Maddy was tapping away at her phone idly, almost as if she wasn’t in the middle of getting her diaper changed. She sat the phone down just as Janice taped up the last tape and flared out the leg gatherers. It was a pretty common occurrence for Janice to task Maddy with something to do while getting her diaper changed. In this case it was securing them their ride to the botanical gardens.

“Rides on the way,” Maddy said as she held her hand up. Janice took the hand and helped Maddy stand up from her laying position in the room’s crib. She flattened out her sundress when she stood up, though even at its full length it failed to hide the diaper underneath. “It’ll probably be here by the time we get to the lobby.”

“Well let’s go then,” Janice clipped the lead back onto Maddy’s harness and the two made their way down to the lobby. At this point the day was starting to become the night, though currently the sun was still bright in the sky, but it wouldn’t be much longer.

“That’s us,” Maddy pointed at an S.U.V that had pulled into the hotel’s entrance. Maddy skipped ahead and somewhat dragged Janice along with her. Janice opened the back door and was surprised to see there was a car seat, similar to the one she had in her own car for Maddy. Since Maddy was the one picking and paying for the ride, Janice wasn’t expecting her to pick the option with a car seat. Maddy really was in a mood today. She unclipped her leash to hop into the car seat and started buckling herself in.

“I would have helped you if you asked,” Janice sighed as she got into the car and adjusted the buckles so Maddy was secured correctly.

“She seems eager,” the driver said with a smile while looking in the rear-view mirror. “Getting my son into his car seat is a fight every time.”

“Normally it is with her too, but she’s been very good today,” Janice said playing along. Maddy stuck her tongue out in response. The driver smiled and drove off once Janice had buckled in as well.

She was quiet the rest of the short drive and left just as quietly once they arrived and Janice and Maddy were dropped off. The botanical gardens were pretty quiet. It wasn’t exactly the end all be all tourist destinations, but there were a scant few groups out and about. Mostly couples enjoying the view of the flowers along with each other. Janice tugged the leash a little and looked at her own girlfriend who had just finished rating and tipping the ride they just had.

“You ready?” Maddy asked noting the tug. Janice smiled and nodded.

There wasn’t a line so the two were able to get to the ticket counter without waiting.

“Welcome welcome,” the older woman with a flower crown on her head said in a whispy voice. “Kids still in diapers get in free!” she said noticing Maddy and making the same mistake everyone usually does. “As long as you keep them on a leash that is, or keep them in a stroller. Just as long as they can’t mess with the flowers.”

“How nice,” Janice smiled as she got her card out. She thought about asking Maddy if she preferred leash or stroller, but thought that might break the illusion that was currently getting her ticket for free. “Any extra for the stroller?” Janice asked making the decision for Maddy.

“Just a deposit,” the ticket taker smiled. “You get it back when you return the stroller.”

“We’ll take that then.” With a few punches on the computer two tickets were printed out and Janice and Maddy were let in through the turnstile. The woman pulled out a stroller from a closet by the entrance. It was slightly smaller than the one Janice had. The ticket lady made a move to help Maddy into it. “I got her thanks!” Janice said quickly intercepting her and helping Maddy into the stroller herself.

“Just remember she has to stay in the stroller,” the woman reminded. “It has buckle locks on it. I recommend you use them.”

“I can do that,” Janice smiled as she noted the locking device in question. The plastic buckle that connected the straps of the five-point harness had a small plastic key that, when removed, rendered the buckle useless and the occupant stuck inside. Maddy smirked somewhat bemused as Janice stuck the key in her pocket. Janice gave an apologetic smile.

“Enjoy your visit,” the woman said, now confident that the potential damage to the garden’s flowers was contained.

“They’re real serious aren’t they,” Maddy commented from the stroller.

“Kids messing with the flowers must be a big problem.” Janice mused.

“Must be,” Maddy sighed.

“Don’t be pouty. You’ve been playing up baby stuff all day, what makes the stroller different?”

“Guess it’s not,” Maddy said with a slightly happier sigh.

“Think of it like a guided tour.”

“Did you happen to bring a bottle for this guided tour?” Maddy asked with a chuckle.

“Always prepared,” Janice said cheerily as she dug into the small diaper bag that had been doubling as her purse and pulled out a large baby bottle filled with water. She handed the bottle to Maddy in the stroller and she wordlessly took it.

“Thanks,” Maddy said before taking a drink. “Don’t forget to drink water yourself. You’re the one doing the walking.”

