When I Grow Up...

(A quick micro story I've had sitting in my notes for a little bit)

Samantha huffed, looking in through the store window at the neat displays of panties. All sorts of colours and styles, laid out, modeled on mannequins, decorated with cute cartoon characters and prints, and a thousand times more mature than her current underwear. Her breath steamed up the window, and a firm but not unkind grip took her by the shoulder and led her away.

"'Come along, cutie pie, you know you can't have those, not until you get your license." Daddy said, his arm wrapping around her, pulling her closer, leading her onwards to their intended destination, a LittleCare, to restock her pull-ups.

Samantha grumbled, but didn't resist, knowing that bad behavior was unlikely to get her any closer to earning her Big Girl license. She was so close too! Another week of dry nights, a good recommendation from her daycare teacher, and she'd be ready for preschool, and then maybe even a vocational school, and then maybe even a job, independence, a home of her own...

"You're daydreaming again, Sammy." Daddy's voice, soft and gentle, but chiding all the same. "You know this is how you ended up failing your last Big Girl exam. The tester said you couldn't keep focused."

"Oh." She grew faintly pink, and did her best to return to the here and now. "I just thought, maybe, if I could look, it would be good motivation?"

"Nice try, but you know the law." Daddy chuckled, steering her in through the door of the LittleCare, the bear mascot chirping a greeting at her, "Welcome back, Sammy!"

"Thanks, Lilly..." Samantha muttered in answer to the bear. She always thought the LittleCare mascot bear was extra smug to her, she couldn't shake the feeling.

"Now, will we get you some princess pull-ups, or maybe some cute little foxes? Those are new." Daddy said, ushering her into the pull-ups aisle.

Samantha scowled faintly, but a sideways glance at another girl being led unhappily to the diaper aisle was a good reminder that things really could be worse.