the landing’s otherwise dark, carpeted floor.  There was also light coming from under Gina’s bedroom door, too.

She was still up.

Lori quietly approached Gina’s bedroom door and raised a hand to knock, but then she froze. 

Muffled voices came from the other side, so Lori decided to do what any mother would:  she was going to listen.

“That’s so funny; he’s really squirming now! Like a little baby mouse! He must be all snug and warm in there, huh?” 

That was Victoria.  They were both in Gina’s bedroom? What on earth could they have been doing?

“Yeah, I guess.”

“You’re so boring about it!” Victoria said. “Can you at least not be boring?”

Gina laughed, “What am I supposed to do?”

“I dunno.  But I know I wouldn’t just be sitting there playing on my phone like you.”

There was a slight pause before Gina replied, “What would you do?”

“Hmm…maybe pretend like I’m a queen and he’s my loyal subject?  I dunno.  I just know I wouldn’t be boring.”

“Who says I’m bored?”

“I didn’t say you’re bored.  I said you’re boring.  There’s a difference.” Victoria said matter-of-factly. “At least take your sock off so I can actually make sure that he’s still kissing.”

“Don’t worry, he still is.”

Lori froze as her breath caught in her throat.  She felt a chill crawl up her spine as her mind raced. Gina put Michael in her sock?! What the hell are they doing with him in there?

“I don’t know why you won’t let me see him.” Victoria said with an audible pout, her tone brimming with frustration as the springs of Gina’s bed creaked.  “We’re wasting like…so many opportunities.”

“I’m not wasting anything.  Mom’s paying me to babysit the little squirt and that’s what I’m doing.  I’m not going down for whatever weird thing you’ve got for him.  He’s not coming out again until Mom gets home.”

“Yeah, but you’re going to have to take him out sooner than that. And put him back in your butt.” Victoria corrected. “It’d be a shame if someone told Mom. I wonder if she’d be mad about you doing this.”

“Yeah?” Gina laughed.  “It’d also be a shame if someone told Mom about her missing dirty book and how it somehow ended up in your vanity.”

Lori gasped, and then there was pure silence on the other side of the door.

“Why don’t you just give him to me.” Much of the pep and fire in Victoria’s voice was gone now, but she was still so very insistent. “I’ll watch him until Mom gets back and you won’t have to worry about anything.”

“Hundred bucks.”

“What? That’s more than Mom’s even paying you!  Don’t be so greedy!”

“That’s the price.” Gina said. “Take it or leave it.”

Lori’s mouth fell open in disbelief.  Who were these girls?! How hard were her instructions?  Michael was to be housed in Gina’s bottom, not stuffed between her toes. Her nostrils flared as anger bubbled up, but she swallowed it back down best she could. It was time to address this.  She straightened her posture and raised a fist to the wooden door.

Knock, knock. 

The voices in Gina’s room went dead silent, and then there was a frantic hush before Gina finally said “...who is it?”

“It’s your mother. Who else?” Lori said, testing the door knob.  Unlocked.  Gina was out of practice.  “I’m coming in.”

Lori didn’t wait to be invited.  The doorknob squeaked as she twisted and then Lori heard a scuffle, a few hurried whispers, and what sounded suspiciously like a loud thud against the floor. Gina was sprawled out on the bed, her head propped lazily against a stack of pillows. Her black-and-white checkered socks were crossed at the ankles, swaying slightly as she absently jiggled one foot over the other.  

Victoria sat cross-legged on the floor near the foot of the bed, her dark hair tied up in the messiest of lazy, rushed buns.  She sat suspiciously close to Gina’s feet, and in fact her hand was resting on the side of Gina’s ankle, as though she had just been poking at Gina’s checkered sole. 

Both girls were frozen as if they’d been captured in a photograph, their eyes snapping toward her and freezing like deer caught in headlights.  

“Hi Mom.” Gina said, sitting up atop her comforter. “You’re...home way earlier than I thought you would be.”

“Good evening, girls.” Lori said with an even, flat monotone.  Her eyes narrowed in on Gina’s feet, which instinctively tucked in under her butt as Gina repositioned herself atop her bed. “You two look cozy.”

Gina swallowed hard and forced a grin.  “Yeah, we were just, uh, hanging out. You know, girl talk.” She waved a hand vaguely.  

Victoria nodded too quickly, her messy bun bobbing.  “Right!  Just, um, talking!”

