The Mother - Part 1 free porn video

The Mother - Part 1 A mother saying goodbye to her daughter on her first day at school. Nothing unusual about that. The girl, with light brown hair, looking the part in her new uniform, turns back and looks towards her mom. "I'll be back to collect you later," reassures the mother. "Have a good day, sweetheart." The young girl turns again, and heads inside the school, where her teacher is leading her and her new classmates inside. The mother smiles and turns, holding her swollen belly. Her daughter will have a brother to play with soon, to add to the younger sister she already has. That younger sister is standing beside her mother, and is encouraged to wave. "She's beginning to look like you, Caroline," smiled Alice. "Even though I never gave birth to her," replied Caroline. "But she is your daughter after all. That's the important part," added Alice. Emily, Caroline's eldest daughter, was adopted. The story of how Caroline came to adopt Emily when the girl was but a baby, is unusual, and Alice was the only one who fully understood the circumstances surrounding it. Even more so, now that Caroline was pregnant again. Caroline used to be male, and not the parent type. Yet one day, Emily entered her life and changed it for the better. She was now a devoted mother and a wife, and enjoying every minute of it. * * * It began almost 5 years ago: Carl was a 24 year old batchelor, and a loner. He worked at a nearby accounts firm, and spent almost every hour outside work, watching the telly. Despite his single status, he did have his eye on a few girls, including a work colleague called Alice. She was a single mom, having been left high and dry with a baby, by a boyfriend who didn't want to play daddy. But despite this, he had made no real attempt to make a move. Perhaps it was because Alice had a baby daughter, and that the thought of having a child to look after unsettled him. It would never have occurred to him, that becoming a parent would be in his future, and not in the way it would happen. No one would have seen it coming. He lived in a small semi-detached house which had merely the bare essentials. He wasn't a hoarder, though he wasn't too tidy either. Dirty plates and dishes could be left around for ages before they were taken to the kitchen sink for washing. Take away boxes and cartons were also left lying around for a while before being finally dumped in the bin. You could say he was a bit of a slob. His job was well paid, but he wasn't near the top of the company ladder at all. He was a subordinate, whose workspace was a cubicle among many, on a floor. He was one of those that did all the real work in the company, and he didn't actually mind. Though the thought of being higher up the ladder with better pay appealed to him, he didn't want to spend his working day as he spent his free day: being practically lazy. To Carl, his free time laziness was due to his lack of hobbies. He didn't like being lazy, but with so few interests, he was often left with the television as his only source of entertainment, unless he had brought some work back with him. It was never in doubt, that Carl's job was his focal point. Friday was therefore the day he disliked. He didn't work weekends, so it meant that he had 2 days of having to find something to do. There were things he could do, but not much. But this weekend would be different. He would have something to do. "So, another weekend of doing nothing?" asked Alice, who worked a few cubicles away from Carl. "I suppose," said Carl. "Do my weekly shopping, maybe have a pint or two, and see what crap the television companies have to offer us." "You need to get out more," said Alice. "I could say the same about you," replied Carl. "Don't blame Lucy. It's not her fault that its just me looking after her. If that git hadn't dumped me, he would be looking after her now, and I might have more time to myself." Alice's baby daughter Lucy was 7 months old, and was lucky to have grandparents who were willing to look after her while her mom worked. Alice's weekend was devoted to looking after her. The firm they worked for, kept the books for a number of small companies, and Alice and Carl were among the many who did all the calculations and other important jobs, such as keeping in touch with the companies themselves. Most of it wasn't too difficult, but from time to time, a company made a big business venture which required further work. 6:00pm soon arrived, and everyone was packing their bags and heading home. Carl was making the usual plan of stopping off at a take-away on the way, and having another quiet evening. But it wouldn't be quiet. Carl opened the front door to his house and put his briefcase on the table. He then took