Two friends were waiting inside a special adoption center for a woman who was coming to adopt them. A cat named Thomas had a callous outer shell and a sour attitude most of the time. Then there was Bennett, a dog who was pretty chill and kind to everyone, but was also prone to having a bad attitude at times. That day, both boys were angry because they didn’t want to go with a complete stranger. But the center’s owner kept trying to reassure them it would be alright. Thomas kept arguing with him while Bennett just growled and refused to respond. “Now, boys, I understand this must be a bit strange because it’s a major difference in your everyday life, but trust me, the woman who wants to adopt you seems really nice,” he said, rubbing his head. “Fuck you. I don’t care. I said no. Bennett said no. You can’t make us,” Thomas snapped. The owner just sighed. “Very well. I’ll let you two have some time to calm down until she gets here, but when she does, we’re going to have a meeting to see whether or not she wants to go through with the adoption,” he said. They both just scoffed. “Whatever,” was all Thomas would say. “This is bullshit,” Bennett grumbled. They sat there, unsure of what to do. Eventually, Bennett tried to think positively. “Maybe she is nice. Maybe she’ll be a sweet lady who makes cookies every day. I mean, there’s a good chance she’s a total bitch, but ya never know, right?” He said. “I mean, yeah, that’s true. But strangers are strangers, no matter how nice they may be or what they try to offer you.” Thomas said, his tail fluffing up. “Yeah, that’s true…” Bennett said. After a while, they were called into a room, where the owner was waiting for them along with a bear woman. She seemed like a mix of nice but strict, her fur was straight and even, and she had a very beautiful atmosphere to her. She seemed like the type anyone would want to be around, even as a mother, but the boys were still skeptical. “Hey there. You two must be Bennett and Thomas, right?” She said, her voice soft and sweet like honey. Bennett began to feel more at ease, but Thomas was still pissed off. “Have a seat, you two,” said the owner. They reluctantly did. Without any hesitation, Thomas turned to the bear woman and said, “I hope you don’t mind your home being trashed to hell. Trust me, it’s not worth it.” The owner tried to speak up, to smooth the situation, but the bear woman chuckled and said, “Not at all, sweetie. I actually like to clean, believe it or not. It’s pretty relaxing, especially if you have a playlist of songs to listen to while doing so.” Thomas was taken aback but refused to back down. “I bite, he scratches, do you really want that?” Bennett said. “I have plenty of medical supplies if I need them.” She said, completely unbothered. The owner was still worried that Thomas and Bennett would eventually convince her to leave without adopting them. They tried to give you as many excuses as they could but she didn’t budge. “My, oh my, boys, why don’t you want me to adopt you?” asked the bear woman. Thomas then gave up and refused to speak. Bennett just groaned and said, “Why do you want to adopt us?” She smiled and said, “Because I want to give you boys a home. I heard that you have been here for a long time, which may be why you don’t want to leave. But I promise I’ll provide you boys a comfortable life and be a good mother.” She said, her smile as warm as a nice summer day. Thomas still refused to speak but Bennett started to warm up to her, though he was still hesitant. “I promise I have everything you boys could ever want. A nice home, a warm bed to sleep in, beautiful clothes to wear, delicious meals, anything and everything a mother should provide with plenty of love.” She said. “Well, I’m still a bit nervous… but that actually sounds really nice,” Bennett said, his tail slightly wagging. The owner didn’t feel very anxious anymore, seeing how well it was going, minus Thomas’ silence. “Wonderful. What about you, sweetie? Would you like to come home with me?” asked the bear woman. Thomas looked over at Bennett. “Are you going?” He asked. “I mean… I kinda want to, but-” “Fuck it, I’ll go. Honestly, I’m getting sick and tired of this shithole anyway.” He groaned. Bennett’s tail wagged harder. “Oh, that’s wonderful to hear.” The bear woman smiled warmly. “Oh, my name is Sheila Bowman. I forgot to introduce myself,” she chuckled. “Well, you know who we are, so why bother with introducing ourselves? You literally addressed us BY NAME when we walked in.” Thomas said. “Well, if that’s all, I’d like for you to sign this, Ms. Bowman.” said the owner, sliding a paper over to Sheila, which she happily signed. “Why don’t you both go grab your stuff while your new mother and I take care of the paperwork.” said the owner. “Fine, but she’s not our mother.” Thomas said, getting up and walking off with Bennett. They packed the stuff they wanted to keep, even if it barely fit in their bags. Meanwhile, Sheila and the owner took care of the paperwork and other stuff. Bennett and Thomas were both nervous, but also excited. Well, Bennett was. Thomas was still very skeptical. But Bennett