Chapter XXIX: Rise above this doubt
Aran felt a lot better in his clean diaper. There was still no way to escape having to wear one, but it beat the mess he had made. When Jennifer took him upstairs, to the bathroom, the wolf expected that she was going to bathe him again.
However, the collie merely decided against changing Aran downstairs because of hygiene.Should he need a bath, it would be easier to be in the bathroom already. Some wipes and a damp washcloth was enough to make the wolf feel clean again, though.
He had mixed feelings about the events. Since he felt very dirty, he would not have minded a bath, but on the other paw, bathing would be another occasion for Jennifer to emphasize that he was a puppy to her, so he was okay with being spared from the hassle.
Contrary to Aran's expectations - once again - his caregiver did not take him back to the playroom, but she put him in the highchair instead. The collie then went back to retrieve Gina, whom had been good, like Jennifer requested.
"Thanks for helping me, Gina." Aran said shyly.
"No problem. I owed you one for the cuddles we shared, remember?"
Aran waited for the vixen to be seated. He noticed that his fellow charge was allowed to sit on a regular chair, and even drink from a sippy cup instead of a puppy bottle. Additionally, she got to eat from a plate, although the only utensil she had was an unwieldy plastic fork.
Another difference was Gina's food. Jennifer served her a sandwich, already cut in pieces, but still, the wolf found it unfair that his counterpart would have solid food for lunch. Their caregiver caught up on Aran's expression.
"That's one of the perks of progressing in the program, little one. You'll get more privileges over time as well."
The wolf stared down at the wooden tray of the highchair, but he did not reply. He knew there was no legitimate response for him in any way.
"D'you feel better now, wolfie?" Gina asked, pointing at Aran's stomach.
"A little. I'm glad that the cramps are gone."
"No, I mean, does it feel good to be wearing dry padding again?"
"I'd rather_not_ wear diapers," he replied.
"Why not? You would've made a mess. An_actual_ mess," she replied with feigned ignorance.
Aran rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean, don't you?"
"Not really."
Was she playing a role again, or did she actually...?
"Wait, are you implying that you_like_to wear diapers?"
"I think it's comfortable. And I like the constant feeling of safety it gives me," she answered in her normal voice. "I don't like to 'go_embli_' either, don't get me wrong."
"You'll get a little used to it after a while, Aran," Jennifer reassured. "Now, cut the potty talk, we're about to have lunch. It'd be inappropriate to talk about this when there's food on the table."
Gina nodded in agreement. Jennifer then gave her permission to start eating, and she herself began to feed Aran his lunch. The wolf did not attempt to trade food for information this time, as he thought it would be inappropriate.
Contrary to earlier feedings, it was not all about himself anymore, and he did not want to drag the attention to himself. Subsequently, lunch passed rather quietly and uneventful, aside from the caregiver praising her charges every now and then for being good and eating up.
When everyone had finished their respective meal, Jennifer got up and walked over to a cupboard in the living room. She returned with a shiny tiara in her hands, which she smilingly put on Gina's head. The vixen appeared to be quite pleased with wearing the tiara.
"Tell me, princess, what did Primrose teach you?" she asked. It sounded like she asked a toddler what they had learned in school, expecting an answer that concerned addition of single-digit numbers.
"I learned that if people say sorry to me, and they really mean it, then I should accept their apology."
"That sounds like a big lesson, princess," the collie praised.
The vixen nodded.
"It can be really hard sometimes, but it's best for both parties. If I don't accept it, the other person will be disappointed, and we'll both have a hard time forgetting what happened."
Aran listened with great interest. Was this a chance he had implicitly been waiting for?
"The hardest," she continued, turning to her fellow charge, "would be you."
The wolf tried to speak, but the words seemed to be stuck in his throat. It took him a few seconds, but eventually, Aran pulled himself together. There was no way back now, he_had_ to say what was on his mind. For the sake of them both.
"Gina, you've reminded me of what I really am. It's not like me to say sorry, but... I want to apologize for everything I've done to you. How I treated you has nearly killed you, and I can't make it up in any way, but can you forgive me?"
She took a deep breath.
"I can, Aran. It won't be easy to forget, and there are still memories that linger in my head, but I'm ready to leave our past behind."
"Congratulations," Jennifer interjected. "This is the most important reason why I wanted the two of you to meet each other within the context of our program. You've just fulfilled one of your greatest learning goals."
The vixen looked like she was on the verge of tears, a signal that did not go unnoticed by Jennifer. She pulled her charge on her lap, holding the vixen like a puppy.
"You'll be okay, my beautiful princess. It's over now, and can't begin to express how proud I am of you."
"A-and I, you know, I... thanks," Aran stammered. "Thanks a lot. Lately, I've felt so bad about what I've done, but I'm sure I need this to move on."
A short, but not uncomfortable silence followed.
"You're welcome," Gina whispered eventually, faintly smiling.
"You've still got a way to go, Aran, but this is a good start. I'm very proud of the two of you."
Jennifer nuzzled the vixen, until Gina interrupted the interaction by sitting up, pulling her caregiver into a hug.
"I think my puppies have earned a reward," the collie chimed when her charge finally let go.
"Can we watch a movie?" Gina asked, slipping back into her mindset.
"That's exactly what I was thinking of," Jennifer replied, handing a small key to the vixen. "Here, go pick a nice one. I'll bring Aran in a second."
Gina accepted the key and paraded to the playroom, holding up the key as if it was the most valuable item she had ever held. Her caregiver smiled at this sight and began to relieve her other charge of his restraints.
With the tray out of the way and the tether unbuckled, Jennifer 'helped' the wolf to get out of the highchair. She then pulled him into a hug, which surprised Aran at first. However, it did not take long for his instincts to take over.
The wolf did like his caregiver had often suggested: he went with the flow and answered her invitation. It felt a little unfamiliar to be actively hugging another person, but a small voice deep inside Aran told him that this was the acceptance he had been looking for ever since he was a small wolf.
Jennifer waited for her charge to let go, then ruffled his headfur.
"You're my good little puppy, Aran. I'm very proud of you. Now go keep Gina company, I'm sure she has already picked a movie."
'That'd probably something childish, but what gives,' the wolf thought. 'I owe her one. Or two. Or a whole lot.'
Indeed, Aran was right. The vixen had been browsing through Jennifer's extensive collection of shows and movies aimed at children, and she soon found what she was looking for. The wolf sat down on the beanbag chair and waited for Gina to press the 'play' button.
When she did, a vaguely familiar theme song started to play, and Aran recognized a few of the cartoonish characters from the show he had watched earlier. The vixen sat down next to him on the beanbag chair, which was a little tight, but not uncomfortably so.
After about a minute, the opening credits were finished and the screen was filled with the logo of the movie franchise. It consisted of five different faces: a lynx, a polar bear, and an ice dragoness in the bottom, and a roe deer and a black Labrador in the top.
Aran then recognized the two latter faces, especially the Labrador. He knew that the show would probably be aimed at an audience way younger than himself, but Gina appeared to be enjoying herself, and that was what mattered most to the wolf at that point.