his Chinese to the kitchen in order to serve it on a plate. He then took a glass and filled it with cola from the fridge. This was Carl's usual dinner routine. His culinary skills were limited to making sandwiches and just about anything on toast, whether it be beans, tinned spaghetti, or cheese. Breakfast was not much better, as cereals and porridge were his limits (the latter made in the microwave). The microwave did give him more options: microwave meals. Plain and simply, Carl was not a cook, and preparing a meal from scratch was beyond him. He sat at the table to the side of the living room and began to eat his stir-fry chicken and noodles. He then picked up the days newspaper, which he had bought earlier, and began to read it. Having finished his meal, he put the newspaper to one side and picked up his briefcase. He had got some work to do, and it needed doing before he returned to work on Monday. He was just browsing through the papers when he heard a knock at the front door. He wasn't quick to respond, and a louder knock came. "Ok, I'm coming," he said. "Keep your hair on. Who could be calling at this time in the evening?" But when he got to the door and opened it, there was no one there. "What the fuck? Must be some delinquents pratting about," he exclaimed. He was just about to go back inside when he heard something stir. He looked down and saw a carry cot, and in it was a baby. "Oh my! Why did this have to happen to me?" He went down the path and looked all around for whoever had left the baby on his doorstep, but the street was clear. There was no sign of anyone, and he was wondering what to do. He turned to the baby again, and noticed a folded note half hidden in the blankets. He took it and read it. I'm so sorry to do this, but I couldn't find it in my heart to look after this precious child. I hope you can find a place in yours. Her name is Emily, and she really needs a mother who will care for her. "She needs a mother? If only I could find the person who has left the baby, I would tell them that there are no women at this address!" he groaned. "I suppose I've got no choice but to take you in." He picked up the carry cot and took it inside. Placing it on the floor by the settee, he sat down and looked at the baby girl. She could only have been a few weeks old at most. He felt sorry for the baby, that someone, her true mother perhaps, had been so horrible to abandon her at such a vulnerable time in her life. He removed the baby carefully, and looked at her more closely. She was sound asleep for now. "I'll have to take you to the adoption agency in the morning," he sighed. "They can find you someone more suitable." But with that decision, Carl's Friday had taken a new turn. He was now babysitting for the night, and he soon got wind of what was expected of him. Emily started to cry, and Carl was soon aware of why. Emily was wearing a nappy, a now dirty nappy, which needed changing. "I haven't got any nappies!" He panicked, exclaiming the obvious. "I'll have to get some!" It was just handy that there was a convenience store nearby that sold what he needed. He used it to get groceries, plus his morning papers. It was open till late too, so there was no worry in finding it closed. Not wishing to leave Emily alone, he put her back in her carry cot (she was still crying loudly) and took her to his car. Though the shop was a short walk away, he needed extra speed. He arrived at the store, parked the car, and entered, with Emily and her cot in hand. "Nappies, where do they keep them?" he muttered to himself as he perused the aisles. He soon found them and picked up a small pack. He then realised that if she was spending the night at his house, then she would want food at some stage. He proceeded to pick up a tin of baby milk powder and a plastic bottle. He then quickly headed to the counter to pay for them. "Put them through quickly please!" he exclaimed. "She needs a clean nappy now." "Ok," said the cashier. "I take it you're new to this?" "Never mind that. Just cash it up." The woman at the counter was not the one he was usually served by, as he usually visited the store in the morning, or in the middle of the day. "Just remember to clean her before you put the new one on," said the woman as she put the sale on the till. "Okay, I will," said Carl, taking the change and quickly putting it in his wallet. "Nice to see men doing their bit," she said as he was heading out, cot in one hand and bag of items in the other. Carl never heard her though, as he was too busy thinking about putting an end to Emily's crying, which had long passed tolerable. "Stop crying! You'll get a clean nappy soon," he told her. He got into the car and drove back to his house. He was already ruing the days