Lori crossed her arms over her chest.  “Nice to see you two getting along so well.  And hanging out together in Gina’s room? That’s not suspicious at all.”

The girls laughed–far too politely and far too suspiciously.

“How was Michael?” Lori asked.  

“Fine.” Gina said.

“Just fine? Where is he?”

Gina’s eyes quickly darted to Victoria and then back to her mother.  She was never a great liar.  Better than Isabella (who wasn’t?) but not nearly as good as Victoria.  

When Gina allowed a second of dubious silence to fill the bedroom, Victoria tried to swoop in and save the day.  “Paddy is where he’s supposed to be, Mom.” Victoria chimed in.  “Between Gina’s butt cheeks, duh.”

“Oh, fantastic.  Because you know he needs to be in a rear end for most of the day.”

“I know that.” Gina said quickly. “He’s in my butt. That’s where he’s been all night.”

“Okay, that’s great.” Lori said. “May I have him back now, please?”

Gina hesitated, reaching down and pulling her feet in further underneath and even adjusting her blanket to cover her lower half, as if to avoid Lori’s piercing gaze.  

“Sure, Mom.  I just need to, uh… go to the bathroom to, you know, get him cleaned up for you.” Gina said with a sheepish grin, her fingers nervously fidgeting her waistband. 

“No need.” Lori said, breaking her arm-folded pose just long enough to waive a dismissive hand.  “I’ve given him more baths than either of you could count working together. I’ll take care of it.”

Gina’s grin faltered, and for a moment, she seemed to be calculating a new strategy.  “I mean…it’s just kinda messy…back there.” She stammered.  “You know, Vicky and I were dancing earlier and I’ve been sitting for a while, and he’s probably, uh, really not in the freshest condition.”

“Yeah, Mom.” Victoria added, wafting the air away from her wrinkled-up nose. “Plus Gina’s been farting like all night.”

“No I haven’t!” Gina barked. “Two times is not all night. And plus we were dancing.” Gina didn’t spend too much time staring daggers into her sister, because Lori took a single, deliberate step forward.  “I said, I don’t mind.” Lori held out a hand, as if she were there to claim a too-long borrowed hairbrush. “Hand him over. Now.”

“Alright, alright. I’ll give him to you.” Gina said with an unconvincing performance of annoyance.  She swung her feet out from under the blanket with an alerting swiftness and planted them softly on the soft carpet. Her heels, soles, and toes sank into the plush cushion as she started to stand up. “But I literally need to go to the bathroom first.  Cause ew, I don’t–”

“--Sit.” Lori instructed, lifting a hand. Gina bounced back down onto the bed, her knees bent and her socked feet barely touching the carpet. 

“Straighten out your legs.” Lori said.

“What? Why?” Gina asked, attempting a nervous laugh as she shifted uncomfortably.

“Because I said so, that’s why.” Lori replied.  

Gina reluctantly swung her legs onto the bed and extended them, the black-and-white checkered pattern stretching over her feet now pointing directly at Lori.

“Take off your socks.” Lori said firmly.

Gina’s face turned pale white. Her hands instinctively clutched the edges of the bed.  “My socks?” She echoed. “Mom, you’re being weird.  Why would I–”

“Do it, Gina.” Lori ordered.

Gina rolled her eyes and leaned forward. She must have thought she was being so smooth as her thumb swiped along the length of her toes, from smallest to biggest.  It was discrete but not nearly discrete enough, especially since Lori knew exactly what to watch for.  Did she really think that Lori wasn’t her age once?  Gina was so clearly trying to buy time, as if there was anything she could do to get out of this.  Michael had a better chance of getting himself out of that black and white checkered sock. Gina’s fingers fumbled with the cuffs of her socks and she peeled the stubborn tight fabric from the curve of each foot.  

The socks had barely cleared Gina’s toes when Lori snatched them up. With each warm sock, she stretched the mouth and turned them upside down into her open hand and caught…nothing.  

But still Lori was not satisfied.  

“Mom, how was your comedy thing?” Victoria asked. 

“Don’t try and distract me, Victoria.” Lori stepped closer, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.  She crouched, hands on her knees, and examined Gina’s bare foot with a level of scrutiny reserved for TSA agents at random screenings.  The soles were flushed slightly pink, probably from spending all day in socks. That was surely where those traces of fabric imprints pressed into the soft and smooth skin came from.  Her eyes scanned every inch of Gina’s exposed soles and toes, following the horizontal sock imprints through the shallow ridges and baby-smooth, blemish free skin.