was his best friend and didn’t want to be left behind. When they finished packing their stuff, they went to the front of the building, where Sheila and the owner were waiting. “Congrats on being adopted, boys. Enjoy your new home.” said the owner. “And what if we don’t?” Thomas asked. “We’ll check up on you boys in a week or so. Just to make sure you’re doing alright.” “Whatever, dude.” Thomas scoffed. “Come along, boys. I’m sure you’ll love your new home.” Sheila said, smiling. They followed her to her car and got in. Her car smelled like roses, chocolate, and root beer. It was a strange yet comforting aroma. On the way home, Sheila tried to make small talk with the boys to get to know them better. She asked them what kind of food they like, what they do with their free time, what kind of hobbies they might want to take up, etc. Both were less than receptive but Bennett began to open up to her, which she was happy about. Thomas remained silent the whole time, unsure of what the future had in store for him. He felt scared, confused, angry, sick, happy, he felt everything all at once. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to process the situation. He knew that he had to make some kind of decision soon, but he wasn't sure what the right choice was. He needed time to think. He took another breath and decided to try and open up to Sheila since he would be spending a while with her, what with her recently adopting him and Bennett and all. Little by little, he was more responsive to Sheila’s questions and curiosities. Soon, the three of them were having a full conversation. After a while, they arrived at their new home. “Wow, this place looks… surprisingly decent.” Bennett said, examining the house. “Meh, it’s nothing special but I guess it’s… slightly better.” Thomas said, shrugging. “Well, wait until you see the room I put together for you.” She said, ushering them inside. The inside looked very cozy and friendly. She showed them around the house and helped them settle into their new home. And finally, the tour ended in the room they’d be calling their own. It had many plushies and toys, a video game system with countless games, and the beds looked very comfortable. The walls were painted in all sorts of colors, and it looked perfect in every way. “Wow, this is our room?” Bennett asked. “Indeed, it is. What do you think, boys?” Bennett and Thomas went over to their own beds, Bennett decided to lay down on it, while Thomas just sat on his. “This is so comfortable. Thanks, Ms Bowman.” Bennett said, his tail wagging more. “Oh, please. No more Ms. Bowman, sweetie, you can call me Mama, Mommy, or just Mom if you want.” Bennett sat up and folded his ears. “Uh…well, I’ll think about it.” He said. Thomas rolled his eyes. “I won’t. I don’t see the point. Yeah, you legally adopted us, but who cares? You’re still just some stranger.” Thomas said. Sheila sighed. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right. I’ll give you boys some time to… adjust to all of this before making any crazy demands.” She laughed. Thomas was annoyed that she was so calm and sweet but decided to ignore her. He grabbed some of the plushies and, without breaking eye contact with Sheila, made them do inappropriate things together in such detail. Sheila didn’t bat an eye and said, “You’re very creative, Tommy. Maybe in a strange way, but creativity is a good thing nonetheless.” She smiled. “Whatever. I’ll do whatever I want, regardless of whether or not it’s ‘strange’,” he said, continuing the action. After a second, he suddenly realized something and threw the plushies. “Wait, what the fuck did you just call me?” He shouted. Bennett was startled since Thomas had never done that before. “Tommy. It’s short for Thomas. Would you prefer Tom instead?” Sheila said, giving Thomas a sympathetic look. “No, just call me Thomas, because that’s my fucking name.” He growled. “Oh, I almost forgot. I have something for you boys.” She said, leaving the room. Thomas just sulked for a bit while Bennett just played with the plushies. After a minute, Sheila returned and handed the boys a gift each. “Here you go. I made something for you boys.” Bennett and Thomas looked at each other and Thomas just ripped the thing open, intending to discard the contents without a second thought, and Bennett did the same. Except when they saw what was inside, they changed their minds. “What is this?” Thomas asked, holding up a plush cat. “That’s a plushie cat I made for you.” Sheila said. Bennett grabbed his plushy, which was a dog, and hugged it. “Thanks, Sheila,” he said. “You’re welcome, Benny. I mean, Bennett.” Sheila said. Bennett shrugged. “Yeah, Bennett is preferable. Maybe I might change my mind sometime in the future but for now… I’m with Thomas on the nickname thing.” He said. Thomas, however, looked at the plushie in his paw and hugged it tightly, almost whimpering. “Thank you. Thank you so much.” He said. “Oh, you’re very welcome, sweetie.” Sheila said. Thomas jumped up, ran to her, and hugged her too. “Oh… I see you’re feeling better.” She said, hugging him back. She reached her arm out, inviting Bennett