when he had decided against asking Alice for her number. Her mothering skills would be so welcome now. But he hadn't got her phone number, and he didn't know her address. Once inside, he put the cot on the table and removed Emily from it. He lay her down and removed the nappy that was making her so unhappy and carried it to the bin. When he returned, he noticed that her bum was dirty, and the cashier's advice came to mind. He picked her up and carried her upstairs to the bathroom, and proceeded to wash her. He did have some talc (not the baby kind though) and used it to dry her off. She was already feeling better, as her crying had stopped. Once downstairs, he proceeded to put a clean nappy on her, and after a few failed attempts, managed to put it on. He was glad that this ordeal was over, and picked up the now pacified baby girl. She looked at him curiously before giving a weak smile. He couldn't help but smile back. "You're really pretty, when you're not crying. You know that?" he told her. He just sat down and held her for a while. During that time, she fell asleep, and he decided that was a good time to put her back in her cot. He then decided that it was a good time to have a drink, and a hot one at that. It was while he was making a cup of coffee, that he remembered the other items that he had bought. He took them from the carrier bag and looked at them. The bottle had a label attached, which was a good thing. Had it not, then he wouldn't have sterilised it by boiling it in water for a few minutes. "I imagine she'll start crying when she needs feeding," he sighed, as he stirred his cup of coffee. He decided to make some milk for her in advance. He was glad to have some time on his hands, and no crying to break his concentration. Following the instructions on the tin, he soon had the bottle filled. He just had to hold it under the cold tap to cool it down. It was needed not long after he had made it, and he proceeded to feed her. He had to admit that doing so made him feel relaxed. Even so, he put her back into her cot when she fell asleep once more. He was soon seeking to sleep himself and decided to take Emily up to his room for the night. It was a mostly peaceful night, until Emily started crying. It was not a dirty nappy, but just a call for attention. Half awake, Carl cradled her until she fell asleep again. * * * The following morning, Carl awoke and found that Emily was still asleep. As much as he had begun to like her, he knew that she needed a parent who was willing to devote their life to her. He just wasn't the one, and he was hating the person who had dumped her on him, for thinking he was. Emily did want feeding that morning, and he decided to change her nappy again, though she hadn't called for it. Having had his own breakfast, he got ready for the trip into town. "Well Emily. You've cried, you've dirtied your nappies, and done all the usual baby things, but you really are a wonderful girl. I can only hope that you get the mother and father that you deserve." Emily was awake, and she just smiled at him. He smiled back and then went to get his coat. He was soon taking Emily to his car, for what he believed to be the last time. The local authority had an adoption agency office in the town centre, and Carl was sure that this was the right place to take her. He had to walk a fair distance from the carpark though, and by the time he got there, he had reason to be annoyed. "Sorry, but we are closed due to a power cut that happened during the night. Please call back on Monday." He read the notice on the door and groaned. A number of neighbouring buildings had been affected too, and they were shut also. "It seems that I'm stuck with you until Monday!" he sighed. "Oh well. Lets go home!" Carl was disappointed, for it meant that he would be stuck with her for the entire weekend, and with him at work on Monday, he was faced with a difficult situation. "I'll have to take to work with me," he told her as he drove home. "The boss won't give me time off at such short notice, so you'll just have to cope with me." Emily merely smiled once more, and he only noticed when he took a look back when stopping at traffic lights. "You like me, don't you? Well, the letter said you need a mommy, and I'm not a mommy. I'll try and help you get one though." He was left wondering when he could get Emily to the adoption agency. The weekend was his best bet, and now he had a whole week to wait. There was just one hope, and that was Alice. Perhaps she could help, but since she worked the same hours as he did, there was little hope of her doing the job for him. Perhaps she could adopt Emily? But even so, even if she did, she would have to make it official in some way. For now, he would just have to spend