Rainbow Diapers

Chapter 3 Upstairs in Ally’s room I was drying off tears while changing out of my wet clothes. I couldn’t believe I had peed myself like a little preschooler and even worse it was in front of my Ally and in a stranger’s car. It was nothing compared to how I had embarrassed myself before. Evan didn’t seem mad at me for if ruining his car seat. He said accidents happen and it wasn’t my fault. He was also apologizing for yelling at me. The glare he gave Ally weren’t as friendly though. After we came back to the house, we followed Evan inside. He told Alexis where he found us and how dangerous it was to be there. Alexis didn’t think it would be fair to me if she’d ground her sister for the week so instead, she gave her a lighter punishment than she would have gotten. First, she had to help Evan clean up the accident I had in the car, even if I said it was my fault, and then she couldn’t leave her room for the rest of the day. Alexis plugged out her TV cables and took most of her toys too. I told her we shouldn’t have entered the mill, but she always had to do things she knew wasn’t allowed to. Like one time in school when she wanted to sneak down the basement and check out the safe room that was down there. Even if the teachers reminded us over and over not to go there Ally persuaded me to go and explore it with her, telling me that no teacher was going to find out. Of course, they did, and we got yelled at big time and then made a call to our parents. I wondered why we couldn’t do things that didn’t get us in trouble like everyone else did. She shrugged and said she just liked adventures, and by now I knew that if I was going to stay with her for a week I better to get used to them. I had a new pair of pant on now, sky blue jeans shorts this time, and I took my wet ones to Alexis as she told me. Ally was done cleaning up in the car and I passed her after she had been sent up to her room. I said her name but she didn’t stop. She hung her head low and muttered something I couldn’t hear. I continued to walk and took the clothes to Alexis who was in the kitchen “It wasn’t your fault, Amber.” Alexis said, taking my clothes. “It’s a bit sad. Since the pool isn’t ready, I had planned to take you both to the lake after lunch, but now I don’t have another choice than to ground Ally for the rest of the day.” I nodded. I didn’t know what to do now when my friend was trapped in her room and she wasn’t allowed to leave it. “Can I still be with her?” I wondered. “I don’t know. I don’t want to punish you, but she has got away pretty easy today. She is not allowed to see you until dinner. I brought most of her toys from her room, and you can play alone down here.” She gestured at a box on the kitchen table. I tilted it and to my joy I found Ally’s set of Sylvanian-families dolls that I had wanted to play with ever since I saw them in her room the day before. I also found a house and some furniture for them in there and I almost let out a squeal of happiness. I brought the whole box to the living room and played with the small animal dolls on the rug in front of the TV. After playing for a while, Alexis came in. “Hey Amber, there is lunch ready.” I got up and put my arms in the air to stretch and let out a yawn. “Is someone tired?” she asked and I instinctively covered my mouth because when I heard that question mommy always said it was time for bed, but then I realized it was in the middle of the day. “After lunch you can take a nap in here on the couch if you want.” I hadn’t slept so well that night and it had been a rather eventful morning so I was rather sleepy, but only babies and preschoolers took naps so I said: “I’m fine.” “Ok. Ally will have to eat alone in her room but Evan came back too and he’ll eat with us. You don’t have to be scared of him he’s actually a very nice guy. Don’t leave the toys on the floor please.” I bent down and put them back to the box before I followed Alexis to the kitchen. She had made some kind of burrito thing and it looked and smelled good. Evan was already sitting at the table. “Hey. Are your arms ok now? He asked me. I sat down at the table and nodded shyly. Alexis sat down next to me. “I think I’m going to do the jar thing with her again.” she said to Evan as she poured me a glass of juice. Evan looked puzzled. “What do you mean? What jar thing?” “You know, the good girl and bad girl jar.” she said, as she sat down at table. “For every bad thing she does I put a marble in the bad girl jar and for every good thing I put one in the good girl jar. If she does something bad, I take one out from the good jar and put it in the bad jar and the same thing conversely. And if she doesn’t keep marbles out of the bad girl jar, she’ll get punished, but if she manages to keep some in the good girl jar, she’ll be rewarded.” I had never heard of a method like