Connie awoke slowly, awoken not by a sudden hurried idea that she has to actually get up but slowly drifting out of sleep. How long it has been since she drifted back to sleep again she had no idea. She hadn't even thought about that back then, too content in her arms to think about anything beyond that. It was a contentment she suddenly felt the need to cling too, to slip back into and to forget anything outside of her little baby bubble.

She was still laying in the same position she had been when she slipped off to sleep, her legs pulled up to her chest with her tails coiled around her hips. Her soft brown fur was spiked and dishevelled from sleep, making her butterfly wing markings even more pronounced somehow.

Even if her position hadn't changed, something was different though. It took her a minute to realise what that was, to feel that the pacifier had slipped from her mouth sometime in the night. Leaving the small plastic teat no doubt lost somewhere between the sheets pooled around her and her mother, snuggled as deep in those blankets as she was. Of course, it wouldn't have taken much effort to find it, for her paw to reach down, feel for it and bring it back to her muzzle. But even that little movement felt too much right now, just thinking about it threatening to shatter the peace the enveloped her. A peace she very much wanted to hang onto.

'Mama.' Connie whispered softly, the worries filling her mind prompting her to move closer to her mother, her paws curling into her shirt lightly. Leaving her torn between wanting to move closer to her while at the same time scared of waking her. If she did then this moment would be broken and shattered like glass. It might have been a silly fear but it was one she couldn't shake. Once it was gone she wouldn't be able to get it back, that the bubble would burst and leave her adrift and lost, unknowing and unable to retrieve that glorious moment.

'Yes sweetie?'

That remark shook Connie out of her stupor with a jolt of shock, the soft whispered words made her heart melt just a little. And making her ears flatten down to her head in a mix of embarrassment and joy that sent nervous flutters right to her stomach. 'I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you.'

'You didn't. I was just watching you sleep. It's been so long since I could, I wanted to enjoy the moment.' Alice said, leaning in close to kiss her nose, a moment so tender it sent ripples through her fur, all the way along her spine and right down to her toes.

Connie blushed hotly enough she was sure her fur was glowing red. 'Well, I don't think I'm going to be able to get back to sleep now.' Connie whispered, fighting down the sudden longing to stay here all day.

'I would hope not.' Alice beamed. 'It's far too nice a day to spend it in bed. And I don't know about you, but I'm starving.'

'Famished.' Connie said feeling her tummy rumble almost as if it had been waiting for that cue, protesting almost with a mind of its own. Now that she thought about it, she felt really, really hungry.

'I thought so. Why don't you go and wash your face and I'll whip us up something yummy.' Alice said as she sat up, stretching her arms easily over her head.

'Sounds like a plan.' Connie yawned, swinging her legs off the bed to stand as gracefully as she could. She was always a little sluggish getting out of bed. And it seemed today was going to be no exception. Managing to brush off the way her body was screaming at her to just get back into bed, Connie padded along to the bathroom, trying not to dwell on her doubts. It was like what she had feared. Normality had slipped back in and she suddenly wasn't sure how to move away from that. Yesterday had been so special but she wasn't sure if she could have to courage to suggest doing something like that again. If her mother would even want to. Why she might just..

'Stop it.' Connie chided herself, just about managing to hold those thoughts back with a huge effort. Almost as great as the effort it took to force herself to walk down the stairs, each step feeling like an eternity because with each one she couldn't help feeling that the storm of emotions embroiling her would come crashing back. Yet somehow she managed to make it into the kitchen, guided as much by memory as by the delicious smells wafting out to her.

'You made waffles?' Connie asked, the sweet smell making her mouth water from across the room, rising like the memories bubbling up in her head.

'Well, I took them out of a packet.' Alice laughed. 'I think I'm a little out of practice to actually make them properly. Not that I have any idea where the waffle maker is anyway. Just lucky I had some in the house really. And to think when you were younger I used to make them every weekend. Can't believe I stopped.'

'Do you think we could ever do what we did again? Last night I mean.' Connie blurted out quickly. And just as quickly she felt stupid for having said it. But it was a thought she couldn't avoid. The more she thought about it, the more her worry grew that this could have just been a onetime thing.

It was a worry she might have stayed trapped in if her mother hadn't sat down opposite her, taking one paw in hers. A small gesture maybe, but one that instantly went light years towards making Connie feel better.

'I was hoping that we could sweetie.' Alice's easy smile made her heart lift even more so than her words or her touch.

'You mean that?' Connie managed to whisper, feeling her mouth suddenly dry; those words seeming to rasp from her throat rather than slide easily like they should have done.

