What do you do when you look seven years old but you’re actually a college student in your late teens? For Kathleen’s entire life, she had fought against people treating her much younger than her actual age. Feeling obligated to grow up fast to show people she wasn’t the age of her size, Kathleen never let her inner child out. Tired of fighting against the world, she explores the adult submissive world. What she finds, however, is an enjoyment of regression. Had she made a mistake? Would life be better if she just let people treat her the way she looks at seven years old?

Author note: Because this chapter ended up being 16K words, I got two chapters for the price of one. 71 is in the proofreading stage. 72 is at the 'I know where I want to go with it, but I need to do some serious researching before I write it' stage.

Heidi felt the bed shaking. She looked toward her aunty in the bed from the trundle bed. Aunty Katie was tossing and turning. The older teenager also was mumbling in her sleep. Heidi climbed out of her bed to join Aunty in Aunty's bed. Laying down next to Aunty, she was immediately hugged like a teddy bear. Since Katie had settled down, both of them drifted back to sleep.

Almost an hour later, Brianna felt the call of nature. On the way back to the guest room, her old bedroom, she peeked into her sister's room. What Brianna found wasn't what she was expecting. Her daughter wasn't in the trundle bed. The four-year-old was laying on top of Katie’s blanket while being hugged by her sister.

Brianna pushed in the unused trundle to get closer to the two girls. She gently lifted her daughter with one hand while removing the blanket from under that part of Heidi and laying it on Katie. Slowly, she moved down Heidi’s body until none of the blanket was under the preschooler. The mother then put the blanket over the top of her daughter before tucking it under her. Brianna then crept back to her own bed.

When Thursday finally broke, Grandma Telgenhof went into her youngest daughter's room and opened the shades to let the sunshine in. She paused to pick up the stuffed Minnie Mouse from the floor. She sat it on the bed.

“Too bright, Gran’ma,” came out of the four-year-old's mouth.

“It is time to get up, Cupcake.”

Meanwhile Katie was trying to figure out why her Minnie Mouse had apparently been replaced by her niece. She rubbed her eyes to clean the cobwebs out of them.

“Why am I hugging Heidi? Not that I mind.”

“You had ni’mare, Aunty. Me join you. You stop.”

“Well, aren't you a smart niece!” Katie was tickling Heidi underneath the warm covers.

Between giggles, “Stop! Me leak.”

“Oops.” The aunt quickly stopped the tickling.

Brianna walked into the room, “Now that Bobbie Jo is dressed, I will gladly dress these two Princesses, Mother.”

Shrugging, Marlene said before leaving, “I will start breakfast then.”

The adult pulled back the cover to expose just her daughter, leaving her sister still warm under the covers. She noticed the wet spot near the crotch of Heidi. “Did you leak, Sweetie?”

“Sorry, sis, I apparently caused her to leak by tickling her.”

“Tsk tsk tsk. Naughty Aunty. Did you return the tickles, Heidi?”

“No, Mommie.”

Brianna leaned down and whispered, “Tickle Aunt Katie. Her feet are extremely ticklish.”

Giggling, Heidi crawled to Katie’s feet. She sat on top of Aunty's legs.

“What are you doing, Little Bunny?” Katie tried to move her feet but the weight of Heidi prevented her from doing so.

After Heidi started tickling the 19-year-old, both of the girls were giggling up a storm. “St … op!” the older one exclaimed.

Brianna wasn't watching her daughter torture her sister. She was getting an outfit ready for her daughter. She then turned to the size six diapers and pull-ups. She stared at them, not sure which one she should grab.

“Katie, do you want to be seven or nineteen today?”

“What are we doing today?”

“That is a good question. I guess we will decide what to do at the breakfast table.”

“How about nineteen going on seven?”

“Is that what age you were on Tuesday, a fluid age that changed in a blink of an eye.”

“Yes, sis.”

“That still doesn't help me decide what to put on your bottom.”

“Well, Aunty Sis, do you want me to use the potty or depend on you for changes.”

Brianna figured that meant she alone had the power to make the choice of Katie’s underwear.

“Co’sin Katie, read story to me, please.” The preschooler was holding a picture book she found from one of the few bookcases that Katie had in her room.

“Cousin? Ok, crawl on my lap.” Katie smirked. Heidi had apparently decided what age Katie was going to be at this moment.

Once the preschooler was on the grade schooler's lap, Katie read the cover, “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.”

Brianna grabbed the diaper bag from the dresser top and put five diapers in the bag to renew the stock. She pulled out the diapering supplies and one of the diapers from the diaper bag. She set them on the foot of the bed next to Heidi's clothes.

The adult turned to Katie’s dresser. She pulled out a pair of pink socks with lace. Soon, a binder and a pink t-shirt with Cinderella on it joined the pile. Heading to the stack of sweatshirts, Brianna grabbed a random pink one. Holding it out in front of her, she thought it looked familiar. Looking inside the Clearwater Elementary school sweatshirt at the tag, she discovered a faded name. She stared at it. The name definitely wasn't Kathleen. Besides it would have been huge on Katie when she actually was in elementary school. It almost looked like Brianna, which meant her sister had got hand me downs from her. She did the mental subtraction and thought the sweatshirt looked good for being sixteen years old.

