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Chapters 29 and 30
by Sofia Hammerstein
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'Little Hope' continues the story of Stacy's journey from 'Exchanged.' Stacy is a young college student who chose to travel to a new dimension to study their advanced computing technology at a prestigious university as an exchange student. Stacy thought he knew what he was getting into when he traveled, having visited before with his family and pre-arranged a sort of Amazonian foster family to take him in. Shrinking more than he had on his previous visit, he finds himself the size of a tiny Amazonian baby instead of the near Betweener size he had hoped to be. A further misunderstanding on his gender due to his name resulted in the need for a radical change to make him match the gender the university believed him to be, to maintain his scholarship. Having survived the initial CARES exam, now she and her adopted parents work to make sure she's ready to begin orientation at Emerson University. Can Stacy survive this new world? (Story set in the Diaper Dimension)
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Available for Purchase as
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 Kindle Book Priced $5.95 |
Please visit Sofia's Author Page |
The Legal Stuff: Exchanged © 2017-2024 By Sofia Hammerstein
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission.
Chapter 29: Futures
“WERE YOU REALLY before?” Megan asked, surprising me with such a heartless question.
Bella seemed shocked by that thought and looked up at her, “Of course I was.”
“What was your job?” She asked, “You mentioned clothing design downstairs?”
Bella nodded.
“Where can you sell your designs?”
“Online…” she said.
“Not in a store, not in person?” Megan prompted while sitting down on the floor in front of the rocking chair. Amanda sat holding Bella, with her legs crisscrossed.
“No… a Big might have…?”
“Kidnapped you, right?” Megan said.
Bella had more tears down her face as I walked up to Megan and sat down in her lap. She nodded.
“Did you go out with friends at all in the evenings?” Megan prompted softly.
“Not very often,” she sniffled. “The last time I did… my best friend got drunk and wet her pants in front of a Big… She tried for me too, but I ran.”
I could see where Megan was going, and knowing her, it wasn’t easy for her to say.
“Bella, I’m not saying there is anything right about this whole thing. I personally don’t think that any Little needs to be in diapers. I hate our older sisters for everything they do to the Littles they forcibly adopted… but you really didn’t have much going for you.”
Bella shuddered, but some of the tears were leaving at least. “I know… They were raising my rent next month as a ‘Little fee,’ and I wasn’t going to be able to both eat and pay rent if the deal in Selegnasol fell through.”
“Look, Bella, the cards that have been dealt to Littles are terrible. Maybe someday that can change, or who knows… Maybe Amanda and Fred can send you back to the other dimension with Stacy or something…?”
“Would you?” Bella asked quickly.
“I don’t know if we could,” Amanda answered her honestly. “It’s going to be tough just getting Stacy back, but we’ll be willing to consider it.”
“Maybe we could get her to the underground?” I said aloud and then regretted it.
“You already have a contact?” Amanda laughed.
“Forget I said that?” I told her, thinking I had been keeping that as a backup option if things went south with them.
“I wouldn’t recommend it just yet anyway,” Amanda said. “We’d be better off taking a vacation to another country… maybe the Little islands would be smarter, to be honest. You don’t really know who you’re dealing with on the underground.”
I looked at her in shock that she knew so much, “Hacked it?”
“You’re not the only one who can…” she reminded me.
Bella’s tears had dried up quite a bit by then, “But you don’t think we should do any of those yet, do you?”
“Bella, you’re probably in as much danger right now as you could be… but you’re also in the safest place you could be, too,” Grandpa Joe said from the doorway.
“Amanda, I added a couple other layers of sensors to your security system earlier. Make sure anytime you are home alone that you have it enabled for the perimeter. We added an extra layer to the backyard to make it safe for you to be out there with the girls swimming or playing.”
“Thanks, Dad,” she told him.
“Stacy, would you come with me for a couple minutes?” he asked.
I was surprised but nodded, and he picked me up to place me on his hip. My legs practically had to do the splits with as large a body as he had! He walked down to Fred’s office and sat down in his chair, facing me towards him.
“Stacy, this is the second time you have really impressed me! That was quick thinking with the juice and even quicker action to save that little girl.”
I blushed, “thanks.”
