Quiet Time

Chapter 13

     As Elizabeth helped Lucy into her seat Carmen wheeled Emma to the back of the car. She opened the hatchback which had been lightly modified to be a space for diaper changes. Carmen helped Emma out of her stroller and into the back, her legs hanging off of the bumper of the car. There were straps on the back seat for Emma's wrists that kept her still and from sliding off during the change. Emma was embarrassed as Carmen proceeded to changed her diaper right there in the parking lot, though there wasn't anyone around to see, and she had already walked through that whole building with nothing but a small t-shirt that did not cover her diaper at all.

     As Carmen was finishing, Elizabeth came back with Lucy's stroller folded up to take up a smaller space. As Emma hopped out the stroller was put in. Elizabeth got to work on Emma's stroller as Carmen led her around to the rear passenger side. She opened the sliding door. Emma hopped into the seat not wanting to put up a fight at the moment, and Carmen wordlessly strapped her into the seat tightly. If the situation wasn't so tense Emma would marvel at both the booster seats and strollers. Though now that she knew that her and Lucy definitely weren't the only "littles", that's what that worker inside said, in the area it's not a complete shock that they would have something like that.

     Emma turned to Lucy who was staring out of the window not looking at Emma. Emma hung her head low, somehow the scorn from Lucy was even worse than Carmen or Elizabeth, though it seems a good portion of Lucy's anger was directed at the two caretakers and not so much at her. Carmen sighed as she started the car a bit annoyed at the tense atmosphere.

     They drove out of the parking lot the lead into a long road. It was one of four similar roads. Three of them were suburban looking streets and one lead to an open field. They went down one of the suburban streets. It continued in one direction and had two sets of two houses on either side of the street with a road running perpendicular separating the two blocks. Carmen drove to the first house on the right of the second block and into the familiar garage.

"I think you two girls need some quiet time so mommy can nap," Carmen said as optimistically as she could. Elizabeth trudged inside as Carmen helped Lucy and Emma out of their seats. "Don't think this means either of you are off the hook," Carmen said sternly. "Your punishment is on hold until mommy feels better. We don't allow back talk and we definitely don't allow manipulating and running away." Lucy responded with a huff and Emma hung her head.

"I showy," she said but she was quickly quieted.

"You'll have all the time in the world for sorry after we turn that but of yours a good shade of red," Carmen threatened as she opened the door to the nursery. "Cribs now!" she demanded. Emma and Lucy both quickly obeyed and Carmen quickly locked the two of them in. "Now behave for a while so your mommy can sleep, we don't want to make her any more upset. Do we Emma?"

"No momma," Emma said dejectedly. With that Carmen quickly left the room. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence between Emma and Lucy as the two sat in their cribs, during this time Emma managed to get the pacifier from her pacifier gag out of her mouth allowing her to talk clearly. "Are you mad at me too?" Emma asked breaking the silence. Lucy glanced over with a sigh.

"Yeah, but no," Lucy said exhausted. "It's hard to explain."