Betty the Big Baby (Patreon)

Judy Pisano was spending time with her mother Betty over her Christmas break. At least, she was trying to.

“You're leaving again? I thought this was your day off!” Judy complained bitterly.

Betty sighed as she put on her coat. “It was supposed to be, sweetheart. I know. But we just acquired another company this week, and it's an all-hands-on deck-situation! I am getting paid for the overtime! Don't worry. I'll probably have a day or two off next week, and we can go out and do something fun, just the two of us. Promise.”

Judy crossed her arms. “I can't fucking believe this! I'm here for two weeks out of the whole year, and you think you can squeeze me in for a day or two? Maybe? Mom, this isn't okay. They're just taking advantage of you over there!”

Betty checked her makeup in the bathroom mirror.“It's not that bad. We'll still see each other in the mornings and evenings. C'mon, pumpkin! I know it's not what either of us would prefer, but this job is what pays for this house and your college. I could be let go if I slack off at such key time, and then we'd both be in for a lot of hard times.”

Judy started to tear up, which would have been unpleasant enough even if she hadn't been wearing black eyeliner. As it was, smokey streaks began to run down her cheeks. “This isn't fair! I've really missed you. You're my Mom! You're supposed to make time for me, not just work and pay for things!”

Betty's features hardened a little, shifting seamlessly from the placating Mommy to the stern Mother. “Judy...I know you're disappointed , but we're both adults now. You shouldn't be crying and  throwing a tantrum just because you don't get exactly what you want immediately.”

Judy bared her teeth, and spoke very slowly. “I'm not throwing a tantrum! I am upset! Just because I'm an adult doesn't mean I'm suddenly not allowed to have feelings! I'm your daughter, and you should make some damn room for me in your life! That's a reasonable thing to want! Isn't it?”

Betty sighed. “Judy, that just isn't how the real world works! How many times do you need me to explain that to you? It's tough out there. It's tough for everyone. Maybe I've sheltered you more than I should have. You'll have to get out there and learn to deal with the world as it is sooner or later. You're almost done with college, and you still talk like a teenager. Your makeup, your music, your fantasy novels and little paganism things...it's like you keep refusing to deal with the world you actually live in. You're going to be interviewing for jobs soon! What are you going to tell them when they ask about your life and your interests?”

Judy seethed. “So what's your solution? Be normal? Conform? Turn into a big corporate sellout like you? Because it all worked out so well? Look at you! You're a slave, Mom! You can't even spend Christmas with the only family you have!”

Betty deflated a little at these words, but she still turned to open the front door. “There's no reasoning with you when you get like this! I'm sorry, but this is just how things worked out today. We'll talk more about it when I get home this evening. You can watch TV and order a pizza or something. Bye-bye for now. Mommy loves you.”

Judy stomped her foot when her mother closed the door, somewhat undermining how adult her anger allegedly was. For a while, she simply sat on the couch and seethed. The truth was, she had been looking forward to this break for months. When she had been younger, even just a few years earlier, she and her Mom had been practically inseparable. Ever since she left for college, however, her Mom had refocused all her time and energy on her career. She had risen through the ranks quickly and become quite successful, which had had its benefits, even for Judy.

Still, as much as Judy hated to admit it, even to herself, she was a Mama's girl. Neither her friends at school nor her mother knew the true extent to which that was true.

Judy sat and seethed for a while. Normally, if she had a day to herself like this, which she rarely did, she would spend it in one of two ways: Either partying at one of her favorite nightclubs, or lounging around in her diapers. She would have mortified to admit it to anyone, even her closest friends and family, but Judy loved anything babyish. The more babyish, the better. Even now, she was slightly worried about her stash of diapers, stuffed animals, pacifiers, baby toys, and footie pajamas, carefully hidden in her dormitory's closet, underneath a collection of old textbooks for security. Her footie pajamas had black and pink stripes and her pacifier had a little purple skull at the front. It's not like she wasn't a genuine goth just because she liked to play with blocks and wet herself watching Gravity Falls every so often.

However, not being brave enough to take her stash with her on the plane, Judy was bereft of anything exciting to do. She spent most of the day listening to music and watching videos on her phone. As upset as she was about her earlier exchange with her mother, she didn't miss the opportunity to order a pizza. Her mother rarely cooked these days, and there just wasn't anything very substantial in the fridge.

As the evening came on, she waited for her mother to come home.

And waited.

And waited.

Eventually, she grew tired of waiting and decided to go out for quick walk. Her usual evening ritual was to smoke a bowl and watch TV, but that was another of her personal habits that she lacked the necessary contraband for. She figured that some light exercise might work off enough of her nervous energy to allow her to get some sleep, despite still being angry at her mother.

