As they left the store, Tina ruminated over the fun time she had changing Leah. It was always a pleasure to tend to a little one in such a way. It was one of the reasons she opened a daycare. She had a knack of making those little moments happen. But this was her teenaged step-daughter, a bit odd that a teenager would not only submit to such treatment, but also seemed to enjoy it.
It had not been lost on Tina that Leah had also become attached to her binkie. It was as though she hadn’t recognized it had become part of her ensemble.
Leah’s mood had change dramatically from having her messy pants changed. She felt so happy she could hardly contain herself. If she hadn’t been carried or placed in the cart afterwards, she was sure she would have been virtually skipping thru the store.
Tina was nearly floored as they were loading the car, when Leah offered to squeeze into the car seat for the ride over to the daycare to make it easier to pack all their goods. It made logistics so much easier.
This new bonding was now paying a nice dividend. Leah was being helpful and agreeable. Tina was hopeful and would do her part to make sure this would be the start of better things to come.
Tina was a worried at her 15 year old suckling a pacifier and wearing training pants, seemingly unaware as either item did its part. But, it was only just for a short time and likely it was just part of this moment.
Leah was now nestled among the dangling, embedded plastic toys and cup holder. It was a tight squeezed into the carseat, but the small teen seemed just as happy as any other 3 year old.
During the short drive Tina would periodically glance back at Leah in her new seat. There, her dress hiked up to get her snapped in, Leah’s displayed her white gerber styled cloth training pants, suckling her paci, she could almost pass for one of her usual inmates. Like all occupants, she explored the little embedded toys, playing with the ones that were of interest, not a care in the world, like all the happy babies.
During the short drive to the daycare, Tina frequently glanced back at her passenger. Tina stopped to fill her car with gas and to run into her accountants office on the way.
Leah hadn’t slept well the night before and somewhere between the gas station and the accountant’s office the poor girl succumb to the pacifying sounds of the road.
When they arrived at the daycare Leah was in a deep sleep.