that. I thought maybe it was because I wasn’t a bad girl that often. I started eating and continued to listen. “Now, I don’t give good girl marbles just by managing to maintain normal behavior. She has to do something nice for me, like helping with things around the house.” Alexis took a sip of her juice. “Aren’t you just her sister?” Evan asked. I also thought it sounded like something a mommy would do and she was speaking like one too and her cooking tasted like years of experience even if she only was nineteen. “Yes, but I’m responsible for her while mom and dad are gone; they would do the same.” she said and then handed me a napkin and pointed at her face where I had got burrito sauce on my own. My cheeks heated and I quickly wiped it off. “What do you think?” Alex asked, looking back at Evan again. “I don’t know, I guess it sounds ok.” he said, shrugging lightly. “Me too.” I chimed in “She needs to act more like a good girl.” “Aww… You’re so mature Amber, I wish she was more like you.” Alexis said, and that made me feel somewhat proud. I saw her exchanging a glance with Evan before she looked back at me. “Remember to help me keep an eye on her.” We continued to eat and Evan and Alexis talked about something I didn’t understand. I wondered if they two were girl and boyfriends, but I didn’t dare to ask. Maybe they were just good friends and that question might embarrass them. I was done eating and my tiredness attacked me again. I felt how my eye lids got heavier and heavier and I struggled to keep them up. I felt thirsty and reached for my juice and then, as I was about to take a sip, I heard the sound of a glass shattering on the floor. “Amber!” Alexis exclaimed. I got startled and jumped as I realized I had accidentally spilled my glass over my pants and then dropped it on the floor. “S-sowwy.” my lip quivered. I felt a pit of shame in my tummy as the cold juice on my legs dropped down on the floor. “You have to be careful.” she said, getting up from her chair and to get something to remove the glass from the floor with. I hung my head low because I thought I wasn’t mature anymore, dropping my glass like a baby who drops her sippy cup. She must have seen the expression on my face because she said: “Don’t cry. It was just a glass. Go to Ally’s room and get some new pants on while I take care of the floor.” I was about to leave but then I remembered something important and turned around. “Thank you for lunch, I really liked it.” “Don’t thank me.” Alexis said. “It was Evan.” I was sure it was Alexi’s who cooked and it surprised me. “Thank you, Evan.,” I said. “You’re welcome.” he smiled. I turned back and went up to Ally’s room. She was sitting on her bad with her teddy in her arms and her face had a sulk expression as she stared into nothing. When I came in, she turned to me. “Why are you here? You’re not grounded.” She looked down at my wet shorts. “Did you pee your pants again?” she had an annoyed tone but I tried to ignore it. “No, it’s juice.” I said, as I looked for a new pair of pants in my bag. “Did baby spill her glass?” she asked. “Why are you mad at me?” I found a pair of light and pink pajama shorts and they would have to do since I didn’t have another pair of short. “It’s not my fault you’re grounded.” “We could have hidden in one of the rooms, but you just had to run down right into him.” “We weren’t supposed to be there anyway.” I said and began changing pants. Ally sighed. “You’re such a good girl.” I had put on my pants now and turned to leave. “Hey! Wait, don’t go! I’m sorry, you don’t know everything yet.” “What?” I asked. “Don’t trust them and remember your nightmare last night” “Why?” “It’s important. I will tell you after dinner. By the way do you know what Evan work as?” “No?” I wondered. “He’s an axeman.” Ally whispered and I felt a creepy feeling in my tummy. “What do you mean by that?” I asked, but before she had a chance to reply Alexis called from downstairs: “Amber? Are you done changing yet? Remember, Ally is not allowed to see you.” “I’m coming.” I called back. “I will tell you more later, just don’t trust them.” she said. “I don’t believe you.” I said and with a sigh I walked out of her room. I guessed it was another dose of Ally’s imagination and soon she would build it up and won’t stop talking about it. Maybe I should play along for fun, I thought as I walked down the stairs and to the living room. Alexis sat there on the couch. “So, you’re taking a nap after all?” Alexis said noticing my pajama pants. I could hear Evan’s truck leaving outside. “I couldn’t find any other.” I said. “I want to play again” I put my hand over my mouth to cover a yawn. “We don’t have to call it naptime if you don’t want to. It’s pretty hot outside so why not call it a siesta?” She patted next to her on the couch for me to sit down. “I’m not tired.” I said, but my