I stood in the doorway gaping. I almost couldn't take it all in! In one corner there was just countless stuffies, a whole mountain of them. In the opposite corner is a bunch of clothes and racks of accessories. Pacis, tutus, onesies, headbands, bracelets, shoe laces, and much more. The far wall was lined with mirrors and bright lights, along with makeup.
Everywhere I looked, there were littles. Boys and girls, tall and short, chunky and skinny, and everything in between. Some were decked out in sparkly clothes and fancy shoes. Others were in a plain onesie with a stuffies and a paci. I looked down at the panda outfit I had worn to school today and decided I liked it.
I perused the racks of accessories while an announcer said 30 minutes till show time. Soon I got bored and realized I didn't really know how this worked. I found someone with a shirt that said 'Staff' and tugged their shirt. They turned around smiling. "How does this work?" I asked. They sat down on the floor in front of me and I sat too, looking up at them.
"Well sweetheart, there's 3 stages. Stage 1 is intros. Each little is called on and they walk on stage. You can give a little spin or a wave while the auctioneer introduces you. Then you have the option to say a couple things on the mic."
"Next is stage 2. In this one, each little lines up and presents their favorite stuffy. You or the auctioneer can read why it's your favorite."
"Lastly is stage 3. This is where the bidding happens. You'll be called up in height order. Once you're done being bid on, you'll be put into a room number that matches your bidder's number. You'll be in there until your new caregiver picks you up."
I nod, taking it all in. I could handle this. I'll be fine. By the end of the night, I'll have a new daddy.