A pair of jeans joined the pile just as the story ended. Heidi was the first to get changed. Once the preschooler was dressed, she was sent out of the room to join her Dad and Grandma out of the bedroom.

“OK, lay down so I can swap you to a dry diaper before I dress you, Pumpkin.”

Shrugging, Katie laid down to get a dry bottom. Once that was done, the clothes quickly followed.

“Katie.”

“Yes, Aunty.”

“I guess you still have the choice of your age. I would rather treat you as seven around the public. You're going to regress yourself anyway.”

“OK, Sis. Heidi apparently likes me as a preteen.”

The two sisters were walking into the dining room towards the table where Bobbie Jo was sitting in the high chair. Heidi was sitting next to her on her knees on top of a cushion stolen from the couch. The cushion was fastened crudely to the chair so as not to slip out from under the young girl.

Katie sat next to Heidi.

“You know, by you sitting there, you have to help Heidi.”

“Guess that means I am nineteen.”

“Well, are you, Sweetie?” Marlene asked from the kitchen. “You are not locked into an age.”

Blushing, Katie pointed out, “Right now, I am nineteen. That could change with a blink of an eye.”

Two plates with a pancake each were set in front of Katie. The short teenager put butter on one. She looked at Heidi. “Little Bunny, do you want butter?”

“Yes, Aunty.”

The other pancake got the butter treatment. Katie got distracted by movement. It was her brother-in-law putting a bib on Heidi.

Jim leaned over and looked at Katie while the short teenager was cutting both pancakes up. “Do you want a bib, Katie?”

Katie shrugged, “Don’t care. Put one on me if you want to, Jim.”

A pink bib went in front of Katie’s eyes. She looked down to see what the bib said. She thought it had a ballerina on the front with the words Future Ballerina. “Tiffany would love this one for me,” Katie said as she was putting syrup on both pancakes.

“We can give it to her, Sis. I think she gave me her phone number.”

Katie just blushed as she put some pancake in her mouth.

Grandma asked, “How did the girls’ doctor’s appointments go last week, Brianna?”

“Bobbie Jo is healthy and the average size of an eighteen-month-old.”

The mother paused before looking at her extremely short sister. “Heidi is my problem child.”

“What pr'blem child mean?”

“Princess, in this instance, it means you have issues.”

“Issues Sis?”

“Heidi has some of your genes, Sis.”

“My genes?”

“Heidi is the size of an average thirty-six-month-old at fifty-six months.”

“She going to be short like me?”

“No, sweetie,” Mom put out. “You were Bobbie Jo's height at Heidi’s age.”

“Doctor admits he has never dealt with skeletal dysplasia before. That is the official medical term for what you have, Katie. He will have to confirm with the experts on her. He thinks, but will have to get a second opinion, that she is going to flirt with the four-foot-ten cut-off for dwarfism. Again, this is just his uneducated guess, but he thinks she will be in the range of four foot nine to four foot eleven.”

Mom just nodded.

“I have done the rough math. She should be the size of a normal eleven or twelve-year-old when she is fully grown.”

“Oh, sorry, Heidi, for sharing my genes.”

“Kathleen Annabell Telgenhof!” Brianna exclaimed. “I don't want to hear you put yourself down like that again.”

“Yes, Sis or Aunty.”

“Aunty, in this instance, but you can go back to being my sister until later. However, your Aunt is going to have a heart-to-heart discussion with you after breakfast.”

“Yes, Aunty Sis.”

“Getting back to Heidi, we won't really know how tall she will be until she stops growing.”

Mom asked, “So, is the doctor going to get back to you, Sweetie?”

“We have a follow-up appointment about a month from now. He hopes he can convince one of his colleagues that are better educated on the subject to be there.”

“On other subjects, what are everyone's plans for today?” Mother asked. “Katie?”

“I would like to investigate that suspiciously shiny car outside sometime this break. Mr. Cooper probably would love me to volunteer. Of course, there is also that mountain of new toys in my room to play with.”

“Whatever you do, you need to be home by three o'clock.”

“Three o'clock?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Katie’s question was ignored. “Brianna?” mom asked.

“I was hoping to visit the zoo with a pint-sized tour guide. Or I think I found an indoor play place in Riverville. Does Mountain still have that indoor water park?”

“Yes, Sis.”

“Also, there aren't any good ski slopes around Madison. Of course, with three young children, one of us adults will have to hang around the tubes for Heidi and Bobbie Jo. Katie, remind me of your expertise on skis?”

“I used to be able to do a gentle moderate slope. I haven't gone skiing for two or three years.”

“I thought you loved skiing, sis.”

“I do. There was the issue of being treated like a child that made it not fun.”

“Is that still an issue, Sis?”

Katie just stared at her sister. “What do you think, Sister? You already threatened to regress me to punish me. Plus, you included me in the count of children.”

“So what is stopping you now, sis?”

“Time and an adult to babysit me. I have also been bouncing between Christmas parties for the last week. I am not complaining. I LOVED my presents.”

“Do the girls have ski supplies?” Mother questioned.

“There is always rental. Heck, I don't have ski stuff either.” Jim interjected.