“Mandy has dragged you into a pretty risky situation with some very sketchy people. I know Fred has heard of that company through his professional dealings, but I’ve also heard of them going after people too from my professional contacts in the military...”
I nodded, “From what I dug up, they’re definitely not on the nice people list.”
“No, they’re not. That’s why I want you to please come study with me at my studio whenever we can get you in.”
“How will that help? I’m so small I can’t possibly hit hard enough to do anything other than make them add more spankings?”
He laughed, “You’d better keep this a secret, as I’m violating several of my non-disclosure agreements – and a few federal laws, but there is a whole Special Forces unit of Littles in our military.”
I felt my jaw drop… “They let Littles…?”
“Yes, they do. The unit’s code name is the ‘Hellcats.’ Without saying too much more, I worked with them and trained them at one point in my career.”
“Whoa, and they can actually fight full-sized Bigs?” I asked curiously.
“You can search them online if you want later to verify my story. Some declassified missions have been released, and the military likes to use them as a PR tool every now and then… but the truth is I consider them to be every bit as deadly as our best Big units.”
I thought for a moment, “So you’re willing to try and teach me... what exactly?”
“The techniques they use against their bigger enemies for one.”
I nodded, “I would appreciate it if you would teach me… what about Bella?”
He shook his head, “she’s a sweet girl… but she’s not got the talent or instincts that you have. Between what you did to those idiot daughters of mine, this guy, and saving that girl… well honestly, you’re not normal.”
I stared at him before nodding, “Yeah, I can agree with that. So, when?”
“This week on Thursday, Fred said you should have some downtime, and then it’ll be Tuesdays and Thursdays after your last class before I begin evening classes for now.”
I nodded, “Thank you,” and leaned forward to give him a hug.
He hugged me and put me back down on the floor just as my stomach growled, “Now we need to get back home, and your mommy needs to get you something to eat.”
I followed him down the hallway and saw that Bella was now on the ground exploring in the nursery behind the closed gate.
“Would you please open that?” I asked him, pointing towards the gate.
He laughed and instead picked me up and sat me down on the other side, “Way easier than figuring out those stupid things!”
I sighed and nodded, “Thanks, see you Thursday!”
He walked away, and I was left alone in the nursery with Bella. “So… umm… what do you think of our room?”
“To be honest, it’s a little too happy for my tastes. Your dresses are cute, though?”
I looked up at her and laughed, “At least I don’t have to worry about you raiding my closet!”
“Well, you’re definitely shorter than me…” she said, and surprisingly it was really the first chance we’d had to be alone together and compare our sizes. While she was really short compared to Amanda, and all of the other full-grown Amazons, my head only reached just a little bit above her belly button.
To emphasize the size difference, she reached out to me and picked me up to put me on her hip like a kid would do with a little sibling. “Eeep…” I said.
She laughed, “So I get stuck with a baby sister who uses the potty more than me... but I can at least pick her up!”
“Don’t I seem at least a little heavy…?” I asked, embarrassed as she carried me over towards the toy box.
“I’m kind of used to it with fabric bolts… and I used to lift a set of weights at home to try and help if I ever had to fight.”
She gave me a hug and put me down beside the toy box, “So what cool toys do you have?”
I pointed towards my computer, “That one and a tablet?” I asked.
She shook her head, “Look if we have to be babies… Do we at least have some cool toys?”
I laughed at that, “You certainly seem happier now?”
She stared at me and said, “Well, I can’t change it… so I guess we might as well make the best of it. But, Mo… Mommy said I should try and find some toys I like and try to play with them at least?”
I walked over and hugged her, “I honestly have only opened this once so far. So, I guess shall we see what’s in it?”
She hugged me and said, “Gagagoogoo.”
“That’s not that funny, you know?” I told her.
She sighed, “Believe me, I know…” as she opened the box.
I remembered from my quick glance most of what was in there. Bella made a face of disgust as she combed through a few things, but it quickly turned into a genuine smile as she picked up a baby doll, “I had one of these when I was a baby!”
I couldn’t help but giggle as she held the large baby doll in her hands.
“The first time Stacy…” she stuck her tongue out at me. I was glad there was a least a bit of a smile, though, as she pulled her out and said, “ooh… you have the baby bag… bottles and diapers are in here… but you also have the stroller, the highchair… and… yes even have the playpen!” She actually sounded almost happy then.
