Rainbow Diapers

my experience with cloth diapers so far  so apparently I have a rather odd body shape.. either that or the manufacturers of these pocket diapers seem to think that everybody has huge legs  I measure out at about 37 or 38 in at the waist  the first one I tried out, I had shipped to me from Dependeco...  the owner, Monika, has been awesome to work with so far.   she had me take some measurements.. one of the more interesting ones was a measurement, while wearing a disposable diaper, from the very top of the diaper all the way back to the very bottom.. based on that we added two inches to the overall length.. she also increased the length of the inserts..  they arrived and I was quite happy with them as far as quality and construction went  the first night I used two of her inserts and it did not work out too well ... I ended up with pee everywhere  the next night I took an old Cotton towel and folded it into fourths ... results were much better unfortunately, the diaper seemed really big, and I wasn't getting a good seal around the legs  we decided to try a medium.. she shipped me one just to try on at no cost. I just had to pay return shipping  she modified the original one that she sent me making it similar in size to a medium and decreased the size of the inserts.. again no cost  I got it back in a couple days ago and tested it, one insert and a few hand towels...  honestly, it works pretty well. I didn't wet as much as I normally would.. but I wore it for a couple hours after I woke up while I was making dinner and having my coffee I did eventually get a slight damp feeling around the lake gatherers...  the next night I added an additional hand towel but like an idiot I actually drank way too much before I went to bed and ended up with a small leak in the bed.. not a big deal as I had a towel laid down on top of a under pad... it didn't even soak through to the underpad...  tonight my plan is to add one more hand towel.. I think ultimately I need to look at some better options for inserts  her inserts are microfiber.. they do absorb a lot, but what I find is if you move around they will undoubtedly leak seems that they are prone to compression leaks  I've also tried eco-able not nearly as many cool prints to choose from.. but they seem to be extremely well made.. however there are some things that I'm not liking at least for my body type. the large that she recommended was absolutely too big so I shipped it back.. the medium seems to fit really well around the waist.. but the leg gatherers are pretty loose I think what would solve a lot of this is either to have some snaps or Velcro to make the leg gatherers tighter, again I have tiny legs where they meet the torso, or to go with a medium that is a little taller / longer... the problem is, she does not actually offer any alterations..  so after shipping the large back she sent me a medium, I tried it on and it definitely fits a lot better but again the legs are just a little loose.. additionally there was a broken seam on the flap. obviously she said she's more than happy to fix that problem and apologize I will say they are unbelievably comfortable it's like wearing a cloud  I'm probably going to try her smalls, her medium comes right up to my belly button just barely covering it.. and her large came just a little above the belly button, the links on the small is about 5 in less so I imagine it would set about an inch or so below the belly button should still cover me but I'm hoping for a much tighter leg opening  now she uses a Cotton/charcoal bamboo insert and a cotton fitted inside piece.. also incredibly comfortable  I'm really thinking that since I have such tiny legs that perhaps an old school diaper with plastic pants is going to be the best bet

I thought that photo booth at the county fair last year smelled bad.  I thought it was just the cows in the farm building.

I hate it when I can't fall asleep, especially when I'm really tired.  Mind working overtime, hot and sweaty, stressed, whatever.  I hope eventually you can find a solution that will keep this from happening to you all the time.  Nice for the BunnyHops, but I think you mean it kept your bed dry all night.  I expect you yourself were actually pretty wet.