voice didn’t sound too convincing. “Come on, It’s pretty apparent that you are.” I saw that Alexis had to stop herself from giggling. I heisted but then I sat down on the couch. “You didn’t sleep well last night so I think it would do you good if you at least tried to rest for a little bit. You don’t have to sleep. I have some relaxation tracks you can listen to if you want. They are very calming and I’ve heard they can stop nightmares too. Want to me to turn it on?” I shrugged and then Alexis went up and put the curtains over the windows. She picked up a blank disc from somewhere and put it in a player. “Lie down and close your eyes.” she said with a shooting voice. I felt how my body really wanted to do so. I leaned back more and more in the couch and then I turned around to lie down. I closed my eyes. The track began playing. It started with the sound of waves and I imagined myself sitting alone on an endless beach. The wind was blowing on my face and I looked out at the sea and at the waves kept coming. Whenever I breathed out a wave hit the beach and when I breathed in the wave rolled back to the sea. I took a hand full of the warm sand and slowly let it run through my fingers over my legs. I was completely alone, and when I looked to my right and left, I saw how the beach never ended. I let myself lay down on the sand and looked up at the clear sky. After a while I felt how my head was briefly lifted up from the sand and how something was placed under it. The pillow felt soft and I turned around and cuddled on it. “Sleep well Amber.” Alexis whispered, before leaving the room.   Chapter 4 The world looked blurred and the air felt dry and hot. I wasn’t fully awake and my eyes could only squint. I felt hair stuck with sweat on my forehead. I rubbed my eyes awake and then moved my hand over my mouth where I had drooled a bit. I felt sweaty, almost wet, especially around the bottom of my pajama shorts. I checked them with my hand and felt how the bottom was all warm and wet. I slipped my hand under the rim of my pajama pants and realized my panties were totally soaked. I couldn’t have sweated this much. I sat up, looked down and saw that I sat on a big wet round spot. The back off my purple kitty t-shirt felt a little wet too. I froze when I realized what I had done. My lip quivered and tears welled up in my eyes. This was the second time I had an accident that day and I didn’t want it to be true. I was too old to pee my pants, only babies did that. There was a burning pressure in my tummy. Alexis is going to think I’m a total baby now. I blinked and tears ran down my cheek and then I let the lump in my throat burst. “Amber?” I must have cried loud enough so Alexis had heard. I hadn’t thought of that. It was like I had forgotten that I was in Ally’s house for a moment. I tried to quiet down but she came in and found me there sitting on the wet spot. “What’s wrong?” I didn’t look up. I hid my face in my hands and cried. I hated to embarrass myself. I hadn’t recovered from my last embarrassment and now there was even more pressure on my chest. I can’t say why but crying helped it get away somewhat so I let myself cry out loud again. “Shhh... Amber.” Alexis went to pull away the curtains to light up the room again before she sat down next to me in couch, avoiding the spot. “Don’t worry. The couch is fine. You just need to go up and get a new pair of pants. Calm down, it’s alright. Everyone does it sometimes.” But not twice in a day, I thought and cried louder. The couch couldn’t be fine. There must be a big wet spot on it right now. I spread my fingers and peeked through my hands and saw that I wasn’t sitting directly on the couch but on a white blanket of some sort. Moving away from the wet spot I realized what it was. I had seen the commercials for them on TV; it was a bed mat that little kids used for when they wet the bed. Why did she put it under me? Did she know I was going to wet the bed? “I put it there just in case.” Alexis said like she had read my mind. “I always put them there when Ally is napping so I guess I put it there out of habit. I didn’t know you were going to need it, but right now I guess we’re lucky I put it there.” She began rubbing my back. It felt comforting and I calmed down. I realized she had never been this close to me. I leaned closer and didn’t want her to leave. We sat there until my sobbing subsided and when it did, she asked: “Are you thirsty?” I nodded because I really was. When I tried to swallow my mouth felt dry. It felt like I had been wandering through a dessert. She pressed me close to give me a squeeze before getting up from the couch. I let out a deep sigh. It always felt better after a good cry. As I sat there waiting for Alexis to bring me something to drink, I thought about what she said. Did she say she put the bed mats there when Ally