The colors on the other sleeper were similar, but there were pictures of diapered and crawling bears on the front and back. Tommy groaned inwardly at the teddy bear motif, realizing it was going to take a long time to get used to being in a baby’s world. Images of teddy bears seemed to surround him day and night! He was so sick of looking at teddy bears in all their forms that he almost welcomed the thought of mentally regressing so he wouldn’t be bored by the constant repetition of the infantile theme. They choose several more articles with a similar motif and continued shopping and browsing the aisles. Presently Mary said, “The diaper covers are over here. They’re really adorable!”
Marge stopped while Mary pointed out the covers she had found. “Here’s one”, she said. It was aqua colored, with the words “Mommy’s Baby” written across the back. She pointed to another that had “Poop Happens” printed on it. She picked up one that said, “The devil made me do it!“.
Marge chuckled at that and said “That’s perfect for him.”
Mary said, “Wait, there’s one more, I want you to see.”
She pick up another cover and gleefully displayed it’s rear to Marge, who immediately burst out laughing. Marge took the diaper cover from Mary, and bent over to show Tommy what was written on the back. Blazoned across the seat was “I’m a Tittybaby! Has anyone seen any Titty?” “This one is definitely you, Tommy!”, Mary said with a malicious giggle.
Tommy blushed a deep crimson in embarrassment at his ex-wife’s amusement with his predicament. He was ashamed that he was strangely attracted to the diaper cover and his unspoken yen to be dressed in the infantile garb. “I’ll buy these for him.” Mary said with a snigger, taking the diaper cover and sleepwear from Marge.
Mary went to the display and picked up one of each cover and put them over her arm. They continued to look around, buying washcloths and lap pads. Marge found the feeding bibs and pulled one out of the stack. She chuckled as she held it up for Mary to see. It read, “Got Milk?“
Marge was astonished by the gales of laughter that the bib produced in Mary. She couldn’t understand why Mary thought that the message was so hilarious. Thomas dropped his chin to his chest when he read the legend on the bib. He remembered how much he had wanted his wife to allow him to nurse at her breasts and how she had gotten her revenge once his mother had left her alone with him. Marge had seen the commercials commissioned by the Milk Producers of America on TV and thought that the bib was cute, but Mary’s reaction was inexplicable. When Mary managed to get herself under control again, she insisted that she be allowed to buy the bib for Tommy. Marge acquiesced to Mary’s generous demand but she was never able to get Mary to explain what was so funny about the bib. Marge finished shopping after finding a wire basket to wash bottle nipples and pacifiers in her automatic dishwasher. They paid the cashier and left. Tommy listened quietly to them talking on the drive home.
“Maybe if Mary got used to the situation, she would be nicer to me,” he rationalized in his baby seat in the back of the car, “After all, it’s not as if I consciously planned to be a baby again!”
The ride bored Tommy, he couldn’t see out of the car window very well, only the top part of road signs and the upper stories of buildings, so after awhile he became drowsy and fell fast asleep.
When he woke up he was in his mother’s car, with the driver’s side door was ajar. He could hear Marge saying goodbye to Mary. His momma must have put him and the baby seat into her car without waking him. Presently Marge returned and got into the front seat and started the engine. “We’re going grocery shopping now, Tommy”, she said, backing the car out of the driveway.