--- Chapter 44 --- The day after the Little Steps visit had proceeded normally, though Charlie and Kelly were up earlier than usual, and in much chipper spirits than usual. Throughout the morning, one would find the other smiling for no reason, their eyes would meet, and they would share a knowing laugh. Despite the house being large enough that sound, when far enough away, would likely not disturb Greg, the pair opted to drink coffee on the patio of the backyard. Ever vigilant (though Kelly called it ‘paranoid’), Charlie would only agree to this if the coffee was loaded into a sippy cup with milk. “Ooh, it’s chillier than I thought,” Kelly bristled as she hugged Charlie a little closer. “There are blankets in that box,” he said with a shiver, far colder than she was and grateful for her naturally elevated body heat. He pointed to a bin just inside the door, where several blankets were folded up and used exclusively outdoors. He smiled when she opened the lid, looking at the intricate and repeating woven patterns. “Wow, these are beautiful,” she commented as she ran a hand over the surface of the top one. “Oochee made it,” he smiled, gesturing to the one she was touching. “Oochee?” Kelly echoed curiously. “Grandma,” Charlie laughed awkwardly, scratching his cheek. “Mom’s mom. She was from the Nakora tribe.” “Ooh, I didn’t know that,” she marveled as she took the blanket out, holding it up to take in the craftsmanship for a moment before grabbing a corner with her hand (Charlie grabbed it to help), and she wrapped it around both of them. Back outside, she hummed in satisfaction as she sat down in the chair, adjusted Charlie and the blanket, and leaned back. “It’s very warm.” “Yeah, they’re made with the outdoors in mind,” he explained as he adjusted the blanket over his legs and leaned against her for warmth. They sat in silence for a few minutes, sipping their drinks, listening to the chirping of birds and the chittering of squirrels. “Charlie?” Kelly asked after the long silence, looking up in thought. “What are you going to do for Lexi at Little Steps?” He arched an eyebrow, looking up at her incredulously as he assumed this question was coming from a place of jealousy again, and after last night, he couldn’t imagine why. “What?” she asked as she saw his look. “What do you mean?” he countered rather than explain, hoping he was wrong. “I - well -” she stammered, confused, and shook her head, blinking a few times. She blushed a bit from her nervous stutter and cleared her throat, trying to concretely put it into words. “I guess… how… are you going to help her? Like, what are you worried about or…” “Oooh,” he drawled in understanding and nodded. “As in, what do I think they’re hiding and what the hell am I going to do about it?” “Yeah,” she laughed, giving a firm nod. “Well,” he started, smacked his lips, and took a few large pulls from the sippy cup as he mulled it over, after which he rubbed his lips on his sleeve. “There are a few things to consider. First, though, is just Little related. These classes are about conditioning us into acceptance and performance. So you’re thrown into a class as a new, defiant Little, fighting for every scrap of autonomy you can get… and your classmates aren’t your friends or allies. They’re all in different stages of acceptance, and they’re either going to pick on you to drag you down to their level, or pick on you if you’re too ‘good’ of a baby.” Kelly frowned, blinked, and looked at him with worry, asking, “So… they’re going to pick on you?” “Oooh, yeah,” he chuckled, his eyebrows raising high, and he nodded. “They’re gonna hate me.” “Charlieee,” she whined as she curled her legs up and hugged him. “It’s okay,” he grinned, leaning his head against her. “I’ve done this a few times. I’ll be fine, and, hopefully, bonus points, they’ll lay off Lexi and focus on me.” “But…” Kelly started and stopped herself, frowning as she mulled over the part about Lexi and reluctantly nodded. She leaned back as she released the hug, looking out over the backyard, her face still stuck in concern. “I don’t give a shit, Kelly,” he chuckled as he faced down towards the backyard, leaning against her. “I get it. The situation sucks, and the person or people responsible for it are also the only ones there, day and night, to give you love and affection. You can’t take your anger out on them, or any Amazon for that matter, so it leaks out where it can.” “Did you pick on other Littles?” she