“Well, I’m glad someone likes it,” Amanda said while stepping over the gate.
I looked up guiltily… “Sorry…”
“It’s almost my fault for letting you have your other toys, but maybe that doll was just destined for Bella…?”
“She’s all yours if you want her,” I said with a smirk.
“We’ll just have to get another one for you, though, too,” Amanda said with a smirk, “You can’t have tea parties and practice taking care of your babies; otherwise, without one, now can you?”
“Umm…” I said awkwardly, “…is dinner ready?”
She laughed and said, “Come on, you two,” as she grabbed us both in her arms and said, “remind me to change you after dinner, Stacy. You’ll be leaking otherwise!”
“Yes, Mommy,” I said as she descended the staircase.
In the kitchen, a second highchair had been assembled for Bella. It looked different than mine for some reason, “Is her highchair different?”
I looked up at Amanda, who grimaced, “I asked my parents to pick up another high chair, and they didn’t think to go to the regular baby store… It’s one meant for Littles,” she said.
Both trays were off at that point, so she could put both of us down in them. To my surprise, she went and used the harness straps on Bella first, leaving me for a second with mine undone. I watched and realized in horror that while she wasn’t using them, there were additional straps for her head, feet, and arms. “We’ll be cutting these off later,” she told Bella while she shook her head. Then, a tray was attached in front of her with a click. Since her arms weren’t strapped in, she could keep her hands free on top of it.
“Thank you,” Bella said quietly.
“Other than those, it seems like a slightly bigger highchair than your sisters, so hopefully it’ll be fine?” Amanda said.
Bella shrugged, “It’s still a highchair.”
Amanda turned her attention back to buckle me into the harness and then down my tray. She turned around and grabbed two sippy cups off of the counter, and placed them on our trays. “Sippy cups?” Bella asked, almost shocked.
“Well, you might be able to a handle small glass,” Amanda remarked… “That one over there probably can’t.” she shook her head, “She’s so small I had to go buy smaller bottles!”
I blushed.
“I thought it was odd mine were bigger,” Bella said after a sip of the apple juice.
“We tried the size we bought you with her first, but she couldn’t even hold it by herself!” Amanda smiled.
“That was pretty embarrassing,” I told her.
“Well, none of us expected you to come to dimension and be infant-sized!”
“Stacy, just how tall are you?” Bella asked curiously.
I blushed, “Thirty-nine-and-a-half inches?”
“Oh my god, you really are tiny!”
“Don’t remind me,” I told her as Amanda brought cute plates decorated with cute Baby Looney Tunes characters partially visible underneath the food. On the plates were chicken nuggets and some fries… well, to Amazons, that’s what they would be. From my perspective, they were chicken breasts and potato wedges!
“Thanks,” I told her as she sat it down.
Bella looked relieved for some reason, “She told you that you’d get to keep your teeth,” I told her after taking a bite of a nugget as Fred sat down with his own plate. “Other than one restaurant, there’s no danger of baby food,” I told her.
“One restaurant?” she asked nervously.
“I’m not sure how the chef will react to you?” Amanda said, “All Littles usually get one of their parent’s meals pureed for their meal.”
“Usually?”
“Well, this one has a habit of doing weird things. The chef took a liking to her and let her have a small version of a regular meal last time.”
“So, she may have a regular meal, and I’ll be stuck with baby food?” she asked nervously.
“Once you got over the texture, it wasn’t too bad?” I told her with a grimace, “Maybe you can politely eat whatever he brings, and maybe he’ll let you have the same as me on a second visit?” I looked at Amanda, who shrugged her shoulders.
“Probably won’t be eating there for a while since you’ll be busy with school,” Fred reminded me.
Chapter 30: Contacts
THE MEAL WAS silent for a couple moments while Fred looked through the mail from the last couple of days. “So, what am I doing while she’s going to school?” Bella asked hesitantly.
Fred sighed, “Well, luckily, I don’t have any procedures set up this week, so I’m going to take off some paternity leave and stay home with you for most of the week.”
She looked relieved when he said, “Can we get my stuff out of my apartment?”
“I figured we could do that tomorrow,” he nodded. “Your grandpa will come with a couple of guys he trusts to help us do it quickly. I don’t want to hang out there too long since it’s a dangerous place to go with that group watching us.”
