Cassidy

"I-I'll go with Cassidy, if that's okay," Sam murmurs, glancing aside to find her foster sister looking at her smiling. She feels herself smile back.

"Of course it's okay, sweetie," Maja says, standing up to unlatch their trays. "Make sure to get back before the sun's down, okay? Or let us know if you're staying the night with your friends."

"I know the drill, Mama," Cassidy says, already heading to the door.

Sam glances at her foster parents before walking after her, an unspoken word passing between the family. All four of them regather at the doorway, with Kristen pressing a bag into Sam's arms. She looks into it, diapers, bottles, a rolled-up changing mat.

"Your diaper bag," she says, looking between the two of them as if it's the most normal thing in the world. "Remember to find a quiet place to change and to check your diapers regularly, okay?"

Cassidy rolls her eyes. "Yes, Mom, we know, and we'll look both ways before crossing the road, too."

"Of course, sweetie," Kristen replies patiently, straightening out their clothes. "Remember to hold each other's hands, okay?"

Sam feels Cassidy squeeze her hands in response. "Yes, Mom, we will."

A nod. "Alright."

"One last thing," Maja interrupts, a smartphone in each hand. One for each of them, sleek and modern-looking things. "The chargers are in the bag, and the tracking is on."

Sam takes it gingerly. She never had a phone, not in foster care, and certainly not since she left it. She turns it over in her hand.

"It's yours now," Maja says, looking at her warmly. "You'll have to leave outside of your crib during bedtime, but before then," she shrugs gingerly. "You can set your own password. We won't pry.

"Thanks... Ma-Mom," Sam answers, her voice suddenly becoming hard to find. Cassidy squeezes her hand in reassurance.

"We'll remember to text," she says, leading the two of them off with a wave and a goodbye.

"Stay safe, sweethearts!"

-

"So... how are you feeling?" Cassidy asks once they stopped for a rest.

They're at a park not too far from the house, resting beneath the shade of a large oak tree. Sam wasn't exactly used to going out in public with a wet diaper and baby clothes, but having Cassidy beside her made it bearable, at least. Their water bottles were at least functionally normal, aside from the infantile prints.

"I'm... maintaining," she says, glancing at her foster sister. "It's been a lot to take in, I guess. I mean, not bad bad, but like... different compared to..."

"Wearing diapers? Acting as a baby? Yeah, it's a bit of an adjustment," Cassidy agrees. She fiddles with her pacifier. "But, I'm asking how do you feel about it? Do you like it, hate it, somewhere in between..."

"I, uhm, should we even be talking about this?" Sam looks around. It felt weird having such a mature conversation with someone older than her while they were both dressed as toddlers.

"It's fine, Sam," Cassidy reassures, smiling as she squeezes her hand. "You can regress all the way to being an infant here, and I know some who do, but there's a middle ground between being an adult and getting everything done for you by an adult. There's not like a baby police that's gonna arrest you for speaking like an adult while wearing a diaper, else Kristen would definitely be in gay baby jail by now."

The image of that made Sam giggle. "Why does she wear diapers anyway? Is it like a... a sex thing?" The image of her foster mother, the tallest and most muscled member in their little household wearing diapers, had always been hard to square.

"Absolutely, she's a big diaper lover and loves the feel of wearing and using diapers, but not as big a fan of getting coochie-coochie cooed and calling someone else mommy. Well, not unless it's-wait," Cassidy pauses, tilting her head to look at Sam. "You're dodging the question, you little rascal."

"I- maybe," she concedes. "I dunno, it's something I'm still wrapping my head around. I mean, I-I do like being cared for, being wanted, but I just can't get out of my own head a lot of the time when it happens, like I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop..."

"Sam..." Cassidy leans to hug her, and Sam accepts it easily. "You're always going to have a place here. All you have to be is yourself, okay?"

Sam let herself be taken in by the embrace. "Okay," she murmurs into the crook of her neck. "As soon as I figure out who I am, at least."

Cassidy perked up. "Well, that's what we're gonna do today. We're gonna help you figure out who you are and what you like."

"W-Weren't we supposed to visit your friends?" Sam asks, looking around.

"Por no los dos, senorita," Cassidy smirks, fingers tapping rapidly on her phone. "A friend gonna meet us here in a bit," she leans against the tree. "Wanna cuddle while we wait?"

"S-sure."

A few minutes of cuddling later...