wondered. “Me? Goodness no, Kelly, I’ve been a perfect little angel all my life,” he sassed as he placed a hand on his chest, gaping in mockery of the very idea. She burst out in a giggle and kissed the top of his head. “Of course you have!” she bubbled. She hummed in consideration as she looked around at the trees. “What about the Littles that do have Maturosis? How are they?” Charlie blinked. He opened his mouth, then shut it again. His lips pursed as he blinked again. “I’m…. sorry?” he finally asked as he leaned towards his left, slowly angling his head to squint at her. She, surprised and confused, looked back at him and stared for a moment. “Or… is that who you were talking about?” she questioned hesitantly, her eyes scanning his face and body language as she spoke to try and get a sense of what the issue was. Charlie squinted further as his mouth remained agape, and Kelly’s eyebrows pinched together as she started catching on. “Wait… you don’t think…” Charlie squinted at her. “I don’t think that it’s a fake illness meant to justify the rampant infantilization of Littles?” “No!” she gasped as she leaned to her right, putting space between them as they stared at each other. “Charlie, that’s - that’s insane!” “Insane?” he laughed, his jaw dropping as he threw his arms out. “More insane than believing a magical illness turns people that coincidentally are the size of Amazon babies and toddlers… INTO babies and toddlers?!” “Well -” she stared, her eyes darting around rapidly to match her racing thoughts. “But -” she squinted at nothing in particular, just a manifestation of her thought process. “It’s -” she scoffed, and shook her head, gaping back to him. “It’s a well-known… documented… thing!” “Hold on,” Charlie scoffed, then laughed, as he pushed his hands in a downward motion to calm the moment and shifted in her lap to face her. He hadn’t expected her to believe in the illness of convenience, but there was too much goodwill between them to take it as seriously as he might have in the past. Plus, this was a new experience. He never had the opportunity to tell Greg it was fake; the kid had just intuited it from a young age. “Maturosis is relatively new, yeah?” “I mean,” she paused, her face contorting. “I guess? It’s been known for like.. a few decades, I think.” “But the whole - you know - babying us has been around longer… yes?” he pressed, raising his eyebrows, unable to stop grinning. “…Yes,” she responded cautiously, squinting at him. “And as technology improves, it’s been used to… assist in.. ‘helping’ us,” he stressed the word and used finger quotes. “So why wouldn’t the medical field ‘help us’ -” Again, he used finger quotes. “By making this situation ‘legitimate’ -”Again. “Through a magical illness that any shmuck can diagnose on a whim?” Kelly’s eyebrows furrowed and contorted, looking shocked, confused, sad, and concerned all at once. She shook her head a few times, her eyes searching her thoughts. “But…” she breathed, her brain unable to fully process the weight of such an idea. She bit her lower lip and breathed air out of her nose, shaking her head. “I’m going to need more coffee.” “Fair enough!” Charlie chirped and chuckled, grabbing his sippy cup and gesturing towards the house. “Onward, my steed!” She giggled as she made a horse noise, collected him and the blanket, and her coffee mug. He chugged the rest of his mixture, his eyes flickering between the sky and her expression, seeing her fall back into a contemplative, if not upset, look. His lips pinched together as he realized he may not be treating this with the gravitas that it deserved. It was a fact to him, and given Kelly’s disposition, he had presumed she was just like Greg: another Amazon who knew it wasn’t real, but didn’t know what to (safely) do about it. He looked up in thought, trying to imagine Kelly’s position… and how jarring and disconcerting it might be to have such a foundational concept of society be that wrong, and horrendously wrong at that. And then, to reflect on one’s own part in it… How often had she changed a diaper that wasn’t necessary, spoon-fed a functional adult crying for recognition… he swallowed hard as he winced. But as soon as the pair stepped through the door into the much warmer house, both of their focus was drawn upwards as Veronica’s chime went off. “Greg is sick.” Kelly and Charlie paused in surprise, but only for a beat. It was quickly followed by her gasping and picking up the pace, speed-walking