“Do you still have mine and Katie’s Mom?”

“I will have to look. Skiing would be better on Saturday, so your Dad could join us. Jim, do you have any plans before you fly home Sunday?”

“Just do my normal, being Brianna's shadow.”

“There are six of us. Unfortunately, if we take Katie’s car, that leaves one out. Only five of us can fit in.”

“My car!?! You trust me not to get pulled over for underage driving. Besides, unless we go to the zoo, how are you going to explain a seven-year-old getting in the driver's side.”

“There are only five of you. I have a dentist appointment I couldn't reschedule. Just remember Katie has to be back by three o'clock.”

“There is that mysterious three o'clock again, Mom,” Katie questioned. The question was ignored again.

“See, sis, you will have to drive. Dad has his car at work. Mom needs the minivan to get to the appointment. That leaves just one car, yours. Remind me, how many people can drive your car?”

“Just me will fit in the driver's seat,” Katie mumbled softly.

“Repeat that, Sis. Louder so everyone can hear.”

“Only I fit in the driver's seat.”

“So it is settled that the four of us will be driven to the zoo by chauffeur Katie.”

“So Katie, where are your keys so I can put the stroller and child seats in the car?” Jim asked his sister-in-law.

“I am told it is in that basket. My key ring is the bunny one.”

Jim grabbed the keys from the basket and headed to the garage. Katie, on the other hand, headed to her bedroom to grab her puppy purse. She stood on her tiptoes to grab her phone from where it was charging on her dresser. The dresser was her height so standing on her toes was more to see what she was doing. The short teenager could see her wallet on the dresser near the wall. Unfortunately, Katie’s arms were too short to reach it. Trying from the side gave the same results. Turning around, she grabbed one of her stools to grab the wallet.

“It is now time for Aunty to have a heart-to-heart chat with you,” Brianna said, walking into the room.

“Yes, Aunty.”

Brianna picked up her niece and went to the bed to sit down. “Princess, you are unique. Your genes are not a bad thing. They are just different. If your cousin is like you, that is just a gift.” Brianna instructed, “I don't want to hear you talk down about yourself.”

“Point taken,” Katie said while staring right into her sister’s eyes. “But I am not the only one that made a mistake.”

Brianna looked at her sister in confusion.

“If you feel it is wrong for me to say negative things about my height and the genes that put me forever the size of a lower elementary student, then you also need to be careful when talking about my precious and beautiful niece. She is not a problem child for being small for her age or a dwarf if she is one.”

Brianna lifted up her sister, putting Katie on her lap, “You’re right. I’m sorry. I should know better by now. I’ll forgive you if you forgive me.”

The two hugged before Brianna looked at the diapering supplies in Katie’s room, “Sis, Remind me, how long is the drive to the zoo?”

“20 minutes, why?”

“Heidi can last that long in the car. I only need diapers for my youngest daughter and my niece.”

“Wait?!? You’re really going to have me drive you to the zoo, and then you are regressing me?”

“Are you going to act as an adult the whole time?”

“Probably not,” Katie admitted.

“I rest my case.”

After a moment of thought, Katie stated, “Mr. Cooper said I am allowed to get a child ticket, but I must stay a child the whole time. He never said anything about acting as a child with an adult ticket.”

“Sounds good to me, NIECE.”

“I still don't understand how you are going to explain a seven-year-old driver.”

“If the general public asks you, let us deal with it,” Brianna said as the two of them walked into the main rooms of the house. “All of your coworkers already know about you.”
“Most of them don't know of my little side.”

Brianna ignored that fact, “Jim, here are Katie’s diapers. Please put them in Bobbie Jo's diaper bag. Katie, can you help your niece in the bathroom please.”

“Come, Heidi.”

After a few minutes, the two girls exited the bathroom to see Bobbie Jo, Brianna, and Jim in their coats.

“Heidi, come here,” Jim requested while holding Heidi’s coat. Meanwhile, Brianna was helping her sister into hers.

After Katie followed the horde towards her car, she made a lap of it, looking very confused at it. This was, but wasn't, the car she drove home from college. Movement at the neighbors caught her eye. Glancing towards it, she saw the neighborhood busybody watching her.

Shrugging, Katie opened her car door and exclaimed, “It even smells brand new inside!” She picked up her keys from the seat where they were laying.

“You are acting like you haven't seen your car before, sis,” Brianna mentioned from the passenger seat.

“Bree, I drove a car home from college which was dirty, inside and out. I hardly recognize this car. It looks better than the day I got it.”

Brianna just shrugged at that since she knew nothing about how the car was transformed.

Katie glanced at her two nieces and brother-in-law in the back seat to make sure everyone was properly fastened. She started the car, waiting for the panel to light up like it usually did. “No check engine light?!?!?!”

Jim questioned, “Should there be one, Katie?”

“I had a bad oxygen sensor when I was last in this car. Someone did something quietly behind the scenes. I suspect it was Daddie.”

Katie stared at the steering wheel. She mentally gave herself a pep talk, ‘You can do this. You are nineteen. You can be nineteen for twenty or so minutes. You can do this. You are nineteen. You are an adult.’

“You ok, sis?”