Saturday and Sunday looking after her, and then hopefully find a solution among his work colleagues on Monday. He just wasn't counting on how attached he was set to become to Emily. He was already suspecting that she liked him. So, upon arriving home, he placed the cot on the coffee table that stood between the sofa and the television. He positioned it so that Emily was effectively facing him as he sat down. He just sat back and started to ponder his predicament. He was faced with taking her to work with him on Monday, and by then, it was likely that his skills in nappy changing would have improved a lot by then. He picked up the remote and turned on the television, hoping to find something to watch. He did find something of interest, and began to watch it. However, as he did, he found himself glancing over at Emily. She was asleep again, and not bothering him, but yet, he was drawn to her, as though concerned for her. His only relief came when he needed to visit the toilet. The strange attraction to Emily vanished while he was up there. But he dismissed it as being the yet to be solved problem about what to do for the next few days. He returned to the living room and continued to watch the television. Emily didn't seem to be distracting him now, but that wasn't to last. She began to cry, and he lifted her from her cot and felt the dampness in her nappy. "Okay, let's get you changed," he sighed. "I'm going to get good at this." It was the first of 2 nappy changes that day. There was also the need to make more milk for her too. "You like keeping me busy, don't you?" he asked her, as he fed her. He was sitting on the sofa and cradling her in his one arm, and feeding her with the other. She didn't seem to care what he was saying, as if she could, and continued to feed. Once again, he felt relaxed as he did it. "Who ever becomes your mommy, is going to love you," he smiled. "Hopefully, you'll get a mommy, and soon." Since he couldn't leave Emily alone in the house, he opted to make himself some dinner, by choosing a microwave meal from the freezer. His cooking skills were, as previously mentioned, limited. While he waited for the timer to count down, he found that he couldn't help but look into the living room and focus on the carry cot. He was already becoming fond of Emily, and he felt sorry for her too. He just didn't realise that these feelings were going to grow into something more. He was beginning to understand why being a mother was a full time job, as Emily's need for clean nappies and her milk bottle, began to dictate his weekend. By the time Monday morning arrived, Carl was hoping that his babysitting duties were soon to end. But the problem was how to get Emily into the workplace discretely. He got ready for work, and picked up his briefcase. He had managed to do the work that had been assigned to him, between Emily's cries for attention, and was relieved about it. He picked up the carry cot in his other hand and headed out to the car, though he needed to put it down to unlock and then lock the front door. Once he had put the carry cot on the back seat, he remembered that Emily would be needing clean nappies and her bottle. He quickly headed back to the house and collected her bottle, two clean nappies, and the tub of milk powder (her bottle was getting empty, and she would likely need more). He had put them all in a carrier bag and put them down by his briefcase. Moments later, and he was on his way. Upon entering the building, he tried to look inconspicuous. He walked past the reception, saying morning to the receptionist, and quickly entered the lift. But the carry cot was not invisible, and it did get noticed. "Yes, I'm having to look after a baby," he told one surprised lady on the lift. "I'm hoping to find someone else to look after her, but for today, I'm stuck with her." He got off the lift and was soon heading to his workstation. All were divided by low standing walls. You had to stand to see what was happening in a neighbouring one, or lean forwards in your chair. He arrived and quickly placed the carry cot close to the table, so as to make it hard to see. He then put his briefcase on his desk and took out the work that he had completed. "Now, be quite," he whispered to Emily. He then got up and took the paperwork to his supervisor's office. "Morning Carl." "Morning Derek. Here's the work you assigned me." "Oh good. Just put it there. Did it work out all fine?" said Derek. "Just a few numbers in the wrong column, but I managed to rectify it. I believe its all in order now," said Carl. "Ok, thanks for your help." Carl returned to workstation and logged into his computer. He quickly looked down and saw that Emily was sleeping. The bag with her nappies and milk inside, was