Taken from: The ABDL Pet Play Book, here is a little story about having the courage to take that first little baby step and to leave that first little paw print.
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Scaredy Cat
Nina kept pinching herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming and to make sure she hadn’t passed out from high blood pressure. But with several nail marks on the back of her right hand at this point, she knew that this was all real. And as the light turned green on Eshelman Street, she turned left, headed towards something new. But at the same time, it was something old – or at least something she had been thinking about for what seemed like a lifetime. This made her both nervous and excited. But as she knew she likely wouldn’t tell anyone about her journey of that night, she also knew that there was no turning back. Not at this point. If she had turned back, she would’ve remained only guessing and, as had been her state of mind her whole life, as curious as a cat. So, she stepped on the accelerator and pinched herself one more time, just to make sure.
In the present-day of internet connection and of everything instantly being available at her fingertips, from information to support to so much more, Nina was able to explore every quirky little thought that had ever entered her mind. And until she met a few people online, she truly didn’t realize that most everyone had quirky, off-the-beaten-path attractions. In just a few short days of interaction, her world opened up. But to get there, it took a tremendous amount of courage from within.
Having seen enough television shows and documentaries on the various curiosities of the world, she plunged into her fantasies. From taboo specials on dinky little cable networks to wide-eyed late night e-book searches to that series of hardbacks that boasted so many shades of gray, Nina decided that knowledge was the only thing that would satisfy a little kitty’s curiosity.
Pulling up to the next red light, she checked her cell phone for the text that had just arrived. And reading it, she blushed. It was a text from a lady named Meara, but a lady that Nina referred to as Mommy.
Hello, Mommy. I’m on the way. – Nina texted her.
What did Mommy say you were supposed to all her tonight? – Meara texted back.
Mama Cat. – Nina typed in.
I don’t want you texting while driving. Call me now, kitten. And put me on speaker. – Meara texted.
Nina felt that first little twinge of excitement. Meara was an older lady who was quite active online. She had been divorced for ten years and had no intentions of getting married again. But, as her ex-husband had tor her heart out of her chest when he cheated on her, in court she tore his entire back account out from underneath him. And presently, she was living well, not just with a beautiful house and a wonderful alimony, but also with the knowledge that her heart had only been bruised. And in time, it had healed. Meara then pursued so many curiosities that her marriage and her husband wouldn’t allow. And she did it all with money that was rightful hers and a renewed sense of love for anyone who had the ability to trust completely what their hearts were telling them to do.
“Hello?” Meara’s voice said from the phone as Nina set it on the dashboard while continuing down the road.
“Hi!” Nina said with a small, sweet voice.
“Hello, kitten. Are you excited for tonight?” Meara asked with a pleasantness to her.
“Yeah,” Nina said with a slight labored tremble, gripping the wheel as her heart began to beat faster at the imagination running wild inside her head.
“Mama Cat is very excited to see you,” Meara said with a supportive and gentle tone, recognizing the meaning of Nina’s shaky voice. “And the others are very excited to meet you to.”
A tingle rolled across the surface of Nina’s body, flushing her face and making her released her Kung Fu grip on the steering wheel as her fingertips went numb.
“So …,” Nina said, then swallowing a lump in her throat as she searched for the words to ask. “Everyone else is there already?”
“Yes, they are. And they all want to meet the Nina Kitty,” Meara said with a soothing calm.
But Nina was only getting more and more worked up as she drew closer and closer to Meara’s house.
“Nina, what did Mommy say was the toughest thing for a BabyGirl like you to do?” Meara asked, attempting to regress Nina away from her fears.
“Taking that first baby step,” Nina said with a small, shy voice as an equally small smile spread across her face.
“That’s right,” Meara said with a maternal tone. “And what did Mama Cat say was the toughest thing for a little kitty like you to do?”
“Making the first paw print when walking towards somewhere you want to go,” Nina whispered with breathiness, still slightly trembling.
“That’s right,” Meara replied. “How much further do you have to go before you get here?”
“About two miles I think,” Nina said, now on the brink of turning around and going home.
“Nina, listen to your Mama Cat,” Meara said softly. “Get your Hello Kitty pacifier out of the arm rest between the front seats and put it in your mouth.”
Nina opened the arm rest, took out the pacifier and placed the rubber nipple flat on her tongue before taking it between her pink lips.
“Did you put it in your mouth?” Meara asked with maternal gentleness.
“Mm-hmm,” Nina confirmed in mumble behind her pacifier.
“That’s my good little kitty,” Meara said with continued soothing sweetness. “Follow the speed limit and just listen to your Mama Cat’s voice.”
Nina slowed the car down to 25 miles per hour and turned onto Feline Drive.
“Soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur,” Meara began singing – that song Nina loved from her favorite TV show. “Happy kitty, sleepy kitty, purr - purr – purr.”
Meara sang the song again, this time with Nina humming along behind her pacifier – her trepidation, though still present, no longer controlling her. But still shaky or not, Meara’s house was at the end of the lane, just a hundred feet away at this point.
“You don’t need to be a scaredy cat, Nina,” Meara said softly, watching Nina’s car pull up to the curb in front of the house. “I’ll be right down to let you in. Bye Bye.”
Nina picked up her phone and looked over at the front door, illuminated with soft yellow lighting. But she couldn’t get out of the cat. Caught between conflicting desires, to run up to the door to embrace Meara and to start the car back up to drive away, Nina closed her eyes for a moment to hum the kitty song again. There truly was no way she could turn back. And if she was going to allow herself to be a scaredy cat, then her life would only be as fulfilling as she allowed it to be. Meara was prepared to help Nina live out a fantasy that was a lifetime in the making.
So, Nina opened the driver’s door and got out, standing there to take in the full sight of Meara’s house. It was a beautiful two-story with a full attached garage. The outside painted a gentle tan color, not too yellow and not to dull – but rather, warm and inviting. The shutters around the windows were a dark brown, giving the house a sense of being a home. The covered porch wrapped all the way around the house, stopping only at the one end for the garage. Meara’s front yard was finely edged and landscaped. And her mailbox resembled a birdhouse – an absolutely adorable little touch that, with the knowledge Nina had, also made her smile at how this house was for love, for kitties and for dreams, not for nasty birds who would only get eaten by Meara – should they be so bold as to try to nest where they didn’t belong. Meara’s ex-husband understood this well, whether he like it or not. But Nina knew that she would love the experiences awaiting her in that wonderful house in front of her that she would be able to feel as a home as well.
Bending her right knee, she walked forward towards the front door, the first little baby step and the first little paw print of many, many more to come. She hoped that this night would be everything it could be. And by its end, she hoped that she would be a happy BabyGirl and a happy little kitty, but mostly, she hoped she would no longer be a Scaredy Cat.
Sometimes, it seemed the things Nina wanted the most were the most difficult to get. And it wasn’t because they were unattainable, but rather, because she felt guilty for wanting things so much that they truly became needs in her life – as if she wouldn’t ever feel complete without them. Lots of people in this world lived full lives without ever attaining their dreams. And here Nina stood at Meara’s front door, just a simple door bell’s push away from realizing her dreams. Yet … she still hesitated. Truly, there was guilt on her mind.
Reaching forward and pushing the door bell, she heard its chime, folding her arms, shrinking up her shoulders and awaiting Meara to open the door. She heard a scampering of feet from upstairs that ran down the staircase quickly and up to the door. It seemed unlike Meara to have run so quickly to the door.
But with a sudden startling blink, the blind on the inside of the front door was pulled up and Nina found herself staring at a girl who stood at the same 5’ 6” height that she did. The girl had long, straight and brown hair, just as Nina did. But her hair was dark brown and Nina’s was light brown. Her hair was put up into two high pigtails but Nina’s hair was down on her shoulders.
The girl leaned forward and looked through the window of the front door, eyeing up Nina’s appearance of sneakers, jeans and a simple white baby-t. Nina leaned forward and took in the girl’s appearance of knee-high rainbow socks, tanned skin, a thick and plush diaper at her waist, no hips, a tight pink Hello Kitty t-shirt covering her flat-chested bust, a thin black leather collar around her neck, a pink pacifier between her lips and a hair band on her head with fuzzy, pink kitten ears on it.
Once they had compared one another, they both looked at each other with eyes as wide as newborn kittens – both nursing their pacifiers and tilting their heads to the left as they tried to figure each other out. But before either of them could come to any conclusions, a snapping of fingers drew both of their attention to the top of the main staircase where Meara summoned the girl to return to the second floor. The girl waved bye-bye to Nina and then scampered her adorable little waddling bottom back up the stairs, receiving a pat from Meara as the girl disappeared back the second floor hallway.
Meara made her way down the steps with the graceful pace Nina expected to see. And from first sight of her, Nina’s regression went into full effect.
“Hello, Nina,” Meara said, opening the door and motioning her in.
Nina walked in, her shoulders shrunken up high and her tummy flustered with excitement. She walked right into Meara’s waiting arms, giving her Mommy the biggest little girl hug she could imagine. Meara returned the embrace, rocking Nina back-n-forth slowly while humming softly and rubbing the girl’s back.
“I see you met Isabel,” Meara said, trying to help Nina recover just a bit from the overwhelming littleness the girl had just been filled with. “She’s a lot like you, but she has a tendency to be naughty and go places she knows not to.”
Nina didn’t make a sound, keeping her eyes closed and nursing on her pacifier as she rested her head on Meara’s chest, feeling the warmth rising up off her Mommy and smelling her Mommy’s sweet perfume.
“And I don’t want you to think that you are just another one of my girls,” Meara said, taking hold of Nina’s hand and placing two fingernails under Nina’s chin to raise the girl’s eyes. “You are special and like no other.”
Nina could have felt any more insecurity than at that moment, but at the same time, she couldn’t have felt any more safety than when within her Mommy’s care and protection.
“Come,” Meara said, walking towards the staircase. “Come with Mama Cat. We need to get you upstairs and get you ready to meet the others, don’t we?”
Nina held onto Meara’s hand and followed after her, as helpless as a baby. She looked around at the inside of Meara’s home, remembering the last time she had been there.
Nina’s online searches a few weeks ago produced the meaning of the acronym ABDL. She discovered that it was something far less strange than how it had been portrayed by the producers of talk shows. Within a few hours of her first search, she began to discover how age play was at least a little piece of what made her who she was. And in her initial discussion with Meara, Nina also learned that being a kitty was also what rocked her cradle. Somehow, it all went hand-in-hand, or in Nina’s case – paw-in-paw. She just didn’t understand why yet.
So, Meara helped her discover both even more. Nina met Meara for coffee one day and then dinner a few days later and eventually was invited to Meara’s beautiful house. And now, on this night, Nina would open her little heart just a bit more as she bravely would meet other little BabyGirl kitties, just like her.
Meara walked Nina back the second floor hallway, past the middle room – or as Nina knew it: the nursery. She could hear girls on the other side of the closed door, giggling and having a good time. Meara knocked on the door before talking to it. But Nina wouldn’t be joining them just yet.
“I better not find a mess when I come back in there, girls,” Meara said before leading Nina to the end of the second floor hallway and into the spare bedroom, the one right next to her bedroom.
Nina had seen this spare room from the connecting bathroom, but had never been in it. In fact, there were quite a few rooms in Meara’s house Nina hadn’t seen yet. Perhaps tonight would be the grand tour.
“Kick those shoes off,” Meara instructed, leading Nina over to the vanity and having her take a seat.
Nina sat quietly, slipping her feet out of the shoes and politely placing her folded hands on her lap as Meara opened the top left drawer to get a few things out.
“And the socks too, Sweetie,” Meara said as Nina reached down to her feet, making them bare before sitting back up to see two long red ribbons her Mommy had placed on the vanity table.
Looking in the mirror, she watched her Mommy begin to take a brush to the girl’s hair, smoothing it even more so. Oh, what a wonderful feeling. Nina always loved how gently Meara brushed out her hair. Though Meara kept her hair shorter these days, it was clear that she once had long hair. She knew how to grip it correctly to work out knots without making it painful at the roots. And as she gathered up locks to make the first high pigtail, she saw the need in Nina’s eyes that words couldn’t really do justice to describe.
