Chapter 45: Steve

We'd finished talking with Dave and I confessed what I had not to anyone else, my fear of heights. A couple of people knew, but none of them how much they scared me.

"So, how do you feel now?" Sarah asked Dave.

"Uh, wet, and tired, and all stuffy."

I jumped in without really thinking, "Well Cecelia, I think we can fix those problems, a clean diaper, and a nap should help." I got up and walked over.

I saw the surprise on Dave's face when he turned around and I picked him up. As I turned towards the hallway. Sarah asked, "Steve, are you sure you don't me to handle it?"

"I think that, with a little help from Cecelia, I can handle it. She can give me some instructions."

As we made our way down the hallway Dave whispered, "You smell like Sarah." I almost tripped over my own two feet.

Dave must have said it loud enough for Sarah to hear, because I heard her chuckling, "That's probably because he is wearing my shirt and showered with my soap. Or do you usually use lavender soap Steve?"

"No, I don't and that is probably a good explanation."

I carried Dave into the nursery, and Sarah walked past saying, "I'll toss the clothes in the dryer."

I looked around and set him on the changing table. His outfit puzzled me for a moment, then I noticed the snaps at his crotch. I undid them and pulled it past the diaper. I thought that diapers only had one tape on each side, these had three. Live and learn. Dave was giggling as I fumbled around. "You could give me some advice here." Dave shook his head, "OK, but if you end up leaking, you'll be the uncomfortable one."

I undid the tapes, and pulled it out from underneath him and set it aside. I grabbed a wipe and started wiping him clean. The lack of hair surprised me, but I guess it kept him cleaner.

I grabbed a diaper and opened it up, thanks to taking the wet one off, I knew the tapes went in back. I lifted him up and set him on the diaper, he helped me get it positioned right, I guess he didn't want any leaks. I pulled up the front and taped it closed. He smiled at me.

I sat him up and pulled the dress thing up over his head, with his arms up and face covered, I had the chance to tickle his belly. He started laughing and thrashing around. I stopped and finished undressing him. "That wasn't nice," he told me.

"I enjoyed it. Where are your PJ's?"

He pointed at a drawer. I opened it and pulled out a pink nightie. I resisted tickling him again as I pulled it down past his head. I picked him up and gave him a hug, "Anything else?"

I could feel him trying to reach something behind me, so I turned and stepped that way. He grabbed a pacifier and lisped past it, "All done."

I looked down at the floor to see where Thor had gotten to. I had felt him bump into my legs a couple of times. He was standing out of the way, so I stepped over and put Dave into the crib. "You have a nice nap Cecelia."

He pulled the pacifier out, "You'll be here when I get up?"

"I will, I promise."

I turned off the lights, and looked back. Dave's eyes were already closed, and Thor had laid down next to the crib. I thought back, and they were right. I would have woken Dave and Thor would have attacked me.

I stopped and washed my hands, then went back into the living room and collapsed onto the couch. We stared at each other for a moment, before I said, "God, I hope that I don't have to go through that again."

"I've had a few talks with Dave, but none were like this. I knew that he was afraid of a bunch of things, but not that he was that afraid all of the time. Were you telling the truth about being afraid of heights?"

"Absolutely. There have been a couple times that I was stuck having to drive over tall bridges. If I had had to do anything to avoid an accident or something, I doubt I could have. Assuming I noticed it at all.

“I ended up getting stuck driving through West Virginia. Through the Charleston area there are four bridges over whatever river it is there. I was terrified the whole time. I even had to check on a map to see how many bridges there were. I thought it was at least six."

I guess I shook or something, because Sarah said, "I guess it did shake you up. Just thinking about it seems to scare you."

"It's not one of my favorite memories."

"Speaking of memories, where is changing Dave's diaper going to rate?"

I thought for a moment. "It was weird, but not really unpleasant. I don't think that I want to deal with a messy one though."

"Messy ones aren't fun, did I tell you about the time Dave and Bob decided to have shellfish for dinner?"

"Yes you did, and I am glad I didn't have to deal with that." I said. "Hey, I thought that diapers only had one tape on each side."

Sarah laughed, "I thought that too. But when Dave bought these, they had three on each side. When we looked for others on the internet they all had either two or three on each side. I guess that is how that make adult diapers."