It was a crisp, cold night. There were only a few scattered drifts of snow here and there where they had been shaded throughout the day, but there were plenty of Christmas lights up, and a faint smell of smoke from the chimneys hung in the still air. A feeling of wistful melancholy hung in the air. The memories of the past, mingled with a vague promise of things to come. To someone of Judy's inclinations, the night had an occult feel. It was one of those times when she could instinctively sense the crossroads of fate, when the endless paths of the future were laid open and the barrier between worlds was thin and gauzy.

A sudden wind picked up, blowing one of Judy's blue-tipped pigtails across her face. When she knocked it behind herself, she saw that a cloud had moved from the center of the sky, leaving the stars suddenly revealed in all their glory. A sense of wondrous anticipation swelled inside her as she stood on the sidewalk. She could sense the shooting star, even before she saw it. It was simply the thing that was meant to happen next.

When she saw the strand of light streak across the night sky above her like a tiny silver arrow, she immediately knew exactly what she wanted to wish for. She folded her hands, pressing thumbs, pinkies, and the knuckles of her index fingers together to form an occult formation. There, staring up at the sparkling arc of the heavens, she opened her mind  and heart and beseeched the higher powers of the cosmos.

“I wish this whole, stupid world would just let me and my Mom spend time together the way I want!”

Judy's vision blurred. The bitter mixture of anger, loneliness, and love she felt in that moment reached a crescendo. The pavement under her feet and the stars overhead wavered for a moment.

But the moment passed, the wind died, a cloud spread across the sky to cover the stars, and Judy was left standing on the sidewalk, feeling a little foolish for her sudden attack of magical thinking. Tired and dejected, she stomped back to her mother's house and got herself ready for bed. By the time she heard her mother's car pull into the driveway, it was so late at night that she didn't even bother to get up to see her. She tossed and turned most of the night, feeling a hefty dose of guilt stir into her weary anger.

The next morning, Betty woke early. She hadn't managed to get much sleep, but the situation at work was getting desperate. Everyone was straining to show their commitment to the company, and Betty worried that she would fall behind if she started pleading exhaustion. She hated getting in while her daughter was asleep and leaving before she woke up, so before heading out, she went to the door of the guest bedroom and knocked.

“Sweetie? Are you awake?” there was silence. “Look, I'm sorry I haven't had as much time for you as you would like. I know it isn't fair, but please believe me when I say I wouldn't do this, if I wasn't sure that it it was the best thing for both of us! I love you very much sweetheart, and I wish I could be with you all day, but I just can't. Can you forgive me, baby? Please?”

She heard a sharp intake of breath from the other side of the door. “Just go! I'll be fine! I don't even care!” yelled Judy from the other side.

Her daughter's words felt like a physical blow. Hanging her head sadly, she turned and slowly walked out to the car.

When she arrived at the office, Betty noticed that people were looking at her oddly. In the hallways that cut through the expansive cubicle farm that was her department, she noticed that people were smiling and whispering among themselves as she walked past. Concerned that she had made some kind of hideous mistake in her morning preparations, she paid a visit to the restroom before going into her office. As far as she could tell, she looked quite presentable, although the long hours she had been working were starting to make their mark under her eyes. Perhaps that was what people were commenting on.

Judy slept in late. She had a nice, long seethe about being left alone yet again, and it wasn't as though she had anything in particular she needed to get done today. She might have laid in bed till noon if she hadn't heard the doorbell ring.

She seriously considered just lying in bed and waiting for whoever it was to give up and go away, but after the fifth round of rings she finally lost patience.

“Ah, screw it.” she thought bitterly tossing aside the covers. “Cooooming!” she called.

She was wearing her second-favorite set of jammies (the pink ones with the black spiderweb design), and she decided that this would just have to be good enough for whoever was at the door.

At the door was a tall woman with chestnut hair worn in an old-fashioned short perm, dressed in a faux deerskin jacket. She was holding a blue teddy bear with a little gold ribbon tied around its neck. “Good morning, Judy. I hope I'm not interrupting!” the woman smiled nervously and extended a hand.

Judy looked warily at the proffered hand, then at the over-sized plush novelty, then the nervous smile. “I'm sorry, have we met?”

“Oh, sorry, how silly of me! My name's Dulcinea Potter, you can just call me Dulcy! We haven't met, but I live just next door, here. I run the little museum over on State St., just a little thing for the local Historical Society! Betty and I chat sometimes, we're both quite active in the homeowner's association, you see. Well, I mean, I am!” she chuckled, as though she had made a joke. “We used to be, I guess!”

Judy stared at the woman in stony silence, waiting for something resembling a point to wander into view.

“Well, as you can imagine, once I heard about it, I just had to come over and see for myself! This is a sort of congratulatory present, you see. I got this cute fellow at the county fair just a couple weeks ago, I go every year with an old pal of mine from University, I'm a Communications major, and anyway, I don't really have much use for it of course, and I figured that it would probably be just right for Betty! Is she here? I'd just love to see her!”

