The Christmas Photo (Patreon)

Jake quietly tipped toed across the runner in the hall, avoiding all the creaky floorboards he had come to known since growing up in this house. It had become an art form how he recognised where each one was; experience from sneaking out multiple times in his youth had perfected this talent. Of course at his age he no longer had to sneak out of home anymore. The reason he was sneaking on his way to the kitchen to avoid having his mother and Aunt hear him from the living room. With Christmas fast approaching his mother had invited her sister over for dinner and a catch up. As it always did they had a couple to many wines with their meal and it spilled over onto the couch as they pull up a chick flick and gossip away. It was the same story every time and by now Jake had grown to realise in order to avoid being forcefully pulled into it he had to keep out of earshot.

They were so embarrassing he just wanted to be left to his own devices, it was already bad enough to be still living at home in his thirties the last thing he wanted was to be fawned over these two women like a child. It was like the alcohol kicked up something in their biological clocks they would always get so sentimental looking at old childhood photos of him, giggling away like immature school girls. He had already experienced it on numerous occasions, the cooing and squeezing his cheeks, the comments that they missed having a baby to look after. He had to endure it till they decided to head to bed or pass out on the couch whichever came first. Whenever he tried to get up and leave they would insist he stayed and stop being a spoil sport.

He probably could just ignore them and they would leave him alone, but he had it pretty easy here his mum did the lion’s share of the house work and didn’t ask for rent. It was good because his part-time job would really struggle to pay anything other than his own bills. He was so close to the kitchen now, he could have just stayed in his room but the night was still young and he was dying for anything with caffeine in it.

‘Almost there.’ He said quietly with self-encouragement.

Only a few steps further along the path he could say he mastered by now. The problem was that the house being as old as it was that every so often a new floorboard would start showing its age and start groaning like the others. It was some time since he could remember needing to make adjustments and never had it fallen on a night he was trying to sneak through. Unfortunately things didn’t seem to be going his way at all tonight and a mere step away from the kitchen a loud creak erupted from the floor. For anyone else this would probably go unnoticed but his mother had the hearing and senses of a falcon. Even in her intoxicated wine induced state she heard him stumbling around.

“Jakkieee sweetheart is that you I hear skulking around.”

He winced as he heard his mother address him; he was so close maybe if he stayed dead silent she would think she only imagined it. The moment was short lived as he heard footsteps stumbling towards him and his Aunts face peered from around the corner.

“Come join us love, stop hiding up in your room all night its boooring.” She hiccupped.

Jake remind still. “Sorry feeling tired, next time.”

“Noooooo.” She whined. “It’s Christmas.”

She walked over and tugged at his shoulder, pulling him alongside and tucking him in close enough that he could smell the wine on her breath. He begrudgingly let himself be led into the living room and planted on the largest sofa between the two women.

“Look who decided to join ussss.” His mother cooed.

He flinched away as his mother ran her hand through his scraggily hair.

“Your such a spoil sport Jakeeee, I remember when you loved mommy playing with your hair.”

Just like clockwork, Jake thought solemnly to himself. The same pattern of humiliation he had endured multiple times, though not lately, at least it had been some time since the last. He would get through this, he always did and never did the two women in his life bring up any of the embarrassing stuff when they were sober. He anxiously looked over at the old photo albums perched across the mantle, if his Mother were to pick one up then his night was doomed.

“I hope you got your mummy something lovely this year for Christmas Jake.” His Aunt slurred.

“Ahhh yes I did.” He was so unconvincing that even several wines deep both women could tell he was lying.

“He never gets me anything.” His mother sighed.

“Jake…Jake….Jake.” His Auntie shook her head. “Why aren’t you buying your mother a Christmas gift?”

It was true he didn’t, but he never bought anyone Christmas presents he just didn’t believe in all the hype.

“Hey I do mother’s day and her birthday, I just don’t do Christmas gifts.” He offered in defence.

Suddenly Jake gulped; he watched as his mother stumbled towards the bookshelf and pulled off a photo album.

