Chapter 76: baby brain

Mrs. Faulkner and Miss Harper came back downstairs, the tension between them still lingering. Miss Harper dropped onto the couch, arms crossed, half mad and half disappointed about having her keys taken. She let out a small huff but said nothing, her eyes occasionally flicking toward Mrs. Faulkner, who remained standing with her arms crossed.

Across the room, Jake and Alex were happily playing in the playpen, completely oblivious to the tension. Their laughter filled the room as they stacked blocks and knocked them over. Meanwhile, Jordan was stretched out in the armchair, casually watching an episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, chuckling at the antics on the screen.

Tyler, however, sat stiffly on the floor, fidgeting slightly. He could feel the pressure building and knew exactly what he had to do. His face twisted in frustration as he tried to push past the embarrassment. He hated this part—hated the loss of control, the expectation, the routine. He swallowed hard, staring at the floor, knowing there was no way around it.

Miss Harper glanced over at him, her irritation fading slightly as she noticed his discomfort. "Tyler, are you okay?"

His face burned, and he nodded quickly, not trusting himself to speak. But Miss Harper knew better. With a sigh, she sat up straighter, her frustration with Mrs. Faulkner momentarily forgotten. "It's alright, kiddo. Just do what you need to do."

Tyler clenched his fists. He hated that she always knew. Hated that she was always right. But most of all, he hated that she was gentle about it, making it impossible to argue.

Jordan, not looking away from the TV, smirked. "Dude, just get it over with. You’re only making it worse."

Tyler shot him a glare but knew there was no use fighting it. Resigned, he took a deep breath and let nature take its course, his face scrunching up in frustration as he did.

Jake and Alex, hearing the telltale noise, giggled from the playpen. "Tyler made a stinky!" Jake teased in a sing-song voice.

Tyler groaned and buried his face in his hands. "I hate you all."

Miss Harper chuckled softly, standing up. "Come on, kid. Let’s get you changed."

Tyler muttered under his breath but stood up, following her out of the room as Jordan chuckled and turned up the volume on the TV, letting Brooklyn Nine-Nine drown out any further complaints.

After miss harper took Tyler upstairs to change him but before changing him

She knelt beside him, keeping her voice calm and patient. "Are you done, or do you need to go more?"

Tyler hesitated, then mumbled, "I need to go more."

"Speak up, honey."

His face burned hotter as he repeated louder, "I need to go more."

Miss Harper gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Alright, sweetheart. Just let it out. Better to get it all out now than to have to change you again later."

Tyler exhaled shakily, closing his eyes as he finally allowed himself to push. His body tensed slightly before he felt the warm, mushy weight press against his diaper, spreading as he shifted slightly. A quiet hiss followed as he involuntarily wet himself as well, adding to the growing discomfort. The diaper sagged beneath him, warm and swollen, cradling the mess as he stood still, mortified.

As Miss Harper changed Tyler, he looked up at her with curiosity. "Why did I have to go so much? I haven't had my 'special' juice in almost two days."

Miss Harper gave him a knowing smile as she secured the fresh diaper. "Sometimes, kiddo, your body just catches up. Now, all fresh—back to the playpen with you."

Tyler hesitated before asking another question. "Why didn’t Jordan get punished for hitting that guy? I know he was protecting me and all, but I hit him and got spanked."

Miss Harper sighed, closing the diaper securely. "First of all, you are being punished. And second, Jordan seriously hurt himself punching that guy. He’s already learned his lesson the hard way."

Tyler frowned but nodded, deciding he had asked enough questions for now. Miss Harper ruffled his hair. "Come on, let's get back before Jake and Alex start causing trouble without you."

Miss Harper then picked Tyler up and placed him on her hip, carrying him downstairs. She gently set him back into the playpen, where Jake and Alex were still playing. Tyler crossed his arms, still embarrassed, but settled in as the other two boys welcomed him back into their game.

Before Tyler could dwell too much on his embarrassment, he suddenly blurted out, "Jordy, play play!" in an unintentional baby voice. His eyes widened in shock at himself.

Mrs. Faulkner and Miss Harper exchanged amused glances. "Isn't that cute?" Mrs. Faulkner said with a chuckle. "Tyler wants to play with Jordan."

Jordan looked over from the couch, raising an eyebrow before smirking. "Alright, kiddo. What’re we playing?"

Jordan smirked at Tyler’s unexpected babyish request. He put the remote down and stretched before standing up. "Alright, squirt, what are we playing?"

Tyler blinked a few times, realizing what he had just said. His face turned red, and he quickly crossed his arms. "I—I didn’t mean to say that!" he protested.

Jake and Alex burst into giggles. "You totally did!" Alex teased.

Mrs. Faulkner and Miss Harper chuckled softly but didn’t say anything further. Jordan, however, decided to roll with it. He stepped over to the playpen and leaned on the railing, looking down at the boys. "Well, since you asked so nicely, what do you guys wanna do?"

