"I don't even remember buying this thing." Dave mused as he picked up the Chronivac and slid it into his back pocket. It happened so quickly that Aaron was powerless to do anything to stop it - or, at least, that's what he told himself. The teen turned toddler didn't get much of a chance to ponder this inner conflict, though, as in the next moment Dave had swept the boy up into his massive arms. "C'mon kiddo - I've got your oatmeal ready for you just the way you like it."
Aaron, dazed, felt as though he were moving through a dream as Dave carried him down the hall, bouncing his son's diapered bottom on his broad forearm with every step. Though the boy was still the subject of the framed photos on the walls, none of them showed Aaron as a day older than his current self. A shiver ran down the toddler's tiny spine - from fear or excitement, he couldn't tell - as Aaron realized just how completely the universe had been rewritten to fit this reality where he'd never been older than two. Dave deposited his son into a waiting high chair when they reached the dining room, Aaron blushing a bit at how far his pudgy legs dangled above the ground and at how his babyish underwear squished and crinkled beneath him with the slightest movement.
"Here you go, buddy." His attention was diverted once more when Dave offered his young son a chunky plastic purple spoon. "Think you can be a big boy and stir it on your own?"
Aaron grasped the toddler-sized utensil with his stubby fingers, eyes widening as he considered the streaming bowl of oats set out before him. His dad had topped it with glistening blueberries and a generous ribbon of maple syrup, both just waiting to be stirred in. Though he burst with pride at having been entrusted with the task - basic as it was - Aaron found that he needed every bit of his undeveloped coordination to mix in the mix-ins without making a total mess.
"Great job, kiddo!" Dave ruffled his son's soft mop of blonde curls as the syrup and berries were gradually, clumsily integrated. Aaron beamed and squirmed at the praise, even though he knew it was silly to take that much delight from Dave's approval (especially for completing such a simple task). The little boy found himself wanting to do whatever he could to make his daddy happy, though, which might be why he enthusiastically attacked his breakfast without giving it a second thought. It may also be why he kept at it despite occasionally smearing a bit of syrup on his cheek or dribbling a bit of milk on his chin. Certainly didn't hurt that the sweet mush was setting his revitalized taste buds alight, and before he knew it he'd polished off the whole bowl.
"You animal! That oatmeal didn't stand a chance." Dave teased his son as he wiped Aaron's cherubic face. The toddler stared up adoringly at the man who tidied him up with such tenderness, feeling warm all over when Dave capped off the clean-up by kissing Aaron's blushing, baby-smooth cheek. "Ready to go to the park?"
"YEAH!" Aaron immediately squealed in reply, surprising even himself with his enthusiasm. Though on one level he knew it was dangerous to allow himself to slip ever deeper into his reclaimed toddlerhood, it just felt right to be good for daddy and to go along with whatever he suggested - especially when he was suggesting something as fun as a trip to the park! Already wriggling in excitement, Aaron shot his chubby arms in the air so Dave could put the two-year-old into a striped cotton shirt whose hem barely reached the waistband of his crinkly undies.
"Pretty warm out today..." The man mused as he slipped his son's tiny feet into a pair of Velcro sneakers and plucked him out of the high chair. "...and if I put you in pants you'd just shuck them first chance you got, right?"
Aaron whimpered as Dave carried his son out of the house on his broad shoulders, self-conscious about anybody else seeing him this small and exposed - and from so high up, no less! But his fears were soon ebbed by the gentle breeze on the bare chubby legs that dangled over his daddy's chest, by how fascinating the world seemed from a vantage point this impossibly high. The toddler cracked a tiny smile that grew and grew the closer they drew to the park, Aaron swept up in the anticipation of all the fun he and his daddy would have there.