'Of course. Why wouldn't I?' Alice frowned, seeming genuinely confused.

Connie took a deep shuddering breath before she continued, one that didn't reassure her as much as she had hoped. But she was too far gone down this chain of thought to stop now. 'I don't know. I was just scared. Everything was so sudden yesterday and this morning when I woke up I was so happy. And then I thought I might not be able to feel that again and..and..'

She hugged her. 'Shhh. Shhh. It's okay. Don't cry little one. I know this must all feel so new to you. It is to me too. But that doesn't mean we have to lose it. Okay?'

'Okay.' Connie said shakily.

'Good girl. Now, I'm sure we had some whipped cream somewhere.' Alice stood quickly and walked over to the fridge, leaving Connie alone with her thoughts.

Although it was more memories that were filling her mind at the moment. Memories from so long ago, from years ago really. Memories she hadn't thought of in a long, long time. And yet those memories were so vivid, so fresh in her head that she might have lived them yesterday. Every morning without fail her mother had made waffles for her, no matter how early she had to be up for work that day. Or how late she had been working the night before. Except on the weekends when they made them together, even until Connie had started High School. Of course by then she could have made them herself. But it had become routine, something so familiar and comforting that neither of them gave a second thought to carrying on with it.

So much so that she couldn't actually remember why or when they had stopped doing it. The only thing she could think off was that it had something to do with when she started college. The frequent early starts he meant she was often out of the house before her mother was awake. Yes, that must have been it. Somehow that realisation made her sadder than she would have expected. Not because they had stopped something they had both shared. But because she had forgotten some of the best memories of her childhood. Not that she had really forgotten them. She tried to cling to that thought, a thought she was so caught up in that she almost didn't notice when her mother sat and passed her a plate piled high with waffles, fruit and lashings of whipped cream.

'Now, we are going to have to set some rules about this.'

'What?' Connie said startled.

'About being babied.' Alice speared a chunk of waffle which she munched slowly. 'I guess number one has to be that this can't affect your studies sweetie. I'm sorry if that sounds harsh. I don't want to start off with a downer but it's something we have to work out.'

'I can get behind that.' Connie nodded, starting to cut up her waffles but not taking a mouthful yet. 'Might even be something we need to leave until the weekends. Or at least until I've done my assignments for the day.'

'I don't think there is anything wrong with going slow with this.' Alice agreed. 'And I think you are right. Which isn't to say we couldn't do something small in the evenings together. As for the weekends though, I think we need to get into a routine don't you? Babies need routine don't they?'

Connie nearly choked on her waffle but managed a slow nod as she swallowed around the tightness in her throat, letting Alice continue easily, her calmness helping to reassure her. 'Which I suppose means I should be the one to get you out of bed. Of course, you can sleep in if you want to. But no going downstairs without momma. Then I can make breakfast for us both. After that we could spend the day doing all the things we used to do when you were younger. Remember how you used to lie around the living room in just a diaper drawing or colouring.'

'Only from pictures.' Connie said slowly, the image of the photos of her youth rising in her mind. And yet it was the image that pushed them out of the way that held her attention now. Unbidden the image of her dressed just like that except with the addition of a flowing t-shirt filled her inner eye, the mental image of her scribbling away with a pencil like she didn't have a care in the world. Her heart lurched thinking of it and she brought herself back to now with a jolt.

'I could really do that?' Connie whispered, her mind racing a hundred miles an hour with one enticing thought after another until she felt she might burst. 'Or play with toys? Or read picture books? Or have you read to me. Or daddy read to me. Or...'

'Okay, okay. Slow down Connie.' Alice chuckled softly. 'Of course you can do all of those things. But within the rules. Like bedtime. And bath time. And mealtimes too. Can't be having fun all day. Hmm, little girls don't know how to use the toilet either do they?'

She might just have meant that as a throwaway comment, almost throwing a thought out there. But Connie latched onto that thought, the idea both equal parts scary and wildly exciting. And yet it was something so big she almost couldn't get her head around it.

'Well, I have been thinking about that.' Connie whispered shyly. 'Here, let me. I just need too...'

She couldn't manage to get out more than that so she quickly crossed the room to grab her tablet from where it rested on the side, already turning it on as she returned not to her side of the table but instead to take the seat next to her mother. Heart pounding in her chest and eyes locked on the screen, Connie fought to keep her paws from shaking as she opened her favourites, quickly flicking down to the website she was looking for. A couple of clicks was all she needed to open the page, the home screen loading in the blink of an eye, the bright pink banner highlighting the top in all its cute eye catching glory.