Tying that first pigtail with one of the long red ribbons, she moved onto the hair on the other side of Nina’s head, giving her little girl’s reflection in the mirror a wink and a smile. Nina’s face lit up with a glowing smile, still bright as could be behind her pacifier. Meara always knew how to diffuse a moment from becoming something other than wonderful. It was almost as if she knew what Nina would be thinking before the thought ever formed in the girl’s head.
Though Nina was as curious as a cat, she was always petrified about opening up another little piece of her heart. Yes, she had taken that first baby step, but reassurance was what she needed to hear. And Meara was a mighty intuitive Mama Cat. Words wouldn’t be spoken, not yet anyway. First came the touch that always soothed Nina’s tension. Next came the surprise of the day – this time being a pink ribbon attached round her neck as a kitty collar. Maybe it was just a ribbon this first time since Nina was but a beginning kitty.
“There,” Meara said, setting the brush down and placing her hands on Nina’s shoulders.
Nina sat up straight and looked at herself in the vanity mirror. Meara was very big on appearances and took great pride in how she looked. Taking just as much pride in how Nina looked, she fussed with the high pigtails a bit, making certain they were even and that each strand of the girl’s hair was smooth as could be. Nina reached up at touched the pink ribbon collar around her neck, running her fingertips across its smoothness.
“It was only that first step that you feared, Nina,” Meara said, helping Nina to her feet and she walked her over to the bed and eased her down onto it.
Meara walked over to the long dresser on the side of the room, opening the second drawer on the right and beginning to fish through the drawer’s contents.
“But you’re first step is behind you. It makes no sense to allow it to stay in your thoughts anymore. And now that we’ve awakened the kitty in you…” Meara said, taking a pair of pink knee-high socks out of the dresser along with one of those super thick diapers, she had dressed Nina in during her last visit. “It’s time to awaken the BabyGirl in you as well.”
Though it was just a bunch of cotton-like material with a crinkly backing, the sight of that diaper made Nina tingle all over as she melted into the mattress beneath her. The diaper signified so many things that would happen that night and so many emotions, along with sensations, that would pass through her that regression was no longer just a want or even a need, but also, an inevitable state of being.
Meara walked back over to the bed, setting the diaper, the socks and a bottle of baby powder on the side night stand before sitting alongside Nina. First taking her fingernails to Nina’s naked midriff for a momentary tickle that made the girl giggle behind her pacifier, Meara unbutton the girl’s jeans and lowered the zipper. Sliding the jeans down and off the girl’s legs, Meara paused remembering something she had forgotten.
“Don’t move a muscle,” Meara said, getting up and crossing through the connecting bathroom into her bedroom.
Nina looked over at the diaper and the pink knee-high socks on the stand. Then, she placed her hands on her naked thighs. Running her palms to the back side of her legs, she checked for any stray hair stubble she might’ve missed in the shower earlier. But before she could, Meara reappeared, returning to her sit along the bed’s edge and leaning forward to stroke Nina’s blushing cheeks.
Oh, how Nina loved the attention – even the littlest of touches and gestures. Meara was a truly caring and truly amazing person, showing such love to her, despite the lack of love her ex-husband had shown her. It was almost as if Meara wanted to smother Nina with affection, just because she herself hadn’t been.
“Close your eyes,” Meara said with a maternal tone and an inviting smile.
Nina closed her eyes and Meara immediately removed the Hello Kitty pacifier from between the girl’s lips, replacing it with another pacifier before Nina had a chance to say anything. Nina opened her eyes widely, noticing the difference of the new rubber nipple. It was huge and practically filled her entire mouth, the completion of a purchase Meara had promised her.
“And I can see some little baby is trying to fool her Mommy into thinking she’s a big girl,” Meara said, curling her fingers around the waist of Nina’s panties before beginning to lower them down the girl’s legs. “Mommy is the only big girl around here. Isn’t that right?”
Nina nodded slowly, her eyes glazing over as her mind regressed just a bit more. Exposed of her heart, of her other little kitty and feeling extremely vulnerable, Nina just kept melting into the softness of that mattress, the gentleness of Meara’s touch and the caress of Meara’s maternal care.
She watched as her Mommy slid her panties off her legs and tossed them away before reaching for that super thick diaper on the night stand. Becoming filled with fluttering tummyflies, Nina wriggled about on the bed – an innocent response to be so happy that she didn’t know what to do with herself.
“Aww, how cute,” Meara gushed, unfolding the diaper as she watched Nina trying to get a handle on the littleness that was suddenly erupting out of her heart. “You know very well what you like, don’t you?”
With a smile beaming from behind her pacifier, Nina nodded, her hands curling up and her arms coming to rest on either side of her head. Her thigh instinctively parted and she relaxed her legs. It was the position of ultimate submission and Nina was its helpless captive, putty in her Mommy’s hands.
Taking hold of both of Nina’s ankles, Meara raised the girl’s legs up, bring her knees over her chest and her feet above her head. Sliding the diaper underneath Nina’s bottom, Meara reached for the bottle of baby powder. Coating the girl’s backside with a liberal amount of the sweet-smelling powder and then doing the same between the girl’s legs, she lowered Nina’s bottom into the inner softness of the diaper. Nina closed her eyes, taking in a deep whiff of the sweet aroma and whimpering at the softness, now nestling her bottom.
“There’s my little baby,” Meara said with a maternal happiness, lowering the girl’s legs to the bed before standing up and taking hold of the front of the diaper. “She’s finally arrived.”
Nina opened her eyes and smiled brightly again behind her pacifier as Meara drew the front of the diaper up and into place, keeping the elastic edging tight to the top of the girl’s inner thighs as she stretched the diaper out on the girl’s front, fastening the tapes very snuggly at the hips. Instantly, Nina remembered that thick feel between her legs and how it enveloped her.
Meara picked the pink knee high socks up, gathering up the material of one of them as Nina lifted her right leg straight up in the air – pointing her toes.
“That’s a good little girl,” Meara said sweetly, sliding Nina’s toes into the pink knee high sock and then sliding the sock down the length of the girl’s leg.
Nina smiled again at the wonderful feeling of soft cotton on her smoothly shaven leg.
“I know the other kitties are going to love you,” Meara said, picking up the other pink sock and gathering its material the same. “Do you want to know why I know that?”
Nina nodded, not really needing to know why, but wanting to hear whatever her Mommy had to say. Meara slid that second pink knee-high sock onto Nina’s left leg before taking hold of the girl’s right hand and helping her to stand to her feet.
“It’s because you assume nothing about anyone, including yourself … just like a kitty,” Meara whispered, taking one more moment to see to it that Nina’s appearance was as perfect as it could be. “And as you will see, little kitties are interested in each other, but for nothing more so than what’s in someone’s heart.”
Meara took hold of Nina’s hand and began to slowly lead her out of that spare bedroom, towards the hallway. Nina took some more baby steps, each one reminding her of how a baby moves with a waddle. She also crinkled with each step and with each movement of her hips – those little noises sending a whole new tingle up-n-down her body and flushing her mind with an excitement she had never known.
Out into the hallway she was led, a diaper waddling, pacifier nursing BabyGirl who was about to leave her first paw print.
Knock-Knock-Knock. Meara’s tapping on the nursery door only heightened the excitement for Nina who began to fidget from the overwhelming moment. With hope that the other girls would like her, Nina nursed rapidly on her pacifier, holding Meara’s hand tightly.
“Everybody hide! Mama Cat’s comin’ in!” Meara said, putting her hand on the door knob. “And don’t let your kitty ears stick out!”
A frenzy of scurried noises commenced from within the nursery as the girls crawled to different hiding places. Nina pressed up tightly against Meara’s side as the door opened and they walked in. The nursery looked the same as it did last time, but with a few changes. That enormous rocking chair still sat by the window at the end of that enormous white wooden crib. Inside the crib was that mound of stuffed animals she had slept with when she visited this nursery last. Apparently Meara liked stuffed animals a lot since the pile now seemed to have grown. The closet, though its doors were closed, was presumably still filled with that endless array of every conceivable BabyGirl outfit – from onesies to flower dresses to shortalls to nighties to footed pajamas and every possible girly trinket imaginable. Meara hadn’t forgotten a thing when stocking that closet.
“Now, where oh where might those three silly little kitties be hiding?” Meara said with a playful tone, walking back to the door and shutting it before turning around and beginning to hunt for the hiding BabyGirls.
Standing in the center of the nursery, on the circular rug, Nina began to take notice of the new things in that room. There were tiny rubber mats setting in different places, each with a little plastic bowl in the center of them. And on the side of each of those bowls were the names of the other girls, hiding in the room. One said Isabel, the girl Nina met by surprise at the front door. Another said Athena. Another said Layla. And the fourth bowl said Nina, written with the same pink cursive lettering as all the others. She began to wonder what Athena and Layla were like and if they were as sweet as Isabel had made herself out to be.
“I hear giggling,” Meara said with a continued bit of playfulness to her tone. “You silly girls are going to give away where you’re hiding.”
Nina looked around the room, wandering where the girls were at and beginning to feel a little uneasy that they could see her but she couldn’t see them. And she wanted so much to meet them at this point, hoping they would like her and make her their new friend.
As Meara walked by the closet doors, she closed them fully, realizing that one of the girls was peeking out through the sliding accordion doors. She paused when she got over to the crib, taking time to rearrange the stuffed animals into a neater pile since one of the girls was hiding underneath the stuffed animals and had disturbed the order of them. Sliding that huge rocking chair away from the end of the crib so the third girl could crawl out from underneath it, Meara sat down in the rocking chair, motioning for Nina to get down on the floor. Nin obeyed her Mommy’s hand gesture and tried looking under the crib to see who was there. But it was too dark to see anything.
“Nina, crawl to your Mama Cat,” Meara instructed, motioning her to crawl towards the rocking chair.
Nursing her pacifier for comfort, Nina placed her left hand and her right knee forward, making a crawl of her baby steps. She cupped her hands into soft fists, trying to figure out what a kitty would do. With each crinkle of her diaper ad with each passing second in that nursery, she bravely advanced towards not only her Mama Cat on that rocking chair, but her place within a group of girls she still hadn’t met.
“Up, up!” Meara said cheerfully as Nina crawled up onto her lap, turning over to a sit and resting up against her Mommy’s chest. “Good girl! You crawled like a little kitty, didn’t you?”
It all seemed to make perfect sense and it all seemed to flow together nicely, travelling back and forth between the BabyGirl and the Kitty inside her. And though, Nina wasn’t paying attention, three little kitty heads suddenly appeared - all curious as to who this little baby was on Mama Cat’s lap. Isabel crawled out from under the crib, crinkling her crawl over to Meara’s feet. Athena came out from behind the closet doors, her curiosity peaking as she hadn’t met Nina yet. Layla emerged from within the stuffed animal pile on the crib mattress, joining the squatted line of kitties at Meara’s feet – all wanting to know more about little Nina.
“Girls, this is Nina,” Meara said softly, helping Nina to sit up and face them. “Everybody wave hi hi to her.”
The three girls all lifted a hand and shared a little girl’s hello wave with Nina. She waved back, sitting modestly on her Mommy’s knee and smiling sweetly behind her pacifier. Everything was working so wonderfully. A few months ago, she had dreams and questions and fantasies. Now, she had a Mommy and answers and friends who all had dreamed just the same as she did. The three girls sat on the floor in front of Nina, all being diapered, collared, high-pigtailed and filled with the same sense of kitty as she was.
“Nina, you already met Isabel,” Meara said as Nina and Isabel waved at each other again.
Nina’s first impression of Isabel at the front door was one of shock but also of similarity. Maybe it was intuition that told Nina that she and Isabel were very much the same.
