Let There Be Light
"Gah!" Stu said, rubbing his eyes.
"Stu?" Didi said sleepily. "What is it?"
"I had the craziest dream. I was making a playpen that had no gravity. I thought I had it all working but when I turned it on Tommy went rocketing into the sky."
"Oh Stu," Didi said sleepily. "You'd never risk Tommy like that."
"Or invent Anti-grav," he said with a chuckle. "I manage that we're billionaires."
"I'll settle for you just finalizing that contract tomorrow," Didi said. Stu had managed to get another toy invented, a ball that sang different songs when you rolled it, and was meeting with the Eggland people in the morning to settle the contract. "Now why… Stu!" she suddenly said, sitting up. "Look at the clock! The power must be out."
"Oh geez," Stu said only for them to hear Chuckie screaming. The two of them hurried through the dark house to Tommy's room. They found the two babies hugging each other, screeching in a panic. "Hey champ, it's okay!" Stu said, picking up Tommy while Didi lifted Chuckie into her arms. "Nothing to be scared of! The power just went out." Tommy began to calm down but Chuckie was shaking like a leaf. "What should we do? I think Chuckie's too scared to go to sleep without a night light and he's making Tommy nervous." The one year old cuddled up against his daddy, murmuring happily while Chuckie, while still a touch frightened, had finally begun to calm down when he realized that Didi wasn't a scary monster come to eat him.
"Hmmm… oh, I know! Let's roll Tommy's crib into our room. I bet these two sleep a lot betting knowing we are close by."
"Yeah!" Stu said. "That's a great idea." He lifted up Tommy so he could look him in the eye. "Hear that, champ? You're going to sleep in mommy and daddy's room! It will be just like when you were a newborn!"
Tommy stared at his father, mouth open in a little O at that.
Later that night Tommy lay awake even as his parents slept. "Chuckie?"
"Y-yeah Tommy?" Chuckie said with a yawn. "What's wrong? You need a diapee change?"
"No… I was just thinking about what my daddy said. You notice how things are different now?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, the playpen is too tall so we can't explore anymore… and they took my tools away… and now I have to sleep in mommy and daddy's room like when I was little."
"Yeah?"
"I… I think mommy and daddy are trying to turn me back into a baby baby!"
Chuckie yawned. "No they aren't Tommy. It's because of the night light."
"But what if they turned off the night light as an excuse?" Tommy said, now growing more fearful. "What if they want me to become little again so I can ever have fun again?" He paused. "Chuckie?"
His friend just snored.
Tommy laid back down, nervous.