Page 15 of Lane's Lost Kitten

“Your daddy is very nice,” she said to Lane.

“Oh, he’s not…I mean…” Lane seemed at a loss, so I stepped in.

“Thank you, Kerry. You seem very nice, too. I bet your daddy is proud of you.” He’d handled it just right, and we left her smiling. Along a hallway, we passed many doors. “These are the private changing rooms. They are all booked tonight, but there is a room where everyone who wants to change clothes and did not get a private room can do that. It’s right here.” The door opened as he spoke, and a man emerged accompanied by another holding his hand. The second man wore tiny shorts and a tight shirt that was, from what I’d seen online and what Lane had explained, to be an adult-sized onesie. Knee socks and light-up sneakers completed the look.

“You okay?” Lane asked after they passed us with a cheerful greeting.

“Yes. I think so. Just something I haven’t seen before. But they were friendly.”

Lane set his backpack on a bench and took off the hoodie he’d worn over a very tightly fitted T-shirt with a cat on the front that looked a lot like Cat-terine. He also had brought shorts and changed into them, along with socks and sneakers. I noticed most of the other littles were being dressed by their daddies.

“I should have helped you,” I murmured while stuffing the hoodie in the backpack. “Sorry about that.”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry.” He selected a locker and opened it. “We can leave our things here.”

I placed the backpack and Lane’s street shoes inside, and Lane closed the locker and handed me the key. “Ready?”

He grinned. “I’m so ready. I love crafts.”

“What kinds of crafts will there be?” I was curious. “Coloring like the cute bunny you drew for me?”

“Oh, there’s sure to be coloring,” he said. “And probably lots of glitter.”

“Glitter?”

He laughter rang out and a couple of other littles turned toward him. “Glitter?” one asked. “My daddy doesn’t like me to play with glitter.”

“Sometimes it gets in our hair,” Lane confided then held out a hand. “I want to play now.”

His voice had changed timbre as he spoke, and I thought I was getting to see his little come out or whatever they might call it. “You’ll have to show me the way,” I said, squeezing his fingers. “I’m kind of excited.”

“I’m very excited.” He looked around. “Let’s go. I hope that boy’s daddy isn’t in charge. He’d probably hide all the glitter.”

“Lane?”

“Yes?”

“If there is glitter, try to keep it out of your hair?”

He shrugged. “I try.”

We walked through several areas on our way to the little room, but they were dimly lit, so I didn’t get a really good look. Enough to know I was seeing some of the pieces of dungeon furniture I’d viewed online, but with no people around and just the actual equipment, it looked less menacing.

Not to say that I wasn’t glad that we walked right past it. I was all for consenting adults doing their own thing, but I didn’t think I’d like to flog or be flogged. And I was concerned about what we might find in the little room, but when we got there, it was filled with daddies and mommies and other caregivers and littles dressed like the ones we’d seen in the changing room. They were gathered around a number of tables doing…crafts. Coloring and painting and folding paper and putting together models, all sorts of things.

Lane gave a little bounce. I’m going to make goldfishes, okay?”

“All right.” I let go of his hand, and Lane darted off to a table where lots of sparkly metallic paper was in use. By the end of the day, I’d learned a lot but a couple of things in particular. One, littles were all about snack time, and two, the glitter situation was worse than I’d feared and it did get in people’s hair. Also, I had more skill at crafts than I’d thought.

On the way home, after he’d gone to each station and done the activities, some with me helping, listened to a lady named “Miss Lily” tell us about some upcoming events that got everyone all excited, and then finished up with a big fat oatmeal chocolate chip cookie, he could barely keep his eyes open. “Did you have fun, Lane?”

He yawned and leaned his head back. “Most fun ever. Thank you for coming with me.”

I reached over and ruffled his hair. “It’s okay, Lane. I had a good time, too.”

His eyes snapped open. “Really?”

“Absolutely. It was fun to watch you having such a nice time.”

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