I shrugged, and then we stared at each other for a few minutes. I think we were both still bleeding off the stress of talking to Dave.

Sarah suddenly spoke up, "So Steve what are your plans for the rest of the day?"

"I know what they were. Now I am not so sure."

She laughed, "So something came up to change your plans?"

I laughed back, "Maybe, maybe not. My first thought after you called, was to see if Dave would take the day off. Then I thought about getting up to Chicago to see the Cubs game, but I realized that between trying to get tickets and the crowd that it would be a bad idea."

Sarah smiled, "I have a confession to make. I have tickets to a Cubs-Cards game later this season. I figure we can make a day of it up in Chicago. I'd invite you, but our tickets are on the upper level, near the bottom."

I shuddered, "I'll pass. Now that I think of it, any tickets I probably could have gotten today would have been up there."

"You're almost certainly right. I bought these when single game tickets went on sale."

"So I was going to suggest that we watch the game instead, and just relax all day. I think that the relaxing is a good idea after what happened. Although I think I'll pass on the nap in the crib."

She smiled, "Awww, but you would be so cute."

I blushed, "But I wouldn't fit."

We laughed. Thor woofed. I looked and saw him staring at the door. "I think that Thor wants out. I'll go let him out."

I walked over and opened the door. Thor looked back down the hallway, and then at me. "Don't worry, we won't let anything happen to him." He woofed again and bounded outside.

I returned to the couch, and Sarah asked, "Did you just talk to Thor?"

"Well, before he would go out, he looked back towards Dave, and then at me. I'm not sure if he would have left if I hadn't reassured him."

"You know that Dave treats him more like a person than like a dog?"

"I've seen him talking to Thor, so yeah. Hey if Dave wants to treat him like a person, I can indulge him."

"Steve, why can't you call Dave ‘Sissy‘?"

I sighed, "It goes back to our Freshman year. I wasn't all that happy with Dave as a room mate. At first I thought I was stuck with a kid. I even went to see if I could change room mates, but found out there was a waiting period, except in dire cases. So I figured that I would just wait and then change.

By the time we could put in for changes, I had changed my mind. Dave was quiet, clean, and didn't mind cleaning up after me. There were times when I would either come in, or wake up and not even notice that he was in the room. While he wasn't really what I wanted in a room mate, he probably helped me graduate by not being a partier."

When I paused, Sarah asked, "What does this have to do with why you can't call him Sissy?"

I continued, "Well, one of the guys on the floor, I had talked to about switching room mates, started acting like an ass. He kept pushing me about switching rooms, it was easier if you had people willing to switch. After I told him no, first he implied that, well I don't want to talk about that. Then he started calling Dave my 'sissy room mate.' I don't think that he ever used it where anyone else could hear. At least no one ever told me he did. He was kicked out a couple weeks later."

Sarah looked at me with a bit of a horrified look on her face. "I'm almost certain that he never heard of it, and I can see why you don't want to use it."

"Yeah, it brings back bad memories. If I heard someone use it derisively it would be a race between me and Thor to see who got him first."

"I'm glad you weren't here when Bob used it, even if he didn't really mean it," Sarah said.

We sat there talking for a while about nothing in particular until Thor showed up. I went to let him in. I looked down at him and said, "Dave's fine, and just where you left him." He turned and walked down to the nursery. I followed him and looked in on Dave. He was still asleep and Thor was again laying there.

I stopped off and relieved myself, before I returned to the living room, only to find it empty. Sarah came back a couple of minutes later and said, "Too much coffee."

I chuckled and agreed. We continued talking for a while, until we heard a soft, "Sarah," come from down the hallway. She got up and went down the hallway. I sat there relaxing until they returned.

It didn't take long before Dave or rather Cecelia came waddling down the hallway. He was wearing a pair of overall shorts, and a pink t-shirt now. I half caught him when he tried to jump into my lap. He gave me a hug and said, "I was afraid you'd leave."

"I said I'd be here. Besides I planned on spending the day with my friend."

"Even if your friend is dressed like a baby girl?"

I said, "Even if he peed on me, and ended up in diapers, dressed like a baby girl."

Dave's eyes got big and he hugged me again. I returned the hug.