“I am now.” Katie slowly backed out of the driveway. She flinched as a cop passed her as she turned on the main road. The short teenager noticed the cop wave at her but continued in the opposite direction.

The beige car slowly got up to speed, heading southwest out of town. The driver slowed down as the Susquehanna Valley Zoo sign came into view. Turning the blinker on, Katie got into the right turning lane. Turning right into the zoo, she drove up to the little booth the parking attendants manned.

“Five doll … Hello Kathleen, have a nice day,” the guy staffing the booth stated while raising the gate, allowing the Telgenhof sisters and family into the lot. The beige car drove near the entrance and parked.

Katie unbuckled her seat belt and opened the door. She mumbled to herself, “I need to thank Daddie. The car even drives smoother than it did before.”

Standing near the car, Katie watched Jim get Heidi out of her seat and Brianna dealing with Bobbie Jo. Once the younger girls were out of the car, Jim went to the trunk to get Bobbie Jo's stroller. After the car was locked, the older sister came up to her sister. While grabbing the puppy bag, Brianna told the younger girl, “I will take that, Katie.”

“Now that my driving duty is done, I guess I am your niece now?”

“Might not confuse the public as much, but your age can be fluid if you want to.”

Katie held her hand out, expecting Aunty to grab it. Instead, it was grabbed by Heidi. She just shrugged and followed Aunty, who was pushing Bobbie Jo's stroller, followed by Uncle Jim.

Near the gate in the admission line, Heidi was lifted on Uncle Jim's shoulders. Katie was still between Uncle and Aunty, who was leading the line.

“Hello, welcome to Susquehanna Valley Zoo. How old are the two youngest?” The lady in the booth asked.

Katie looked at the lady to realize she was Rebecca, who was Mrs. Claus during the Christmas event.

“The girls are seven, four, and one,” Uncle Jim said while holding Heidi’s feet to stabilize her.

While winking at Katie, “A family admission is the best deal we have for two kids and two adults. The youngest is free.”

Brianna looked at the price list and noticed that a family was an even twenty dollars, which was cheaper than the price that individual prices came to.

“Your total comes to fifteen ninety-eight with sales tax.”

Brianna and Jim looked confused at the price sign. They looked at the lady with a blank look.

In a very soft voice, “You are entitled to a discount.” The lady in the booth was discreetly pointing at Katie.

Brianna realized this lady knew exactly who Katie was and wasn't upset that they were trying to get a children's ticket for the regressed girl.

“Bree, my hands are a bit busy right now. Can you grab the money out of my wallet?”

Brianna grabbed a twenty from her husband's wallet before putting it back in his back pocket. She accepted the change and a map, putting both in her purse.

Jim just rolled his eyes that the change hadn't returned to his wallet.

Mark Cooper took a break from updating his volunteer hours spreadsheet with the data from the Christmas event. He stretched as he looked out the window towards the ticket booth. The lady who was currently paying for admission looked like his niece, Katie. However, this one was way too tall to be Katie. He examined the family that was with the lady. The girl in the stroller, along with the girl he assumed to be an older sister sitting on her father's shoulders, looked like carbon copies of his favorite volunteer.

‘I don't see Katie. Probably just some fluke of nature,’ he thought to himself. He was about to return to his notes when he saw a hint of a pink polka-dotted jacket.

“Eureka!”

Mark looked at the wrapped gift sitting on his bookcase. He picked up his radio.

Katie heard from the radio in the booth, “V1 to AB2.”

“Admission Booth two answering.”

“Can you send that last family to the office, please?”

Rebecca said while pointing, “Ma'am and Sir, can you head to that door behind those bushes over there.”

Brianna and Jim looked at each other like they were in trouble, but glancing at the relaxed and unworried regressed girl calmed them down a bit. Jim led the party towards the bushes. As they turned behind it, they discovered a hidden outside break area complete with a picnic table.

“Sis, can I have my puppy please?”

Brianna grabbed the puppy out of the backpack she was wearing. Shrugging, she handed her sister her puppy.

Katie grabbed her wallet out of her puppy purse. Pulling her zoo building access card out of the Minnie Mouse wallet, she unlocked the door. Katie struggled to open the heavy door before Brianna opened it with ease. Jim put his leg out to keep the door open. The volunteer returned the card to the wallet, which went into the puppy. After zipping it up, she handed it back to her sister.

Jim set his daughter on the ground because she wouldn't fit in the door on his shoulders.

The short teenager, holding Heidi’s hand, led the family towards Mr. Cooper's office. As she turned into the office, “You rang Uncle Mark?”

“Yes, I did, little girl. First, introduce us, please.”

“Uncle Mark, Heidi, and Bobbie Jo, my nieces or my cousins, depending on the age. This is my sister Brianna and my brother-in-law Jim.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“Aunty Brianna and Uncle Jim, this is Mr. Cooper, my boss, or Uncle Mark. He is in charge of volunteers.”

“You may call me Mark. Katie has been told that repeatedly, and it has not worked.”

“Nice to meet you, Mark.” Brianna greeted.

“I am assuming that they know that you regress, Katie,” Uncle Mark stated. “Since you are switching ages right in front of my eyes.”

