Kaitlin parked outside of the magic shop. She was thrilled by finally having the daughter she always wanted. Surely, the store would have some way for her to make this permanent. She couldn’t imagine wanting anything more.
Laura woke up as Kaitlin unbuckled her from the car seat. She began to fuss again. Kaitlin cooed at her, tickling her tummy.
“Let’s fill that tummy up again with mommy’s milk, okay?” she cooed. Spotting a bench outside the store, Kaitlin took a seat there. She unbuttoned her blouse and bra, then brought Laura to her bared breast. Like before, Laura instinctively latched on, suckling eagerly. Kaitlin swapped breasts partway through the feeding. Once Laura had finished, Kaitlin buttoned up again and burped her new baby girl.
However, despite having a full tummy, Laura continued to fuss and babble angrily. Kaitlin sighed. She took a newly purchased pacifier out of its package and popped it into Laura’s mouth. Laura instinctively began to suck on it. The motion visibly soothed her.
With Laura now quiet, Kaitlin brought her into the magic shop. She walked right up to the counter, ignoring the various items on the shelves. The man behind the counter, old with a long, white beard, smiled at her.
“How can I help you?” he asked. Kaitlin smiled.
“My friend and I came to an agreement,” she said, lying through her teeth. “She wanted a fresh start, I wanted a child. So she used the dice to make herself into an infant. But we need to make it permanent.”
“Ah, I see.” The shop owner looked closely at Laura. Laura spat out her pacifier and babbled urgently at the man. Kaitlin chuckled. She put the pacifier back into Laura’s mouth.
“She’s so excited, she can’t control herself.”
“Mm-hmm.” The owner leaned back. “Well, first I’ll need those dice back.” Kaitlin handed the dice over. The owner touched the dice gently. Laura’s eyes widened. The owner then took the dice and put them in a box on the counter. He held out his hands. “May I see her?”
“Uh, sure,” Kaitlin said hesitantly. She handed Laura to the owner. The owner looked intently at her. After a few moments, Kaitlin cleared her throat. “So, about making it permanent?” The owner looked at her again. “Like I said, we both wanted this.”