Sarah came in carrying a bottle and when she sat down. Dave wriggled free and got into her lap. I watched the two of them for a few minutes and almost couldn't believe what I was seeing.

Something seemed to change in both of them. Dave looked even more like a baby girl. Sarah looked intensely happy. She was smiling, but there was more to it than that. It was almost like she was radiating that happiness.

I glanced around and saw that Thor had followed Dave into the room, and right now he was just laying there watching Sarah and Dave as if everything in the world was right. It struck me that he may know something, and I joined him.

When Dave finished the bottle the spell was broken. What ever had been there, was still there, but it was greatly diminished. The difference between sunlight and moonlight, maybe. "Has anyone ever watched you feed Dave a bottle?"

Sarah blinked and answered, "Ashley I'm sure, but I don't think anyone else. Why?"

They were both looking at me, and that made me a little nervous. "Well, it was… I'm not really sure how to say this. I guess the best word is special."

"What do you mean, special?"

"Ah. I don't know if I can explain it better, but I'll try." I thought for a minute, and I could see them getting impatient. "The best I can do is, that while you were feeding him, it was like nothing could go wrong. Everything was right in the universe."

Dave spoke up, "That seems kind of silly."

"It may seem silly. If you don't believe me, get one of your friends, and have them come over and watch. Tell them to just sit, watch, and don't say or do anything. If none of them see anything, then I'll admit I imagined it."

Chapter 46: Sarah

I finished feeding Dave his bottle when Steve startled me. He asked, "Has anyone ever watched you feed Dave a bottle?"

I blinked and answered, "Ashley I'm sure, but I don't think anyone else. Why?"

I stared at him, and he got a bit of funny look on his face. "Well, it was… I'm not really sure how to say this. I guess the best word is special."

I asked him, "What do you mean, special?"

"Ah. I don't know if I can explain it better, but I'll try." He sat there for a minute or so before continuing. "The best I can do is, that while you were feeding him, it was like nothing could go wrong. Everything was right in the universe."

Dave said, "That seems kind of silly."

"It may seem silly. If you don't believe me, get one of your friends, and have them come over and watch. Tell them to just sit, watch, and don't say or do anything. If none of them see anything, then I'll admit I imagined it."

Dave said, "I still think it's silly."

Dave whispered, "Let me down." I did and he went and sat in the middle of the room. Thor padded over and Dave hugged him, then started petting him.

They played for a bit, and that got Dave giggling. When they were taking a bit of break, Steve softly said, "Dave."

He turned and with a bit of a quiver to his voice, "What?"

"It's nothing bad, I just wanted to talk to you about an idea I had."

Dave sounded like he was about to cry. I'm not sure if Steve could tell, but I could. Dave said. "What kind of idea?"

"It's an idea for you to advance your career as a writer," Steve said.

"Huh?" Dave was less than eloquent with his reply.

Steve laughed, "I glad you write better than you talk."

"Hey, you just surprised me. So what is this idea?"

"I think that you should write a book," Steve said.

"A book, what would I write a book about?"

"Well, you could write one about being treated like a two year old girl, but I don't think that it would sell."

I laughed at that, and Dave glared at me. "I can't write about that."

"How about one on how airplanes work, or better yet three or four books."

Dave's jaw dropped, and then he said, "I could probably write one on how airplanes work, but three or four?"

Steve smiled and had a bit of a smug look on his face. "Dave you aren't thinking. OK, I didn't give you time to think about it and I have been for a while now."

I cut in, "Steve what do you mean by writing three or four books?"

"Well, Dave could write one for little kids, with simple pictures and simple sentences about what the parts of the plane do. Another for older kids, with simple explanations of the science of how the parts work. Another at maybe high school level, with some of the math and explanations of lift and drag and all those fun engineering terms. Then a final one with all the math and complex stuff. I don't know if the last one would be worth it though."

Dave's mouth opened, then closed. Then opened and closed again. Finally he got something out, "Steve that's a great idea. Well maybe not the last one, it's too much like a textbook. I don't want to write a textbook."

"That is a great idea Steve. So are you going to do it Dave?"

He looked back me, "I think…" his voice trailed off. Then he started up again, "Sarah, do you have some paper and a pen?"