was sleeping? Or wait, she said napping, right? I had to ask Ally about that later. Alexis came back with a glass of juice. I chugged it down. I wanted to get out of my wet clothes now and looked up at her. “Can you get some new clothes for me?” I didn’t want to go into Ally’s room like this. “Sure, just wait here. Don’t you want to take a shower too?” she asked. I nodded. After sweating so much and peeing myself twice I felt rather unclean so it would be the best to take another one. I slid off the couch. Alexis took and folded the used bed mat and gave it to me and told me to throw it in the bin in the bathroom. I followed her upstairs. She went to Ally’s room while I went to the bathroom. I put the bed mat in the bin as instructed and when I did, I caught a glance of something. I wanted a closer look at so I took out the bed mat again and put it aside. I knew it was filthy and disgusting to put my hand in the trash but I had to find out. I reached it down and took something up for inspection. I held it away from me with my thumb and index finger. It was a rolled up diaper. As much as I knew there hadn’t been a baby here and that could only mean that someone in this house had used it and I was sure that it couldn’t be anyone else but Ally. Right then I realized things I had been wondering about. The rustling sound when Ally moved around in her pajamas last night, the smell in the room and why Alexis put at bed mat under me when I was napping. Ally must be wetting the bed. And she calls me a baby sometimes, I thought. I knew that with this I could get back at her. My mouth formed a grin, but it faded back because then I felt bad for her. It wasn’t her fault she wetted the bed. I knew how bad it felt to pee the bed myself and I was her friend, though, I don’t think I would ever tease anyone about something like that. I knew some kids would but I was nice to others and I hated bullies. I put it back and decided that I was going to pretend I hadn’t seen it. I undressed to get ready for the shower. When I was about to pull down my wet pants Alexis came in. “Sorry, I thought you already were in the shower! I’m just going to put your new clothes here.” she said and did so before closing the door. Luckily, she hadn’t walked in on my when I was looking at the diaper. I let out a relived breath before stepping into the bathtub. When I was done showering, I dried myself and then picked up my new clothes to get dressed. I left the bathroom and walked downstairs. “Feeling better?” Alexis asked. “A little.” I said. “Good. Want to play outsi…” she was about to ask something but was interrupted by a thud. And then there was another. It was coming from upstairs and it sounded like someone throwing things on the wall. “Wait here.” I heard a few more bumps and then Alexis started yelling and then how Ally screamed back at her. I sat down on the couch in the living room and waited until it was over. Alexis came stomping down the stairs. I heard the clinking sound of a marble falling in a glass jar. The bad girl jar, I guessed. Alexis came in to me and had an angry look. “She was throwing books around, that little baby. She got herself a marble for that.” “How many does she have now?” I asked. “Four. One for watching the horror movie, two for walking to the mill and one for the thing she did now. I don’t get it. She usually behaves much better. Is it because our parents are gone and she is testing her boundaries around me or something? Or maybe she wants to impress on you. She isn’t right?” “No.” I said. “This must be ruining the stay here for you. You two could have an amazing week together, but then she is acting like this, like she is five years old again.” Alexis sighed. I didn’t really think Ally was acting too weird. This was like she was in school. Not throwing things around, but she liked to do things she knew she wasn’t allowed to and she also had a bit of an attitude. “Right, I was about to ask if you wanted to play outside. There is a small playground on the back.” Alexis said. During the time between then and dinner, I played outside for a while and then when I went back in, I played with the dolls again. Alexis came and asked if she could play with me. I said yes, and that turned out to be really fun. Alexis used funny voice while she played making me giggle. She was so creative and I thought it was funnier to play with her than to play with Ally. Then it made me feel even more unhappy and jealous for not having a sister like that. After playing for some time, Alexis dropped her doll, got up from the rug and told me she was going to make dinner. I offered to help but Alexis said she was fine but that I could come and set the table later. I played until Alexis called for me. “I have an idea.” she said while I was putting down plates on the table. “You’ll join the jar-thing too. Not