“But of course, they met little me the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. I am not sure about when my sister found out about me exactly. Our mother does have a bit of a loose lip when it comes to discussing each of us with the other one of her daughters.”

“Sis, I got pictures of your cute Halloween costumes in an email from mom.”

“Which means mother got images of my costumes from Daddie or Aunty Sara.”

“I got to see those photos, Katie,” Mark injected.

Blushing, Katie questioned, “Contact Daddie. Anyway, I know you didn't summon me to discuss my family, Uncle Mark.”

“Nope, I summoned you to give you your Christmas present,” Mark pointed at the present on the bookcase.

“May I grab it, Santa Claus?”

“Cousin, he no Santa!”

“Yes,” Katie smiled at the preschooler. “Heidi, he isn't Santa, but he is one of Santa’s special helpers.”

“You may grab it, Katie,” Mark stated.

Katie grabbed the gift and unwrapped it to reveal just what she had asked the Zoo Santa for: a spirograph set and coloring book. It was a Mickey Mouse Club coloring book with a box of colored pencils. While hugging him, she said, “Thank you, Uncle Mark.”

“You are welcome, Princess,” Mark responded while patting Katie on the head.

“Aunty, can you put these in your backpack, please?” Katie asked, handing the gifts over.

“Brianna and Jim,” Mark asked as he sat back down at his desk. “Did you grab some zoo tokens from admissions?”

“What are zoo tokens?”

“The only places that take money are admissions, gift shop, and the food court. The rides, face painting, and snack carts only take tokens,” Mark pointed out.

Katie interjected, “Lettuce for the giraffes and feed for the select animals, like in Kid's Korner, are also tokens.”

“Do we have to go back to admissions to get tokens?” Brianna inquired.

“You can buy them at the gift shop, Sis.”

Mark reached into his desk, grabbed a pad, and wrote something on it before ripping the page off the pad. “Here, have some tokens on me. Take this to the gift shop.”

“I can’t accept this, Mark,” Brianna exclaimed, seeing that the piece of paper was made for fifty dollars worth of tokens.

“Just accept it, sister. It will be a battle of two stubborn people if you don't.”

Struggling, Brianna just handed the paper to Jim. “If we are going to have time to view the zoo and use these tokens, we better go. We have commitments at three P.M.,” Aunty said.

“Nice meeting you four. And Katie, I would gladly welcome volunteer hours.”

“Yes, Uncle Mark. Not while Aunty and Uncle are in town, however.” Katie said as she followed the horde out of the office.

Outside of the office, Jim led the family to the gift shop. “Better off keeping three girls out of the gift shop. Fewer temptations. I will grab the tokens.”

Leaving Bree with the girls, he went into the shop. Going to the counter, he told the lady, “Can I trade this in for tokens, please.”

The lady looked at the paper before using a red canceled stamp on it. “Here you go, ten five-dollar tokens.”

Putting the tokens into his pocket, “Thank you, Ma'am.”

Once back with family, the extended family started slowly going around the zoo.

Katie did discreetly give bits of trivia here and there.

They arrived at a station which said ‘Susquehanna Valley Railway’ on it. Brianna led the girls with Bobbie Jo's stroller. “Katie, take your cousin and follow your uncle. I will join you after I park the stroller.”

Jim walked up to the ticket booth, “Two adults and three girls, please.”

“How old are the girls?”

“Seven, four, and one.”

“Five tokens for the adults, three for the girls, but the one-year-old is free if she sits on a lap.”

“So, sixteen tokens for us and two of the girls?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Here are twenty tokens, Ma'am.” Jim handed four tokens over.

“Your change is four tokens.”

Jim noticed that the tokens he received were smaller than the five-dollar tokens.

The extended family went to the station to wait. When the train arrived, Katie, holding Heidi’s hand, tried to get on the train.

“Stop, young lady. Let me in first,” Uncle Jim said. He scooted on the train. Once he was on the train, he patted the bench. “Now, you two may get in.”

Katie just shrugged and got on the train, still holding Heidi’s hand. Bobbie Jo was passed over Heidi to the oldest child.

“If Bobbie Jo gets heavy, pass her over to your Uncle, Princess,” Aunty said as she got on the train.

Just as the whistle went off, Katie realized there was a method to Uncle madness. She, holding Bobbie Jo, and Heidi were boxed in by Uncle on one side and Aunty on the other.

Right after they exited the train, Heidi was lifted on Jim's shoulders again. Doore family and niece turned left from the station to enter the Kids’ Korner. As they entered, Katie noticed that Heather wasn't in the booth. A volunteer she had occasionally worked with was there. Katie went away from the group to say hello to Zelda, the pony.

“Can the girls get some feed for the animals?” Jim asked as he shifted Heidi from his shoulders to his hip.

Bev looked at the girls, one being held, the other in the stroller, and the lady behind the guy, and thought they looked familiar. Almost like they were related to a volunteer. “Would you be related to Kathleen, who volunteers here?” The volunteer asked.

Jim looked around, noticing that Katie was missing. “Yes, where is that girl?” A bit louder, “Kathleen Annabell, where are you?”

Walking up, “I was by Zelda, Uncle Jim … Hello, Bev.”

“Hello, if I didn't know it, I would assume you were a school-age girl.”

