"Mama, it's Saturday! Why are you working?" Little Mandy whined with an adorable pout, kneeling backwards in her chair.
"It's only for a few hours, baby love, I promise. I have to go to an important meeting about a big trial coming up next week that I have to testify in. Casey is coming over to stay with you while I'm gone and I'll be home in plenty of time to read you a story before naptime. Sit down properly on your bottom and finish your breakfast, please." Olivia tenderly kissed Amanda's forehead and patted her bottom affectionately.
Still pouting, Amanda sat down and returned to her scrambled eggs. It wasn't that she didn't like Casey; on the contrary, Casey had come over to babysit several times and they always had fun. But she was annoyed that Mama was working when she was supposed to be home with her. It didn't help that the ADA who had called the meeting Mama was going to was Alex Cabot. Alex had recently returned from Florida and was one of Mama's best friends, which made Little Mandy very insecure. There was a knock on the door and Olivia went to let Casey in.
"Hey. Thanks for coming over." Olivia smiled, stepping aside to grant Casey entry into the apartment.
"Hey, not a problem at all. I'm always happy to help. Hi, Mandy! What have you got there, scrambled eggs?" Casey smiled.
"Yeah." Little Mandy sulked.
"Come here to Mama, sweet girl." Olivia opened her arms, sensing that Little Mandy was starting to get scared by the idea of her Mama leaving.
Amanda jumped up from the table and ran straight into Mama's arms, clinging to her for dear life. Olivia picked her up and carried her over to the big, comfy rocker, sitting down and settling Little Mandy on her lap while Casey sat down on the couch.
"Look at the clock over there, sweetie. Can you tell Mama what it says?" Olivia pointed to the clock.
"Seven three zero." Little Mandy sniffled.
"That's my good girl. Mama will be gone for four hours, so what time will the clock say when Mama comes home?"
"Eleven three zero?" Little Mandy guessed after a moment of thought.
"Good girl, so smart. I might be able to make it home by eleven, but I promise I won't be any later than eleven thirty. Casey will go home and then we'll have lunch, read a story, and have naptime. How about we go over the rules for today with Casey so everybody's on the same page?"
"Okay." Amanda agreed.
"You already know where everything is and you have my cell number if you need it. The one new rule for today is no sugary sweets. Mandy was up all night last night with a stomach ache. If she gets hungry before I come home, there's apple slices and celery sticks in the fridge."
"Got it." Casey nodded.
Olivia cuddled Amanda for a few extra minutes, then shifted her off of her lap to sit on the rocker and gave her one more kiss to her temple. Little Mandy grew teary-eyed, but didn't protest.
"Here, sweetie. Why don't you show Casey your new toy?" Olivia handed her the 'See and Say'. Amanda had needed to have blood drawn a few days ago and the toy was her reward for being a brave girl.
"That looks like fun. Is that a kitty?" Casey commented, trying to keep Little Mandy's attention focused on the toy so that Olivia could slip out the door.
"I'm home!" Olivia called out when she walked into the apartment at eleven thirty.
"Hey. How was the meeting?" Casey looked up.
"Productive. I forgot how hardcore Alex is in a courtroom, but I think we're going to win. Where's Mandy?" Olivia glanced around. Amanda always came running to greet her at the door when she came home.
"In her room with Frannie. We had kind of a rough day." Casey admitted. Olivia groaned.
"I'm sorry if she was a problem, Casey. What happened?"
"Mama, Casey's mean!" Little Mandy suddenly appeared and launched herself into Mama's arms, both irritated with Casey and relieved that Mama was home.
"Oh, I very highly doubt that. Why don't the three of us sit down and talk about it?"
Olivia again sat down on the rocker and settled Amanda on her lap.
"But, Mama, she's mean! Only you are allowed to swat my bottom!" Little Mandy insisted.
"Well, I hate to break it to you, sweetheart, but Casey certainly is allowed to swat your little bottom or put you in time-out if you aren't listening to her." Olivia explained gently.
Little Mandy pouted, snuggling into Mama's arms. She'd been certain that Mama would side with her and yell at Casey for swatting her.
"Honey, I swatted you because you broke Mama's rule and I caught you eating ice cream without permission and you lied to me. Tell Mama what happened before that."
"I… I didn't listen to Casey and I kept telling her 'no' when she told me to do things." Little Mandy admitted.
"I see. We will talk about that in a minute, but first I want to know what you lied about."
Amanda glanced over at Casey.
"I think she'd rather hear it from you, sweetie." Casey said.
"Well, I asked for ice cream and she said no. I told her I was thirsty and I went to the kitchen with my Tinkerbell sippy cup to get my own drink. When she called out to me and asked me if I was okay, I told her I was cleaning up water that I spilled, but really I was eating ice cream. That's when she came into the kitchen and caught me and swatted me."
"Casey let you off easy with just one swat, little girl."
"Two swats." Little Mandy held up two fingers.