“Maybe we should just abandon it all…” she said sadly.
“Bella, you’re adopted, but we don’t want to wipe out your old life. I’m guessing you have some pictures, at least of your family? Maybe some projects you want? I also figure Fred can get the sewing equipment you have and put them in the basement for now?” Amanda said.
Her eyes lit up a bit, “Can I still sew?”
“We’ll have to be careful with that, sweetie… If anyone other than us finds out you’re sewing, they might think we’re abusing you.” Fred said.
“But she gets to go to school?” she asked, upset at the dichotomy.
“Do you think you can pass the CARE exam?” Fred asked her softly.
She looked at the plate on her highchair and shook her head, “I never really paid a lot of attention at school since I figured I’d just end up adopted anyway… The fashion courses I took didn’t need all of that too much either.”
“Unfortunately, that takes the university out of the picture,” Amanda said sadly.
“What about going to high school?” I asked. “You could learn what you needed to know to pass the CARE?”
“No!” Bella said sharply.
“I’m sorry?” I said apologetically, realizing I had touched a nerve.
“Sorry… it’s just that high school for a Little has to be the worst place in the world other than a daycare… It might be worse than that, though, too!”
“We’ve got some other ideas to think of, too,” Amanda told her softly. “But one thing I want to do is get you caught up on your learning, at least if you were that far behind.”
She nodded, pushed one more fry around on her plate, and yawned before she said, “I’m full… may I please get down?”
I had finished eating, too, having just been an observer of the dinner conversation. “May I get down too, please?” I asked.
Amanda gave me a look to communicate not to push her but said, “Okay, I guess you two can get down. It’s not going to be too long until bath time, though, since you’re starting school tomorrow!” she told me.
I nodded and said, “May I get onto my computer and check my e-mail?”
“Sure,” she said as she undid the buckles on my harness. Fred did the same for Bella, and she could pick both of us up at once. “Bella, do you want to go upstairs with your sister or stay down here?”
She looked around the living room and said, “Down here, please?”
“No TV,” she told her, “but you can play with the toys or explore some, okay?”
She nodded, “I know about things like Naomi and Oliver… Sad how many Littles get trapped by that show!”
“It’s not the only one anymore either,” Fred said with a warning. “Same rule goes for you as your sister, no watching TV without one of us there to watch out for you.”
I watched her nod as Amanda sat her down on the living room floor, and she made the quick trip upstairs to set me down on the other side of the gate.
“Stacy, don’t push Bella too hard right away,” she told me quietly. “I think she has been through more trauma than we know.”
“I got that,” I told her, “do you think she’ll be okay?”
Amanda leaned over and kissed the top of my head, “With our help, I hope so. As much as I hate to see Littles the way my sisters do, maybe not having to worry about watching her back every two seconds might be good for her.”
I nodded and watched through the baby gate as she walked down the stairs and out of sight before I turned to my computer. I logged in to the computer and first checked to see if there was any tampering. ‘Those guys surely won’t stop if they tried some stuff at the airport,’ I said to myself with a shake of my head. ‘I’m a little scared to walk around campus by myself,’ I admitted with a sigh. Finding no signs of tampering, I logged into my e-mail.
I saw several messages for me there, including a ton of spam from back home and here. I quickly sent those to the spam folder, thinking that I would have to create some new filters to avoid some. I really didn’t need to know about the best orphanages or etiquette schools to give myself up to… the Viagra e-mails from back home were bad enough!
After a lot of deleting of spam, just three messages remained. One from my Mom, one from Gabby, and one from the university. I decided to open the one from Emerson first.
Welcome to Emerson!
We are so excited to have you join our university! There are many orientation events this week that we are listing below. It’s imperative that you follow the schedule and be mature adults to show up at all events! Please see the schedule below for any changes that may have been made since our last correspondence. Tomorrow is the freshmen move-in day, parent/student luncheon, and a few other events that we ask you to participate in*. Please review the Emerson Student Code of Conduct as you will be bound by its rules until you leave our university. Once again, welcome, and we can’t wait for you to begin your new journey with us! Go Griffins!