“That is because she is,” Heather pointed out as she stepped into the booth.

Bev just looked confused.

“I suppose you want a brush, Katie,” Heather asked in the cutesy voice she reserved for adorable little kids.

“Actually, this guy was asking to buy some animal feed,” the volunteer explained.

“How many, also for goats or the pony or cow, Mr. Door?” Heather smiled at the man holding a toddler-sized version of Katie.

“How do you know my last name? Three for goats, … right, dear?”

“Yes,” Brianna agreed. “Three for the goats.”

“Your last name isn't all I know,” Heather said with a big grin. “I have worked with a certain volunteer enough to put two and two together. Usually, it costs one zoo token for one portion of feed.”

Heather put three previously prepared feed portions, along with three brushes, on the counter.

Jim tried to hand Heather three tokens for the feed, but Heather shook her head while discreetly pointing at Katie. “What do we owe you for the brushes?”

“Usually, they require a non-monetary deposit, but I will just kidnap Katie if they are not returned.”

Katie only heard the last bit, and turned to stare at her favorite zoo employee.

“I might kidnap her anyway,” Heather said with a completely straight face.

Katie continued staring at Heather in shock. The regressed girl was trying to decide if this would be a good thing or not.

“Are we allowed to feed more than the goats?” Brianna asked.

“Aun…” Katie started before being interrupted.

“Ma'am, the feed you have there is for the guests to feed the goats. Although the rabbits eat the same feed, we don’t allow guests to feed the rabbits. They would be very overweight if we did. The other animals we have that guests can feed eat hay.”

Heidi looked at the rabbits and pouted.

Katie noticed the preschooler’s reaction and thought of a possible solution, “Miss Heather? Have they had their noon feed already today?”

Looking at the clock in the booth, “Princess Katie, it is only ten.”

Blushing, “Oh.” Whispering to her cousin, “I tried.”

Brianna released Bobbie Jo from the stroller, and Jim put Heidi down before the five of them entered the goat enclosure. The two older girls were handed their feed portion. Brianna helped her youngest daughter feed the goats. Meanwhile, Uncle was taking pictures of all three of the girls.

After the goats had eaten all the feed, the girls transitioned to the brushes. Katie took Heidi’s hand and headed to two goats. When one of the goats looked in Katie’s direction, it quickly pointed its ears straight ahead. While bleating, the goat bounced the five feet towards the regressed girl.

“Why hello, Smoky. Let's go back to Maggie so Heidi has her own goat.”

Like a puppy, Smoky followed the volunteer. When they got to the other goat, Heidi took her brush and tried to brush Smoky, but the goat was a bit more interested in Katie’s hands. Maggie also tried to put herself between Smoky and the preschooler.

“Now, you two brats, there are two of us. Heidi, why don't you brush Maggie because Smoky is a bit possessive of me.”

Katie glanced at Heidi as she was getting her brush ready. “Brush from the head towards the tail, Little Bunny. … That is correct.”

“Patience, Smoky!” Katie exclaimed as the goat put his nose under Katie’s hand.

After Smoky had his fill of being brushed he just walked away towards a family who had some feed.

Mumbling under her breath, “Well, bye.” Thinking to herself, ‘Men! They toss you aside after they are done using you.’ Out loud, “Heidi, shall we find Uncle and Aunty?”

“Yes, Katie.”

“There you two are. Did you two princesses have fun?”

“Yes, Aunty.”

“Let us return these brushes and go somewhere else in the petting zoo?”

“Yes, Daddie.”

“Sure, Uncle.”

Near the barn, outside of the gates of the goat area, was a lady doing face painting. She was just helping a boy down from her chair. The boy was sporting a snake on his face. Aunty directed the three girls towards the lady.

“Do you have time to do the three princesses, Ma’am?”

The lady looked around at the three identical, except for size, girls. When her eyes locked on Katie, she got a surprised look on her face, which quickly changed to a huge smile.

The regressed girl just blushed at the worker who she had interacted with multiple times when she volunteered in Kid's Korner.

“Why, of course, Ma’am. How old are the two youngest? We require a special waiver for kids two years old and under,” the face painter replied before looking straight at Katie. “But little princesses older than that just require our standard waiver.”

“Jo is eighteen-months-old and Heidi is four,” Brianna replied.

The reference to the toddler-sized kid being a four-year-old caught the face painter by surprise. A quick look at Katie was all she needed for an explanation.

“How many tokens per face?”

“Each girl costs five tokens.” Dropping to a whisper, with a chuckle, “However, I might do Kath for free.”

“There is no need for that.”

“How about we start with the youngest,” the face painter suggested.

After Brianna helped her youngest on the chair, “Katie, can you watch your cousin while I hold Bobbie Jo and Jim takes pictures?”

“Yes, Aunty.”

“So, little lady, what is your name?” The lady said to Bobbie Jo.

“Beebie Wo,” the toddler meekly answered.

“I will translate toddler to English,” Brianna said with a smile. “Bobbie Jo.”

While the face painter held a sheet in front of the child, “OK, Bobbie Jo, which animal do you want? Point to it, please.”

“Uni ponie!”

“A unicorn. Excellent choice.”

“She does love her ponies.”

