Alone with My Fantasies

I've been staying at home as a full-time parent for years now. It's lonely here in my quiet house, and sometimes I feel so small and lost inside myself that all I want is to escape into another world where I'm taken care of like a little one again. Other times, I crave the opposite, the role of the caregiver, being the strong protector for someone else who needs me. Recently, after an especially tough day with the kids, I found solace in a secret night of playacting these roles alone in my room. The fantasies were intense and vivid, but ultimately, it was just me touching myself to thoughts of someone looking out for me, or me holding a lover close while they needed comfort. It's hard to admit how much this helps me cope when nobody else seems to understand.