Michael was nowhere to be seen–at least, not at first glance.

A less observant mother might have returned Gina’s socks and ended her investigation. But Lori’s sharp eyes locked onto Gina’s left foot once more, honing in on the way her toes were curled, far more tense than the right foot.  Her left sole also carried more prominent wrinkles that crisscrossed the arches with deep pronounced lines.  The toes themselves scrunched tight enough that their tips whitened under the pressure, and the pads where the toes connected puffed out from how forcefully her toes were pressing. The natural curl created a soft, shadowed crevice so narrow that most little things couldn’t have possibly fit.  

Unless they were forced to fit….

Gina was actively clenching her toes and Lori knew what exactly she was clenching.  It was the same tiny little thing that the sneaky teenager’s thumb had swiped and pressed into position before removing her socks.

Lori slid her hand in under Gina’s achilles tendon, forming a gentle circle around her ankle with her fingers and thumb and then she lifted Gina’s bare foot.

“Relax your toes.”

Gina’s body tensed and her shoulders stiffened.  But she didn’t pull her foot away.  She didn’t argue.  She knew she was caught.  Without a word, Gina exhaled softly through her nose and let her toes loosen.

The displaced blood returned to Gina’s unclenching toes and the displaced cushioning returned to their natural orb-like shape.  As her foot relaxed, the space between her rising toes and the pad of her foot widened, giving Lori the perfect view of what those five toes had been squeezing.  The smooth, plush pads of Gina’s relaxing toes revealed their secret prize.

It was Michael.

Gina’s foot dwarfed him entirely and her five toes worked together to dominate him.  His miniature body lay nestled into the curve of Gina’s toes which loomed over him like a fleshy canopy. The curve of Gina’s plump big toe cradled his head almost protectively. The curve of his spine conformed to the shape of her pad, and his feet trailed down toward her smaller toes. She couldn’t see his face as it was pressed into the soft skin beneath Gina’s toes. His hair looked matted and damp, probably from the warmth and moisture trapped in the sock.

As the cooler air caressed his bare skin, Michael stirred weakly. His nude body trembled as Gina’s comparatively massive toes twitched over his head.  At his diminutive size, even toes were a force to be reckoned with, and he had clearly been conditioned to respect and fear them whenever they moved. His arms were pinned awkwardly at his sides like he was trying to squeeze down a comically narrow hallway and his legs curled tightly to fit into the cramped space.  Even as they relaxed, her toes continued to hold him firm enough that his body seemed molded into the space, as if he were designed to fit there.

Lori exhaled sharply through her nose.  “So,” she said, her voice dangerously calm, “this is where you thought Michael should spend the evening while I was gone?” She looked up from Michael’s trembling body to Gina, but she was staring down into her lap.  She didn’t dare make eye contact back with her mother, but the guilt and discomfort were written plainly on her face.

With a gentle but firm grip, Lori reached in and plucked Michael from the damp cradle of Gina’s toes. His tiny body peeled from the warm skin like a sticker and Gina’s toes wiggled in response, as if they were bemoaning the loss of the perfectly sized squeeze toy.  Lori’s lips pressed into a thin, frowning line as she calmly set Gina’s foot back onto the bed and peered down at Michael. Her finger traced lightly along his arm and then her thumb gently nudged his back, testing his responsiveness.  Michael’s breaths were shallow but steady in her palm. He was conscious but dazed. His body was decorated in particles of sock fuzz and he looked utterly exhausted, but otherwise unharmed. 

“Victoria,” Lori said, not looking up from Michael.  “Go to bed.”

Victoria’s shoulders slumped with petulance.  “Mom, it’s still early.”

Lori’s eyes narrowed, her voice dropping a full octave. “Now.”

She pursed her lips in frustration as she noisily stomped out of Gina’s bedroom, and she mumbled under her breath, “I didn’t even get my turn.”

“Excuse me?!” Lori glared, setting both her hands, including the one holding Michael, on her hips. “Your turn? For what, exactly?”

“I, um…I meant on the Nintendo Wii!” Victoria said. “Gina didn’t give me my turn yet.”

“Yeah, I’m sure.” Lori said with sardonic skepticism. “Go. To bed. Now.”

Victoria didn’t argue further. She shot Gina a brief, frustrated look and trudged to the open door with heavy foot falls.  

“And we will have a conversation about what you just said in the morning, young lady.” Lori added as Victoria disappeared down the hallway.