“This is Athena,” Meara said as the girl to the left rose up on her knees and shuffled forward to give Nina a great big hug.
Athena had tight curly black hair that only bobbed down to her shoulders. A lavender t-shirt, tied in a knot at her midriff, held back her big boobs – a difference that made Nina a bit jealous of her. Athena nursed on a white pacifier that was attached by a little string to the white leather collar around her neck. Nina’s collar was a simple piece of ribbon and she wondered if a collar made of leather meant something else – perhaps a right of some sort of passage.
But beyond appearance, Athena had shown right away how affectionate she was. The hug they shared was very close at Athena smashed her endowments into Nina.
“And this little angel is Layla,” Meara said, pointing to the red-headed girl who blushed at the compliment, bringing color to her fair complexion.
Layla’s dark red hair was straight and baby fine. Her endowment, perhaps only C-cups, was held in by a tiny white baby-t with a decal of a kitten on it - playing with a ball of yarn.
After allowing the four kitties to get through the physical comparison stage, Meara lowered Nina to the floor and told the kitties to follow her. She walked to the small closet on the other side of the nursery with four adorable, crinkling BabyGirl kitties crawling behind her. As Meara pulled a few things off the shelves in that closet, Athena nuzzled alongside Nina, brushing the side of her face up against Nina’s left shoulder and purring softly. Then Layla joined in, nuzzling along Nina’s other side and brushing the side of her face up against Nina’s right shoulder. Then Isabel joined in, lying on her back with her head between both of Nina’s arms. She reached up and tickled her fingertips underneath Nina’s chin. Tucking her chin down from the tickle and shrinking her shoulders from the attention, Nina smiled brightly behind her pacifier. Lowering her head, she leaned down and rubbed noses with Isabel. Oh, how wonderful the feeling of acceptance was and how much more wonderful it felt to be liked.
The three girls laid Nina on her back on the circular rug in the middle of the nursery as the nuzzling and kitty cuddling took all focus away from what their Mama Cat was getting out of the closet. Nina relaxed her forearms on her midriff as Layla and Athena curled up along either of her sides, both now purring more heavily as they kept rubbing the side of their faces on her shoulders and sternums. Not to ever be excluded from the action, Isabel rolled over onto her tummy and crinkle her crawl over between Nina’s legs, crouching down and sniffing the elastic edgings of Nina’s diaper at the top of Nina’s inner thighs. Then Isabel rested the side of her face on Nina’s tummy, purring behind her pacifier just as the other two were doing.
Nina lay there and smiled, softly whimpering on the edge of ticklishness again, but still wrapped in the warmth of a few things that were more enveloping than a blanket – approval, fondness and friendship in a way that only other kitties would know and understand.
“Mama Cat told you they would love you, didn’t she?” Meara said, closing the closet door and turning around.
But she didn’t disturb the adorable scene of nuzzling going on in the middle of the nursery. Instead, she just stood there and smiled, her eyes welling up with tears as she awaited the end of such a loving moment as what those four BabyGirls were sharing with each other. Nina opened her eyes and smiled up at her Mommy. Meara gave her a wink, then wiping away her tears before they streamed down her face. There was something that Meara never told anyone about her marriage past and though she harbored lingering pain, she still bestowed love to everyone she met.
Athena opened her eyes and looked up at Meara, then sitting up and exclaiming about what Meara was holding in her hands.
“Yawwwwwwn!” Athena shouted with a yittleness, her hands reaching up to Meara as the pacifier fell from her mouth but stayed attached to her collar by that little string.
“Shall we show Nina the yarn race?” Meara asked as the three girls before they all sat up and turned to Meara, babbling uncontrollably with excitement. “Alright, alright. Everyone take your color and get into place. Nina, crawl over to Mama Cat and I’ll teach you what to do.”
The three girls crawled up to Meara and took a color of one of the yarn balls - Isabel taking pink, Athena taking purple and Layla taking red. Then they crinkled their crawls to the far side of the nursery, each setting their ball of yarn down in front of them and placing the loose end under their knees – then rolling the yarn a foot in front of them.
“Follow Mama Cat,” Meara said sweetly to Nina, reaching down and patting the girl’s diapered bottom as she summoned her to crawl to the other side of the room.
Meara pointed to the space next to Isabel. Nina crinkled her crawl across the nursery and squatted next to Isabel as Meara set the last ball of yarn in front of her. White was its color. Then Meara walked back over to the other side of the nursery and turned around, facing the girl.
“Athena?” Meara said, raising her eyebrows and tapping her lips as Athena took the dangling pacifier attached to her collar by a string and returned it to her mouth. “Now, for the sake of Nina being new, I’ll explain the rules of the game.”
Meara walked over to the crib and picked up several stuffed animals, walking them back to the far side of the nursery and setting one down, directly across from each of the girls. Then, she got more stuffed animals from the crib and walked over to the girls, setting one of the stuffed animals behind each of them. Finally, Meara walked to the side of the room, to get out of the way.
“Nina, when I say to go, each of you is going to push your ball of yarn across the room to the other side. Then, you’ll push your yarn around the stuffed animal directly across from you and then you’ll push your ball of yarn to where you are now, also wrapping it around the stuffed animal behind you,” Meara said, smiling at the next bit instructions before she ever said them. “Then you’ll close your eyes and you’ll continue to push your ball of yarn to each side of the room, looping it around the stuffed animal and returning back to the other side. And you’ll keep your eyes closed the whole time. The first kitty to get to the end of her ball of yarn will be the first kitty to receive lap time with Mama Cat.”
Isabel, Athena and Layla perked up, hearing what the winner’s prize would be. And suddenly, it became a great competition.
“On your marks,” Meara said as the three girls squatted down low, placing a hand on their ball of yarn.
Nina, not fully understanding what she needed to do, also squatted down low, looking over at how serious the other BabyGirls had become. It was truly battle time and the stakes, set high by Mama Cat, were up for grabs to the BabyGirl who could prove she was the quickest kitty of them all.
“Get set,” Meara said, sitting on the rocking chair. “And oh! I think this time, I’ll add the rule that you can’t push the yarn far ahead of you. You must keep both of your paws on the ball of yarn and rolled it without letting it go.”
All four of the BabyGirls looked over at Meara in disbelief of how difficult she had just made the race.
“Go!” Meara suddenly said. “Go, go, go!”
The other three took off with a flash, their diapered bottoms held high in the air as they kept their knees on the line of yarn they were making to prevent it from travelling up behind them and not unrolling as they needed it to. Nina quickly started her crawl, paying close attention to how they were doing this. And though the al began suddenly, no one was trying to move very quickly at all. And by the time Isabel got to the other side of the room, wrapping her yarn string around the stuffed animal in front of her, Nina was beginning to pick up on why the start of this race was so slow. It wasn’t about being the first kitty to complete the first loop. It was about winning in the end. And setting up that first loop was the key to it.
For a few minutes, all that could be heard was heavy breathing through noses and crinkling hips moving with exactness to keep the lines of yarn straight. Isabel got to the beginning and wrapped the stuffed animal on that side with her yarn string before closing her eyes and then starting to crawl with haste. But as Nina and the other two saw, Isabel had a really rough time keeping a straight lined crawl to the other side. And as Athena wrapped her second stuffed animal with her yarn, then closing her eyes for the second loop of the crawl, she too couldn’t crawl straight. Layla had the same problem and before Nina closed her eyes she could see the other three beginning to make a tangled mess of yarn.
From one loop to the next, the four BabyGirls began to giggle more and more. It got to the point where they no longer cared if they had found their stuffed animal or someone else’s. It was impossible to crawl straight and with silliness ensuing, the ever-tangling four strands of yarn began to make a spider’s web, Layla beginning to get her legs tangled up in it. Trying to free herself, Layla popped one of the diaper tapes at her right hip – then trying to crawl with a limp, of sorts, to prevent the other tape at her right hip from popping as well.
Before much longer, Nina and Isabel became tangled in the yarn trap and they simply lied down on their backs, laughing at their predicament and watching Athena win the race as Athena then joined the kitty pile of giggling BabyGirls in yarn.
“Athena, would untangle your kitty friends, please?” Meara asked, standing up and taking a priceless picture of the four kitties with her phone before walking to the nursery door. “I’ll be right back, kitties.”
Getting them untangled from the yarn wasn’t as easy as it seemed and Athena worked at quite a bit just to get Nina and Isabel free. But Layla, having been the first yarn captive, was buried underneath the still-tangling pile of yarn. Isabel and Athena worked hard to free Layla and Nina kept reattaching that diaper tape at Layla’s right hip as it kept popping off. All four of them were laughing so hysterically that when they eventually freed Layla, they all just lied down on top of the yarn and laughed until Meara returned.
“I can see you all had a good time, huh?” Meara said, returning with a pitcher and shutting the nursery door behind her.
Nina watched the other three getting up on their hands-n-knees and crinkling their scampered crawls over to their individual kitty bowls. So, she got up and crawled over to her bowl, seeing Meara pouring milk from that pitcher into the other bowls and then coming over to her. Nina looked at the other three, watching them practically burying their faces in their little kitty bowls and lapping up the milk happily.
“Nina?” Meara set softly, kneeling down along her side and getting her attention. “Show Mama Cat what a good little kitty you are.”
Meara removed Nina’s pacifier from her lips and directed her down to the kitty bowl in front of her.
Nina leaned over and began lapping up the milk, realizing why Meara had chosen to put all the girls in high pigtails.
“That’s a good girl,” Meara said, gently patting Nina’s diapered bottom. “Make the milk all gone, like a good little kitty would.”
Tasting the milk with each swallow, Nina detected a bit of vanilla to its flavor and it tasted sweeter than regular milk for the store. It was warmed just a bit to not be ice cold, but not too much to scold throats. And it wasn’t hard to lap up all the milk for how good it tasted. Meara scooped up the mound of tangled yarn and set it next to the rocking chair. She then took a seat and began to untangle the yarn with surprising ease. And as each of the kitties finished their milk, they crinkled their crawls over to the circular rug. Layla got there first and lied on her back. Isabel was second and she lied on her back too, placing her head on Layla’s tummy. Nina was third and she lied her head on Isabel’s tummy, scooting over so Layla could lay her head on her tummy. Athena crawled right over and up onto Meara’s lap, getting the prize winning lap time that was all hers.
Isabel burped and started laughing which bobbed Nina’s head as Isabel’s tummy moved. This made Ninas laugh and bobbed Layla’s head as Nina’s tummy moved. And Layla followed suit, the three of them beginning to laugh harder and harder and harder.
Athena would join them as Isabel crawled up onto Meara’s lap for her cuddle time. Layla was next, taking her turn after Isabel. And by the time, Nina crawled up onto Meara’s lap, it seemed the four girls had created a new game they would certainly play a lot more in future kitty play dates.
“Last but not least … my little Nina kitty,” Meara said softly and sweetly, cradling Nina in her arms and across her lap. “Aren’t you glad you didn’t turn that car around and go home?”
Nina nodded, smiling behind her pacifier.
“If you had gone home, you wouldn’t have made new friends,” Meara said to her with a playful tone as she patted Nina’s diapered bottom. “You wouldn’t be lying here, soon in need of a change …”
Nina blushed, turning into her Mommy and resting up against her, bending her elbows and nestling her arms close to her chest.
“And you wouldn’t have made any paw prints at all,” Meara said, tickling Nina’s palms with her fingernails. “Do you see all the wonderful things that can happen when you give them the chance?”
Nina nodded shyly.
“You made your Mama Cat very happy,” Meara said with gentleness and a slight sway back-n-forth. “You are such an adorable little kitty that I just might have to make up a little kitty bed next to my bed so I can keep you close to me always.”
The three girls in the kitty pile on the floor had ended the tummy bobbing game and were listening to Meara’s sweet words to Nina. Along with the blushing little girl on Meara’s lap, they had settled down from their bursts of laughter and energy – feeling just the slightest twinge of drowsiness from the sweet milk in their bellies. But with a moment’s notice, they would spring up, ready for the next kitty adventure of fun. For the time being, however, they all lied on their backs, nursing from their pacifiers and looking up at Meara who had become lost in Nina’s glistening, innocent gaze.