to the kitchen. “Veronica, what are his symptoms?” she asked loudly, much louder than necessary; Veronica had good hearing. “Greg is lethargic, has a low-grade fever, the chills, and a presumed headache, but not confirmed. He has not been able to get out of bed or respond to additional queries. He does not need a change.” Charlie burst out into a laugh before he could slap a hand over his mouth, and Kelly pressed her lips together, attempting not to laugh and set her mug down, taking in a deep breath as she put a hand over her mouth to regain composure. After a beat, she was struck with the reality of that confirmation, and she winced. “Oh, Charlie,” she moaned as she placed him on the ground and rubbed her forehead. “I can’t leave him alone in there, but he’s… not… comfortable…” “Nooooo, he’s not,” Charlie agreed as his eyes widened as he stared at the ground and nodded. He took in a deep breath and sighed, lazily shrugging. “I’ll go check on him and -” “No!” she hastily denied, putting her hands up to him. “You’ll catch it.” “So will you,” he scoffed. “Well…” she trailed off and stared at him, uncomfortable to continue whatever her first thought had been. Charlie licked his lips as he slowly grinned at her and raised an eyebrow. “It’s not like Amazon germs are also bigger and stronger,” he observed dryly, adding an eye roll at the end. “They might be,” she defended with a tease, though the higher pitch in her tone gave away the nervousness beneath. Charlie chuckled, shaking his head as he turned around and heaved a sigh, letting his arms fly out and slap down against his sides. “Well, come on!” he called out as he made his way towards the stairs. “He’ll appreciate your help… Eventually.” Kelly bit her lip as she hesitated, tapping her fingers on the counter as she debated with herself. She let out a groan as she put her hands up to her face, rubbing her fingers over her eyes before she let out a sigh and followed. “Greggy?” Charlie asked quietly, lifting a finger to Kelly, who nodded and lingered back from the door. After a silent beat, there was a stuffy-sounding groan, and Kelly put her hands over her mouth as she frowned at the sound of his misery. The Little brother winced, nodding as he stepped into the room. “Ohh, boy, Veronica wasn’t kidding.” “No,” Greg groaned as he rolled onto his side to look at the door, immediately wincing at the light. “Uuggh…” “All right, so, uh,” Charlie began, clearing his throat as he stepped in a little more. He thumbed over his shoulder and behind him. “Me and Kelly… we’re going to take care of you, okay?” “Mmmm,” Greg moaned as he closed his eyes, nodding ever so slightly. Charlie’s lower lip pushed out in realization that either he was so sick he’d forgotten he was in a diaper, or he just didn’t care. Taking that as her cue, Kelly moved into the doorway, sharing a look with Charlie, who nodded, and she walked in towards the end of the bed. “I’ll get Bart,” Charlie chirped as he spun around and started walking out. Frowning curiously, Kelly looked at him. “Bart? Your bunny?” “Yeah,” the Little chuckled, glancing back with a wide grin on his face. “He’s Greg’s. I take him in public for his comfort.” “Charlieeee,” Greg groaned, and Charlie snickered, making haste out of the room. “Hey,” Kelly spoke softly as she gently sat at the edge of his bed and began to adjust his blankets. “Can you tell me what hurts?” “Everything,” he murmured pathetically, lifting a hand to his head and rubbing his fingers against his forehead. “I feel… miserable.” “Headache?” she asked as she turned her hand over, placing the back of it against his forehead. “Yeah,” he sniffed, his arm flopping down onto the bed. “Your hand is… cold.” “Oh, I’m sorry –” she began as she pulled her hand away quickly. “No… It’s nice,” he sighed, weakly gesturing for her to put it back, and she did, giving a slight smile. He let out a pleased sigh, smiling ever so slightly as she pressed her cold fingers against his hot forehead. “Okay, yeah, you’re burning up,” she noted with a frown, adjusting her hand to the colder parts as his heat transferred to her. “How’s your stomach?” “Fine,” he replied weakly. “My… ankles hurt…” “Ankles?” she echoed with a chuckle. “Yeah… and knees. All my joints,” he groaned pitifully, his face contorting in pain. “Okay, once Charlie’s back, I’m going to get you a whole pharmacy of meds,” she explained with a small smile, and Greg flashed a weak smile in return, nodding slightly. “It