JR V1

Chapter 8
The Couple's Vacation Home

Throughout the drive, Simon and Angelique occasionally glanced at the tiny toddler asleep in his car seat. Simon was glad to see that the fit was almost perfect for Jacob. Mr. Hammond's list had indicated that they would need a car seat for a two-year-old, but it still took the couple a while in the store to decide on which of the ones available would potentially fit him the best. It was difficult since they had no idea what kind of body type he had as a child.

Fortunately, Simon and Angelique didn't have to do much shopping when they went to the store earlier that day. When they moved into the city, they had opted to list the lakeside property as a vacation rental. The couple had decided against clearing out the nursery which made it a favorite among parents of young children. Angelique had even hired a local college student, Kimberly, to re-stock the house with the essentials before a patron had a stay.

Peering at the boy through the rear-view mirror, Angelique was still in awe that the procedure was able to take him so far back in time. She smiled thinking about how adorable Jacob looked wearing the Finding Dory themed pajama set they had bought for him earlier that day.

****

It was just after sunset when the trio turned into the long, paved driveway leading to the lakeside home. Simon made sure to mentally note that the trees lining the side of the path would all need to be cut soon.

The lakeside house was a Craftsman style home with a beige colored exterior. It appeared Kimberly thought to leave the outside lighting on for them. The porch light illuminated the wrap-around porch, and its light extended to the small garden decorating the front of the house. The couple was delighted to see that the white and red roses they had planted long ago were still flourishing.

After Angelique parked the car in the garage, Simon stepped out of the passenger's side and opened the door to the backseat. He quickly unbuckled Jacob from the car seat and lifted him into his arms.

At first, the light scent of urine made Simon suspicious, and when he felt the sagging diaper against his body as he propped the child up onto his shoulder, he was confident that his assumption was correct.

"Looks like he already used his diaper during the car ride."

Angelique unlocked the door to the house and turned to look at her spouse. "Wow, already? I guess they probably did give him a lot of IV fluids while he was in the hospital. I'll change him before we put him in the crib."

They passed through the living room choosing to leave the lights off for the night and climbed the stairs. When they made it upstairs, Angelique held open the door to the nursery for Simon. The room remained almost the same as it was when they first set it up.

The walls were painted ivory white, and the linens, toys and decorations had an ocean theme. The couple had chosen to buy a light-brown wooden furniture set. The rocking chair, changing table and crib were all still occupying the same spots in the nursery. Kimberly had even re-stocked the shelves with supplies after Simon alerted her that they would be bringing a child with them.

He walked in and gently placed Jacob on the changing table. Taking a seat in the rocking chair, he let his wife take care of changing the little boy. The middle-aged man watched as she efficiently made quick work of removing the soiled diaper and replacing it with a fresh one. Simon knew that his wife had taken babysitting jobs as a teenager and young adult. So, he had anticipated that she would have been quite proficient, but it was still remarkable for him to watch her work so swiftly while succeeding in imparting her tender nature into every motion.

When she finished, she lifted Jacob into her arms, and just held him for a few minutes. Simon and Angelique had both resolved to take advantage of the opportunity to shower Jacob with affection while he was still asleep. They knew that once he woke up, it would probably be a while before he would be comfortable interacting with them given the circumstances of his regression. Simon stood and turned on the baby monitor near the crib making sure that the camera was syncing with all of their devices.

Angelique lightly bounced the boy in her arms a few times before she lowered him into the crib. They took in the peaceful expression on his face as his tiny chest rhythmically rose and fell. Simon pulled the blue blanket over his former client and turned on the mobile above the crib.

Exhausted from the activities of the day and the long drive, they both headed straight to their bedroom and silently got ready for bed. Simon opted to use the second bathroom for his shower, hoping to speed along the process for the both of them.

When he returned, the lights were off, and Angelique was already in bed and under the covers. He got onto his side of the bed and slid under the sheets to snuggle against her. After a few minutes of silence, Simon asked in a low voice. "Would you have ever thought that we'd have a child in this house so soon?"

Angelique took a slow, deep breath. "No, I wouldn't." There was a long pause before she continued. "But, I'm so glad we do."

A few more moments had passed, and as Simon closed his eyes, he quietly whispered into the darkness, "Me too."

****

When Simon woke up the next morning, he rolled over and saw that Angelique had already gotten up. He expected it, as his wife had always been an early riser. He headed into the bathroom to begin getting ready for the day. Once he finished brushing his teeth and dressing himself after a quick shower a few moments later, he padded into the kitchen.

The downstairs of the house had an open-floor plan. The spacious kitchen was furnished with white marble countertops, silver stainless-steel appliances, white cabinets and a light brown wooden pantry in the corner. Near the table in the dining area was a light brown wooden high chair equipped with an ivory white plastic tray. There was a large window above the sink giving them a beautiful view of the nearby lake and brightening the kitchen with sunlight.

"Morning." Simon hugged his wife from behind. She seemed to be in the process of making breakfast. "Can I help with anything?"

Angelique smiled, continuing to slice the avocados. "No, I've got it. I'm actually almost done. If you want, you can pour yourself a cup of raspberry tea. I made some for myself earlier this morning, and it was really good."

When they had finished eating, and Simon was sipping the last of his tea. He remarked, "I'm surprised Jacob is still asleep."

"He was still deeply asleep when I changed him again right after I woke up. I guess his body still hasn't cleared the sedative from the procedure."

Simon nodded. "The nurse did say he would sleep through the night. Do you think we should try to wake him if he isn't up by noon?"

"Yeah, I think that would be a good time. Will you help me with the dishes?"

Simon downed the last of his tea and stood up to pile their dishes. "Sure."

****

It was just after 10 am when Angelique and Simon sat on the couch in the living room with the baby monitor placed on the coffee table in front of them. Angelique slowly flipped through the pages of her magazine while her partner browsed through his various social media accounts. The two of them had been sitting in silence and engrossed in their activities for about an hour before they heard soft whimpers that made them look over at the baby monitor.

On the screen, the could see that Jacob reflexively stretch his arms and legs while his eyes were still closed. The couple immediately jumped up and quickly climbed the stairs headed to the nursery intending to be there as he woke up.