In any of many other situations in life, this might’ve caused a problem and fur might’ve become ruffled as Nina capture all of their Mama Cat’s attention. But knowing Meara and understanding how she tolerated absolutely no malice, be it in the form of mean BabyGirls or mean kitties, the three girls on the floor kept the urge for vindictiveness at bay. But for whatever reason, Nina had won the ultimate prize that day – a little piece of Meara’s heart that none of them had touched.
But also understanding that even sweet kitties still have waiting-claws, Meara ended Nina’s lap time, helping the girl back down on the floor with the others before posing a most interesting task to all of them.
“I’m going to go downstairs to make dinner, but while I’m away, I wondering if the four of you can help me with something,” Meara said, motion for Athena to putt the pacifier back in her mouth, as it had fallen out again but still dangled from her collar by that little string. “I noticed two of you will be due for a diaper change before too much more time goes by. But I also noticed two of you are completely dry.”
All four of the kitties looked at each other, each wet one knowing who she was and each dry one knowing who she was – but none of them knowing what anyone else was.
“That seems a bit unfair,” Meara said coyly as she slowly walked to the nursery door. “If only there were some way, something that could be done to change that. Hmmmm.”
And with that, Meara walked out of the nursery, locking the door behind her as she began to make her way downstairs to cook dinner. But she had hardly take a few steps down the staircase before she heard the shrieking giggles from within the nursery that told her the kitties had figured out the solution.
Isabel looked at Nina, both nursing their pacifiers and tilting their heads to the side as they contemplated what Meara meant. Athena looked at Layla. Layla looked at Nina. Isabel looked at Athena. Layla and Isabel looked at Nina. Nina looked at Athena.
And then Nina lunged at Athena, putting her on her back and beginning to tickle her sides with her finger nails. Isabel grabbed Athena’s wrists and pinned them above her head to help Nina make Athena wet herself. But Layla jumped on top of Nina, taking her fingernails to Nina’s ribs and making Nina collapse on top of Athena. Athena gave one of her affectionate hugs to Nina, keeping the new girl from using her arms. Isabel climbed on top of Layla, reaching back to the red head’s inner thighs – an extremely tickling area for Layla.
The whole pile of diapered girls fell over and a barrage of arms with tickling fingers attacked whatever ribs and thighs they could get their hands on. The pacifier fell from Athena’s lips yet again as she howled with laughter, but froze slightly as nature finally called on her as well.
Athena and Nina looked at each. And then together they looked at Isabel. Then all three of them looked at Layla and tackled her onto her belly. Layla squealed, trying to get away, but Isabel sat her diapered bottom down on Layla’s diapered bottom and began tickling her ribs. Athena pinned Layls’s arms down and tickled the back of the girl’s head. Nina crossed Layla’s ankles and began to tickle the bottom of the girl’s feet. And poor Layla did her best to hold out as long as she could, but eventually gave up the battle and released her bladder.
Almost as if Meara knew the exact moment to return, she walked in, seeing three of the four kitties lying on the backs, laughing and panting for air. Layla, still lying on her belly, took a moment to catch her breath as well, her fair complexion having turned beet red from laughter.
“And how did Mama Cat know that you would be the last one to give up, Layla?” Meara asked her red-headed kitty as she knelt down, gathered up the opened right side flaps of her diaper and placed a long piece of Hello Kitty duct tape across the girl’s hip.
Meara had also brought a collection of things back up with her that made it appear that it was time to leave the nursery, but that they wouldn’t have the chance to get too far away. None of them wanted to leave anyway.
“Alright, kitties. Everybody up,” Meara said with authority. “Walk over to the crib and form a straight line in front of it facing me.”
The four BabyGirls stood up, all of them crinkling their now-labored waddles over to the crib, doing as their Mama Cat instructed and lining up. Meara walked up to each of them and attached one of the three leather leashes she had brought with her to their collars. Nina’s leash was a long length of the same pink ribbon as that of her collar.
“Now turn around,” Meara instructed with a more gentle tone.
The girls turned and faced the crib, each now with a leash dangling from their collars. But Isabel, ever-being the rascal of the group, turned in a complete circle and returned to facing Meara.
“Alright, missy,” Meara said, putting her hands on her hips and smiling at Isabel.
Isabel smiled back and then faced the crib.
“Hands at your back,” Meara instructed as she picked up the long length of wrist cuffs and began attaching one to each left wrist.
Meara had quite a creative mind, having purchased four wrist leashes and connected them all together – making the shackles of a kitty chain gang. Taking hold of the leash attached to Isabel’s collar, she led the BabyGirls out of the nursery and into the second floor hallway, her kitty captives waddling and crinkling nosily as they followed.
“Down the stairs and into the left front room,” Meara instructed as Isabel led the brigade down the staircase.
Meara remained at the top of the staircase. As each of them waddled by, she placed her hand on the lower side of each of their diapered bottoms, making certain that the tickle game had worked.
“Athena, put the pacifier back in your mouth,” Meara instructed with a laugh as Athena did as she was told.
Nina brought up the rear of the crinkly kitties and all followed Isabel into the front room with the fire place. The drapes of the front window had been closed and the fire had been stoked to warm the room. Meara entered behind them and, taking hold of the leash attached to Isabel’s collar, led the shackled BabyGirls around a small square table in front of the sofa. The table was no higher than a coffee table and setting on the table were four metal lids, presumably covering their dinners. Meara directed each of them to take a seat on one of the sides. The four kitties took a seat as instructed, finding a comfortable position in sitting Indian-leg style. After switching the covered plates in front of Layla and Nina, Meara took the handle of each of their leashes and lifted each corner of the table, slipping the handles up the legs of the table.
“Keep your arms behind your backs,” Meara instructed.
In the middle of the table was a pile of bibs. Nina didn’t realize how huge these bibs were until Meara picked up the first one, a white bib with a decal of Strawberry Shortcake on it.
“Kitties don’t eat with their hands,” Meara said, attaching the bib to the front of Nina.
She fastened its top strings behind Nina’s neck and that was when Nina saw how big these bibs were. They reached from her neck all the way down to her lap and they covered her completely, from side to side. At the bottom of the bib were two small front pockets, presumably to catch any food that might fall.
Meara picked up the second bib, another white one but this one with a decal of Rainbow Brite on its front. She attached this bib to Layla’s front before picking up the next bib, this one being lavender in color and having a decal of Twilight Sparkle, the my little pony that was light purple. After putting the pacifier back in Athena’s mouth yet again, she picked up the final bib, this one being pink in color and having a decal of Dora the Explorer. This was a befitting theme for Isabel to wear since she tended to have the most curiosity of all, often wandering off to explore whatever shiny object thought crossed her mind.
“Now, Athena, I know you don’t like red meat,” Meara said, lifting up the food cover in front of her to reveal what her dinner would be. “That’s why I made you chicken salad.”
Athena smiled brightly, seeing the little kitty dish filled with chicken, mayonnaise and lettuce chunks. The pacifier fell from her mouth yet again as she leaned over and began to eat, using only her mouth.
“And Layla, I know you like fish,” Meara said, removing Layla’s pacifier and setting it on the table as she lifted the food cover in front of the girl. “I hope you like tuna salad.”
Layla nodded enthusiastically and leaned over beginning to eat, also only using her mouth.
“Hopefully, this will be something that doesn’t give you the collywobbles this time,” Meara said with a smile.
Layla blushed slightly but kept eating.
“Isabel and Nina,” Meara said, removing their pacifiers and setting them on the table before lifting the food covers off their plates. “I hope you too like barbecue.”
Then Meara took a seat of the sofa, watching her four little BabyGirl kitties munching away at dinner. For a few minutes, none of them lifted their heads to take a break. Quite an appetite could be built up from a kitty play date. None of them used their hands, keeping their wrists at their lumbar. Occasional burps and the following giggles were the only noises heard, other than the hungry slurps of kitties as they eat dinner. And all four of them finished every morsel in their kitty bowls, then licking their bowls clean before licking clean as much of their faces as their tongues could reach.
And as each of them finished, Meara wiped their cheeks clean and removed their bibs and wrists cuffs. But she kept them on their leashes as she led them over onto a thick, plush rug she kept to put in front of the fire places for the kitty play dates. Layla finished first and was led over to the rug. Then, Athena finished and was led to the rug as well. Isabel was the third and Nina was the fourth.
Now, lying in a huddle spoon, the four kitties yawned. It was certainly time for a little nap. And before Meara had finished cleaning the dishes off the small table, Layla, Athena and Isabel were fast asleep. But as Meara sat down on the sofa to relax, Nina got up on her hands-n-knees, crawling her crinkled waddle over to the sofa and up onto Meara lap.
“Is my little Nina kitty too excited to sleep?” Meara asked as she turned Nina over onto her back and into the cradle of her Mama Cat’s lap and arms.
Nina shook her head no. She was as curious as a cat about being a kitty, but she was also as curious as a cat about why Meara wouldn’t tell her what still upset her, to this day, about her past marriage. She took the pacifier out of her mouth and bravely spoke from her little heart.
“Mommy,” Nina whispered with a little voice. “You are a wonderful Mama Cat, a wonderful Mommy and a wonderful lady.”
Meara’s eyes welled up with tears as she held Nina close to her while petting the sweet little girl’s hair.
“And any guy who can’t see those things about you and appreciate them isn’t worth your love and doesn’t deserve you anyway,” Nina said softly, getting a lump in her throat from seeing Meara crying. “And for what it’s worth, I love you. And I can tell that Izzy, Athena and Layla love you, too.”
Meara sat Nina up, hugging her. But this time, Nina rocked her Mommy back-n-forth. They remained in that embrace for a few minutes, Meara finally weeping all the tears she had inside her before laying Nina back into the cradle of her arms and returning the pacifier to the BabyGirl’s lips.
“Thank you, Nina. I love you, too,” Meara said, sniffling a bit still. “I love all four of you so much. And knowing that you love mean is worth more than anything else that anyone has ever said to me.”
Nina reached up, wiping away her Mommy’s tears with her little fingers. It was moments like these that they shared the need for nurturing. And it was also moments like this that scaredy cat seemed to apply to more than just Nina.
“Think of all the wonderful that have happened because you have given them the chance,” Nina whispered, giving Meara another hug before crawling down onto the floor, but turning back to her. “And think of all the wonderful possibilities that are still waiting for you.”
Nina crawled back over to the other girls who were fast asleep. Putting the pacifier back in Athena’s mouth – as it had fallen out again, Nina returned to her position in the kitty spoon. Meara picked up the afghan blanket from the back of the sofa and walked over to her sleeping kitties, covering them with it.
“I love you Mommy,” Nina whispered to her. “And I promise I won’t ever be a scaredy cat again.”
Meara knelt down alongside Nina and placed the BabyGirl’s pacifier back in her mouth.
“Me too,” Meara said, patting Nina’s diapered bottom as she helped her new kitty turn over and nestle up against Isabel. “Nap time, little one.”
Meara walked into the kitchen but then returned to the entryway, looking at the crackling flames in the fire and thinking about what Nina had said. What happened between she and her ex-husband was nobody’s business but her own. And for that reason, she would never tell anyone. But her greatest reflection of that moment was how Little Nina had a lot more in common with her than she had thought.
Nina had chosen to pursue her place somewhere that she didn’t believe she belonged. And she found out that not only did she belong there, but there was nowhere else she felt more welcomed. The kind of love she had simply need a place to grow within.
Meara had chosen to pursue her place somewhere that she already knew she belonged. And she found out that not only did she belong there, but the kind of love she had inside belonged everywhere. It wasn’t a matter of moving on from anything from her past. It was simply a matter of being comfortable with where she already was.
And it was the love in the little heart of a BabyGirl who made this clear to her, a BabyGirl who was no longer a scaredy cat.