"Two swats. Even two swats is very lenient. I think it's time to say goodbye to Casey so that you and Mama can have a talk. Tell Casey thank you for coming to look after you and apologize for being a naughty little girl."
"Thank you for coming, Casey. I'm sorry I was bad." Little Mandy said.
"You're not bad, honey. You're a good girl and I hope next time I come over we can have more fun and less trouble." Casey stood from the couch.
"Thanks again for looking after her, Casey." Olivia said.
"Like I said, I'm always happy to help. That's what friends are for." Casey smiled. Since Little Mandy was still cuddled on Olivia's lap, Casey let herself out to go home.
"Mama, I can't find my Cinderella pacifier." Little Mandy said, attempting to distract Mama's attention from her recent behavior.
"I think I saw it in your room. Speaking of your room, let's go there now. I'm afraid we need to have a very big discussion."
Little Mandy's lower lip trembled when they stopped in the kitchen to pick up the wooden spoon on their way to her room. Olivia spotted the requested pacifier and set it aside for later. She sat down on the bed and brought Amanda to stand in front of her.
"Mama, do you really need that?" Little Mandy pointed fearfully at the wooden spoon in Mama's hand.
"Yes, honey, I'm afraid so. You were already punished not too long ago for sneaking treats without permission and you did it again, so Mama has to spank you harder. You also disobeyed Casey and lied to her, so Mama is going to have to wash your mouth out with soap." Olivia explained with a heavy heart.
"No, Mama, no soap!" Little Mandy wailed.
"I know you don't like it, sweetie. It wouldn't be a punishment if you liked it. And Mama really doesn't like doing it."
"You don't?" Amanda sniffled.
"No, I don't. I don't like punishing you and making you cry. It hurts Mama's heart to do it, but I love you too much to let you get away with naughty behavior. Part of being a good Mama is teaching you right from wrong. I would be a very bad Mama if I didn't punish you for being naughty."
"I'm sorry I make your heart hurt all the time, Mama." Little Mandy wept.
"Oh, sweetie. You don't make Mama's heart hurt all the time. You make Mama's heart so happy when you smile or laugh or when you learn something new or when you give me a hug or when we cuddle in front of the TV. I love being your Mama. I don't regret it for one second." Olivia assured her.
"I'm sorry I was naughty, Mama." Little Mandy sniffled.
"I know you're sorry, baby girl. Mama already forgives you. Let's get this punishment over with so we can cuddle, okay?"
Olivia pulled down Amanda's pants and diaper and bent the little blonde over her lap. Reluctantly, she picked up the wooden spoon right from the start. Little Mandy burst into tears right away. She despised the wooden spoon with every fiber of her being; it hurt so much. Given Amanda's fear of the strap and the switch, Mama never used anything other than her hand or the wooden spoon to spank her bottom. Even the hairbrush was far too intense for Little Mandy to handle emotionally. Mama spanked Little Mandy's bare bottom and sit-spots to a painful shade of deep cherry red. When the little one finally went limp across her lap, the spanking was immediately over. Mama let Little Mandy rest across her lap for a few minutes while she gently rubbed arnica onto Little Mandy's bottom. Then she picked Amanda up and cuddled her close.
"That's my good girl. Such a good, brave girl. Cry it all out, lovey. Mama's right here."
Little Mandy sobbed on Mama's chest while Mama's gentle hand soothed her punished bottom and Mama's gentle voice soothed her emotionally, reassuring the sobbing little one that she was very dearly loved. When Little Mandy's tears slowed to a trickle, Mama reluctantly picked her up and carried her into the bathroom. Little Mandy's crying went up a notch, knowing exactly what was about to happen and not wanting any part of it. Mouthsoapings looked very different for Little Mandy than they did for 'big girl' Amanda. Little Mandy didn't have to sit on her freshly spanked bottom. Instead, she stood and rubbed her bottom while Mama prepared a cloth. Little Mandy stuck out her tongue and Mama swiped the soapy cloth across her tongue several times. Little Mandy squealed in disgust and held the soap in her mouth for two minutes before Mama handed her a cup to let her rinse out her mouth. Then Mama picked her up, carried her back into the bedroom to retrieve her pacifier, and carried her into the living room to cuddle her in the rocker.
"Mama, I'm sorry." Little Mandy whimpered, sadly snuggling into Mama's arms.
"I know, baby. You were very brave and your punishment is all over and forgiven." Olivia cooed.
"Mama, do you like Alex more than me?" Amanda asked timidly, fearful of the answer.
"Of course not, my angel. Alex is my friend and I work with her, but you are my sweet little girl and I love you more than anything." Olivia assured her.
Satisfied with that answer, Little Mandy opened her mouth and Mama gave her the pacifier. Little Mandy sucked on her pacifier and fell asleep in Mama's arms. Olivia smiled; they hadn't even had lunch yet, but lunch could wait until Amanda woke up. For now, she held Amanda in her arms and watched her sleep, cuddling her close.