It was here that Connie hesitated. This was something she had never shown anyone after all, had never dreamt she would ever show to anyone. Already her mind was screaming at her that this was a bad idea and she was literally a second away from closing the page down when Alice rested a paw lightly on hers. A soft touch but one that gave her the courage to continue, clicking through to the page she had been looking for. After only a seconds delay the image changed to show a screen dominated by what was still the most adorable set of diapers Connie had ever seen, all thick and poofy, decorated with little stars and balloons and swirling lines around the edges. Suddenly caught by a overpowering swell of embarrassment, Connie dipped her head until her mother's voice broken the silence filled by the pounding of her heart.

'Wow. There certainly is a lot of stuff here. And yet you knew exactly where to go. I would have been completely lost at the first page.' Alice mused softly.

Here it was. Connie bit back a sigh. Cards on the table time. She managed a shaky smile. 'It's..not exactly my first time here. I've been looking at these for ages. And wanted to buy myself some for almost as long.'

'So..why didn't you?' Again, her mother's tone was soft and soothing. No censorship or judgement, or any of the dozens of things she had feared if this had come out.

'How could I?' Connie managed to whisper. 'What if you or Dad had found them? How could I have explained this away?' She felt her eyes warming with tears. 'I had no idea how you would react. All I could think was you would think it was wrong...that you would hate me...that...that..'

Alice took her into a hug, holding her close to her shoulder until her sobs faded. 'Sweetie, we would never hate you. And while I can't speak for your father, I think I can safely say he would be as okay with this as I am.'

'You think so?' Connie sniffled.

'I know so.' Alice soothed. 'You aren't doing anything dangerous or that will hurt yourself or others. So why would he have a problem with it?'

Connie had no answer to that, so Alice took that silence to continue. 'So, it's decided then. We are going to have to get you some of these adorable little diapers for our first baby weekend. If we are going to make it a proper one that is. I hope they can handle bulk orders, cause if it's anything like when you were younger, you are going to need a lot of them.'

'Mom.' Connie drew out that word, unavoidably aware that she was whining, her voice having dropped into a childlike pout that only served to make her squirm more. 'Don't go bringing that up. I was just a baby after all.'

'But such a cute little baby.' Alice grinned, pinching her cheek softly. 'My sweet little girl.'

'I love you mom.' Connie whispered, those three words slipping from her mouth softly. But not softly enough that Alice couldn't hear them.

'And I love you more sweetie.'

Connie just nodded. Right now she loved her mother more than at any point in her life. Of all the times she had imagined how it might go if she did actually confess her greatest secret to her mother, she had never in her wildest dreams have guessed she would be so supportive and understanding. So much so that she couldn't actually believe she had been scared of telling her. The one fear that had dominated her thoughts for years now seemed smaller than a grain of sand, like a weight that she had been holding had just slipped from her mind. She wasn't foolish enough to believe it was gone, it was just that it didn't matter to her if it was here or not. With her family around her she knew she could deal with it.

'No, I love you more. And I never said thank you. Not properly. Not for all you did. 'I wanted to tell you this for years, mom. But I was always so scared about doing so. But more than that, I wanted to do this for years. But without your help I might never have found the courage to take that first step.'

'But you did, that's the main thing.' Alice soothed. 'And I'm just pleased to have my little girl back.'

Connie couldn't help the frown that feel onto her face, her mouth drooping a little in response to her own confusion.

'Don't get me wrong.' Alice said with a reassuring smile, as if she had just thought how that sounded. 'I couldn't be more proud of the smart, kind and brave young woman you have become. But I can't say I don't miss those days, watching you grow up, helping you to grow and learn. Yes, I do miss those days with my little girl. Maybe it's odd to want them back. But I do miss them.'

Connie tried to find the words, not sure if she was trying to comfort her mother, or herself, or the both of them. Her mind just seemed to freeze, her eyes misting up with fresh tears that she couldn't seem to blink away. Then she was in her mother's arms without really having remembered moving, crying hot salty tears of joy and sorrow mixed so closely together she couldn't tell where one started and the other ended. Her throat constricted so tight she couldn't even utter one word, let alone the four she wanted to repeat at that moment. Yet she felt that words were unnecessary right now. She could feel from how tightly her mother hugged her that she knew what she felt. And that she felt it too. So there were no more words to say. Because they both felt the same.

Story written by  White66 and more of this to be coming over time! Go ahead and check her out!