Judy steadily narrowed the gap in the door in an attempt to signal her general lack of interest in the conversation. It didn't seem to be working. She suspected that Dulcy might be the sort of person who is immune to subtle social cues.

“She's at work today, I'm afraid, but I'll be sure to let her know you dropped by.”

Dulcy's grin abruptly shifted into a look of concern. “Work? What work? I don't understand.”

“Her job?” said Judy, now also confused. “I think she manages the accounting department at some tech company or something.” Her mother had mentioned the nature of her employment many times, but it was not the sort of information that tended to stick in Judy's mind.

Dulcy nodded. “Yeah, I know. At Zaibatsu Chemical Suppliers. But, surely that's all done with now! Has to be.”

Judy's look of confusion upgraded into a baffled stare. “What? Why?”

Dulcy waved her free hand in the air, palm upward. “Because...she's a Big Baby? She can't manage anything! That's silly!”

Betty sat down at her desk with a long sigh and checked her email. Sure enough, a fat stack of items in need of her attention and approval had accumulated in only the scant hours that she had been gone. Her eyes still struggling to focus properly, she scrolled down to the first one and opened it. However, before she could read it, her assistant manager, Luisa Manuel, suddenly burst in the door. She looked startled and confused for a moment when her eyes settled on Betty.

“Yes? Is something the matter?” asked Betty, a little annoyed. Luisa usually showed her the courtesy of knocking.

“Wh...what are you doing here? Aren't supposed to be at home?” asked Luisa, furrowing her brow.

Betty returned her confused expression. “Overtime? You know, the merger? Are you okay? I mean, we've all been having trouble getting enough shut-eye recently, but...”

“Yeah, I know about all that, of course! It's just that...well, what does any of that have to do with you?” asked Luisa.

“Uh...hello? The department is swimming in extra work right now.”

“The department, sure! But not you. I mean...c'mon now. You're supposed to be at home.”

“Wh-what do you mean? I can't just abandon the department at a time like this.” said Betty with a slight chuckle.

Luisa's look of confusion deepened. “What? Sure you can. I mean, you have to! You can't keep working like this, like nothing even happened!”

Betty took off her glasses and rubbed her forehead. “What are you talking about? What has 'happened' that could possibly make any difference?”

Luisa put her hands on her hips. “Cuz...you're a Big Baby? I mean, we can't have you keep working here like this! You have to get home to Judy!”

Betty winced. “Look, Luisa...I'm really not in the mood for any jokes right now, okay? If you don't have anything worthwhile to say, would you please just get back to work? We've all got plenty to do.”

Luisa didn't budge an inch. “Yeah, I have plenty to do! I know that, believe me! That's why I need you get out of my chair so I can get some work done. I was way behind even before all this.”

Betty frowned. “Your chair? Are you crazy? Get the hell out of my office, Luisa!”

Luisa sighed. “Betty, come on! A Big Baby can't have an office. That's just silly. Now, would you please go home? I have a lot of work to do, and I really need to get on it.”

“This is my office! What is this 'Big Baby' garbage? What the hell are you trying to pull? Get lost!”

“Betty...are you really not understanding this, or you just trying to mess with me? You're a Big Baby. Everyone knows it. It's all they're talking about upstairs. Look, it's not a problem or anything. I'm actually really happy for you! But this office is no place for a Big Baby, and Judy isn't even here! This is getting ridiculous.”

Betty stared at Luisa for a moment. She tried to decide whether what she was hearing was kind of malicious prank, a nervous breakdown brought on by extreme stress, or an actual attempt to undermine her authority as department head. None of those explanations seemed to really fit the surreal way she was speaking. Eventually, she picked up her company phone and tapped the button for the vice president's office. Her secretary picked up.

“Hello? Hey Jesse. I need to talk to Rita. Luisa's in my office, and I think there's some kind of problem. She's not making a lot of sense.”

“Oh my gawd! Is this Betty?” asked Jesse with more enthusiasm than Betty would have expected. “Hiii Betty! I just heard the good news! You must be so excited! Oh, Rita is already on her way down there. She wanted to congratulate you in person!”

“Con-gratulate me?” asked Betty, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. “On what?”

Jesse laughed. “'On what' she says! You don't have to be modest about it, Betty! I mean, I really wish it could have been me instead, but we're all really happy for you!”

“About what? What is this?” said Betty, getting frustrated. Then she heard an insistent knock at the office door. Rita, the vice president and her direct superior, was at her door. “I'll have to call you back, Jesse.”

She stood and opened the door for Rita, who bounced in with her hands shaking in front of her, visibly excited. “Oh my goodness! I am so, so thrilled for you Betty! The moment I heard I just had to come down and see it for myself!”

Betty felt like she was losing her mind. “See what? What is everyone talking about? Just tell me!”

Rita glanced over at Luisa. “She really doesn't know? Why didn't you tell her?”

Luisa held out her palms. “I told her twice! She doesn't seem to believe me!”

