Diaper Wishes and Baby Powder Dreams

Chapter 8

The wheels of the stroller kept going "click click click" asthey crossed the spaces in between each piece, making Raven think of the times he was riding a train back in his adult life. For one of the first times in his now recent memory he began to look around at the scenery as it passed him. Being a truck driver as an adult he passed by so much nature that now he just had to take it all in. No time tables and no schedule to keep here. Nothing bujt time to be adventurous and curious once more. Its something people too often take for granted. The beauty of this world can be awesome and here he was as a baby and able to experience it once more. The birds were chirping, the grass of the lawns were lush and green. Flowers and trees were in full bloom. As the stroller went along the path, Raven happened to see a stroller going the opposite direction but on the sidewalk on th other side of the street. In it was a brown fox kit. He looked much the same in age, or so Raven thought, as himself. The other fox kit gave a happy yipping sound and waved. Lotus waved back and said to Raven "Wave back hun!" Raven giggled and mimicked what he was saying as they passed by each other running parallel courses. As they continued down the path Raven thought he heard the other caretaker say "You are such a happy little kit today aren't you Andy?"

It wasn't long before Lotus had guided the stroller back home and inside, scooping the little squirmy kit up and setting him down on the floor next to a pile of baby toys. "Now you go play with your toys while mama puts up your stroller and fixes you some nummy din din!" she said as she patted Raven on the head. Raven gave a yip in reply, his fluffy white tail swishing about. Soon enough Raven was just enjoying the time to play. He was so wrapped up in playtime that he failed to notice Lotus behind him with a camera making a video clip that she would later upload to muzzlebook. (Yes it is a parody of facebook.) She had already set down the bottle she would soon be feeding Raven with on the end table, but she just wanted to capture the moment. He just seemed so happy and carefree as he played. The white fox picked up a toy ball and laid onto his back, giggling and nibbling on it. It was then that he happened to hear a soft giggle and looked back to see Lotus smiling down at him. A quick yip and the ball was soon forgotten as he pawed up at the wolfess who picked him up and sat down in the glider chair, cradling him in her arms. "Is someone happy to see mama?" she cooed to him, rubbing his tummy and rocking gently as she held him. To Raven now it just seemed easier to become the baby he was here than to try and retain his adult mind. He just began to not care about it anymore. No one was going to find it out of place if a baby was acting like.. well a baby right?

Lotus picked up the bottle and placed the nipple to his muzzle as Raven began to hungrily suckle the warm milk inside, the kit's feetpaws reaching up to hold the bottle as well. The wolfess gave a contented sigh as she fed her infant child. Her eyes had asoft twinkle in them that just showed for all to see that this was the joy in her life, this little ball of fluffy fur that she held right now. Eventually as Raven fed and was gently rocked, his eyes closed and he began to drift off to sleep. He opened his eyes and found himself looking up at the tv that was on. "And welcome back to the show. We have just showed you how the one eyed wonder weasel will cut your cooking time in half, now we'll show you how.." Raven just shook his head and turned off the infomercial along with the tv. "One Eyed Wonder Weasel?" "They are really calling something that?" he said out loud as he got up from his recliner. With his mind still waking up, it took him a moment to realize he was back in his old self once more. As he did, he saw his phone was blinking, he had a message. He picked up the phone and saw "one missed called: Lotus" on the display.

"Hi there Raven, was wondering if you would like to come over for dinner tomorrow night at my place?" "Call me back if that is ok." said the voicemail from Lotus. He quickly dialed her number and got her voicemail himself. "Hey there cuteness, just returning your call." "Sure! I would love to have dinner with you again. "Just give me the time to be there and I'll be there!" he said as he hung up the phone. Then he remembered the job he accepted. "How am I going to break the news to Lotus?" he thought out loud. He knew he was falling for her and wanted to go further in the relationship. He just wasn't sure if she would want a long distance relationship and one where he wouldn't be driving around anymore would make it harder for him to come see her. As he was thinking, the phone rang with Lotus' ringtone. The fox quickly fumbled about to pickup the phone and then answered. "Hello?" "Yeah 7 will be fine!" "Alright, its a date!" as he hung up the phone he quickly set to work getting ready for tomorrow night.

Lotus just smiled as she set down the phone while sitting at the plant nursery's lab. The flower of the Retrogradus Lotus plant was here before her in all its splendor. She had already sent off the other 2 flowers that had bloomed during the day, all that was left was the one. The beautiful soft white petals hung delicately to the stem. It had to be kept in cold storage for it to stay fresh long enough for it to be useful and it would be a while before they flowered again. "How do you always know when the time is right to flower again." she said to the flower. As she gathered up her things to head home for the weekend, she couldn't help but notice that her fur on her hands was becming a bit more silver in color than it had been earlier even in the day.

Soon enough the time came for the dinner. Raven as usual was early, and dressed to impress. He wasn't wearing a suit for this, I mean its a dinner date at a home, that don't require a black tie. He brought with him a bottle of wine and a box of chocolates. As he rang the bell and waited for her to answer, he kept going over his lines in his head. He had been practicing it over and over to get it right. Soon Lotus was there at the door. "A box of chocolates?" "Oh you are such a gentleman." she said happily as she let him in. "Well they aren't as sweet as you are but I thought you might enjoy them for dessert tonight." he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. Lotus just blushed a little at that line. "That was cute." she said to him as they went inside together. It wasn't long before dinner was finished and the two were sitting down in the living room together, enjoying the wine and chocolates as much as each other's company. "Lotus, its been a wonderful evening with you." "But I have something to tell you." he said to her, looking Lotus in the eyes as he held her hand. "I was offered a job I have been waiting for a long time to get, but its 2 states away from here and I am afraid I have to move." "I would be so very happy if you were to come with me."

Lotus just sat there, partly in shock, partly in sadness. She had grown very fond of Raven but she couldn't move from the town. Her job at the nursery was one that only she could do and it had to be close at hand to the council. "You are moving away?" she asked him, her eyes starting to become teary as she asked him. "Well, yeah, its an opportunity I have been waiting for." "And I couldn't think of anyone else that I would want to come with me more than you!" Raven exclaimed to her. "I can't go with you Raven." she said to him as she tried to keep herself from crying. Raven was astonished that she didn't want to go with him. After all with how their relationship was progressing how could she not? "Why can't you go with?" he asked her. "I can't go because of my job on the council." she replied back "So just quit it!" "I mean a job is a job right?" "You don't understand Raven, I cannot quit this job it is too important for the council!" she said, her voice starting to show her frustration.

"Lotus, I thought we had a good thing going. And now you just want to throw it away because of your job?" Raven asked her. "Raven, I can't leave town and thats it." "And if yopu cannot accept that then...then just go!" she said to him, pointing towards the door." "But Lotus I thought that.." "Leave now Raven!" Lotus yelled at the foxm, interrupting his train of thought. Raven looked at her, shook his head and headed to the door. He stopped and was about to say something, but thought better of it and instead left, closing the door behind him. As he got to his car and drove away, the only sound that could be heard from the home he just left was a quiet sobbing. Lotus didn't want Raven to leave. It was breaking her heart that he was moving away, her head was in her hands for quite a while until she looked down and saw her old photo album of baby pictures. She walked over to it and picked it up off the shelf and then began to flip through the photos, eventually falling asleep with the book in her hands later in the night. Across town, Raven was simply too emotionally drained to care about anything else. He looked over to the small velvet covered box from the jewelry store.

To be continued....