The Christmas Star

Chapter 3
Family Reunion

Chapter Description: Ben has the pleasure of entertaining his family.

“Look who decided to wake up, everyone!” his mother announced to his relatives, who were already downstairs, mingling for the holiday.

“Aww, hey Ben, how was your nap?” his Aunt cooed, kissing him on the forehead.

“Wish I could sleep in like that!” his Uncle remarked, laughing.

Ben blushed hotly, being paraded around the house in his mother’s arms in barely any clothing at all. His bare feet dangled in the air while his head pressed against his mother’s warm knit sweater.

“Hey, think we could turn the heat down a little in here? It’s a little hot!” his Uncle exclaimed aloud.

“Sure thing! You’re right, it is pretty hot in this house. I just figured Christmas, cold, frosty freezing snow, you know? I wasn’t planning on a tropical Christmas this year. Let’s open some presents to get our minds off of it, the thermostats pretty busted so we might have to deal with it.”

As the family bustled around the house, everyone settled in to unwrap gifts. As Ben was put on the carpet, he looked up at the gigantic green Christmas tree that towered over him. His toes curled into the shaggy carpet under his feet and he spied the star at the top of the tree.

He reached up in vain in an attempt to reach it.

“Wuh oh, looks like someone’s impatient to open presents!” his grandfather remarked. He could not even remember his grandfather as he had died when he was a baby. He only recognized the face from pictures. Christmas pictures. His grandfather put a brightly colored package in front of him on the carpet.

“There you go, little buddy, Merry Christmas,” he said, unwrapping the gift for him, not expecting him to be able to do it on his own.

Ben tried to think of all the things he wouldn’t be able to do as an infant. He couldn’t drive his car, he couldn’t go out with his friends, he couldn’t even eat solid foods! He would be resigned to a life of constant nursing: having his food spoon fed to him, being carried around in a stroller, sleeping in a baby crib, taking baths in the sink, having his diaper changed! He couldn’t go on thinking. As he tried to clear his mind, his grandfather handed him the red plastic teething ring that he had unwrapped.

He had gotten a chew toy for Christmas. He was so embarrassed he started to whine without knowing it. All the fuss attracted his mother.

“What happened, dad?”

“Gosh if I know, I just handed the little guy his present and he got all upset!”

“Oh, don’t worry about it, he’s been fussy all morning, he’s probably just hot. Come here, Ben,” she said, grabbing him by the arm pits and lifting him onto the couch cushion.

She reached between his legs and undid the metal snaps on his onesie, quickly lifting the garmet off of him, leaving nearly naked in only his diaper. After she folded up his clothing, she unceremoniously reached two fingers under the elastic of his diaper.

“Hmm, well, he’s not wet, he should be okay now, but I’ll check him again soon, he always pees around company, it’s the strangest thing.”

“That’s strange,” his Aunt chimed in, “his little cousin was nearly potty-trained at his age.”

“He’s still a baby, I’m not going to try to potty train him now, he’d pee all over the place!”

“I’m just saying. His cousin was nearly talking at 9 months. Has he said anything yet?”

“No, well, not anything that I can understand, at least. Maybe he’s just a little slow.”

A little slow?! His face burned with embarrassment. They talked about him like he wasn’t even there! As he looked up again at the now brand-new star atop the tree, he realized how futile it all seemed. If he didn’t touch it today, it would go back into the attic and then there would be no way for him to try to get at it, it would be years before he could get into the attic on his own. It was today or never. He would be forced to grow up all over again.

As he thought, the red-plastic teething ring was jammed into his mouth by his mother.

“Here you go, sweetheart. Go play under the tree,” she said, plopping him onto his diapered bottom.

He fell onto his back, teething ring still in his mouth and sucked on it instinctually. Thin rivulets of drool ran off the hard plastic ring and pattered onto the soft carpet. He kicked his legs petulantly at the boughs of the tree above him as the tinsel draping off the branches tickled his bare feet.

For the next half hour, he endured his family’s constant attention, unable to break away from their collective gaze for even a moment. He was constantly being picked up and held in laps, tickled and having raspberries blown on his naked stomach. He thought it would never end. Then it got worse.

“Uh oh, what’s that, Ben?! I think I know what that is. Someone smells a little ripe!” his uncle laughed, “This one’s all yours, sis,” he said, handing Ben off to his mother. He couldn’t even remember wetting it, let alone pooping in it. Maybe he was just a little baby again after all.

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“What’d I tell you? He loves doing it in front of people. The other day we were letting him run around naked and he peed and poo-pooed all over the carpet. What a mess! That’s the last time I let him run around without a diaper on.”

As his mother and his uncle laughed, Ben was placed between his mother’s legs as she sat down on the carpet. She undid the tapes of his diaper and left him completely nude between her legs as the family party went on around them.

“Hey, honey, I think he’s got you beat!” his grandmother cried out to his grandfather, pointing to his now tiny penis that was on display to anyone who glanced over. Everyone laughed at his expense.

As his mother was handed a new diaper, she rolled up the soiled one up and traded it off before taping the new one in place.

“There we go, good as new!” she declared, handing him off to his uncle.

“Hey buddy! Feeling nice and fresh? C’mon, you wanna see the tree?” his uncle asked, spinning him around to face the tall green tree.

His eyes lit up at the thought. This might be my only chance! He tried his hardest to reach out towards the star, hoping he would get the hint.

“Cool, right?” he asked, holding him out at arms length.

He reached with all of his might towards the star.

“Wanna see the top? Wheee!” he exclaimed, bringing him up towards the ceiling and closer to the star.

“Hey, be careful with him! He’s only a baby,” a female voice said.

“Bah, he’ll be fine, right champ?”

For once, he agreed with his uncle. As he came closer and closer to the star, he reached up and stretched out his fingers, just barely grazing the golden star adorning the tree.

Finally, he came within reach and with one final swing from his uncle, grabbed the star with both hands, pulling it off the tree.