With the door clicking shut behind Victoria, Lori turned back to Gina. Her face was red as she fidgeted with the hem of her fuzzy plaid pajama pants. Her toes, now relaxed and no longer hiding secrets from her mother, wiggled unconsciously as she stared down at her lap. 

“Care to explain anything, Gina?” Lori asked. Her full attention was on Gina, but Lori had pulled away the tight waistband of her denim jeans. She lowered Michael toward the gap and he didn’t resist in the slightest as she rolled him down her lower back and settled him into the familiar depth of her crack, anchored and protected by her thick, voluminous cheeks. If she wasn’t mistaken, Michael actually pushed himself off of Lori’s fingers, just to get that much deeper into her crack. “And what did your sister mean? Her turn for what?  And I know she wasn’t talking about the Nintendo.”

“Mom, I swear.” Gina blurted out. “I was never going to let Victoria play with him.”

“Oh?  So you weren’t going to let her rent him?” Lori asked, letting the thick waistband snap back into place. She could feel Michael continuing to burrow deeper into her crack, as if he were trying to get as far from Gina as he could. “I heard you from the other side of the door, Gina.  Why should I believe you’re telling the truth now and that you weren’t then?”

Gina sat up straighter.  Her posture and her voice carried a level of conviction not present earlier when she was trying to smuggle Michael in her sock.  “Because it’s Victoria, Mom! Are you serious?  I wouldn’t trust her with my makeup brush! Let alone something I’m supposed to take care of for you.”

It did make sense what Gina was saying.

“She wouldn’t stop bugging me all night, trying to see him and get him to do stuff for us. I only told her that stuff because I knew she couldn’t afford it and I figured it would shut her up.” Gina insisted.

“So she put you up to it?  Putting Michael in your sock?”

The courage and conviction on Gina’s face and in her tone had been short-lived.  “...yeah.”

With a long sigh, Lori’s demeanor softened. “Alright, Gina.  I believe you weren't planning on letting Victoria get her hands on Michael.  But I can tell you’re lying about the last part.  Now why did you feel like you didn’t have to listen to my instructions about housing Michael?”

Gina shifted awkwardly.  “I…I don’t know, Mom.  I just thought–”

“--You thought what?” Lori interrupted, careful not to raise but it maintained firmness. “That it was optional?”

“No.” Gina said quickly, her voice defensive but faltering.  “I just…I didn’t think it mattered that much.  I mean, he’s fine, right?  As long as he’s somewhere soft and warm, it’s not like it has to be butt cheeks keeping him warm and safe.”

Lori pinched the air. “That’s not your decision, Gina.  Or Michael’s, not any more.  It’s my decision.” Lori said, pointing firmly at her own chest. “Did you even put him in your bottom at all?”

“Yeah!” Gina blurted out.  “As soon as you left I put him between my cheeks.” 

“Okay.  And then you took him out.” Lori said.  “How long was he away from your bottom?”

Gina’s eyes danced up to the ceiling as she tried to remember. “I dunno…I put him in my butt really soon after you left; like a few minutes. But I took him out probably a half hour later.”

“Okay, so he’s been away from your bottom for three hours.” Lori shook her head in disapproval.

“It’s just…” Gina hesitated, her voice growing quieter. “Gross. Keeping him there.”

“Gross?” Lori repeated. “And keeping him with your foot is any better? Or any less strange?”

Gina’s cheeks turned a deep shade of crimson red. She crossed her arms defensively and looked down at her feet.  It was like she’d given up on the discussion; like she’d been beaten.  Or like she’d lost the will to keep going. Her silence was incredibly telling.

“Sweetheart…” Lori said, taking a seat on Gina’s bed next to her.  “This isn’t about not understanding the rules–and it’s not about feeling ‘grossed out’ as you put it, is it? There’s something else going on here.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Yes, you do.” Lori said, tilting her head as she observed Gina’s fidgeting.  “Look at me, honey.”

Gina begrudgingly looked up at her mother, and Lori saw another flicker of embarrassment and something else she didn’t like seeing.  Maybe shame.

“You can talk to me, you know.” Lori encouraged, rubbing her shoulder.  “Whatever it is, I’ll always love you the way you are.  I’m never going to judge you.  You mentioned earlier that it wasn’t a big deal where Michael was kept as long as it was soft and warm.  There are a lot of other things you could have done to keep him soft and warm. And yet you chose to keep him with your foot. Why was that?”