< >
Monday
| 9:00am-5:00pm | Fisher Hall | Student Check-In (Student IDs, Keys, and Orientation Packet Pick-Up) |
| 11:00am | Venture Commons | Parent/Student Luncheon |
| 3:00pm-4:30pm | Destiny Lecture Hall | Littles Guide to Emerson* |
| 5:00pm | Zentner Dining Hall | Dinner |
| 6:30pm | Dorm | Orientation Meeting (Commuter Students Assigned Dorm at Check-In for Event) |
| 7:30pm | Woodlawn Stadium | Griffins Fly Event |
*Please note for Littles, all Little oriented events are mandatory
Tuesday
| 9:00am | Student Union | City Tours (Parents and students invited for free bus tour of the city) |
| 11:00am | Venture Commons | University Welcome Ceremony |
| 1:00pm | Jennings Hall Room 102 | C.A.R.E. Exams (Any Little who has not taken this exam must take it at this time for course placement) |
| 2:00pm | Kilby Center Room 314 | Computer Science Placement Exam |
| 5:00pm | Sherwood Lawn | BBQ Dinner |
| 6:30pm | Woodlawn Stadium | Class Picture |
| 8:00pm | Student Union | Casino Night |
Wednesday
| 10:00am | Kendrick Hall | Math Placement Exam |
| 1:00pm | Jennings Hall Room 102 | Foreign Language Placement Exams |
| 1:00pm-6:00pm | Various | Advisor Appointments for Scheduling |
| 9:00pm | Sherwood Lawn | Outdoor Movie Night |
Thursday
| 9:00am-6:00pm | Various | Advisor Appointments for Scheduling |
| 9:00am-6:00pm | Fisher Hall | Returning Students Check-In |
| 9:30am-11:00am | Destiny Lecture Hall | Littles: Legal Rights and Responsibilities* |
| 1:00pm-2:00pm | Destiny Lecture Hall | Littles: Planning for the Future* |
| 6:00pm | Sherwood Lawn | Welcome Back Barbeque |
| 7:00pm | Fraternity Row | IFC and Panhellenic Councils Sponsored Block Party |
We look forward to you beginning your journey with us this week!
Regards,
Dr. Cameron D. Nitsche
Emerson University President
I sighed as I read how the week was going to go. “One day at a time,” I muttered to myself and clicked on the e-mail from Gabby next.
OH MY GOD, YOU’RE ADORABLE!!!!!!!!
I sighed. I could have bet that would be her response!
I can’t believe that’s you! And you’re a GIRL now????????? I can’t imagine changing to being a boy!!! You must be going a little crazy? Well… crazier? You’re nuttier than a fruitcake for going back to that dimension, Stacy! I just hope you can make it back one day. I get that if you keep making the back and forth trip, you may shrink even more… and that might be a bad idea… So be careful if you decide to make that trip!
I just have to tell you that you make the most adorable baby girl, though! I would love to babysit sometime… [wink] I showed your picture to Kendra since she was standing at the computer with me when I downloaded it, and she thought you were an adorable toddler. She asked who you were, and I told her you were a little girl I babysat back home. So if you ever get back here, maybe I can do that for you?
I groaned… ‘Great, just what I needed if I ever get back, another mommy!?!’
Anyway, stay in touch, so I know they haven’t made your brain turn into mush or something! If you make it home for Christmas, I expect to see you! My roommate is calling me to go to lunch; I hope to talk to you soon! Hugs,
~Gabby~
I read the e-mail a few times and couldn’t help but wonder if maybe I’d made a mistake in not asking her out.
“Who’s Gabby?” I heard from behind me, startling me.
“Wha?” I said, not realizing that Bella had come back upstairs.
“Sorry, I guess you were too focused to notice me. Who is she?”
I turned my head towards her, “I guess my best friend back home.”
“You guess?”
“Maybe it could have been more?” I shrugged, “But that’s in the past now. She’s smart and pretty, and by the time if and when I get home, I’m sure she’ll be married... plus there’s the whole being a girl thing now.”
She looked at me and nodded. “So, really, you were a boy before all of this?”
I nodded, “Kind of a big change?”
“It doesn’t bother you being a girl now?”
“Well, it’s not like I was going out and having hot naked sex every night,” I smirked at her. “And I knew my time here in college would be a lot different from a normal college experience. Bar hopping and stripper clubs are not exactly going to be happening… so I guess it hasn’t really affected me much.”