Oh no…… He had to stop from crying out in desperation as his mother zeroed in on the exact album she was looking for, stopping on the page like a favourite chapter of a book you might have read a thousand times.

“Look he used to love Chrisstmass.” She cried as she planted the book in Jakes lap.

The photo in question she had singled out was one of him he hated, dressed down to his diaper that was evidently wet and perched on Santa’s lap.

“You used to be so cuuuuuuute Jake, what happened.”

“I grew up.” He muttered.

“But still living with mummy.” His Auntie teased.

Both women laughed and offered him some wine. He wasn’t a big drinker especially not for wine or spirits but if anything would help this night go faster than… fuck it, was worth a shot.

The next morning Jake woke up with a groan, his head was spinning and he could feel everything shaking as the rays of sunlight poured over him. He could swear he was moving but his eyes wouldn’t open to the invasive lights as they pushed over him.

“What’s going on?” He called out.

Suddenly everything stopped as the shaking came to a halt.

“Oh looks like someone’s finally awake!” He heard his mother say.

Just as quickly two faces appeared in front of him, thankfully blocking out the sun from view he was able to open his eyes.

“W…what happened where are we?” He asked with sincere confusion.

“You don’t remember?” His mother asked showing him the photograph from the night before.

“This photo was your gift to me, to make up for all the times you didn’t get me a present.”

His aunt pulled on his cheek.

“This makes us even too; this is just all too precious I could just gobble you up.” She said pretending to bite his forehead.

He tried moving for the first time and pulling away, that’s when he felt the restraints and something else.

“Wait… what the FUCK why am I wearing a diaper?”

“Language!” His mother said sternly. “You’re in a stroller sweetheart, you’re a bit big now so it’s a bit cramped but it does the job. I couldn’t carry you by myself.”

“That explains nothing.” He said desperately, eyes growing wide as saucers.

“I told you.” She said plainly. “We’re recreating the photo; it was your gift for me.”

She once again motioned to the photo in her hands; he took it from her and cringed. As he shuffled in the chair the diaper crinkled and he realised the gravity of the situation.

“But that means…..”

He looked past both his mother and Aunt and noticed all the people walking in and out on their way to the shopping mall.

“Mum no please, I’m serious get me out of here.”

He couldn’t believe he was in such a humiliating predicament, let alone out in public for everyone to see.

But his mother and Aunt laughed. “You’re not getting out of it that easily Jakie.”

They rolled the almost naked boy except for his plain diaper into the mall. Jake closed his eyes and tried blocking out the jeers and mocking laughs as people questioned why an adult man was being wheeled in a stroller. His mother stopped multiple times as they explained why, he couldn’t believe he drank so much wine that he could not remember anything from the previous night. Not to mention how his mother got him into a diaper and why she had one that fit him so perfectly.

He avoided the gaze of the happy elf as they entered the line at Santa’s village, refusing to open them as a young woman looked down and asked for his name. He could hardly breath as he heard a bellowing voice calling his name from the other side of a wall. As he was rolled across and Santa looked over him obviously previously alerted about his age and size he didn’t falter and treated him like any other child.

“Come over here Jake.” He beckoned.

While his mother and Aunt watched in earnest, videotaping the whole thing on their cell phones Jake had no choice but to stand up and toddle over to Santa. His legs were shaky and he began to tear up as the gravity of the situation really started to get to him. His mother called out to him encouraging him and as soon as Santa reached out and pulled him down onto his lap the unthinkable happened.

It started with a quiet hissing and soon his diaper was saturated, a bright yellow tinge running from the front to the back. He sat frozen on his lap with his soggy diaper in full view, his mother and Auntie cooed.

“I would ask you what you want for Christmas but I think I already know what you need.” He said giving Jake’s wet diaper a pat.

He could only hope his mother’s teasing encouragement that he would need plenty of diapers from Santa was only that, just teasing and prayed she wouldn’t go through with it.