next to the cot. For now, Carl felt a bit safer. The fact that some employees from another department had seen it while he was on the lift, had made him feel slightly uneasy. Still, he needed to find someone here who could perhaps offer him help. The one person he sought most, happened to be walking around. "Alice, can you come over here for a minute, please?" he called. Alice was in her mid 20s and had shoulder length strawberry blonde hair. She had been working for this company for just 2 years, and that was so that she could get enough money to support herself and her baby daughter Lucy. She came over and instinctively looked at his computer screen. "What's your prob, Carl?" she asked. "Down here," he whispered, pointing to the carry cot. "What the.. What are you doing with a baby here?!" she asked, keeping her voice low. "She was left on my doorstep, Friday night," replied Carl. "I went to take her to the adoption place, but it was closed. I just wondered if you could help me out." Alice was already kneeling and looking at Emily. "In changing her nappies and all?" she replied. "I need a way of looking after her while I'm here. I won't have another realistic chance of taking her to the adoption place until this Saturday." "I suppose I could ask my parents. They look after Lucy for me," said Alice. "But couldn't you just get someone to come over and collect her?" "I feel I need to do it myself," said Carl, his eyes fixed on Emily. "Yes, I need to do it. If they ask any questions, I need to answer them." "Well, you can't really bring her here," said Alice. "Why do you think my parents are doing babysitting for me? I'll speak to them after work." "Thanks, but please don't tell anyone," said Carl. "I promise, but don't think that they won't find out by other means," said Alice. "How could anyone abandon her? She looks so beautiful." * * * The other means were not hard to work out. Emily's cries were the most obvious, and then the off chance that a passer by might see the cot. As a result, Carl was reluctant to leave his workstation. When the time came for lunch, he found himself struggling for ideas. Thankfully, Alice was on hand. "Okay, you go and get your lunch. I'll just keep an eye on things," she said. She decided to just keep Carl's workstation within sight, and try to make sure that no one passed it. But while Carl was gone, Emily started to cry. Alice heard her and went over. Picking her up, she discovered that Emily needed a clean nappy. She then noted the bag with the nappies and milk, and felt relieved. With Carl still nowhere to be seen, she took a nappy, and the bottle of milk, and carried Emily off to the ladies toilet. She was thankful that nobody saw her, but she did hurry. Inside, she went to a cubicle and shut herself in. Using the toilet (with lid down) as a makeshift table, she changed the baby's nappy. Emily continued to cry though, so she picked up the milk bottle and put it to Emily's lips. Emily accepted it, but remained upset. Alice was puzzled at why Emily continued to cry. Please be quiet!" she hissed, getting slightly panicky. She put the dirty nappy in the carrier bag (after removing everything first) and put it in the bin. She then took Emily and her bottle back to the main workplace. She found Carl back at his workplace, and understandably worried. He was looking for Emily. "There she is," he said, taking her in his arms. She stopped crying, much to Alice's amazement. "She needed a clean nappy and feeding," said Alice. "But she wouldn't stop crying." "Well, she has now," said Carl. "Here's the spare nappy, and the bottle," said Alice, now handing them over. "What about the tub of milk?" asked Carl. "I'll be back soon," said Alice. She had left it in the toilet. Carl was now wondering why Emily had only stopped crying when he had held her. He was truly grateful to Alice for doing all that, and felt that some way of thanking her properly was needed. He put Emily back in the cot before he was caught holding her, and was soon accepting the tub of milk from Alice. "Thanks again," he told her. "I'll buy you a drink later, if you like?" "Thanks for the offer, but I don't drink," she replied. "I could always get you a soft drink?" "What about coming over to my place and discussing your little problem?" "Errr...okay," he said. "Tonight?" "Tonight," she smiled. Carl felt as though he might have struck lucky. He didn't know where she lived though, but that question was answered later that day. However, the day at work was yet to be completed, and it wasn't without problems. Alice's offer of help was now needed more than ever. The reason was that Emily's presence was not hidden for much longer, and one employee had opted to go straight to the supervisor without saying