She nodded and bit her tongue for a moment, “Thanks for not pushing me to do something with you a little while ago.”
“I could tell something was a little much right then,” I told her, “Sorry if I dredged up some bad memories.”
Sighing, she said, “You couldn’t know… especially since you’re not from here… and you’re really not a true Little, I guess.”
“Huh?” a little taken aback, “Last I looked, I’m over a foot shorter than you?”
“Oh, I’m not saying you’re not a tiny little pipsqueak,” she smiled at me, “but you’ve got a future ahead of you. Most Littles that miraculously make it into their early twenties without being adopted know it’s only a matter of time before they’ll be stuck pooping their diapees, sucking nummies from mommy, and crawling around; playing with mind-numbing baby toys.”
“Umm… other than the being stuck crawling around? I’ve done all of that already.”
“But you get to use the potty? And you’re going to college?” She sniffled, “It’s… it’s…?”
I stood up and walked over to her, “not fair.” I said and gave her a big hug as she collapsed sitting on the floor...
I stood and held her in a hug as she sobbed into my shoulder for a while, and I had a feeling Amanda was spying on the baby monitor to give us space since she never appeared to check on us. Finally, after some time, she wiped her eyes, “Umm… thanks… Sorry…”
“For what?” I gave her another hug, “Trust me, we all have our breaking points.”
“So, what’s yours?”
“I hate poopy diapers,” I told her, “and Amanda’s sisters are kind of crazy… definitely mechanical swings now that I’m thinking about it.” I shuddered.
She laughed a little nervously.
“Believe me, I’ve broken down a couple times, and I know there are more to come. One thing that will help is if we can figure out something you can do to keep yourself occupied… You’re lucky that Amanda and Fred aren’t really looking for a newborn baby or someone to lord their superiority over Littles.”
She nodded, “Just the fact you feel like you can call them by their first names.”
“I still call them Mommy and Daddy when I’m talking to them…?”
“No, most Littles don’t even allow themselves to think of anything else, so they don’t mess up,” she told me.
I nodded, “I’m still going through some culture shock.”
“I bet… I can’t imagine the world you came from!”
“It has its moments,” I told her.
“Why in the world did you come here?” She said, “I mean, really just for computers?!?”
I laughed, “This world is probably at least a decade ahead of my dimension, if not more than that. If I can learn how to take the tech from here back home, I’ll be a very rich man… er… woman.”
She shook her head, “I guess. I should probably let you finish your e-mails? Mommy said she’d be coming to give us our bath in a little bit.”
I reached over and gave her a big hug, “Thanks, I just have one more, I think.”
I walked back over and sat down to look at Mom and Dad’s e-mail since there wasn’t anything in Gabby’s that I felt I needed to reply to immediately.
Hi Stacy,
You know you really are adorable now, right? I wish I was there to pick you up and love on you myself… Hopefully, being as cute as you are can work for you in some way… I know it’s like waving a red flag in front of a bull to the Amazons in that dimension. We’re very proud of you, sweetie, and we want to wish you good luck in your first week of classes.
Let us know how the trip went?
Stay safe,
Love Mom
I heard footsteps on the staircase and guessed Amanda was probably coming back upstairs. My response would have to be quick.
Hi Mom and Dad,
Thanks for the well wishes on this week. The trip this weekend was… rather interesting? Somehow, we found ourselves helping a Little that sat next to us on the plane. She didn’t realize it, but she’d gotten lured to the same city we were going by a seedy Little snatching group. The long and the short of it is that I have a big sister now, Bella, that I’m sure you’ll hear more about. I hope we can become good friends, at least since she’s kind of stuck in the adopted role now…
I typed a few more things and included a safe code phrase, told her a bit about the dolphin swimming and the park before saying,
Gabby e-mailed me back; she agrees with you on me being adorable. I think she’d be right there with you wanting to take care of me… I’m guessing it’s going to be a curse here. Anyway, Amanda is coming to give us our bath now – it’s going to be a big day tomorrow, so I need to sign off.
Love you!
Stacy
I heard a sniff behind me from Bella, who had begun reading over my shoulder. I stood up and gave her a hug again, “You going to be okay?”