sounds like a flu… so you’re going to need to sleep as much as you can.” Greg groaned in affirmation as he shifted in the bed, settling in as if she had given him an order to sleep right there. She put a hand over her mouth, looked at him sympathetically, and stayed quiet as she stood and went to the attached bathroom to grab a hand towel. She ran it under cold water for a good minute, then rang it out, and by the time she turned around, Charlie was back. “Greggy, here – it’s Bart,” he said as he stretched at the edge of the bed, holding the rabbit up. Greg heaved a sigh as he rolled over to face the rabbit and smiled, reaching out for him. He weakly grabbed the rabbit’s arm and pulled him across the bed, bringing him in and against his chest. “So cute,” Kelly whispered to herself, beaming at the interaction before approaching the bed again and setting the towel on his forehead. “Oooh….” Greg let out a sigh, his mouth open since he couldn’t breathe through his stuffed-up nose. “That’s… nice.” “Uppies, please,” Charlie quietly declared as he put his arms up towards Kelly, pointing a finger at the top of the bed; she bit on her tongue, trying hard to stay quiet as she lifted him up and onto it. “I’m going to round up some meds, okay?” she whispered to Charlie, who gave her a thumbs up. He watched her leave and waited a moment, staring out the door before turning back to his brother, who was breathing heavily out of his mouth. He was flushed, sweaty, and where his skin wasn’t red, he looked pale. He frowned, reaching a hand up to scratch behind his ear, trying to recall the last time his brother was this sick. He closed his eyes as he angled his head up, scrunching his face… There was something specific he learned about after everything was over… Charlie snapped his fingers as he remembered, then immediately regretted it as Greg jerked slightly. “Sorry,” he whispered with a grimace as he shimmied off the bed, skittered across the hall to his room, and moved straight for the changing table. He grabbed the bottom drawer of excess and pulled out a bottle of baby powder, then ran his tongue over his teeth in consideration. Smell, light, and sound. Those were the three things that Greg had told him that bothered him the most when he was sick. They contributed to the overwhelming feeling of overstimulation. Charlie knew that baby powder was a mild neutralizer to bad smells, especially body odor, and it doubled as one of his brother’s favored scents. That could handle the smell component for whenever his nose cleared up enough to smell anything. As he stepped back out into the hall, Kelly stopped short, holding five different bottles of meds between her hands and a water bottle, all braced against her chest; she shot a confused look down at him. “Veronica said he didn’t need a change?” she whispered. Charlie’s cheeks blew out as his lips pressed together with all their might to prevent his laugh from blasting out. He lurched forward and mustered the energy to swallow the laugh, his cheeks returning to their normal size as he exhaled, the breath wavering slightly, the laugh still threatening to return. “What?” she chuckled, shrugging, unable to contain her laughter at his reaction. “It’s for smell,” Charlie explained quickly and paused, breathing out a final laugh as he collected himself. “When his nose clears, he’s gonna smell from sweating and general sick ick, which, uh, really bothered him last time.” “Oooh,” she gasped in understanding and nodded, winking. “Good thinking.” The pair stalked into the room quietly, carefully pushing the door to remain only about a half inch open. Kelly set the array of supplies on the nightstand and lifted Charlie onto the bed, prompting a slight groan from Greg, whose back was facing them. She placed a hand on his shoulder and tapped it gently, trying to tug him onto his back. “Okay, Greg,” she whispered sweetly. “Just need you to take some meds, and we’ll let you sleep.” Kelly waited a beat, scanning the bed for signs of life. “Roll over, asshole,” Charlie ordered in a whisper, and while Kelly gasped, Greg chuckled weakly as he was startled from his snooze and rolled over; the Little shrugged. “Gotta just tell him what to do when he’s sick.” “Okay,” she giggled, sitting on the edge of the bed as she stiffened up, taking in a deep breath to give it a try. “Sit up.” Greg nodded, taking in a few deep breaths through his mouth, groaning on the third, and he summoned the energy to sit