a word. Carl found Derek approaching him and looking down. "So, you have brought a baby here?" he asked. Carl was rumbled, and knew that someone had leaked it to Derek. He could only tell the truth. "It's only for today," he said. "I had no choice but to bring her. Alice is offering me a solution, so hopefully, I won't be bringing her tomorrow." "You'd better not be," said Derek. "So, who does she belong to?" "My next door neighbour," said Carl. "She's in hospital, and I volunteered." "You know the company rules." "Yes, sir. I'm sorry," said Carl. When Derek had gone, Alice came over. "I think it might have been Tanya. You know how stuck up she is," she said. "But it wasn't me. Any way, about tonight. I'll come and collect you once I've picked up Lucy. Just tell me your address." Carl took a small piece of paper and wrote it down. He added his phone number too. "Okay, may come in handy," said Alice, noting it. "I'll see you then." Still, Carl was glad to see the day over with. Alice helped him carry the baby items to his car, and once he was ready to go, he thanked her once more. "Thanks again," he said. "Wait till I've got my parents to agree," she said. "More pressure I suppose, thanks to Derek." "Yep. Well, see you in a few minutes." "Will do," she replied. Carl headed home and prepared to get ready for the visit to Alice's house. He wanted to call it a sort of date, but dared not. He knew that if he played his cards right, he might be on to something. But this was not about him. It was about Emily, and how to look after her until the next opportunity came along to take her to the adoption agency. He opted to change his shirt while he waited, and passed more time by quickly looking over another project that Derek had left him. It was a hour before Alice arrived to collect him and Emily. He picked up her cot, along with her freshly filled bottle and a spare nappy. Alice was pleased to see that he was looking after her properly. "You'll have to sit in the back. Passenger seat is taken," she said. Carl noticed a rear facing baby seat in the passenger seat. Alice's daughter Lucy sat in it, fast asleep. "Don't mind Lucy. She sleeps loads," said Alice. "I've noticed the same with Emily," said Carl as he got into the back of the car. "So, what did your parents say?" "They don't mind looking after another baby, providing she's well behaved," said Alice. "So, your bacon is saved." "Thank you, and thank them," replied Carl, the relief in his voice apparent. "But she is well behaved, except when she wants her nappy changing or she needs feeding." "Or being looked after by someone other than you?" added Alice. "I think she has taken to you already." "Pity, since I want her to find the mommy she wants," said Carl. "It says so on the note." "The note? You had a note with her?" "Yes, I've got it here," said Carl. "I'll look at it when we get back to my place," said Alice. "But what if she wants you?" "She wants a mommy. And you've seen the problem I've got at work." "You can always be her daddy. There are single dads out there, so you wouldn't be the first," said Alice. "Perhaps, but the fact is, she isn't officially mine. I need to take her to the adoption agency," said Carl. * * * Upon arriving at her house, Carl had to wait for her to get Lucy out of the car first. Her usual procedure was to take Lucy into the house first, and then come back for her briefcase. She did that, but allowed Carl to enter the house with Emily first. He sat down and put her carry cot to one side. He then removed her and started to cradle her. He didn't know why, but he felt like doing it. "And you said you don't want to keep her?" smiled Alice. "It appears to be the exact opposite from where I am." "I don't know what came over me. I just felt like holding her," he said. "Nothing wrong in that," said Alice. "But it does appear that you were made for each other." "So, you're suggesting that I should adopt her?" he asked. "So, I haven't seen much interaction between you two, but you do look comfortable." She was still holding Lucy, and realising that the purpose for them being here, she walked over to the one side of the living room where a cot was standing. She put Lucy in there and went to the kitchen. "I'll take a look at that note shortly," she said. "Tea or coffee?" "Coffee please," answered Carl. "White." "Does Emily want some more milk?" she asked. "I filled it before I left," he replied. She didn't answer, but later came in with two mugs of coffee and a sugar bowl. "I forgot to ask you how many sugars you take," she said, offering the sugar bowl. By now, Emily was back in her cot as he put two spoons of sugar into his coffee and stirred it. Once he had done that, he reached into a trouser pocket and took out the