“Just tell me already!” shouted Betty. Her face suddenly blanched, realizing that she had just shouted at her boss. “I'm sorry, that just slipped out! I'm just...I'm really getting frightened now!”

Rita took Betty by the shoulders and favored her with a reassuring smile. “Hey! Don't worry, Betty! Everything is perfectly okay. I'm not mad at you, honey. I came down to congratulate you on being a Big Baby.”

Betty's eyes widened. If it weren't so close to Christmas, she might have checked to make sure it wasn't April 1st. “Wait. Wha-what?”

“A Big Baby. Like I told you.” explained Luisa, as though this cleared the matter up entirely.

“I don't understand...what are you saying?” asked Betty.

Rita counted on her fingertips. “Well, you're a Big Baby now, so of course that means you can't keep working here. Now don't worry, I'm putting you on indefinite paid leave, so your financial position is quite safe. I would never dream of just firing a cutie like you! But still, I can't very well let you keep running the department either. That would just be absurd! So, Luisa will be handling your old position from here on out. Now, where is Judy? She should really be here looking after you.”

Betty rested one hand on her desk, trying to steady herself. She felt like the room was spinning gently. “What about Judy? I don't think I've ever even mentioned her to you!”

Rita shrugged. “Never met her myself, unfortunately. Still, there's no question as to who should be responsible for you. What else are you going to do, look after yourself?”

Rita and Lupita both shared a mild chuckle over that suggestion.

Betty stared at the two women. They were both watching her with big smiles and affectionate looks in their eyes, like they were watching a kitten crawl into a fuzzy slipper. Her confusion was rapidly turning into anger. “This...this is ludicrous! Where are you getting this stupid idea! Stop acting like this is all normal! What is wrong with you! Who put you up to this?”

Rita lower her eyebrows sympathetically. “Well...I mean...just look at you! It's perfectly obvious, isn't it?”

Betty looked down at herself, half-expecting to see that some bizarre transformation had taken place without her notice. She was still wearing the same neat pantsuit and sensible shoes she had put on that morning. “That doesn't make any sense whatsoever! I am clearly not an adult! I...”

She covered her mouth with her hands. The other two women stood blinking at her. Her heart was pounding. The words had simply gotten caught on the way to her tongue. She tried again.

“I am...not an adult! I'm...I'm not...a grown-up! I'm a Big Baby! I'm really a...Big Baby!” she felt like she was trying to wrestle her tongue to the ground. “Oh, gawd, what is happening! What the hell is this!”

Rita sighed. “Look, I can see it may take some time to get used to all this, but I'm sure you'll understand how lucky you are soon enough. In the meantime, we really must get you back home to Judy. I'm sure she's very worried about you by now. Luisa, could you be a dear and drive Betty home? Go ahead and Uber back. The company will spot you.”

“Sure thing boss! C'mon Betty. Let's get you home, honey.” said Luisa, taking Betty by the hand and gently drawing her toward the floor. To her surprise, Betty found that her feet seemed to follow along without any resistance. She was easily swept along the floor behind her former subordinate.

“But..why can't I just drive myself?” she asked, already fearing that she knew the answer.

Luisa laughed. “Yeah, that would go great! Sweetie, even if I was dumb enough to let you drive, the cops would pull you over in a heartbeat if they saw a Big Baby behind the wheel! Now come on, no more arguing. ”

“What do you mean? Why is she a Big Baby?” asked Judy, a feeling of deep unease creeping its way into her chest.

Dulcy blinked. She clearly hadn't been expecting the question. “I...well, it's...you see...look, it's hard to explain. But, you surely aren't suggesting that she isn't!”

Judy thought back to the night before. “No fucking way.” she thought. That would never happen for real. “Okaaay. So, did someone tell you that she's a Big Baby?”

Dulcy shrugged. “Don't think I've heard anyone mention it. Why?”

Judy tested the waters. “And this just happened...recently.”

Dulcy nodded. “Uh-huh.”

“And what exactly does a Big Baby...do? What does that mean?”

Dulsy furrowed her brow and counted on her fingers. “Well, she can't have a job anymore, or any kind of responsibilities, obviously, and she needs to stay home with you so you can look after her, and...well, you're the one who's going to be taking care of her! You tell me! I'm no expert! I just came by to drop off a teddy bear.”

Evidence was piling up, but Judy had to be sure. “Do you think she wants a teddy bear?”

Dulcy shrugged. She seemed to be losing patience with this line of questioning. “I don't know! Maybe! It seemed cute, is all.”

Judy muttered under her breath. “The way I want. Holy shit.”

“Hmm?” asked Dulcy.

“Oh, uh...nothing.” said Judy absently. She was looking past Dulcy into her mother's front yard. More people seemed to be drifting in from the neighboring houses, watching with big smiles from the sidewalk.