---------------------------------
Scaredy Cat
Nina kept pinching herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming and to make sure she hadn’t passed out from high blood pressure. But with several nail marks on the back of her right hand at this point, she knew that this was all real. And as the light turned green on Eshelman Street, she turned left, headed towards something new. But at the same time, it was something old – or at least something she had been thinking about for what seemed like a lifetime. This made her both nervous and excited. But as she knew she likely wouldn’t tell anyone about her journey of that night, she also knew that there was no turning back. Not at this point. If she had turned back, she would’ve remained only guessing and, as had been her state of mind her whole life, as curious as a cat. So, she stepped on the accelerator and pinched herself one more time, just to make sure.
In the present-day of internet connection and of everything instantly being available at her fingertips, from information to support to so much more, Nina was able to explore every quirky little thought that had ever entered her mind. And until she met a few people online, she truly didn’t realize that most everyone had quirky, off-the-beaten-path attractions. In just a few short days of interaction, her world opened up. But to get there, it took a tremendous amount of courage from within.
Having seen enough television shows and documentaries on the various curiosities of the world, she plunged into her fantasies. From taboo specials on dinky little cable networks to wide-eyed late night e-book searches to that series of hardbacks that boasted so many shades of gray, Nina decided that knowledge was the only thing that would satisfy a little kitty’s curiosity.
Pulling up to the next red light, she checked her cell phone for the text that had just arrived. And reading it, she blushed. It was a text from a lady named Meara, but a lady that Nina referred to as Mommy.
Hello, Mommy. I’m on the way. – Nina texted her.
What did Mommy say you were supposed to all her tonight? – Meara texted back.
Mama Cat. – Nina typed in.
I don’t want you texting while driving. Call me now, kitten. And put me on speaker. – Meara texted.
Nina felt that first little twinge of excitement. Meara was an older lady who was quite active online. She had been divorced for ten years and had no intentions of getting married again. But, as her ex-husband had tor her heart out of her chest when he cheated on her, in court she tore his entire back account out from underneath him. And presently, she was living well, not just with a beautiful house and a wonderful alimony, but also with the knowledge that her heart had only been bruised. And in time, it had healed. Meara then pursued so many curiosities that her marriage and her husband wouldn’t allow. And she did it all with money that was rightful hers and a renewed sense of love for anyone who had the ability to trust completely what their hearts were telling them to do.
“Hello?” Meara’s voice said from the phone as Nina set it on the dashboard while continuing down the road.
“Hi!” Nina said with a small, sweet voice.
“Hello, kitten. Are you excited for tonight?” Meara asked with a pleasantness to her.
“Yeah,” Nina said with a slight labored tremble, gripping the wheel as her heart began to beat faster at the imagination running wild inside her head.
“Mama Cat is very excited to see you,” Meara said with a supportive and gentle tone, recognizing the meaning of Nina’s shaky voice. “And the others are very excited to meet you to.”
A tingle rolled across the surface of Nina’s body, flushing her face and making her released her Kung Fu grip on the steering wheel as her fingertips went numb.
“So …,” Nina said, then swallowing a lump in her throat as she searched for the words to ask. “Everyone else is there already?”
“Yes, they are. And they all want to meet the Nina Kitty,” Meara said with a soothing calm.
But Nina was only getting more and more worked up as she drew closer and closer to Meara’s house.
“Nina, what did Mommy say was the toughest thing for a BabyGirl like you to do?” Meara asked, attempting to regress Nina away from her fears.
“Taking that first baby step,” Nina said with a small, shy voice as an equally small smile spread across her face.
“That’s right,” Meara said with a maternal tone. “And what did Mama Cat say was the toughest thing for a little kitty like you to do?”
“Making the first paw print when walking towards somewhere you want to go,” Nina whispered with breathiness, still slightly trembling.
“That’s right,” Meara replied. “How much further do you have to go before you get here?”
“About two miles I think,” Nina said, now on the brink of turning around and going home.
“Nina, listen to your Mama Cat,” Meara said softly. “Get your Hello Kitty pacifier out of the arm rest between the front seats and put it in your mouth.”
Nina opened the arm rest, took out the pacifier and placed the rubber nipple flat on her tongue before taking it between her pink lips.
“Did you put it in your mouth?” Meara asked with maternal gentleness.
“Mm-hmm,” Nina confirmed in mumble behind her pacifier.
“That’s my good little kitty,” Meara said with continued soothing sweetness. “Follow the speed limit and just listen to your Mama Cat’s voice.”
Nina slowed the car down to 25 miles per hour and turned onto Feline Drive.
“Soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur,” Meara began singing – that song Nina loved from her favorite TV show. “Happy kitty, sleepy kitty, purr - purr – purr.”
Meara sang the song again, this time with Nina humming along behind her pacifier – her trepidation, though still present, no longer controlling her. But still shaky or not, Meara’s house was at the end of the lane, just a hundred feet away at this point.
“You don’t need to be a scaredy cat, Nina,” Meara said softly, watching Nina’s car pull up to the curb in front of the house. “I’ll be right down to let you in. Bye Bye.”
Nina picked up her phone and looked over at the front door, illuminated with soft yellow lighting. But she couldn’t get out of the cat. Caught between conflicting desires, to run up to the door to embrace Meara and to start the car back up to drive away, Nina closed her eyes for a moment to hum the kitty song again. There truly was no way she could turn back. And if she was going to allow herself to be a scaredy cat, then her life would only be as fulfilling as she allowed it to be. Meara was prepared to help Nina live out a fantasy that was a lifetime in the making.
So, Nina opened the driver’s door and got out, standing there to take in the full sight of Meara’s house. It was a beautiful two-story with a full attached garage. The outside painted a gentle tan color, not too yellow and not to dull – but rather, warm and inviting. The shutters around the windows were a dark brown, giving the house a sense of being a home. The covered porch wrapped all the way around the house, stopping only at the one end for the garage. Meara’s front yard was finely edged and landscaped. And her mailbox resembled a birdhouse – an absolutely adorable little touch that, with the knowledge Nina had, also made her smile at how this house was for love, for kitties and for dreams, not for nasty birds who would only get eaten by Meara – should they be so bold as to try to nest where they didn’t belong. Meara’s ex-husband understood this well, whether he like it or not. But Nina knew that she would love the experiences awaiting her in that wonderful house in front of her that she would be able to feel as a home as well.
Bending her right knee, she walked forward towards the front door, the first little baby step and the first little paw print of many, many more to come. She hoped that this night would be everything it could be. And by its end, she hoped that she would be a happy BabyGirl and a happy little kitty, but mostly, she hoped she would no longer be a Scaredy Cat.
Sometimes, it seemed the things Nina wanted the most were the most difficult to get. And it wasn’t because they were unattainable, but rather, because she felt guilty for wanting things so much that they truly became needs in her life – as if she wouldn’t ever feel complete without them. Lots of people in this world lived full lives without ever attaining their dreams. And here Nina stood at Meara’s front door, just a simple door bell’s push away from realizing her dreams. Yet … she still hesitated. Truly, there was guilt on her mind.
Reaching forward and pushing the door bell, she heard its chime, folding her arms, shrinking up her shoulders and awaiting Meara to open the door. She heard a scampering of feet from upstairs that ran down the staircase quickly and up to the door. It seemed unlike Meara to have run so quickly to the door.
But with a sudden startling blink, the blind on the inside of the front door was pulled up and Nina found herself staring at a girl who stood at the same 5’ 6” height that she did. The girl had long, straight and brown hair, just as Nina did. But her hair was dark brown and Nina’s was light brown. Her hair was put up into two high pigtails but Nina’s hair was down on her shoulders.
The girl leaned forward and looked through the window of the front door, eyeing up Nina’s appearance of sneakers, jeans and a simple white baby-t. Nina leaned forward and took in the girl’s appearance of knee-high rainbow socks, tanned skin, a thick and plush diaper at her waist, no hips, a tight pink Hello Kitty t-shirt covering her flat-chested bust, a thin black leather collar around her neck, a pink pacifier between her lips and a hair band on her head with fuzzy, pink kitten ears on it.
Once they had compared one another, they both looked at each other with eyes as wide as newborn kittens – both nursing their pacifiers and tilting their heads to the left as they tried to figure each other out. But before either of them could come to any conclusions, a snapping of fingers drew both of their attention to the top of the main staircase where Meara summoned the girl to return to the second floor. The girl waved bye-bye to Nina and then scampered her adorable little waddling bottom back up the stairs, receiving a pat from Meara as the girl disappeared back the second floor hallway.
Meara made her way down the steps with the graceful pace Nina expected to see. And from first sight of her, Nina’s regression went into full effect.
“Hello, Nina,” Meara said, opening the door and motioning her in.
Nina walked in, her shoulders shrunken up high and her tummy flustered with excitement. She walked right into Meara’s waiting arms, giving her Mommy the biggest little girl hug she could imagine. Meara returned the embrace, rocking Nina back-n-forth slowly while humming softly and rubbing the girl’s back.
“I see you met Isabel,” Meara said, trying to help Nina recover just a bit from the overwhelming littleness the girl had just been filled with. “She’s a lot like you, but she has a tendency to be naughty and go places she knows not to.”
Nina didn’t make a sound, keeping her eyes closed and nursing on her pacifier as she rested her head on Meara’s chest, feeling the warmth rising up off her Mommy and smelling her Mommy’s sweet perfume.
“And I don’t want you to think that you are just another one of my girls,” Meara said, taking hold of Nina’s hand and placing two fingernails under Nina’s chin to raise the girl’s eyes. “You are special and like no other.”
Nina could have felt any more insecurity than at that moment, but at the same time, she couldn’t have felt any more safety than when within her Mommy’s care and protection.
“Come,” Meara said, walking towards the staircase. “Come with Mama Cat. We need to get you upstairs and get you ready to meet the others, don’t we?”
Nina held onto Meara’s hand and followed after her, as helpless as a baby. She looked around at the inside of Meara’s home, remembering the last time she had been there.
Nina’s online searches a few weeks ago produced the meaning of the acronym ABDL. She discovered that it was something far less strange than how it had been portrayed by the producers of talk shows. Within a few hours of her first search, she began to discover how age play was at least a little piece of what made her who she was. And in her initial discussion with Meara, Nina also learned that being a kitty was also what rocked her cradle. Somehow, it all went hand-in-hand, or in Nina’s case – paw-in-paw. She just didn’t understand why yet.
So, Meara helped her discover both even more. Nina met Meara for coffee one day and then dinner a few days later and eventually was invited to Meara’s beautiful house. And now, on this night, Nina would open her little heart just a bit more as she bravely would meet other little BabyGirl kitties, just like her.
Meara walked Nina back the second floor hallway, past the middle room – or as Nina knew it: the nursery. She could hear girls on the other side of the closed door, giggling and having a good time. Meara knocked on the door before talking to it. But Nina wouldn’t be joining them just yet.
“I better not find a mess when I come back in there, girls,” Meara said before leading Nina to the end of the second floor hallway and into the spare bedroom, the one right next to her bedroom.
Nina had seen this spare room from the connecting bathroom, but had never been in it. In fact, there were quite a few rooms in Meara’s house Nina hadn’t seen yet. Perhaps tonight would be the grand tour.
“Kick those shoes off,” Meara instructed, leading Nina over to the vanity and having her take a seat.
Nina sat quietly, slipping her feet out of the shoes and politely placing her folded hands on her lap as Meara opened the top left drawer to get a few things out.
“And the socks too, Sweetie,” Meara said as Nina reached down to her feet, making them bare before sitting back up to see two long red ribbons her Mommy had placed on the vanity table.
Looking in the mirror, she watched her Mommy begin to take a brush to the girl’s hair, smoothing it even more so. Oh, what a wonderful feeling. Nina always loved how gently Meara brushed out her hair. Though Meara kept her hair shorter these days, it was clear that she once had long hair. She knew how to grip it correctly to work out knots without making it painful at the roots. And as she gathered up locks to make the first high pigtail, she saw the need in Nina’s eyes that words couldn’t really do justice to describe.