"Sure, just let me go get it." I got up and went down to my office where I grabbed a pen and a legal pad. I also grabbed a crayon out of the nursery.

I came back into the living room and they had moved the coffee table out. Dave was sitting behind it and Steve was sitting over his shoulder. I set the pad in front of Dave and dropped the crayon down with it.

HE looked up at me and glared, "Sarah I can't write with that."

I laughed and handed him the pen, "You aren't going to write the books now are you?"

"No, I'm going to write down some ideas on how to organize the books. If I can come up with a way for all the books to follow the same plan. It will be easier to write them."

We sat there helping Dave go through ideas on how to organize the books. Front to back, bottom to top, importance, all sorts or ways. He filled up a bunch of pages of notes. It was a bit odd, seeing him dressed like a little girl, and talking like an adult.

Finally Dave leaned back against the couch. "That's enough. I'll need to refine what I have, and go see what little kids books look and read like. I don't want to use words that are too big or sentences that are too complex."

He climbed up on the couch and lunged into Steve's lap. "That was a great idea Steve."

Steve gave him a hug, "I've been told all my ideas are great."

"I seem to remember hearing about an idea you had to take Dave to a bar once," I said. Steve gave me a mock glare and Dave started laughing.

"OK, most of ideas are great."

Dave laughed louder at that. "Sarah?" he asked.

"What did you need?" I asked. I hoped it wasn't what I thought.

"I'm hungry. Can you make me some lunch?"

I wasn't ready for that, and looked over at the clock. It was already after noon. No wonder he was hungry, and now that he mentioned it I realized that I was hungry too. "Sure, how about you Steve? Do you want some lunch?."

"Yes. Did you want some help?" Steve replied, as he tickled Dave just enough to get him laughing again.

"No. Just keep Sissy entertained. Is soup and sandwiches alright?" They nodded and I went into the kitchen.

While I made lunch, I could hear occasional giggles and laughs coming from the living room. At least Steve kept him entertained. Lunch didn't take to long to make. I called the two of them in. Steve carried Dave in and put Dave into the high chair. I put the tray on and put his lunch and a bottle of juice there. "Steve, what would you like to drink? Beer, Coke, juice, milk, water?"

We sat and ate lunch chatting about what we would do the rest of the afternoon. Dave asked Steve how long he was going to stay. Steve told him, not until Dave wanted him to leave. Dave smiled at this. We decided to watch the Cubs game this afternoon, and see who was available for dinner.

After lunch Dave and Steve went got some drinks and snacks set up to watch the game, while I put up the ring the buzzer for help sign on my office door. I also made a few phone calls. I told Susan not to bother walking with Dave tomorrow. I talked to Judy and she said she would be by when Ashley got home. I left a message for Bob.

Dave and Steve were sitting on the couch. Snacks and drinks were all set out. I sat down and saw that they already had the pre-game on. "So what do you think of the Cubs chances today?"

Dave spoke up, "With Prior pitching today, the Cubs have a good chance to win, but both the Cubs and Rockies aren't very good this year."

We sat and watched the game. It was tied going into the 4th inning, when the first pitch was lined back at Prior and bounced off his elbow. I winced in sympathetic pain. Steve must have winced also, because I heard a sharp intake in his breath. Dave buried his head into my side. The third baseman caught the ball, as Prior writhed in pain on the field.

After a few moments I wanted to bury my face too. I'd watched enough sports to see all sorts of injuries, and this looked to be one of the most painful I remembered. The trainers eventually got him under control and got him up and off the field. Dave had sat back up, but it was easy to see that he was still uncomfortable about what had happened.

I don't know if that inspired the Cubs, but they broke out and blew away the Rockies. It was a bit of Pyrrhic victory though, Prior would likely be out for a while.

During one of the later innings, Steve started squirming in his seat. Dave noticed this, and asked him what was wrong. Steve looked at him, and said he needed to use the restroom. Dave laughed and said he should have worn a diaper, then he wouldn't need to worry about that. At the end of the inning, Steve jumped and didn't quite run to the bathroom. Dave and I laughed about that.

During the rest of the game Steve must have been poking Dave in the side, because Dave kept squirming around. After the game I took Dave down to change his diaper. I just finished taping on his new diaper when there was a knock at the door.