“Excuse me! Is the Big Baby here?” asked a woman in a light blue housecoat holding a coffee mug. She looked like she had been interrupted halfway through breakfast. Her question was echoed by several of her companions.

Judy's mind raced. She wondered how badly she had screwed up. In magical terms, was this more like winning the lottery, or more like accidentally buying a yacht with a stolen credit card? She took a long, slow breath.

“”Fuck it.” she thought to herself. “You only live once.”

Judy grabbed the enormous stuffed animal out of the older woman's unprotesting hands. “Thank you very much, Dulcy. I'm sure my Mom will go nuts for this! She loves teddy bears.”

Betty sat beside Luisa in her little red Mini Cooper, wearing a seat-belt that Luisa had snapped into place for her without even asking. She felt odd. Only twenty minutes earlier, she had been furious. Everyone seemed to believe wholeheartedly that she was suddenly some kind of overgrown infant who couldn't possibly hold down a job or handle any kind of adult responsibilities, and that she inexplicably needed her own daughter to look after her. The trouble was, no matter how badly she wanted to be outraged about these bizarre events, she felt weirdly relieved. She had been hovering on the edge of exhaustion all week, trying desperately to stay on top of all her important obligations. Now, suddenly, all of that was gone, and she felt weightless and adrift. How could being told that she was no longer allowed to drive a car or hold down a job feel so...liberating? On top of that, everyone was being so nice to her. On the way to the parking lot, she had come to realize why she had thought people were looking at her oddly. They were happy to see her. It was as though she was brightening people's days just by passing by them. Everyone was so friendly and so eager to see her.

“Almost there now, sweetie.” said Luisa distantly, eyes on the road.

“I know where I live, Luisa. I just drove this way.” she answered.

Luisa chuckled. “Oh, right! Man, you are something else, Betty! Imagine you driving!”

Betty leaned back against the headrest and sighed. It felt so strange to have her adult capabilities dismissed so casually, as though the very notion of her doing something for herself was a joke.

Suddenly, she felt a strange tingling sensation ran across her skin. It was accompanied by a sound like tiny ringing bells. She looked down, and saw a wave of tiny white sparks running across her body.

“Ah! Ahhhh!” shrieked Betty. She jumped in her seat and slapped at the strange lights. They disappeared as fast as they had come, but they had clearly been busy, whatever they were.

“What's the matter, honey?” asked Luisa mildly.

“My clothes! They just changed! Didn't you see that?” demanded Betty. Sure enough, where once had been a sensible businesswoman's sensible pantsuit was now a pair of blue sweatpants, white sneakers, and a white sweater with images of little teddy bears dotted across it.

“I have to pay attention to the road, honey. You can show me your sweater when we get there.” said Luisa absently.

“My clothes just magically fucking transformed! Could you please try to give a crap?” screamed Betty.

“Do you want me to tell Judy that you've been using bad girl words?” asked Luisa, still not turning her head.

Betty muttered under her breath and crossed her arms over her sweater. For the umpteenth time, she wondered what was happening to her, and how long it would last. She reflected that at least her new clothes were cute, even if she did resent having her wardrobe altered without her permission.. She un-crossed her arms to examine the sweater again. Looking at the happy little prancing bears made her feel better. She felt like they were her only friends in this crazy, mixed-up situation.

By the time Luisa's car pulled into Betty's driveway, a crowd had begun to form. Dozens of neighbors had gathered to get a look at the new Big Baby on the block. A large news van from the local station was parked in front of the mailbox.  When Luisa finally opened the car door and stood up, a woman in a bright red jacket with the number four on her left breast ran over and pushed a microphone into her face. A photographer crouched behind her, pointing the large camera like a bazooka.

“Hi! Charla Jeon, Channel Four. Could you tell our viewers where the Big Baby has been? We've all been really worried about her!”

Luisa chuckled. “Oh, she's been off being a little escape artist! She just drove to her old job like nothing had happened! Can you imagine?” she walked around the vehicle to Betty's door, who was sitting paralyzed with embarrassment. “Come on honey! You're home and safe now!” said Luisa in a sing-song voice, undoing Betty's seatbelt.

“Nooo, please!” whined Betty as she was pulled to her feet. Once again, she found that she had no power to resist whatsoever.

When Betty emerged from the Mini, a round of applause broke out among the crowd, accompanied by oohs and ahs of varying tone and volume. Betty blushed brightly and covered her face.

“Were you scared, honey? Did you miss your daughter?” asked Charla, microphone in hand. Betty felt herself start to tear up. She wasn't one to hog the spotlight at the best of times, and this was not one of those.

“Mom? Are you okay?” asked Judy. Betty dropped her hands and turned to look. When her eyes fell on Judy, a strange sense of calm washed over her. She suddenly felt...safer, more secure, as though she had just been on a roller-coaster and her feet were finally back on solid ground. Judy looked nervous and uncomfortable, standing on the front lawn in her pajamas, but Betty could faintly sense waves of power and authority radiating off of her. She tried to run over to Judy, but Luisa was still holding her hand, gently but inescapably. She experienced the uncomfortable feeling of having to wait while a grown-up very slowly walked her over to where she wanted to go.

