✅ My Cousin's Keeper [NaNoWriMo 2021]

122. My Baby Girlfriend

It was weird seeing Ffrances act like that. She was smiling and laughing as she twirled and tried to watch herself in the mirror. She seemed disappointed when the rotation meant she couldn't look in the same direction anymore, and stumbled back to fall on the bed. She wasn't discouraged, but bounced back to her feet and tried again.

After a couple of attempts I caught her in a big hug, and then started to tickle her until she could only giggle. It was the kind of thing she would never normally let me get away with, and it just drove home to me how much hypnosis could change someone's perspective. Of course, I'd experienced that first-hand more times than I could count. But in my mind that had been a little different, because I was naturally submissive and always inclined to do what I was told. The hypnosis had only been necessary to make some of the fantasy scenarios feel more real for me. But Ffrances was so dominant, always in control in every aspect of her life. It was a revelation to see her so uninhibited, and so eager to play along.

I took a step back, and looked at her again. The smile reached all the way to her eyes, and this time I had no problem convincing myself that her feelings were real. How could I have ignored what she was telling me for so long? I was sure that this was going to be a new chapter in our relationship. Not a complete change; she was still going to be her natural self most of the time. But for special occasions she could be a little girl for me, and take some of the stress off her shoulders. I was sure that we would keep on doing this, and that it would make life easier for both of us.

"Do you want to see yourself spin, baby?" I asked, still trying to find my way with this new role. "Like a posh ballerina showing off her new dress?"

"Yeah! But... I fell down."

"That's because you're trying to look behind you as you spin," I told her. "But I can see you, and I can make a video for you to look at. So you can't see yourself from behind while you're doing it, but you can watch later. And then you'll be able to see just how adorable you are, and why everybody loves you so much!"

She stammered, and raised her hands in what I guessed was an attempt to hide the blushes. I might have commented that just putting her wrists in front of her eyes stopped her from seeing me but not vice versa, but I guessed that she was too far regressed to see the difference, and I couldn't help laughing along with her. But after a few seconds she recovered her composure, and was ready to attempt a little pirouette again. I got out my phone this time, and did my best to centre her in the frame as she spun.

Ffrances managed a couple of revolutions, oscillating from one side of the rug to the other, before she tripped over her own feet again and started to tumble. She wasn't falling onto the bed this time, but towards my dresser. I didn't even have time to think, just tossed my phone in the vague direction of the bed and dived to catch my girlfriend. She giggled and hugged me tight, but my heart was racing as I held her there. Was this what real parents would feel when they see their kids trip? If she was like this, I thought that I would need to start childproofing the house; like putting those weird spongy things on the edge of all the furniture.

I helped her up and sat her on the edge of the bed, while she seemed to not care about anything except hugging me. That was disturbing in itself. Like, did she not realise how close she had come to hurting herself? Didn't she know how much she was worrying me? But I remembered all the stories I had read on parenting forums, when I'd tried to imagine my little doing all those things. And she was just behaving like a child, unconcerned for her own safety. I didn't understand why it was so different; why Tess never seemed to lose her situational awareness. Could it be that despite her natural dominance, Ffrances was still so much more susceptible to hypnosis?

"Gabby!" Ffrances called, and I realised she had been calling 'Mommy' repeatedly without me realising that she meant me. Then I gave her my full attention.