“I dunno, Mom.  It just seemed easier. That’s all.”

“Was it really that it seemed easier?  Or…did you like the feeling of Michael there?”

Gina froze, her blush deepening.  She bit her lip.  “Maybe a little bit.”

Lori let out a sigh and smiled, hugging Gina’s shoulders.  “If this is something you’re exploring, something you’re trying to figure out about yourself, I promise I’m not upset.  You’re eighteen years old, Gina.  And it’s perfectly normal for you to have these feelings.

For the first time, Gina looked up from her feet and up at Lori.  “Really?”

Lori’s heart melted seeing her eldest daughter so uncertain and embarrassed, and about something she had no control over!  And it’s not as if an interest like this was a bad thing, or even uncommon!  If she’d had a nickel for every boy she caught staring at her own feet over the years, she wouldn’t need her Roth IRA!  She pulled Gina close and hugged her head to her chest.  “Listen, sweetheart.  I’m not mad at you.  I couldn’t be more supportive of you figuring these things out about yourself; and it’s so important that you do it while you’re still young. It doesn’t mean you can break the rules with Michael, but it does mean that I’ll always be here to talk to, without any judgment.”

“Thanks, Mom.  That really means a lot. And just so you know, for what it’s worth…afer I took him out of my butt, he would not stop asking where you were, and if he could go back to you. I think he really missed you.”

Lori brushed a strand of wavy, dirty-blonde hair behind Gina’s ear and she smiled softly. With a gentle squeeze of her shoulder, Lori leaned over and planted a kiss on the top of Gina’s head. “That’s sweet of you to say,” Lori said. The two sighed in the silence of resolution, but Lori couldn’t help but break it with something a little light-hearted. “So, you also had him kissing your foot, huh?”

Gina fidgeted on the edge of her bed, her thick thighs pressing together around her hand. “That, uh… yeah, that part really was Vicky’s idea,” she admitted with nervous laughter. “But I’ll admit I kinda liked it.”  She tucked a strand of her long, dirty blonde hair behind her ear, her cheeks turning rosy. “Would you ever have him kiss yours?”

Lori shot a sly grin as she stood up from Gina’s bed. “Oh, look at you, so quick to turn this around on me!” she said, hands on her hips. “Trying to get me to share my secrets now? Cause I think you’d get grossed out long before I get too embarrassed.”

Gina laughed, her foot idly tapping against the carpet. “Maybe,” she murmured, avoiding her mom’s gaze.

Lori shook her head with amusement and turned back toward the door, her round, soft figure swaying as she walked. The movement of her rippling cheeks inspired a twitch from Michael deep in her crack; she’d went from sitting to standing to walking pretty quickly, and yet he was already beginning to settle back down between her glutes and relax. She reached the doorframe and placed her hand on it, about to step out, when Gina’s voice stopped her.

“Mom?”

Lori glanced back, arching a brow. “What is it, Gina?”

“Are you still gonna, umm, let me know when you need a babysitter?” Gina asked. She tilted her head and bat her eyelashes with that practiced, doe-eyed look she’d perfected ever since she was a little girl. She clasped her hands in front of her chest, playing up the charm. “I could really use the money.”

Lori smirked knowingly. “I don’t know… are you going to keep him in your bottom where he belongs?”

“Yeah.” Gina rolled her eyes.  “But would I be allowed to put him in my sock, too? Just for a little bit? And then he spends the rest of the time in my butt?”

Lori let out a hearty laugh, the sound filling the room. She crossed her arms, looking her daughter over with mock exasperation. “You’ve come a long way, haven’t you? From all that blushing embarrassment to now openly bargaining with me.”

Gina grinned, her confidence growing. “Well, you’re the one always telling us that we’re strong, independent girls and we need to ask for what we want, right?”

Lori’s heart swelled with pride despite herself. She knew that Gina was being half-serious, half silly. But still, Lori had worked hard to create a home where her daughters felt safe to express themselves, and moments like this reminded her it was worth it. It deserved to be rewarded.

“Fine,” Lori said, holding up a single finger. “One hour.”

“Hour and a half?” Gina countered, her grin hopeful.

“Gina…” Lori grumbled, narrowing her eyes.

“Okay, okay! One hour,” Gina relented, throwing up her hands in mock defeat.

Lori shook her head with a smile, stepping out of the room. “Goodnight, Gina.”

“Night, Mom.” Gina called after her as the door clicked shut.

~