“Here you go, Judy! Don't go letting her wander off again, okay?” said Luisa, finally letting go.

“Judy! What is this? Something really weird is...is that for me?” Betty noticed the large bear that Judy was dangling by one arm and reached out for it without thinking. Arching an eyebrow, Judy passed it to her. Betty immediately mashed the stuffed toy into her chest and buried her face in it. The crowd of people disappeared from her mind as she rubbed her cheek into the soft material. She decided, then and there, that the bear's name was Marvin.

“Wow! You really love that thing, don't you?” said Judy. Betty nodded eagerly.

Judy thought back to what she had told Dulcy earlier. She narrowed her eyes.

“Excuse me? Charla Jeon, Channel Four. Could you tell our viewers what it's like, looking after Betty here? It must be a big job, taking care of such a Big Baby!”

That seemed to jerk Betty out of her stuffed-animal-induced reverie. “No! It's all wrong! I need Judy to take care of me! I...damn it! I do need to be taken care of! I am a....Big Baby! Shit!”

“Mom? Maybe let me handle this?” said Judy, placing a steadying hand on her mother's shoulder.

“It isn't fair! Why can't I even talk properly? My clothes are fucking shape-shifting, and my words are all wrong, and...and...!”

“Mom, hug your teddy bear and suck your thumb like a nice Big Baby. I've got this.” said Judy.

Betty head a faint tingling music ring in her ears. She let her head rest against Marvin's. He was very soft and comfy. She pursed her lips. Her thumb twitched. She winced with embarrassment as she tucked it into her mouth. Her cheeks were bright red as she began to gently suck.

Judy wasn't wholly surprised to see her mother's reaction to her words. She felt that she was getting the hang of this. She started to wonder how much power she actually had here. Her pulse picked up speed. She grinned mischievously.

She turned her head back to Charla's microphone. “To answer your question, taking care of this Big Baby is a lot of work! Especially all the diapers!”

Betty heard her daughter's words. Her eyes widened and her blush intensified. The tingling sensation was back, spreading through her panties. She felt their texture abruptly shift from lacy cotton to smooth, bulky plastic. She hugged Marvin even harder as she felt the expanding material push her legs gently apart.

“I'm being put back in diapers.” she thought to herself, as her sucking picked up speed. “The thought made her heart pound, although even she was not sure exactly whether what she was feeling was anger, disgust, shame, excitement, or relief.

Judy's eyes shot wide as she watched the huge diaper swell into being. What a rush!

Charla gasped in delighted surprise. “She's in diapers? That's wonderful! Oh my goodness, she looks so adorable!”

Judy's heart was pounding a mile a minute. She had never felt so powerful in her life. She wanted more. “Yes, so adorable, and so very babyish! Especially with how thick they are!”

The crowd cheered as they watched Betty's sweatpants strain as her new underwear continued to conquer new territory. Betty had to adjust her stance to accommodate the thickening material. She wondered how she could possibly walk in something like this. She wondered how she would look, having to waddle around like a duck. Judy noted that crowd did not seem a bit surprised by the magical transformation happening before their eyes. This was just how reality worked now. Betty was a Big Baby, everyone knew it, and she was the one who got to  decide what that meant.

“Reeeaaally thick! So thick, nothing can ever hide them at all!” said Judy. More tingles and sparks, and Betty's diaper grew past the waistband of her sweats, the leakguards reaching her belly button and the white front panel becoming easily visible. Her butt now seemed to have tripled in size.

“Wudyyyy?” whined Betty weakly from behind her thumb.

“Don't talk with your mouth full, Mother.” said Judy, patting her diapered rear affectionately. She turned back to the crowd.

“And they all have such cute designs!” she continued. The white diaper tingled and broke out in rainbows and shooting stars.

Betty moaned from behind her thumb, but she could no longer speak. Judy was well and truly in complete control of her.

“See, the reason I have to keep her in such thick diapers is that she's such widdle potty-pants! She can't seem to go five minutes without wetting herself!”

“Mm! Mmmm!” gasped Betty. The tingles were at work again, reducing her bladder to  the size of a golf ball. She felt the cushy padding of her diaper grow warm as the gentle stream began. No matter how she tried, there was no controlling it any more.

“It's not my fault.” she thought, feeling light-headed. “I can't control it. Judy is in control of me. I can't do a thing about it.” the thought made her knees wobble.

“Aah! That's so cute! Are you planning to potty train her at all?” asked Charla.

