Ayla
"Ayla? Can I come in please?" A distinctly masculine voice sounds on the other side of the bathroom door.
I'm sitting on the floor, naked from the waist down, trying to figure out how to clean my private parts with no wipes. I seriously can't believe I wet myself in my sleep. It's been years since that last happened; if you don't count the accident I had the other day.
Just the fact that I wet myself in my sleep is so embarrassing. I was so sure I was going to win the bet I made with Olive. She's going to make me wear pull-ups every time I go to sleep now.
The thought makes me cry harder, sobbing into my hands until I can't breathe. I don't even want to think about the strange men I woke up to. One was even holding me in his arms.
I won't lie and say that he wasn't comfortable. Being in his arms was soothing. That was until I recognized he was a total stranger and I don't even know his first name.
From the brief glimpse I got of him, he seemed quite attractive. He has shaggy brown hair that was cut short on the sides and long on the top. His cheekbones are sharp, making his blue eyes stand out.
I didn't get a good look at the three other men standing close by. I was too busy running into the bathroom to be embarrassed in private. They probably think I'm a freak that wets her pants.
"Ayla, angel? Can I please come in? I can help you. If you aren't comfortable with me, I can have Olive come and help you." The man at the door states softly, almost like he's talking to a wild animal.
"No, don't come in." I say through my cries.
"Baby girl, I'm concerned about you. I promise I'm not judging your accident. I'm going to help you clean up. That's if you'll let me. My husband's and I won't judge you. You have my word."
I'm not sure if I should trust him, but he doesn't talk to me in a condescending way. Even though he called me baby girl, it wasn't in the way one would talk to a child. All he wants to do is help. Maybe I should let him?
"How about I tell you my name? Will that help?"
"Yeah." I nod, wiping my eyes on the back of my hand.
"I'm Henry. My husbands are Otto, Ethan, and Lyle. They would love to meet you. They won't judge you either."
Processing his words, I stand, going over to the bathroom door. I crack it open, peeking through the small slit I made in the door. The man I woke up on is crouched down by the door.
He gives me a soft smile, holding out a pack of baby wipes. Behind him, I can see the men he calls his husbands. Multiple partner marriages are a thing of the norm now, so it isn't odd that he's married to multiple men.
"Can I come in, angel? Olive gave me a pair of clothes for you to change into."
Taking a deep breath for bravery, I open the door enough to let him in. Henry stands and smiles, entering the room and shutting the door behind him.
"Here you go, pretty girl. Do you need help with wiping yourself. Once again, no judgement from me."
I shake my head at his offer, pulling a couple wipes out of the pack. Wiping my girl parts down, I toss the used wipes in the trash can beside the toilet. My cheeks are flaming red with embarrassment and from my tears.
Henry hands me a pair of my underwear and I slip them up my legs. Next, he hands me the dress Olive picked out for me. It's frilly and white, one of my favorites.
I turn my back to Henry, slipping off my shirt and pulling the dress over my head. For some reason, I can't help but cry again. Wrapping my arms around d my body, I hang my head as I sniffle.
"Oh, baby girl. Come here. There's no need to be embarrassed." Without asking, Henry pulls me into his arms.
I'm lifted into the air as he wraps my legs around his tummy. Tucking my head into his neck, I weep while he comforts me. I don't know why I'm seeking comfort from a stranger.
Maybe because he's not judging me, or the fact that he didn't stare at me while I was getting changed? I don't know. I'm just tired of fighting my classification all the time. He's the closest thing I can get to my dad right now.
So I'll take all the comfort he's offering me. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I hang onto him for dear life as he walks out of the bathroom. I'm quite high off the ground. Henry is tall. As a matter of fact, all his husband's are tall.
Walking towards a man with black hair and sharp green eyes, he stops saying, "This is Lyle. He may look scary with all of his tattoos, but he's just a big softy."
Lyle waves, pulling a funny face that makes me chuckle through my tears. He wiggles his ears and then touches his nose to the tip of his tongue. Henry is right, Lyle is just a gentle giant. His arms and hands are covered with tattoos. I wonder if he would ever let me color them in with markers one day.
"That one over there," Henry points to a man with tan skin that has brown hair and deep brown eyes. He's standing by the door to the room with his arms crossed over his chest, "That's Otto. I like to call him Otter sometimes. Between you and me, he hates when I call him that."
Otto winks, waving in my direction.
"Last, but not least, we have Ethan. He's very excited to meet you. We all are. Just like me, the guys won't judge you at all." Henry gestures to the tallest man out of the bunch.