Jake and Alex immediately perked up. "Blocks!" Jake shouted.

"No, chase!" Alex countered.

Tyler just huffed, still embarrassed by his slip-up. Jordan noticed and grinned. "How about this? We build the biggest tower ever, and whoever knocks it down has to crawl around like a puppy for five minutes. Deal?"

The boys considered it, then nodded eagerly. Miss Harper rolled her eyes but smiled, shaking her head. "You sure you can handle that, Jordan?"

Jordan shrugged. "Hey, I used to build some epic forts when I was a kid. I got this."

Mrs. Faulkner smirked. "Alright, but if you lose, I expect you to honor the puppy rule, too."

Jordan gave a mock salute. "Yes, ma’am."

With that, he climbed into the playpen, much to the boys’ excitement. They all scrambled to gather the blocks, working together to construct their masterpiece. Tyler, despite himself, got caught up in the fun, his earlier embarrassment momentarily forgotten.

As the tower grew taller, the competition got fiercer. Jake and Alex giggled as they tried to steady the structure while adding more pieces. Tyler, focused on making sure it didn’t wobble, stuck his tongue out slightly in concentration. Jordan, meanwhile, dramatically placed each block as if he were defusing a bomb, making the boys laugh.

"Careful... careful..." Jordan whispered, placing another piece on top. "And... boom!" He clapped his hands together suddenly, startling the boys just enough that the tower came crashing down.

"Jordy!" Tyler pouted, crossing his arms. "That’s cheating!"

Jordan laughed. "Hey, I didn’t touch it! You guys got spooked. That means..." He leaned in with a mischievous grin. "Tyler’s the puppy!"

Jake and Alex cheered as Tyler’s eyes widened. "No way! That’s not fair!"

"Rules are rules, little guy," Jordan teased.

Tyler groaned but dropped to his hands and knees, letting out an exaggerated "woof" as Jake and Alex burst into laughter.

Jordan grinned, ruffling Tyler’s hair. "See? Told you playing would be fun."

Miss Harper and Mrs. Faulkner exchanged knowing smiles as they watched from the couch. "Well, at least they’re getting along," Miss Harper murmured.

Mrs. Faulkner nodded. "For now."

The afternoon carried on with laughter and games, the earlier tensions fading into the background—for now.

Just as Jordan was about to stand up to go back to the couch, Tyler once again spoke in a babyish voice, but this time he said, "Jordy and Missy happy play play."

Jordan turned to Miss Harper with a raised eyebrow. "I think he means you."

Tyler’s eyes widened as he realized what he had just said. His face turned beet red, and he quickly clapped a hand over his mouth, mortified by his uncontrollable baby voice.

Jake and Alex erupted into laughter, rolling onto their backs in the playpen. "Tyler, you're so funny!" Jake giggled.

Miss Harper crossed her arms, smirking at Jordan. "Well? Sounds like you're being summoned."

Jordan sighed dramatically. "Alright, alright. But only if you play too, Missy."

Miss Harper rolled her eyes but relented, stepping toward the playpen. "Fine. But no puppy rule for me."

As Miss Harper stepped into the playpen, Tyler again spoke in a baby voice, "I want to play Ducky Chase..." He looked down at the ground, confused and embarrassed by what was happening to him. Everyone seemed bewildered.

"Ducky Chase?" Miss Harper asked curiously.

Jordan thought for a moment and then snapped his fingers. "Are you saying you want to be chased while someone walks like a duck?"

Tyler’s face lit up, and he clapped his hands excitedly, making happy gestures like a toddler. "Yes!"

Mrs. Faulkner, amused by the scene, pulled out her phone and started filming. "Well, this is definitely something to remember."

Miss Harper and Jordan exchanged amused glances before Jordan crouched slightly and started waddling like a duck. "Alright, squirt, here comes the ducky!"

Tyler shrieked in excitement and took off crawling as fast as he could while Jake and Alex burst into fits of giggles. Miss Harper, shaking her head with a laugh, joined in on the fun, waddling after them as well.

The room filled with laughter and playful squeals as the silly game continued. Any lingering awkwardness was forgotten, and for the moment, they were just having fun, lost in the joy of the game.

An hour passed by, and Mrs. Faulkner took a few videos of the boys playing. When Jake, Alex, and Tyler’s bellies started to grumble in hunger, she checked the time and realized it was too late to cook anything. Instead, she went to grab some jars of baby food from the pantry. She found three jars: peaches and cream, chocolate and strawberry, and strawberry banana.

"Alright, let’s get you three fed," she said, holding up the jars. Then she turned to Jordan and Miss Harper. "Can I get some help?"

Jordan smirked. "Feeding babies? Yeah, I think I can handle that."

Miss Harper chuckled. "Looks like dinner just got interesting."