“I’ve got some water for me too,” Janice assured. "Thanks for worrying about me."

Janice and Maddy spent the next few hours moving slowly through the botanical gardens and enjoying all of the impressive floral displays. By the time they reach the end of the guided path the sun was starting to set behind the trees. The last vista was one that included a small chapel for weddings. As Maddy and Janice approached they overheard a conversation from another couple as they were making their way back to the gate.

“We have got to get married here, can you imagine how beautiful it would be,” the woman said hopefully.

“Not as beautifaul as you,” The man said in an exceptionally masculine tone.

Maddy couldn’t help but imagine her and Janice walking down the admittedly beautiful isle in the small church. The vision was marred by Maddy’s current position locked in a stroller. She suddenly had an intense desire to have a romantic moment with her girlfriend; one she couldn’t have stuck where she was. She started feeling like she wouldn’t ever have that moment. Even if she weren’t stuck in a stroller right now, she would always be stuck in something. Stroller or car seat or leash, the fact that she would always be in diapers and never really grow up meant she’d never have that real public display of affection that couple that just had.

“I need some wine with some of that cheese,” Janice commented on the scene with a giggle. When she noticed Maddy did not giggle with her she began to get concerned. “Everything ok in there?”

“No not really,” Maddy sighed. “I just … maybe I want us to be cheesy ya know.”

“You can be pretty cheesy sometimes.”

“Yeah, but, like whenever we’re out, I’m always in a stroller or on a leash. I can’t do that kind of thing with you.”

“Wanna bet?” Janice said as she moved to the front of the stroller and knelt down. She planted a slow and deliberate kiss on Maddy’s lips.

“That was … nice,” Maddy said with a blush.

“See,” Janice said with a smirk.

“That’s not really what I … I just wish I didn’t have this thing in the way,” Maddy gestured to the stroller harness but it was clear she meant something else. “If I just weren’t stuck in diapers, I wouldn’t be stuck in here.”

“I happen to think you look cute stuck in there,” Janice reminded. Maddy blushed again, but it was clear it was still on her mind. “You know you don’t have to do that stuff if you don’t want, right? We can have some adult dates if you want.”

“That just … feels wrong,” Maddy struggled. “I’m in diapers, that means I’m supposed to use all that stuff.”

“I think your perspective on that may be skewed,” Janice asserted.

“Maybe,” Maddy said thoughtfully.

“Well, if you want to have a big girl date with lots of normal public displays of affection, we can do that sometime, just let me know.”

“Yeah, maybe we can do that sometime.”

“Until then I am more than fine with my little stroller bound girlfriend,” Janice gave Maddy another kiss with a hint of tounge even.

“Stoooooop,” Maddy whined while giggling. Janice smiled as she got back behind the stroller. Proud of herself for rescuing her girlfriend from her bad mood.

The stroller was returned and Maddy and Janice got another ride back to their hotel, this time Maddy chose one that didn't have a car seat in it to sit in and act like an adult to prove she could do it, and she did for the most part. When they arrived back at their hotel the darkness had set in. The outside of the hotel was lit with a moody low light of torches that Maddy and Janice mostly ignored as they were tired from a day of activities.

Once they got back to their room Maddy wordless undressed and made her way to the bathroom to shower. Janice undressed as well though she waited on the bed in the room. She looked over at the crib and wondered if maybe getting it was a mistake. Maddy may have been ok with stuff like that for most of the day like she had predicted, but at the end she seemed to reject it. She might not want to sleep in the crib tonight, not that she had much choice. The small bed left in the room for Janice was not big enough to hold two comfortably.

“Change me for bed?” Maddy, coming out of the bathroom from her shower, jolted Janice out of her thoughts.

“Sure, lay down,” Janice said going to the open pack of diapers. Maddy took her usual position laying down in the crib. Janice, being tired as well, quietly taped a new diaper on. “You good getting your pjs on?”

“Yeah, I got it. Go get ready for bed sleepy head,” Maddy joked as she erupted into a yawn.

Janice struggled through her own shower, worried that Maddy might be upset at sleeping in the crib. She found her worries to be for naught. As she emerged from the bathroom she found Maddy sound asleep. She had dressed herself in a blue and pink onesie and was snuggling the stuffie she had brought with her while suckling away on a pacifier. Janice smiled sleepily at the cuteness of it all and silently shut the crib door. Maddy stirred only slightly before going back to sleep. Janice only admired it for a moment as she herself was fighting sleep. She clicked off the lamp and snuggled into her bed and was asleep pretty quickly.