to join the hug. Bennett jumped up and joined the hug. For the first time, they felt like a family. “So, what now?” Thomas asked. “Well, I have an offer for you boys. Just live your life as a second childhood.” Sheila said. “Huh? What does that mean?” Bennett asked. “Shit, does that mean you’re gonna make us wear diapers and baby us and all that other crap?” Thomas said. “I’m not going to make you, that’s all up to you. If you want to wear diapers, that’s great. If you don't, that’s perfectly fine as well.” She said. The boys thought about it for a second. “What do you think, Thomas?” Bennett asked. “I dunno. I mean, I guess it’s worth a try. Just as long as we don't have to use them.” Sheila shook her head. “Of course not. They’re just for comfort.” She said. “Alright then.” Thomas said. Bennett nodded. “Come with me.” Sheila said, walking out of the room. The boys left their plushies on their beds and followed Sheila to the living room, unsure of what she had in mind. She led them to the living room and pulled out a box of adult-sized pull-ups. Bennett and Thomas were both nervous and embarrassed, realizing what they were getting into. “Don’t worry, boys, it’s nothing to be ashamed of.” Sheila said, chuckling. “Here, I’ll help you put them on. Which one of you wants to-” “I’ll go first. I’d rather get it over with.” Thomas snapped. Sheila nodded. “Of course. Just drop your pants. Don’t worry, I won’t look,” She said, covering her eyes and holding out a pull-up for him. He took it, his face bright red, and dropped his pants and underwear. Bennett also averted his eyes since he knew that Thomas was embarrassed and didn’t want to be seen like that. Thomas just slid the pull-up on, almost tripping while putting his leg through one of the holes. When he was finished, he looked at himself and huffed. “This feels weird. But… I guess it could be worse.” He said. “Aww, you look adorable, sweetie.” Sheila said, grabbing his paw and rubbing it. Bennett looked at Thomas’ pull-up and tilted his head. “Huh…” He wasn’t sure what to say. “Bennett, would you like one too?” Sheila asked, holding one out for him. “Sure, since Thomas is wearing one.” He said, grabbing it. He dropped his pants and underwear while Sheila covered her eyes out of courtesy. “This is pretty weird, I’ll say. We’re both, like, 18 and wearing diapers.” He said, sliding the pull-up on. “It’s really nothing to be ashamed of, hon. Hell, why do you think adult diapers are a thing?” Sheila said, trying to ease the boys a bit. “Y-yeah, good point…” Bennett said, covering his face. “This isn’t so bad… it’s kinda… comfortable.” Thomas said, shuffling his feet. “Glad to hear that. Now remember, boys, you don’t have to wear them if you don’t want to. I just want you boys to be comfortable.” Sheila said. “You both look wonderful in them. But how do you feel about them?” Thomas shrugged. “I feel like an idiot on the inside, but… okay on the outside?” He said, scratching his head. “Y-yeah, ditto.” Bennett said, holding his arm. “Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it. Now, why don’t you boys go play while I get dinner started.” She said. “What are we having?” Bennett asked. “How do homemade burgers and fries sound?” The boys looked at each other, smiled, and nodded. “That sounds great.” Bennett said. “Yeah…” “Great. Now go play with your new toys while I make the food.” She said. “Can we play video games?” Bennett asked. “Of course, just be nice, don’t be too loud, and no swearing, okay?” “Yes ma’am.” Bennett said, his tail wagging. “Sure, we can do that.” Thomas said, still somewhat hesitant about the whole situation. Regardless, they ran to their room, booted up the game system, and looked through the games to find something fun to play. “Oh man, who knew we’d get so fucking lucky?” Thomas said, his tail waving. “Dunno, but we did. Also, we should probably be quiet because if she hears us swearing after she said not to, who knows what she’ll do?” Bennett said. Thomas sighed. “Whatever, let’s just have some fun. So what should we play?” He asked. Meanwhile, Sheila was in the kitchen, cooking the patties for the burgers. She felt happy to have two new sons, even if they weren’t ready to call her Mama yet. But a part of her still felt empty, but she wasn’t sure why. Maybe she was just hungry, maybe she was just bored and needed something meaningful to do, or maybe she was yearning for motherhood. Either way, she decided to focus on the food first and handle her strange feelings after Thomas and Bennett went to bed in a couple of hours. “I just hope everything turns out alright.” She said, flipping the patties. Soon enough, she called the boys into the kitchen for dinner. They called back that they needed one more minute to reach a stopping point, which she was fine with. Soon enough, they went to the kitchen to eat. “Just put whatever you want on your burgers, boys. When you’re finished, you can go play some more for a bit.” She said. They nodded and put some toppings on their burgers. As they ate, they felt more comfortable with their new life, yet they hadn’t gotten used to the diapers. “Are you