because you need to, you already are a good girl, but I think it will help Ally. I was thinking that the one of you that gets the most marbles in the good girl-jar by the end of the week will get a surprise.” That would be an easy win for me considering how things were looking then, and I loved surprises. I had nothing to lose and agreed on it. Alexis smiled and put a marble in my good girl-jar for helping her set the table. “But remember. You can get marbles in the bad girl-jar too.” she said. That wasn’t going to be a problem because I didn’t do bad things often and when you were visiting someone it was extra important to be a nice guest. “There is a punishment for each one you get too.” Alexis said. “The last one Ally got left her with only a cracker for dinner. For going to the mill, she got grounded for the day, and you know what happened after the horror movie.” she said the last punishment softly like she wasn’t too happy about it. The punishments sounded harsh and I was sure Ally would stop doing more bad things. When I was done setting the table we sat down to eat. Alexis talked about things we could do during the week, like going to the lake or to the mall. I had saved up some of my allowance so I could buy something, maybe a new doll or a swimsuit. After that, we didn’t find much else to talk about so we ate mostly in silence. I thanked her for dinner and asked if I could help doing the dishes. She said she was fine and told me I could go to Ally’s room. I felt disappointed because I had hoped I could earn another easy good-girl marble. I brought the toy box from the living room before going upstairs. Like last time, Ally sat on her bed when I came in. I placed the box on the floor. This time she didn’t look at me, just stared into nothing. Still angry, I thought. Why didn’t she understand that if she did bad things she would get punished? And why was she angry at me? “You wanted to tell me something after dinner.” I said, sitting down on the floor and picked up some dolls to play with. “Never mind.” she said, still not looking at me, “Good girl wouldn’t listen anyway.” “I’m sorry that I didn’t try to hide, but I was scared and wanted to get out of there.” I said. I picked up her favorite doll. “Wanna play?” “Gimme her!” she jumped out of bed and snatched it, and then went back again. “I’m hungry. Go down and get me something to eat.” “I can’t. You didn’t get dinner because you threw things around.” I said picking up another doll. “Are you my friend or are you meanie’s friend?” she crossed her arms. “And you can’t play with my dolls if I haven’t said you can.” “I’m your friend.” I said, putting back the dolls. “But that doesn’t mean I have to do bad things to help you out.” There was a silence. I hoped we wouldn’t start fighting. I wanted us to stay friends. “Don’t you think the punishment is a little too harsh?” she asked, looking at me with pleading eyes. “I’m really hungry and I wasn’t throwing things around, I was playing. What would you do if you had to sit up her all day?” “Accept my punishment and think of what I had done wrong and promise myself not to do it again.” I said repeating what mommy said when I was grounded. “I know I have been bad.” Ally said. “I’m sorry, and you can play with my dolls if you want. I’m just angry because I haven’t anything today. Are you sure you can’t get me something to eat?” “I don’t know.” I said. “Please?” she looked at me with puppy eyes. “Okay, but like what kind of food?” I got up. “Just anything.” Ally said. “I think we have cookies, and there is popsicles in the freezer. Be careful and don’t let meanie see you.” I wasn’t really sure why I was doing it but I left Ally’s room to go down and get her something to eat. The TV in the living room was on so I was pretty sure Alexis was watching it. I sneaked to the kitchen. I wasn’t sure where to look but I knew where most people kept their cookies high so kids couldn’t reach them. There they were. I saw a jar on the top of a shelf. I pushed a chair over there and got up on it. Standing on my toes and stretching my hands as high as I could, I reached it. I jumped off the chair and put it back before I turned back to hurry to Ally’s room. Then I remembered that she said something about popsicles too. Opening the freezer, I saw them. My hand was shaking but I managed to get four. I had to hurry. I left the kitchen with my pray and hurried up to Ally’s room. I got in a quickly closed the door behind me sliding down on it with a relived breath. “Did you get them good girl?” Ally asked. She was grinning for some reason. “Y-yea.” I said, still shaking. “Alex!” Ally yelled. “Come here!” her grin was wider than ever now. At first, I thought she was crazy and gestured for her to stop yelling. But then, when Alexis barged in, I realized what Ally was doing, and I who thought we were friends.  