note that had been left with Emily. He gave it to Alice. "It seems that the letter is aimed at you," she said, having read it. "If it is, then the woman wrongly thought that a woman lives in my house," said Carl. "Whatever, she has guessed right that you have a care for this girl," said Alice. "What else could I do? Emily didn't deserve to be dumped by her mother. I did what I felt was right at the time, and I'll be doing right on Saturday when I manage to take her to the adoption agency. I hope they've sorted the power out by then." "Oh, they had a power cut in that part of town," said Alice. "So, what about phoning them?" "With no one there?" pointed out Carl. "I'm just going to have to wait till Saturday." "Well, in that time, you're going to know Emily quite well," smiled Alice. "So, from a proud mom, to a male mom, I offer you a few tips." Carl decided to brush off the term "male mom" as a joke, and said nothing. "I agree that babies do try to control your life by crying all the time. But they will take their milk whenever they are hungry, and that can be at times when they are not crying too," said Alice. "So, just to make things easier, feed her every few hours. They only cry when they are starving. Try it now." Carl pondered on her words and decided to heed them. It had been a while since Emily had been fed, so perhaps she was ready for more, even without the waterworks. Putting his coffee down, he lifted Emily from her cot once more, and then using his free hand, picked up her bottle and brought it to her lips. "If she's hungry, she'll take it," said Alice. Sure enough, Emily allowed the teat on the bottle to enter her mouth and she started to suckle. Carl was amazed and once again felt that calming sensation fall upon him. "I might give Lucy a feed. She usually has one now," said Alice. She went over and lifted her daughter out of her cot and carried her over to the sofa, picking up a bottle that was positioned nearby. Lucy had been sleeping and wasn't keen on being disturbed, but the presence of her feeding bottle settled her. Unlike Emily, Lucy was trying to hold the bottle as she drank from it. "Well, you're enjoying being a parent," said Alice, as she noticed how Carl was looking so relaxed. "With these sort of skills, women will be queuing up to date you." "Even you?" he replied. Alice looked at him and smiled. She decided not to answer though, deciding to leave him guessing. Eventually, he found Emily trying to spit the bottle out. She had had enough milk for now. He was about to put her back in her carry cot when Alice stopped him. "Don't forget to burp her," she said. "Burp her?" he asked. "You've never burped her? She'll get wind if you don't." "What do you mean, will she'll find out?" "Wind in your stomach, silly! Trapped wind." "Oh!" said Carl. "So, how do you do it?" "Put her over your shoulder and start to rub her back," said Alice. "Gently, mind." Carl did as he was told and put Emily over his one shoulder. He then started to gently rub her back. Within moments, he heard Emily burp. "She burped," he said. "Of course. That's the whole point," said Alice. Soon, Lucy had had enough milk, and she too, was made to burp. By now, both Alice and Carl were prompted to drink their coffee quicker, since it had cooled a lot during the feeding of the babies. "So, obviously you bought some nappies, milk and a bottle," said Alice. "But if you are to look after Emily for a while longer, you'll need a few more things." "Such as?" "Talcum powder - baby type; some soap and a wash basin if you don't have one." "Obviously to bathe her," said Carl. "But what if your parents do that?" "Actually, you need to clean her during nappy changes," said Alice. "Ok, I'll get some of those things in the morning, when I buy my paper." "Sure, and when you do, I'll come over to your place and show you how to give Emily a bath," smiled Alice. With that, Carl prepared to leave. Alice was taking him and Emily home, so she had to get Lucy ready for another trip. Soon, they were outside Carl's house. "Here you are," said Alice. "Remember to look after her properly, and if you do decide to adopt her, I believe you are doing a wonderful thing." "I haven't decided yet," said Carl. "And she does want a mother." "Perhaps a father will do," said Alice. "Oh, I'll have to arrive early, to pick Emily up. That ok?" "Yes, I'll just have to be quick at the shop then," he replied. "Bye then." "Bye," said Alice. She drove off, leaving Carl to enter his house. As he entered, he pondered the possibility of being Emily's official guardian. It seemed a pleasant thought, but not enough to change his mind. For now, he needed something to eat, and with Emily having been fed already, he felt that he should have a quiet evening.