“I am surprised she hasn't noticed Zelda yet,” Katie mumbled.

When Bobbie Jo's unicorn was done, she was helped down. Heidi was then helped up.

“Upsie daisy, little princess. … What is your name and age, Sweetie?”

“Heidi. Me four,” the little girl held three fingers out while saying that.

“You four?”

“Yeth, Ma’am.”

“What animal do you want?”

“Bunny!” Heidi hadn't even looked at the sample pictures. Instead, she was looking at Katie.

“That isn't on this sample sheet.”

Heidi’s face fell.

“Let me check something, Sweetie,” the face painter had pulled out a drawer and was flipping through other sample sheets. She pulled out one with Easter-related faces on it.

It was set next to the face paint, and slowly but surely, the preschooler got a pink and white bunny on her face. When the painting was done, Heidi was shown her face in a mirror.

“Dank you, Ma’am.” Heidi shyly said as she was helped off the stool.

“Last but not least, K a t i e.”

Katie was helped on the high chair by her sister, who turned Aunty.

“So how old are you, Little Lady?” the face painter asked with a big smile on her face.

Looking at the audience she had gathered, she meekly said, “Seven.”

“Oh really.”

The little girl just nodded.

The face painter turned and grabbed her sponge. She started sponging lavender on Katie's face.

“Umm, Sue? Don't I get to choose?” Katie whispered.

Whispering back, “Nope. I chose. And that is Miss Edgar to you right now. Over the years, I kept thinking that this face deserved to be painted. I was never brave enough to breach the subject when you were visiting the zoo on your off days.”

Nervously, Katie sat still and tried to remember what she had told Miss Edgar while she had worked in Kid's Korner.

After a bit, the painting stopped and Katie watched Sue whispering with Brianna.

Brianna just nodded her head.

Sue opened a cabinet and pulled out a camera. “Smile for the birdie, Sweetheart.”

Katie nervously smiled.

“You can do better than that, Princess,” Brianna said while lightly tickling Katie, to force the regressed girl to give a genuine smile.

Two pictures later, the camera was put away, and a mirror was held in front of the school-age girl.

Katie looked at the lavender and white kitten on her face. Her actual eyes were the kitty's eyes. The kitten had a bunch of hair joined together with a purple ribbon on the middle of her forehead. Her nose had been painted pink.

As Brianna was dealing with payment, she asked, “Do I need to sign something so you can use those pictures?”

“You can go through the motions, but we both know yours isn't valid.” Sue whispered, “I will leave the real paper with Mark Cooper for Kathleen to sign when she next comes in.”

“Downsie Daisy, Katie.” dropping to a whisper, “I will have many questions the next time you work in Kid's Korner.”

Katie just blushed, not that you would notice underneath her face paint.

“Come on, you animals, let's continue on.” Bobbie Jo had refused to get back in her stroller, so Aunty just held the toddler's hand.

Heidi had reached up and started pushing the stroller. Katie, as a joke, sat in the stroller. The preschooler giggled, and went to the front.

“Baby muss be strap in,” Heidi said, trying to buckle the straps. Trying is the key word.

“The only one who fits the straps is Bobbie Jo, Little Bunny.”

“No fall out, me baby!” Heidi said, returning to the back to push the stroller which was a good six inches taller than her.

“Easy, Princess, don't push her into other guests,” Uncle mentioned. He discreetly grabbed one of the handles to steer and help to move it.

Suddenly, Jo exclaimed, “Ponie!” And tried to break free to run to the pony.

“Little Pixie finally noticed Zelda,” Katie mentioned.

Heidi herself had gone to greet the pony.

Katie tried to get out of the stroller, only for Heidi to come back and push on her legs. “Baby muss stay in strollew.”

Shrugging, Katie stayed where she was. She felt very young, having to look at the pony from a distance. She blushed because she realized she wasn't upset to be treated this way. Heck, she had been treated like this less than two weeks ago, but the four-year-old caretaker was a new thing.

Aunty came towards the stroller and whispered, “Katie, sweetie, can the girls feed the pony?”

Katie just nodded.

“Why are you in the stroller, anyway?”

“I am currently apparently Heidi’s baby, and she won't let me get up.”

“I could adjust the straps so you fit.”

The impromptu baby felt her face getting warm, “That won't be necessary, Aunty.”

“Well, be a good baby girl for your Mommie.”

Katie felt her face getting even warmer.

Brianna asked Jim for a few tokens before going to the booth. “Heather, can I get two portions of pony feed?”

“Only two?”

“Katie is currently stuck in the stroller.”

“Stuck in a stroller? There has to be a story to that.”

“My oldest daughter decided my niece is her baby. She is demanding her baby stay in the stroller. I am not sure how it started, but I see no reason to stop it until Bobbie Jo needs the stroller again.”

“Interesting.” Heather handed the two portions of feed over. “This hay can be fed to the pony and cow.”

Brianna tried to hand the tokens over as she accepted them. “Nothing is really keeping Katie in it. I threatened to make it so the straps fit her. She said that wasn't necessary.”

Pushing the token away, “Employee slash volunteer discount, free.”