PREFACE: Tom deals with his "problem" every single day. By day, he’s a high school student trying his best to act grown-up. But by night, he’s practically a toddler—at least, that’s how he feels he's being treated. If his mom doesn’t constantly remind him to use the bathroom, and even double-check on him before bed, he’s guaranteed to wake up to a wet mattress. Just like it was for me, it always comes back to having to wear diapers again, just like a baby. Fighting it didn't do any good. Every single night, that diaper went on, and it completely ruined my mood for the entire next day. Hearing about other bedwetters didn’t comfort me either. If anything, it just made it easier to picture everyone around me finding out—just through casual gossip—that "Tommy needs a diaper again, or else he'll wet the bed every morning...!" Tom’s absolute worst nightmare is being treated like a baby. His self-esteem is already shot because of his short stature and trouble at school. Everyone considers him a "late bloomer." If word ever gets out about his bedwetting—or even worse, the diapers—he’ll be a social outcast.   PART 29: A DIAPER BABY   Now it was my turn to leave Dr. Fink’s office with my mom, feeling everyone's eyes locked on me. The only thing missing was someone holding my hand—then they really would’ve mistaken me for a toddler. After everything that just happened in the last half hour, I definitely felt like a little kid—not a thirteen-year-old who was interested in girls and trying to be independent. My bedwetting had completely taken over my daily routine. It turned me into a toddler, a total "diaper kid." Everyone staring at me in the waiting room could see right through me: He’s a bedwetter. Just like Clara had been holding her new measuring bowl when she left earlier, I now had to carry my own plastic measuring cup—the one I was supposed to pee into from now on. I had to hold it right out in front of me like a trophy. A "trophy of shame" is more like it. Knowing the other kids here would soon be in the same boat didn't help at all. I looked around nervously and hurried after my mom. We had to wait in line to book our next appointment, right along with all the other moms and kids from the other exam rooms. On top of that, there were new patients checking in at the front desk. Before long, I was standing behind a ten- or eleven-year-old girl in a white summer dress. She was holding a urine sample bowl in her hand, proof that she was finished with her appointment, too, and had the exact same homework with her cup over the next few days as I did. She turned around suddenly when my mom nudged me forward in line, catching me staring right at the „potty." She immediately looked down, hiding the marked bowl behind her dress. Then she looked back up and, to get back at me, let her eyes drift down to my cup, which I was still holding awkwardly against my chest. I flushed bright red instantly. She noticed and couldn't help but crack a quick smile. She kept her eyes locked on my cup, probably thinking: Look who's staring, he’s a bedwetter too! Enjoy peeing in your new potty today... Then her mom noticed her daughter was staring way too boldly and trying to embarrass me. She grabbed Katherine by the shoulder, turning her back toward the check-in desk with a friendly but firm grip. Then she leaned down and whispered something in her ear. The girl shot me another quick, shy look over her shoulder, as if checking to make sure I hadn't overheard her mom. The next kid was already lining up behind us—clearly a newcomer since he didn't have a tray or a cup. He was maybe six or seven and probably had no idea what he was in for yet. He had to be in grade school because he sounded out the sign in front of us letter by letter: "C-H-E-C-K--I-N," he read aloud, trying to score brownie points with his mom. His mom praised him instantly. "Good job, Leon." But his eyes were watery and he was sniffling. It was pretty obvious that this appointment was the last place he wanted to be today. "Please, Mommy, please!" he begged next. "No, Leon! The diaper stays on. I told you, whenever you don't use the bathroom on time like you're supposed to, you go back into diapers. And just like today, that doesn't just mean bedtime." He broke down sobbing again. By now, my mom had noticed them and turned around, too. Leon’s mom looked embarrassed by all the attention and snapped at her son first. "Look, people are already staring because you're making such a scene." Turning to my mom, she said, "I'm so sorry, he's just completely worked up. He's usually not like this." "Oh, trust me, I know the feeling..." my mom said. "The toddler defiance phase. Sometimes it lasts a lot longer than you think," she added, cutting a quick glance at me. That prompted Leon’s mom to vent some more: "He just switched schools and he's having a really hard time. He constantly forgets to use the restroom. And even when I make sure to send him right before bed, he doesn't even try. Last night, I had to put him back in diapers for the first time in years." My mom looked at me and nodded in agreement. "We know exactly how that goes." "It was completely soaked by morning," the woman continued, making Leon burst into loud sobs. "And he's been wetting the bed for weeks. I honestly feel like he's not even trying." The boy kept crying, and it was hard to tell if it was out of protest or because he finally regretted not taking his mom seriously. My mom gave me another look, clearly trying to signal to the other woman: You're