Tying that first pigtail with one of the long red ribbons, she moved onto the hair on the other side of Nina’s head, giving her little girl’s reflection in the mirror a wink and a smile. Nina’s face lit up with a glowing smile, still bright as could be behind her pacifier. Meara always knew how to diffuse a moment from becoming something other than wonderful. It was almost as if she knew what Nina would be thinking before the thought ever formed in the girl’s head.
Though Nina was as curious as a cat, she was always petrified about opening up another little piece of her heart. Yes, she had taken that first baby step, but reassurance was what she needed to hear. And Meara was a mighty intuitive Mama Cat. Words wouldn’t be spoken, not yet anyway. First came the touch that always soothed Nina’s tension. Next came the surprise of the day – this time being a pink ribbon attached round her neck as a kitty collar. Maybe it was just a ribbon this first time since Nina was but a beginning kitty.
“There,” Meara said, setting the brush down and placing her hands on Nina’s shoulders.
Nina sat up straight and looked at herself in the vanity mirror. Meara was very big on appearances and took great pride in how she looked. Taking just as much pride in how Nina looked, she fussed with the high pigtails a bit, making certain they were even and that each strand of the girl’s hair was smooth as could be. Nina reached up at touched the pink ribbon collar around her neck, running her fingertips across its smoothness.
“It was only that first step that you feared, Nina,” Meara said, helping Nina to her feet and she walked her over to the bed and eased her down onto it.
Meara walked over to the long dresser on the side of the room, opening the second drawer on the right and beginning to fish through the drawer’s contents.
“But you’re first step is behind you. It makes no sense to allow it to stay in your thoughts anymore. And now that we’ve awakened the kitty in you…” Meara said, taking a pair of pink knee-high socks out of the dresser along with one of those super thick diapers, she had dressed Nina in during her last visit. “It’s time to awaken the BabyGirl in you as well.”
Though it was just a bunch of cotton-like material with a crinkly backing, the sight of that diaper made Nina tingle all over as she melted into the mattress beneath her. The diaper signified so many things that would happen that night and so many emotions, along with sensations, that would pass through her that regression was no longer just a want or even a need, but also, an inevitable state of being.
Meara walked back over to the bed, setting the diaper, the socks and a bottle of baby powder on the side night stand before sitting alongside Nina. First taking her fingernails to Nina’s naked midriff for a momentary tickle that made the girl giggle behind her pacifier, Meara unbutton the girl’s jeans and lowered the zipper. Sliding the jeans down and off the girl’s legs, Meara paused remembering something she had forgotten.
“Don’t move a muscle,” Meara said, getting up and crossing through the connecting bathroom into her bedroom.
Nina looked over at the diaper and the pink knee-high socks on the stand. Then, she placed her hands on her naked thighs. Running her palms to the back side of her legs, she checked for any stray hair stubble she might’ve missed in the shower earlier. But before she could, Meara reappeared, returning to her sit along the bed’s edge and leaning forward to stroke Nina’s blushing cheeks.
Oh, how Nina loved the attention – even the littlest of touches and gestures. Meara was a truly caring and truly amazing person, showing such love to her, despite the lack of love her ex-husband had shown her. It was almost as if Meara wanted to smother Nina with affection, just because she herself hadn’t been.
“Close your eyes,” Meara said with a maternal tone and an inviting smile.
Nina closed her eyes and Meara immediately removed the Hello Kitty pacifier from between the girl’s lips, replacing it with another pacifier before Nina had a chance to say anything. Nina opened her eyes widely, noticing the difference of the new rubber nipple. It was huge and practically filled her entire mouth, the completion of a purchase Meara had promised her.
“And I can see some little baby is trying to fool her Mommy into thinking she’s a big girl,” Meara said, curling her fingers around the waist of Nina’s panties before beginning to lower them down the girl’s legs. “Mommy is the only big girl around here. Isn’t that right?”
Nina nodded slowly, her eyes glazing over as her mind regressed just a bit more. Exposed of her heart, of her other little kitty and feeling extremely vulnerable, Nina just kept melting into the softness of that mattress, the gentleness of Meara’s touch and the caress of Meara’s maternal care.
She watched as her Mommy slid her panties off her legs and tossed them away before reaching for that super thick diaper on the night stand. Becoming filled with fluttering tummyflies, Nina wriggled about on the bed – an innocent response to be so happy that she didn’t know what to do with herself.
“Aww, how cute,” Meara gushed, unfolding the diaper as she watched Nina trying to get a handle on the littleness that was suddenly erupting out of her heart. “You know very well what you like, don’t you?”
With a smile beaming from behind her pacifier, Nina nodded, her hands curling up and her arms coming to rest on either side of her head. Her thigh instinctively parted and she relaxed her legs. It was the position of ultimate submission and Nina was its helpless captive, putty in her Mommy’s hands.
Taking hold of both of Nina’s ankles, Meara raised the girl’s legs up, bring her knees over her chest and her feet above her head. Sliding the diaper underneath Nina’s bottom, Meara reached for the bottle of baby powder. Coating the girl’s backside with a liberal amount of the sweet-smelling powder and then doing the same between the girl’s legs, she lowered Nina’s bottom into the inner softness of the diaper. Nina closed her eyes, taking in a deep whiff of the sweet aroma and whimpering at the softness, now nestling her bottom.
“There’s my little baby,” Meara said with a maternal happiness, lowering the girl’s legs to the bed before standing up and taking hold of the front of the diaper. “She’s finally arrived.”
Nina opened her eyes and smiled brightly again behind her pacifier as Meara drew the front of the diaper up and into place, keeping the elastic edging tight to the top of the girl’s inner thighs as she stretched the diaper out on the girl’s front, fastening the tapes very snuggly at the hips. Instantly, Nina remembered that thick feel between her legs and how it enveloped her.
Meara picked the pink knee high socks up, gathering up the material of one of them as Nina lifted her right leg straight up in the air – pointing her toes.
“That’s a good little girl,” Meara said sweetly, sliding Nina’s toes into the pink knee high sock and then sliding the sock down the length of the girl’s leg.
Nina smiled again at the wonderful feeling of soft cotton on her smoothly shaven leg.
“I know the other kitties are going to love you,” Meara said, picking up the other pink sock and gathering its material the same. “Do you want to know why I know that?”
Nina nodded, not really needing to know why, but wanting to hear whatever her Mommy had to say. Meara slid that second pink knee-high sock onto Nina’s left leg before taking hold of the girl’s right hand and helping her to stand to her feet.
“It’s because you assume nothing about anyone, including yourself … just like a kitty,” Meara whispered, taking one more moment to see to it that Nina’s appearance was as perfect as it could be. “And as you will see, little kitties are interested in each other, but for nothing more so than what’s in someone’s heart.”
Meara took hold of Nina’s hand and began to slowly lead her out of that spare bedroom, towards the hallway. Nina took some more baby steps, each one reminding her of how a baby moves with a waddle. She also crinkled with each step and with each movement of her hips – those little noises sending a whole new tingle up-n-down her body and flushing her mind with an excitement she had never known.
Out into the hallway she was led, a diaper waddling, pacifier nursing BabyGirl who was about to leave her first paw print.
Knock-Knock-Knock. Meara’s tapping on the nursery door only heightened the excitement for Nina who began to fidget from the overwhelming moment. With hope that the other girls would like her, Nina nursed rapidly on her pacifier, holding Meara’s hand tightly.
“Everybody hide! Mama Cat’s comin’ in!” Meara said, putting her hand on the door knob. “And don’t let your kitty ears stick out!”
A frenzy of scurried noises commenced from within the nursery as the girls crawled to different hiding places. Nina pressed up tightly against Meara’s side as the door opened and they walked in. The nursery looked the same as it did last time, but with a few changes. That enormous rocking chair still sat by the window at the end of that enormous white wooden crib. Inside the crib was that mound of stuffed animals she had slept with when she visited this nursery last. Apparently Meara liked stuffed animals a lot since the pile now seemed to have grown. The closet, though its doors were closed, was presumably still filled with that endless array of every conceivable BabyGirl outfit – from onesies to flower dresses to shortalls to nighties to footed pajamas and every possible girly trinket imaginable. Meara hadn’t forgotten a thing when stocking that closet.
“Now, where oh where might those three silly little kitties be hiding?” Meara said with a playful tone, walking back to the door and shutting it before turning around and beginning to hunt for the hiding BabyGirls.
Standing in the center of the nursery, on the circular rug, Nina began to take notice of the new things in that room. There were tiny rubber mats setting in different places, each with a little plastic bowl in the center of them. And on the side of each of those bowls were the names of the other girls, hiding in the room. One said Isabel, the girl Nina met by surprise at the front door. Another said Athena. Another said Layla. And the fourth bowl said Nina, written with the same pink cursive lettering as all the others. She began to wonder what Athena and Layla were like and if they were as sweet as Isabel had made herself out to be.
“I hear giggling,” Meara said with a continued bit of playfulness to her tone. “You silly girls are going to give away where you’re hiding.”
Nina looked around the room, wandering where the girls were at and beginning to feel a little uneasy that they could see her but she couldn’t see them. And she wanted so much to meet them at this point, hoping they would like her and make her their new friend.
As Meara walked by the closet doors, she closed them fully, realizing that one of the girls was peeking out through the sliding accordion doors. She paused when she got over to the crib, taking time to rearrange the stuffed animals into a neater pile since one of the girls was hiding underneath the stuffed animals and had disturbed the order of them. Sliding that huge rocking chair away from the end of the crib so the third girl could crawl out from underneath it, Meara sat down in the rocking chair, motioning for Nina to get down on the floor. Nin obeyed her Mommy’s hand gesture and tried looking under the crib to see who was there. But it was too dark to see anything.
“Nina, crawl to your Mama Cat,” Meara instructed, motioning her to crawl towards the rocking chair.
Nursing her pacifier for comfort, Nina placed her left hand and her right knee forward, making a crawl of her baby steps. She cupped her hands into soft fists, trying to figure out what a kitty would do. With each crinkle of her diaper ad with each passing second in that nursery, she bravely advanced towards not only her Mama Cat on that rocking chair, but her place within a group of girls she still hadn’t met.
“Up, up!” Meara said cheerfully as Nina crawled up onto her lap, turning over to a sit and resting up against her Mommy’s chest. “Good girl! You crawled like a little kitty, didn’t you?”
It all seemed to make perfect sense and it all seemed to flow together nicely, travelling back and forth between the BabyGirl and the Kitty inside her. And though, Nina wasn’t paying attention, three little kitty heads suddenly appeared - all curious as to who this little baby was on Mama Cat’s lap. Isabel crawled out from under the crib, crinkling her crawl over to Meara’s feet. Athena came out from behind the closet doors, her curiosity peaking as she hadn’t met Nina yet. Layla emerged from within the stuffed animal pile on the crib mattress, joining the squatted line of kitties at Meara’s feet – all wanting to know more about little Nina.
“Girls, this is Nina,” Meara said softly, helping Nina to sit up and face them. “Everybody wave hi hi to her.”
The three girls all lifted a hand and shared a little girl’s hello wave with Nina. She waved back, sitting modestly on her Mommy’s knee and smiling sweetly behind her pacifier. Everything was working so wonderfully. A few months ago, she had dreams and questions and fantasies. Now, she had a Mommy and answers and friends who all had dreamed just the same as she did. The three girls sat on the floor in front of Nina, all being diapered, collared, high-pigtailed and filled with the same sense of kitty as she was.
“Nina, you already met Isabel,” Meara said as Nina and Isabel waved at each other again.
Nina’s first impression of Isabel at the front door was one of shock but also of similarity. Maybe it was intuition that told Nina that she and Isabel were very much the same.
“This is Athena,” Meara said as the girl to the left rose up on her knees and shuffled forward to give Nina a great big hug.
