Sam -- Adult Adoption

When Sam was told someone was willing to adopt her, this was not what she had in mind.

Sam was unfortunate enough to be one of many in the foster care system to age out of the system. Even with the federal funds she gets to help her find a place in the world, a recent recession had left her in a situation. Thankfully, her foster mother knew a couple -- The Weavers -- who were looking to adopt. Being a lesbian couple in America, they were one of hundreds of would-be parent couples put on-hold, so when their friend told them about Sam, they leapt at the opportunity. Since Sam is now legally an adult, they could "adopt" her without having to wait or justify themselves to homophobic politicians.

It was like fate drew them together. Sam just had to follow a few... house-rules.

Sam was dressed in a pair of pastel-green pajamas, the sleeves reaching her wrists and ankles. Instead of sleeping in a normal bed, Sam slept in a queen-sized crib. While the adult-baby bed was admittedly the comfiest bed she ever slept in, she found the bars mildly claustrophobic.

House-Rule #5: Babies will not leave their cribs by themselves (barring emergencies).

It wasn't even the morning. It was 1:00 in the afternoon.

House-Rule #6: Babies accept all designated naps and bedtimes.

Granted, she took one "nap" a day and it was only thirty-minutes, but she was too old to be put down for naps, and too young to take a nap of her own volition, so she usually just sat in silence. Unfortunately she really had to pee, rocking back and forth in her seat. Even worse, she wasn't just holding it in out of patience.

House-Rule #1: Babies don't use the potty.

When she moved into the house, they took all of her big-girl underwear and big-girl clothes. She was allowed to keep a few bras for practical reasons, but otherwise The Weavers provided her with an entirely new wardrobe, the most pivotal and central change being her underwear.

Diapers. She had to wear diapers. She didn't need diapers, but part of her adoption into The Weaver Household was for her to be their baby-girl.

The diapers they dressed her in weren't even the kind of incontinent underwear you could buy at Walmart. These diapers were a local product; a bright, girly-pink with a picture of eggs on the front that hatched into baby-chicks as a wetness indicator. It was actually kind of cute when she got past the fact that she would have to pee her pants to make it happen.

And she was supposed to pee her pants. She really had to pee, and babies weren't allowed to use the big girl potty.