not the only one dealing with this. "Then the exact same thing happened this morning. I told him to go to the bathroom, but he refused. I reminded him he still had to sort his soccer cards. So I finally marched him into the bathroom, pulled his pants down, and plopped him on the toilet myself. But nothing. Not even after twenty minutes." My mom shook her head sympathetically. "It's like they purposely try to make you late for the appointment." Leon's mom was on a roll now and couldn't stop. "The second we stepped outside and got to the car, right before I let him in, I saw his pants start changing color. I couldn't believe my eyes until it literally started running down his legs." For the first time, my mom actually looked shocked. "Wow, really?" was all she could say. I was just glad that, for once, the spotlight wasn't on me. "So, back into the house we went. Stripped him out of his wet clothes, cleaned him up, and changed him. But this time, I put one of those pull-up diaper pants on him—the ones I finally bought last week. He always threw a fit about wearing them, so we kept trying to go without. But today was the last straw. He’s wearing them all day today." "He's going to wear them all day today." My mom shot me a heavy, meaningful look as she repeated this, causing Leon to wail again. And sure enough, you could see it. Not only did his butt look slightly chubby, but there was a distinct, bulky padding visible under his pants. You could even make out the white waistband of a Pampers diaper—which had just hit the market back then. His mom leaned down toward him. "If you're going to act like a baby, then from now on, I'm going to treat you like a baby." Leon dissolved into tears again. That sentence burned itself into my memory like fire. It described my situation perfectly—or at least, exactly how I felt about it. My mom seemed to love the idea, too. When our eyes met, I practically choked on my own shame. "And if you don’t dry those eyes right now, you’ll be in diapers for the whole week—and I mean just like today, day and night, not just at bedtime." That did the trick. Leon immediately tried to choke back his tears. "I don’t want to punish him, but my husband and I are just at the end of our ropes," she added apologetically to my mom. My mom nodded understandingly, but apparently she felt the need to offer some solidarity. "Oh, I completely understand. This young man here," she said, gesturing toward me, "has actually taken his diapers off before, and of course, the bed was soaked the next morning. Plus, he tries to hide his wet sheets, and lately, even his wet underwear." With that, she had the undivided attention of the other mom—and probably half the waiting room, too. "But overall, he sleeps really well in his diapers now, and the bed stays dry," she added. "Right, Tom?" she asked, dragging me into the conversation, while I wanted nothing more than to drop dead right then and there. The girl in front of us had turned around again. She just stood there with her mouth wide open, and I felt my entire face catch fire. "See, Leon? I told you other kids wear diapers too." The boy had quieted down and was now staring at us with fascination. "I see Leon is wearing those new taped diapers. How are you liking them?" my mom kept the conversation going. "Too soon to tell, but it's going to get expensive if we have to change him constantly." Leon started whimpering again, but his mom shot him a warning look.  "...Depending on how he does on the pot…," my mom now chimed in, stepping in just before the other woman could blab the last secret. "...well, depending on how hard he actually tries to... you know, go... I mean..." I wanted nothing more than the ground to open up and swallow me whole. The mom of the nosy girl had overheard everything, too. She was clearly uncomfortable with the fact that her daughter was once again staring at us so blatantly. "Katherine," she said, "if you find this so fascinating, maybe we should make it a habit for you, too. What do you think? Should we go shopping for you right after we're done here?" Katherine looked up at her mom, completely alarmed. "Mom!" Her mother put an arm around her shoulders and gently guided her away from us. "Honey, I was just kidding," she said, before raising her voice just enough for my mom to hear loud and clear: "Luckily, it only happens to you every once in a blue moon, sweetie." She sounded a bit too defensive as she gave her another tight hug. Katherine turned back to face me one last time. The look on her face said it all: Gotcha... It only happens to me "every once in a blue moon"... I’m not one of those DIAPER BABIES. I didn’t even have time to get mad. Two spots opened up at the exact same time at the check-in desk. The receptionists behind the counter had apparently been waiting patiently for a moment; we hadn’t even noticed because we were so caught up in our conversations. Both Katherine and her mom, as well as the two of us, were next in line.      

I mean, besides the cartoons of old, Jonathan Winters on Mork and Mindy? Sylvester Stallone in “Stop or my mom will shoot” there was a scene where he was dreaming and he was wearing a diaper holding a big bag of Huggies. There were quite a few in the late 70’s early 80’s tv shows 

I somewhat agree in that the white mega max diapers do remind me of the old style pampers I wanted so bad, still would be cool to package some adult diapers in a pampers box that would be so cool 

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