He has blonde hair with striking gray eyes. If I had to guess, he has to be at least six foot seven. I've never seen a man that tall. It's truly impressive. He looks to be the strictest of the bunch, with his arms crossed over his chest as he leans against one of the cribs.
"Hi." I mumble, laying my head back down on Henry's shoulder.
"I have snack for you, Ayla. It's celery sticks with ranch, cubed cheese, and a couple slices of lunch meat. Do you want it?" Olive chimes in once introductions are made.
I'm too emotionally drained to eat right now. I can't imagine sitting down at a table, eating food when my stomach feels so sour.
Shaking my head, I play with a strand of Henry's hair. Olive sighs and grabs the tablet, putting a note in.
"Ayla? You need to eat. If you don't eat, the doctor is going to keep the tube in. I know you don't like that yucky tube." Lyle voices, coming to stand in front of me.
Ever so gently, he pulls me out of Henry's arms, setting me on his hip. Turning to Olive he asks, "Where's her snack?"
"It's in the classroom. If you'll follow me, I can show you there." The men nod and follow her out of the room.
I'm carried into the classroom where my tray is set on my desk. Lyle plops himself down on my chair, adjusting me so I'm sat comfortably on his lap. He lifts the lid covering my food, showing off my snack.
It doesn't look too bad. I'm just not in the mood to eat anything. I hate that I'm forced to eat when I'm not even hungry.
The men pull chairs up so they're surrounding Lyle and I. Otto grabs a piece of celery, dipping it in my ranch. Holding it up to my mouth, he waits for me to open and take a bite.
Wrinkling my nose, I turn my head away. I don't want any of that. A whimper escapes me when Otto persists. He finally relents after five minutes of trying.
"If you don't want to eat, will you try a bottle for me? It's just us here, darling girl. Nobody is going to judge you. There's something soothing about having a warm baba." Ethan tries.
"How would you know?" I state through gritted teeth. He's not a little, so he has no idea how I'm feeling.
"Because Lyle has fed me one before. We're all caregivers. We've been without a little for over ten years. It's hard to ignore that side of ourselves. Lyle was struggling with the lack of somebody to care for, so I take on that role for him sometimes.
"It's not my favorite, but I do it for him. There are some upsides to being a little. You have no worries and everybody cares for you. Imagine being snuggled and fed a warm bottle. All you have to do is suck and swallow. It's like heaven. It's the only thing I like about taking on that role for Lyle."
It's hard to imagine big, strong Ethan being fed a bottle by Lyle. The ladder is the shortest of the group. It would be hard to cradle Ethan in his lap.
Although his words do have me thinking. I love cuddling with Dad at home. It always relaxes me when he carries me around and holds me on his lap. I'm still not sure about the bottle.
I guess I could try it once and if I didn't like it, I wouldn't do it again. Just this once since the guys are being so kind to me. How bad could it truly be? Plus, if I have the bottle, I won't have to actually eat anything. It'll be just like a liquid snack.
"Okay. I'll try it. On one condition," I wait until everybody, including Olive, is paying attention, "If I don't like it, I won't be doing it again."
"Deal." They all say as one.
"I'll go get the bottle and warm it up. Be right back." Olive announces, walking out of the room.
Henry grabs my tray and places the cover back on, picking it up and setting it off to the side. "I'll get that out of the way for you. I understand you don't want to eat all the time, Ayla. It's also important to note that you can't have a bottle all the time, either. Balance is important."
Rolling my eyes, I sigh. A stinging sensation on my hip shocks me and I gasp, turning my head towards Henry. He just spanked me on my hip! Grunting with frustration, I try to wiggle off Lyle's lap.
I don't like them anymore.
"No, you stay where you are. You needed a little tap to help with that eye rolling habit of yours. We don't tolerate disrespect, Ayla. You need some discipline in your life and we're more than happy to dish it out." Henry raises an eyebrow at me, daring me to challenge him on this.
He looks dead serious too. I know when my options are limited. Slumping over, I mumble and apology as Olive walks back into the room. She's holding a bottle in her hands and is shaking up the white liquid.
She hands it off to Lyle and he tips the bottle over, shaking out a couple drops on his wrist. "Perfect temperature. Why don't you lean back and get comfortable?"
Otto helps adjust me in Lyle's lap, so my head is in the crook of his arm. His body is warm against mine. It's extremely comforting. Especially when Ethan produces my favorite blanket, laying it over my body.
"Open up, darling girl." Lyle taps the nipple of the bottle to my lips.
Let's see how this goes. It's only a bottle. How bad can it truly be?