up slightly on his elbows. Quickly, the pair worked together: Charlie applied some powder to the sweaty areas and some to Bart, while Kelly fed him pills and liquid medicine, then made him drink half the water bottle. Either he ran out of energy or sensed they were done, and Greg flopped back down with a forceful exhale. “We’ll check on you every hour,” Kelly said, placing the newly wet towel on his forehead and patting his shoulder. “If you need anything, tell Veronica.” “Thanks,” Greg murmured, the corner of his mouth tugging as Charlie pushed Bart into his arm. They adjusted his blankets and quietly left the room. After two hours and two check-ins, there hadn’t been much progress in Greg’s condition, though it was difficult to tell since he slept through the check-ins. Kelly had placed a grocery delivery order to make a massive batch of chicken soup, and Charlie was building a cart of cleaning supplies, supplements, comfort foods, and anything else he could get to make his brother feel better, or help prevent him and Kelly from getting it (if it wasn’t already too late). Also, a giant sea turtle plushie (for him, of course). “Hey, Charlie,” Kelly piped up as she looked up from her phone. “Is there a protocol for Veronica when either of you are sick?” “I don’t know,” he replied quickly but honestly as he shrugged. He paused from scrolling the insane amount of cough drop options as he looked up, pushing his lower lip out in thought for a moment. “Greg’s done a ton of custom programming on her to suit us. Why?” “Oh…” she paused to bite her lip as she considered. “Well, I guess… that makes sense.” “What makes sense?” He asked as he squinted at her, feeling like she was having a conversation with someone else he couldn’t hear. “That it would be convenient to wear a diaper when sick,” she commented thoughtfully. “But she didn’t state she did that, just that he didn’t need a change.” Charlie sniffed as his eyes dropped back down to the phone, selecting one of the “baby strength” drops that were sweet (honey flavored), then pivoted to the gross bitter ones. “Probably just an oversight on her reporting,” he lied, grimacing at the flavor names. “Vinegar drops? Ugh.” He made a few disgusted noises and read off a few more options, but Kelly didn’t respond. When he looked over, she looked a little zoned out; he pressed his lips together. “Kelly?” “Yeah?” she replied quickly, taking in a breath and blinking a few times. “Oh, yeah, any of those sound good. The kale and vinegar ones are really good, from what I remember.” “Your taste buds are nasty,” he wheezed, scrolling back up to add that flavor. He arched an eyebrow at her and sighed, setting the tablet down. “What?” “What?” she echoed innocently, her eyebrows furrowing. “What’s going on up there?” he clarified, pointing to his own temple. “Nothing!” She lied. Lyingly. Charlie squinted at her, and she flushed, shrugged nervously, and looked down at her phone. “Ugh,” he groaned, throwing his head back as he sighed dramatically. “Okay, look, I had hoped… after what happened… he would get more comfortable with you and…” He paused, his lips pursing. “Wearing,” Kelly offered with a smile. “Sure,” he agreed quickly, waving a hand in her direction. “But he’s got a lot of… anxiety about it.” Kelly nodded sympathetically and adjusted her position on the couch, shaking her head. “I totally get it. Forget I said anything,” she said quietly, in an apologetic tone as her gaze fell to her phone. Charlie closed his eyes as he created suction in his mouth. He knew divulging something so personal on his brother’s behalf, without his consent, was crossing a line… But he also knew that Greg was never going to disclose anything voluntarily, no matter how reassured he was that it was safe to do so with Kelly. As the Little brother looked up at the ceiling, as if he could peer through the floors to see Greg, he silently apologized to him. “This stays between us,” he started cautiously. “Absolutely!” Kelly burst immediately, practically tossing her phone onto the cushion beside her. Charlie slapped his hands over his head, unsure whether he was going to laugh or cry at her response. He took in a deep breath, shook his head, and dropped his hands as he met her gaze, and she sheepishly apologized with her expression. “Are you…” he started, stopped, and groaned, realizing that if it was this hard for him to say, he felt a little judgmental of Greg’s position. “Have you ever heard of