“Oh, hell no!” announced Judy, beaming with pride. She pinched her mother's cheek as she spoke. “You just loooove being a sweet little diaper-butt, don't you Mom? You'll never ever be ready to give up those diapers! You just love them way too much! You adore everything about being in diapers! You're just a complete and total diaper junkie for life! Yesh you arrre!”

The tingles were back. Betty could hear them in her ears. She knew exactly what they were doing. They were going to town on her brain, rewiring her thoughts and feelings. She couldn't imagine anything more utterly humiliating than this. Her face was beet-red. The torrent of emotions rushing around her system left her dizzy. But the feeling of standing in front of a massive crowd with her legs forced apart by an over-sized diaper as she helplessly wet herself was just too damn good! She reached down and felt the smooth plastic backing. She pressed down, luxuriating in how soft and yielding the material was. She felt the warm, soggy bulge where she was helplessly peeing away, the absorbent material wicking it away from her skin. She loved the diaper. She loved how helpless and ridiculous they made her look and feel. She wanted everyone to see her bulging rear and understand that her daughter had forced her to wear it because she was nothing more than a Big Baby. She knew, then and there, that her daughter was absolutely right. Of course she was supposed to wear diapers. Of course Judy was supposed to be the one in charge of her, taking care of her and making decisions on her behalf, now that she was too big of a baby to do so herself. Of course Judy had every right to decide what underwear she would wear, and put her on display for the neighbors if she chose to. It was right and proper that she stay at home, under her daughter's supervision, as a Big Baby who would never and could never be potty-trained.

Betty knew that she was hopelessly addicted to diapers, and that she always would be.

“Why don't you show all these nice people your big diaper-butt, Mom! C'mon, don't be shy!”

Betty winced behind her thumb. Every bit of her wanted to melt down into the grass under her feet, never to be seen or heard of again. But that was not what Judy had told her to do. Judy wanted her to give the crowd a good look at her diapered behind. Judy was the one in charge. She turned away from them and bent over, sticking out her bulging rear for all to see. Judy gave her bulky padding a hearty slap. The crowd cheered.

“Well, she certainly seems to be well-behaved, at least!” remarked Charla.

“Oh, yes! She just loves being put in her place like this! Knowing that I'm in charge and she has to do what I say makes you feel really safe and secure, doesn't it Mom?”

Betty eagerly nodded her head from behind the bulge of her diaper. The ringing in her ears assured her that her daughter's pronouncement was now 100% the case. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so utterly comfortable with her place in the world. No work, no worries, no big decisions to make or problems to solve. Just Judy taking care of her completely and telling her exactly what she had to do, moment by moment. Her mind could simply relax entirely. This was bliss. Her diaper grew warm once again as more pee escaped the weak grip of her bladder. She didn't care. The state of her diaper was no concern of hers any longer.

“That's sooo precious!” squealed Charla. “I'm really jealous!”

Judy wasn't sure exactly who she was jealous of, but decided not to press the matter. She noticed that her mother was starting to shiver in the crisp air, so she thought it best to wrap the interview up.

“Okay, everyone, thanks for dropping by, but I think my Mom is overdue for her nap! Wave bye-bye, now.”

Betty stood and waved at the small crowd, the thumb of her opposite hand still in her mouth. Luisa turned her attention to her phone, presumably calling a cab to take her back to the office. Charla stepped back gracefully, presumably to give the photographer yet more opportunities to record Betty's sizable posterior for the evening news. Betty still felt mortified to know that everyone in town would soon see her being turned into a diapered laughingstock, but it didn't seem worthwhile to fret over it. Everyone somehow seemed to already know all about it anyway, and they seemed pretty pleased about it. She had been respected most of her life, and it hadn't seemed to really make her happy. She could do with a few rounds of being adored instead.

“Come along, Mom. Let's get you in your crib. Big Babies like you need lots of naps, to stop them getting all cranky.”

Betty's yawn was so loud she almost missed the gentle chimes in her ears. Judy took her by the arm and led her toward the door. Her feet were very unsteady on the ground, due to being spaced so far apart. Behind them, the crowd slowly began to disperse. Soon, they would turn their attention back to their other mundane concerns, and the fact that Betty was a Big Baby would fade into the background as just another fact of life.

Judy was not surprised to see that the house was now different than it had been when she had gone to answer the door. Her magical decrees had added a collection of teddy bears to the couch, and down the hall she could see that her mother's bedroom was now more of a nursery. Several large boxes of Betty's ludicrously over-sized new diapers were stacked against one wall. She smiled when the heady scent of baby powder struck her nose. This was now her place of power, she knew. She had grabbed the reins of reality, and now she was free to live here with her mother as she chose. She looked at Betty and gave the diapered woman a warm hug. She was smiling placidly behind her thumb, safe in her daughter's control. Judy felt a little envious. This was the sort of life she wanted for herself, but if she could give it to her mother and solve all of her own problems as well in one stroke, she was happy to do so.

When Judy turned to close the door, she was surprised to find that Dulcy had followed the two of them in.