Mrs. Faulkner turned back to Tyler and said, "Right now, it's only because it's too late to cook that we're doing baby food, but I’m going to let you choose from these three flavors which one Jordan feeds you."

She showed Tyler the jars, and he pointed excitedly at one, speaking again in his baby voice. "Choc-straw!"

Mrs. Faulkner then turned to Jake and Alex. "Alright, which one of you wants peaches and cream, and which one wants strawberry banana?"

Jake grinned. "I want strawberry banana!"

Alex nodded. "Then I’ll take peaches and cream."

Mrs. Faulkner smiled. "Alright then, let’s get you boys fed."

Jordan grabbed the jar Tyler picked and chuckled. "Alright, buddy, open wide. Let's get this show on the road."

Tyler finally started to cave in on his toddler treatment punishment. His resistance faded as he looked up at Jordan, who held the spoonful of chocolate-strawberry baby food in front of him. With a small sigh, Tyler opened wide, allowing Jordan to feed him while he sat comfortably on his lap.

Meanwhile, Jake climbed onto Mrs. Faulkner’s lap, giggling as she scooped up a spoonful of strawberry banana and gently fed him. Alex, not wanting to be left out, settled onto Miss Harper’s lap, happily accepting bites of peaches and cream as she playfully wiped away any stray bits with a napkin.

Jordan smirked as he fed Tyler another spoonful. “See? Not so bad, right?”

Tyler swallowed and mumbled, “It’s… okay, I guess.” His cheeks were pink with embarrassment, but deep down, he didn’t hate the attention.

Mrs. Faulkner smiled at Jake, brushing a few crumbs from his chin. “You boys are doing great. Almost done.”

Miss Harper chuckled at Alex, who playfully tried to grab the spoon himself. “Hold on, kiddo, let me do it. You’ll make a mess.”

The cozy scene continued as the three boys finished their meal, slowly but surely embracing their temporary toddler roles, whether they realized it or not.

Tyler swallowed his bite and, before he could stop himself, replied in his uncontrollable baby voice, "Yummy in my tummy, Jordy!"

His eyes widened in horror the moment the words left his mouth. He quickly clapped both hands over his mouth, his face turning beet red.

Jordan nearly choked on his own laughter. "Oh man, that was adorable," he teased, scooping up another spoonful. "You really are getting into this, huh?"

Tyler shook his head frantically, still covering his mouth. "Nuh-uh! No, no, no! I didn’t mean—" He groaned, realizing he couldn't even finish his sentence without risking another slip.

Jake and Alex burst into laughter from their spots on Mrs. Faulkner and Miss Harper’s laps, kicking their feet happily.

Mrs. Faulkner wiped Jake’s chin and chuckled. "It looks like your baby voice is taking over more and more, sweetheart."

Miss Harper smirked at Alex, then glanced at Tyler. "You might as well embrace it, kiddo. It’s not like you can control it."

Tyler groaned again, burying his face against Jordan’s chest, too embarrassed to keep going. Jordan just grinned and patted his back. "Alright, squirt, let’s finish up before you get too fussy."

Despite himself, Tyler let Jordan continue feeding him, still red-faced but now too resigned to fight it.

As the nighttime routine wrapped up, each caregiver tended to their respective "baby." Mrs. Faulkner gently tucked Jake into bed, smoothing his blanket over him. Jake let out a small yawn and snuggled into his pillow before murmuring, “Night, Mommy…” in a sleepy voice.

Mrs. Faulkner smiled warmly, brushing a hand through his hair. “Goodnight, sweetheart. Sleep well.”

On the other side of the room, Miss Harper placed Alex into bed, making sure his stuffed animal was within reach. As she pulled his blanket up to his chin, Alex blinked sleepily and said, “Night, Miss Harper…”

Miss Harper smirked and gave him a gentle pat on the head. “Goodnight, kiddo. Sweet dreams.”

Meanwhile, Jordan was finishing up with Tyler, who was still struggling with the lingering embarrassment of the entire day. As Jordan lifted him into the crib, Tyler hesitated for a moment, shifting uncomfortably. Then, as if giving up on any remaining resistance, he grabbed a pacifier from beside his pillow and quickly popped it into his mouth, keeping it shut before he could accidentally speak in his baby voice again.

His face burned with embarrassment as he mumbled around the pacifier, “Nighty-night, Jordy…”

Jordan paused, staring at him in surprise, before smirking. “Aww, now that’s just adorable,” he teased.

Tyler whined softly behind the pacifier and turned away, burying his face into his pillow to avoid Jordan’s amused gaze.

Jordan chuckled and pulled the blanket up over him. “Alright, squirt. Sleep tight.”

As the lights dimmed and the house settled into quiet, Mrs. Faulkner, Miss Harper, and Jordan stepped out of the room, leaving the three boys to drift off into sleep, another eventful day behind them.