She laid him down on the bed and examined his body for any deformity or injury, finding only the unremarkable body of a perfectly healthy baby boy. He laid happily on the bed, watching Diane’s movements and sucking his thumb. Tears welled up in her eyes as Diane lay down beside him and said, “This isn’t a joke, is it? You were trying to become young again, and the experiment went wrong, didn’t it? You did this to yourself just to try and please me! You shouldn’t have tried to make yourself younger for me, I loved you just the way you were! Oh my poor, poor Philip!”

He gurgled happily, blew bubbles, then grinned an endearing toothless smile and started to pee. Diane looked down and saw the puddle growing on the bed beneath him. “Oh Philip, Now look at what you’ve done!”, she said in dismay.

He smiled sweetly at Diane, completely oblivious of what had happened. Diane got out of bed, picked him up and carried him to the bathroom. She laid him down on his back on the floor and left him momentarily while she rummaged through the vanity drawer for some safety pins, then went to the linen closet and took out a small white hand towel. She returned and knelt on the floor beside him. “Poor dear, he can’t even tell when he’s peeing,” she said to herself as she picked up his feet and put the towel beneath his bottom. Philip enjoyed Diane’s attentions and kicked his legs with a pleased chuckle.

“That’s enough Philip. I can’t diaper you if you’re squirming around. Do you hear me? Be still!!”, she commanded.

“My darling, you’re not potty-trained anymore, I’ll have to keep you in diapers until whatever you’ve done to yourself wears off.”, she told him firmly.

She pulled the towel up between his legs, pulled it over his stomach and pinned it snugly to the other end of the towel to make a diaper. She picked him up, carried him into the bedroom and laid him on the bed while she blotted the puddle on the bed with a towel. When she was finished, she picked him up, carried him to the love seat and sat with him in her lap. She looked down at him tenderly as he gazed up into her eyes in adoration. She smiled at his expression; whatever he had ind is gone. My poor, poor baby,!”, she said in shock.

“My poor brilliant Philip, look at you! You don’t even understand what I’m saying! All the things I admired in you are all gone; your education, your experience, your intelligence. There’s nothing left of you but a drooling, senseless infant.”, she sobbed.

He sensed that something was wrong and started to whimper. Diane snuggled him protectively against her and comforted him saying soothingly, “Shhhhhh…..There, there, Philip… I’m right here. …Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you! …Don’t cry baby, it’ll be okay.”

She rocked him silently, tears streaming down her face. He quieted and lay his head serenely against her breast. “Men need women to take care of them their entire lives. They need wives when they’re grown and mommys when they’re small. He’s reliving his diaper days. He doesn’t need a wife anymore.”, she thought mournfully.

He snuggled his head closer to her, seeking the warmth and protection of her bosom. She looked down at him and sighed at the sight of him in his makeshift diaper. Diane cuddled him closer, her maternal instincts stirred in spite of herself. “He’s so helpless.”, she whispered with a sad poignancy.

A fey expression lit her face and she talked to herself in a tragic prattle as if she was explaining it to a small child; “Philip’s only a little baby now. He’ll have to be fed, diapered, bathed, and looked after. He needs his mommy. Babies need mommys to love and care for them. But his mommy died years and years ago, poor baby.”

She brightened and looked down at him thoughtfully. “Even if he doesn’t need a wife, he still needs someone to take care of him. He needs to be nurtured and cherished like any other baby. I’m the only person in the world he loves and trusts. He needs me. He’s still mine even if he’s only a baby. I guess I’m his mommy now.”, she thought.

“Would you like me to be your mommy honey? Do you want to be Diane’s little baby?”