Page 45 of Lilly's Little Labor Day

“Are we being too loud, Daddy?” Halle asked.

“Not at all. The playroom is for cuties like you two to laugh and let loose in. But I think you also let loose in your diaper. I need to check it, baby.” Roman reeled the woman in, spun her around, and pulled the back of her nappy away from her skin. Peering down, he smiled and said, “You’re clean. Are you dry?” He patted her bottom before turning her around again and grabbing the swath of cotton and plastic between her legs. “You’re soaked! I figured as much.”

“Can’t I play a little longer?” Halle asked. “You can change me later.”

“Little girls don’t tell their Daddies what they can and can’t do. Daddies are the ones who call the shots. And I’ll change you right now. I don’t want you to get a diaper rash.”

The Little hung her head and pouted.

“Now, now,” Roman said. “You’ll be tidied up in no time and playing with Lilly. Or you can throw a fit, get your bottom spanked, and be sent to timeout. You pick.”

“I’m sorry, Daddy. I won’t throw a fit.”

“Good girl. Come on.”

Roman took Halle by the hand and led her to the collection of diapers the playroom had stocked.

Edward looked to Lilly. “Your turn.”

She was mortified as he did the same to her—spinning around and checking the back of her diaper. He found it was fine, but like Halle, she was more than a little wet.

“When they’re done on the changing table, I’ll get you taken care of,” he said.

Lilly’s stomach flipped over. She had been so Little—so vulnerable—in front of Edward. But there was something about the act of having her diaper changed that seemed so intimate. It was as if it created a unique bond.

Was that going to make it even harder to break away when the time came?

Of course it will. But be honest, Lilly. None of this is making it easy.

She melted a moment later when Edward had her in his arms, hoisting her onto the changing table. Once again, she was carried away by his loving, tender care. By the time he finished cleaning her and getting a new diaper on her, she was completely lost in a blissful euphoria. She would have followed that man to the ends of the earth and back.

Fight it, Lilly, fight it!

It was when Edward carried her back to the play area to rejoin Halle that Lilly remembered the plan that had partly taken shape earlier.

It hurt her heart, but she knew she had to enact.

If she didn’t, she’d fall so hard for Edward that there’d be no going back. It was imperative that she do something before passing that point of no return.

But she was going to need help.

Could she trust Halle?

Bringing Halle in on the scheme would require feeding her more information—information that Lilly was too embarrassed to share—but it might be necessary. Desperate times call for desperate measures, she realized.

And this was definitely a desperate time.

Thirty minutes later, the Littles were singing karaoke. They’d gone through “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” as well as several theme songs to their favorite cartoons.

The Daddies had watched the show with approving smiles, plenty of applause, and a lot of encouragement.

“Thank you, thank you!” Halle said, taking a bow.

“We’ll be here all weekend,” Lilly said.

They put the microphones down and happily skipped toward the play-kitchen. “Let’s make something for our Daddies!” Halle said. She grabbed a toy pot and stirring spoon.

“We can bake cookies!” Lilly said. “Sometimes me and Ms. Duckworth make real ones.”

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