autism?” “No,” she replied quickly and with a shake of her head. She looked up, as if to inspect her thoughts, seeking a second opinion, and frowned, shaking her head again. “What is it?” “Apparently something Littles made up,” he grumbled, running his tongue over his front teeth. He knew, factually, that wasn’t true. Fulcrum was very good at identifying disorders and differences in its organization as a protective measure. If a Little exhibited symptoms of a neurodivergence that could easily be misconstrued as Maturosis, all efforts went into either protecting that Little from any Amazon exposure or teaching them how to navigate their abilities and hide any symptoms. Cynically, Charlie believed this was also about protecting them; don’t put a soldier on the front lines who might accidentally leak information, make a mistake, or is highly likely to get Adopted. But even if that were the case, they protected their own, and that counted for something. Plus, it gave him the tools to help Greg. But Amazons had no such diagnosis. None that he was aware of. As far as Charlie could tell, Maturosis was the catch-all. Trouble focusing? Maturosis. Sensory issues? Maturosis. Body dysphoria? Absolutely maturosis. He grimaced as he locked eyes with Kelly, his mind ringing the alarm bells as he recalled the conversation from earlier. He pressed his lips together as he flushed, and shook his head, looking down at his lap. He shouldn’t do this… “Hey,” she whispered as she somewhat stood from her position, only to kneel on the floor in front of him and place her hands on his leg. She angled her head to get his eye contact, and she frowned. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pushed.” “It’s a… difference in how the brain processes,” he somewhat blurted out as he made eye contact with her; she blinked in confusion for a few seconds, then realized what he was talking about and nodded. “I’m not an expert, but I’m familiar with it. Someone with autism might… experience sounds or smells differently than others. Process information and… emotions differently. There’s a lot more to it, and I wish I knew more, but I just sort of… know some key things, you know?” She nodded, shifting in her position to get comfortable, but keeping her eyes on him. He lifted a hand to rub the back of his neck. “I believe… that Greg is autistic,” he stated quickly, staring into her eyes, and squeezed her hand. “I saw the signs when he was very young.” “Has he been diagnosed?” she asked curiously, and Charlie couldn’t help but laugh. “No,” he shook his head, heaving a sigh as his shoulder relaxed. “No, I don’t think… it’s a thing for… Amazons.” Kelly cocked her head to the side. “As in, it doesn’t normally affect us?” “No, as in…” He paused, looking off to the side. “It wouldn’t be called autism.” There was a long pause as Charlie kept his eyes looking away, but when Kelly said nothing, he finally turned to look at her. Something in his look must have given her the final clue, as her face lit up in recognition as she gasped. “Maturosis?” “Yes,” he nodded, raising his eyebrows. “So, it’s important that you understand it, and… why this is such a source of… anxiety.” Kelly nodded, several times… several dozen times, as her eyes fell to the floor, her face and body settling into a default sort of neutral as she processed. Several times in the extended silence, he wanted to speak up, but he thought it better to wait for her to be ready. “Okay,” she said as she broke the silence, a little eagerness coming to her voice as she smiled at him. “Lay it on me. What else should I know?” Charlie blew a sigh out of his nose as he smiled. “Sensory stuff is a big deal,” he stated as he looked up in thought. “Have you noticed Greg doesn’t finish his cereal? Ever?” Kelly nodded. “He doesn’t like the feeling of the soggy cereal. When he pours the milk, there’s a race against the clock to eat it all before it gets mushy,” Charlie explained with a smile, recalling the times five-year-old Greg would practically inhale his cereal to avoid that scenario. “The baby powder,” she chimed in as she pointed upwards in the general direction of Greg’s room. “The smell thing?” “Yeah,” Charlie nodded, and as he opened his mouth to continue, Kelly gasped loudly as she rocketed upwards, lifting her hands in excitement. “Diapers!” she exclaimed with a slight smile, and Charlie couldn’t help but laugh. “He likes how they feel??” “Yes!” the Little cheered, and Kelly put a hand on her