RELUCTANT PRESS

By now, the reader will have discerned that the nursery had its own 'en suite' bathroom.

In ten minutes, I was wallowing in the bath pinker, softer and smoother than I have ever been. Fortunately, I only have to shave about once every ten days or so. There are lots of eighteen year olds like that, who don't have massive doses of testosterone coursing their pipes, tubes and ducts.

Twenty minutes later I was toweling myself down on a nice fluffy pink towel that had FOR BABY woven into it.

The bathroom door opened.

"Let Auntie do that for you, my love. It's been a long time since I have dried you and cuddled you." She pulled me toward her and gave me a kiss and a little hug.

"And how does my little baby boy feel after its nice bath then? Ooh, isn't it a nice, warm, clean, cuddly little chum," she said, losing herself in an ecstasy of baby talk.

She was quite mad, of course, but then again, so was I. It was almost a miracle of complementary personalities. "Am I going to be your little baby boy all the time that I am here?" I queried.

"No dear, not all the time. Sometimes I shall want a little baby GIRL to dress up and play with and to hug. Girls' things are so pretty and cute and I would love to have a little girl sometimes. Now, won't that be fun?"

The way Auntie was sitting, her skirt had ridden up and the dark welts of her stocking tops showed.

"A dressing-up holiday from start to finish and we are going to both indulge ourselves very thoroughly indeed. Would you like that?"

"Yes," I said shyly, but blissfully happy.

"Of course you would. Oh my darling, I'm so glad you're you and not somebody different," she said sighing happily as she reached for the tin of Johnson's.

"Come and lie over here. I'm going to powder your little botty, and that cute little tail at the front," she said archly.

Page 6

JOYCE'S GIRLS

BY JOYCE

I lay down on the cot to be attended to.

"And what have they done to my little pretty?" she cooed as she inspected my scar closely and properly for the first time. She stooped down and planted a kiss on the reddened, slightly swollen area. I had had the stitches out the previous day so there was no longer a covering plaster. "There, doesn't that smell lovely?" as the powder was liberally applied.

"Yeth," I lisped.

She gave my John a playful little squeeze, a bit naive of her, considering, but she had done it hundreds of times before and there was I, looking just like a very small boy again and playing up to it.

"Now you just wait and see what I have got in those drawers for you." She went to the dressing-table and returned with a soft, ribbed vest, a pink romper with white piping around the collar, a diaper and a pair of fluffy pink booties, size five.

"One never knows what might happen after the sort of operation you have just had," she rationalized as she proceeded to put the diaper on me, "and it's better to be safe than sorry, isn't it lovikins?"

-

As I made no reply I was wallowing in bliss she went on firmly, "Of course it is. Auntie knows what's best," securing the nappy tightly with its built-in sticky tapes.

"And now, the vest!" She guided my arms into the sleeve holes. Finally came the romper, which was buttoned up between my legs and the booties, of course.

"I think that looks lovely and cute on you," said Auntie, eyeing her handiwork with satisfaction. She went to the dressing-table and returned with a dummy.

"I found cigarettes in your jacket pocket!" She could hardly have said it with more severe horror.

I wanted to giggle at my scatological analogy but merely grinned sheepishly.

"I'm trying to give it up, " I said weakly.

Page 7