Athena had tight curly black hair that only bobbed down to her shoulders. A lavender t-shirt, tied in a knot at her midriff, held back her big boobs – a difference that made Nina a bit jealous of her. Athena nursed on a white pacifier that was attached by a little string to the white leather collar around her neck. Nina’s collar was a simple piece of ribbon and she wondered if a collar made of leather meant something else – perhaps a right of some sort of passage.
But beyond appearance, Athena had shown right away how affectionate she was. The hug they shared was very close at Athena smashed her endowments into Nina.
“And this little angel is Layla,” Meara said, pointing to the red-headed girl who blushed at the compliment, bringing color to her fair complexion.
Layla’s dark red hair was straight and baby fine. Her endowment, perhaps only C-cups, was held in by a tiny white baby-t with a decal of a kitten on it - playing with a ball of yarn.
After allowing the four kitties to get through the physical comparison stage, Meara lowered Nina to the floor and told the kitties to follow her. She walked to the small closet on the other side of the nursery with four adorable, crinkling BabyGirl kitties crawling behind her. As Meara pulled a few things off the shelves in that closet, Athena nuzzled alongside Nina, brushing the side of her face up against Nina’s left shoulder and purring softly. Then Layla joined in, nuzzling along Nina’s other side and brushing the side of her face up against Nina’s right shoulder. Then Isabel joined in, lying on her back with her head between both of Nina’s arms. She reached up and tickled her fingertips underneath Nina’s chin. Tucking her chin down from the tickle and shrinking her shoulders from the attention, Nina smiled brightly behind her pacifier. Lowering her head, she leaned down and rubbed noses with Isabel. Oh, how wonderful the feeling of acceptance was and how much more wonderful it felt to be liked.
The three girls laid Nina on her back on the circular rug in the middle of the nursery as the nuzzling and kitty cuddling took all focus away from what their Mama Cat was getting out of the closet. Nina relaxed her forearms on her midriff as Layla and Athena curled up along either of her sides, both now purring more heavily as they kept rubbing the side of their faces on her shoulders and sternums. Not to ever be excluded from the action, Isabel rolled over onto her tummy and crinkle her crawl over between Nina’s legs, crouching down and sniffing the elastic edgings of Nina’s diaper at the top of Nina’s inner thighs. Then Isabel rested the side of her face on Nina’s tummy, purring behind her pacifier just as the other two were doing.
Nina lay there and smiled, softly whimpering on the edge of ticklishness again, but still wrapped in the warmth of a few things that were more enveloping than a blanket – approval, fondness and friendship in a way that only other kitties would know and understand.
“Mama Cat told you they would love you, didn’t she?” Meara said, closing the closet door and turning around.
But she didn’t disturb the adorable scene of nuzzling going on in the middle of the nursery. Instead, she just stood there and smiled, her eyes welling up with tears as she awaited the end of such a loving moment as what those four BabyGirls were sharing with each other. Nina opened her eyes and smiled up at her Mommy. Meara gave her a wink, then wiping away her tears before they streamed down her face. There was something that Meara never told anyone about her marriage past and though she harbored lingering pain, she still bestowed love to everyone she met.
Athena opened her eyes and looked up at Meara, then sitting up and exclaiming about what Meara was holding in her hands.
“Yawwwwwwn!” Athena shouted with a yittleness, her hands reaching up to Meara as the pacifier fell from her mouth but stayed attached to her collar by that little string.
“Shall we show Nina the yarn race?” Meara asked as the three girls before they all sat up and turned to Meara, babbling uncontrollably with excitement. “Alright, alright. Everyone take your color and get into place. Nina, crawl over to Mama Cat and I’ll teach you what to do.”
The three girls crawled up to Meara and took a color of one of the yarn balls - Isabel taking pink, Athena taking purple and Layla taking red. Then they crinkled their crawls to the far side of the nursery, each setting their ball of yarn down in front of them and placing the loose end under their knees – then rolling the yarn a foot in front of them.
“Follow Mama Cat,” Meara said sweetly to Nina, reaching down and patting the girl’s diapered bottom as she summoned her to crawl to the other side of the room.
Meara pointed to the space next to Isabel. Nina crinkled her crawl across the nursery and squatted next to Isabel as Meara set the last ball of yarn in front of her. White was its color. Then Meara walked back over to the other side of the nursery and turned around, facing the girl.
“Athena?” Meara said, raising her eyebrows and tapping her lips as Athena took the dangling pacifier attached to her collar by a string and returned it to her mouth. “Now, for the sake of Nina being new, I’ll explain the rules of the game.”
Meara walked over to the crib and picked up several stuffed animals, walking them back to the far side of the nursery and setting one down, directly across from each of the girls. Then, she got more stuffed animals from the crib and walked over to the girls, setting one of the stuffed animals behind each of them. Finally, Meara walked to the side of the room, to get out of the way.
“Nina, when I say to go, each of you is going to push your ball of yarn across the room to the other side. Then, you’ll push your yarn around the stuffed animal directly across from you and then you’ll push your ball of yarn to where you are now, also wrapping it around the stuffed animal behind you,” Meara said, smiling at the next bit instructions before she ever said them. “Then you’ll close your eyes and you’ll continue to push your ball of yarn to each side of the room, looping it around the stuffed animal and returning back to the other side. And you’ll keep your eyes closed the whole time. The first kitty to get to the end of her ball of yarn will be the first kitty to receive lap time with Mama Cat.”
Isabel, Athena and Layla perked up, hearing what the winner’s prize would be. And suddenly, it became a great competition.
“On your marks,” Meara said as the three girls squatted down low, placing a hand on their ball of yarn.
Nina, not fully understanding what she needed to do, also squatted down low, looking over at how serious the other BabyGirls had become. It was truly battle time and the stakes, set high by Mama Cat, were up for grabs to the BabyGirl who could prove she was the quickest kitty of them all.
“Get set,” Meara said, sitting on the rocking chair. “And oh! I think this time, I’ll add the rule that you can’t push the yarn far ahead of you. You must keep both of your paws on the ball of yarn and rolled it without letting it go.”
All four of the BabyGirls looked over at Meara in disbelief of how difficult she had just made the race.
“Go!” Meara suddenly said. “Go, go, go!”
The other three took off with a flash, their diapered bottoms held high in the air as they kept their knees on the line of yarn they were making to prevent it from travelling up behind them and not unrolling as they needed it to. Nina quickly started her crawl, paying close attention to how they were doing this. And though the al began suddenly, no one was trying to move very quickly at all. And by the time Isabel got to the other side of the room, wrapping her yarn string around the stuffed animal in front of her, Nina was beginning to pick up on why the start of this race was so slow. It wasn’t about being the first kitty to complete the first loop. It was about winning in the end. And setting up that first loop was the key to it.
For a few minutes, all that could be heard was heavy breathing through noses and crinkling hips moving with exactness to keep the lines of yarn straight. Isabel got to the beginning and wrapped the stuffed animal on that side with her yarn string before closing her eyes and then starting to crawl with haste. But as Nina and the other two saw, Isabel had a really rough time keeping a straight lined crawl to the other side. And as Athena wrapped her second stuffed animal with her yarn, then closing her eyes for the second loop of the crawl, she too couldn’t crawl straight. Layla had the same problem and before Nina closed her eyes she could see the other three beginning to make a tangled mess of yarn.
From one loop to the next, the four BabyGirls began to giggle more and more. It got to the point where they no longer cared if they had found their stuffed animal or someone else’s. It was impossible to crawl straight and with silliness ensuing, the ever-tangling four strands of yarn began to make a spider’s web, Layla beginning to get her legs tangled up in it. Trying to free herself, Layla popped one of the diaper tapes at her right hip – then trying to crawl with a limp, of sorts, to prevent the other tape at her right hip from popping as well.
Before much longer, Nina and Isabel became tangled in the yarn trap and they simply lied down on their backs, laughing at their predicament and watching Athena win the race as Athena then joined the kitty pile of giggling BabyGirls in yarn.
“Athena, would untangle your kitty friends, please?” Meara asked, standing up and taking a priceless picture of the four kitties with her phone before walking to the nursery door. “I’ll be right back, kitties.”
Getting them untangled from the yarn wasn’t as easy as it seemed and Athena worked at quite a bit just to get Nina and Isabel free. But Layla, having been the first yarn captive, was buried underneath the still-tangling pile of yarn. Isabel and Athena worked hard to free Layla and Nina kept reattaching that diaper tape at Layla’s right hip as it kept popping off. All four of them were laughing so hysterically that when they eventually freed Layla, they all just lied down on top of the yarn and laughed until Meara returned.
“I can see you all had a good time, huh?” Meara said, returning with a pitcher and shutting the nursery door behind her.
Nina watched the other three getting up on their hands-n-knees and crinkling their scampered crawls over to their individual kitty bowls. So, she got up and crawled over to her bowl, seeing Meara pouring milk from that pitcher into the other bowls and then coming over to her. Nina looked at the other three, watching them practically burying their faces in their little kitty bowls and lapping up the milk happily.
“Nina?” Meara set softly, kneeling down along her side and getting her attention. “Show Mama Cat what a good little kitty you are.”
Meara removed Nina’s pacifier from her lips and directed her down to the kitty bowl in front of her.
Nina leaned over and began lapping up the milk, realizing why Meara had chosen to put all the girls in high pigtails.
“That’s a good girl,” Meara said, gently patting Nina’s diapered bottom. “Make the milk all gone, like a good little kitty would.”
Tasting the milk with each swallow, Nina detected a bit of vanilla to its flavor and it tasted sweeter than regular milk for the store. It was warmed just a bit to not be ice cold, but not too much to scold throats. And it wasn’t hard to lap up all the milk for how good it tasted. Meara scooped up the mound of tangled yarn and set it next to the rocking chair. She then took a seat and began to untangle the yarn with surprising ease. And as each of the kitties finished their milk, they crinkled their crawls over to the circular rug. Layla got there first and lied on her back. Isabel was second and she lied on her back too, placing her head on Layla’s tummy. Nina was third and she lied her head on Isabel’s tummy, scooting over so Layla could lay her head on her tummy. Athena crawled right over and up onto Meara’s lap, getting the prize winning lap time that was all hers.
Isabel burped and started laughing which bobbed Nina’s head as Isabel’s tummy moved. This made Ninas laugh and bobbed Layla’s head as Nina’s tummy moved. And Layla followed suit, the three of them beginning to laugh harder and harder and harder.
Athena would join them as Isabel crawled up onto Meara’s lap for her cuddle time. Layla was next, taking her turn after Isabel. And by the time, Nina crawled up onto Meara’s lap, it seemed the four girls had created a new game they would certainly play a lot more in future kitty play dates.
“Last but not least … my little Nina kitty,” Meara said softly and sweetly, cradling Nina in her arms and across her lap. “Aren’t you glad you didn’t turn that car around and go home?”
Nina nodded, smiling behind her pacifier.
“If you had gone home, you wouldn’t have made new friends,” Meara said to her with a playful tone as she patted Nina’s diapered bottom. “You wouldn’t be lying here, soon in need of a change …”
Nina blushed, turning into her Mommy and resting up against her, bending her elbows and nestling her arms close to her chest.
“And you wouldn’t have made any paw prints at all,” Meara said, tickling Nina’s palms with her fingernails. “Do you see all the wonderful things that can happen when you give them the chance?”
Nina nodded shyly.
“You made your Mama Cat very happy,” Meara said with gentleness and a slight sway back-n-forth. “You are such an adorable little kitty that I just might have to make up a little kitty bed next to my bed so I can keep you close to me always.”
The three girls in the kitty pile on the floor had ended the tummy bobbing game and were listening to Meara’s sweet words to Nina. Along with the blushing little girl on Meara’s lap, they had settled down from their bursts of laughter and energy – feeling just the slightest twinge of drowsiness from the sweet milk in their bellies. But with a moment’s notice, they would spring up, ready for the next kitty adventure of fun. For the time being, however, they all lied on their backs, nursing from their pacifiers and looking up at Meara who had become lost in Nina’s glistening, innocent gaze.