chest. “Oh, wow, okay,” she marveled and had a starry-eyed look as she considered the prospect. “So nothing sexual about it?” “Not that I’m aware of,” Charlie shrugged. “Oh… wow,” she repeated, more breathily this time, nodding absently. “That… oh, that makes sense. He was so surprised by my… You know.” “Well, to be fair… so was I,” the Little grinned. “Yeah, but differently,” she teased as she poked his diaper. “You were piecing something together.” “True,” he snorted as he rolled his eyes at her poke. He took in a deep breath as he put his hand back on hers and gave her a serious look. “There’s just… a little more to it.” Kelly took in a breath and set her face back to neutral, nodding to him. “I, uh, don’t know the details of… how much it’s still a problem,” Charlie mumbled, irritated with himself at how uncomfortable this was. “But he also struggled with… getting through the night as a kid and teenager…” Kelly blinked, tilted her head again as her eyes searched for the meaning in his words. “Oh,” she gasped as she found it. “As in he wet the bed?” Charlie groaned and laughed simultaneously, throwing his hands up over his face. Kelly giggled as she fully relaxed, placing her hands on the ground to keep herself up. “I practically live on the internet, Charlie,” she mused, slightly shrugging her shoulders. “Between research for writing and my own interests, I’ve read a lot of stories. Bedwetting, wet dreams, diaper play, scat play –” “OKAY,” Charlie interrupted as he put his hands up, his face looking like he had been smacked with the words rather than hearing them. Kelly lurched forward, slapping a hand over her mouth to contain her laughter. “I get it!” She nodded, her face turning red from a mixture of laughing and embarrassment. Charlie smiled as he watched her, realizing more each day how much he loved making her laugh. “Okay, so,” she wheezed, rubbing the back of her palm under her nose, then took in a deep breath and sighed it out. Her eyes danced around the room as she processed just a little more, then put a hand up. She began to count on her fingers as she recited, “Greg struggled with, maybe still does, bedwetting, which likely led to the comfort with diapers because - let’s be honest, they solve that problem - but he also has a sensory attachment to them due to his potential autism? And all of this has caused a terrible anxiety, because all of those things could easily be misinterpreted as Maturosis?” Charlie’s lips puckered for a moment, unsure if he was impressed or embarrassed by how easily she summarized that. “Yeah, that’s about it,” he confirmed with a slight, awkward laugh. Kelly’s face shifted for a moment… what had been curiosity and amusement suddenly gave way to sympathy and sadness. Her eyes shifted periodically as she reapplied this new information to past interactions, and things were beginning to click and make more sense. She nodded a few times and finally, a sad smile came to her face as she met Charlie’s gaze. “That must be difficult,” she commented quietly. “Yeah,” Charlie agreed, his eyes dropping to stare into his lap. “And…” she swallowed. “It makes more sense now why you don’t think he should stay with Sarah.” Charlie’s eyebrows rose up, then fell, having not expected that to come into the discussion… but he realized he was grateful for it. Sharing in that weight with someone else made it feel just a little less heavy. “…Yeah,” the Little whispered, nodding. Kelly grinned slightly at him, but glanced over her shoulder back at her phone, which made a distinct tone. She winced. “Oh shoot, that’s probably the groceries,” she noted, but she looked up to the ceiling, and back to the Little. Smiling, she placed a hand on his leg. “Thank you for telling me. I… would love to help make things less… stressful for him. Everyone, really.” “I know,” Charlie smiled at her as he placed his hand on hers. “I really appreciate that… and I think Greg will eventually, too. But it may take some…” “Pushing,” Kelly smirked as her face angled down, and Charlie mirrored his own smirk back.

Don't forget the ripple effect.  We could be heading for a recession.  High price for gas means people stay home more.  That effects businesses, restaurants, vacations, hotels, tourist sites, etc.  Then figure if there is reduced business, that means layoffs and more people out of work.  Even those who still go out pay more for groceries based on the fuel it takes to distribute them to stores.  What a mess.