“Uh...hello?” asked Judy uncertainly.

Dulcy laughed nervously. “Oh! Sorry if I'm intruding! I was just wondering you needed a hand with the Big Baby! You know, I tend to have a lot of time on my hands these days, so if you and this little cutie need anything...” she trailed off.

Judy arched an eyebrow. She turned to Betty. “Mom? How would you feel about that? Having Dulcy here help look after you?”

Betty withdrew her thumb from her mouth, although she only rested it on her chin as she spoke. “I...I'm sure you know what's best, dear!” her cheeks flushed, and she quickly began sucking her thumb again.

“Got any experience with diapers?” asked Judy, making Betty blush all the harder.

“Well...no, not as such, but I'm willing to learn, and I'm sure...”

“You're great with diapers. You love changing them. It's your favorite thing ever.” declared Judy, watching Dulcy carefully as she spoke. The sparks flared into being, and in seconds Dulcy was wearing a full set of light purple medical scrubs decorated with stickers of various cartoon characters. A large purple satchel was slung over her shoulder, coated in pockets with zippers.

“Right. Forget I said anything, I guess.” said Dulcy. Once again, she was perfectly aware of the magical transformation that had just occurred, but didn't seem to find it worthy of comment.

“Great.” said Judy. “Give me a hand getting soggy-pants here into her crib. I think her diaper  can hold up a while longer, don't you?”

“Yeah, I guess it would be a waste to change her now.” said Dulcy looking more than a little disappointed by this realization.

Judy felt her ears burn at what she was about to say, but with so much power rushing through her, she couldn't hold it back.“Oh well. You can get some practice diapering me during Mom's nap.”

Dulcy looked bemused as she placed a steadying hand on Betty's back and began to guide her forward toward the nursery. “You? Diapering you?”

Judy blushed hard behind her white foundation. “Yep. I'll be wearing diapers pretty much all the time while I'm here looking after Mom.”

Judy's toes curled as she felt her panties bloom outward inside her pajama bottoms. Several more boxes were added to the stockpile in the living room, all bearing the skull-and-crossbones symbol that marked her favorite brand. She sighed with pleasure. After years of fantasizing, she was finally back in diapers for good.

“You'll be handling all my changes, of course. That won't be a problem, will it?”

Dulcy shrugged as she pulled down the side of Betty's new crib. “I...I suppose not! Gee, it's just a little funny is all! I mean, you're a grown woman, after all!”

Judy grinned as she fluffed the large pillow. “Ah ah, Dulcy! That's the kind of talk that will earn you a sore bottom in this house.”

Dulcy's shoulders drooped. “Er...yes, of course. Sorry ma'am.”

They both helped lift Betty into position. Betty pulled the fleece blanket over her mother and gently tucked her in.

“That's okay. You'll learn. Just always remember who's in charge around here.” said Judy, quietly but firmly. She loved the feeling of having so much power.

“Yes, ma'am. You're the boss.” agreed Dulcy.

Judy bent and gave her mother an affectionate kiss on a the cheek and a parting pat on the rear. She turned back to Dulcy.  “You got that right! Now then, let's go break in that changing table, because I'm just as much of a pissy-pants as my mom!”

Judy threw back her head and sighed with satisfaction as she felt her bladder transform. Her diaper rapidly grew hot and soggy inside her spider-web pajamas. “This...is the fucking life!” she said aloud, as Dulcy meekly led her toward the padded changing table. She waddled a bit with the heavy padding between her legs.

Betty snuck an eye open and watched her daughter getting changed from behind her thumb. She was surprised that Judy wanted to wear diapers as well, but she could hardly fault her. Being diapered really was the best thing she could imagine, and if Judy wanted it, it was only proper that she got it. She snuggled Marvin closer and thought about how she would spend her time from now on. She wondered if Judy would allow her to keep any of her grown-up hobbies. Would she be permitted to read, or plant a garden, or scrapbook? Maybe she would have to sit around watching cartoons and playing with toys like a toddler. Both ideas carried a certain appeal to her. It had been ages since she had had the time for any real hobbies, and even longer since she had been able to lie back and lazily rot her brain with some pointless entertainment. What would they do for Christmas? She supposed that Judy could conjure up pretty much whatever presents she decided were appropriate. She couldn't guess whether that meant more embarrassing babyish stuff, or things that would be appropriate for a woman her age. Again, she could see an appeal on both ends.

Perhaps the two of them could do some traveling? She wondered if everyone would keep accepting her as a Big Baby no matter where they went. Still, if Judy wasn't bothered about being seen in her diapers, what was the harm? She had always wanted to tour Europe, and it would be even more fun to do so in bulging diapers, being constantly told what a Big Baby she was. As Dulcy helped Judy to her feet and carefully adjusted her pajama bottoms around her fresh diaper, Betty drifted off to sleep; warm, happy, and utterly relaxed.