In any of many other situations in life, this might’ve caused a problem and fur might’ve become ruffled as Nina capture all of their Mama Cat’s attention. But knowing Meara and understanding how she tolerated absolutely no malice, be it in the form of mean BabyGirls or mean kitties, the three girls on the floor kept the urge for vindictiveness at bay. But for whatever reason, Nina had won the ultimate prize that day – a little piece of Meara’s heart that none of them had touched.
But also understanding that even sweet kitties still have waiting-claws, Meara ended Nina’s lap time, helping the girl back down on the floor with the others before posing a most interesting task to all of them.
“I’m going to go downstairs to make dinner, but while I’m away, I wondering if the four of you can help me with something,” Meara said, motion for Athena to putt the pacifier back in her mouth, as it had fallen out again but still dangled from her collar by that little string. “I noticed two of you will be due for a diaper change before too much more time goes by. But I also noticed two of you are completely dry.”
All four of the kitties looked at each other, each wet one knowing who she was and each dry one knowing who she was – but none of them knowing what anyone else was.
“That seems a bit unfair,” Meara said coyly as she slowly walked to the nursery door. “If only there were some way, something that could be done to change that. Hmmmm.”
And with that, Meara walked out of the nursery, locking the door behind her as she began to make her way downstairs to cook dinner. But she had hardly take a few steps down the staircase before she heard the shrieking giggles from within the nursery that told her the kitties had figured out the solution.
Isabel looked at Nina, both nursing their pacifiers and tilting their heads to the side as they contemplated what Meara meant. Athena looked at Layla. Layla looked at Nina. Isabel looked at Athena. Layla and Isabel looked at Nina. Nina looked at Athena.
And then Nina lunged at Athena, putting her on her back and beginning to tickle her sides with her finger nails. Isabel grabbed Athena’s wrists and pinned them above her head to help Nina make Athena wet herself. But Layla jumped on top of Nina, taking her fingernails to Nina’s ribs and making Nina collapse on top of Athena. Athena gave one of her affectionate hugs to Nina, keeping the new girl from using her arms. Isabel climbed on top of Layla, reaching back to the red head’s inner thighs – an extremely tickling area for Layla.
The whole pile of diapered girls fell over and a barrage of arms with tickling fingers attacked whatever ribs and thighs they could get their hands on. The pacifier fell from Athena’s lips yet again as she howled with laughter, but froze slightly as nature finally called on her as well.
Athena and Nina looked at each. And then together they looked at Isabel. Then all three of them looked at Layla and tackled her onto her belly. Layla squealed, trying to get away, but Isabel sat her diapered bottom down on Layla’s diapered bottom and began tickling her ribs. Athena pinned Layls’s arms down and tickled the back of the girl’s head. Nina crossed Layla’s ankles and began to tickle the bottom of the girl’s feet. And poor Layla did her best to hold out as long as she could, but eventually gave up the battle and released her bladder.
Almost as if Meara knew the exact moment to return, she walked in, seeing three of the four kitties lying on the backs, laughing and panting for air. Layla, still lying on her belly, took a moment to catch her breath as well, her fair complexion having turned beet red from laughter.
“And how did Mama Cat know that you would be the last one to give up, Layla?” Meara asked her red-headed kitty as she knelt down, gathered up the opened right side flaps of her diaper and placed a long piece of Hello Kitty duct tape across the girl’s hip.
Meara had also brought a collection of things back up with her that made it appear that it was time to leave the nursery, but that they wouldn’t have the chance to get too far away. None of them wanted to leave anyway.
“Alright, kitties. Everybody up,” Meara said with authority. “Walk over to the crib and form a straight line in front of it facing me.”
The four BabyGirls stood up, all of them crinkling their now-labored waddles over to the crib, doing as their Mama Cat instructed and lining up. Meara walked up to each of them and attached one of the three leather leashes she had brought with her to their collars. Nina’s leash was a long length of the same pink ribbon as that of her collar.
“Now turn around,” Meara instructed with a more gentle tone.
The girls turned and faced the crib, each now with a leash dangling from their collars. But Isabel, ever-being the rascal of the group, turned in a complete circle and returned to facing Meara.
“Alright, missy,” Meara said, putting her hands on her hips and smiling at Isabel.
Isabel smiled back and then faced the crib.
“Hands at your back,” Meara instructed as she picked up the long length of wrist cuffs and began attaching one to each left wrist.
Meara had quite a creative mind, having purchased four wrist leashes and connected them all together – making the shackles of a kitty chain gang. Taking hold of the leash attached to Isabel’s collar, she led the BabyGirls out of the nursery and into the second floor hallway, her kitty captives waddling and crinkling nosily as they followed.
“Down the stairs and into the left front room,” Meara instructed as Isabel led the brigade down the staircase.
Meara remained at the top of the staircase. As each of them waddled by, she placed her hand on the lower side of each of their diapered bottoms, making certain that the tickle game had worked.
“Athena, put the pacifier back in your mouth,” Meara instructed with a laugh as Athena did as she was told.
Nina brought up the rear of the crinkly kitties and all followed Isabel into the front room with the fire place. The drapes of the front window had been closed and the fire had been stoked to warm the room. Meara entered behind them and, taking hold of the leash attached to Isabel’s collar, led the shackled BabyGirls around a small square table in front of the sofa. The table was no higher than a coffee table and setting on the table were four metal lids, presumably covering their dinners. Meara directed each of them to take a seat on one of the sides. The four kitties took a seat as instructed, finding a comfortable position in sitting Indian-leg style. After switching the covered plates in front of Layla and Nina, Meara took the handle of each of their leashes and lifted each corner of the table, slipping the handles up the legs of the table.
“Keep your arms behind your backs,” Meara instructed.
In the middle of the table was a pile of bibs. Nina didn’t realize how huge these bibs were until Meara picked up the first one, a white bib with a decal of Strawberry Shortcake on it.
“Kitties don’t eat with their hands,” Meara said, attaching the bib to the front of Nina.
She fastened its top strings behind Nina’s neck and that was when Nina saw how big these bibs were. They reached from her neck all the way down to her lap and they covered her completely, from side to side. At the bottom of the bib were two small front pockets, presumably to catch any food that might fall.
Meara picked up the second bib, another white one but this one with a decal of Rainbow Brite on its front. She attached this bib to Layla’s front before picking up the next bib, this one being lavender in color and having a decal of Twilight Sparkle, the my little pony that was light purple. After putting the pacifier back in Athena’s mouth yet again, she picked up the final bib, this one being pink in color and having a decal of Dora the Explorer. This was a befitting theme for Isabel to wear since she tended to have the most curiosity of all, often wandering off to explore whatever shiny object thought crossed her mind.
“Now, Athena, I know you don’t like red meat,” Meara said, lifting up the food cover in front of her to reveal what her dinner would be. “That’s why I made you chicken salad.”
Athena smiled brightly, seeing the little kitty dish filled with chicken, mayonnaise and lettuce chunks. The pacifier fell from her mouth yet again as she leaned over and began to eat, using only her mouth.
“And Layla, I know you like fish,” Meara said, removing Layla’s pacifier and setting it on the table as she lifted the food cover in front of the girl. “I hope you like tuna salad.”
Layla nodded enthusiastically and leaned over beginning to eat, also only using her mouth.
“Hopefully, this will be something that doesn’t give you the collywobbles this time,” Meara said with a smile.
Layla blushed slightly but kept eating.
“Isabel and Nina,” Meara said, removing their pacifiers and setting them on the table before lifting the food covers off their plates. “I hope you too like barbecue.”
Then Meara took a seat of the sofa, watching her four little BabyGirl kitties munching away at dinner. For a few minutes, none of them lifted their heads to take a break. Quite an appetite could be built up from a kitty play date. None of them used their hands, keeping their wrists at their lumbar. Occasional burps and the following giggles were the only noises heard, other than the hungry slurps of kitties as they eat dinner. And all four of them finished every morsel in their kitty bowls, then licking their bowls clean before licking clean as much of their faces as their tongues could reach.
And as each of them finished, Meara wiped their cheeks clean and removed their bibs and wrists cuffs. But she kept them on their leashes as she led them over onto a thick, plush rug she kept to put in front of the fire places for the kitty play dates. Layla finished first and was led over to the rug. Then, Athena finished and was led to the rug as well. Isabel was the third and Nina was the fourth.
Now, lying in a huddle spoon, the four kitties yawned. It was certainly time for a little nap. And before Meara had finished cleaning the dishes off the small table, Layla, Athena and Isabel were fast asleep. But as Meara sat down on the sofa to relax, Nina got up on her hands-n-knees, crawling her crinkled waddle over to the sofa and up onto Meara lap.
“Is my little Nina kitty too excited to sleep?” Meara asked as she turned Nina over onto her back and into the cradle of her Mama Cat’s lap and arms.
Nina shook her head no. She was as curious as a cat about being a kitty, but she was also as curious as a cat about why Meara wouldn’t tell her what still upset her, to this day, about her past marriage. She took the pacifier out of her mouth and bravely spoke from her little heart.
“Mommy,” Nina whispered with a little voice. “You are a wonderful Mama Cat, a wonderful Mommy and a wonderful lady.”
Meara’s eyes welled up with tears as she held Nina close to her while petting the sweet little girl’s hair.
“And any guy who can’t see those things about you and appreciate them isn’t worth your love and doesn’t deserve you anyway,” Nina said softly, getting a lump in her throat from seeing Meara crying. “And for what it’s worth, I love you. And I can tell that Izzy, Athena and Layla love you, too.”
Meara sat Nina up, hugging her. But this time, Nina rocked her Mommy back-n-forth. They remained in that embrace for a few minutes, Meara finally weeping all the tears she had inside her before laying Nina back into the cradle of her arms and returning the pacifier to the BabyGirl’s lips.
“Thank you, Nina. I love you, too,” Meara said, sniffling a bit still. “I love all four of you so much. And knowing that you love mean is worth more than anything else that anyone has ever said to me.”
Nina reached up, wiping away her Mommy’s tears with her little fingers. It was moments like these that they shared the need for nurturing. And it was also moments like this that scaredy cat seemed to apply to more than just Nina.
“Think of all the wonderful that have happened because you have given them the chance,” Nina whispered, giving Meara another hug before crawling down onto the floor, but turning back to her. “And think of all the wonderful possibilities that are still waiting for you.”
Nina crawled back over to the other girls who were fast asleep. Putting the pacifier back in Athena’s mouth – as it had fallen out again, Nina returned to her position in the kitty spoon. Meara picked up the afghan blanket from the back of the sofa and walked over to her sleeping kitties, covering them with it.
“I love you Mommy,” Nina whispered to her. “And I promise I won’t ever be a scaredy cat again.”
Meara knelt down alongside Nina and placed the BabyGirl’s pacifier back in her mouth.
“Me too,” Meara said, patting Nina’s diapered bottom as she helped her new kitty turn over and nestle up against Isabel. “Nap time, little one.”
Meara walked into the kitchen but then returned to the entryway, looking at the crackling flames in the fire and thinking about what Nina had said. What happened between she and her ex-husband was nobody’s business but her own. And for that reason, she would never tell anyone. But her greatest reflection of that moment was how Little Nina had a lot more in common with her than she had thought.
Nina had chosen to pursue her place somewhere that she didn’t believe she belonged. And she found out that not only did she belong there, but there was nowhere else she felt more welcomed. The kind of love she had simply need a place to grow within.
Meara had chosen to pursue her place somewhere that she already knew she belonged. And she found out that not only did she belong there, but the kind of love she had inside belonged everywhere. It wasn’t a matter of moving on from anything from her past. It was simply a matter of being comfortable with where she already was.
And it was the love in the little heart of a BabyGirl who made this clear to her, a BabyGirl who was no longer a scaredy cat.
Last update on November 28, 9:59 am by Zorro Daddy.
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