Glaring, “Please take it. Mark Cooper gave us fifty for free. We have spent a total of thirty-one. Sixteen on the train. Fifteen on the face painting. I am not sure what to spend the remaining on.”

“Any left over Kathleen can spend.”

Shrugging, Brianna just accepted the feed. Returning to the girls and Jim, “Here is the token back, Jim.”

“You didn't get any feed?”

“Heather refused to take the token while citing employee and volunteer discount.”

Jim just shrugged while looking at the girl in the stroller he was currently babysitting.

“Heidi, Princess, here is some hay for the pony.”

After Brianna's oldest daughter accepted her hay, she picked up her youngest and then handed Jo her portion.

“Hewe Ponie.” Bobbie Jo waved the hay in the direction of Zelda, who was currently more interested in Heidi’s hay. “Ponie no eat!”

“She will be over here after your big sister's hay is done.”

True to Mommie’s word, as soon as Heidi’s feed was gone, Zelda turned her attention to Bobbie Jo.

“Ponie!”

“How Mommie's baby?” Heidi asked her cousin.

“Baby is fine, Mommie Heidi.”

Heidi patted Katie on the head before skipping to Bella, the cow next door.

Jim exclaimed loudly, “Heidi Marie Doore, come back here!”

Heidi meekly returned with a red face.

“Hang on to the stroller until your sister and Mother are done.”

When everyone was done, the Doores meandered to the cow. Heidi again ‘pushed’ the stroller, with Jim discreetly steering with a slight forward motion. As they were leaving the petting zoo areas, Brianna opened up the map.

“Jim, should we head in the general direction of here?” Brianna was pointing at the food court on the map.”

Looking at his watch and the distance, Jim pointed out, “Sounds good. By the time we are there, it will be lunch time.”

“Jo, do you want to sit or walk?”

“Welk.”

“OK, Heidi, push your baby. We are heading that way.”

As they passed an empty exhibit, the two adults and Heidi were looking for an animal.

“Komodo Dragon, it is too cold for it. The outside exhibit has been blocked off. You can see it inside the reptile house,” the pint-sized guide said.

While holding the door for the reptile house, Brianna mentioned, “Speak of the devil.”

Once all five of them were inside, Katie blushed because she couldn't see everything from the stroller. Uncle Jim was pushing her near the exhibits, but Katie was lower than usual.

Brianna looked at her niece, who was struggling to look into the exhibits. Aunty asked, “Princess, do you want to get up?”

“It is hard to see the animals from here, Aunty.”

“Heidi, it is time for you to stop imagining that your cousin is your baby.” Aunty helped Katie out of the stroller.

“Aww Mommie.”

“Bobbie Jo will need it after we are done here.”

Katie got up and looked at the iguana. The family moved to the snakes in aquariums next. Katie, however, was more interested in her feet, and Heidi was shoving her face into her father's legs. Jim was trying to protect his oldest daughter's face paint. Bobbie Jo was the only kid looking at the snakes. Katie felt a hand on her back steering her.

“OK, you two scaredy cats, we are past the snakes.”

The regressed girl looked up and saw they were now in front of the Komodo Dragon. She was glad she was past the snakes. Snakes … and the tarantula … were the few things she refused to show when she volunteered.

True to Aunty's word, Bobbie Jo was strapped in the stroller before they went outdoors again.

A few animal exhibits later, they arrived inside the food court. Which was a great place to warm up because, during the winter months, the normally open sides were closed. That made the sitting area fully enclosed.

Jim asked, “OK, you three troublemakers, what do you want?”

“Daddie, me, angel.”

“Yes, Uncle, I am not a troublemaker. I will have a corn dog, please.”

“Hot Dog, Daddie.”

“Honey, order another hot dog for Jo and a cheeseburger for me. While you get the food, the four of us will find a table.”

Once at the counter, away from the family, a lady in her twenties greeted Jim, “Welcome, what can I get you, Sir?”

“Two kids hot dogs. One kid's corn dog. All three with milk. My better half and I will both have cheeseburgers with a Coke.”

“Is Pepsi ok?”

“If we must.”

“Two hotdogs and a corn dog with three milks. Two cheeseburgers with two Pepsies. All of that comes to twenty-three forty-three with tax.”

Jim looked at the two trays. He turned around and made eye contact with his wife.

“Oh, I think your Uncle needs help, Katie.”

Katie started to get up from her chair.

“No, I will help him. Please watch your cousins.”

Shrugging, Katie sat down again.

At the counter, Brianna grabbed a tray before the girl behind the counter asked, “Are you related to a volunteer from here?”

“Kathleen is my sister.”

The lady returned to the customer she was serving. After that customer was done, “So where … Oh, Kath's sister left. … What can I get you, Ma'am?”

“Here you go, a corn dog, Princess. Be careful of your face paint.” … “Sweetie, I don't see any free highchairs, so you will have to sit on your knees.” … “Let's get your bib on Jo. Please try to keep my jeans clean while I hold you on my lap.”

After the food was done, Jim dabbed a wet wipe on all three kids' faces, trying not to mess up the paint.

“Honey, please watch the stroller while I bring three girls to the restroom. Katie, please hold Heidi’s hand and walk in front of me.”

As the regressed girl walked toward the restroom, she felt like someone was staring at her.