boys happy with your new home? With me?” Sheila said. She was very nervous, hoping her fears were unjustified. “Yeah, this place is pretty cool. And you’re really nice to us, making sure we feel loved, giving us a nice living space, not to mention all the cool stuff in our room.” Bennett said, his tail wagging. “I’m glad to hear that, Bennett. What about you, Tommy- err, I mean Thomas? How do you feel?” Sheila asked, prepared for the worst. “It’s pretty nice, I guess. It’s not the best place to call home, but it’s not the worst either…” He said. Sheila was relieved he didn’t swear at her again, but his response still concerned her. “Well, that’s… good to hear.” She said. “Honestly, you can call me Tommy if you want. I kinda like it.” he said, smiling. “Oh, that’s wonderful to hear.” Sheila said, smiling back. “I guess you can call me Benny too, if you want.” Bennett said, not wanting to be left out. Sheila nodded, happy with the progress. Eventually, the boys finished their food and asked if they could go play again and Sheila happily allowed them to do so. They thanked her and ran to their room to continue their game. “Y’know, Sheila isn’t that bad. She’s actually pretty fun, letting us play video games and giving us burgers for dinner. And that’s just on our first day here.” Bennett said, his tail wagging faster than before. “Yeah, but we should still stay cautious. After all, she might be a total… you know what.” Thomas whispered. “Yeah, yeah, I know. I mean, the diapers are totally weird… but honestly, I don’t mind too much. After all, mine is pretty comfy.” Bennett chuckled. “Ditto, dude. It’s like wearing a pillow for your butt.” Thomas laughed. They played their game for another hour or so until Sheila came into the room. “Alright, boys, it’s bedtime.” She said. “Damn it.” Thomas shouted. “Please don’t use that language, Tommy.” Sheila said. “Shit, sorry. Err… sorry…” Thomas said, covering his mouth. “Don’t worry about it, sweetie. I’ll let it slide since that sounded like a sincere slip-up. But please try and work on that, okay? That goes for you too, Benny.” Sheila said in a firm tone. “Yes, ma’am.” Thomas and Bennett said. “I’ll go get your new PJs for you, wait here.” Sheila said, leaving the room with a smile on her face. Thomas and Bennett quickly saved their game and sat on their beds to wait for Sheila. She soon came back with two pairs of pajamas and handed them to the boys. “Here you go, boys. I wasn’t sure what you two would’ve wanted, but I decided to just pick something and see if you like it. If you don’t, we can pick something else from the store when we go grocery shopping later this week.” She said. Thomas got red pajamas with a dragon on the shirt and flames on the sides of the pants. Bennett got blue pajamas with a picture of an astronaut on the shirt and stars on the sides of the pants. “Wow, these are so cool. Thanks, Mama.” Thomas said. Bennett nodded. “Yeah, thanks, Mama.” Sheila was happy the boys enjoyed the pajamas she picked out for them and was just as happy to hear them call her Mama. “You’re welcome. Why don’t you boys get changed while I go take care of something? I’ll be back to tuck you in.” She said, walking out of the room. While they got dressed, the two talked about Sheila. “Y’know, we were so worried we’d get stuck with a life we’d hate, but so far, everything has been pretty nice. Good food, warm beds, video games, dozens of toys, awesome pajamas.” Bennett said, putting his pants on. “Not to mention how sweet our new guardian is. Y’know, I think we have it made. Although the no-swearing rule might be a bit hard to get used to, other than that, it’s pretty smooth sailing.” Thomas said, sliding his shirt on. “Yeah. Things turned out pretty well for us, huh? I hope the inspection goes well next week.” Bennett said. “Yeah, me too. As much as I… as much as we hated this whole thing, now that we gave it a chance, it’s a good life to be living.” Thomas added. Once they were dressed, they laid down and waited for Sheila to come back and tuck them in, both of them hugging their stuffies. Soon, Sheila came in to tuck them in. “Aww, you boys look so cute in your jammies.” She said. “Good to see you’re ready for bed.” She went over to Bennett and tucked him in, kissing him on the forehead. When she was tucking Thomas in, she spoke softly to him. “Listen, sweetie, I know you may still be hesitant to accept me, but I promise that no matter what, I’ll try to be the best mother I can be.” She said. “I understand. You’ve been doing great so far and I have no doubt the future will look good for us.” Thomas said. “That’s nice to hear, hon.” Sheila said, kissing Thomas’ forehead. “Good night, boys.” She said. “Good night, Mama.” said the happy boys, all warm and cozy in their new home. Sheila turned the light off and closed the door before heading off to take care of some important things before going to bed. Sheila, Thomas, and Bennett, they all knew that things would get better for them. Despite the bumpy road along the way, they ended up in a wonderful place. A place with family, a place with memories to be made, a place called Home.
