Laura decides to wait until a distraction presents itself. She doesn’t have to wait long; in a few minutes, people start singing “Happy Birthday” as the cake is brought out. Laura is about to take her leave, but then she sees the cake. It looks like a delicious ice cream cake. Her stomach rumbles. It won’t hurt if she sticks around for one slice of cake, right?
When everyone finishes singing and the birthday boy blows out his candles, Laura feels herself lifted into the air. She is carried over to a table, and the woman carrying her sits down, setting Laura on her lap.
“Time to eat!” coos the woman. A slice of cake is placed in front of them. Laura reaches for it, but her hands are nudged out of the way by the woman. “Let me help, honey.” The woman then feeds the cake to Laura. It’s embarrassing to be fed by someone else like this, but at least the cake is as delicious as it looks.
When Laura eats the last bite, the woman coos at her again, telling her she did a good job eating. Then, she wipes Laura’s face clean and sets her on the ground.
With a full stomach, clean face, and dry diaper, Laura’s in a pretty good position at the moment. She could always try to escape now, or she could join the children playing nearby. They look like they’re having a lot of fun.